Job-Seeking Tips from NPR's "Tell Me More"

NPR recently aired this story about job-searching tips on their show Tell Me More. This information is useful for co-ops and internships as well. You can read a full transcript of this story, listen to the podcast, or, before deciding to delve into the full-text of this interview, you can skim through my cliff-notes version below.

Financial planner and author Louis Barajas and  Mario Burney of Crossroads Employment Services in Washington DC spoke with Tell Me More Host Tony Cox (filling in for Michel Martin). Burney emphasizes that a "shotgun strategy" (blasting out as many resumes as possible) is not particularly effective. In this economy, most employers have plenty of applicants, so it's far better to spend your time customizing both your resume and your cover letter to really emphasize why you are the ideal candidate for a particular position.

Barajas and Burney both agree that returning to school to wait out the recession is a bad idea. If you're returning to school because you're unemployed, it's important to be intentional about what types of experience you are cultivating and why.

If you're applying for an internship or a job that you're overqualified for, you must be prepared to address why you are seeking that position and why it will be worth the employer's time. In a job setting especially, an employer does not want to risk investing time and resources if it seems that you're planning to bail in six months to a year. When applying for a job or an internship, be sure that you can offer a thoughtful explanation of why you are seeking that position and how it integrates with your overall career goals.

Landing a meaningful job or internship in any economy can be challenging. Burney and Barajas both stress that looking for work can be a full-time job. It requires strategic planning, staying organized (knowing when it's time to followup after an interview for example), self-awareness, and thoughtful use of all of the resources available to you. (This includes social networking sites, friends and family, professors, professional contacts, and Drexel's Career Services Office.)