Archive for Category: First Job Out of College
Guest Post: 3 Job Hunting Tips for College Athletes
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on August 12, 2010 at 8:34 am
This is a guest post by Eileen Wisnewski.
Graduation often signals the end of competition for most college athletes. This can be an emotional realization, as many graduating athletes would love to play just one more season.
While competing, the level of time and commitment college athletes give to their sport sometimes prevents them from properly planning for the next step in life after college. This can result in recent graduates feeling underprepared to start their professional lives.
The good news is that across career industries, many employers truly value and seek out the skills and abilities athletes possess. Whether they realize this or not, athletes develop some very important and marketable skills while playing their sport.
Victory comes to those athletes who are able to 1) identify these skills, and 2) communicate them in a resume, cover letter or during an interview. Here are three examples:
1. Teamwork
Athletes begin developing teamwork skills as early as elementary school. They realize the importance of working with others for the desired positive outcome. Each player must contribute for this to be achieved. Employers want to hire candidates who aren’t going to be showboats and who recognize that everyone contributes to the success of the team.
How to express this:
“While playing college soccer, I developed strong teamwork skills and understand the importance of working together to achieve success. An example of this was when…” (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, college athletes, Job Hunting
Ask the Gen Y Expert: My New Column for Monster.com’s Excelle
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Millennial women Recommended Resources Writing on July 12, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I’m excited to announce my new career advice column on Monster.com’s website for women, Excelle.com. The column, “Ask the Gen Y Expert,” will feature my responses to reader questions. Please check out the first post and submit your own query anytime!
Here is this week’s topic and reader question:
How Can I Get Recognized for My Hard Work?
Dear Lindsey,
I’m a junior assistant at a PR firm, which basically means I’m pretty far down on the totem pole. However, I get the impression my manager sees promise because she invites me to all of the big meetings and keeps me in the loop on projects.
My work speaks for itself – the reports are chock full of my suggestions, recommendations, and feedback. Yet, I have never gotten an ounce of credit or even a bit of praise. She says I’m only there for “support” and only to “gain exposure” to high-profile campaigns. I’m all for paying my dues but a simple pat on the back would be a great morale booster. Instead, this constant take take take without mention is pushing me into a really negative place.
Should I be grateful for the opportunity to take part in these meetings? Am I asking too much to want a little bit of recognition?
Thanks,
Underappreciated PR Assistant
Click here to visit Excelle.com and read my answer to this question…
Secrets of Summer Career Success
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Networking on July 1, 2010 at 10:48 am
For many people, the July 4th weekend marks the beginning of Slacker Season at work: the time to enjoy long lunches outside and cut out early on Fridays. I love the mellowness of summer and encourage you to enjoy the season to its fullest. I also know that you need to keep your job search or career development on track, even when it’s 100 degrees in the shade. Here are some suggestions:
Revisit Your New Year’s Resolutions.
Remember that sense of optimism and new beginnings you felt as you turned your calendar to January? Pretend you’re a company with a July 1st start to your fiscal year and reboot your resolutions right now. If you never set any goals for this year, lie on a beach towel staring at the sky and daydream about what you want to accomplish by the end of 2010. Then, commit to taking some small steps this summer (such as registering for an online course to improve your negotiation skills, going outlet shopping to perk up your professional wardrobe, revising your job description with your boss to prepare for a promotion) to move yourself forward.
Redefine “Beach Reading.”
Instead of reading the latest romance novel, gossip magazine or legal thriller by the pool, pack your tote bag with a book that will advance your career knowledge. Check out the biography of a successful business owner, a productivity guide or a job hunting manual. If you’d rather keep your eyes shut and avoid weird sunglasses tan lines, load some books onto your iPod and listen instead. Consider these 10 great career books for young professionals.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Tags: Career Advice, summer career tips
Top 5 Recruiter Pet Peeves REVEALED!
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Recruiting on June 28, 2010 at 11:57 am
While it’s incredibly important to do the right things in a job search, you also need to make sure you avoid doing the wrong things.
One of my favorite questions to ask recruiters is, “What are your biggest pet peeves about entry-level job candidates?” Below are some of the answers I’ve received. Hopefully this list will save you from committing any major faux pas!
1. “Creative” resumes. I know you want to stand out from the crowd, but a perfumed, purple or paper airplane-shaped resume is not the way to do it.
2. Not doing your homework. We live in the Information Age, so there is no excuse for not learning as much information about a company as possible before meeting a representative of that company at a job fair, information session or other recruiting event.
You should already know the organization’s lines of business, competitors, current news and other facts you can easily discover from a website or a quick Google search. Asking a recruiter to tell you about his organization or asking what the company does is a quick way to strike out.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Tags: entry-level job search, MyPath, Recruiting
Guest Post: Jobs That Matter for Millennials
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Recommended Resources on June 21, 2010 at 9:35 am
This is a guest post by Heather Krasna, author of the new book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service:
Recent surveys show that Millennials want to make a difference in the world. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 27 percent of graduating seniors in 2009 plan to work for nonprofit groups or government. Another survey by the Partnership for Public Service found that 90 percent would be interested in a federal government job. On top of that, the recent Heartland Monitor Poll found that 55 percent of Millennials are seeking long-term job security.
Many of the jobs that make a difference in the world, like those in environmental, social services, education, community development, religion, international development or the arts, are found only in the nonprofit sector or government. Some of the most interesting and fulfilling jobs—like wildlife biologists, foreign service officers, community development specialists, social workers, disaster management specialists, or community organizers and advocates, can only be found in government or nonprofit organizations.
Another reason to consider public service work is that many of these jobs are the most stable in a down economy. For instance, the layoff rate for government was only 0.6 percent in January 2009, compared with 2.1 percent in the private sector.
But the job search for nonprofit or government entities can be very different from the typical ones you might have been prepared for by your college career center. For instance, government agencies may ask you to write essays about your work experience and how it relates to a job, or you may have to take a civil service test. You have to follow all instructions carefully in order to be considered, and a normal resume may not work. For a nonprofit organization, you should highlight your volunteer experience and leadership, and make sure to network as much as possible into the often tight-knit nonprofit community.
Interested in learning more about public service careers? Heather’s new book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service (© 2010 JIST Works), shares the secrets you need to land a fulfilling job in public service. For more tips from Heather, visit www.heatherkrasna.com.
Lindsey on Good Day New York: Job Prospects for College Grads
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on May 21, 2010 at 10:41 am
Many thanks to Good Day New York for having me on as a guest this week! Watch the five-minute video here:
If you have trouble viewing the above, watch the video here.
Podcast: View from the Other Side: Interview with a Former Campus Recruiter
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Job Hunting Job Interviews on April 15, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Have you ever wanted to know what goes on inside the mind of a campus recruiter? Here’s your chance!
Listen in on my conversation with Joy Schwartz, a former campus recruiter who is now a university career counselor. She’ll share the inside scoop from the other side of the job fair booth, answering such questions as:
- What are some of the biggest mistakes students make in the campus recruiting process?
- What can students do to stand out in the recruiting process?
- What is the most important question in a job interview?
- What is the best way for candidates to follow up with recruiters?
Click here to listen to this podcast on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com, and please share your thoughts in the Comments section below. You can also check out Joy’s blog at JoySchwartz.com.
On MyPath.com: An Interview with Two College Career Services Professionals
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College International Careers Recommended Resources on February 4, 2010 at 6:00 am
What are the major hiring trends on campus this year? What are the best strategies for finding an entry-level job? What are the biggest mistakes students make in the job search process?
To answer these questions and more, I spoke with with Trudy Steinfeld, Executive Director of the Wasserman Center for Career Development at New York University, and Manny Contomanolis, Associate Vice President and Director of Co-op and Career Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear top tips from two of the best career services professionals in the country!
Listen to the podcast interview now.
Tags: Career Advice, career services, jobs
On MyPath.com: 5 High-Impact Career Habits
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College on January 25, 2010 at 8:00 am
Exercise for 30 minutes a day. Sleep eight hours a night. Floss. Good habits are the building blocks of a healthy life.
The same goes for your career: small daily habits add up to big success. The earlier in your working life you develop smart daily practices, the easier they will be to maintain and the more overall impact they’ll have.
Here are 5 important career habits to cultivate:
1. Keep up with the news. We live in the Information Age, so there’s no excuse for not being informed. Whether you read a news site every morning, watch the headlines on TV or subscribe to a major news outlet’s e-newsletter, you have to know what’s happening in the world. Pay particular attention to any articles relating to your profession. This will give you topics to discuss at networking events, articles to discuss on Twitter and LinkedIn and a base of knowledge to apply to your current and future career decisions. I landed my first job at WorkingWoman.com because I learned about the site from an article in a news magazine!
2. Share. You know those little “Share” icons that appear next to almost every video and blog post these days? Imagine that “Share” button everywhere you look. One of the best ways to maintain a strong professional network is to share articles, job leads, book recommendations, etc. with the people you know. For instance, if you read an article about grad school scholarships, forward it to your friend who is applying to PhD programs. If you come across a video of an interview with Bobby Flay, send the link to your former internship colleague who loves to barbecue. A small, kind, helpful gesture is a great way to keep in touch with people in an authentic, professional way.
Read the rest of this blog post on MyPath.com…
Image: eHow.com
One Way to Help the “Lost Generation”
Posted in Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Internships Recommended Resources on November 2, 2009 at 11:00 am
A recent BusinessWeek cover story called today’s graduates “The Lost Generation,” citing statistics that young people who graduate in recession years continue to earn less over the long-term course of their careers.
This weekend, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert addressed the same issue, writing:
“These recent graduates have done everything society told them to do. They’ve worked hard, kept their noses clean and gotten a good education (in many cases from the nation’s best schools). They are ready and anxious to work. If we’re having trouble finding employment for even these kids, then we’re doing something profoundly wrong.”
Like BusinessWeek and Herbert, I am very worried about the situation for recent college graduates. Today I want to share with you what I’m doing about it:
I have and always will pay any interns who work for me. If you are a business owner, I ask that you do the same. (more…)
Tags: Internships
