Some graduates who did not have defined careergoals, however, say they found OCS geared too muchtoward the pre-professional.

"I found OCS really discouraging," says AaronJ. Snow '93, who is now a computer programmer."They point you to the right notebook and say golook for your job, and I wasn't ready for that.OCS is a really intimidating place and they don'tdo very much to make you feel at ease," he says.

Kevin J. Fleming '93 says OCS could improve itsservices by providing mandatory meetings forfirst-year students to make them "a little moreaware of what's available."

"Use all the resources you have," he says. "Youdon't have any idea how competitive it is."

OCS counselors recommend that seniors who wishto find employment should start early. "If theydon't start planning in the fall or at least bythe beginning of spring term, they probably arenot going to to have a job when they graduate,"Leape says.

"One mistake seniors make is that they look atit as too painful of a process and not seek help,"says Hunt. "Some people may not want to startearly enough, but if you can make a decision aheadof time it may be advantageous."

The best time to start the job search,according to Cosentino, is October of junior year,when students should start searching for a summerinternship.

"A lot of times the summer firm will offerstudents a later job," he says.

Planning early can also mean aquiring theskills that employers value most. Internationalexperience, computer use, and ability to work as ateam are becoming increasingly important, Leapesays.

Experience also helps applicants to gain theconfidence necessary to present themselves well toprospective employers, says Teaching and StudyAbroad Counselor Catherine E. Hutchison."Confidence comes from experience, from exposingyourself to the world you want to work in," shesays.

While still at Harvard, students interested inteaching, for instance, can obtain experience withchildren through Philips Brooks House Associationprograms or through summer internships.

"It is incredibly difficult to get a job rightout of college in a school if you've got noexperience," Hutchison says.

Elizabeth A. Johnston '93 learned this lessonthe hard way. Johnston, who had worked for theHarvard Political Review, looked for a job inmagazine publishing. After the summer, Johnstonwas unemployed for three weeks until she foundwork as a researcher. She says an internship mighthave helped her get steady work earlier.

"There's not a lot out there," she says. "Youthink a Harvard degree will get you anywhere, andit won't. You need a lot more."

Students should also take advantage of the mockinterview resource at OCS, where students arevideotaped to evaluate their interviewingabilities, Cosentino says.