Many California college students just graduated and are now in the pursuit of a job that utilizes the degree they worked so hard to earn. Spending time to earn an associates, bachelors, or masters degree is all for the payoff of a better job that you enjoy. Ideally you want something close to a dream job, but if you do not hustle to land that job, then someone might beat you to it. The current job market is improving, but still very competitive as many qualified job candidates fight it out to land each job. Often times, college graduates in California will be up for a job against people with many years experience, so job searchers need to stay on the hunt non-stop until they secure a job. Until you land a job, your new job is working 40hrs a week trying to research, apply, and interview for jobs.

The first step in the job hunt is to make a plan so that you do not waste time, so get a spreadsheet together and figure out where to attack and apply for a job. List companies you want to contact and their contact information. Also find all of the job websites in your area, including craigslist.org, monster.com, and eBay classifieds. When searching, make sure you focus properly on what you want in terms of a job, if you search too broad then you will not get great results. Repeat the process each day, and check the same sites so you get into a groove and do not loose time with new techniques. When you get ready to apply, make sure you have variations in your resume and a cover letter. This will allow you to be prepared to apply for a wide variety of jobs in your niche. The last thing to consider is quantity versus quality, take time and apply to the best jobs first that you really want to land. This is much better than randomly applying to 100 jobs, many of which you might not even want.

Summer 2010 is quickly approaching, and California college students are hunting for a great internship to help them further their education. Internships are a great way to get experience in an industry in which you have an interest, it is also a great way to network and make connections to help you in your job search after you graduate. The economic recession is a good and bad thing for college students in California, as there are more companies looking for interns, but it is also a very competitive market for any job, even an internship.  There are many people who previously had full time jobs, now willing to take an internship just to keep themselves in the job market. Luckily many internships are limited to college students only, but companies in California have students applying from across the country. This makes it even more difficult for a California college student to land the dream internship that they want this summer.

California has a massive college system, which results in thousands of student looking for internships in the state this year. If you are a college student looking for a summer internship and have not started your search, then you should start today! Many companies line up interns for the summer starting in February, so now is still a great time to start your hunt for a summer internship. Below are a few tips that will help you in your quest to get a great internship for the 2010 summer.

Apply, Apply, Apply

You need to make sure and apply for as many internships as possible which interest you, so that you increase your chances on securing a position. Also make sure and provide a resume, even if you have limited job experience, as you still want to showcase your skills.

Follow Up On All Interviews

If you are lucky enough to get an interview for an internship then you need to make sure and follow up. Get the names and if possible emails of everyone you interview with and send them a personal thank you note so that you stay top of mind. You can either email or send a letter via snail mail. It really depends on the type of internship you are trying to land.

Match Your Internship to your Future Career

If you already know what type of job you want to have after you graduate, then you should intern in that industry to set yourself apart from other job candidates you will compete against in the future. If you’re still unsure about your career path, then an internship is a great way to get real world experience to see if the career is for you.

Job losses that have occurred over the last couple of years have resulted in more people taking jobs at lower levels, that pay less than they are accustomed. This trend has made the job market much tougher for recent college graduates, because the jobs that they are applying to put them in direct competition with candidates with more experience. Therefore more and more college students are opting to intern right after school in an industry where they want to work. With the economy slowly recovering, this move is very smart as it will allow many of them to get jobs in the industry they desire in the near future. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that University of California Career Center director Kathy Kims said “40 percent fewer job recruiters visited the UCLA campus in the past 12 months than in previous years.” Luckily, next year is looking to improve which is a very positive sign for those recent graduates looking for work or those who are to graduate in the near future.

Many college graduates each applied for multiple jobs this year, but most were unsuccessful due to the current state of the job market. Having a quality internship in the industry which a student is trying to secure a job is a great way to get ahead while things are slow for the economy. Often times, the employer where a graduate interns will hire them on full time after the completion of the internship if the intern can demonstrate true value. In November, the overall unemployment rate dropped from 10.2 percent to 10 percent, while this drop is not large, it could be a sign of things starting to turn around. Hopefully 2010 will bring positive changes in the economy in California and across the United States, so that more and more graduates will be able to secure great jobs.