When pulling into the company parking garage always turn down the volume on your car stereo.

From PJ McGuire at Modet, Inc. Posted by Judy Brobst, Career Liaison College of Natural Sciences

With the down economy, recent grads need to pull out all the stops to get their foot in the door at companies. Here are a few tips to help you land the interview:

1. Get an agent.
2. Network, network, network.
3. Create a detailed action plan, and then stick to it.
4. Self-promote.
5. Tell everyone (down to your mom's book club friends) that you're looking for a new opportunity.
6. Ramp up your online presence – utilize Facebook, LinkedIn, your personal blog, etc.
7. Sweat the details – customize your "pitch" for each company you are applying at.
8. Brand yourself.
9. Hone your resume and interview skills.
10. Always, always follow up.
11. Set up and attend informational interviews. Face time = good.
12. Volunteer.
13. Attend career fairs and networking events, both physical and virtual.
14. Stay in touch with your alma mater and alumni associations.
15. Stay positive!
16. Read the newspaper. Know your world.
17. Have fun. Seriously! Looking for a job can be a rewarding life experience.
18. Get creative.
19. Never, ever be late. Be on time.
20. Aim high and congratulate yourself for accomplishments.
21. Consider project-based job opportunities. It's a great way to get your foot in the door.

From Ashley Blaeser, Marketing Coordinator at Brill Street & Company (http://brillstreet.com)

If you are a recent graduate, it's not news to you that the number of available full time career positions is WAY down. Full time jobs definitely exist but are much more competitive. What you may not realize is that the number of internships is fewer but down less than full time positions. Conversion of students successful in their internships to full time positions has always been a top strategy and vehicle for companies to identify new graduate talent for potential and fit for their corporate cultures.

If you haven't landed your first career position after graduation during this tough economy, think about a post graduate internship, even unpaid if necessary. There are ways you can put your best foot forward to make a great impression to enhance the possibility of converting to a full time position if one becomes available. You will want to model all the behaviors they are looking for in a new employee by treating the internship as if it were "an audition" for a full time career position.

Having been a recruiter formerly in my career and reinforced by current recruiters I work with today through The Career Center, what companies are looking for today in new recruits hasn't changed. I thought I share my list of the top list of qualities employers tell us they are looking for in new recruits:

Lucinda's Top Tips:

• Think about creating a positive first impression and dress for the role you wish to aspire to. While some offices are very casual, make sure that you have a nice, neat, groomed appearance appropriate to the culture of the office.
• Start right off establishing strong relationships with your supervisor and other staff who can be a strong reference and advocate for you. If your supervisor would be a good mentor for you, work toward developing that relationship. Take advantage of any mentoring opportunities that are offered and learn everything you can about career opportunities and the company. Seek opportunities to interface with executives, if possible, other managers and employees.
• Make sure that you know who your "go to person" is for questions when your supervisor is not there.
• Demonstrate a good work ethic and work habits by being on time and meeting deadlines even if it means putting in more time on your own. Turn your cell phone off during work hours and don't use it. If you must make a personal call, call or text only during legitimate breaks. Unless your job is Social Media Intern, refrain from using Facebook and Twitter during work hours.
• If you have a company email account, learn and use appropriate grammar and email etiquette. If you're not sure what that means, you might want to check out http://email.about.com/od/emailnetiquette/tp/core_netiquette.htm.
• Establish performance goals and measurable metrics with your supervisor and demonstrate your value proposition. Always do your best work and show enthusiasm, even for mundane, tedious projects or assignments.
• Conduct yourself with honesty and integrity. Make sure that you understand the company policies and procedures and follow them.
• Show initiative. If you've completed your work, actively seek out work assignments.
• Ask for constructive feedback and use it to improve! Ask for feedback on how you can improve your performance or skills from your supervisor and other employees. Keep in mind that you are an intern and learning and you might not always get the kudos like "good job" and "excellent work" that you might be used to. Some companies use positive feedback more sparingly than others and only when the work is truly outstanding.

Lastly, I would recommend that you track your work results and accomplishments and leverage this information appropriately when speaking to your supervisor about your interest in working for the company full time. If the right opportunity doesn't present itself, this experience will be great experience and serve as a resume builder for other employment opportunities.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at The Career Center, Lory Student Center ~ Lucinda Van Inwagen, Career Center Employer Relations, Lucinda.vaninwagen@colostate.edu, (970) 491-1955.

Yet another article with a unique take on career advice from one of my favorite blogs, Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist:

"I never watch American Idol, or other talent shows. I think I got my fill of them in the 1970s, watching year after year of the mind-numbing Miss American pageant. But there was too much hoop-la with Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent, so I had to see what I was missing. I ended up watching her audition fifty times. Because every time I'm feeling slow or unmotivated or depressed, the clip cheers me up.

Last night she sang in the semi-finals, and what struck me most while watching her is how much we can learn about our own careers from watching Susan Boyle's."

Check out the rest of the post here: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/05/26/career-lessons-from-susan-boyles-success/

Posted by Susan LeBlanc, Generalist Career Counselor