Yesterday’s New York Times featured a front page article about students who lost their job offers because of the collapse of Bear Stearns (“Bear Stearns Collapse Turns New Hires Into Job Seekers”).

Finding a first job is hard enough, especially these days, so I can imagine how upsetting it must be to lose a solid offer. Giving the unprecedented nature of this situation and of the fact that today’s grads face the worst economy in years, I’d like to offer some help.

For any of the 250 undergraduate student with a rescinded job offer from Bear Stearns, I would be happy to provide you with a free 30-minute career counseling session by phone between now and September 1, 2008. For the first 10 students to respond to this offer [clarification 4/21/08 - the first 10 students with rescinded offers from Bear Stearns], I will mail you a free copy of my book, Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World (HarperCollins, 2007).

For other students struggling to find a job or internship in this economy, here are some tips:

Make use of your university career services office. I am constantly surprised by how few students take advantage of the career resources offered FOR FREE at their schools. take advantage of assessment testing, career counseling, interview prep, exclusive job listings, networking connections, scholarship opportunities and much more. It is never too early or too late to visit your college’s career services office, even years after you’ve graduated.

Take action immediately, and every day. Don’t wait and hope that things get better. Start networking, researching job opportunities, attending association events and applying for opportunities sooner rather than later. Most companies are hiring fewer students this year, so apply early before spaces fill up. For companies that hire on a just-in-time basis (rather than recruiting a group of students several months in advance), persistence is key–when jobs open up, you want to be top-of-mind.

Cast a wider net. If you are struggling to find a job in your chosen field, think more broadly about the kind of industries and organizations where you might be able to apply your skills. Consider start-ups, nonprofits, government jobs, small companies, medium-sized companies, local businesses, etc. As big corporations downsize, smaller organizations often find new opportunities (and need new employees). Look for jobs everywhere — Craigslist.org, association websites, local newspapers, big job sites, small job sites, company websites, etc.

Consider temping. Temp-to-permanent is a growing way to get your foot in the door of an organization. Make a great impression as a temp for a few months and you will be first on the list of entry-level candidates when hiring freezes end.

Network consistently. Persistence and visibility are crucial. Attend association meetings, join LinkedIn.com, talk to your parents’ friends, share your resumes with professors, talk to friends who graduated last year, read career blogs and share your job interests with everyone you know. Seventy to eighty percent of jobs are found through networking, so spend seventy to eighty percent of your time talking to people you know and making and maintaining new connections.

Most importantly, keep a positive attitude. It’s easy to become frustrated and angry in a tough economy, so look for inexpensive ways to have fun and stay positive this spring and summer. I promise I will be here with lots of suggestions, ideas, strategies and opportunities to keep you motivated!

p.s. Please spread the word about the Bear Stearns career counseling offer — thanks!