Just as I was beginning to give up on my boss and start job hunting again he called. Of course he called at the worst possible moment, and my sister accidently said I wasn't home, but we did manage to speak. Since this is my first job in quite a long time, I'm a bit out of practice with official phone calls. I kept saying, "sounds good" as I did not know what else to day. He is an author living in Manhatten and I will be helping to edit and research for him. I want to be a writer himself so this is a great opportunity to see how getting a book published works. He is also willing to look over my writing and help me establish contacts in the writing business. Another great thing is that he'll write me reccomendations for future jobs! My birthday is this weekend so I cannot meet him until next weekend. We decided on a time, but no place yet since I'm not too familiar with Manhatten. I'll have to ask friends and possibly have him choose the spot if I can not. The other problem is transportation, but I can figure out the bus and train schedule and make it work.

Posted by Rebecca G on April 30, 2006 at 11:06 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

It is common knowledge among all those who pay attention to the hype of job searching that networking is important. Various agencies and faculties are at our disposal in order to build our network. This is the second part in a series of entries which will step through the journey I have undergone to build my network. I promised to point out steps along the way where networking opportunities were not utilized. Mostly to please Yupward Girl (the author of HELLO REAL WORLD! A Student's Approach to Great Internships, Co-ops, and Entry Level Positions), this entry will be concerned with interships and other various methods of gaining workplace experience. I will attempt to explain both their potential and my reasons for not participating in any... until now, of course.

Writing is one of the few practices in life which I consider myself particularly gifted at. I enjoy explaining any number of ideas to whomever will listen, and writing is one of a number of tools which I use in this manner. My ability to write coherently and logically has been repeatedly challenged throughout my educational career, and I believe that the constant criticism has allowed me to practice writing and to bond with this form of communication much more thoroughly than I might have done otherwise. I decided some years ago that I want to write professionally, but the authors I read as a young adult indirectly and accidentally convinced me that I should not depend on writing as my primary source of income. I will discuss this personal decision in private if anyone wishes to know why I feel this way, but in order to fulfill the current purpose I will leave my motives to your imagination.

Since my most clear career path was thus obstructed, a great deal of my late high school and college years was spent pondering what profession I would choose to dedicate the majority of my professional life to. At Baylor, I started as a computer science major. I was drawn because of its practical use of logic, and I left because the early courses were too mundane to match my interest (I have been told a number of times that the higher level courses would have pleased me better). Unfortunately, I was studying computer science during the great layoffs of '01 and '02, therefore interships (had I been looking) were hard to come by. My parents both work for technology based companies though, and had I been interested in pursuing a computer science career I am sure I could have utilized their networks to land either an internship or some low level summertime position.

Either of these options would have been very helpful concerning the hypothetical future career search I would have undergone had I continued with my computer science major. As most people have discovered (and I often hear complaints of among fresh graduates) companies will not hire you without experience, but you cannot accumlate experience without getting hired. It is to this point that internships are offered. The company which offers you the position does not need to spend very many resources on you as an intern, and they do not need to risk placing any amount of responsibility on your shoulders. This allows you to see exactly what a live environment is like, and therefore your transition from the classroom to the workplace should be smoother.

In addition to the observation allowed, the majority of internships are offered in order to allow a student to interact with the experienced workers. In this fashion the company can decide whether they want to recruit you as you near graduation. If you get along well with your coworkers and stay on task while you're in the building, (and if you remind them that you are about to graduate...) there is a good chance that the company you have served as an intern will ask you to join them permanently once you graduate. If you do not succeed in integrating with the work place, there is a good chance they will not recruit you. At least, if the latter is the case, other companies will recognize that you will adapt to their environment more quickly than other cadidates.

Unfortunately, I did change majors, and thus I sacrificed the opportunity to pursue various internships by negating the majority of studying I had completed. Further, my interest in computers slowly gave way to my interest in logic. I changed majors to Great Texts of the Western Tradition, and as one might assume I received many quizzical looks from friends, family, and faculty. I stated earlier that I was interested in computer science for the applied logic; who has ever been more thoroughly logical than the great minds? Was not rhetoric their tool? I personally did not consider the switch that odd.

Any liberal arts degree is open ended concerning the profession the student intends to take, but internships are available to direct the path of these students. I recognized early on that I still had not focused on a career other than writing, and until I made a decision it would obviously be difficult to pursue an internship at all. This problem plagued my progress continually. In an attempt to supplement my lack of workplace experience, I participated in the Baylor in Oxford study abroad program. While impressive and certainly enjoyable, it obviously does not match up as a substitution in the minds of various HR departments. Also, while studying abroad offers the chance to network with other students (as discussed in part one), it limits the ability to network in professional circles. It is exactly this opportunity which is most useful to people who complete internships.

During my junior and senior year, I volunteered for Baylor in a number of ways which provided the opportunity to publicly represent Baylor, but I only served Baylor in this fashion out of an ardent love for the scholastic opportunities they had provided me. I spoke publicly about my major and in a broader scope about the impact of Vision 2012 on the student body. Since my motivation was more out of service than out of gaining experience and since I was not interested in following through with PR as a career, I did not follow up on opportunities to network in these situations.

In addition to all of these oppotunities to network professionally which were missed by my inability to be satisfied with any hypothetical career, it should be mentioned that I did not utilize Baylor's various methods of providing counseling at all. My career counselor never saw me after my freshman orientation. I did not use my Baylor Interdisciplinary Core counselor for any purpose aside from choosing which period of the required core classes I would register for. My major counselor knew me well as an intellectual, and recognized that I had not focused on either a course of study as it would related to graduate school or on a profession as would be available after graduation. His advice at this point was helpful, but I even decided not to take it after some fair consideration. Therefore, I resisted all of Baylor's attempts to counsel me and prepare me for the future, and I should be fair to my alma mater is recognizing that fact.

While at college I built a powerful and impressive social network which included a large number of friends, acquaintances, and faculty. However, I either missed or ignored almost every opportunity to build a professional network of coworkers, supervisors, and other various personel.

Posted by Greg F on April 30, 2006 at 8:19 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Though this is my first entry it has certainly not come too soon. I graduated a year ago in May and my job search has not been easy. I left my job as a bartender to get some 9-5 experience, or rather 8:30-5:30 experience.

I got a job 7 months ago as an administrative assistant at a local car dealership. I'd never worked in an office before so I thought a couple months of filing and answering phones would be good for me. I was promoted after 3 weeks to title clerk. I thought this was great! I have worked very hard for the last 6 months and have reaped the benefits, kind of. My supervisor loves me! She can't give me enough to do. In the last year this dealership has been through 6 title clerks. They struck gold with me. A college education with no experience to back it up! Jackpot! My pay is just not high enough to support my work load anymore. I have a $30,000 education and I am still below the poverty line in an industry that I have no interest in growing with. I have no money saved up, I don't make enough money to save, and I haven't got the time during the day to find another job.

So where do I go from here? I haven't figured that out yet either. I suppose this can be the beginning of my new journey. The inevitable moral of this story is to do well in school and participate in as many extra-curricular activities as possible. For those of us who have to work to pay our way through college there just isn't time to take unpaid internships or join clubs. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place and now I have to figure a way out.

Posted by Sara S on April 30, 2006 at 5:43 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

It has been sometime since my last entry and that is because my internship seems to be at stalemate. This sounded like the perfect internship and a wonderful writing experience. The problem is I was hired over a month ago and I have yet to meet the guy. I have e-mailed him several times, long e-mails asking questions about the job and hoping to meet. He has responded with e-mails saying "pls call" with his number at the bottom. And I have called. Many times. Each time I get an automated service without the phone even ringing. I leave a message stating my name, number and good times to call me back. He called back once about 2 hours before i said. I am currently in college so it is hard to establish contact. The best way to communicate with me is probably through e-mail, but he seems EXTREMELY reluctant to do so. I wanted to get a head start on this job before summer started and it would be the only thing I do. It's a 20 hour a week internship which I don't get paid for, which is probably why I was hired since it is difficult and time consuming. The fact that he is so hard to speak to is making me a bit nervous about taking the job. He does not seem very reliable, but as the days pass by I lose the chance of taking another job or internship.

Posted by Rebecca G on April 29, 2006 at 3:09 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

Is, um, everybody, um, ready to, ummmm, read a short entry, um, that's about something, um, we've all been told not to do a countless amount of, um, times.

Helpful tip alert - stop saying "um" so much, no matter where you are because you will come off as a more professional person. Watch them especially during an interview. Read that first sentence again - wasn't that extremely annoying just reading it?

The annoying awkward silence-filling phrases are extremely distracting while listening to students (and sometimes professors) who aren't even aware they do it. Just like an alcoholic or a person addicted to Twinkies, the first step in correcting the problem is recognizing you're doing it. But if I, a mere Journalism and Communication senior student, can recognize the over usage of "ums," then imagine what employers think while interviewing. They might think you aren't a good communicator or that you might not be able to work with people or think on your feet enough if "um" is popping out of your mouth every couple seconds.

You could have the most fabulous credentials in the world, but if your job requires communication, then the employer might not hire you because of the way you speak. I've had many acquaintances who go in for job interviews and have no idea what went wrong, but I think a lot of those rejections are caused by not only not being prepared, but by not being able to communicate efficiently. Remember everybody, you don't have to spurt out an answer right away - some silence is good; it shows that you think before you speak.

Watch the ums in your life; you never know where they'll pop up, whose ears they'll invade, or how they can affect your career.

Posted by Matthew M on April 28, 2006 at 10:57 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

I'm a student worker at a housing office for a university (the one i am attending) and my office, having gone through a few months of turmoil and turnover has finally settled for hiring two temps to fill the three vacant positions (in a seven-person office). I cannot express how frustrating it is to work with these temps who have been there for three weeks now (full-time) and still don't do anything right. I have worked there for almost seven months now (part-time) and I have to do more work now to correct their mistakes. I don't even want to discuss how little I get paid, and yet it is obvious how much the office relies on my correction of their behavior (when I'm not in class, of course) because three three of us man the front desk, the hub of all paperwork and phones.

Not to mention that one of the temps has taken it upon himself to pester me everyday by telling me that one day he is going to be my boss and and own a convertible benz. Yes, this I am sure of.

Posted by Karen W on April 28, 2006 at 3:07 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

So I set up an e-mail alert for jobs with a popular career messganing board. I put in words like , writer, copyeditor and editor into the search field, and every day I get sales jobs sent to me. This has been going on for about two weeks, and I tell you what I am turning the e-mail alerts off. Its a waste of my time. if they dont have anything that matches my listings, why not just send it empty. I think sales jobs must show up for everyone. Who ever designed that system should have to get the search results sent to them every day.

Posted by Katie G on April 28, 2006 at 9:59 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Everyone around me (here, my friends, my school, my boss) talks about networking like it’s a calculated, pre-planned formula. I always tell people I’m horrible at networking, and I am.

I’m horrible at their kind of networking. You know, where you map out an agenda of people you want to impress and follow-up with them regularly. It sounds all well and good, really, and kudos to those who can do it, but it’s hard for me. The whole idea of that kind of networking feels… wrong. Cheesy. A bit like using people. Also, a bit of an imposition – like I’d be bugging them. (While I think that sometimes people take networking too far and are impositions, most of the time, it’s perfectly fine. So, I see this as my own unfair discomfort and judgment on the practice and nothing more.)

However, to say I’ve never “networked” is probably a bit of a stretch.

Two professors have gotten me editorial internships because I excelled in their class. A former customer from my former job, who happens to be a finance professor where I want to go for an MBA, will probably be instrumental in my getting into the program (though I think I might have been able to get in regardless, but I’m sure this will help a great deal) Other past clients will probably be helpful in the future, and I’ve gotten job offers through clients before. One got me a contact at a New York publishing house, where I actually did get a job offer I couldn’t take (I was still in school; couldn’t move). Another got me a job interview the other day, but the job was in a “city” (more like swamp) I hated, so I said a polite, “No, thank you, but I like your company. Let me know if you get something in another location.” Old interviewers have been helpful in getting me freelance work with their companies. This is, I suppose, a network.

Yes, I keep in touch with all these people, but in the same way I was always taught to keep in contact with a new or not-quite boyfriend. They all call me. And I follow up in a reasonably short time, happy to hear from them, always mildly encouraging. I bring up the dating thing, only because I do think it springs from the same place. Not insecurity, exactly, but more like some kind of weirdly-instilled feelings on appropriateness and protocol.

I only once asked someone to help me get a job (and they couldn’t) when I was 18. I felt horrible about it, and I pretty much vowed I’d never do it again. I can barely ask for letters of recommendation without feeling horrible, and only of people who have already outright said to me that they would be happy to provide them at anytime. I wish I could get over this, but so far I haven’t been able to just stop worrying.

Ironically, I make a great PR or publicity person because, on behalf of a company, I can ask for all sorts of things and promote shamelessly. In a job capacity, in an interview, I can ask for all sorts of things and sell myself completely. I’m not a timid person. So, I don’t know exactly from where my aversion to planned networking comes.

I want to strive towards getting better at it, because as many opportunities as I’ve had, I am probably missing out on some. But I also like not feeling sick and being able to sleep at night. I’m hoping the MBA from a great school will help me with this and allow me to build a large enough base of accidental connections that I don’t have to worry about really networking. Other than that, I have no idea what to do.

I think it doesn't help that people in my family aren't really executives, etc. They don't have networking connections, not really. Barely. None of my parents really focus on their careers, though my dad and stepmom own their own business. They are more focused on money than the actual career and really eager for the day they can close it and retire. For me, money is important, but it's not as important as the career itself (except as an indicator of success, in its own way, naturally). I really wasn't raised in an enviornment that was conducive to that, though.

Posted by Alison H on April 27, 2006 at 2:53 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Its been a slow week for job openings that are what I am looking for. I am considering just writing cold letters (ones with no specific opening) but I am not quite sure how to do that without it looking ike spam.

Also in my general rantings- my department just cahnged managers, and now we are training four new nurses who have come down from the floors with her. They dont even have enough staff to train them. I was annoyed when they kept me on training for two months (turned out it was so I could finish the telemetry c lass) but now looking at this I'm grateful.

Posted by Katie G on April 27, 2006 at 11:47 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Well, that ended kind of badly.

I submitted my resume to over a dozen places at a job fair recently, and recieved an e-mail from someone asking me to confirm having an interview ... yesterday. Only, due to techological malfunctions and the sheer volume of stuff I had to do for classes over the weekend, I didn't recieve it until tonight.

I went ahead and e-mailed the person back on the slim hopes that they're not too annoyed with me, but my hopes are fairly low at this point. And it's kind of frustrating to me, too, especially because I normally pride myself on being very quick at replying to business-related e-mails, because with graduation ticking down, every opportunity is one that I want to follow to its fullest.

The fact that this totally botched is rather vexing. Hopefully, they'll give me another chance, but man, my own expectations are low at this point. (Even on the chances that they have a grace period, replying THIS late to the e-mail in question probably doesn't reflect too well upon me.)

Hopefully some of the other interviews I'm trying to set up or schedule will pan out better. Here's to the triumph of hope over experience every time!

Posted by Terra C on April 27, 2006 at 2:49 AM | Leave a Comment (3)

I thought I would contribute a post to all those entry-level job searchers as more of a warning. Just as I graduated with my B.A., I got a job at a "consulting" firm. Before I interviewed I checked to see if they were a legit business (i.e. the Better Business Bureau, etc.), and then continued to do research on the company through their website. I prepared myself totally and completely for the job interview. Before I graduated, they offered me a job.

Now I don't have much experience with consulting firms, but when I began my job that following Monday it was completely contrary to what I was told the job would be. More or less, I was going to be a glorified salesperson walking from business to business in a designated area selling phone and internet products. At first I didn't have a problem with this. However, my first day of actually job shadowing my "trainer", I was verbally threatened with physical abuse and having the police called on me. That still was not enough to turn me off from the job because I was determined to give the job a shot.

The next day was enough for me to quit the job. In my next day of work the trainer had me doing all of the selling instead of shadowing her. I didn't do bad at all...I was pretty impressed with my skills at delivering the sales pitch. Public speaking isn't a strong point for me, so I was pretty impressed with how well I was coming across. At least I wasn't being threatened at all. We got to the last business for the day. The guy I pitched to decided to buy some long distance from me. As soon as I was hired in I was set up with an account so that any sales I would make would go right to me for the commission, and I was promised the opportunity to make $600 in my first 10 days, and if I did that I would get a $200 bonus. So when I made that first sale I was excited. However, when I made all the calls I needed to make to set up the long distance for him, my trainer asked me to go ahead and fill out the paperwork. As I filled out the paperwork, she called up the business and put the sale under her name so she got the commission for the sale. I was not a happy person to say the least. That was my breaking point. I'm not going to work under someone for 6 weeks and have her take away my chance to make money, no matter how small of an amount.

This company came from one of those job ads offering to train you to take over an office of your own, and learning all aspects of the business. So be forewarned...I gave that a chance, and it was not what I was expecting even after being told what the job was going to be.

Presently, I have not heard back from my old employer. I'm assuming since they've hit a high business time they've hired everyone they needed for the current season. So I'm continuing my search for a job. I actually found a job that I would love to have. I've sent them my resume, and I hope to hear back from them soon. It is a receptionist position, but as the job description reads, it's more data processing.

Posted by Cynthia K on April 26, 2006 at 5:57 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

The question of "Sales or Marketing?" somehow defines a lot of my character and my job search, and I kind of think it will define a lot of my career, eventually.

I am a strange creature. To look at my resume (or even to meet me), one would think I was a natural salesperson, and I am pretty good at it. I just hate it. I hate sales, yet I love marketing. In my area especially, this is not understood – because most people think that sales and marketing are synonymous. In fact, most of the marketing jobs listed are really sales jobs. Some of them are just hiding their crappy jobs with the word marketing, but some of them are substantial, executive-level sales jobs (note: I am not trying to disdain salespeople, who have a very tough and challenging job and shouldn't be disdained) that really think they are "marketing" jobs.

To me, they have always been exact opposites.

Sales: Getting rid of what you have.
Marketing: Learning to make what the customer wants.

It's the push versus pull phenomenon.

A good salesperson can sell you a big box of nothing (and make you love it and write them a thank you note for doing so afterwards). It’s a fabulous skill. I’d say I have a good 70% mastery of it when I really try, which isn’t bad. Most of the time, of course, I never really tried to sell. (Makes me feel yucky because, like many Americans from hardworking lower-middle class families, I was raised to hate salespeople as people who cheated gullible consumers out of hard-earned money.) Instead, I tried to market.

For instance, I sold shoes. I never tried to sell someone shoes they didn’t want, though I often (as is technically required of shoe salespeople at most large department stores, so don’t berate them for doing so) brought out additional items. And they quite often bought these additional suggested items. I did not, however, bring out the “Push Shoe of the Week” very often, like management often suggested. Because these were silly, non-targeted suggestions (and to her credit, my manager actually knew this and said so) that usually didn’t work.

Instead, I brought out shoes I thought they'd actually need and like --- and I was usually right, even times when other people thought I was crazy. I have a weird talent for assessing personality, which is what makes me seem like a salesperson when you meet me. (All great salespeople can do this, too --- mostly without realizing it. But instead of using it to sell you what they want, they use it to sell you what they have.)

A true salesperson can sell the push shoe to anyone. A true salesperson does not feel guilty about this or see it as manipulative, ridiculous, or rude. A marketer doesn’t understand the concept of a generic push shoe, created arbitrarily (or worse, based on the fact that there are more of them left).

I was lucky never to have to work in a “truly strenuous” sales position. Yes, I worked on commission, and yes, I excelled in an area where business was often difficult. A lot of people interpret this to mean I learned how to push-sell. I didn’t. I know how to client-build, analyze, quick-analyze.

I actually think the push-sell will be almost-useless in the business-to-consumer market soon (within 30 years), and it’s certainly getting harder. As any marketer will tell you (partially because it’s their job to believe this because they like the idea of a "Marketing Era" and partially because they’re correct), consumers are getting savvier. Mostly because there are more marketers in the world. So, it’s an ironic, chicken-or-egg situation.

Business-to-business sales will have a strong element of push forever, maybe, but push-selling only works in B2B when all else is fairly equal (relationships, price, quality). Which, besides relationship, all factors usually are pretty equal, in B2B.

Anyway, I guess I am writing this because I am sick of getting offered sales jobs when I know I am far more suited to development and analysis than actual sales. Yes, I can sell, but I'd burnout so quickly, it's not worth it. For me, it's a skill best used in moderation. I know good salespeople are in demand, and I do respect my time in sales (as I think some sales experience should be required of anyone in a marketing or organizational management position, because it really is a key foundation), but I’ve put in at least three solid years of real sales experience. I’m done.

Unfortunately, the really interesting analysis jobs require way more experience than I have (or than any 21 year old has), and there aren’t many entry-level marketing jobs in my area. Maybe time as a copywriter/account executive at an Advertising Agency would be a good starting place, but it'd be more hours for about $5,000-10,000 less a year. Seems silly since, though it might look better, I wouldn't actually learn any more than I do at work now. So, what to do?

I do learn a lot and get to use my skills a lot where I am, so I think I might stick it out, especially if I can swing enough funding to pay for the MBA and start next January. Sure, it’ll take three years, but it might launch me into the running for those analysis jobs I want (and know I can do).

Plus, if my company grows the way I think it will in those three years, I will have some really solid executive experience. We will probably go national in those years and open up a new location across the country, and my best bet for launching a strong career is to leave at just the right time, with all the right qualifications, and hopefully with recruiters looking for me. This is what the sales vs. marketing thing really comes down to. A marketer would know better than to leave now; a salesperson would do just as well leaving whenever.

Creating demand is a great thing (and what salespeople do), but working within natural demand will always get you better results, if you can do it right. In the meantime, I need to learn some patience. So, if patience is a virtue, perhaps that is the key lesson and growth of this time in my life. Shame there's no rubric for things like this. ;)

Posted by Alison H on April 26, 2006 at 12:33 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

This is in response to "The Teaching Question". When I read this entry, I was amazed at how much it sounded like my own life. I have a degree in writing, creative writing. If I wanted to, I could go back to school, take some more classes, student teach and become an elementary English teacher. I don't want to do this. People, such as my family and a few friends of the family, feel that I should be teaching. I, on the other hand, don't want to do this. All my life I loved to write and that is what I want to do. My family tells me that teaching is where the money is and that I would have the summers off, but it's something I just don't want to do. I am currently a substitute teacher's aide and I like it, but after working in this field, I found it's just not for me, even though I like working with children. I need to find a job that emphasizes my writing abilities and my love of children, if possilbe. I live in a small town and it's really hard to find a job in this area. I live far from bigger cities and even then, I'm in competition with so many other job hunters. I'm currently applying for jobs that have to do with my major somewhat, but are more related to business adminstration. I am branching out from my degree and I'm still not getting hardly any interviews or calls. What's going on? I took my resume and cover letter to the career services department at my school for the director to glance at and comment on things I could improve, and then I revised it, so I feel that isn't the problem. Am I just not meant to get a job?

Posted by Jill E on April 26, 2006 at 9:01 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

It is common knowledge among all those who pay attention to the hype of job searching that networking is important. Various agencies and faculties are at our disposal in order to build our network which include but are not limited to Networking for Dummies (my mother owns a copy; it remains without creases). This series of entries will step through the journey I have undergone to build my network, and I will also point out steps along the way where networking opportunities were not utilized. In this, as in most other areas, I feel that I have done well, and I trust my detail-oriented nature to notice my successes and my mistakes.

This is the first installment in the highly anticipated series: It only concerns my college years. I attempted to build a network of peers and professors. Generally I succeeded in these areas, but they did not provide the benefits I initially expected due to short-sighted thinking on my part. Further, I did not attempt to gain an internship. I consider this as an obvious bane to my attempts to receive gainful employment.

During college I recognized two goals as priorities concerning networking. The first goal was simple: make friends. The second goal required more complex social strategizing. I desired to have a professor take me under his/her wing and from there I hoped to have his/her network (which supposedly would include graduate schools and various professional settings) at my disposal.

Regarding the first theory, all of my friends are my age plus or minus one year. While I have maintained contact with the majority of individuals I knew in college and I am confident that they are keeping their eyes peeled for me just as I am for them, most of the individuals are in the same boat as me: long stretches of unemployment where the mundantiy is only broken by a series of temporary jobs. There are two exceptions among my colleagues to this trend. First, I know some people who went straight to graduate school. Goody for them. Second, I have one friend who had a professional contact and snagged a permanent (while hourly and without benefits) job where she is performing impeccably. While discussing her success over the phone, she confided to me that she is stressing because responsibility is placed on her shoulders. I congradulated her and told her to keep her chin up; she could be broke and bored.

I am sure that we will all become successful professionals at some point, and I am further hopeful we will all be at least useful to each other in that future which comes closer with each passing second. However, at the moment we are all struggling, and few of us have enough strength to pull ourselves into the worker wagon. We certainly don't have enough leverage to bring along our fellow strugglers.

As for my hope about being taken under a professor's wing, I find it difficult to say whether I succeeded in this goal or not. I have a small number of professors with whom I maintain contact, and I update them periodically concerning my successes and the bright sides of my failures. Since graduation, a number of professors whom I knew and even some among those I did not were exceedingly helpful in getting started. I'm not sure I would have been as enthusiastic about Emerson College as my graduate program of choice without one professor in particular that I did not know until he was referenced in another email by a different professor whom I also did not know. Further, I am fairly certain that I would not have my freelance opportunities.

The main benefits I have received from having a network of professors are a solid foundation for references and a backbone upon which to place my professional confidence. I am certain that my letters of reference from various professors have moved along some professional and academic applications, and I am very thankful for that. Further, the information which I have obtained from the faculty over the years has led me to believe that the majority of my decisions since graduation (including where to work, where to study, and how to go about finding acceptance into those various circles) has been exceedling helpful.

My original goals were well founded, but it is obvious to me now that I expected different benefits from my successes than I received. In the next entry I will discuss either internships (particularly my lack of one during my college years) or how I coped with the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations.

Posted by Greg F on April 25, 2006 at 7:28 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

My job search has been on hold for about a week as I tie up all of the loose ends that are my last week of school. Ever. Well, at least until I go back to graduate school. And as luck would have it, the week I’m not trying to concentrate on finding a job, I land an interview.

Although I haven’t been actively searching and applying this week, I can across an ad for an Editorial Assistant—a great way for me to get professional experience and learn the editing ropes at the same time. So I wrote a cover letter and emailed my resume and that afternoon, I received a call to come in for an interview next week. Now the ad was a little ambiguous: medical company seeks recent college graduate to assist with editing our many publications. Something like that. But “recent college graduate” and “assist with editing” were the operative words. I was not aware at the time, however, that I was actually applying with a personnel company, not the company itself. I called the gentlemen back anyway.

“You’re graduating in May,” he said. “When would you be able to start working?”

“By the end of May. Graduation is May 13, so I would be able to start the following week, after I get settle in DC.”

“That’s great. However, I’m not sure if the employer for the position you applied needs the position to be filled before then. But what are you interests?”

“I’m interested in publishing—writing, editing—but with a focus in the non-profit sector, helping with communications and that sort of thing. My two main interests are social issues, especially dealing with education, and writing.” I started to get nervous that he would renege the interview offer.

“Well, listen,” he continued. “Whether the position is still open or not, I’d still like to interview you and help you find something in the area.”

I wasn’t sure about the whole personnel company thing at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought of what a great idea it is to interview with them. They have the resources I need and even if they don’t know of anything for me right away, at least I will have another interview under my belt. Besides, it gives me an excuse to go down to DC for a few days before graduation and look for jobs in person, instead of relying on this computer.

It’s amazing how this little bit of progress helps me confidently concentrate on enjoying my last weeks of college.

Posted by Caitlin H on April 25, 2006 at 6:29 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

A lot of us who are looking for jobs use online search services, including myself. Wow, what an overwhelming experience huh? There are tons of search options and even if you put some limitations on your search like a general area you want to work, then there are still tons of listings you have to sort through.

Last night I found a new college job seeking site with new listings I hadn't seen on any other site. Yay, a new play toy! Then of course, I became addicted. No, that wasn't just a figure of speech - I seriously searched over and over using different key words in different areas of the Journalism and Communication fields I would like to go in for over four hours.

After clicking, searching, and basically gluing my eyes to the screen, I said to myself, "Wow, did I just waste all that time searching and didn't discover anything? I could have been doing something to take my mind off the stress of lookingi for a job. . . especially on a Friday night when looking for a job is the last thing on all my friends' minds." I figure, from all the skills, requirements, and experience needed listings on every job opening that I read, I should at the very least know what employers are looking for and how I can improve myself by learning those skills. Is it a bit sneaky to find out what they want and then make yourself exactly what they want? I don't think so.

Hmmm, I'm having the strange urge to go do some more searching now.

Posted by Matthew M on April 25, 2006 at 2:27 PM | Leave a Comment (4)

So here it goes another week goes by and I am still here living with mom and pop.
I graduated college in December across the country, I move back with my family and now I am ready to find a career in Communications and nothing.
Interviews are established, relationships are growing but still .........its going on four months that I've been committed to searching for a solid anything.
I mean I have had some offers but, I had to decline when I realized the company wanted to charge me for a simple credit check and background check, or the duties did not meet my expectations.
Now dont get me wrong I am not super picky or anything. I am just asking for a decent salary and benefits for a company that will benifit me and vise versa.
I would really like to work soon..at first when I came back home I was excitted to be back home with my family and visit. But I am getting tired of not having any thing major to do. I am a women of big goals I need to stay busy...AKA make some money to help around the house and save up for a place to call my own.
I am the first to graduate college and I am ready to work to help my family...gee how hard is that, its so fusturating trying to be patient and polite and the same time. Oh yea and I am also tired of feeling as if I am repeating myself at interviews. Does anyone have any suggestions when an employer asks so why did you major in XXX, or of anything else for that matter? Like I said earlier, I am living with the rents and they dont really understand my fustrations. They know I worked really hard for my degree and understand that soon I will have a great career,but I just ask ................when ??

Have a great week everyone and good luck in your endevors I know I need all the luck and paticence I can get!!!

Posted by Estrella F on April 23, 2006 at 9:26 PM | Leave a Comment (4)

Let me clear a few things up:

In regards to my two interviews awhile back—

Neither of them has ended happily. The job opening that I had an actual interview for…they went with someone else. Someone who wouldn’t need to relocate. And the meeting I had through a referral? I sent a follow up email about a week ago, and I have yet to hear back.

Secondly—my current situation with my boss.

In the comments I have received on my previous entries where I’ve mentioned him, it was suggested to me that I be honest with him, and that we try to work towards a better environment.

Let me put it this way: there is no way to turn this car around. It is going too fast, heading for a cliff, and when it drives off, it will fall to the bottom and explode.

My boss is the kind of man who seems to start arguments for fun with the other people who work there. He’s the kind of guy who sees nothing wrong with taking a half day of work so he can go play golf, and then doesn’t come in at all the next day because he’s too hung over. He’s the type of person who cannot articulate himself, so when he gets frustrated with his own shortcomings, he becomes condescending.

Bottom line—there is no talking to him to try and make a better work environment. He wouldn’t even know what a healthy workplace is like.

Finally—where do we go from here?

First and foremost, I’m using my B.A. in theatre everyday, playing the role of someone who likes their job and sees value in what they do.

And there may be a light.

My girlfriend has the prospect of getting a job in the office where she is currently a student worker. If this comes through, I’m leaving town, whether I have a job to go to or not. I’m getting tired of being turned down for jobs I’m applying for just because I’d have to relocate. And I’m so tired of living in this city and my situation at work. It’s time for me to move on. The idea of not having another job lined up is a little frightening—maybe more to my mother than to myself. But in all honesty, anyone can pick up a part time job at Target. And after the year I’ve had, wearing a red polo shirt and stocking shelves doesn’t seem like that bad of an idea.

Posted by Kevin K on April 23, 2006 at 7:54 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

“Why aren’t you a teacher?” I get asked. A lot.

“Why aren’t you baking cookies?” I sometimes reply. Some interviewers get it, some don’t. Some need further explanation.

Just because I have a degree in English, that doesn’t mean I want to teach English, but that’s what the common assumption seems to be. But I look at it differently. My degree, even with my concentration in creative writing, is more flexible than most. There’s not a lot that it hasn’t prepared me for. Sure, I may have to start on a lower rung until I learn the idiosyncrasies of certain professions, but if I were to go into, say, marketing, it wouldn’t be so long a shot as an accountant going into the same field. By directing one of my interviews away from the teaching question and my obvious lack of experience and toward my communications skills and abstract thinking and problem-solving skills, I was once able to land an employment counseling position, even though I had no experience even close to relevant to the field.

Posted by Jamie G on April 23, 2006 at 4:26 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

My concern now is not on doing well in the interview, it’s getting that interview. A problem which is intensified by my current address in the middle of nowhere. The jobs I tend to apply for are usually 200-300 miles away from home. I am ready to move to any of the places I apply for, but so many employers that need to weed out potential employees pluck ones that live in other cities. I can understand this, but I just wish I could tell them they were making a mistake.
I try to put a lot of thought into cover letters because they are my best chance to make that quick impression that is going to get me to the interview. Due to this I have become a cover letter author, tailoring each letter to each job. This can be daunting when you are applying for 20 jobs a week, but I have found it's worth it.
When I've gone into inverviews, many prospective employers recall back to some skill or job set I described in my cover letter. I know then that it has made an impressions.
It's a fine line though; you don't want a long cover letter. Yyou can only put the bare essentials, but at the same time you want to say everything you know is important. All you have to do is give them enough of a taste to want to see more, even if more is a few hundred miles away, or even if it's a job just down the block.

Posted by Amber W on April 23, 2006 at 12:36 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

So, I am posting my resume (per comment request in my last blog, "Fears") for viewing, so we can understand this job board thing. I do think, looking over it now, I think it’s a pretty darn good resume for a 21-year old almost-college-grad (better when you see the pretty version, of course), but I don't know if it's amazing or anything. I'd like there to be more on it, and I'd like to be stronger at more things (programming aspects, especially, because I think the world of publishing is moving online).

I hadn't thought it was strong at all until I read the whole thing in its entirety today. I guess looking at pieces of it (as I add or change things in pieces -- and this is based on the same resume template I've been using since last June, when I had a different job), I'm more likely to notice what I'm lacking than what I have.

I didn’t think anyone even read the job boards, so I didn’t think it’d matter how good my resume was. I never figured I'd be fielding 10-15 calls and e-mails a week, half of them decent, real, non-scam, non-ridiculous offers. I can also tell you that nobody has called my current boss for a reference lately, because she would tell me.

I’m very lucky in that I have a boss who wants me to stay for a little while and develop my skills and understands that I might want to eventually do larger things than what I can do with this company. So, they expose me to as many new projects as possible, let me learn, let me contribute, and help me build my resume – which is not something every employer is interested in doing, unfortunately. It’s why I’m not eager to jump unless it’s something really interesting. Someday I will, but only for the right one.

Anyway, a text version of my resume (the real one is much prettier, with table organization and tasteful graphic content) is in the extended entry. I guess it's a good resume... if this is any indication. I do think my title bump has helped a lot. My old title kind of sucked (and didn't adequately reflect what I did either) for the jobs I want, and this one is much better. I know they say people don't look at your titles, but I completely disagree.

Very little else has changed on my resume, so unless the job market suddenly perked up (within the last 4 months), it affected me somewhat. I think the other thing that affected it is that my graduation is only a few weeks away now. I was working full-time anyway, but a lot of companies don't even like to consider current students.

Alison Harvey
Some Street Somewhere
Some Town Somewhere, FL, USA
555-555-5555
emailme@myemailaddress.com

Skills Profile
*Adept at developing and utilizing product knowledge.
*Excellent editing skills, honed through work with Literary Magazine A and an internship as a student editor of Literary Magazine B, as well as through classes.
*Proven customer service skills, including extensive client-building and client retention skills. Positive experiences working with customers at ABC Department Store for almost three years and currently at EFG Designs.
*Strong writing skills (including product copy), problem solving skills, organizational skills, verbal communication skills, and a good knowledge of market and how that relates to product and consumers.
*Computer competency in Mac and PC, in Photoshop, in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Crystal Reports, Microsoft SQL Server, and many other programs. Basic HTML skills as well.

Work History

EFG Designs (Assistant Buyer) October 2005 - Present
•*Assists in coordinating design and purchasing functions by working with the client and designers. Manages major custom projects and coordinates with high-end, repeat customers.
•*Manages inventory functions. Created the first web tracking system, which led to purchasing the software to set up the first inventory system in order to track merchandise and customers, engage in marketing functions, create regular reports, facilitate shipping, and better organize purchasing functions.
•*Writes product and branding copy. Handles advertising and PR functions for the organization.
•*Manages online marketing functions. Creates monthly reports. Currently, I am working on creating a new, dynamic web presence by planning the re-programming of a new website.
•*Plans shipping routes and methods and coordinates with our internal shipping department. Enforces and helps shape organizational standards. Meets with shipping managers to discuss problems and solutions.
•*Facilitates certain daily HR functions by assisting the Office Manager, President, and CEO. I was assigned specific HR projects, like helping to develop training classes for workers, assisting in creating a confidentiality agreement, developing company standards, and developing sales standards.
•*Assists in the day-to-day functions of helping customers, managing deliveries, and maintaining databases and records. Manages other projects on an as-need basis.

ABC Department Store (Sales Associate, Shoe Department, Specialist) January 2003 – September 2005

*Won the storewide XXX award for the month of January 2005, was the first time in years that anyone from “Shoes” (due to comparatively – as compared to other departments – low business and credit numbers for the department overall) had won it while being a selling associate.
•*Won department-wide XXX award for “Shoes” over a dozen times with the most consistent sales/credit record. Consistently exceeded quotas. During my final year, I averaged 160% of my sales quota and 120% of my credit quota in a department that was only making 80% of its sales and 55% of its credit quotas.
•*Helped with merchandising of shoes (open sells, grid tables) and developed fairly high product knowledge, with more interest in the merchandise than is strictly expected.
•*Became a Specialist and a Department Lead through consistent performance and leadership ability.
•*Participated in an intern and mentorship program that focused on buying and merchandising.

Literary Magazine B (Editor), University XYZ August 2004 – April 2005
•*Organized projects for marketing the magazine on campus to gain submissions and facilitate distribution, and helped organize a final reading of the published issue. (You’re welcome to request a copy mailed to you.)
•*Read and selected poetry and nonfiction, and read selected fiction for final choices.
•*Edited fiction and poetry.
•*Worked with other editors in selecting the work for the issue and in developing the image and theme of the magazine.
•*Worked with other editors to secure annual financing for the magazine.
•*Helped coordinate design and layout functions.

Literary Magazine A (Intern, Poetry) University XYZ
•Read and helped select poetry for the Fall 2004 issue.
•Helped to compile a database of M.F.A. programs to send information to, which created more paid contest entries than expected (an increase of 35% more than had been received the previous year).
•Sold subscriptions and helped distribute the magazine on campus, as well as market the Literary Magazine A brand.

Education
B.A. Track: Undergraduate studies in English (Creative Writing Track)
University XYZ, Where It Is
Additional Focuses: Marketing (9 hours) Organizational Communications (9 hours), Business Technology (3 hours).
2002 – Current (3.65 GPA) Graduate May, 2006

High School Diploma
Graduated 2002 (unweighted 3.7 GPA, weighted 4.4)

Extracurricular Activities
•Member, XYZ Literary Society
•Member, ZZZ Honor Society
•Founding Member, MNOP Conservatory League (writing group)
•Member, XYZ Film Club

Scholarships and Awards
•My State’s 100% Tuition Scholarship
•My School’s Highest Scholarship
•Some Award for Fiction ($100 scholarship)
•XYZ University Deans List

References
Former Teacher and Faculty Advisor to Magazine B
Former Boss (Store Manager)
Current Boss (Company President)

Posted by Alison H on April 22, 2006 at 5:19 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I do not know yet what I hope to accomplish with my life, which is making the job search a difficult one. It seems that all of the positions I am qualified for are ones that I don't want to do, and the jobs I would like to do are ones for which I am not qualified. Several people I care about are helping me to find options, but I worry that if I don't use their help relationships will be hurt, or I will not find anything else. But, I am not the type of person who settles. And, as much as I do not want to live with my mother and work as a waitress or shop assistant, I would choose that over a career for which I do not have any passion. There goes my youthful idealism again, though, believing that everyone can work in a career they truly enjoy.

Posted by Tiffany M on April 22, 2006 at 4:37 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Ok, So I work for a hospital, which is basically a service industry, in a part of the ER designed for admssions, our biggest revenue generator, and they're clasing it over the weekend "Due to the budget" This sounds like a disater waiting to happen. When I go back on Monday the wait time will be backed up by hours.

So here is my solution to right the budget. The hospital system should offer a discount card (like drug companies do) for the uninsured patients whos bills we currently eat. Even if they are only paying for 30 or 40 percent of their care, that would still be millions more a year.

So my question is how do I present the idea, without having to give it to one of my direct managers, and having them take the credit? I could just e-mail the bigwigs directly? or would that be a violation of business ettiquite?

Posted by Katie G on April 22, 2006 at 11:04 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As I was patiently waiting for a response about my dream job I received some uplifting news. One of the directors from the non-profit agency I’ve been volunteering for sent me an e-mail. I’ve only been volunteering with them for about two months but my hard work paid off. Here are some of the things said in the e-mail:

Hi, Chanda


We are developing a new position called Public Relations Coordinator…I immediately thought of you because of all the great work you've done so far. But this is entirely up to you. If you want to continue in your present capacity, that's fine too. We are committed to presenting opportunities to our present volunteers just to give you a chance to do something different and because you've shown such talent in the media field.

You can reach me at --

Lynne --
Program Director

This was very unexpected. This position did not exist before, but now that it does they actually had me in mind to fill the position. So I’m feeling very honored right now. This is one of those things that I believe God has “worked his mysterious ways.”

Posted by Chanda D on April 21, 2006 at 2:24 PM | Leave a Comment (3)

It's weird, I posted my resume on a couple of places and contacted a couple of recruiters and I'm actually getting offers/interviews. About half of them are scams (Casting Manager making $75,000 a year --- company totally doesn't check out) or ridiculous (teaching English in Korea, selling cars), but a good solid half (at least 4 so far) seem to be pretty real and reasonable. I mean, they aren't "dream jobs" but they are good, entry level jobs. So, either I am strangely lucky, I have a better resume than I thought, the job market is on a ridiculous upswing for employees, or candidates have more success on job boards than I thought.

I was pretty much raised to believe you couldn't get a job off of a job board or online. I never really have. I always had to call or go somewhere. I applied for a few jobs over the internet and never heard much. So, I stopped applying. I search the jobs. Every once and awhile I target a company and send my resume directly, if they have an appropriate opening. A few of them hit. Most of them don't.

I've actually gotten a few offers, and I've turned them down. I like my job. They trust me, they rely on me, they're good people, it's creative on some days, I have full health care, and I get paid pretty decently.

I kind of wonder why I go on so many interviews, if I'm not going to take the job. Sometimes I go on a second interview and I already know I don't want it. I still go through all of the motions. The thank you card (if I have an address), the nice suit, the questions. Some of the jobs are too far away. Some don't pay enough. Some don't have the exact right benefits. Some are just scary.

Most of all, I don't want to get stuck in a push-sales atmosphere. I hate that part of selling. I can't sell thin air, and I can't convice people to buy white salmon because "it won't go pink in the can." Well, actually, I can, but it gives me a nagging feeling in my stomach and makes me want to call in sick. I can sell things worth selling without that, but I don't think that's a talent. I can't imagine there's anyone who can't sell a thing that's worth selling.

It's hard with marketing jobs because you never know. Sometimes they make it seem like analysis and organization, and then they want you to meet quotas and sell the smoke. I don't mind quotas, within reason. I just... I don't want to get trapped. Is that a weird thing to think?

It comes from my mother. She's been working the same place for 24 years, and she's been laid off twice (and re-hired). Her plant keeps getting smaller. I have no idea what her job is, and some days, neither does she, because they shuffle her around so much. Some day, the company will lay her off and not re-hire her, and they might not even have the same great severance package they have now. She doesn't have a degree. She's smart and capable, but she has a very specialized market, not a great title, and no real hope of matching her current salary.

I don't want that. I want to be a commodity. So, I think I go on interviews, even when I'm happy, because of that. That's why I paste my resume all over these cyber walls. I'm glad people are calling. Maybe they call everyone and maybe they don't. It's just nice to feel like you have a net.

Posted by Alison H on April 21, 2006 at 12:08 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

I will be graduating from a four-year college this May, and then attending graduate school for a B.S. in journalism and communication. My trek from undergraduate school to graduate school would have been a longer, more arduous task, if it weren’t for my friendly little sidekick – the connection.

The connection is an almost blessed occurrence in life and most of the time we aren’t even aware of it as it’s happening, much like a severely-repressed memory only discoverable by means of appearing on an episode of Dr. Phil. The connection sits and waits to spring up at an unexpected time and then sends us ahead of the pack like a nifty little convenient ladder shortcut in the ever-so popular children’s game.

Two years ago I impressed one of my journalism professors with a series of news stories I wrote in her class dealing with the shortage of flu vaccinations. She said that the university’s school paper needed more writers like me and that I could easily get hired. That’s connection one.

Some time passed and I got hired at my university’s paper. After writing there for a semester, the same professor told me she was impressed with my writing yet again, and that I should try to get an internship at my town’s newspaper. She dropped a few names and after I left the room as giddy as a teenage girl who just caught a glimpse of her favorite boy band lead singer, I contacted the editor of the paper. That’s connection two.

After a couple of interviews, I got the internship at the paper. I wrote almost 100 stories that summer that now fill the pages of my portfolio, I ate a few too many doughnuts, I got that much-needed, sometimes-hard-to-get “thing” called experience, I made a lot of other connections that may help me in the future, and I met the public relations director at my college at an event I had to cover. Let’s call my town paper connection three and the public relations director connection four.

Going back to school my senior year after the internship, I came with a lot of confidence. I wanted to do more than just the school newspaper and freelancing for my town’s newspaper, so I contacted the public relations director I previously met, asked him if I could help out his department, and got a job as a public relations writer for my university. You guessed right – that’s connection five.

Previously this year, I started searching for graduate schools and after picking one, I knew I had to get an assistantship. (Tuition wavers are always nice.) I searched through the lists of available assistantships full of computer lab attendants and professors’ aides and then the holy grail of assistantships crossed my eyes; it was to be a public relations writer for my graduate school’s PR department. I submitted my résumé, waited, waited some more, took some naps, ate some food, went to school, checked my e-mail far too many times and low and behold I finally got a message back.

The PR director from my future graduate school knew the PR director from my undergraduate school and thus, another connection helped me out. Connections are why we should never burn our bridges or disregard somebody because they can’t help us right now. The more people we know, the more help we can get and the more opportunities we may be given, so hey, contact me some time and make some more connections because just like Forest Gump’s mother said, “You never know what you’re going to get.”

Posted by Matthew M on April 20, 2006 at 11:14 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

When I finally decided on a career (freelance writer), everyone said how easy that should be. Well, the writing part is easy, but the job finding part isn't. I write well. For goodness sake! I have a BA in English and I have taken a Professional Writing Certification. It is the marketing myself that I need to work on. It is occasionally depressing.

In the meantime, I am reduced to daily searching. I have checked out a ton of books on starting a freelance writing business from the library. I pray to higher powers on a daily basis.

Something (minimal) has come of all this. A small publishing company has hired me as a freelance editor--with a catch. I will get paid royalties only. Potentially I could make a decent amount of money...

In the meantime, I will read all my books and develop a business plan for myself. I know I can do this! It just takes persisitence--the same persisitence it took to actually graduate from college.

Posted by Whitney D on April 20, 2006 at 5:38 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I had forgotten about this blog for quite sometime but also I was in the midst of wedding planning and graduation plans for myself. Graduation is in less than a month and classes end on Monday which is of a great relief. I've been looking for jobs where I'll be moving to but it seems like they're only hiring people in feilds other than English. It's all "Customer Service" jobs. Why is it that I love reading and love all of the aspects of English, even writing papers to some degree. But nevertheless I guess I will keep this up.

Posted by Jessica P on April 20, 2006 at 1:46 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

One applies to a company after much research, and hope that they stand out far above the other candidates so they can get a leg in at the very least - then they do. The world starts to spin faster, their world spins in a different direction all together; it might even be in the direction they planned and hoped for.

After a few of these, you become me. Not angry, not bitter; just ashamed and mentally exhausted. Then you ask me: "Was it worth it?" "Is it worth it still?" and though I would love to give a succinct answer, I'll shake my head and say "I don't know."

What do you make of this? Putting in time and energy; full blown dedication and finding out that the one above you knows 90% less than you do and that they got there (above you) by playing the right games with the right people. The game seems quite simply - kiss ... and act like you are working ridicously hard even if you have no idea what in god's name is going on. Dress nice, speak well, make no mistakes and if you make them do not get caught! Sing the same tune as everyone else who looks like you - the tune of the cookie cutter and make no mistake - Loyalty is a word that has been successfully eradicated from the dictionary. It's new meaning is yet to be canonized: "Be for them what they are for you and run / shine the negative light on them when the going gets better and the dollar bills roll in."

If you are wondering what the correlation is between loyalty and Katrina, let me give you a hint. Mother nature is loyal to all and at the same time disloyal to all. She has no favorites, not even among those that rely solely on her for life. The correlation lies in what sense anyone can make of a relationship such as that mentioned above. I believe I just gave up the answer and not just a hint!

I'll leave you with one question however: do you feel the me in the note above is really me or a depiction of what lies in wait for everyone?

Posted by Aimiende N on April 20, 2006 at 12:39 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I went on an interview, for a customer service position, for an internet services provider. It was all going well, none of the questions were things I wasn't prepared for, or that I couldn't awnser off the top of my head. Then the talk turned to overtime. The manager started to explain to me about the companies required overtime policy. 10 hours a week. When I asked him, what I thought were simple questions about the overtime (eg- how many hours a week would be needed? Can they be flexable about when the extra hours are done? and how long the company anticipates the need for this policy?) The interviewer freaked out on me. He started yelling about how this is "What has to be done to keep the companies customer serivce dept. running, who cares how long it takes" and how "This is what people do in the real world, young lady, so get used to it." At this point I walked out of his office. I dont need a lecture on "the real world" from a man who's clearly unstable. I have a friend who also interviewed, and she said the overtime is 10 hours a week, or an extra workweek a month (if you do the math). Now I'm no stranger to overtime, right now I work in an ER, and when you have to stay you have to stay, but making it a requirment of the job is just bad pratice. I bet they lose a lot of good candidates that way.

Posted by Katie G on April 19, 2006 at 8:09 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

I'm glad you found my tips helpful - experience has taught me a lot! When I was interviewing, I usually just looked around for general information about the company. For example, before I researched the company where I currently work, I had no idea that it is one of the largest privately held companies in the U.S. in addition to being one of the largest wholesalers. If I hadn't known that, I wouldn't have taken the interview as seriously as I did, but fortunately, I did my research! I also read as much of the company's website as I could, including the "fluff" about how company employees like to volunteer at soup kitchens and things like that. It's actually not as difficult to mention that you know something about the company as you might think. In a lot of interviews, the interviewer talks about the company itself before he or she talks specifically about the job. It's easy enough to say, "Yes, I remember reading about that on your website. That's interesting." You'll probably have plenty of opportunities to make statements like that. Or, at the end of the interview when you have a chance to ask questions, make your question about something that you read on the company's website. For example: "I read on your website that the company grows about 20% every year. That's impressive - how do you accomplish that, and if hired, how could I contribute to that?" Write your questions or comments for the interviewer down before the interview, and you'll feel confident about bringing up whatever topic you want to ask about.

Another thing I neglected to mention in my last post is that you should always be positive. It's hard when an interviewer asks about your weaknesses, but I would get over this obstacle by saying something like,"Well, I'm on the stubborn side, but I like to think of it more as persistence than stubbornness." It's best not to talk about your worst weaknesses or your biggest disapointments - just pick something that you can turn into a positive. The interview book I had to read in college had a few chapters on this subject, and I think it's great advice for anyone who is job hunting. It goes along with appearing confident.

I hope that helps!

Posted by Danielle F on April 18, 2006 at 6:00 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Knowing the experience of being unemployed over any amount of time can be depressing. In reflecting back over that time I calculated the hours I spent searching for employment and that was a job itself. I sent out resumes 7 days a week to various companies and organizations. I believe in the law of averages: every no will eventually turn into a yes. So when searching for that perfect or close to perfect position you must always stay positive.

Posted by K Harris on April 18, 2006 at 3:29 PM | Leave a Comment (3)

Well I've decided to try and contact a former employer and see if he would be willing to hire me back. I left the place on good terms; it was a sports/concert venue. When I gave him my notice, he told me to keep in contact and let him know if my situation changes at any time. I've talked to a few people that I met from there, and they have all said they are looking for people to hire for summer. I think it's time for me to give him a call and see if I can get back in there, at least until I can find something full-time with better wages. We'll see what happens.

Posted by Cynthia K on April 18, 2006 at 12:58 AM | Leave a Comment (2)

Holidays provide an opportunity for separated family members and friends to catch up and share recent experiences. As I'm sure we've all experienced in some form, a pointed criticism from a respected individual who is generally not directly connected to our present life can inspire both resentment and reflection. Since the particular incident I intend to discuss here happened over Easter weekend, it is still pretty close to home and therefore more difficult to write about objectively than most other topics. However, some reflection over a fresh wound should produce some reasonable method for properly addressing the criticism.

As I've discussed in other posts, I graduated last May. Aside from my current temporary position, the past eight months of job searching has not returned much of a harvest to be reaped. Hopes are always renewed in Spring (especially in any situation where a farming metaphor can be made), and no other holiday practiced by my family quite symbolizes the freshness of the season than Easter. My boss has agreed to utilize her network on my behalf, I have already had two interviews this month, and I am doing very well in my current position which offers an amount of hope that I will be offered a position in the next temporary assignment. All in all, things are moving much more smoothly than they were in the Fall. Whether it because all of my efforts are finally beginning to sprout or because HR departments nationwide participate in vapid Spring cleaning programs such that my resume ended up on top of the once deep piles, I finally have some external validation for my unquenchable confidence. Despite my very marketable communication skills, I do not seem to have properly impressed my hopefullness on my grandmother.

After the Easter feast, my festival family (mom's parents, one of my mom's sisters, my father, and my sister) was reclining on our couches drinking coffee or tea. While my mother has constantly been in contact with our various family members about my slow-going professional development, she apparently had forgotten to inform my family of more recent developments (such as an incoming paycheck, yay). One crack from my grandmother about my work ethic acted as a harbinger for all of the resentment which had accumulated over the months. That peaceful, beautiful, and festive Sunday saw an opportunity the veins of my heart to turn black with anger inspired by seeming futility. However, the initial tinge of anger had no bearing on my response; I simply began to explain to her the information which she was obviously lacking. While her initial reaction to my hour long reply seemed to have been mild shock, she soon recovered enough to compose herself with annoyance.

The true meat of the matter offered me an insight to an evolution between generations. It is quite apparent from my grandmother's initial comment that after months of unemployment she considers me a loafer or even a freeloader. I cannot blame her for this sentiment; in fact, it offers light upon the matter of my unemployment is so depressing. I am living in my parents' house; I am not providing an income to assist in the maintanence of the household. Simply put, I am consuming resources which my parents' careers provide for me, and I am returning to them nothing. Further, my grandmother has no working understanding over the current entry-level job market, and she therefore does not understand the particular dilemma that I face: a surplus of non-technical college graduates. No matter how tragic my job search may be, no amount of pity can excuse a bum.

My parents do not completely share my grandmother's sentiment, but they do not completely deny its implications either. While I held the job at the local coffee house, my father commented that he was impressed and pleased that I could do what was necessary in order to stay afloat. I had to take this comment with a grain of salt; he was well aware that $7 per hour was not enough to realistically consider moving out while I had various amounts of debt looming over my head, but he continually pestered me both about paying rent (while insubstantial, it was a weighty amount on about $400/mth) and about moving out. My mother, too, is conflicted about my fortune. She has a 22 year old son who can't find his niche in society; does he need more time or is he being coddled too much? Certainly the question is difficult for her to answer. Therefore, my parents remain in conflict about the exact quality of my work ethic, and thus they remain in conflict about how much pressure should actually be applied in order to spur me on to the next stage of life.

I, of course, understand and appreciate that my parents are willing to support me until I become self-sufficient, but I remain confused over whether their will is a product of love or of social expectation. In a strictly utilitarian sense it doesn't matter, but for aesthetic and ethical reasons I would like to (but simply cannot) solve this particular dilemma. Further, in parallel to my grandmother I do not completely understand why my job search has been so lengthy and difficult; my comprehension of the situation creates both frustration with my choices and a constant, repeated wish that if I could just find a chance I could easily prove my worth. In combination with how unemployment has affected my self-respect and self-confidence, I also feel the weight of being the first Great Texts major to have graduated from my alma mater. I wish at some point to discuss my opinion on the trend between places of study to focus either on the technical or on the liberal, but I shall avoid that tangent at the present.

Further, I also see so many of my friends struggling in the work force. So many intelligent individuals are fleeing to Japan to teach English because they have recognized the futility of their first year after graduation. Others are attempting and failing to find acceptance in the corporate world. We each have our own theory as to why we cannot find any jobs other than the temporary assignments, but in general we seem to have agreed that internships are worthwhile endeavors which we missed out on (I, for one, did not make a decision upon a career until post graduation, and therefore skipped an internship opportunity in order to study abroad). Some put emphasis on the surplus of graduates and feel confident that once we brilliant few attain our Masters we will become more valuable commodities (nevermind that this sentiment places the financial responsibility of getting a Masters squarely on our already burdened shoulders). Still others believe that the lack of technical expertise keeps us from the easy ascent.

Whichever of these theories or any combination therein is correct, unemployment is a hard situation to face. Silence from the prospective employer in regards to why a hopeful candidate is not considered further complicates the dilemma. Real life problems which cannot be appeased without an income further increase the pressure. An unwarranted and incorrect criticism on top of all of the difficulties provided by cruel fortune can be the feather which breaks the camels back, but such an injustice when compared to the rest of the rough load should probably be considered amusing. I took the opportunity to inform my grandmother of my past and current attempts to develop a future, and I have also used her comment as an inspiration with which I might properly judge her criticism and how it applies to her generation's view of my generation.

Posted by Greg F on April 17, 2006 at 8:42 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Today I had a job interview, but it wasn’t to progress my skills as a journalist, it wasn’t for “hey this looks good on my résumé” purposes, and it definitely wasn’t for a title I could go around dropping while speaking to females to impress them.

The interview was for a menial, retail job that many college students like me have to get all the time to survive. Students need books, food, clothing, personal hygiene items, and the occasional recreational item to take their minds off of school for a few hours of the day like a video game or a DVD, and those costs can add up quick.

We have to suck it up, disregard our college education, put all of our highfalutin phrases away (like highfalutin), and get an entry level job in retail, industry, or business where customers have to talk into a giant head to get their ordes, to help pay for the costs of bettering ourselves through college.

Catch-22 situations such as these are all over the place, where we as students decide we don’t want to have to work at an entry-level job our whole lives so we go to college, yet we have to get a job there to help pay to avoid it.

As I sat in the chair being asked questions of how I would improve the company, what my good and bad qualities were, and all the other cliché questions college professors told us we would definitely be asked, I did realize something however.

These interviews are great learning experiences, especially if they are for jobs that we won’t be greatly disappointed if we don’t get hired. If we mess up an interview for stocking shelves, then let’s be frank, there are tons of other shelves that need stocking out there. If we mess up our dream job interview where we only get one shot, then lots of ice cream consumption is likely to occur as we spiral downward into a massive pit of depression and self loathing.

Students about to graduate, like myself, should understand that these interviews for temporary jobs can be far more helpful than any professor can give us in class. By going through interviews such as these, we can become familiar with some of the more obscure or oddball questions employers might throw at us and we can even become so comfortable with the interviewing experience that we can gush confidence in later interviews in far larger amounts that could be provided by anything purchased on an infomercial at 3 a.m.

So get out there and interview, even if you don’t want a job, because you might as well learn how to interview before you’re sweating like you’re under the hot seat on one of those television cop drama shows during your dream job interview. Interviews for 'zombie' jobs can still be beneficial.

Posted by Matthew M on April 17, 2006 at 3:18 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

This entry is in response to "Tips To a Successful Job Interview". After making a phone call this morning to a local newspaper office where I had a summer internship, I was left feeling hopeless when I asked about a "help wanted ad' they placed in their newspaper. I inquired about the job and the office told me that they already had some one in mind and that they were sorry. This left me feeling upset and even more worried. How was I going to get a job if the company where I had my internship didn't even consider me for the position? After searching for a job for quite some time now with no offers (except for one which I passed up due to lack of pay and location), I opted to see if any information or ideas would be posted online, and behold, I open up the page and there is a list of them! I always thought that I was doing enough in my interviews, but I really never thought about asking the interviewer some questions. It is also a good idea about researching the company, but is there any specific information I should be researching and how do I bring up this information in an interview so it just doesn't sound like it's coming out of the blue?

Posted by Jill E on April 17, 2006 at 12:46 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

Last week, my alumni organization held its annual alumni panel. Various alumni returned to their alma mater to address future graduates on the challenges that arise in securing post-college employment. All members of the panel briefly introduced themselves and described the career field in which they have chosen. They also conveyed the means it took to get their foot inside the door. In addition, the panel offered resume critiques, insight on specific career fields and successful interviewing strategies. Most of all, the alumni panel sought to relieve some of the anxiety in which future graduates undergo during their job hunting experience.
Often, the psychological aspect of adulthood is never addressed during career workshops. The transition from student to full-time employee, especially within the corporate setting, can be overwhelming. Most of the time, these students are experiencing challenges that they have never faced before. For years, they have financially relied on their parents. Within the workforce, these one-time dependents will now enter an arena filled with deadlines, cutbacks, and last minute changes, in which they will eventually be responsible for making crucial decisions. The alumni panel counteracts this anxiety with a huge RELAX! There have been many times in our lives where we felt that we would not succeed or that we were ill equipped to take on future challenges. We have to remember the days in which we were in first grade and thought second grade was going to be so hard. We might have been scared but once we entered the second grade classroom, it was not as hard as we imagined. We had the tools from previous schooling to prepare us for this moment. The same applies towards job hunting.
I felt the alumni panel was a complete success. Many questions were answered and many myths were dispelled. I believe the students took home with them a great wealth of knowledge.

Posted by Devon C on April 17, 2006 at 9:50 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Over the past year, I've probably been on at least a dozen job interviews (including interviews for a part-time job while I was still in college). Looking back, there are a few things that my most successful interviews had in common that I think are worth sharing.

I think that preparation should be your number one priority before going on an interview. Ask yourself these questions: Why do I want this job? Why do I want to work for this company? What sparked my interest in this position? These questions will inevitably come up during the interview, and if you can answer them without hesitating, the better you will look to the employer. You should also research the company as much as possible. I've found the web to be a great resource for this, but it also might be a good idea to log into your school library's database and search newspaper archives for stories about your prospective employer. If you can find a way to mention that you know something about the company above and beyond what the employer would expect you to know, you'll really stand out as a candidate who is very thorough and has a strong interest in the job.

This goes along with preparation, but you should never say "no" when an interviewer asks you if you have any questions. I've never received a job offer or a second interview after saying "no." Big mistake! Before you go on the interview, write down a list of questions. Again, this says a lot to the employer about how thorough you are. The questions don't have to be complicated - ones I've asked include "What does a typical day look like here? What do you like best about working here? Would you say that this job is a challenging one?" This shows the employer that you've given the interview a lot of thought and that you really care about getting the job. Since most people probably don't do this, writing down a list of questions is like an automatic way of making you stand out. The more relevant, intelligent-sounding questions you have, the better off you will be.

Another very important thing you should bring with you to an interview is confidence. I know that this can be hard, especially when you haven't interviewed much and you're really, really anxious for a job. However, I've found that the more I've prepared for an interview in terms of researching the company and going over answers to potential questions in my mind, the more confident I've been. Just keep in mind that the company obviously liked something about your cover letter and resume or they wouldn't have called you for an interview! Try to be seem as at-ease as you possibly can. Keep what's at stake in the back of your mind and pretend you're just having a chat with an acquaintance. It helps a lot at making you feel comfortable.

It's also good idea to invest in a book about interviewing. I had a very savvy college professor who made my classmates and I read a book called "The Interview Kit." I read it cover-to-cover and reviwed the key points before going on my interviews, and I know it helped me greatly. It helped give my confidence a boost because I felt like reviewing the book gave me an edge over other candidates interviewing for the same job. How many other people do that before interviews? I would highly recommend buying this book or something similar - you'll thank yourself when you score the job you want.

That's all for now, but I'll share some more insights once I think of them.

Posted by Danielle F on April 16, 2006 at 3:41 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

TAILORING WHO I AM FOR WHO YOU NEED ME TO BE, 4/15/06

I never thought I’d be here; it was never part of the post-collegiate plan. But I ended up in Florida nevertheless, in a small beach town, struggling to find work that offered an intriguing challenge and a livable salary, both of which were nearly impossible to find.

I’m here by choice, but only to a degree. I chose to support my fiancée, to stay with her, to follow her. “I can do what I want to do anywhere,” I said. But each day that passed made me wish a little more that there were more microbiology jobs in Atlanta—we enjoyed life there—or at least somewhere that offered the variety of goings-on that keep life interesting.

(Not that there’s anything terribly wrong with where I live. I hear some people even like it here. And there’s nothing wrong with that, either, if you like the beach, and seedy bars and restaurants, and sand, and an overabundance of sunlight. Just don’t expect much more than that here.)

The biggest difficulty in finding work was not the lack of experience, which I’d been fully prepared for; it was fear of flight. Every company I talked to was afraid that I’d stay only so long as it took me to find a better job. Those companies that didn’t require an undergraduate degree were afraid I’d leave as soon as I found something in my field. So I resorted, at last, to temp agencies and to taking my degree off of my resume. It seemed silly to have to disavow higher education, but the advice came from locals who’d had the same trouble but, sure enough, it got me in the door. The same company that hired me as a temp kept me on permanently in a position as a project director for a state-funded program, even though I had no experience in that field. The temp position I left behind was later denied to several candidates with college degrees on the grounds that their degrees over-qualified them. Strange but true!

Posted by Jamie G on April 15, 2006 at 10:18 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I haven’t applied to this many jobs since I first graduated almost a year ago. Even though, I’ve been pretty content in my job working with youth, I’ve never stopped looking for new work, but since I recently turned in my two week notice my focus has been magnified on the prospect of new opportunity. I so desperately want to show the people I send my applications to that I’m the best for the job. I just want to tell them that even if I’m not I will work hard until I am the best. I’ve always been one of those people who as a rule put in more effort than others. But how do you say this to a future employer without sounding fake, like you’re lying, or just like you’re arrogant?
I almost feel like busting in my next job interview yelling, “Stop the search now! You’ve found who you’re looking for!” And though sometimes I feel like I get this across in my interviews without losing my cool composure, often I’m just told I wasn’t the top candidate.
I’m trying not to lose my confidence as I head into this round of heavy job searching. I know I’m not the best at everything, no one is; I’m a hard worker and sometimes that’s the best quality in a future employee. Sometimes people will be better than me and will deserve the job, but like everything I will continue to work hard on this job search. I can’t think of much better work experience than that.

Posted by Amber W on April 15, 2006 at 4:31 PM | Leave a Comment (3)

Most people I know that got a job after college are doing one of three things: working for their parents, working for their parents’ best friend, or working at the dead end jobs that they held throughout college just to pay the bills. This is not to say that many people don’t deserve their jobs, but it sadly has come to seem that often it really is who you know and not what you know. I have always been a little independent and have strived to make it on my own, but since I am in the latter category of my own list, I decided that I would start keeping my eyes and ears open for something that may selfishly help me. So, when my best friend’s mother sent me a quick email letting me know that a girl that we know from our hometown neighborhood lives in Chicago and works for a major magazine. She thought that since I was moving there, it would be a great resource for me. Besides, even if a career doesn’t magically develop, it would be nice to know one more person there. The other day, I somewhat reluctantly joined “the people in coffee shops with laptops” group. While I waited for my car to be inspected (I swear), I checked my emails, caught up with friends, and stewed over whether or not I should email this woman. Would it be inappropriate? I haven’t seen her since her high school graduation party, however many years ago. Does she even know who I am? Finally, I decided to just drop a quick and upbeat email. I just said hello, mentioned that I was moving to the city in May, and asked if she knew of anything that might be opening up at the magazine. After I wrote just a bit of chit chat so that the email didn’t seem too calculated, I began to proofread this email as though it were my thesis. I finally hit send, and began my every day process of looking for a career online. Within the hour, I had received an email back from her. Her email was very encouraging. She asked me to email her my resume and promised that she would pass it on to her boss. She also gave me her personal email and phone number if I ever had questions about the Windy City, and wished me luck on my move. I sent her my cover letter and resume, and she wrote back to assure me she had received it. While this may not work out to be anything much, I definitely think that one should grab at strings if they are there.

Posted by Mary L on April 15, 2006 at 12:04 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

It's been a few weeks since I've written, but I've been pretty busy! Since I just came out of college, I've never worked a full time job before. I knew the days would be long and I was mentally prepared for it, but I've noticed that the little things are starting to get to me. For example, this past week I had a dentist appointment after work on Tuesday and a committee meeting after work on Wednesday. Nothing that's a big deal, but going out again after work feels like an inconvenience sometimes. I have so little time to myself that I have a little bit of resentment when an appointment or some other obligation eats into that time. I have Saturdays and Sundays off, but since I don't live with my parents, I'm responsible for all of the housework. I know that's what being a grown-up is all about - working and doing things for yourself - but sometimes I wish I had a little bit more free time. But then again, when I think back to when I was in college full-time and working part-time, I realize that I do have more time for myself now than I did then. At least I don't have homework!

Work is going really well, though. I still have a lot of things to learn, and not everything makes sense right now. The senior analyst who is training me said that this is not your average job, meaning one where you can learn everything in a couple of weeks. Every day things are starting to come together, though, and I'm beginning to understand more and more. It's frustrating when an issue comes up that I don't know how to resolve and I have to depend on someone else to help me, but that's part of the learning process. However, it does give me a good feeling when I can understand a problem and figure out how it needs to be fixed. I've also been assigned vendors (food manufacturers), so I always have something to do while I'm at work - no boredom in this place! The days go by very quickly, though, and I like the work.

The company itself seems really great. I had benefits coverage the very first day I worked, and I only pay about $30 a week for my dental and medical insurance. Every quarter my department does a fun outing of some sort, and yesterday we went bowling. It was a lot of fun! We got to leave work an hour early to go, and I enjoyed getting to know my co-workers better. I've heard that my co-workers tend to get really stressed out sometimes, especially the managers, but it seems like they also know how to let loose and have fun. I think I'm going to like working there more and more!

Posted by Danielle F on April 15, 2006 at 9:43 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

While attending college for my undergraduate degree I learned that every challege that comes forth will need to be surpassed by a lesson well learned. ( I think that overcoming adversity should be inevitable.... but its not.)
Now that I have recently graduated, I didn't realize that I was going to spend endless hours, days.... even weeks on researching career opportunities and the million different ways to create the "ideal" cover letter and resume.... I am still searching for that perfect job. But until then I am also learning new traits about myself. First, I need to be more patient and understanding that my ideal job will not come over night. SecondIy, I must be open to related opportunities. So my advise to other graduates or college seniors, or anyone looking for a carrer is keep your eyes and ears open to new avenues and ways to get involved to become more marketable. I have always been a true advocate for volunteering and networking. I have learned as a young teen that in order to get recognized as the hardworking person that I am I need make a name for my self and by volunteering with local organizations it has been beneficial in the long run. So have patience, be open minded and network b/c you never know where the journey ahead will lead until you understand that patience is a virtue.

Posted by Estrella F on April 14, 2006 at 4:20 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I've been relating in recent posts that this stage in my life is difficult because there is no plan. However, I don't mean that I haven't outlined a plan for myself, just that after college there is no standard plan. We spend our lives moving from one stepping stone to the next: go to elementary school, go to high school, go to college. You have to decide where to go to college, but the standard today is at least to go. Check, check, check. So then what do you do after college? That's where the stones end and you're faced with the wide open sea, which can be both liberating and oppressing.

So here I am, standing on the last rock, ready to dive off in just a month. I've decided what my next move will be; whether or not I can stand on it for a while, I have yet to see. But I am going to move to College Park, outside of DC, where my boyfriend has a house that is already paid for until August. I will continue my search for entry-level publishing jobs and internships, focusing right now on the non-profit sector, but not limiting myself to it. I realize I have to get experience before I can jump to where I eventually want to be; in five years I hope to working for a certain magazine, based in DC, that concentrates on both socio-political issues and creative writing, my two main interests. If I aquire a position that both affords me enough money to continue living in the city and will help me get to my next rock, my boyfriend and I will move into the city in the fall. If things don't work out--either with him or with the job--I will go home and try something else. But I at least have to take that risk.

I've applied to about nine positions in the last two weeks. I've only heard from one internship position and it was not the response I had hoped. I also heard from that non-profit teaching position I had interviewed for in March. I didn't get that either. Although I don't think I would have taken the job if I did get a position, it still hurts my pride a little. It would have been nice to have a little boost of confidence knowing that someone out there wanted me. Okay, so I may be acting a little dramatic and I feel I'm still early in the game. But I'm trying to stay strong even though my enthusiasm is waning. My friend from home told me yesterday she sent eight resumes to companies in Florida where she hopes to relocate. She heard from four, got interviews for two, a second call from one and that one has not called her since. It's like the March Madness of employment. And I feel like I'm headed in the same direction. When do I know when my options have been exhausted and it's time to go home?

Posted by Caitlin H on April 14, 2006 at 8:14 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

This is more to the families of job-seekers.

I don't know how things were "back in the day." I don't doubt that there was a time when going to college really meant something. But I do know how things are now.

My friend was telling me how his parents and grandparents, none of whom went to college, can't seem to fathom how he does not have a job after graduating in the fall. To quote my friend (not his family), "it's like they think that after college your whole life is just paved in gold." They keep lecturing him about getting a job. like he himself is the only obstacle to overcome. I felt the same way about how my parents treated me after graduation. If I don't have a job it must be my fault, I must not be trying hard enough. If we just hound and nag him enough about it, he will get the motivation-which they seemed to think was the only necesary ingredient-and get a job and live happily ever after. The End.

Was there ever a time when employers fought each other to get the best employees instead of the other way around? Was there even a time when a diploma might as well have been a "get a job free" card? Because that cetainly does not describe today. It is frustrating enough without people on your back all the time. Want to help somebody you know find a job? Great. But do something useful. My parents lecturing me everyday about finding a job did absolutely nothing except piss me off, especially after months and months of hearing the same damn things every day that I did not even need to hear in the first place. So then whenever I would go in to fill out an app or do an interview I would think about their chronic nagging, no matter how hard I tried not to, and get angry. Furious, at times. Does that sound helpful? Understand the situation and try to lessen the frustration, do not make it worse. You will just make finding a job harder for them and make them more miserable in the process.

Posted by Andrew S on April 13, 2006 at 11:08 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Last Friday, I had two, not one, but two job interviews.

You may be asking yourselves, “how does this happen? How does he do it?” How did I go from getting no response to résumés that I send out, or a mailbox full of rejection letters to two interviews?

There’s an expression that says something along the lines of: “It’s all in whom you know.” That is how I came across the first interview. Let’s not even call it an interview at this point—because in all honesty, it wasn’t. It was an informal meeting.

Let’s start at the beginning.

My old boss from college had been keeping an eye out for any job openings in the Minneapolis area that I should look into. A few months ago, somehow, he met someone who works at a company in the Twin Cities, and mentioned me to this person. He got this person’s contact info, and passed it along to me.

I sent in my information, and they told me they didn’t have any openings at the moment, but that they would keep me in mind. A few weeks later, I followed up, just to see if there had been any change. This time, my info was passed along to someone higher up, and that person contacted me.

It just so happened that the week they contacted me was the week I was going to be in the area for another interview. So I made an appointment to come in before my other interview.

This meeting lasted only a half hour—drastically shorter than I thought it would. I talked to the person who had contacted me, and no job was ever really offered. Really, no opening was ever mentioned to me throughout the course of all the emailing I did with this person. He mentioned they need a lot of equipment installers, and I said that I really wasn’t interested in doing that. At that point, I felt like I had kind of botched things, but I also didn’t want to say yes to something that I have no interest in doing. That’s kind of how I ended up in the job I’m stuck in right now.

My plan was to kill time between appointments somewhere in the cities—a coffee shop or whatever. But I had too much time, so I ended up driving back to where I had been staying; an hour away.

I left a few hours later for my second interview, and this actually was an interview. It was for an audio/visual technician opening at a very swank hotel in the Cities. I met with the head of the department, and then with his boss, and then with a woman who worked in the H.R. department, and an hour and a half later, I was on my way back to my girlfriend’s dorm room.

I thought that one went well—at least better than the morning’s had. This was a job I actually was interested in.

So now here I sit, waiting to find out if they are going to hire me or not. I wait, and I worry. It’s sad really, but I’ve come to a point in my life where I can’t just be happy for something that’s happening—I always have to think more about the negative than the positive. I mean, I should be thrilled that I had a job interview for something that I’d like to do. I’ve only had 2 other interviews since I seriously started looking for another job last November.

But then I think about having to try to throw a move together. How quickly can I move up to the area? How much will it cost me? What kind of apartment can I find? I have to keep my girlfriend in mind. Is it a place she’ll like? Can we afford the rent?

I worry about how poorly things are going to go with quitting my current job with the boss I’ve been leading on for the last six months. Will he understand? Will he be happy for me? Will he fire me right there?

Will I be good at my new job? How nervous will I be? I hope I don’t screw up too badly and they regret hiring me.

It’s things like this that keep me up at night. The worry about life eating away at me. I hope some day to be free from all this. To not have to worry about everything.

Until then—I’ll just keep walking on the eggshells that I find littering my path, and hope that everything goes better than I expect it to.

Posted by Kevin K on April 13, 2006 at 7:46 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I had an interview this morning with a printing and packaging company. The positon assists the marketing and sales managers and consists of some administrative work combined with editing. The facilities were nice as were the interviewers. The environment seemed relaxed, but still driven. That's a complementary balance that I like to see.

During the interview, I was prepared for a majority of the questions and felt confident in answering inquiries based around previous positions, strengths and weaknesses, and so forth. Some new questions to me included "What did you like most and least about your previous supervisor?" and "What type of personality do you dislike the most?". For the most part, I thought the question and answer session went relatively well.

About 2/3 of the way in, one of the interviewers asked if I could write some memos and edit and e-mail for him. He started talking and I started scribbling. My hand shook and I tried to take in as much information as I could. He then gave me an e-mail to look over and edit. I was given a computer composed my final product. I'm pretty iffy about my performance on the memos. I type faster than I write, so scribbling shorthand impeded me a bit. And I think I strayed from the generic format. I think the e-mail I edited turned out nicely though.

All in all, the whole experience was a positive one. Whatever the outcome, at least I have more experience under my belt.

Posted by Michelle T on April 13, 2006 at 5:21 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

I think my frustrations have hit their high. I have by no means given up on searching for a job. I am generally a very patient person, and I completely realize there are those out there who have been searching for a job for far longer than I have. However, 7 months later, and I think I've had enough.

I'm either over qualified for positions, or I don't have enough experience. Okay, well do employers not realize even if the person may be over qualified or not, if they are applying for the position obviously they need the job otherwise why would they apply? I have friends who are college graduates who are working as servers in restaurants, working the drive-thru at McDonalds, and whatnot. This is not a pretty job market, and people need jobs. So I'm supposed to be punished for having too much experience? Too much education? That is ridiculous. The last job I held, I interviewed for twice; after the first interview they told me that they wouldn't hire me because they believed that the position was below my educational and experience background. Okay, so they went the long way around to tell me I was over qualified.

And how am I expected to get experience if no one is willing to hire me and give me the chance to gain experience? Everyone has to start somewhere. If I don't work out, fire me. I realize that certain job openings require someone immediately to have knowledge of the positions duties and responsibilities. But do not most jobs require some sort of settling-in and/or training period? Explain to me what I need to do, your preferred way of me accomplishing those duties, and I'll get it done promptly and quickly. That's not enough apparently though. Despite my eagerness and skills, I'm not good enough.

How am I to succeed in the job market if there isn't someone out there willing to provide me an opportunity to gain the experience? Or even provide a job opportunity to me? All I need is a chance to prove myself. The problem is finding the person/company willing to give me that chance.

Posted by Cynthia K on April 13, 2006 at 2:05 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

So about a week or so ago I went in for a third round of interviewing at the company I was hoping to get an internship with. Everyone there seemed really nice, and while the interview didn't go quite as smoothly as I would have liked, things seemed pretty positive by the time I'd left -- only then, I recieved an e-mail two days later saying that I "wasn't what they were looking for" at the time.

It was really disappointing (because up to that point, honestly, things had been going really well, and it was in a perfect location for me to commute to, as a car-less student), so I moped about it for a bit, and then I picked myself back up; I've still got school itself to finish, and the job hunt continues on! Yesterday my school hosted a career fair so I armed myself with a stack of resumes and went charging in. Even the company I had interviewed for was there, but I sort of avoided that table out of stung pride.

I did, however, go around and introduce myself to pretty much everyone who was remotely looking for skills I have or have been developing; I tried to keep a positive face and cheerful attitude (just like they always say!) and I think -- I hope -- it might've paid off; there were a few people who seemed to like me, and I picked up a lot of information from different companies, which I plan to follow-through this weekend. (Which leads to the balancing act of "midterms are coming" and "graduation is coming -- job-hunt!" and "other projects are due." This is going to be interesting.)

But right now, at least, things are beginning to look up again. I've gone hunting for a lot of leads, and hopefully at least one of them will pan out fully!

Posted by Terra C on April 13, 2006 at 12:22 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I've decided that today is the day that I give my two weeks notice to my current job. I feel there are many injustices in my position that are partly fueled by my lack of experience in the work place. While even though I've been working for years no,w it seems every place I've ever worked has been under financial stress. That is perhaps the most true with my current job. I've been working there for eight months, not only have I not recieved a raise, but I've also had my hours cut back. To make matters worse I have 2 years previous work experience with this company and I didn't recieved any compensation for my previous experience. After I asked for more hours so I could more effectively perform my job, I was ignored, and another staff was hired with the remainder of our staffing budget.
The worst part about all this is I didn't even realize it was unfair, until I started complaining to my friends. They seemed almost appauled at my problems, shocked even.
So it should be easy with all of this ammunition to go in there and quit, right? Well I work with kids, which I love, and you can't help but feel like by quitting you are abandoning them. The truth is, however, I'm abandoning my skills, my desire to succeed, and partially my sanity.
I'm nervous about quitting, I've never been that good at it. I feel like I'm letting everyone down, but it comes to a point I suppose where you need to worry about letting yourself down too.

Posted by Amber W on April 12, 2006 at 1:08 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

While in college, I had one internship during my senior year. This internship was done mostly via telecommuting, as I had saved some courses necessary to complete my double major and minor until my last semester, and therefore did not have the time to take an internship for credit. This internship, although slightly unorganized, taught me some major lessons as far as researching on the Internet, interpersonal skills, and working independently, often without a lot of guidelines. However, I knew that I needed more practice. Since I already knew that I was planning to move within a six month period after graduation, and I was working almost every night of the week, I thought that the best thing to do during the fall after my graduation was get another internship. During this time, I worked full-time days at a small event planning agency while continuing to work some nights and weekends at my serving job. To me, this was one of the best decisions I could make. My second internship taught me MANY skills that I would not have acquired otherwise; I learned to tackle a brand new database system, deal with pleased customers as well as irate customers, and because the agency was small, the personal atmosphere allowed me to see a lot of the “inner workings” of the industry. I never felt like “just an intern.” Instead, I felt that I contributed greatly to the company, and these skills will not be forgotten. While this was a great experience for me and fit my then-current situation perfectly, I thought that afterwards, I would be done with internships. However, I have realized that many of the great companies in the public relations industry that I am aspiring to work for actually have internships, and these internships require a Bachelor’s degree. So what I have learned from all of this is that it really is never too late to be “just an intern.” Sometimes it really can be the best way to actively learn about an industry before being thrown into it blindly.

Posted by Mary L on April 12, 2006 at 12:32 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

It is the third month and I still hove not been able to find work. Unless I want to go back being a cashier or paperboy. the whole point of going to school was to get a job I might actually want to work for more than minimum wage but everyone wants us to have experience already. Even when they say it is a great opportunity for students they still want experience. how is that possible if the person is still a student? Unpaid internships do not help those of us with bills to pay, we need a paycheck. So i have extended my search to anything that is not a minimum wage, customer service position and still I find that no one is willing to train. How does one get experience when no one wants to hire a person without it?

Posted by Julio M on April 12, 2006 at 9:41 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

I'm trying to decide if returning to school would be my best choice at this point. I know where I want to end up. I know what would make me happiest, and I know it is an achievable goal. I'm a writer, a very dedicated writer. I'm a photographer and an editor. I can research tirelessly and fearlessly speak to anyone. Using every skill in my arsenal, I can write, edit, lay out and publish my own newspaper if need be.

Since the moment I decided that the journalism field was where I could make the biggest impact, I've followed a path to bring me closer to that goal. Along the way I know that I've had setbacks. It's taken me longer to get my B.A. then I ever thought it would. I had a terrible accident that left me recovering from surgery for months. Things out in the real world have bruised and battered me body and soul.

Lately I find myself with renewed purpose and dedication. I get that mythic college diploma I've been working for this summer. Then I face the real world out there.

To follow my dreams, I know I need more education and experience. In the meantime, I want to polish my Spanish skills, make a name for myself here and perhaps try for a graduate degree in Spanish language journalism.

Part of me is afraid that grad school would just be another way of pushing the real world further into the future. Yet I think I can make excellent contacts and open up new opportunities with this program. One of the teachers used to teach at the community college I went to and she has really been a wonderful mentor all these years. She's advised me it would be a good way to better my chances of landing my dream job. It wasn't until I took a job working at a small television company that things really came into focus. I have experience both in student publications and internships, but all my work has been in the print world. This was my first foray into the world of entertainment and commercial television, and it wasn't a taste I particularly liked. The print world is where I belong and where my greatest skills are best put to use. It was good as a learning experience because it was the largest media company I've worked for so far, and since I worked in the logistics office I got a chance to see how things really work at the top. I learned how to make great impressions and how much work goes into the corporate side of things. More then anything, however, I learned that I'm happiest when I'm writing, taking pictures and editing, and that I honestly won't be satisfied doing anything else.

Until I land that dream job, I'll be freelancing, doing everything I can to get published. I think that grad school might make things easier, but I know that the only way to become a writer is to write.

Posted by Elizabeth F on April 11, 2006 at 8:59 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I've been generally feeling positive lately about the job search and the prospect of self-made independence. The more I research different companies and job posting, the more excited I become about the life I could potentially have in just a few weeks. So I was feeling confident when I travelled home again this weekend. As I've mentioned, I've been going home to Philadelphia a lot recently for various family events. This weekend it was my sister's birthday luncheon at a nice restaurant with all aunts (I have many), grandmothers, and female cousins. Being the oldest grandchild usually has its perks, but Sunday I felt the other side of the role: pressure. Are you excited to graduate? Are you sad? Can you believe it went by so fast? I could handle those questions. But then they inevitably turned into what are you doing after you graduate? If you're moving, do you have a job yet? Do you know exactly what you want to do? Try explaining to twenty women from a different day and age that you're moving to another city, you don't have a job yet, and you're just looking to try things on for size. You will get fake smiles and puzzled glances. But am I really crazy? Is it that uncommon to graduate and not have something lined up? And does that look poorly on my character that I'm making such a seemingly spontaneous decision?

I found myself getting defensive and answering some of their questions with "No I don't have a job yet, but actually neither do most of my friends. In fact, only one of my good friends has a job and that's because she had an internship with the company last summer." I did not mention that a good number of my friends were going to grad school or law school and others at least had had interviews lined up. I didn't know why I felt so ashamed almost. It wasn't like I wanted to go to grad school or law school right away; for me that decision would have just been an act to prolong the career decision another three years. And it wasn't like I wasn't trying to get interviews, I'm just a little behind in the application process.

A long ride back to school and half of an anxiety attack later I realized I was so upset because I wasn't trying to prove to them that I was doing my best, I was trying to prove it to myself. I'm so used to being someone who's on the top of her game, that doesn't everything according to plan. But when there's no specified plan to follow, I doubt any move I make is the right one. So I resolved to not get discouraged, to allow myself only a few minutes a day to feel stressed out and then move on. Because the only way the situation will get fixed is if I get a job. And anxiety attacks are not going to make contacts, send resumes or land interviews. There are no such thing as mistakes at this point in the game because there's nothing to lose.

Posted by Caitlin H on April 11, 2006 at 5:18 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Long time, no post, my apologies :oD

Well, things are looking a lot brighter around here. I've accepted a part-time data entry position AND I've been admitted into the graduate program I applied to!

The job seems like it's just a cut-and-paste type of deal, and it's only part-time and doesn't pay that great, BUT I can set my own hours (as long as I'm getting 25/week) and it's casual attire! Not too bad, especially considering that I'm not going to be there for very long. Also, part-time might turn into a blessing if it can get me to make more art; I've been in a bit of a slump, so maybe the extra time will be a benefit!

In any case, here's me crossing my fingers in the hopes that all will go well... will post again tomorrow afternoon!

Posted by Sarah B on April 11, 2006 at 2:21 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

During the past year, I have realized just what a depressed city I live in. By depressed, I mean that there are very few jobs for those with liberal arts backgrounds, despite the fact that my city is home to more than six major colleges, all with strong liberal arts programs. So what does one do? My answer is RELOCATE. Within a month, I will be moving to a major city with a fast growing job market and opportunity at every step (so I have been told). I am not worried about some things, like getting homesick or not making friends, things that people have to think about at any age. I am not even that worried about finding job opportunities. However, I am terrified that my resume will never be good enough, that my experience is not relevant, that my computer skills are lacking. I am not bi-lingual. But mostly, I worry that this "gap year" will really hurt me. With my college degree in hand, I have been waiting tables for the past year, saving money for this move and trying to support my present living situation in the process. Does this make me look lazy as far as job searching goes? Is it unacceptable that I didn’t try that hard because I had no intentions of staying here for long?

Posted by Mary L on April 11, 2006 at 12:05 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Okay. So, I wrote and sent a follow up letter the other day to a company in which I had an interview the end of March. I let about a week and a half go by before I called the company (which is today) and I let the assistant president of this company know that I was still interested in the position. The assistant president of the company told me at my own interview that the company would be interviewing people until the first full week in April, so I thought I'd give it a try and see if they filled the position yet. Thankfully, the woman told me that it wasn't filled yet, but when I told her that I was still interested in the job, she was like, "Um, thanks for letting me know that. Thanks, bye." I got the impression that she didn't care if I was still interested in the job, almost as if it didn't make a difference if I called and let her know that I wanted the job or if I didn't call. I hung up the phone depressed and feeling like I just wasted my time. It only took two minutes to call and talk to her, but before I spoke to her, my spirits were high. I thought that my calling might impress her and help me to get the job, but I got a totally different feeling after I hung up the phone. So, my question is: Does it really matter if a job seeker calls the employer back? I'm hoping that not all employers are like this. Should I have just sent the follow up letter and that's it? I didn't think I was too pushy, but I want to know that my effort counts for something. Also, I don't really know what else to say to the employer other than that I'm still interested in the job. I don't know what to say that doesn't sound like I'm repeating myself from things I listed on my resume and and the things I said during my interview. I know that I need to do whatever I need to in order to land a job, but every company is different.

Posted by Jill E on April 10, 2006 at 10:36 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

It’s hard, they say. And they’re right. It was easy in college. I always scheduled my classes as early as possible—my mind works best before noon, blame it on biorhythms or whatever—and I was always in class before anybody else, coffee thermos and notepad at the ready. It wasn’t work; learning is fun.

I’ve been out of school for going on two years. Graduated with a B. A. in English with a concentration in creative writing and minors in studio art and business writing. I set out to become a writer and an artist—I am a writer and an artist, slowly but surely, a short story here, a painting there—but there’s more to dreams than dreaming. A man’s gotta eat, and, like it or not, said man must work for food.

So I struggle through the days to get to the nights; I struggle through the day job to get back to the page, or to the canvas, or to whatever project I’ve decided to commit my endangered free time to. Days are long. Data entry, making bills of lading for cargo ships. Nights go quickly, dinner with the future Mrs., then back to work—except when Lost is brand new, I’m a sucker for character development and mystery—and when I can’t feel myself anymore, I go to sleep. Deep sleep that ends too soon. And tomorrow I’ll wake up and do it all again. It’s hard, yes, but it’s necessary.

Posted by Jamie G on April 10, 2006 at 10:33 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

One of the biggest challenges for me right now is getting out of Florida. I really, really want to go somewhere where a) I can pursue better opportunities and b) I like. I love New England and NYC. I am really excited today because I just heard from a recruiter in the Boston area that I might be able to get a position with a well-known specialty retailer.

It’s a step down in title, but a step up in salary (even considering the higher cost of living there, which isn’t so bad because the area is 45 minutes outside of Boston and not that pricey – and it’s a cute, historical area, too), plus they seem to promote from within.

I haven’t even spoken to the company, so my excitement is beyond premature, bit it makes me feel good to know there is a recruiter trying to place me and who seemed so confident he could arrange a phone interview. He seemed impressed by my resume, and they’re a pretty good recruitment agency for this field. So, yay!

If it works out, and I got to move to the Boston area… I guess, I’d feel like my life was really beginning. That’s the hardest part about Florida. It feels like any relationships I forge here – professional or personal – are temporary, because I really, really, really, really, really don’t want to stay here (or even be here).

It’s hard because I’ve purposefully put myself on a career track that barely exists in Florida (because I knew it existed in the areas I liked), so it’s not like there are real opportunities here, and it’s very difficult to relocate at professional entry-level or close to it. So, a real opportunity – and speaking to a real person! – feels like a huge step.

*Fingers crossed*

Posted by Alison H on April 10, 2006 at 2:42 PM | Leave a Comment (3)

When I first started my job search, I found myself responding to five+ job offers a day in a small amount of time. I hoped that this rapid fire sending of resumes would inevitably lead to an interview. What I didn’t anticipate, however, is that none of my resumes would be tailor made to the company, and that the chances of any of them passing the first round of inspection was minimal at best. I didn’t know what each company wanted, so I couldn’t shape my resume around their needs.

Other problems with this approach included low self-esteem: when I gave companies a cookie-cutter resume I did not have the research to back it up; there was no research folder, or any physical form of progress for me to fall back on. Because I didn’t know the company, I didn’t really feel like I had done any “real” work during the day. I spent too much time on the major job search engines and never seemed to click on any of the companies’ websites. Also, I was too new in the process to realize that spending less than two hours a day searching for a job would not get me anywhere.

Another problem that seemed to creep into the equation was I didn’t seem to be able to check my resumes for typos correctly, because I was too hurried to look for the next job offer. One of the times, I left the wrong date on the resume (ouch!).

So – slow down – do the research and check your work before you send.

Posted by Nicole K on April 10, 2006 at 1:19 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Well I didn't hear word from the recruiter this last week about rescheduling my interview, so I think it's safe to assume the company that originally scheduled me for the interview hired someone. I haven't even heard word from her about setting me up with an interview somewhere else. I really think I've gotten to the point where I want to give up. I haven't given up, but I have slowly come to the point where I want to slide my toe over that line and throw my arms up. I have applied to fast food restaurants, department stores, etc. as well and have not heard a word from everyone. This has really become a major snag in my plans for moving on. If I just had one chance I know I would succeed and accomplish my goals. But that one chance I'm looking for doesn't seem to want to present itself.

Posted by Cynthia K on April 10, 2006 at 10:42 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

In my previous blog, I was completely shocked to receive an e-mail from one of my idols in the PR world. He suggested that I apply for a position at his company. Of course it wasn’t exactly a definite job offer but even as a suggestion I still felt honored. Well after I sent a return response and explained my situation (about relocating) I was still encouraged to apply for a position.

At this time things are complicated for me. My husband is supposed to be deploying to Iraq in about five months. Then I plan to relocate to live near family members. The closest place to apply for the position is about two hours away from where I would live. However, I would be willing to drive that far to have this job.

The only thing that concerns me is that I have the feeling that I will be “out of my league.” I feel that if I did get this job that I would be skipping a step that greatly needed to be taken. My mind tells me that this is all going too fast. I want to work at this company but I feel that I need more hands on experience.

I really want to get a job in PR after I relocate. Then when I feel more self-assured, I would like to apply for the job with this big PR company.

In a way I feel like I’m cowering and giving up too easily. On the other hand I feel that if I have the chance to work with one of the best PR companies than I should be at my best.

Therefore, I guess I am going to have to explain all this and just pray that this opportunity will come around again. I just don’t think I’m ready and I can’t knowingly go for my dream job feeling like I’m setting myself up for failure.

Posted by Chanda D on April 8, 2006 at 9:35 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I went home last weekend for some family events and started talking to my mom about the whole “future” thing. To my utter surprise, she said to me, “Cait, of course I want you to have a cookie-cutter life: get married, buy a house, have kids. But I know now that that’s my life, not yours. So go to the city, try out some things, travel while you can. I’m excited for you.” Who is this woman who claims she’s my mother?

So after that little boost of encouragement, I’ve been furiously searching for jobs and internships on different career sites. I figured I’ll take paid internships in exchange for experience. Yesterday, I applied to three different places:
1) A temporary position with an agency that edits documents for companies that have outsourced their editing to the agency. Lots of experience, lots of exposure to different types of publications.
2) A grassroots movement internship to be a campaign assistant. Lets me get to know the city better and I have the opportunity to speak Spanish. Sounds like fun.
3) A not-for-profit focusing on the Latino community and education. Combines a lot of my interests and I will definitely have to communicate in Spanish. Very exciting.

I’m also finding that everyone on this blog that says that job searching is a job is so right. I woke up yesterday morning and spent hours at my computer, looking up jobs and internships, researching companies and writing up cover letters. I had to force myself to go to class, only with the incentive that I have to go to class to pass and graduate. And even in class, I was thinking about jobs, Washington, housing, companies to look up when I got home. Balancing school and job searching is, well, not fun.

Posted by Caitlin H on April 7, 2006 at 8:07 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Some companies require graduates to have experience, that's great, but what if you have a degree with no experience what are you to do? There are two things that a person can do to get experience for the career position and help boost your resume.

The first one is to intern, at a company even if you have to be a gopher or work in the mail room. If you are going to do an intern get a mentor(s) in the company and ask questions about their position in the company. You'll be surprised at what you find out. You should also see if you can sit in on meetings make sure (if possible) to take notes and discuss what you did not understand with your mentor(s). Most internships are not advertised sometimes you have to call or email the head of a department, human resources or president and request to do an internship. You may find that they pay their interns and are seeking to hire one immediately. However if they tell you that they have an unpaid internship take it till you find a paid internship or a paying fulltime job. Remember your goal is to get into your career. You can of course network and always do a great job at your internship so that you may recieve a great recommendation for a paid position whether in that company or with another company. There are various internships at many companies. Don't limit yourself seek internships in small, medium and large companies.

The second, is volunteering. This is also a great way to determine you are a great fit for the company, but most importantly if the company is a great fit for you. Remember this will possibly be your career so you want to make sure that it fits. Volunteering is wonderful there are positions where you are a paid volunteer and your helping build your community. These are great networking positions to lauch your career search. I worked with a program for two years and I networked with city and state political officials, business owners, and school officials. All of which I have recieved great recommendations to carry to my future potential employers. While with this program the monetary gain is little, but you do get help with student loans along with some health benefits. There are many other internships and volunteer positions out there in all fields and majors, you just have to do some research and calling.

If you commit to one or both while unemployed it shows that you are energetic, and persistent in wanting to get your foot in the door with that company and more so in your career. You will also gain insight into the daily workings of the company, inside job openings, and networking. These are great because if your unemployed and you are either interning, volunteering or both prospective employers will see a person who does not like to sit and do nothing on their down time.

Posted by K Harris on April 6, 2006 at 2:15 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

First of all, a B.A./B.S. doesn't mean that much anymore. Too many people go to college nowadays for it to mean a lot salary-wise. And, yes, there are a lot of jobs that require a college degree and actually pay less than some jobs that don't, but I think it has to do with more than just experience.

For instance, if I stay where I am now for a couple of years --- a job that is essentially an administrative assistant job at its core and does not require a degree --- I'd likely make more over those years than I would if I left for any of the jobs I'm looking at. If I got an office manager position somewhere else or a Executive Assistant to the President position somewhere larger (again, not jobs that generally require college degrees), I could easily make $10,000 more next year than I would at say an Ad Agency.

Now, if you graduate with a degree in Engineering in my area, you can make $60,000 out of the gate and a talented programmer just graduating can probably do about the same.

Again, I don't think it's just experience because a) I actually have a couple of years of full time work experience, and I'm in the same boat, and b) the salaries are generally pretty similar by industry in almost everything I've looked at. If you get hired at an entry-level, you get X pay because there are 50 people lined up outside the door who want that entry-level job that leads to better things. It's simply economics. There aren't as many people who want to be good secretaries, good plumbers, good electricians (my dad owns an electrical contracting company, and he pays good electricians ridiculous salaries), etc... so those jobs can often pay pretty well. It's the Supply Curve at work.

Nowadays, you don't go to college to make more money (or you shouldn't, usually). You go to get into fields you can't get into with a High School Diploma, or to get to positions you can't reach without the degree.

I know they use those studies ("a College Graduate will make ____ more over the course of their lifetime"), but I think those are flawed based on the people, not the degrees. The people that choose to go to college are generally more ambitious and often more hard-working. Not always. Sometimes, a High School Graduate knows they want to be an electrician or whatnot, and they know they don't need college; they might be just as hard-working and ambitious, and they'll probably make just as much money as the average College Graduate. So, the sample is skewed, because the more driven, focused, ambitious people are in the pool, not because of the magical effects of a B.A. (or B.S.).

I think the people who use, compile, and promote those studies realize they are flawed, too, but nowadays high schools are trying to flood colleges with everybody they can try to motivate, and it's easier to motivate a 16 year old by saying, "Do you want to be poor or not?" than actually sitting them down and seeing their aptitude and what they want out of life, so that the schools can give them real guidance on whether or not to go to college and how to approach their career.

You make great pay in any field through achievement, ambition, intelligence, and hard work. A piece of paper might get you in the door, but you can't expect someone to hand over a reasonable salary until you've done a reasonable day's work. If you're already making more than the jobs are offering, you might have some negotiating room, but businesses also know that you need them. The only way to get more money is to show --- in a practical way --- why they need you more. That's how Sales works usually. The person who needs (or seems to need) the other less wins.

Posted by Alison H on April 6, 2006 at 7:49 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

My topic comes in response to the "Little Pay" entry. I agree that employers are not paying what they should, especially to college graduates.
I obtained my Associates Degree and Bachelor's Degree, and a friend of mine, who has a high school diploma makes $4,000 more per year. I believe the problem is experience. A high school grad most likely began working full-time post-graduation, which gives them four years of job experience, compared to a college grad who begins working full-time after four years in college.
It is difficult to accept a position which pays less than you feel you deserve, but in situations like these, one should weigh the pros and cons: Are there advancement opportunities? How often are raises/bonuses given? If the job is in your field, and the pros outweigh the cons, I would definitely go for it!

Posted by Genae G on April 6, 2006 at 3:22 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Since blogs attempt to be the subject of much debates and concern at the moment, it seems necessary than an educated opinion should be posted by the community who most uses these resources. While generally our entries are requested to not post companies by name, Myspace.com and Facebook.com are two websites which allow blogging, and I have been asked to post my comments about them. Below is my opinion of the intended purpose to which posters post information, and also my views on the extent to which the information offered has been exploited.

I graduated from college last May, and Facebook.com was becoming increasingly popular towards the end of my student career. I was asked repeatedly to put up information on Facebook.com, and there is an entry which exists to this day. All I offered was contact information in addition to other basic information: my major, what classes I was currently enrolled in, and so on. Facebook.com has offered many people from my past the opportunity of either keeping in touch with me or rekindling some contact, but for the most part I shun my facebook messages, my 'wall', and all other forms of communication which Facebook.com offers. People may feel free to either IM or email me since the information is freely posted, but generally this means of communication appears to be too direct for a number of people who are not sure that they will be welcome in my life (even as remote as an occasional electronic contact may offer) or too taxing for those who do not feel like putting much effort into contacting me once they have stumbled across my page. If people did regularly contact me after they were added or rejected from my contact list, I cannot say that I would reciprocate much of the effort the majority of the time.

Further, I generally shun blogging as an act of expression. A few of you readers may be able to appreciate the irony which is offered there: I reject personal blogs for specific and real reasons, yet here I am posting my reflections. First, I was invited to post in this blog. Further, I was offered the experience which can be gained through an internship. Finally, this blog, because of the means by which I was contacted and by virtue of the subject matter, is generally professiona in content while purposefully informal in appearance. Therefore, let it be sufficient that I promise I do not blog apart from this internship, or if you are very stubborn about refusing the irony of my position then feel free to check my Facebook.com account and see the extent of my personal interaction.

I do not express myself by means of blogging for several reasons. First, the internet (along with most methods of electronic communication) offers both an abstract and an actual distance between the speaker and the audience. I disapprove of distance between the factors of a conversation because it allows for several qualities to appear which would not take place in typical conversation. Such qualities include but are not limited to rashness, insincerity, and several other vices which would generally be reprimanded through the course of a polite conversation. Second, the internet allows a conversation to take on the qualities of a published document without allowing the author to appreciate the hermeneutics (the study of how one understands the message) of what exactly he is creating. Business ethics 101 clearly states that one person should not put anything in an email which could be viewed as derogatory, personal, or otherwhise may not be strictly business related; for all business related things, discuss them without using email if at all possible. This is because the maxim which my father preached to me as a child is generally not appreciated in the supposedly informal medium which the internet promises yet fails to offer: "Do not put anything in writing which you would not want published" (or, Steven Rotherberg similarly stated in his post concerning blogging, "You should assume that anything that you post on-line is going to be read by your old-fashioned grandmother").

In contrast to this advice, the internet is generally (via hermeneutics) recognized as an informal gathering place in which people can publicly and proudly practice their anarchy and ignore the culture which they constantly obey during their working hours. As professionals, young people are generally aware of how people ought to act in a corporate environment, and they are further aware that these rules are different from the rules which they use in order to conduct business as usual with their friends or family. Websites which allow blogging are spaces who would seem wholly separate from the work place, and this separation between work and home encourages honesty or boldness which is not acceptable in the workplace. However, recent events and news articles reveal that the suggested separation is, in fact, fictitious.

The internet, at its most basic compenents, is a collection of data which has been pooled together in order to aid in efficient research. The purpose of a Human Resources department is to research candidates in order to gather a substantial amount of information which will be used in order to properly assess qualified candidates for any particular position. A simple sylogism therefore follows: HR departments will find information about you on the internet. If you want to know what they have immediate and free access to, type your name into any search bar (the more powerful and popular search engines will most likely be utilized by HR people). Any individual in charge of the hiring process is allowed to discriminate between candidates based on any criteria which is not strictly prohibited by law. Smoking, sexual preference, weight, and hair color are all fair game, so far as I understand it.

Why, then, offer such unnecessary and most likely volatile information over an easily accessible median? If you want to flaunt your life, your whirlwind of emotions, your particular subjective understanding of the human consciousness, or any other personal fact to the public then power to you, and my hat is off to you. One should not be afraid of offering an honest depiction of oneself to society. I, however, will let society come to know me by my day to day actions, and I will not offer my thoughts into the broad electronic medium which the internet offers simply so that they may be misunderstood by people who have yet to have personal contact with me. Therefore, I will not blog. Let those who know me know me, and let those who do not find me when they are able.

Posted by Greg F on April 5, 2006 at 8:25 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I was offered a job in my field of study, but for little pay. I expected that by being a college graduate, the pay would be much higher. It's pretty sad that the salary they told me I would be getting paid was just over minimum wage. How can companies pay people this money if they require the degree? How can they get away with it? Even though it's the only company that has offered me a job within my field, doing what I want to do, I turned it down because of the low pay. Has anyone else had this problem?

Posted by Jill E on April 5, 2006 at 1:36 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I had an interview for an internship at a publishing house a few weeks ago. I found out recently that I did not get the position, which has me relatively upset: even though I have another position lined up for the summer, I wanted this one more - it's more directly related to my area of interest.

However, I was offered the opportunity to take a similar position during the fall semester, but because of my schedule I was unable to take it. If I understand correctly though, I am on the "list" as a spring intern, so hopefully that will work out well.

It's interesting because my levels of confidence have been proven wrong. Everywhere I was sure that I would hear from in a postive fashion have turned me down, but I seem to be getting call backs to the places I have lesser interest in.

Whatever works.

Posted by Erin S on April 4, 2006 at 11:09 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

“What about you? You think you’re going to be around here for a while….”

“…For the most part, sure. Yeah. I should be around here for a while.”

It’s conversations like this you never expect to have with your boss at 8:15 a.m. on a Saturday morning. But here I am, and here he is, and here we are.

And I’m lying. I am lying through my teeth. I am lying right to this man’s face.

I guess I’m qualified to do that. I have a B.A. in theatre.

It’s month seven of this job, and I’ve been looking for a new one for about six of those. I’ve even had interviews in that period of time, and I’ve just always made up excuses as to why I couldn’t work: “Is it cool if I leave for lunch a little early today?” or “I know I’m taking Friday afternoon and Saturday off, but I was wondering if I could take all of Friday off too? My mom needs me to help her move some boxes in the basement before I go to visit my girlfriend.”

“The reason I’m asking is because I was at home last night thinking ‘Why did he have to leave work early yesterday? Does he have a job interview?’ Well, I thought I’d just flat out ask you.”

“No. I didn’t. I had an emergency I had to take care of in town, and it needed to be done before 4:30.”

Maybe he’s seen through my thinly veiled disguises. And all this time, I thought I was so clever. But this time in question—I really did have an emergency.

When I got home that Saturday afternoon, I started to wonder if I had done the right thing. I hadn’t expected that question to ever be asked of me, especially not at that time in the morning on a Saturday. For a moment, right after he asked me, time stood still, and I thought “well, here’s my chance to be honest.” I could have told him how unhappy I was, how I had been seriously looking for a new job and that I was hoping I would find one very soon. But what would all that honesty have gotten me?

My boss is a very unstable man. And ever since I started getting job interviews rather than “no thank you” letters, I started worrying about how the whole “we need to talk” conversation would go with him. Would he understand? Would he wish me well? Or would his face turn red? Would he say “F—k you,” and tell me to get out?

So when he confronted me, I took that split second when time stood still, and wondered if I wanted to have that conversation now. Or did I want to wait until I had another offer, when the risk of getting fired would give me more time to pack up my apartment?

I chose the lie. To make things easier on myself for the time being. To keep up the illusion that I’m happy with what I’m doing. And to make things harder for when I have to be honest with him.

It’s reminiscent of when I was younger, and I would do something wrong. I wouldn’t tell my mother about it, but when she found out about it, I would be in more trouble than I would have been if I had just told her when it happened.

Hopefully something new will come along—hopefully I will find my ticket out. It’s getting harder to keep this lie up for the time being.

Posted by Kevin K on April 4, 2006 at 8:06 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Remember when a fun night out was jacking yourself up on coffee and waxing intellectual about Derrida, Marx or Jung? Yeah me too, that space in college where you can pretend you are an intellectual and know more than anyone else. That place that bursts the second you walk across that stage to get your diploma. Waxing intellectual about dead white dudes just doesn’t seem as important. It’s as if no one has heard or Bahktin in the real world and knowing who he is doesn’t seem to make you any better when you are in a job interview.
Right now I work part time with kids. That means my brain power is reserved for organizing dodge ball and making pine cone turkeys. At first I looked at the job as a sort of break, something after college to give my brain some time to come down from the constant education I’d been receiving since I was five years old. Yet only a few months in and my frustration already outweighs the benefits. I just wish one of the kids would sit down and talk to me about life, religion, literature, something other than cartoons and kickball.
Then the other day as I was cleaning up Goldfish crackers from the ground one of the kids said, “Boy you sure are lucky.”
I wasn’t sure what they were picking up on, what they thought I was so lucky for. I looked around and saw the smiling faces having fun and realized not everyone gets paid to deal out happiness. “Anyone who grows up to work with kids like you is very lucky.” I said back.
I still feel frustrated at times, but I know I must be lucky. I keep looking for those other jobs, but in the mean time I guess I just have to accept the positive points about my work, and keep in mind making pinecone turkeys is far better than most things. It’s not full time, and that makes it hard to keep as a job, but if I could do it forever for free I would. If money weren’t an object, and if I was given the choice between working with the kids and working in my major it would be a hard decision, but either way I think I’d still be one of the lucky ones.

Posted by Amber W on April 4, 2006 at 4:53 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I may have found a happy medium between starting life and teaching. It’s a non-profit organization that places high-performing recent graduates in low income schools in an effort to narrow the playing field for under-privileged students. In exchange for two years service, you receive a teaching certificate, receive scholarships for masters degrees, a full salary and benefits from your school district, and the possibility of getting student loans forgiven. I’m even able to request a city (I chose Washington, naturally). But the work is hard. Really hard. I thought Mom would be impressed, but she was far from it. The prospect of me living or even just teaching in the inner city upset her. She started to talking to everyone at work—other nurses, patients, friends of patients, some of my own family members—who all curiously said the same thing: don’t do it. In spite of the discouragement I was receiving from the homefront, I applied and landed an interview.

Their interview process is somewhat unique in that I had to prepare a five-minute sample teaching lesson, participate in group and individual problem solving activities and then finally have a personal interview. And you interview with twelve other candidates, although you are not competing with them; the organization takes as many candidates that meet their qualifications.

The day of the interview, I was feeling confident. This was my first professional interview and I had prepared by asking my roommates—all business majors—about my resume, what to wear, how to go about following up. I even bought my first suit over spring break. So when I went into the interview, I was prepared enough to know roughly what to expect, but ignorant enough to not be completely nervous.

My sample lesson (the poetic structure of haiku), could not have gone better. I timed it perfectly and the other candidates seemed to respond well to the activity I planned. My opinions and arguments were very present during our group problem solving activity, but I was careful to listen to others. And my writing portion was, expectedly, probably my strongest element. So once the afternoon rolled around and my personal interview came, I was confident and relaxed.

And then the questions came rolling in. Why this program? What goals would you set for your students? What do you think is the hardest challenge facing these students? She asked how I kept myself organized and I explained my planner system (I actually heard later that in a separate interview, she actually asked to see someone else’s planner…can they even do that?). I had obviously prepared all sorts of answers to questions like these, but as soon as I started answering, I felt intimidated—something I rarely feel. I got flustered and rambled, sometimes even forgetting the question in the middle of the answer. I’m not sure if my lack of articulation was as obvious to my interviewer, but I felt awful and just stupid.

My last plea was my follow-up email, in which I complimented her inspiring stories of her experiences as a teacher in the organization. She wrote back the next day, explaining that my life experiences will inform my practice as a teacher in any form. I took that to mean, nice job, but not for us. So I did my best and that’s all I could do. My gut feeling says I didn’t get it, but I’m not even sure I would accept an offer if I received one. One day at a time, I suppose. I find out in two weeks.
In the meantime, back to the job search…

Posted by Caitlin H on April 4, 2006 at 7:36 AM | Leave a Comment (2)

Well, I'm 95% sure I got the job. I might have to meet one more person who was supposed to be there today, but everything else went great. The HR guy was not at all cultish or "We're so great!" so maybe that's only true in the retail and wholesale sales companies and the publishing world is more straightforward, I don't know. Or maybe I'm just too cynical. Anyway, he still asked the cheesy questions, but after my whole rant about "honest interviews" I actually said some things I normally wouldn't (about difficult people I've worked with) and that really worked in my favor in this case, because apparently their reservation with candidates is finding someone who can handle the stress level of dealing with some difficult characters, which I can definitely do with my experience.

Getting this part-time job would be amazing and scary. It'd be my first foot in the door at a publishing house, but it would also mean I'd be working 7 days a week, and I'd prefer to have 1 day off to run errands and such during the day. See, I can't quit my other job because a) I'm in the middle of a huge inventory project they just paid a couple thousand dollars for, b) they give me free health insurance and the part-time job wouldn't provide any option to even buy in for 3 months and then, it'd be expensive, and c) I can't live on a 20-hour a week salary. I can barely live on my 32-hour a week salary without dipping into my savings. Also, I'm supposedly getting a raise at my job this week, so it's not exactly the perfect time to leave.

So, I'd be working Monday, Wednesday (9-4, before my 4:30-6:30 classes Mon and Wed nights which ends April 24th), and Friday (9-5) at the new job, and Tuesday, Thursday (10-6), Saturday (10-5), Sunday (12-5) at the old job for at least three months before the publishing thing could become a permanent, full-time position. It'd probably be closer to 6 months.

That's kind of scary. I'm hoping I can maybe cut back to three days a week at the old job eventually, but I'm kind of lucky they're paying for the health care as it is because it's technically only for full-time employees. They only offered to add me because they valued my work as much as any of their full-time people. I know they won't be thrilled to hear about the new job, because I know they want to retain me, but it's just not my field and it's not something I see myself doing forever. I like them and I love learning some of the things I've learned, but it's not a long-term situation.

I'm not sure if publishing is "my thing" either. I know I'd do well in advertising, marketing, publishing, something like that. If I could move up at this company and then make the leap to New York or somewhere after becoming a managing editor, I wouldn't have to go through the terrible "no money" phase and then I could go into magazine publishing... I don't know. Anyway, it's a great thing to add to my resume, diversify me further, show that I can cut it at a publishing house.

So, I'm happy and terrified. And soon to be overworked. But, I actually like working, and I think I'll like it better if it's not a lot of days at the same place. I'm a little ADD still, so rotating days is probably a pretty good schedule for me.

Posted by Alison H on April 3, 2006 at 8:46 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

This entry will probably be brief because right now I'm in complete and utter shock! I just got an e-mail from one of the most successful professionals in Public Relations. Previously, I wrote a comment on his blog site but I didn't think that I would ever get any feedback. Now, I receive an e-mail from him suggesting that I apply for a position. Again, I am totally in shock. What a blessing and totally unexpected highlight in my life. This is a real awakening to the power of the internet and blogging. I still can't believe it but my mom always said,"If you want something bad enough, don't give up until you have it.”

Posted by Chanda D on April 3, 2006 at 5:46 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I started referring to it as choosing between the lesser of two evils.

Long story short:

Last June, about three weeks into my job search post-graduation, out of desperation, I started asking an acquaintance of mine about where she worked, and if there were any openings. It came up in conversation one day that she videotaped weddings, and with the audio/visual experience I had in college, I figured it was something I could do.

I sent her boss my résumé, and I came in to talk to him. I can’t call what happened that morning a job interview, because there was no interview. I could barely get him to sit down at his desk and talk to me. And when I finally did, he told me he couldn’t hire me at the time.

So it came as a surprise when, a month later, he called me at 8 o’clock in the morning and offered me a job.

I had gotten my wish, or at least at the time, that’s what I thought. It was a way for me to move out of my mother’s house. It was the break I had been waiting almost three months for.

And seven months later—I realize the mistake that I made.

At times, I regret taking that position. It’s made me nothing but miserable since I figured out what kind of person my boss is. Video taping weddings and video production is one thing—but it’s not a professional video production company. It’s an office in the back of the appliance store that he runs. And not only am I standing behind the lens of a camera at a wedding I wasn’t invited to, I am trying to convince some middle-aged farm couple of the benefits of a front-loading washing machine. I am not a sales person, nor will I ever be one.

Yet, here I am, whoring out satellite dishes.

But most of the time, I just answer the phone. And I pray that 5 o’clock comes faster than it did the day before.

Did I make the wrong decision though? I’m unhappy, but I’m out on my own. Had I stayed in my mother’s house, and taken some part time job at a sandwich shop until I found something more solid to move out for—what kind of shape would I be in? I wouldn’t have rent to worry about paying, but at the time, it wasn’t money that I was worried about.

And now, almost a year has passed since this whole mess started. But I’ve learned from my past mistakes. I started looking for a new job back in November. And out of everything that I’ve sent my résumé out to—every writing job I’m not qualified for because I don’t have a degree in English or Journalism—I’ve only gotten two job interviews.

There is hope though—another interview on Friday afternoon. If this works, it would be a godsend. A way out of Dubuque, IA, a way out of my cold apartment, and a way out of my job.

But if the past has taught me anything, it is that I shouldn’t put a lot of faith into interviews. That’s a terrible attitude to have, but after almost a year of “no thank you” letters and after almost a year spent in hell—wouldn’t you feel the same way?

Here’s hoping though.

Posted by Kevin K on April 2, 2006 at 1:54 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

This week I’ve gotten more excited about life after graduation than I have been in a while. I’ve listened to what I really want to do, and judging by my emotional responses, what I want to do is move to Washington, DC (from suburban Philadelphia). Why Washington? Because I love that city. It’s not too far from home but just far enough. There are so many opportunities for service jobs. And I have a lot of friends moving there. What I want to do in Washington is write, concentrating on public policy and community service. But here’s the problem: I don’t have experience. I’ve gotten excellent grades, I have impressive extra-curriculars, and I studied abroad in Spain, but no professional portfolio of published work (holy alliteration, Batman). What I have done is take several different writing courses—creative writing, fiction writing, expository writing, creative non-fiction, arts reviewing—and gotten amazing feedback from professors, some of whom are accomplished authors and poets. In fact, one professor in particular sat me down and asked if I was dead set on teaching. When I told I wasn’t really that into the teaching thing, she said good, you can make it as a writer. Okay, great. I had the encouragement, but still no experience.

So what do I do? Naturally, I started with the internet, searching for entry-level, no experience necessary, writing careers in Washington. There are writing/editing/assistant positions in Washington, DC. There are even entry-level writing/editing/assistant positions in Washington, DC. But, so far, there are no experience-less, entry level writing/editing/assistant positions in Washington, DC. So here’s my dilemma: do I continue to post my resume (again, sans any professional experience) on Monster and USAjobs.gov and several other engines in hopes for something miraculously appearing? Or do I turn my focus to internships for the summer in hopes of gaining experience, but without an income?

For now, the starving artist will continue her search for a life in the nation’s capital. And, you know, continue her novel while eating Michelina’s Budget Gormet Five Cheese Lasagna…

Posted by Caitlin H on April 2, 2006 at 8:37 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

To start, I’m Ally – a 21-year old “seeker” in Orlando, Florida, about to graduate this May with an English degree. And no, if you’re asking from your chair, I don’t plan to teach. Though as many English majors as there are here, y'all probably aren't asking. ;)

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question, I probably wouldn’t need a job for awhile. I'm not sure why "English major" and "teacher" are so universally linked. I might someday want to go to graduate school, so I can become a professor but I definitely want to do something else as well. Write, edit, work in marketing, manage publicity, maybe start my own small publishing company... I'm not altogether sure yet, and that’s part of the “problem.”

I’ve gotten plenty of “advice” from the university, and I’ve found it pretty lackluster. Maybe some schools have great career counseling programs, but mine doesn’t seem to – or if it does, I’m not using it correctly. Maybe I'm just expecting too much. I mean, they seem to be pretty decent at helping get together a decent resume (from what you have, of course) or giving you interview advice, if you need it, but you can read most of that online anyway. They just don’t have the connections – except maybe for some of the students in the education, hospitality, and engineering programs – in the community to actually help students get a job. I think that’s the story at a lot of places.

The advice I’ve gotten from my actual departments (English and I almost completed a Marketing minor but ran out of scholarship hours first) hasn't really helped that much either.

Advisors in the English department recommended a) grad school (almost unanimously) and b) going to Europe on a one-year work visa. I really do want to go to graduate school someday, for something, but I don’t know what yet. I’ve looked at everything from an MBA in Marketing and Accounting to an MFA in Poetry. As for Europe, I almost laughed. I’m not the kind of girl who likes to waste a year, which is most of my worry and frustration currently. I want to make every second of my professional life count. That might sound silly or very Type A personality – and it probably is a little of both – but that’s who I am. When the woman said, “get a work visa and bum around London or somewhere, even if you work a crappy waitress job – at least you’re a waitress in Europe,” all I could think was,

“What a waste of time.”

I mean, I want to go to Europe, and I’d love to live in Europe, if I could do something either professionally or personally meaningful with every moment. Especially since I won't be in school next year, I want what I do professionally to matter for my future. You only have so much time to advance in life, and I want to do so much --- but I feel like I'm so far from every goal that I have.

I think the problem I’ve come across is that everywhere I turn everyone – the English department, the business department, my parents, my friends, my boyfriend – is telling me you get one of two things in life. You either get to do what you love or you get to make money.

I just think they have the wrong conjunction in that sentence (which is an English major’s silly way of saying I hate the “or”). I mean, I don’t need to be a millionaire by the time I’m 30 or anything, but I want to make some money in my life, and I want to be happy at work. I hope that’s not too quixotic. I guess we’ll see. Eventually.

As for how, I currently make my money and spend my days, I’m an Administrative Assistant/Sales Assistant/Technical Support at a furniture design company. It’s fun, good for my resume, and the people are great, but it doesn’t have the growth potential that I’d like. (There’s plenty of potential for both salary and title growth, but not for a real increase of responsibility, since the owners are so involved in the day-to-day.) I’m almost-full-time there.

I also might be getting a second part-time job. I have a second interview on Monday. More about that later.

Posted by Alison H on April 1, 2006 at 7:41 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Right now I work part time while I am looking for a new career. This is challenging in and of itself, being a part time worker allows you all the responsibility of a full time job, yet none of the benefits, especially in the compensation department. Being in college if not preparing you for work, at least prepares you for the inevitable poverty that will follow graduation. Yet, I was never prepared for this level of economic hardship. I take it in stride, but it makes it difficult to get to those far away job interviews that I am looking for. Thus I have to be creative in my endeavor to support my travel expenses. I had a yard sale this weekend, something I’ve done many times before when strapped for cash. It’s important to keep your eyes open for all life experiences, I learn more from a sale in my front yard than I do at my part time job, it’s also not a bad way to make some money and get that old dorm room junk out of your storage.

It wasn’t the most successful yard sale this time around, but it made me enough gas money to get to my next interview. And the sales and conversation wasn’t bad experience either.

Posted by Amber W on April 1, 2006 at 5:27 PM | Leave a Comment (1)