The Graduates
by: Jon Crane

Saturday Ramblins, Vol. 2, No. 10 (May 15, 1999)

May and June belong to the graduates: high school and college. I would be remiss in my parental instincts not to pass along some sage advice. For example ...

Fill a large pot with water. Place it on the stove. Apply high heat via the burner. Leave it there until the surface appears to rock 'n' roll. Congratulations -- you've just boiled water. Now not even a future mother-in-law can make an accusation against you.

Take the first job you are offered regardless of the pay. Remember that your first job won't be your last job. Your eighth job may not be your last job. It's true what they say: to get a job you have to have a job. And every job you have in the meantime builds your resume.

You ask, "What will flipping burgers at Burger King do for my resume when what I really want to do is anchor the CBS Evening News?" First of all, Burger King doesn't flip burgers; they grill them over open flames. Secondly, a good work record at a fast food place tells a prospective employer that you know what it is to show up on time every day, work a full shift and not go home till your time is up. Never discount seemingly menial jobs you had in high school or college. They are often the only work record a young person has coming out of school.

Good resumes are important, but it is the cover letter that separates your resume from the other 800 that the Human Resources Department received. Fancy typeface and pretty colors will not catch the eye of a person who has hundreds of resumes on his or her desk. It is the cover letter you put on the resume that does the work. If I'm thinking about hiring you, I don't want to hear that you are a "people person" because I want you dedicated to the job not to entertaining your fellow employees. On the other hand, I want you to have a personality and a life away from work. It will make you a better employee. his attention. And when you go for the interview, dress like the people who are interviewing you, not like the people who you will work with. Better to go to the interview a little overdressed than underdressed.

And if all of the above fails, you can always go back to fast food. After all, you know how to boil water! You could be a

Do some homework on the company you wish to work for. In your cover letter point out what it is about the company that attracts you. Tell the employer what you can do for him. Get manager.

Good luck and congratulations all graduates!