I wanted to share an article I recently read on TalentZoo titled Heads up Grads by Paul Marobella, managing director of Wirestone Chicago.  In this article, Marobella outlines “5 ideas that can help college graduates in this recession.”

1. If you don’t have the desired work experience, leverage what you know.  If this means talking about the hours a day you spend on Facebook, go for it.  Companies are looking to expand into social networking and they will need Facebook savvy employees.
2. Utilize the social networks you belong too and join the ones you don’t.  Use sites like LinkedIn to expand your network, but do it with a purpose.  Don’t just add someone and expect to get a job, ask to set up informational interviews – if they want to help you, they will.
3. Get well read and conversant on the top industry trends.  Marobella recommends creating a Google Reader and subscribing to top industry blogs to stay abreast on trends.  Also take this time to read academic books on your career field, it will give you something meaningful to discuss in interviews.
4. Incorporate social media into your job search.  Marobella recommends creating a Social Media Resume.  I personally have adopted this technique and created a personal YouTube channel to share video cover letters and work I’ve done.  While I wish I could say this helped me land the job of my dreams, I can say that the feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive.  It is a definite opportunity to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool.
5. Blog it out.  Chris Perry, MBA ‘09, just wrote about the benefits of blogging in Brand building for Mason and for you.  Marobella would agree with Chris.  Blogging about your career field is a way for recruiters and managers to see your passion and writing skills.  You can’t expect recruiters to read every article you write, but with the right promotion in your cover letters, they will be able to see this passion through a quick skim.

No doubt the environment we are faced with calls for a little creativity and a lot of resilience.  But taking some of this advice could help you stand out from the rest of the MBA’s from those, “other schools”.

Happy hunting.