So I'm unemployed...

[tommieharris91]

I've just finished my Economics degree at OU, but I can't find a job right now. I'm wondering if there are any skills that I can learn to spice up my resume a little bit to make myself look better to employers. I also know that a lot of people are either losing their job or not finding decent work just like me, but I feel like I need to look even better than the competition. Is there anything that I can put on my resume that makes me look better to employers?

[frankensooner]

Will work for cheap. Also sorry I wrote spic instead of spice, I didn't mean to offend might help! :D


Seriously though, good luck man! I started my career at one of the hardest times to get a job. Just take what you can and when another opportunity arises, take it.

[85Sooner]

Are you a tax cheat, I think O has some openings left.

[JohnnyMack]

You could be a stand up comedian like 85 and Tuba.

[tommieharris91]

Are you a tax cheat, I think O has some openings left.

I'm not a tax cheat, but I am unemployed, and Obama wants people on welfare, so that is starting to look like a pretty good idea.

[OUHOMER]

Good luck, its going to be tough out there for a while. Just remember if you ever delivery papers you were in distribution and logistics, If you ever took out the trash you were in waste management, if you recycled you were in Green waste management.

See its not hard. YWIA

[frankensooner]

Nope, you shouldn't edit your initial post. Bad form

[SCOUT]

What are you looking to do with your economics degree? If you are looking for some sort of financial job, you could do some volunteer work. For example, you could volunteer to help with the books at your church, local school or something like that. Having managed a budget will be practical experience a potential employer would value.

[yermom]

go to nursing school ;)

[texas bandman]

Although teaching doesn't pay the best, it is a steady job and always in short supply. Certification does take time, but most school districts are begging for substitutes that are reliable if you just need to bring in income.

[soonervegas]

Man I remember graduating from OU with my Economics degree back in 1997. I haven't used it since.

Like other's have asked...are looking into a specific area or just ANY job?

[Whet]

stay in school, get another degree. Try engineering and when you finish that, there should be jobs available with a government-run company.

[royalfan5]

How do you feel about agriculture?

[LosAngelesSooner]

Singlehandedly fix the economy. That should look good on your resume. :D

[olevetonahill]

stay in school, get another degree. Try engineering and when you finish that, there should be jobs available with a government-run company.

Winnah, I was thinking the same thing .
get an advanced degree.

[Vaevictis]

How do you feel about agriculture?

Personally, I'm pro-agriculture.

Because I like to eat and stuff.

[tommieharris91]

How do you feel about agriculture?

I like it. I don't know much about it, but I like it.

[royalfan5]

I like it. I don't know much about it, but I like it.

How comfortable are you with futures, options, and derivatives?

[I Am Right]

I've just finished my Economics degree at OU, but I can't find a job right now. I'm wondering if there are any skills that I can learn to spice up my resume a little bit to make myself look better to employers. I also know that a lot of people are either losing their job or not finding decent work just like me, but I feel like I need to look even better than the competition. Is there anything that I can put on my resume that makes me look better to employers?

Thank God you have your degree from OU, if you had graduated from osu, you could put on your resume "do you want fries with that"

[I Am Right]

I've just finished my Economics degree at OU, but I can't find a job right now. I'm wondering if there are any skills that I can learn to spice up my resume a little bit to make myself look better to employers. I also know that a lot of people are either losing their job or not finding decent work just like me, but I feel like I need to look even better than the competition. Is there anything that I can put on my resume that makes me look better to employers?

seriously, be willing to work, from the bottom up. Most Grads today want to start at CEO.

[OKC-SLC]

work on liger drawings.

[soonervegas]

I had to do what I am right said and it worked out well for me. Get an entry level job with room for advancement and work you butt off. Unless you are specialized companies have a show me mentality in oklahoma. I work with people from masters degrees all the way down to h.s.educated. Either do that or like others said....go for the advanced degree in something specialized.

[jkjsooner]

I don't have any advice as incompetent economists really screwed things up for everyone. Heck, we all may be looking for work soon.

You will find a job at some point. When you do, practice humility and remember history and you can keep us out of another mess like we're in.

Remember that complex mathematical models can't replace common sense. Remember that asset prices cannot sustain increases that go far beyond the buyer's ability to afford the asset.

I'm no economist, but, crap, I can't believe so many of them were/are so clueless.

[AggieTool]

Try obtaining an industry certification such as Lean, Six Sigma, or CMMI. Aslo look at other quality certs from ASQ.

You can get a Six Sigma Green Belt certification in just a month.

[bluedogok]

Winnah, I was thinking the same thing .
get an advanced degree.
Yep, if you can't find a job go to grad school. With a grad school degree you always have the option of staying in college and becoming a professor. It creates another possible avenue and schools will almost always be looking and growing.

[SbOrOiNaEnR]

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/5552/tommielo3.jpg

[tommieharris91]

How comfortable are you with futures, options, and derivatives?

I would not mind being a trader or a broker. I'm not too keen on those things, but commodity trading does interest me.

[tommieharris91]

seriously, be willing to work, from the bottom up. Most Grads today want to start at CEO.

I'm not asking for too much in terms of salary right now. Just 40-55 hours a week, no Sundays, $20k-$25k/year starting out.

[Vaevictis]

How comfortable are you with futures, options, and derivatives?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410KBMH091L.jpg

READ ME!@#







* If you hate yourself and want to suffer.

[yermom]

strangely enough, that book kinda sounds interesting

have you looked at OU?*

http://jobs.ou.edu




* If you hate yourself and want to suffer.

[Boarder]

I'm not asking for too much in terms of salary right now. Just 40-55 hours a week, no Sundays, $20k-$25k/year starting out.
I heard on the radio today that Braum's is having a job fair and manager/assistant manager openings fit or exceed those requirements. Except for the Sundays, they didn't say anything about that. The economics degree would probably help. Can you dip ice cream or instruct others to dip ice cream?

[OUAlumni1990]

Look at the bright side: as long as you are unemployed you A) don't have to pay taxes and B) Can't get fired.

[Vaevictis]

strangely enough, that book kinda sounds interesting

It was the text for a class I took last semester.*

But I'm a little bit smarter having read it.

I think I would have gotten more out of the class if I had had the opportunity to take a serious real analysis class first.

* I hate myself and want to suffer.

[Vaevictis]

Brownian motion *twitch* Non-zero quadratic variation *twitch*twitch* IT HUUUUURTTSS!@#


On the other hand, I had the pleasure of deriving Black-Scholes three different ways. If you can call that sort of thing pleasure, that is.

[Frozen Sooner]

I'm not asking for too much in terms of salary right now. Just 40-55 hours a week, no Sundays, $20k-$25k/year starting out.

Banking and finance is your field if those are your requirements.

The bottom edge of your range there is under $10 per hour. Based on having a degree and if you had any kind of sales personality I'd start you at about $13 an hour plus a 6% differential for working on Saturdays (with the differential applied to all hours worked, not just Saturday.)

If you're willing to hammer people with awful interest rates, look in to Wells Fargo Financial. I think their minimum is $30k/year. Just be advised that you're going to charge interest rates that will shock the hell out of you. It is, however, an excellent place to get a solid grounding in consumer finance.

[def_lazer_fc]

im an out of work landman as of this moment, and let me tell you, the job market is tough right now. and i have definitely lowered my expections as far as what kind of jobs ill apply for. even with having a college degree, i have long ago started looking for anything and everything. it was hard to swallow my pride at first, but when you see tons of people just like you applying for the same menial job, its not so bad. good luck with your job search. i feel your pain

and i was contract labor before, so people like me don't get counted in the unemployment numbers and i cant get unemployment either. **** sucks

[Okla-homey]

I've just finished my Economics degree at OU, but I can't find a job right now. I'm wondering if there are any skills that I can learn to spice up my resume a little bit to make myself look better to employers. I also know that a lot of people are either losing their job or not finding decent work just like me, but I feel like I need to look even better than the competition. Is there anything that I can put on my resume that makes me look better to employers?

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1921/pictureusrecruitingpostvu8.jpg

[JLEW1818]

I've just finished my Economics degree at OU, but I can't find a job right now. I'm wondering if there are any skills that I can learn to spice up my resume a little bit to make myself look better to employers. I also know that a lot of people are either losing their job or not finding decent work just like me, but I feel like I need to look even better than the competition. Is there anything that I can put on my resume that makes me look better to employers?


My buddy majored in eco and minored in computer science. Got him a good little desk job. He works for Weatherford Oil. Take a peak, never know what might be available.

http://www.weatherford.com/

[Tulsa_Fireman]

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1921/pictureusrecruitingpostvu8.jpg

With your degree, can't you come out of Basic and A-School as an officer?

[SteelClip49]

Tommie... my cousin double majored in Economics and PoliSci and is working for the United States Congress and another friend majored in Economics and is in law school at OU. It all depends on what you want to do but the thing is...just get started.

I graduated from UCO last May with a degree in Broadcasting and a minor in Business Administration. I applied at KOCO, KFOR, KWTV, Dillards (got hired but never worked- starting pay at $12 an hour for a college graduate), Kinkos, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Screenvision, ESPiN, Devon, Chesapeake and I was at it for almost 2 months every day trying to get on with one of those. I then looked on jobs.ou.edu and browsed the list and saw an opening at the OUHSC in which I somewhat use my degree but not really. Thing is...I make $13 an hour for an 8-5 M-F job with benefits and while I don't think i will stay here forever...it's a nice start and a definite resume booster considering what my tasks are involved with.

You never know what you may land but if you can do something like I am doing, especially being employed by the OUHSC...consider yourself protected.

[stoopified]

Are you a tax cheat, I think O has some openings left.:)

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Hell, is that seriously all you can muster with a degree? Not to take shots or anything, but you can make 10-15 bucks an hour with a strong back.

[yermom]

Are you a tax cheat, I think O has some openings left.

or he could wait a few years and run for President as a Republican ;)

[soonervegas]

Hell, is that seriously all you can muster with a degree? Not to take shots or anything, but you can make 10-15 bucks an hour with a strong back.

Yup unless your degree is highly specialized. One of my professors told our class once that all a degree does is make your resume look a little nicer....other than that, it doesn't trump hard work.

When I graduated I thought I would just be handed a 40,000 per year Management job. Man was I naive.

Degrees do help but they are not a golden ticket.

[yermom]

i've been pretty lucky in that respect... the thing i have noticed without one is the ceiling that it creates though

it's easier to hit a plateau without one. personally, i'd be better off with even with a degree in basketweaving i think

[Vaevictis]

Yeah, I managed to break through that ceiling in my first job. The problem was transferring that to another company; very difficult.

I also understand that at many major companies there's a second ceiling that needs a graduate degree to bust through.

[Chuck Bao]

There has to be many openings for people to service, review and screen mortgages under the newly-announced $75bn mortgage bail-out scheme. Send your resume to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, if you don't mind relocating. I read in one article that they currently don't have the manpower to screen all of their mortgages to see who qualifies for the new scheme. Some commercial banks planning to participate in the scheme may also be hiring.

Otherwise, my advice is to stay current on the news of the financial/property crisis. There will be opportunities. You just need to be smart in identifying which companies will emerge from this crisis.

Good luck.

[Jerk]

There has to be many openings for people to service, review and screen mortgages under the newly-announced $75bn mortgage bail-out scheme. .

What do I need to do to qualify for this? Quit paying my mortgage?

[Chuck Bao]

What do I need to do to qualify for this? Quit paying my mortgage?


No, I think being a smartass qualifies. ;)

[OUAlumni1990]

My buddy majored in eco and minored in computer science. Got him a good little desk job. He works for Weatherford Oil. Take a peak, never know what might be available.

http://www.weatherford.com/

Thats funny, I used to work at Weatherford.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

work on liger drawings."I'll have what he's having".

[Okla-homey]

What do I need to do to qualify for this? Quit paying my mortgage?

based on news reports, you must owe more on your house than its worth.

[badger]

This is a good lesson to any soon-to-be-grads out there that might think they have a $50,000 cushy job following their 3.0 GPA career at a name school, regardless of what their degree is in.

1- Go to as many job fairs as you can before you graduate. You will not only get to talk to people in the field you plan to enter, but you will also get a feel for what type of jobs might be available following graduation.

2- Get internships, even if they're unpaid. I know it might sound more lucrative to work at McD's for the summer to get a little bit of cash, but most unpaid internships will not be full-time and allow you to do both.

3- Talk to as many people in the field as you can. Not only will you establish connections later on for a potential future job, you will get an idea of what entry level work is like, how much it pays, what the hours are, etc.

I hate to say it, but it's not what you know anymore, but who you know after you graduate. My professors and my schoolwork led to my internship that I had before my senior year. My internship and professors led to my first job, my first job led to my second job.

I happened to have a 3.4 gpa in college, but nobody asked. They might have cared if it was 0.4 or 1.4.

So anyways, I know that advice doesn't help you out now tommie, but I'm sure a few students will read this thread and I hope it helps them. To help you (bears suck, btw, hehe), I would suggest working with any and all connections you have to the industry. Your favorite professor, your department's adviser, etc. are good places to start. SoonerFans.com South Oval was also a good place to start ;)

If you do not have any connections at all, I suggest starting from the ground-up. If you want to work at a bank, try to get a job as a teller (they could use a dude to protect the lady tellers right about now with all the bank robberies, heh).

Also, it is not too late to get an internship even though you're already graduated. One of my classmates was obsessed with internships and had about 20... oy. Story for another day. Financial planners and advisers can always use a bright young graduate as an assistant.

If it feels like you're settling for less, realize that this isn't what you're going to do forever. The junker car will have to last a few more years, plasma screen television will have to stay in Best Buy a few more months. However, there is a certain sense of relief when you don't have to worry about turning in any more term papers or pull all-nighters for exam week.

Good luck!

[yermom]

i'd second the internship thing

my friends that did that over summers were very successful when it came time to get real jobs. i'm not sure what would keep you from doing the same thing if you already had a degree and wanted to get out of a McJob

these were paying gig too, like enough to pay for the next year of school. of course that was a slightly different time then...

maybe this should also be in the "i got accepted" thread :D