David Spinks (January 13th, 2009)

Lindsay,

I am in your position as well as I’m graduating in May and not too excited about the state of the job market. I am beginning my job search now. Many companies may tell you that they cannot tell you at this time whether or not they will be able to hire you come graduation but that does not mean they wont hire you. I absolutely think now is the best time to start. You may find a job, or worst case scenario, you make connections that you will be able to use once you graduate and the market is (hopefully) better.

Best of luck. There is a Mashable networking event in NYC on Thursday that you may be interested in attending. I’ll be there (=

Dave

Lindsay Olson (January 13th, 2009)

Hi David,

Thanks for commenting. I love that you think I’m graduating soon, it makes me feel young!

Actually, I posted this as advice to my college graduate readers. I’m actually a recruiter in the public relations field.

Yes, I’m going to be at the Mashable event on Thursday. Hope to see you there!

David Spinks (January 14th, 2009)

Oh haha, apologies for not reading the bio first! Or you’re welcome I guess! First time reading and you started with “I am a college senior, planning to graduate this upcoming May.” Very confusing, ^_^

Look forward to meeting you at the event!

Taylor Graves (January 27th, 2009)

I honestly think that it is NEVER too soon. Especially if you are looking for employment in the area where you are currently starting school. You never know, there may be a way to start part-time before you have even graduated. In this job market… if that’s what you had to do for the job, DO IT. Under these conditions, my vote is – never too soon.

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Daria (February 2nd, 2009)

Hi Lindsay,
Thanks for a great post! I agree that networking and previous internship experience are the key components in finding a job in PR industry. I guess I’m just a little skeptic about online networks and their contribution to my job search. While I think social media skills are necessary for any aspiring PR professional, I think that the majority of firms are still pretty “traditional” when it comes to hiring new PR grads.

Laura (February 2nd, 2009)

I definitely agree. Making those networks is very important. It is the best way to get your foot in the door and start making relationships. It is best to start the job search early and to continue to search.

Marissa (February 5th, 2009)

Lindsay,

I, too, am a senior PR student graduating in June. I really appreciate your input. I am always unsure if it is appropriate to contact prospective employers if they aren’t hiring. Yet the idea of an informational interview sounds like the perfect solution! It’s also nice to hear about so many other students going through the same process.

Thanks,
Marissa

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Micaela Sicroff (November 13th, 2011)

Thank you for posting this. I am also a Senior and Public Relations Major at the University of Oregon getting ready to graduate in the Spring. I have had many of the same questions about how to and when to begin job searching and your post was very helpful for me. Here is a link to my blog where I have responded to it. http://msicroff.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/linky-love-1-job-searching/