Jill was six months into the job search and getting discouraged. Being a job seeker was beginning to feel like a full-time job.  

She really wanted to land a position as an Executive Assistant with a top corporation in Chicago. She had been working as an Administrative Assistant at a non-profit organization for three years and was hoping to make the leap into a more advanced role. Every position she applied to required a minimum of two years of college education, however.

Jill had drafted a resume using the templates on Microsoft Word. She was sure she did well by including skills like hard-working and deadline-oriented. Jill wasn’t getting called for interviews even though she had the minimum experience in lieu of education.

Then, Jill’s friend Sandra suggested she revamp her resume. Sandra encouraged Jill to condense her text, include interesting verbs, and use a trendy layout. Jill cautiously obliged but was finally getting calls about her resume within a few weeks.

Employers were excited to talk with Jill because she was able to show her exceptional experience assisting top management of a non-profit. In spite of the fact that she lacked a degree, some employers even talked to Jill about other positions in their companies because she had so much relevant transferable experience. Jill didn’t realize her qualifications until she started to unveil her talents from the lackluster verbiage of her standard resume.

Don’t miss great opportunities because you don’t meet all of the qualifications. Instead, use these tips to shine as a job seeker without a college degree:

Gary had been working alongside his team at a small computer-aid design firm for seven years when rumor spread that his company was going to be bought-out. The idea of such a big transition was both exciting and intimidating for Gary and his co-workers. Nevertheless, the employees were promised they would all maintain their jobs and salaries.

However, the initial company was divided into two parts and sold to different companies.

Shortly after the acquisition occurred, employees started be laid off, and a few others had their job description drastically changed. Some even had to take a pay cut. The remaining employees felt angry and their performance began to suffer.  

Everyone was frantic. The new CEO seemed withdrawn, and the old CEO kept misleading employees and managers alike. Workplace morale was low, at best.

It wasn’t until one key manager stepped up and decided to act as liaison for her team that change occurred. Out of desperation for answers, she decided to communicate with the new CEO to express her team’s discord. The staff began to trust management again once the communication barriers were removed.

Acquisitions are only one example of when workplace morale comes into question. Any time of change is especially hard on employee morale.

Here is a look at some of the times when employees may find morale drop:

Josie Chiao, a second-year Computer Science/East Asian double major at UVA, had a daunting first experience at one of her school’s job fairs. She was overwhelmed at all the activity when she walked in 30 minutes after the start time.

“There was already so much going on,” she said. “Some students were changing into dress shoes, some already had their arms deep in swag, others were diligently taking notes and researching employers.”

As Chiao tried to get her bearings together, she was approached by a recruiter. Even though she practiced her pitch, she only got through 60 percent of what she rehearsed. Fortunately, the conversation went well enough and she was able to make a good connection.

Chiao’s story is just one example of what eager new job seekers might experience as graduation season comes into full swing. Soon-to-be graduates are already in full job-search mode and job fairs are a great way to get their foot in the door of promising companies.

In fact, the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) survey published in 2015 stated employers attend around 31 career fairs a year.

It’s imperative for career counselors to give grads proper instructions so they can gain successful networking experience through these fairs. Here are the four things you need to tell your graduates before they set out for the job fair:

Christa was one of the lucky few students who had a job lined up for after graduation. But when that workplace didn’t pan out a few years later, she quickly learned how rough the job market could be. After a month of her search going nowhere, Christa decided to turn to the place that helped her get her first job: her alma mater.

A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, she went back to their career services site and began to look at the resources they had to offer her. She found open positions that interested her and, to her surprise, every application she sent out received a response. After four job offers in nine weeks, she started a job she loved — all because of her alma mater.

Before you t

hink, “Good for Christa, but what good does that do me?” know that your university probably has support for you, too. Gallup and Inside Higher Ed’s 2016 survey, Inside Higher Ed Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers, found 83 percent of colleges are creating programs to help students get “good” jobs.

If you think your university career services department or alumni center have nothing of value to offer, here are four reasons to reconsider:

Jennifer Faulkner, a marketing manager at Proposify, is the perfect example of why a freelance creative might want to make the jump to “nine-to-five” employment. Jennifer was a six-year freelance veteran who’d been working at Proposify for almost two years before she detailed her transition on the company’s blog.

When Jennifer was a freelancer, she was convinced she’d never go back to a regular job. She loved the freedom to choose her projects, relished the choice to pick her co-workers, and appreciated her options to work whenever she wanted.

Jennifer’s story is not unlike many freelancers currently in the industry. Working a “regular” job comes with benefits like steady pay, vacation hours, and a feeling of stability. Still, it can be difficult making the transition from full-time freelancing to the new office desk jockey.

So, how can freelancers make the jump? Here’s a roadmap to guide you seamlessly into steady employment:

Who’s your go-to person at work? I’m talking about that one co-worker you talk to about everything and who always has your back. Now, imagine walking into work one day and finding out your teammate is being laid off.

This is exactly what happened to Tina and Mary. As work-friends, they had each other’s backs without fail. When one was confused or behind on the day’s tasks, the other would jump in to relieve stress and pressure from the situation. That’s why when Tina was given notification of getting laid off, Mary felt betrayed by the company.

With so much stress after employees are laid off or fired, managers tend to focus only on the person being let-go. However, often those left behind are greatly affected by these decisions as well. In Mary’s case, manager’s weren’t proactive or communicative about the situation. Leaving Mary open to feeling sabotaged and looking for new career opportunities.

Here’s why your employees may feel sabotaged after a layoff or firing:

Walt Disney wasn’t born into excellence. In fact, it was after he failed to sneak into the armed forces at age 16, and then drove ambulance in France for the Red Cross that he switched to pursuing a career as an artist.

Like so many others, Disney didn’t immediately dive into a successful entrepreneurial career. In 1919 he started out as a newspaper artist. It wasn’t until December 21, 1937 that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated film, was released in Los Angeles. After it produced an unimaginable $1.5 million, in spite of the Depression, Disney’s career finally took off into a world where dreams really do come true.

Let’s take a look at what Disney has taught us about challenging job searches:

A new generation is preparing to enter the workforce, so it’s time to change our approach once again. While Generation Z is similar to millennials in many ways, knowing their differences is crucial in effectively communicating and helping them reach their full career potential.

Here’s what you need to know about Generation Z’s career expectations: