College graduation day approaches – or has already come and gone – for many of our young adults, and they will be heading out into the daunting and competitive arena of job hunting.  Even folks who are versed in interviewing and have an impressive résumé are finding the job market challenging. 

I read President Obama’s message to graduates in Parade magazine and was invigorated by the positive tone he took.  He pointed out that in our country’s history, we have experienced times of unrest and financial difficulty, racism and war, despite which we continued on and persevered. 

How do we continue on in times of challenge?  In my opinion, a lot of how we continue on is about attitude.  Having a positive attitude is a huge step to overcoming whatever obstacles are in your way. I try to surround myself with positive people because their energy and attitude, to me, is uplifting and vitalizing.  Positive people, much like the music I love, set a tone – upbeat, bright, and cheerful – that’s what I like.  People with constant negativity are downers and I don’t have time in my life for that – do you? 

So how do we lend a hand to those new graduates entering the job market today?  Help them network, point them to non-profits where they can gain valuable experience while helping funding-strapped organizations, pass along opportunities that you’re aware of and help them keep that positive attitude by offering encouragement and your own upbeat attitude.

Register now for the Northeast District Conference by visiting www.prsacapitalregion.com for details and the link to the registration page.  The call for speakers has also been issued; if you have a great presentation to submit or know of someone who does, please visit the website for more information.