In the past few months, some friends have called asking me to talk to their kids about their first job. For those in the US and UK, it has been especially difficult to find one. I remember how it took me almost four months to get a job in the summer of 1989 as I was finishing my MS at Columbia. When I finally got a call (voice mail in those days left on my answering machine at home), I called my manager-to-be at NYNEX and said, “I accept.” He asked, “Don’t you want to know what your salary will be?” I said, “No. All I want is a job. I am fine with whatever you pay me.”
When I speak to the students hunting for their first job in difficult times, I tell them not to worry about the salary. In fact, I even tell them that they could even offer to take minimum wage so as to get the experience. My logic: their parents have spent $200-300K in their education, and another $60-70K won’t make much of a difference. The key is to get into the workplace and meet with people. There will always be a time to negotiate salaries in life but that time is not now; what’s key is to get past the hurdle of the first job. The workplace is very different from student life, and they need to start experiencing that as soon as possible.
I also give a few more suggestions as they look for a job prior to graduation:
- Attend conferences. They are a very good place to learn and network. Very few students do this.
- Work at startups so you get do a lot more. And offer to do anything. Think of it as an extension to learning.
- Write a blog. Show a body of work with your thinking.
- Develop some extra skills which students would not be expected to have. For example, for someone in liberals arts, learn AI and coding.
- Speak to professors and ask for references to startups and companies run by alumni. Few will turn down a request by a professor.
- Send out LinkedIn requests and cold emails; there is no downside.
- For those in the US/UK and unable to find jobs (the visa status makes it harder in a tough market), consider returning to India. There are plenty of opportunities available in India.
When I was job hunting, I would go through the careers section in the newspapers and send out letters to every company I thought was remotely relevant. I was willing to travel anywhere for a job interview. I even spent a couple weeks on the West Coast staying with a friend and writing to local companies. One has to think like an entrepreneur!
