2015-2016 HBCU Careers Magazine

HBCU Careers Magazine

What Are You Waiting For?

By: Dr. Denita Hedgeman Director, Career Services LeMoyne-Owen College

“What Are You Waiting For? was a concept developed from Dr. Denita Hedgeman’s book, While I Wait.

Did you know that you have control over your own destiny? That you can have what you want and what you say you want if you believe and put hard work into it? It is easier than you think. Yes, sometimes you have to wait for great things. Sometimes it might take a month or years to get great success, but anything worth having is worth getting. The Y generation has a “Hurry up and I want it now mindset”. Where as the baby boomers seem to have worked hard with dedication for years to get what they wanted. Today we live in a society of quick fix with microwaves, fast food, computer technology, expressways and crash diets where we see immediate results. But getting a job does not always happen quickly. Usually it takes months to years to develop different skill sets, establish networking relationships, research companies and apply for positions. Because it is so competitive, you have to be creative during your job search. There are thousands of people applying for the same jobs. The old rule was “for every 100 resumes that you send out, you might get one interview”. Just think now what the rule is in 2010. I am not trying to discourage you, I am just trying to encourage you to put yourself out there. Here are some ways you can get what you want in due season: Pray Pray and ask God what you want and what He desires for you so you will not be all over the place searching and running into dead ends. In Matthew 7:7-8, it states that we can ask and it shall be given if we seek and knock on the door. Also, Jeremiah 29:11 states that God knows the plans He has for us which will prosper us and give us great success. We are destined for great success! We ask God to help us in a crisis, but we sometimes do not ask him to guide us in every area of our life. He created the jobs and He has one that is tailor made for you. Apply Everywhere When I was in college, there were not as many opportunities for students and minorities like there are today. Now, there is no excuse for a student not

to have a job, internship, scholarship, or funding for a project or study abroad program. There is a program or grant for most situations such as funding for tall people, left handed people, single parents, minorities, non- minorities attending a HBCU, first generation students, etc. Most opportunities are on-line now, so it should not be a challenge for this Facebook, Myspace and Twitter generation. But it is! Some students tell me that they hate applying on-line because it is so tedious and they think that they might not get a call or be able to follow up. The wait is also so long, especially if they are applying for a government job. They do not realize that this process is better for companies because they can easily query an applicant in the system with certain credentials quickly because so much detailed information is in their database from the on-line application. Remember, good things come to those who wait. To apply for the bigger opportunities, you might have to write that essay, have a good GPA, create a portfolio, acquire letters of recommendations, etc. A lot of companies have a college relations section on their website for internships or entry-level positions that students and recent graduates can apply. Start looking at the top 50 Companies List and choose and apply at your top three companies you would love to work. Know your industry like a book. In most career services departments, they have free job magazines or journals that have companies advertising their job opportunities or websites. They want students to apply! You can apply at staffing agencies, your city career center, your college career center, your local Urban League, professional societies, through your church members, non-profit organizations, etc. Every company has almost every major represented such as accounting, HR, IT, marketing, engineering, legal, communications, community

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