The grim job market has senior Elliot Walker on edge.

“There are so many friends of mine who’ve had trouble,” said the political science major. He admitted to being a little nervous about his own career.

Of course, most students would say the shrinking job market is terrible, but Marcus Buckingham, the English motivational speaker and author on career success, thinks it could be positive for college students.

“It could be a good thing,” he said. “People are forced to make a choice. It forces you to go, ‘Who am I and what contribution can I make?; “

Buckingham, who has been on the “Today Show” and “Oprah” and featured in the New York Times, USA Today, among many others, is making an appearance in Columbus today at a private event. He has applied some of his success tips to Ohio State students.

Picking a field

“When you are first going out into the world, interests are so important,” Buckingham said. “People who really deeply have a sense of what they want to be are more successful. Have a sense of what you want to do early – it takes about 10,000 hours to get really good.”

Walker is an example of a student who is dedicated to his interests.

“I have an interest in politics and policy,” he said. “It’s just what I wanted to study.”

Buckingham acknowledges that there are some students who are not sure what they like.

“Pay attention, deep attention to your interests,” he said. “What do you read? What kind of articles pile up? What kind of people do you see yourself gravitating towards? If you don’t know intuitively, then pay attention.”

This is what Akua Sarpong, a senior in AFM communications, did to find her major.

“I changed my major this summer after searching through different majors,” she said. It was not until she got an internship in public relations that she realized what she wanted to do.


Photo courtesy of gina sorial.

Picking a job in such a small market

Buckingham talked about how some college students jump into any profession to make money.

“They feel they have to make a lot of money quickly,” he said. “They make trades with themselves.” The sort of trades would be something like going into a profession to make money, and thinking that you can do what you really love a couple years later, he said.

“It’s a bad trade. Don’t put your personality on hold. Today that option isn’t even available because job markets are too small.”

Buckingham said when picking a job, students should focus on their strengths.

“Right now is a really good time to pay attention to your strengths,” Buckingham said. “You get really good at something, or you find a way to benefit from it.”

Sarpong knows that her skills will earn her good pay.

“I’m content enough, and I think I’ll make money doing what I’m doing.”

Buckingham warns students not to ignore their interests and strengths because they think they’ll make more money. He uses the example of a student who loves to paint, but doesn’t think painting will pay, so they choose something else.

“That’s a terrible decision,” he said. “Figure out how to make a living doing what you are drawn to.”

Walker agrees. He said he would never forgo his interest in politics for a better job.

“It’s not about how much money you make,” he said.

Getting the job

“You have to figure out how to stand out,” Buckingham said. “A natural reaction is to say ‘I’ll do anything.’ ” He said students should try to be very specific about what they are good at, and what they want to do.

He also reminds students that companies are not mindful of applicants’ interests.

“Generality won’t work today,” Buckingham said. “Pick a verb. Be more vivid in job interviews. The fewer attributes you list, the better. Pick two or three things to emphasize and stick to them.”

Buckingham is touring the country to promote his book, “The Truth About You.” His Ohio stops will be at Case Western Oct. 9 and the University of Dayton Oct. 22.

Everdeen Mason can be reached at [email protected].