{"id":312,"date":"2025-05-02T22:24:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T22:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/?p=312"},"modified":"2025-05-02T23:18:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T23:18:37","slug":"no-job-yet-no-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/2025\/05\/02\/no-job-yet-no-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"No job yet? No problem."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10 action steps Oregon State students can take now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Nine small white paper airplanes against a bright white background. The tenth paper airplane is bright orange and soaring upward.\" class=\"wp-image-316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-1200x600.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568-1980x990.jpg 1980w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/5894\/files\/2025\/05\/Paper-Airplanes_AdobeStock_494439568.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Join professional organizations related to your field.<\/strong> If broad professional sites like LinkedIn feel overwhelming, dial in your efforts by focusing on sites specifically related to the field you want to enter. Professional organizations are good for networking opportunities, and many associated have job boards; most also have free or lower-cost membership rates for students. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not sure which orgs to join? Here are a few ways to get started:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ask your professor or <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/about\/contact#careereducation\">OSU career advisor<\/a> for advice. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Browse OSU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/see.oregonstate.edu\/ela\/clubs-organizations\/club-info\/find-clubs\">list of organizations<\/a> with the \u201cacademic &amp; professional\u201d filter turned on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do a search for \u201cXXXX industry here + professional organizations.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Know who&#8217;s hiring <em>now<\/em>.<\/strong> Get familiar with typical hiring timelines \u2013 if you need a job now, jobs in government or academia, which have longer lead times, won\u2019t be your best bet. (Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/students\/career-resources-graduate-students\/academic-job-searching\">academic job searching<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/sites\/career.oregonstate.edu\/files\/2024-12\/Academic%20Job%20Search%20Timeline.pdf\">typical academic timelines<\/a>). What are some private industries that interest you?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/find-jobs-internships\/job-search-strategies\">where to search for jobs<\/a> tips <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Or explore Oregon State&#8217;s career resources and job industry outlooks <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/explore-careers\/career-fields\">broken down for each academic college<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don&#8217;t rule out short-term work.<\/strong> Internships, seasonal or short term work can be a good bridge to the next phase of your career. You\u2019re still adding to your resume, earning income and building your network even if it\u2019s not a long-term position.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/oregonstate.joinhandshake.com\/\">Handshake<\/a> is a job board focused on college students and recent grads; it&#8217;s a good spot to look for internships and seasonal positions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AmeriCorps, City Year, the Peace Corps and other <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/find-jobs-internships\/service-global-opportunities\">service organizations<\/a> offer one- or two-year programs where students can gain experience before pursuing longer-term employment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/find-jobs-internships\/parker-dewey-micro-internship-tool\">Parker-Dewey<\/a> offers paid micro-internships: anywhere from 5 to 40 hours per week of work, with many opportunities that can be completed remotely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on skills, not just just job titles. <\/strong>Ask a career advisor or an AI tool to help you analyze your resume for transferable skills. Are there jobs you&#8217;re qualified for that you&#8217;ve been missing out on?\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> Suppose you\u2019ve been thinking of being a park ranger, which requires skills like &#8220;promoting environmental conservation&#8221; and &#8220;communicating well with diverse groups of people.&#8221; What other jobs need those skills? Can you search for job listings based on skills rather than titles? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your long-term goal is to join an industry that\u2019s currently facing a hiring freeze or downturn, don\u2019t be deterred from taking other work until your dream industry bounces back.&nbsp;For example, if you&#8217;ve been looking for jobs in the federal government, use our <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/sites\/career.oregonstate.edu\/files\/2025-02\/Federal_State_Agencies_Mapping_OR_WA_TX_CA_January_2025.pdf\">government agency mapping tool <\/a>to find similar job listings in state or local government agencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tap into your Oregon State network.<\/strong> Through the OSU Alumni Association you can join <a href=\"https:\/\/osuconnections.org\/\">OSU Connections<\/a>, an OSU-specific professional network with 5,000+ members, for free. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Get <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/interviews-networking\/informational-interviews\">tips on how to ask<\/a> OSU alumni in industries you\u2019re interested in for advice and job leads, including good questions to ask and <strong>email scripts you can use<\/strong> when you&#8217;re reaching out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can also join the OSU-specific LinkedIn group: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4379238\/\">Beaver Careers<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upskill with purpose.<\/strong> Not getting jobs? Do a skills inventory and analyze your gaps. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not sure what skills you lack? <a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/resumes-cvs-cover-letters\/ai-tools-career-development\">Ask AI<\/a> to help you analyze. Sample prompts could include: \u201cWhat are the top skills for a programmer? For a _____?.&#8221; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can also supply a sample job listing you are interested in as well as your current resume (make sure to remove your personally identifying information, such as your name, email and address, before uploading), and then ask your favorite AI tool to perform a skills gap analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take advantage of an <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/2025\/04\/18\/ai-meets-advising-oregon-state-launches-career-tool-tailored-to-beavs-by-beavs\/\">AI-assisted appointmen<\/a>t at the Career Development Center and use the combination of skilled human plus a custom AI tool that&#8217;s been trained on OSU-specific career resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you know where you need to grow, use <a href=\"http:\/\/hr.oregonstate.edu\/training\/linkedin-learning\">LinkedIn Learning<\/a> while it\u2019s still free to you as an OSU student to build up your resume.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Train your algorithms.<\/strong> Follow organizations you like on Handshake and LinkedIn, favorite jobs you like, and set up alerts for job categories you are interested in so you are the first to know when new jobs are posted.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>See tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/2024\/05\/01\/focused-job-search-tools-for-osu-students\/\">customizing your settings and filters<\/a> on Handshake, LinkedIn and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Revisit your priorities and broaden your scope.<\/strong> Which is more important right now \u2013 high pay OR staying close to your romantic partner or your family? Working in a dream location OR landing a job in a dream industry? Chase after your most important goal in your first job, then after you\u2019ve gained a little experience, you can land a job that nails multiple values. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/explore-careers\/focus2-career-exploration-tool\">Focus2<\/a> is a career assessment tool that&#8217;s free to Oregon State students; it can help you think through your values if you&#8217;re not sure what you&#8217;re looking for in your first job.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get expert advice.<\/strong> The Career Development Center, OSU-Cascades Career Center, and the OSU Alumni Association offer career events and workshops every month that are focused on helping you build career skills and build your network. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/career-events\">Career Development Center events and career fairs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bendbeavscentral.osucascades.edu\/events?group_ids=50670\">OSU-Cascades career events and career fairs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/getting-a-dam-job\">Getting a Dam Job signature career workshop series<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/workspace.oregonstate.edu\/free-webinar-resource-library-from-oregon-state-university-professional-and-continuing-education\">Career webinar library from OSU Professional &amp; Continuing Education<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fororegonstate.org\/get-involved\/osu-alumni-career-services\/\">OSU Alumni Career Support<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t panic: you\u2019ve got this!&nbsp;<\/strong>Job searching can be stressful, but you\u2019re not alone. Take a breath, take action, and reach out\u2014<a href=\"http:\/\/career.oregonstate.edu\/make-appointment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">we\u2019re here to help<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>10 action steps Oregon State students can take now<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11177,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[21,38,26],"class_list":["post-312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-job-search","tag-job-search","tag-networking","tag-tips-and-tricks"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312\/revisions\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/horizons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}