It’s May. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and the college graduates are gleefully tossing their mortarboards high. As they do, they all have the same wish – to quickly find their first real job.

I remember how scary it was. Twenty years later, I shake my head at the mistakes the grads make while trying to vie for my attention. So I decided to give them a gift that will put that digital camera to shame. I want to help them get that job. But I knew I couldn’t do it by myself.

I reached out to some amazing professionals, some local and others nationally renowned authors like Seth Godin and Roger von Oech, and asked them to offer some advice to the class of 2007. They came through with flying colors. They shared war stories, mistakes made and career advice. You can download a FREE copy of the e-book “Giving College Grads a Fighting Chance” at: www.mclellanmarketing.com.

When you think about it, getting a job is simply a marketing exercise. You are the product. Your competition is fierce. And most of the people you reach out to aren’t all that interested in buying what you have to sell.

So what do most students do? The same thing most marketing efforts do. They do not differentiate themselves at all. They sound like everyone else. Then they wonder why they can’t make the sale.

Ask anyone who screens resumes, and they’ll tell you that 95 percent of them sound alike. The same clichés – everyone is a people person. No wonder they never make it past the first cut.

Do the graduates in your life a favor and download the free e-book. It’s filled with insights, wisdom and practical tips that will have them employed in no time.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.  © 2007 Drew McLellan