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From one Philadelphian Grad to another,
real world advice for getting a job.
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by Annette Mattei
Originally seen Online at the Philadelphia City Paper.
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 Congratulations
to the tens of thousands of area college students who will graduate
from Philadelphia schools over the next few years. You will
be entering the job market with the economy in recession and
world events preoccupying the nation. I too graduated during
a recession — in 1991 — so I can appreciate the tough
challenge ahead of you.
We all know it's a tough job market, but being a recent college
graduate in Philadelphia is a tremendous advantage. Philadelphia
is America's fifth largest city and fourth largest metro area,
with more than 2.5 million jobs.
So how can you get your career started when it seems you're
only running into brick walls? Here are some suggestions for
jump-starting your job search in Philadelphia.
Build your own network of contacts
Because
Philadelphia is one of the most accessible cities in America,
an enterprising young person is only two or three contacts away
from the powers that be. When I moved to Philadelphia I managed
to get a meeting with a city deputy mayor using a graduate school
contact; this meeting went so well he personally recommended
me to several of his colleagues in and outside the city, which
led to the job I’m in today. Philadelphia is filled with
these kinds of stories. It just takes tenacity, poise and patience.
Get involved
Another great way to find opportunities in your field of interest
is to be out there meeting Philadelphia's other young people
who have gotten their careers off the ground. Here are a few
groups worth considering: the Young Professional Network or
YPN (www.philachamber.com/ypn.asp),
a Philadelphia Chamber-sponsored group giving young people an
insider’s view of the region’s business community;
Young America PAC (www.youngamericapac.org),
a bipartisan political action committee that seeks to expand
the sphere of influence of young people in Philadelphia; and
Young Involved Philadelphians (contact Josh Sevin at jsevin@hotmail.com),
a group of young activists who have been in the forefront on
key city issues.
 Consider
Philadelphia’s nonprofits. Philadelphia's known for its
wealth of nonprofit organizations, spanning from health and
social services to arts and culture to civic and business groups.
These organizations provide great opportunities for young people
to tackle some very worthy causes and often take on significant
responsibility. Your best bet in finding these opportunities
is to look off the beaten path. Two excellent websites can help
you get started: the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance's
job bank (www.philaculture.org)
and La Salle University's Nonprofit Center (www.lasallenonprofitcenter.org).
Take an internship. Internships, even postgraduate ones, are
a great way for you to become familiar with a company and vice
versa. And chances are good that it will turn into something
more permanent — research suggests that as many as 50 percent
of internships turn into full-time jobs; for some industries
the conversion rate is as high as 75 to 80 percent. Make sure
you ask companies you're interested in if internships are offered,
even if there are no job openings. Even volunteering is a great
way to get your foot in the door. Check out www.careerphilly.com
for advice on finding an internship.
Be your own job creator. Young educated people are the most
active group in starting businesses, and being a young entrepreneur
in Philadelphia has its advantages. With the fourth largest
consumer market in the U.S. and a great location along the East
Coast (35 million people are reportedly within a two-hour drive
of Philadelphia), fresh ideas and energy go far in Philadelphia.
Just look at our latest success story — Josh Kopelman,
Penn graduate and founder of Half.com (among other ventures
and many more sure to come). Innovation Philadelphia (www.ipphila.com)
has put out an entrepreneurs’ guide that’s a big help
in finding the resources you need to start and grow a business
in the Philadelphia region.
I’m interested in hearing your ideas and especially your
success stories — I have no doubt that many of you are
finding jobs in Philadelphia. Please e-mail them to me and I
will post them on the Knowledge Industry Partnership’s
website (www.kiponline.org).
Annette B. Mattei was director of research for the Pennsylvania
Economy League and project manager of the Knowledge Industry
Partnership.
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