Good jobs for new grads hard to find

TAMPA - Jenny Jewell and Andrew Wilson are among a growing number of recent college graduates who've found work.

But they are the minority among their friends.

"I spent about six months looking for a job," Jewell said. "I started while I was still in school and I got this job while I was still in school so that was a stroke of good luck."

And they know it.

"You're excited to graduate. You know what's ahead," Wilson said. "You see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's not that bright because you can see people that are graduated ahead of you aren't getting jobs."

Jewell got her undergrad at UF, then MBA at USF. Wilson spent the last four years at USF getting his master's degree.

They work for a Tampa company called ConnectWise, an IT solutions company the pools almost exclusively from USF.

"We tipped the scale at just over a hundred workers at Connectwise," said Arnie Bellini, ConnectWise CEO and Founder. "We're still hiring, so even in the face of a shrinking economy we're growing so fast, we're taking advantage of the fact that USF is putting out so many good graduates that we're scooping them up."

The company still has six open positions but managers are selective about who they pick.

But Bellini, an MBA from USF himself, says just because you don't have experience doesn't mean you have to settle. He sees new job applicants all the time, he can only do so much.

"They're very afraid of it," Bellini said. "They're very of afraid of their jobs not being meaningful. It's going to go to the least expensive programmer, the lowest bidder-- the least expensive business analyst."

Even though they've found a job, Jewell and Wilson know how hard it is to get your foot in the door. And even they had to dial down their expectations a little just to get that first job.

"I graduated in May with my master's degree in architecture," Wilson said. "[I] spent about four years getting my master's. Spent some time looking around like everyone else, looking for the job, the big break, doing the networking resumes."

"That was part of what was so difficult," Jewell said. "I'm sure these companies are getting a thousand emails a day, with unemployment as high as it is and what do you do to make yourself stand out, without being able to have a face to face reaction with those folks?"

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Job search tips from the USF Career Center

• Proactive vs Reactive Job Search Methodology
• Increase your network
• Join professional organizations
• Read professional journals or publications
• Don't give up. There ARE jobs out there

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Tips from Yahoo Hot Jobs:
Recruiters Reveal Pet Peeves About Job Seekers
The Recruiter Roundtable is a recurring feature that collects career and job-seeking advice from a group of recruiting experts throughout the United States. The question we put before our panel this month is: What is your biggest pet peeve about job seekers today?
The Price of 'Perfection'
My biggest pet peeve is perfect candidates. They only had successes, are perfect and can't see any improvement to make on themselves -- except maybe to "work a little less." People who are too insecure to admit their shortcomings or even their mistakes make me feel that they lack good emotional intelligence. In all the reference checks we reviewed at Checkster, none were 100% positive, so be realistic. If not, you will be seen as either not daring enough to perform difficult things, or stuck in a myopic belief that you are perfect.-- Yves Lermusi, CEO, Checkster
Clueless Candidates
As a recruiter, there have been countless times when job seekers have asked, "What position is this for?" Job seekers shouldn't just apply to any job. They need to spend their time effectively finding jobs that are a match for their skills and interest. -- Nga Nguyen, Technology & Operations Group Recruiter at Wells Fargo
Short-Cut Introductions
With more people looking for work in today's economy, I've been seeing an increase in what I call "lazy introductions" come across my desk. It goes something like this: "I'm writing you to introduce myself. I live in New York and I'm looking for a job," and in the signature is a link to a LinkedIn profile or possibly a resume. A brief introduction should come with a background, highlights, and reason for connecting. A job search is a job in itself and requires some personalization and effort for each and every introduction.-- Lindsay Olson, partner, Paradigm Staffing
Can't Connect the Dots?
My biggest pet peeve is receiving resumes or applications that describe background and work experience wholly unrelated to the position being applied for. Also there is either no supporting material or a generic cover letter that fails to connect the dots between what's on the application and what's in the posted job listing.-- Noah Apodaca, lead recruiter for staff at the University of California, Irvine
Don't Go Generic
Job seekers hurt their own cause when they don't focus on specific ways they can help potential employers and instead simply mass distribute their resume. Individuals need to show hiring managers what they can do for the organization, not the reverse. Thoroughly research companies where you want to apply, customize your resume and cover letter for each opportunity, and in your communications with employers highlight your accomplishments and skills that demonstrate how you can positively impact the firm's bottom line.-- DeLynn Senna, executive director of North American permanent placement services, Robert Half International