According to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect to hire 22 percent fewer new grads from the college Class of 2009 than they actually hired from the Class of 2008.

Without a doubt a scary statistic for graduates this May, yet for those who still have a few years of college to go, a reiteration on the importance of making yourself as marketable as possible before graduation. Having “real world experience” is no longer optional when it comes to diving into today’s job market. Internships continue to be one of the best opportunities for experience; however they can be just as challenging to obtain as a full time position! One way to expand your experience is to become an active member of a professional organization in your field of study. Not just a group to add on your resume, but an organization that can really add value and differentiate you in your future job search.

This past weekend, I attended Pi Sigma Epsilon’s (PSE is the only national professional fraternity in marketing, sales management, and selling) national convention in Norfolk VA. The organization is comprised of 56 chapters from colleges and universities around the country, each one boasting their school’s best and brightest looking to get ahead in the business world. Their annual convention serves as the climax to the organizations year, where nearly 500 PSE members (collegiate, alumni, educator, professional, associate and corporate representatives) join together for a week of professional programming and special activities. This convention included a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers from Procter & Gamble, Kodak, and Myspace.com among others; along with a range of professional workshops, networking sessions, a marketplace career fair and over $35,000 in available scholarships for undergraduates. The convention also served as a competition where students from their respective chapters showcased their achievements over the past year. Presentations ranged from sales projects raising thousands of dollars for charity, to market research studies conducted for Fortune 500 companies. The competition was a spirited one, as many attempted to seize the groups’ popular awards such as the Top Business Plan Award, Top Salesperson Award and Top Marketing Plan Award, with further hopes that theirs would be the school to take home the coveted “Top Chapter in the Nation” honor.

I joined in the festivities on Friday as a judge of the Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon, where students were given the opportunity to experience a simulated business-to-business sales environment, with coaching and feedback from an established sales professional. I must say I was quite impressed at the ability and professionalism of the contenders, a few of which had been offered jobs from sponsors and judges after watching them in action!

My challenge for you today is to get involved! Be it PSE or one of the many professional groups or student organizations around, don’t wait - start today. Look for opportunities to work in “real world” situations, create networking opportunities and further your professional training. I can tell you from first hand from conversations over this past weekend that the “real world experiences” provided by this particular group were major differentiators for many of the students between obtaining a position and continuing to send out resumes. If you know of or a part of a group that offers such experiences please share it and add a comment!

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