Dear Avani,

I am an N.C. State graduate, class of 1990, B.A. business management. I have spent 14 years in the local Raleigh construction and engineering industry and am currently unemployed and seeking work. I would like to get my resume seen by local, Raleigh-area NCSU graduates who may be hiring. Having had previous bosses as well as coworkers who were fellow alumni, I can tell you it does pay to network with the local,, Raleigh-area alumni.

However, posting your resume these days isn’t easy and apparently is not free. The Career Planning and Placement Center on campus, no longer puts resumes on file unless you are a recent graduate. At Alumni Career Services, you must join the Alumni Association for a fee to post your resume. I realize the membership fees go to help pay for the new alumni center, but I honestly do not have the money at this time.

Although, when I was employed last time, the University contacted me, I did purchase the deluxe College of Management Directory Book and CD set, titled Real Experience; however, I neglected to purchase the alumni membership they offered me at the same time for an additional price.

Do you think it would it would be in poor taste or embarrassing to the school to contact the Alumni Association again to see if they would give deferred billing to the unemployed, with no income, so I could post my resume?

Can you tell me what the younger generation would do in this situation? I am limited to my Internet search time, having to use the JobLink computers at the N.C. Employment Security Commission facility and the local library. Please tell me if you know of any alternative ways to post a resume with alumni in the Raleigh area.

Sincerely,

The “Real Experienced” Alumni

I sympathize with your situation, as it’s one a lot of people are finding themselves in today. Being unemployed is a difficult reality of living in today’s day and age. I recently watched a video called Lemonade, a short film about the optimistic side of unemployment, and from that I feel that of the best advice now is to be optimistic. I know it will be difficult, but it’s the one thing about the situation you have absolute and total control over. With that said, there are a number of online sites, such as Monster and CareerBuilder, that allow you to post your resume online for free and offer a variety of other search options to find positions in your field and beyond.

Yes, alumni networks are a huge asset, but there are other options. Still, if you would like to rely on Alumni Career Services, it never hurts to go and speak to them. If they are able to accommodate your situation, they will. Something I’ve done in the past when looking for a job is sending out your resume via e-mail to any company that is interesting to you. Employers love enthusiasm from their employees, and if you reach out to them, they are more likely to react positively. Even if a job listing has not been posted, the initiative goes a long way, and chances are they will refer to you when a job opens up. Better yet, they may employ you right away. 

The younger generation is, in many ways, in a very similar situation as you. We’re taking our first steps into the career fields we’ve worked toward, and have to build our future from the ground up. We have the advantage of university resources, but your generation has the advantage of experience. I have learned this accounts for a lot more, and will work to your advantage in almost every workplace.

As difficult as it is, try to see the silver lining in your situation and use it to your advantage.