Next Great Thing

I’m a senior in New York University’s journalism department, and let me tell you, it’s hard enough finishing up my majors and saying goodbye to the “easy life” (sigh), that I have to spend countless hours searching the depths of the web for postings on potential post-college jobs. Why is it so difficult for me and others my age to get reliable, detailed, up-to-date information on job openings? Why is getting in contact with “the right person” who can actually influence an application so complicated? And why is the actual application process such a drawn out, “up-in-the-air” experience?

You’d think that companies, seeking a wide range of applicants from which to choose, would make the process easier. Take colleges, for example, which have built an art around straight-forward admissions. Every college application is available through the university’s website and comes with set due dates and response times. Colleges release relevant information regarding the types of students they’re looking for as well as those who they have previously admitted. Acceptance, deferral, waiting list, and rejection letters are all given the same priority. Admissions officers are easily available through phone or e-mail to answer questions and offer advice; in many cases, you’re even given an automatic interview.

In my experience, opportunities for internships and entry-level positions in the “working world” are much harder to assess, apply for, and in the end, win. Unlike when I applied to college—a time when I rarely used my high school’s college admissions office—these days I find myself relying almost exclusively on NYU’s Career Services department as my eyes-and-ears into my future. Daily internship and entry-level postings are e-mailed to me from NYU’s journalism career office. Usually, these job descriptions are timely and include a description of the position, application due date, contact phone number and/or e-mail, and general details regarding pay or college credit. They also hold an air of authority, in my view, because they’re vetted by NYU staff.

But searching for internship and entry-level jobs online on my own is an entirely different matter. Firstly, sites ranging from Monster.com to Aftercollege.com generally contain only jumbled, incomplete job listings that in many cases list few or no jobs in major industry categories. Working through these sites feels like conducting a pointless Google search that goes on for pages without offering anything substantive. Secondly, major companies offer information on their openings through complex online databases usually run by their parent companies, and these positions are categorized through vague job numbers, titles, and search fields. Some sites don’t even post their job listings online, and simply tell applicants interested in working for the company to submit their resumes to random GMail addresses. Can someone at least let me know to whom I should address my cover letter?

Over the past few years, I’ve applied for numerous media-related internships here in New York, and overall, it’s been an uphill battle. Of course applying to jobs isn’t supposed to be easy. But in many cases, I’ve waited for months before receiving even a phone call. On two occasions, I’ve been asked to interview the same day the potential employer called me – once, I was asked to start working the following week. In other instances, the company never contacted me—but I’ve waited around for them to call me, at least to tell me whether or not I should continue waiting around for them. That’s a very helpless feeling, and in my opinion, an unfair way to treat potential employees. The nice thing to do would be to have a known internship coordinator—someone I can e-mail when “the other guy” offers me a job I don’t want to take, but will if their company isn’t interested in me.

I’ve seen some pretty awesome internship opportunities out there, but lately I’ve held back from applying, simply because the process is too complicated and stressful to manage. Why go through the trouble of writing a cover letter, updating my resume, and collecting clips and references, if no one will bother to keep me updated on my application status? Will anyone even read what I’ve sent in? Are the internship positions already filled by those who “know someone”, or do I have a realistic shot of even being considered?

It’s about time companies took a page from the college admissions handbook and reorganized the ways they recruit youth. Transparency and responsibility are key words that come to mind. Companies who want to best and brightest of Gen Y on their payrolls need to make the application process similar and more reliable, or else risk the age group completely tuning out to competitors who adapt their methods first.