It’s that time of year again, finals are wrapping up, credits are satisfied, and voilà! You’re officially a college graduate. Three short years ago graduating from college was one of the most exciting things that could have happened to a person…but then came Fall (literally) of 2008, and it all went downhill from there. As a graduate of the 2009 class myself, I’ve been there and I know how it feels. It’s frustrating. According to a recent USA Today article, there are currently 5 job applicants out there for every 1 open position. On top of that, only 44% of those employers plan on hiring new college grads. It’s not only tough for fresh-out-of-school coeds, even workforce veterans have found themselves at odds with the struggling economy. Its not an ideal situation for most, but there’s got to be a silver lining in this big, fat, ugly rain cloud…
So now what? You start picking up whichever jobs you can. That may mean working one, two, or three part time jobs, juggling a part time gig with a full time job, internships, volunteering, a combination of any one of these…it’s exhausting to think about, but with the right combination of organization, skill, and drive I truly believe that it’s still possible to move forward and get ahead, even if it seems like you are fighting against the gods to do so. This is where the beauty of a program like Shiftboard comes in. I know that I must have been a pill for previous employers, working 2 different jobs with varying schedules while also volunteering once a week. Sounds like a scheduling nightmare. But I was always willing to pick up shifts if I could, switch with another employee if I could, and about every month I would need to change my availability all together. But the trick is that although people are busier than ever, they are also more willing than ever to pick up extra shifts. Because of their complex availabilities it makes sense to let them look at what’s available and decide for themselves which shifts will work. It saves managers time (“oh…so you aren’t available this Tuesday?”) and avoid the possibility of having to get that shift covered last minute or being faced with a no show. “Why do I even bother writing a schedule? People end up switching and trading shifts until they get the schedule they want anyways.” It’s true. They will. So while Shiftboard can still be used in the traditional manager-tells-me-when-to-work-end-of-story way, it’s also nice to have the option of allowing for a bit more flexibility and input on the employee’s end without having to circle around phone calls, availability forms, etc. If you’re working with a lot of young, mobile workers, why not try a combination of both? Strict yet flexible?
The class of 2010 has a lot to be proud of, they have worked just as hard, probably harder, than any other class. So hats off to you class of 2010! You did it! And now let the job spree begin…
-Nahid
