Thursday, Jun. 12, 2008

On the Job: Kimberly Mullen

Looking to map out your career? For Columbus State University students and graduates, Kimberly Mullen should be your go-to gal.

On any given day, the director of CSU’s Career Center can be found conducting mock interviews or hosting workshops on resume writing or business etiquette -- anything to help students prepare for the work force.

Larger than that, it’s her job to stay abreast of what’s going on in the local business community -- especially which companies are coming, going and growing. The university is part of a larger movement to keep young talent in Georgia, so Mullen tries to help match CSU students and graduates with industries within the state.

Mullen spoke to the Ledger-Enquirer about the local job market, hot jobs in the area and ways to stand out from other applicants. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s the job market looking like for recent CSU graduates?

It’s very good. In the state of Georgia, it’s good. Locally, if you talk to the industries, a lot of people are hiring. And with the (college readiness) survey that we just did with over 100 Georgia employers, what they’re saying is they’re still going to be hiring new graduates. It’s not going to decrease. They’re going to hire more. Those that said they weren’t going to hire more said they were going to hire just about the same. So we’re not seeing a decline in the employment industry, locally or in the state of Georgia for college graduates.

Now, that doesn’t mean that someone who really isn’t pursuing the market is going to have an easy time finding a job. In order for someone to get the job they really want, you have to know how to pursue the market. You have to know how to have the right resume, the interview skills and know where to look. Some people look mainly at one source. Maybe that’s the classifieds. That’s just one piece. You have to be on the computer looking at what’s out there, comparing things. I always say look at the classifieds, look online. Don’t use just one tool to help yourself find a job. And talk to as many people as you can. While you’re doing that, make sure you’re asking yourself the important questions. Do I really want to do this job from 8 to 5? I think one of the things students do is they try to find that job but they don’t think, ‘Is that going to make me happy from 8 to 5?’ If you can be happy in your job, you’re going to be productive, you’re going to grow and you’re going to be successful in that job. If you’re not happy, you can still be productive, but you’re kind of sometimes stuck because the passion isn’t there.

We’re also seeing higher unemployment rates — not just in the state but nationally. Do you think that means there’s going to be more job competition for college graduates?

I think it’s going to be about the same. Each year, we graduate more and more students. Colleges see that. Enrollment is going up. There is more access to education than there used to be.