Posts Tagged: job search
What’s Wrong with a “Real” Job? A Q&A with Scott Gerber
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Future of Careers Generation Y/Millennials on February 9, 2011 at 10:00 am
With economic upheaval taking place around the world, the next generation of workers is up against a tidal wave of change. This week I had the privilege of conducting a Q&A session with Scott Gerber, who has some outspoken opinions on the future of careers for Millennials. Read Scott’s thoughts and then tell me what you think!
1. How big of a problem is youth unemployment/underemployment, and how can Millennials overcome it?
They are nothing short of global epidemics. Over 81 million young people are unemployed worldwide. In the U.S. nearly 20% of young people are unemployed–with millions more underemployed–and in countries such as Spain, the youth unemployment rate is as high as 40%. The fact is that the mantra of “work hard, get good grades and go to school to get a job” is dead and antiquated. Young people must leave the resume-handout mindset behind and learn to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs that are capable of generating their own incomes. I believe this is an achievable goal.
2. What do you consider a “real” job, and why do you encourage young people to avoid it?
A “real” job is one where you work for another individual and see no real value or upside from the work product you produce–or a place that forces you to put all of your eggs into one basket that you are neither holding nor own. In today’s new economy, where layoffs, hiring freezes, automation and corporate greed have become commonplace terms, I think it is unwise to rely on anyone but yourself when it comes to something as vital as your livelihood. To avoid the need for a “real” job, young people need to build simple, unoriginal, unsexy businesses that are capable of generating immediate revenue and can be built over time. We must stop thinking about building the next Facebook and start actually building the next tutoring service or plumbing company.
3. What is the biggest challenge young entrepreneurs face, and how do you suggest overcoming it?
Young entrepreneurs need to kill their egos. Reality check: your business will probably not become the next Groupon. The “rich by 30″ mentality is setting us back and pushing us down the path of launching start-ups built on nothing more than hopes and dreams. Plain and simple, this is stupid and will bankrupt us. We need to get real–fast–or be doomed to become a lost, foolhardy generation.
4. What advantages, if any, do Millennials have over other entrepreneurs?
We are the most technologically savvy generation in history and we usually have the ability to scale our lifestyles down to the bare bones necessities. These abilities allow us to create low-budget, minimal infrastructure start-ups with relative ease.
5. What is your #1 piece of advice for young entrepreneurs?
Be afraid, but not afraid to fail. Failure is GOOD! Be afraid to have never failed. Be afraid to look back on your life and see nothing but dead-end jobs and regrets in your past.
Scott Gerber is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, media personality, public speaker and the most-syndicated young entrepreneurship columnist in the world. He is the founder and CEO of Gerber Enterprises and founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council. Scott is also the author of the book, Never Get a “Real” Job.
Top 10 Job Hunting Tips of 2010
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Internships Job Search Tips on December 10, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Top 10 Job Hunting Tips of 2010
I absolutely love end of year lists, and swooned when I found Time.com’s list of The Top 10 of Everything of 2010.
Although Time’s list of lists is pretty comprehensive, ranging from apologies to new species to Twitter moments, I wanted to add my own top 10 list — top 10 tips for job seekers. Here are the tips that readers found most helpful this year.
1. Ask for honest feedback. Recruit a trusted relative, career services staff member, professor or friend to assess you honestly as a job seeker. 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. Don’t be turned off by the terms “internship” or “part-time.” This tip came from Lauren Porat, co-founder of UrbanInterns.com. In a difficult job market, sometimes you need to be flexible and “settle” for a less-than-perfect opportunity, such as a non-full-time job. According to Lauren, 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.
3. Overprepare. Think about your confidence level when you walk into a test for which you’ve studied really thoroughly versus how you feel walking into a test for which you’ve skimmed your notes for ten minutes the night before. Most people don’t realize that a job hunt is something you can study for. Before attending a job fair, spend an hour or two on the websites of companies that will have booths. Before a job interview, spend an hour reading the organization’s website (especially the mission statement, recruiting pages and recent press releases) and study the LinkedIn profiles of the people who will be interviewing you. Read e-newsletters and blogs from your industry to keep up with current events that might be discussed at a networking event. The more preparation you do, the more confident you’ll feel when you interact with recruiters and other professionals you’ll encounter during your job search.
4. Do not ask to “pick someone’s brain.” Okay this one is more about how not to ask me in particular for advice on your job hunt (or anything for that matter!). Some people don’t mind this phrase, but I definitely do. Why? First of all, I think it sounds kind of gross (think about it). Second of all, it is very one-sided: if you are picking my brain, what’s in this conversation for me? It feels as if I’ll be left brainless afterwards. My advice is to always request advice in a way that makes the ask-ee feel respected and like he or she will leave the conversation with something, too.
5. Clean up your online image. According to a recent Microsoft survey, 85 percent of HR professionals responding said that positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions, and 70 percent said they have rejected candidates based on information they found online. Make no mistake about it: your online image will affect your job search and your career. If you haven’t already, set up strict privacy settings on all social networks (often, including on Facebook, the default setting is for all of your information to be public, so check every setting!), take down any inappropriate pictures or content, set up a 100 percent professional profile on LinkedIn and Google, and think twice before posting any new content on Facebook, Twitter or a blog. In many recruiters’ minds, you are what you post.
6. Spell recruiters’ and hiring managers’ names correctly. Of the emails I received responding to a part-time position I posted this year, about half (!) spelled my name wrong. To me, that was an instant sign that a candidate lacked attention to detail. None of these people were called for an interview.
7. Don’t be too early for a job interview. While we’ve all heard the advice never, ever to arrive late to a job interview, employers are equally peeved when you arrive too early. By all means get to the company’s building or parking lot as early as you’d like, but don’t enter the actual office any more than 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time.
8. Focus on what you can do for your employer, not the other way around.
In cover letters, email messages, conversations with recruiters, salary negotiations, etc., make sure you frame your value in terms of what you can offer, not what you need. Recruiters roll their eyes at cover letters that begin with, “I would like to find a position in which I can learn.” Likewise, negotiations fail when you ask for more money because, “I need it.” You’ll have a better chance of getting what you want when you focus your argument on how it will benefit the company in terms of increased sales, more productivity or lower costs. Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?”
9. Never call to say “Just following up.” There is a fine line between appropriate persistence and pointless pestering. It is absolutely fine to call or email a recruiter to say thank you for a company information session, to ask a few questions or to mention that you’ll be attending another event they are hosting. But “Just calling to follow up!” doesn’t add much to your candidacy. If you find yourself calling multiple times with no response, you may have to accept the fact that, as the famous dating book title says, this particular employer is just not that into you.
10. It’s never too late to say thank you. I’ve had a lot of students ask me “how late is too late to send a thank you note?” and I truly believe that a thank you is always warranted and always appreciated, even if it comes much later than expected. If you do find yourself sending a belated thank you, simply say something like, “I truly apologize for the delay in thanking you…” or “This note is late but I am deeply grateful…” It’s better to feel a bit awkward and do the right thing than to hope the person doesn’t notice that you never showed your gratitude.
What other job hunting tips were most helpful to you in 2010? Please share!
Create a Career Wish List
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on December 2, 2010 at 5:00 pm
As we turn the calendar to December, the holiday season is in full swing. Hanukkah is beginning, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights are shining and every ad on TV and online relates to shopping, shopping and more shopping.
I plan to do all of my holiday shopping online this year, as I do most of my shopping all year round (yes, I am planning a very nice holiday gift for my UPS guy, who, since I work from a home office, is the person I see most during the day!).
One of the features I’ve seen popping up on more and more e-retailer sites is the “Wish List,” where you can save all of the items you want to buy later or share with your potential gift givers. This got me thinking — wouldn’t it be cool if people had Career Wish Lists?
I’m sure you already have a few ideas of companies you’d love to work for, internships to apply for, jobs that sound interesting, successful entrepreneurs you admire or people you’ve been meaning to talk to for advice or contacts. Why not write all of this down into a Career Wish List?
Open a fresh Word document or buy a crisp new notebook and start an ongoing list of every career possibility that comes to mind. Try not to censor yourself at all; just write. Your Career Wish List (something I call your “Really Big List” in my book, Getting from College to Career), will come in handy in a variety of ways during your career planning and any job search you undertake now or in the future:
- Your Career Wish List will give you assignments. Whenever you feel motivated to work on your career planning, it will serve as a to-do list of opportunities to research. Once you begin to gather information on any idea on your list, you should start a folder for what you find to keep track of it all.
- Your Career Wish List will help you network. Glance through your List to prepare for any informational interview, networking event or meeting with a career counselor. Better yet, bring your list along. The people you meet are likely to know some of the companies or people on your list—or how to reach them. Your list will turn a vague, “Can you help me find a job?” into a specific request for specific leads.
- Your Career Wish List will help you assess yourself. As your list grows, you’ll begin to see patterns of what kinds of opportunities attract you. Perhaps you’ll notice that many of the items on your list point you towards creative jobs, small companies, political work, Asian American mentors, living in Chicago, making a difference, going to graduate school or something else. Or maybe you’ll find a mishmash of stuff—which is okay, too. Don’t see an all-over-the-place list as frustrating; instead, see it as reflecting the fact that a lot of different things will make you happy.
Have you ever tried writing a Career Wish List? Will you start one this season? Please share your thoughts in the Comments!
The Dos and Don’ts of Thank You Notes
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Job Search Tips on November 23, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Last week I talked about how to ask people for advice. This week, I thought it would be helpful to talk about how to thank people for the advice (and any other assistance) you receive. How perfect that it’s Thanksgiving week, too!
Here are my top tips:
Email thank yous are acceptable. I admit I’ve changed my mind over the years about email thank you notes. For a long time, I preached the importance of sending handwritten notes through the mail. I still believe that a handwritten note on lovely stationery makes a great impression; however, I’ve come to accept that email thank you notes, even following a job interview, are perfectly fine (just be sure to research your industry and the type of company you’re applying to — some still prefer a handwritten note).
The main reason I now recommend email thank yous is that today’s world moves really fast and if people don’t receive an email from you within 24 to 48 hours of helping you or interviewing you, they assume you haven’t thanked them. Since snail mail can’t arrive this fast, especially in our world of corporate mailrooms and constant business travel, email is your best bet.
All of this said, I do not recommend texting a thank you in any professional situation. Thank you texts are only appropriate for something very casual, such as, “Thnx for wishing me good luck this morning!” (Of course I reserve the right to change my mind on this subject in a few years when email feels too slow!)
A thank you is always appreciated. I try to avoid using the word “always” in any advice I give, but I’ve racked my brain and can’t think of an occasion where a thank you note wouldn’t be a good idea (okay, I probably wouldn’t say, “Thank you for firing me.”). Even if you did send a thank you when it wasn’t necessary, it’s far worse not to say thank you when you should. I am constantly dismayed by the number of students who email me a career question, I answer it, and then I never receive a thank you. When I called out one student for not thanking me after I provided a lot of advice to her by email, she said, “I didn’t want to bother you with another email.” Trust me: a thank you is not a bother! When someone helps you, say thank you. Always. It makes the person feel that his or her time was appreciated, and it makes that person want to help you again in the future.
Here is a list of some of the occasions that deserve a thank you: when someone gives you advice, guidance or any sort of professional help; when someone makes a networking introduction for you; when someone passes along a job posting; when someone takes you as his or her guest to an event; when someone treats you to a meal; and when someone interviews you for a job.
It’s never too late to say thank you. I’ve had a lot of students ask me “how late is too late to send a thank you note?” and I truly believe that a thank you is always warranted and always appreciated, even if it comes much later than expected. If you do find yourself sending a belated thank you, simply say something like, “I truly apologize for the delay in thanking you…” or “This note is late but I am deeply grateful…” It’s better to feel a bit awkward and do the right thing than to hope the person doesn’t notice that you never showed your gratitude.
A thank you doesn’t have to be long. In terms of what to say in a thank you note or email, my advice is to keep it short and genuine. I like to start with the thank you, then mention something specific the person said or did to show I was listening. For instance, “Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me this morning. I’m especially grateful for your advice to subscribe to Career Bloggers Daily. I’ve already signed up and look forward to reading it! Thank you again and best regards, Lindsey”
What other advice and tips do you have for saying thank you? Please share in the Comments.
p.s. Happy Thanksgiving!
How to (and How Not to) Ask for Advice
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding on November 12, 2010 at 8:00 am
One of the most common recommendations I give to young professionals is to ask more experienced people for advice. After all, there’s no better way to know how to do something than to ask someone who’s “been there, done that.” This is also known as informational interviewing and it’s a great strategy.
However, what I’ve been observing lately is that a lot of students and recent grads don’t know how best to ask for advice and guidance. The better your ask, the better the answers you’ll receive, so here are some tips:
- Make it easy for someone to say yes to your request for help. When you ask someone for advice, be specific about the kind of help you need (job hunting advice, career change advice, etc.), request a specific amount of time (1530 minutes is usually appropriate) and offer to call the person or meet at his or her office at his or her convenience. Then, be sure to confirm 24 hours in advance so the person knows you’ll show up.
- Do not ask to “pick someone’s brain.” Okay this one is more about how not to ask me in particular for advice. Some people don’t mind this phrase, but I definitely do. Why? First of all, I think it sounds kind of gross (think about it). Second of all, it is very one-sided: if you are picking my brain, what’s in this conversation for me? It feels as if I’ll be left brainless afterwards. My advice is to always request advice in a way that makes the ask-ee feel respected and like he or she will leave the conversation with something, too.
- Be specific. Instead of saying, “I’d like to hear some general advice” or “I’m happy to know anything,” show that you’ve done your homework and you are looking for particular advice or tips. For instance, “I know that you started your career in accounting, but you switched over to consulting. I’m thinking of doing the same and would be interested to hear how you made the decision.” Or, “I am not sure what I want to do after graduation, but I know I want to use my writing skills. Can you share some advice on how you’ve built a career with your writing?” It’s perfectly fine to prepare a specific list of a few questions to guide the conversation. Don’t bring a laundry list, though — five questions is about right.
- Request “assignments.” One of the ways to turn an informational interview into a real relationship is to ask for the person to give you a few assignments, such as recommending that you subscribe to a particular industry e-newsletter, join the discussions in a particular LinkedIn group or read a specific business book. The reason I like this strategy is that it gives you a reason to follow up with this person in the future when you’ve accomplished the assignment that he or she has recommended. It’s a way to show that you are a person who listens and takes action, and it sparks another conversation about the action you’ve taken.
- Ask, “Is there anything I can do to help you?” Even though you’re a student or just starting out in your career, you never know how you might be able to help another person. By asking this question, you are showing that you understand that the best networking relationships are mutually beneficial. Even if the person doesn’t need anything right now, he or she may want to reach out to you in the future and this question sets up that opportunity.
- Say thank you. I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. I am constantly shocked at how many students email me for advice, I respond to their request and then I never hear from that student again. I once asked a student why she never thanked me, and she said, “I know you are really busy so I didn’t want to bother you with another email.” Trust me — receiving a thank you is never a bother. Thanking someone after he or she has helped you is an absolute must and will make it more likely that this person will want to help you again in the future.
Do you have any other dos and don’ts for asking more experienced people for advice? Please share!
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!
6 Common Sense Job Search Tips
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on September 29, 2010 at 6:00 am
Last week’s post, “5 Simple But Brilliant Job Interview Strategies,” generated a lot of feedback, particularly from recruiters who told me how often job seekers make seemingly obvious mistakes such as spelling a recruiter’s name incorrectly. This reminded me of the fact that, as Voltaire famously said, “Common sense is not so common.”
So today I wanted to share some additional seemingly simple career tips that many job seekers overlook.
1. Use your career services office. College career centers have very helpful (and usually free) resources — exclusive job databases, resume workshops, mock interview sessions, career counseling, salary negotiation guidance and much more. If you’ve never visited your university’s career center (which is often available after you’ve graduated as well), you are seriously missing out.
2. Alter your search criteria. When you’ve searching for opportunities on jobs websites, don’t get stuck in a rut of using the same search terms over and over again. Dig deeper and expose yourself to more opportunities by expanding your search to new keywords (such as “communications” in addition to “public relations”), new sectors (such as government and nonprofit if you have been looking only at corporations) and further distances from your desired location (such as the San Fernando Valley if you’ve been looking in Los Angeles or Westchester County and New Jersey if you’ve been looking in New York City).
3. Set your Facebook profile to private. While you’re sitting at your computer searching for jobs, click over to your Facebook profile and make sure your privacy settings are set to the maximum. Many recruiters regularly check out candidates on Facebook, so even if you believe your profile is harmless, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
4. Check your messages. Particularly for a generation that’s known for being permanently connected to technology devices, there is no excuse for not returning a call or email within a few hours. Especially if you’re engaged in an active job hunt, check your messages frequently.
5. Don’t be too early for a job interview. While we’ve all heard the advice never, ever to arrive late to a job interview, employers are equally peeved when you arrive too early. By all means get to the company’s building or parking lot as early as you’d like, but don’t enter the actual office any more than 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time.
6. Smile. I’m surprised at how many recruiters tell me that a smile really makes a difference at a job fair, networking event or interview. Even when you’re nervous, a genuine grin helps convince an employer that you’d be a good person to have around. So show those pearly whites!
What other common sense tips do you recommend? Please share!
5 Simple But Brilliant Job Interview Strategies
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips on September 22, 2010 at 9:00 am
In a recent blog post I outlined some of the biggest job seeker mistakes to avoid, based on my own experience hiring a paid intern. Today, I’ll share some simple but impactful tactics to help you land the job you want.
1. Spell the recruiter or hiring manager’s name right. Of the emails I received responding to the position I posted, about half spelled my name wrong. That’s an instant sign that a candidate lacks attention to detail.
2. Know as much as you can about the employer. The job I posted was for an intern to help edit the second edition of my book, Getting from College to Career. Although I didn’t require anyone to read the book before interviewing with me, the two people who had taken the time to read even one chapter impressed me the most. The one who read my entire book got the job. Given the amount of information you can find on the web, it’s inexcusable not to thoroughly research the company — scour its website, use its products, read its press releases — that you want to work for.
3. Be positive. Particularly in challenging economic times, employers want to hire people who will be a positive, helpful presence. No one likes a complainer. This includes criticizing a previous employer. A job interview is your chance to shine and to demonstrate your enthusiasm for a position; even if you’re a little bitter from a previous experience or a long job hunt, don’t let those emotions creep out in front of an interviewer.
4. Send a thank you email within 24 hours of interviewing. If I don’t receive an email within a day of the interview, I assume the person is not really interested in the position. The thank you email doesn’t have to be long; it just has to be sent. Although handwritten notes are lovely (and can be sent in addition to an email), in this day and age you have to be fast.
5. Respond positively to rejection. I was extremely impressed by a few applicants to my internship who wrote me very nice notes in response to my email saying that I had chosen a different candidate. Their graciousness has led me to keep their resumes on file in case I have a position in the future that might be a good fit.
What other simple strategies do you recommend for job seekers? Remember that seemingly small actions can make a very big difference!
