By J. P. Mitri

The Career and Development Center recently inaugurated a program to provide students with information on the skills and techniques necessary in finding employment in today’s job market.

The presentation provided a panel of three expert employers from the Buffalo area. Each person talked briefly about their expectations from the students, (about a dozen students attended) different job search strategies within their industries, career opportunities and paths within their industries and friendly advice on alternatives of finding the dream job.

Among the expert advice from the three panelists was:

• “Do your homework and know the company you are applying for,” said Sylvia H. Nadler, executive director of the Compass House, a non-profit safe shelter & services for runaway and homeless youths.
• “Many of us who are currently employed don’t jump up out of bed and get real excited about going to work that day, but you should be able to go to your job and be satisfied with what your doing,” said Julie Zirnheld, assistant vice president, Resourcing/Employee Relations at HSBC Bank USA.
• “Figure out what you want to do and set your goals high,” said Don Tomasulo, general sales manager at Entercom Radio. “Don’t listen to friends, parents or teachers when they say you can’t do something. You are at that point that you can do anything you want if you have the talent, if you have some crazy dream like I want to be an astronaut, (and someone says) you don’t want that job, that’s a stupid job, you’ll never get there tell them to shut up.”

• write an easy-to-read resume and cover letter
• have questions ready for interviewer
• think about the commitment you’re ready to make
• know the company
• collect business cards
• networking; it’s all about who you know
• figure what you want to do in life

“If you don’t get a job blame yourself, don’t blame the economy or anything else,” said Tomasulo.