Posts Tagged: Job Search Tips
How to Discover Careers You Never Knew Existed
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on October 14, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Did you know we only are aware of about 1% of careers that exist??
There are about 250,000 different “species” of jobs out there, and most of us only know about 200-300. In this segment, I speak with Matt Mahoney, founder of Daily Endeavor, about how college students and recent grads can explore the 99% of careers we never talk about. Here are some tips for finding the right career for you…even if it’s one your mom hasn’t heard of.
1) Start with your interests. Search by interests and what you like to do.
Don’t just focus on the field you think you want to explore. Don’t just focus on your major. Think about what you really, truly love to do.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
How do you feel about the fact that only a small percentage of careers are well-known? What has helped you in your career selection process?
The Single Most Important Resume Item
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Internships Job Search Tips on October 8, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I recently moderated a panel discussion of prominent CEOs from three very different industries — professional services, social media and nonprofit. While they each gave excellent advice to the students in the audience who were interested in their particular fields, the CEOs all came together on one key point:
All employers in all industries are seeking one major resume item: leadership.
Why is leadership so important?
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Urban Interns and the Future of Jobs
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Future of Careers Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on September 30, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Ever wish you could look into a crystal ball and see the future of jobs in America? Lauren Porat, co-founder of Urban Interns, has some insight. In this interview, Lauren and I talk about the future of jobs, and Lauren shares a few tips for landing jobs and internships in the new job market.
Some of Lauren’s tips for landing jobs/internships via Urban Interns:
* Don’t be turned off by the terms “internship” or “part-time”. Many people have developed incredible careers by serving multiple part-time clients. Also, starting out this way may allow you to get your foot in the door with some very cool, interesting startup companies.
* Think of the things you are good at, both personally and professionally. If you have years of experience with Facebook, even if you have only used it for your own relationships, you may qualify as a social media intern.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
How do you feel about the future of jobs, and do you have additional pointers that have helped you? Please share your comments below!
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part III)
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips 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…)
On the LinkedIn “Seek Week” Blog: Stop job hunting like it’s 1999!
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Recommended Career Resources Social Media on April 23, 2009 at 11:19 am
Thank you to the team at LinkedIn for inviting me to write a guest post for the LinkedIn Blog’s “Seek Week,” which is dedicated to helping ’09 grads find jobs.
LinkedIn has also launched a great resource for graduating seniors (and all college students and recent grads), the ’09 Grad Guide and a discussion group featuring helpful articles, job postings and Q&As.
Here is an excerpt from my guest article, “Stop Job Hunting Like It’s 1999: Dos and Don’ts for ’09 Grads”:
Job hunting is a journey, so I’d like to begin this post by paraphrasing from my favorite movie about a journey: The Wizard of Oz: We’re not in the 20th Century anymore, Toto.
This is the sentence I find myself thinking whenever a college student says something like, “I’ve sent out, like, a hundred resumes and I still haven’t found a job!” Emailing out resumes and waiting for a response used to be a perfectly decent strategy for finding a job. Not anymore. Today’s job seekers, especially ‘09 grads job hunting in a recession, need to be more creative, more proactive and more tech savvy than ever before. We are blessed to live in a time when there are so many new job hunting tools and techniques. Take advantage!
Here are some tips: Click here to read the rest of this article on the LinkedIn Blog…
Career Q&A: Should I change my career plans because of the recession?
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on March 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Q: I graduated in May with a political science major and am wondering what to do next. My plan was to apply to law school, but with so much student debt already incurred I am having second thoughts. I am currently working at a bank as a teller, but this is not the career I wish to pursue. With the current recession and unemployment rate I am terrified that I will be a bank teller forever. Any suggestions? — Lauren, Racine, Wis.
A: You are smart to consider your finances when making a decision about law school. However, if you’re sure you want to be a lawyer, I believe that where there’s a will there’s a way. Start researching scholarships, financial aid packages and part-time programs (which allow you to continue working) as ways to lessen the financial burden. Law can be a very lucrative career, so it’s OK to take on some debt to finance your education. However, if you are not sure you really want to be a lawyer, don’t apply until you’ve made up your mind.
Regarding your fear of becoming a bank teller forever, that is entirely up to you. If you are securely employed in that position right now, my best advice is to make the best of it, learn as much as you can in that position and network with your colleagues to help build your connections and your access to future opportunities.
In this tough job market, I wouldn’t recommend giving up a decent job. (Of course, if being a bank teller is sucking the life out of you, then you need to make a change, even if it means working in a pleasant retail environment or a coffee shop.)
Whether you keep your bank teller job for the short-term or not, it’s important to keep researching and networking in the industry in which you’d like to work. If it’s law, then subscribe to law journals, read legal blogs, attend networking events and professional association meetings for lawyers and ask everyone you know to introduce you to attorneys who would be willing to provide you with some advice and guidance.
Just because you’re not working or studying full-time in a field does not mean you can’t be part of it. Every action you take and connection you make now will help you position yourself for a career move when the economy turns around.
Click here to read more of my career Q&As on ABC News on Campus
Click here to submit a question of your own
Image: ABC News/Getty
Career Q&A: How to make your resume stand out in a crowd
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Job Search Tips on February 12, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Q: I’ve been applying for jobs since September and have not been called for a single interview. I’ve taken my resume to Career Services for a review and some tips, but still nothing. How can I make my resume stand out in a crowd?
A: You’ve taken the right first step, which is having an expert — in your case, career services — review your resume and make sure it’s the best it can be. However, having a good resume is not enough these days. Employers are being bombarded with resumes, so the real way to stand out is to promote yourself beyond sending in a resume. You have to go the extra mile to get noticed.
Depending on your situation and the types of jobs you’re applying for, here are some suggestions: (more…)
Tips for staying afloat in a grim job market
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources on February 10, 2009 at 8:17 am
If you walked around midtown Manhattan during the summer, you might have seen the financial executive, in his late 40s, who paraded around in a sandwich board declaring “Experienced MIT Grad for Hire” and handing out copies of his resume.
A few months later, you might have come across a group of job-hunting, 20-something recent graduates promoting their skills though sidebar advertisements on Facebook and links to their online resumes.
What intrigues me about these methods is not just the guts these job seekers displayed. It’s the different generational approaches to self-promotion. The baby boomer gravitated to in-person, face-to-face networking; the Millennial went right to the Web.
If you are looking for a job in the current recession, my best advice is to borrow from the playbook of both of these self-promoters: combine “old-fashioned” methods with new technologies. Diane K. Danielson, my colleague and co-author on the book The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking, calls this a “clicks and mix” strategy, and it’s an important marketing strategy if you’re looking for a new position.
Here’s why: Young adults are competing in the job market with much more qualified people who have been laid off and need to find any job they can. At the same time, older professionals are competing with younger workers who are willing to be hired for less money and security. And, in this economy, every job seeker has to try every job-hunting method available.
Here are some self-marketing tips for job seekers of all generations: click here to read the rest of this article on ABC News on Campus…
On CareerTV: “Feed Your Future” Recession-proof your job search”
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Internships Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources on February 8, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Many thanks to CareerTV for interviewing me for a new segment, “Feed Your Future,” sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers. If you’re a student at UT-Austin, please come to the LIVE event on Monday, February 9th at McCombs School of Business. Click here for more information on this FREE event.
To watch the video, click here.
Video on PwC.tv: How to recession-proof your job search
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Internships Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources on January 14, 2009 at 9:07 am
The bad news: 2008 was the worst year for jobs since 1945.
The good news: It’s a new year, and with that new year comes new advice, new tips and new resources for job hunters.
Recently, PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the best places for young professionals to launch a career, invited me to provide tips to help students and recent graduates find jobs and internships right now.
Click here to watch the 5-minute video and to download a list of 10 ways to recession-proof your job search.
If you have additional questions, feel free to submit them here.
