Getting a job isn’t always about the old cliche of knowing the right people.

But it never hurts to have a few connections.

Students are finding ways to connect to people involved in their field. These connections may result in a better path to their first career or in a job.

With an increasingly diverse population in the United States, it is not enough to know one language.

The change in American culture has given students who are fluent in another language an edge in the job market when they graduate.

Career Services Center Director Judy Owen said knowing another language would be beneficial in many career fields, especially in business and hotel management.

Office of Diversity Programs director C.J. Woods said preparation is the key to getting a job.

Race is not the key.

In the wake of affirmative action cases gaining national attention, Woods emphasized that minorities have no advantage over other races.

“As long as students prepare themselves and study the job market and are academically prepared for that market, they will be competitive,” Woods said.

There’s nothing more rewarding than making a buck or two.

Well, that’s what I used to think.

When I was in high school, I needed money. Well, need isn’t quite the right word. But to a 16-year-old girl wanting desperately to gain some sort of worth through nice clothes and a decent car, money was a need.

Though the downward turn in the economy has caused many college graduates to scramble for jobs, the job market isn’t as grim for those in the computer science field.

According to a list on the America’s Career InfoNet Web site, computer-related jobs currently hold eight of the top ten fastest growing occupations for the 2000-2010 time period.

Volunteer organizations and employers in Bowling Green disagree on how much volunteering helps students obtain a job.

Some think that volunteering is an essential personality skill needed for a job. Others think that it’s not a factor.

Katie Staples, Western’s Leadership and Volunteerism coordinator of Student Activities said having community service hours reflects a person’s good character and ability to help.

Louisville senior Laura Kenney knows the importance of preparing a quality resume.

But early last semester, all Kenney had on her resume was a list of activities, the classes she took and her grade point average.

“I didn’t know where to begin with my resume at all,” Kenney said.

Recruiters are looking for more than a professional look and good resume at this year’s Career Expo.

The expo will give students the opportunity to network and possibly find their niche in the job market, if they are well-prepared and knowledgeable of their field and the company with which they are seeking employment.

From theme park admission discounts to cheap brand name clothing, companies are willing to give their employees more than a paycheck.

Dallas senior Lindsay Heinlein works at the Gap in Bowling Green. She said her job has several perks, including a 30 percent discount at every Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy store and outlet.

Many students have the illusion that life after graduation will be similar to the Biblical analogy of “a land of milk and honey.” For some, this analogy becomes reality.

But for people like Western alumnus Tawanda Chitapa of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, life after graduation hasn’t quite been as sweet and soothing as milk or honey.