Next episode of 30/20 Vision Radio Show: Monday, June 22nd at 5pm ET
Posted in 30/20 Vision on June 21, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Please join us for the next edition of 30/20 Vision, the monthly radio show for twentysomethings who wish they had a few big sisters to clue them in on the ins and outs of life after college.
The show will feature your regular hosts, thirtysomething authors Christine Hassler, Alexandra Levit and me. It will air live Monday, June 22nd at 5PM ET. We’ll be talking about our relationships with MEN over the years — this should be a fun one!
Hope you’ll join us live on Monday or listen to the replay.
Guest Post: Gen Y, Body-Build Your Resumes!
Posted in First job out of college Generation Y Job hunting Recommended resources Volunteering on June 16, 2009 at 11:33 am
Today I’m pleased to share a guest post from Chris Perry, a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.
Whether you know it or not, we Gen Yers have a competitive edge over older job seekers in the career search. We are less expensive to hire, we are more impressionable (not having already settled into one company culture or way of doing things), and we have grown up with ever-changing technology, having become fast learners as a result.
However, the major obstacle that we encounter in our career search keeping us from getting the job is our lack of previous “real-world” work experience. Especially considering the current economic situation, this is not the issue you want to run into when you graduate and suddenly realize that it’s too late to go back in time and fill in your resume.
Whether or not you know what you want to do in your full-time career, I can’t begin to impress upon you the importance of gaining as much experience as possible during your high school, college and grad school careers. Experience is experience, even if it is not directly related to the job you are applying for.
Start now and “body-build” your resume while you have the time and the opportunity to set yourself up for the career of your dreams. I also recommend that you sign up with LinkedIn so you can show off your “heavyweight” resume online!
“How can I body-build my resume?” you might ask. Here are six ways all Gen Yers can gain more valuable leadership and professional experiences and skills: (more…)
Seeking volunteers for a college student focus group in NYC
Posted in Uncategorized on June 14, 2009 at 11:46 pm
I’m working on a project with a corporate client in NYC, and we are seeking college student volunteers to participate in a focus group to gather student opinions in the area of marketing. I will be moderating the focus group and would be super grateful for your participation.
Participants must be available to devote two hours on Tuesday, June 23rd, from 6:30pm- 8:30pm OR Wednesday, June 24th, from 6:30- 8:30pm, to offer their candid opinions in a group setting. The focus groups will be held in midtown Manhattan. The group will be anonymous — any information recorded from these sessions will not be used in association with any names and will have no impact on employment decisions.
Pizza will be provided!
If you are interested in participating, please email me at lindsey@lindseypollak.com with the following information:
Name
Current School
Degree
Graduation month/year
Major
Home State
Please respond by Wednesday, June 17th. Participants will be confirmed and sent final instructions by Thursday, June 18th.
Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to forward to trusted friends!
Image: BehaviorResearch.net
Career Clippings: What I’m reading
Posted in Recommended resources on June 3, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Two weeks ago I moved into a new apartment and office, so life has been a bit chaotic. One of the areas where I’ve fallen behind is my reading. I currently have a stack of clipped articles, tagged magazines (so old media, I know) and a “favorites” file full of bookmarked articles I’ve come across online but haven’t had time to read.
Here is a chunk of my current “to-read” list. I hope this will guide you to some interesting content. And, if I never make it to the bottom of my stack, hopefully you can share your thoughts with me on what you’ve read…
“The Way We’ll Work”
Time magazine’s special report on the future of work and careers.
“Reinvent”
My 30/20 Vision radio show co-host and friend Alexandra Levit is writing a terrific syndicated column for the Wall Street Journal Careers website and I am way behind on her great articles.
“How to Give a Great Talk”
Barry Eisler’s blog post was recommended on Twitter recently and I’ve been eager to read it. Always looking for good tips on being a better presenter.
“An Executive Guide to Social Media”
In this special report, BusinessWeek provides a peek into how companies are using Facebook and Twitter. For anyone who wants to work for, sell to or understand corporate America, this sounds like a must read.
Who’s Got Your Back
If you’ve heard me speak about networking, you’ve probably heard me rave about Keith Ferrazzi’s first book, Never Eat Alone. This is his second book and it’s sitting on the top of my nightstand stack.
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
I loved Matthew Crawford’s recent article in The New York Times Magazine called “The Case for Working with Your Hands.” It made me realize how much I focus this blog and my speaking on advising young professionals how to get jobs in offices. In reality, “desk jobs” aren’t for everyone, nor should they be. I’m looking forward to read more about Crawford, a University of Chicago PhD who now runs a motorcycle repair shop.
What are you reading (or wanting to read) that you’d recommend? Please share!
Image: ny2ks
Welcome to my new website and blog!
Posted in Uncategorized on June 1, 2009 at 6:08 am
Today marks a new month and a new design for LindseyPollak.com!
I’m excited to share this new website and blog design, which features more career advice videos, more social networking opportunities, more information about my campus and corporate speaking and — coming soon — audio downloads.
Many thanks to Scott Weiner of Brandwagon for all of his creativity and hard work.
I hope you enjoy the new website and please share any feedback you have!
Guest Post: How to become America’s next top writer
Posted in Generation Y Uncategorized Writing on May 25, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I’m happy to share a guest post by Julie Kraut, author of the new novel Slept Away and co-author of Hot Mess: Summer in the City, for which I interviewed her for this blog. Julie is a great young writer and generous in her advice to aspiring scribes. Here are her top tips:
There aren’t any reality shows about finding America’s next top writer. And I’m not saying there should be. I know that my writing process—sitting in front of a computer silently willing myself to focus instead of Google ex-boyfriends from college—wouldn’t make scintillating television programming. But still, without a Simon or Tyra barking directives from the television, an aspiring author might feel left in a lurch when it comes to launching a career. So, Lindsey asked me to write some tips on starting a writing career. And while this is a tough request as there’s no one path to follow to writing success or specific way to guarantee getting published, there are a few writerly must-do’s when you’re getting started.
1. Write. Writing is a pretty huge part of being a writer. That sentence might read stupid obvious, but it’s a fact that writing’s easy to talk about and hard to do. Having a book idea or writing aspirations is one thing, but churning out the pages to back those ambitions up is a completely different thing. So put your fingers to the keyboard, pen to the page, or quill to the parchment, and get writing.
2. Share. As hard as writing is, sharing your writing can be even harder. But you can’t get published if your work never leaves your hard drive. So, don’t be afraid of other people’s eyes on your words or editorial feedback. In fact, you should seek it out. (more…)
Next episode of 30/20 Vision radio show: Wednesday, May 20th at 5pm ET
Posted in 30/20 Vision on May 19, 2009 at 10:07 pm
A brand new new episode of my radio show and podcast, 30/20 Vision, is airing live on Wednesday, May 20th, at 5PM ET. As a reminder, this series is for 20-something professionals who wish they had three big sisters to clue them in on the ins and outs of life after college.
This month, my co-hosts Christine Hassler (author of 20 Something Manifesto) and Alexandra Levit (author of How’d You Score That Gig?) and I will talk about gap years: should you take time off?
We hope you’ll join us live or check out the replay.
Finding a job after graduation: Interview with Youth Radio
Posted in Uncategorized on May 17, 2009 at 9:45 am
Thank you to Youth Radio for interviewing me recently on the topic of “What next?! Finding a job after graduation.” Here is an excerpt of the interview:
Q: So I’ll be graduating college next semester. What do you recommend I should be doing now to prepare for the job market?
A: I think you want to get as much real experience as you can. Whether it’s internships, part time jobs–anything where you can have accomplishments, real world experience and are meeting as many people as you can. I don’t mean networking in a cheesy way, like using them. I just mean meeting other people and offering to help them, and someday they might offer to help you. Also use your college’s career services office. So many college students I know don’t take advantage of that. They can help you make sure your resume is excellent.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake that grads make when they’re job hunting?
A: The biggest mistake is doing nothing, becoming paralyzed by the bad economy. The reality is you have to get out there and do stuff, even if you don’t get your dream job right away. Take a retail job, temp, volunteer, do something just to get out there. Don’t stay at home playing video games. It sounds obvious, but a lot of people think it’s better not to take a mediocre job or temp — but it’s better to be out there. If you’re a barista at Starbucks, then be the best barista at Starbucks. That’s better than sitting at home waiting for the perfect job. A lot of people disagree with that mentality, but I feel pretty strongly about it.
Free copy of “Getting from College to Career” with every Wall Street Journal graduation gift subscription!
Posted in Recommended resources on May 14, 2009 at 11:02 am
Looking for the perfect gift for your college grad? I’m excited to announce that The Wall Street Journal is offering a free copy of my book, Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World, with every gift subscription at special graduation rates.
The recipient will receive the print Journal five days per week, plus 24/7 access to the Online Journal at WSJ.com.
Click here for this special offer or call 800-975-8602. Happy Graduation!
Professional association membership has rewards (like finding a job!)
Posted in Career advice First job out of college Job hunting Networking Recommended resources on May 11, 2009 at 9:54 am
In a bad economy, college students and recent grads need to try everything they can to land a job or internship. One often-overlooked resource is the world of professional associations.
These organizations exist to support, educate and provide resources for professionals in a particular industry or profession. Some are really small and others are as huge as corporations. Some are full of young members and others could use some fresh faces. Some are super active and some only meet occasionally. This means you have to do your research (check out the American Society of Association Executives, the professional association for associations) and ask your professors which associations they think are worthwhile. Note that professional association memberships can be expensive, so always ask for student or young professional rates when you join.
What can a professional association do for you? Here are some suggestions:
Read the rest of this post at ABC News on Campus…
Image: ABC News Photo Illustration/AP Photo
