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HBCU Careers Magazine
33
By: Dr. Denita Hedgeman
Director, Career Services
LeMoyne-Owen College
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
What Are You Waiting For?
“What Are You Waiting For? was a concept
developed from Dr. Denita Hedgeman’s
book, While I Wait.