Top of the Class

A PERFECT PITCH: Shira Berg landed at a top PR firm through good, oldfashioned networking. (Christian Johnson)

Good news: The bleak economy isn’t leaving everyone jobless in its wake. Despite a lingering recession and the city’s 10.2 percent unemployment rate, a crop of young New Yorkers have managed to land on their feet and snag their dream jobs — fresh out of undergrad.

So what’s their secret? According to David Gaspin, head of talent acquisition at TheLadders, besting the competition requires a proven record of relevant work experience and dedicated networking. It also requires knowing where to look.

“Job boards are a completely viable place to start,” says Gaspin, who also pens the job-search advice blog HRDave.com. But he stresses applying swiftly to jobs that are advertised online.

“If I post a job on a Friday, I’ll come in on Monday and have 700 applicants,” he adds. “I’m not going to look at all 700 resumes — so if you’re not one of the first handful of people that apply for something, the chances you’ll be seriously considered are diminished.”

Skillful job seekers, however, know what it means when jobs are posted for several weeks: Often, a candidate hasn’t yet been identified, so your resume still has a chance of making it to the hiring manager’s desk.

“Networking is also fantastic,” Gaspin notes. “A lot of people hear that term and freeze up, but it’s really just about finding people who may have leads and having as many conversations with them as possible.

“There’s no shame in asking for a meeting or to go to coffee.”

Paula Lee would agree. As the director of New York University’s Wasserman Center for Career Development, Lee encourages grads to go to career fairs and reach out to people in the fields they aspire to break into. She also suggests expanding one’s search beyond a sector’s obvious establishments.

“If you’re looking for a job in finance, you can have a finance-related position at a hospital or at a school,” she points out. “You don’t necessarily have to work at a bank.”

While opportunities are available, the fact that New York City’s job market is notoriously tough to crack is a reality young grads should take to heart.

“People think because there are more companies and more jobs here they have a better chance of getting one,” Gaspin says, “but that’s not always the case.”

Here are three recent grads who defied these odds and found great gigs in the fields they love. Read on to hear their stories . . .

The Wordsmith

Cameron Keady, assistant editor, Time for Kids

Cameron Keady’s nickname easily could be “the follow-up king.” After the Skidmore College alum took a children’s literature class, it inspired him to intern at Time for Kids the summer before his senior year. And even after returning to school in the fall, he never completely left the magazine.

“I knew I wanted to be back there, so I made a point to stay in touch with the editors,” says Keady, 22. “I stopped by the office three times during my senior year, and whenever I came back to see an editor, I would also visit HR.”

The recent Williamsburg transplant stayed on Time’s radar by e-mailing his editors to discuss stories he enjoyed.

Keady also frequented the Time, Inc. careers page to poke around for available positions. When he noticed an associate editor job opening, he reached out to the magazine about it, even though he knew he didn’t have enough experience for the role. That decision, he believes, helped him snag the assistant editor position he started in August.

“I’ve found even if you’re applying for jobs that on paper you’re not qualified for, you never know how things are going to change or shift,” he says. In his case, Time Inc. promoted someone internally to the associate editor post, hiring Keady to fill that person’s former position. The appointment ended his job search, which started in March and included applications to about 20 jobs in media.

Keady worried about being overly aggressive, but he’s happy he could realize his dream of moving to the big city. “I’ve wanted to work and live here since I was a little kid,” he says.

The Publicity Pro

Shira Berg, account coordinator at Alison Brod Public Relations

Just four months out of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, 22-year-old Shira Berg spends her workweek at Alison Brod Public Relations, one of the city’s best-known fashion and beauty firms. Berg’s rapid ascent from college coed to account coordinator was a testament both to what — and who — she knew.

“I interned in PR at Dolce & Gabbana two summers ago, and then I interned at Strategic Entertainment,” she says. This gave her the experience — ranging from organizing press clippings to wooing celebrities to wear a particular frock — she needed to whip her resume into top shape when she started thinking about her post-graduation plans.

But Berg also employed good, old-fashioned networking: A college pal was already working at Alison Brod and gave Berg the heads-up about an open position shortly before graduation.

While knowing someone at the company helped get the young professional noticed, fostering the relationship took legwork, and it was up to Berg to ace her interviews.

Although Berg arrived to the office enthusiastic about the position and dressed professionally, she also made sure to do her homework by thoroughly researching who she was meeting with.

After two interviews with the firm, Berg was offered the gig, where she’s charged with drafting status reports, liaising with editors and circulating press roundups.

“I think I was personable and that I was able to connect with the people who interviewed me,” she says of her success.

But Berg also combed through Syracuse’s alumni database and set up informational interviews with alumni working in PR. The Murray Hill resident stayed in touch with professionals she met during her internships, too.

“The most important part about finding a job is networking,” says Berg, who spent her entire senior year reaching out to PR pros. “Being friendly never hurt anybody, and you never know when someone you’ve met will have an opening. If you’re persistent about staying in touch, you’ll likely be on their mind when they’re hiring.”

The Shopaholic

Breyon Dixon, assistant merchandise planner for Macy’s

Determined not to be among 2012’s 1.8 million jobless graduates, Breyon Dixon, 22, took a proactive approach to her job search early on, meeting with career counselors at Spelman College at the start of her senior year.

The head start proved to be beneficial, sparking a job search spanning just three months.

“I wanted to express what I was looking for early,” says Dixon, who majored in comparative women’s studies and interned with American Eagle Outfitters’ merchandising department last summer. “[Spelman] brought several companies on campus to do mock interviews last September, and I made sure that I got one with Macy’s.”

Armed with the feedback she received from that meeting — which included compliments on her well-formatted resume and a reminder to talk up her strongest skills in subsequent interviews — Dixon sat down with a Macy’s recruiter the following month at Spelman’s career fair. The company later invited her to interview in New York. Dixon had an offer by November — six months before graduation.

Today, her duties as a junior member of the buying team include ensuring stores are adequately merchandised, analyzing strategies and offering suggestions on how to better serve specific markets.

Aware that many recent graduates can’t relate to her success story just yet, Dixon, who applied to five jobs, including the role she secured at Macy’s, says not to throw in the towel: “Know that with the economy the way that it is, [job hunting] isn’t easy. It won’t give in to you; you have to stay on top of it.” The Hamilton Heights resident’s tips for staying ahead of the curve include starting your job search early and constantly updating your resume, tailoring it specifically for each job you apply to.

And keep in mind looking for opportunities in New York comes with an added challenge. “Everybody here is the best of the best at whatever they do,” she says. “It’s very competitive, so be prepared for that.”