HOUSTON – For many of us, graduation is around the corner, and as graduation draws closer, so does the necessity to find a job.

Students browse job search Web sites such as well as utilize the many services offered by University Career Services.

Students also take advantage of the mock interview sessions and resume-writing workshops on campus that will better prepare them.

Many times, a student will ask professors or employers to write letters of recommendation to illustrate ability to a potential employer. There still is a possibility, however, that a student will not obtain the position they are looking for because of a lack of experience.

But how much experience is needed to have enough experience?

Take for instance a hypothetical public relations major applying for a position at one of the many PR, marketing or advertising firms in Houston. He or she has worked for the campus newspaper, interned at a PR and advertising firm and is an active member of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

The student has gained enough experience to at least obtain an entry-level position. He or she applies, obtains an interview and waits for a call from the hiring manager.

After a week passes, the student receives a phone call saying he or she did not receive the position because the firm is looking for someone with a little more experience, but will keep the resume in case another position becomes available.

Yet again, while the student believes to be experienced enough, it obviously wasn’t enough for the employer. At this point, what is a student to do? Graduation day is drawing nearer, and no offer of a position has been made.

For students such as those the job market seems like an endless cycle, and the process of trying to find a job starts over.

On the other hand, there are those who already have a bachelor’s degree and are looking for another job or trying to gain a promotion.

Their process and attempts are the same as the graduating senior; however, instead of their experience level not being enough, it is their education that needs improving.

But few have the time to return to school, especially when one has a family, bills to pay and a full-time job.

In the 1980s, all one needed to be hired was a high school diploma. Then the 1990s arrived and employers required a bachelor’s degree. In 2007, employers want their employees and potential employees to have a master’s degree.

In both cases, the credentials a person has are not enough. A college graduate can hardly gain the experience needed for any position if no one helps get a foot in the door.

What it boils down to is that the job market as a whole is horrible.

It seems that some employers forget that they were once in similar situations, but someone once gave them an opportunity to prove themselves.