LOOKIN' FOR A JOB?

Southeast Missouri State University senior Brian Sadler's hard at work crafting his future.

The 24-year-old Sadler, who will graduate in August with a degree in general studies, wants to be a pharmaceutical salesman or pursue a musical career with the local rock 'n' roll band in which he now plays.

At this point, he and the other four members of the Tainted Angel band are hoping to land a recording contract.

But in addition to playing the keyboards, the Chaffee resident's got his sights set on a more down-to-earth job as a pharmaceutical salesman.

"It depends which comes first," Sadler said of his career options.

When it comes to getting a job, Sadler's doing his homework -- making use of the materials and advice available at the university's career planning and placement office and studying up on the pharmaceutical industry and the drugs marketed by different companies.

Sadler said his goal is no different than most college seniors. He wants to have a job lined up before graduation.

"I just find pharmaceutical sales challenging and stimulating. I have friends that do it," said Sadler, whose college career at Southeast has been sandwiched around a two-year stint as a student at Deaconess College of Nursing in St. Louis.

Sadler, who has sold suits at JCPenney stores, said he discovered in nursing school that he wanted to be in the sales area of medicine and not in patient care.

Pharmaceutical sales is a good paying profession, he noted, with a starting base salary generally in the $30,000 range.

He said his long-term goal is to represent a pharmaceutical company abroad. "I like to travel," said Sadler, who has traveled throughout Europe and Canada. Over the recent spring break, he made a return visit to England.

Sadler has long hair now, which fits the image of a rock 'n' roll band member. But he said he plans to get a haircut soon as part of his efforts to land a sales job.

Sadler's been spending a lot of time this spring writing and rewriting his resume.

He's taking 19 hours of classes this semester, while working as much as 30 hours a week as a phlebotomist at St. Francis Medical Center. He still finds time to practice with the band two days a week.

"I am the one that goes around and draws blood," he said of his St. Francis job.

Sadler said he's often still up at 2 in the morning, studying for his classes. It's not uncommon for him to get less than four hours of sleep a night.

He plans to finish up his academic career with nine hours of classes this summer.

Sadler said his father recently asked him if he is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He told his dad, "Well, I'm beginning to see the shadow of it."

Getting a job requires some salesmanship skills, said Jack Sterrett, a marketing professor and interim director of Southeast's career planning and placement office. "It's personal marketing."

Sterrett has been hard at work promoting the office, housed in the University Center.

Unlike Sadler, some students wait almost until graduation day to visit the career planning and placement office and begin searching for a job.

"It's never too late to start," he said. But, Sterrett added, students would be wise to start early looking at career options and preparing to enter the job market.

The career planning and placement office offers a wide range of services, everything from a job search and match process to a computer program that helps students profile themselves. It has a library of literature on countless careers.

The center also sets up on-campus job interviews with employers, and advises students on careers and resume writing.

A person's resume is "the most important part" of the job hunting process, said Sterrett. It allows a person to get his foot in the door.

A resume should be tailored for the specific job being sought, he said.

"They (job seekers) need to match their skills and abilities with the requirements of the position," said Sterrett.

Job seekers have to take the initiative because the jobs won't just come to them, Sterrett said. "Career placement is the responsibility of all of us, including the students."

Every May, August and December, the nation sees a flood of college graduates. As a result, he advised, "you've got to have something to set your application apart."

In today's world, a person will make three major career changes in his or her lifetime. "Companies still want loyalty, but they don't expect you to stay there forever," said Sterrett.

As for Sadler, he's confidently sounding out his future, preparing to strike just the right key in the job market.