LABJ FORUM – Opportunities Wanted

School’s out, and recent graduates are looking for work. Some may find comfort that in May, while they were putting on their caps and gowns, 248,000 jobs were created nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, certain fields remain tough. So the Business Journal asks:

Do you have a job yet?

Benjamin Holk Henriksen

M.B.A., School of Business and Public Administration

California State University, Dominguez Hills

I graduated in May with an MBA in general management. I already had a master’s in law from the University of Copenhagen. I’ve had a job proposal, but I don’t know if it’s what I’m looking for. It’s with a film company in Santa Monica that controls the rights to a major director. It’s going to be everything from legal stuff to promotion to administration. Since I’m specialized in marketing and branding and product placement, and I really want to use those things, I’m afraid the job offers too little of that and too many other things. You don’t just walk in and get the best position in entertainment.

Jason Green

M.A., Annenberg School of Journalism, USC

I have a part-time job at Winning in Education magazine. I’m still looking for a full-time writing position. My prospects are pretty good; I’m hoping to move on to trade magazines, especially in automotive journalism. I see this job as an opportunity to learn the magazine business at a basic level and take what I learn and hopefully apply it to a full time position.

Yvette Esparza

Master of Architecture, Southern California Institute of Architecture

I got a job in January at Skidmore Owings & Merrill’s downtown Los Angeles office. I’ve always worked while I was in school, so I’ve had experience. I’ve constantly had internships or jobs. I did research about all the firms I’d like to work at and sent out resumes to all of them, even if they didn’t have jobs listed. I sent about 10 to 15. I’m an architecture assistant; I’m not licensed yet. It’s a three-year process, you have to do all this testing and work under a licensed architect. But it’s a regular paying job. I’ve been doing space planning, helping put together presentations and construction documents and computer-assisted design.

John Hanna

B.A., International Relations, USC

I graduated in May and am working on campus in administration for Canterbury USC, the campus Episcopalian Church group. It’s part time, just to get some cash and to buy some time while I send out resumes. I’m on MonsterTRAK (online job and resume listings) and using family connections. I’m applying for the State Department, for the Foreign Service. It involves several rounds of examinations. I took the first one in April and I find out if I go to the next round next month.

Sarah Cranston

M.B.A., UCLA Anderson School of Management

I specialize in marketing and entrepreneurial studies. I focused my courses on marketing and owning my own business, but now I’m going to work for Harrah’s Las Vegas in the casino. I’ll be a manager in casino marketing, managing the VIP hosts, making sure they meet their numbers, taking care of high rollers and putting out fires. I can’t believe that’s what I get to do. I’ll be moving to Vegas in July. I was in management consulting before and I came to school to make a career switch. I wanted to go into an industry I enjoyed, like entertainment or gaming.