Archive for Category: Job Hunting
4 Ways to Be a More Confident Job Seeker
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting on February 15, 2010 at 8:35 am
I’ll never forget what my driving instructor said to my mom while we were waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles the morning of my driver’s license test.
“She has the ability to pass. It’s going to come down to whether she thinks she can pass.”
I failed.
My driving instructor was exactly right. I had practiced enough and had the skills and knowledge to get my license. What I was missing was the confidence to actually do it.
I see this same situation all the time with college students and recent grads in the job market. They have the talent, skills and ability to get a job, but they lack the self-confidence it takes to land a position, especially in the ultra-competitive market we’re experiencing right now.
If you’re struggling with self-confidence, here are some tips:
1. Ask for feedback. Recruit a trusted relative, career services staff member, professor or friend to assess you honestly. Often we don’t even realize our strongest assets because they come naturally to us. Ask the person to list your best qualities and most impressive accomplishments. On the flip side, ask for constructive feedback on your weaknesses. Find out if the things you’re most concerned about — lack of experience, a less-than-desirable GPA, shyness, etc. — are legitimate concerns or if you’re obsessing over nothing. If your fears are unfounded, let them go once and for all!
2. Take action on any gaps. If you do determine some important weaknesses, develop a game plan for improving the key skills, knowledge or qualities you’ll need to land the job you want. Take action! Sign up for a coaching session at your career services office, register for an e-course, read a few instructional books or hire a career coach or tutor. Besides gaining the skills you need, you’ll have a great answer to the interview question, “What is your biggest weakness?” You’ll be able to say, “I identified a key weakness and here are the steps I took to overcome it.”
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, jobs
On MyPath.com: Job Opportunities with Women-Owned Businesses
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Recommended Resources Women on January 28, 2010 at 9:09 am
I recently came across a study by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute predicting that about one-third of new jobs created over the next eight years will be at small businesses owned by women.
As a woman small business owner myself, I was really intrigued by this news. It also reminded me that many students and young professionals miss out on great opportunities because they overlook the potential to get a job at a (man- or woman-owned) small business.
In this week’s podcast, I share my thoughts on the opportunities available in small businesses, how to find these opportunities and the pros and cons of working for a smaller organization.
As always, I look forward to your feedback and comments!
Tags: career, job search, MyPath
On MyPath.com: 3 Ways to Make 2010 Your Best Career Year
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Life Advice Recommended Resources on December 21, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I’ve always loved new beginnings — the first day of a new month, the turning of a new season, even the sunrise of a new day (on the rare occasion I’m up early enough to see it). Of course there is no bigger new beginning than the turning of the calendar to January 1.
This year in particular, the New Year feels like a crucial fresh start. 2009 will go down in the books as one of the hardest years ever for job seekers, especially those looking for entry-level work. If you’ve had a tough time in 2009, or even if it’s been a great year for you, here are some tips for starting 2010 on a successful note.
Out With the Old. To make room for new things in your life (a great job, fresh ideas, more money, a strong network, etc.) you need to get rid of any clutter that is weighing you down. This might include critical people, a job that drains your energy, college junk piled in your closet or self-defeating thoughts like “I’ll never get a job in this economy.” For inspiration, check out two of my favorite resources on the topic of simplifying and decluttering: the Zen Habits Blog and Julie Morgenstern’s book, Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.
Set Quality (not Quantity) Goals. We all know that New Year’s resolutions are generally forgotten by February. So, instead of making a long list of “rules” for my year, I prefer to declare three to five big goals or priorities. I keep them in a little note file on my computer and on a little card pasted on the inside cover of the notebook I use every day. I peek at my list constantly to remind myself what my priorities are, how I want to spend my time and what opportunities I should not pursue. If you need help clarifying your goals, check out Your Best Year Yet! Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever.
Read the rest of this blog post on my “College to Career” blog on MyPath.com…
Winter is the New Summer…for Finding Internships
Posted in Career Advice Generation Y Internships Job Hunting Recommended Resources on December 3, 2009 at 6:00 am
This is a guest post from Lauren Porat, co-founder of UrbanInterns.com
As I was perusing the job listings on UrbanInterns.com today, I couldn’t help but note the following excerpts:
- “understand the inner workings of a start-up…”
- “24-hour turn around work during business days…”
- “As the business grows, I will be hiring [full-time]…”
Don’t all of the above sound like summer internships? Wrong. They’re all winter internships with small businesses.
Sure, it’s officially the holiday season, as verified by the number of 30% discounts that are sitting in my gmail account. But that’s the point — businesses are gearing up to finish the year strong, and they need extra sets of hands to help them do that.
So…what types of winter internships are out there? Social media, PR/marketing, blogging, and business development are the top areas we see people hiring for this winter. And this all makes perfect sense. An eMarketer report just came out indicating that small businesses are using social media to market their businesses even more than their big firm counterparts. (more…)
Podcast on MyPath.com: How to Get a Job Now
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Recommended Resources on November 9, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I’m excited to announce a brand new partnership with MyPath.com, a new online career management website guided by Manpower, one of the global leaders in employment services.
MyPath provides you with a variety of tools and services to help you plot and plan your career journey. As MyPath’s “College to Career” blogger, I’ll be recording a weekly podcast on a timely job search or career management topic for entry-level job seekers.
Click here to listen to my first MyPath podcast, “How to Get a Job Now.”
Have a topic you’d like me to discuss on a future MyPath podcast? Please share in the comments!
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part III)
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on October 5, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Today I’m pleased to share my third and final post on all the types of experience you have that you might not be giving yourself credit for. I hope you find this valuable, and please share any additional suggestions in the Comments!
Part III: Personal Interests and Experiences
1. Investing. Have you put away money since your tenth birthday and watched your savings grow significantly? Are you active in trading and investing through your E*TRADE account? Do you currently manage your finances beyond balancing your checkbook? Since many high school and college students don’t manage their own money, your experience and knowledge could stand out.
2. Family business. If you’ve been part of your parents’ business development process or worked in a family-owned restaurant or store, your dinner table conversations may have involved hiring practices and workplace challenges. Even if you didn’t start the company, your experience is a source of knowledge and brings value to your job search.
3. Travel. Any trip that has broadened your perspective of the United States or the world adds value to your relevant work experience. Did you hike the Grand Canyon or backpack through Europe? Did you visit a country where you couldn’t even read the street signs? Be sure to tell potential employers how you overcame these challenges and broadened your life experience. (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Generation Y, Job Hunting
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part II)
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Volunteering on October 1, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Continuing on my last post, here are eight more examples of experience that “counts” in your job search. Stay tuned for my final list, covering personal interests and experiences, on Monday.
Part II: Work and Extracurricular Experience
1. Sports. Even if you aren’t a star athlete, your participation in an organized sport (varsity, JV, club level or just for fun) is valuable. An employee who is a “team player” and works well with others can move mountains in the workplace. Athletic experience builds your competitive nature, increases your level of confidence and gives you strong leadership skills. Remember to consider these lessons and experiences when discussing your skills and abilities in a job interview.
2. Clubs and organizations. From French club to student government, be sure to note your involvement in organized group activities. Make special note of any leadership roles that involved coordinating events, budgeting or acting as liaison among group members, faculty and staff. Also take some time to think about club projects you managed from beginning to end — employers will correlate these to workplace project management skills.
3. Greek life. Aside from the toga parties (which employers definitely don’t want to know about), Greek organizations provide some valuable experience for the working world. Many Greek organizations place significant value on networking events, fundraisers and recruitment. If you held a direct leadership role, planned events or coordinated publicity for your fraternity or sorority, you should share these achievements with potential employers. Keep in mind that there are some lingering stereotypes from Animal House and the like, so proceed with caution.
4. The arts. Whether you’re involved in art, music, dance or theater, your performance skills and the self-confidence it takes to share your talents in front of an audience are very attractive to an employer. Don’t be shy about touting your creative accomplishments, even in a serious corporate setting. (more…)
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part I)
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on September 28, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Remember those days when your first assignment back at school in September was to write an essay about everything you did that summer? In recalling those memories, I started to think about the way people recount and catalog their experiences.
When young professionals in particular think about their accomplishments, they don’t often view their experiences and skills as relevant to their job search. But many seemingly non-professional experiences are more relevant than you might think.
I recently wrote about how even the most professionally inactive summers may have qualities applicable to your job search. To find out why summer jobs, self-improvement and summer socials are important, read my blog post, Slacked off This Summer? Time to Turn up the Heat! on The Huffington Post.
As I was writing that post, I realized that most young people are indeed more experienced than they think. We all know that jobs and internships are relevant, but it’s important to take inventory of all your talents and experiences so you don’t freeze up when writing your resume, interviewing for your dream job or filling out your LinkedIn profile. Whether you’re crafting a cover letter for a new job or negotiating a higher salary a current one, it’s important to take inventory and gain confidence in your experiences and abilities.
How far back should you go in your analysis? As a general rule, resume-relevant experience goes back four years for students and recent grads, unless you’ve done something super impressive like winning an Olympic medal or starting your own business, which you should always mention. Read more on the timeline for recalling your achievements in my blog post, Career Q&A: Is it lame to put high school achievements on my resume?
I’ve put together a laundry list of valuable experiences and skills that may not automatically come to mind when conducting your job search. Here are the first five as a teaser — stay tuned for the rest in days to come: (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, job search
Video: Find Your Professional Passion
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Recommended Resources on September 22, 2009 at 12:28 pm
One of the most common questions I receive goes something like this: “I want to find work I’m passionate about, but I don’t know what my passion is! What should I do?”
I recently recorded a video with my advice on finding your professional passion. Thank you to FNC iMag for including me in this video series and inviting me to record on the beautiful campus of Columbia University.
p.s. Stay tuned for more FNC iMag career videos!
Tags: FNC iMag
Upcoming Teleclass: How To Social Network To Get A Job
Posted in Career Advice Job Hunting Recommended Events Social Media on September 14, 2009 at 11:44 am
You keep hearing about LinkedIn…and Twitter…and Facebook. But can they help you find a mentor, create an online career development network and ultimately find a job? The answer is a resounding: YES!
Please join me on Thursday, October 1 at 8:00pm Eastern for “How To Social Network To Get A Job – A Teleclass”
I will be presenting along with Brian Kurth (Career Transition Guru, Author, TV Contributor and Founder of VocationVacations) and Miriam Salpeter (Blog Author, Speaker, Career Coach and Twitter Expert).
I hope you will join us on Thursday, October 1 at 8:00pm Eastern for this exciting and informative teleclass. The cost is just $19.99.
