I already have my dream job! I'm a pubished writer who also created the Advice Sisters and several online publications, including two web sites, a blog, and an Ezine. I help readers around the world make life easier, more successful and more fun!
-- Submitted by Alison from New York, New York, United States through the CollegeRecruiter.com Career Blog Application on Facebook.com.
As you begin your career working in an entry level job you are likely to encounter the workplace gossip problem. Often called office politics, this little troublemaker has been the ruination of many promising careers. To avoid having your entry level job wind up on the chopping block due to workplace gossip, it is a good idea to understand how harmful it can be and why.
Workplace gossip is relaying information, true or not, person to person about a third person or even the company itself. Usually, this information is of a negative tone such as impending layoffs or terminations in the case of corporations or snippets of an individual's personal life and derogative commentary on their job performance. As we stated before, this information may be truthful or it could be misconstrued observations or even outright lies. In any case, relaying such derogatory information is a dangerous proposition for those employed in entry level jobs.
The danger comes from the fact that you may be spreading a story that you firmly believe to be the truth, which in actuality is not true, or even worse, was intended as a confidential communication. The company is losing production because the employees are busy spreading the word about the latest gossip while the reputation of the third party is being tarnished by the story being told. It doesn't take a lot of thinking to understand that eventually the story is going to get back to the individual who is being gossiped about or to the management of the company. When this happens, two things can start to happen.
First, the individual will get angry. They may quit the job over the humiliation of having a private matter disclosed in such a way or they may go looking for the source of the information whether it was true or false. If the story being spread is false, there are even laws to protect the individual and the source of the information can be subject to penalty. It is not unheard of for corporations to terminate entry level employees for being involved in such cases.
Secondly, the company can take action. If the gossip being spread is about the company or its private communications is false, you can bet the management will let a few heads roll. Companies don't like it when their happy employees become disgruntled because some wise guy decided that the memo about a possible layoff next winter needed to be spread around as a plant closing in June. The wheel of blame gets shifted easily and anyone who relayed the message can be held accountable for it.
Final thought: If you want to keep your entry level job, keep your mind on your own business. Workplace gossip is destructive and costly to companies. By steering clear of office politics, you make yourself a more productive worker.
As you set out to find an entry level job in your chosen field, you will likely hear people mention several terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Many of these things have an effect upon the area of the job market you are seeking to enter so understanding some of the more important ones can be very helpful to your entry level job search. One of the most important phrases you are likely to hear discussed is the unemployment rate. Though you may already understand what the unemployment rate is, knowing its effect on the entry level job market can make the process of finding entry level positions much easier.
The unemployment rate is an average arrived at by figuring out how many people are unemployed as compared to the total number of people in an area. To give an example, a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics showed that the state of Michigan had the highest unemployment rate in March of 2008. The states unemployment rate at that time was 7.2% meaning that just over seven out of every one hundred people residing in the state during March of 2008 were unemployed.
Understanding what the unemployment rate means isn't enough though. What this will do to the entry level job market is even more important. What can we deduce from unemployment rates from the perspective of an entry level job seeker? To continue with the example already cited, a 7.2% unemployment rate, would equate to stiff competition for available entry level employment opportunities. This competition would also lead to lowered salaries and less appealing incentive plans because the companies offering entry level jobs would have more applicants to choose from. To the inverse, a very low unemployment rate, such as the 2.5% rate of South Dakota in March of 2008, would indicate a growing economy with more entry level jobs than applicants. This lack of competition for jobs leads to higher wages and incentive plans designed to attract new recruits.
By understanding the principles which govern the entry level job market, you can use a knowledge of your areas economic situation to find the best opportunities for entry level jobs.
We all worked our way through college and made the grade to find entry level jobs in our chosen fields. Our entry level jobs have been successful and we feel quite good about our success so far. However, something is missing. Either we lost interest in a field that isn't as exciting as we dreamed it would be or the profit margin just isn't high enough. Whatever the reason, it has become apparent that it is time to move on. Knowing when it really is time to leave and how to bow out gracefully can make future career moves easier.
Don't burn your bridges.
This little gem is very good advice. No matter how frustrated you are with your current coworkers or employers, don't say anything you may regret later. While your current entry level job may appear to be designed for your own personal torture, six months with no job can make it look like heaven on earth. Always leave on good terms, as you might need to come back later.
Take a vacation.
Sometimes, our frustration with our current entry level job is no more than being overextended. If you find that you are contemplating a new career after years of success, take the time to think about the last time you took some time off. If it has been awhile, consider using a few vacation days to think about it before discarding the time you have spent in your present career.
The boss can't read your mind.
Believe it or not, your employers probably don't want to see you leave. Unfortunately, if you don't ask for what you want, they aren't likely to give it to you. If you are considering a career change based on financial needs, ask for a raise or benefits and support the request with well thought out reasons as to why you need and deserve this consideration.
One of the biggest complaints college graduates have about their first entry level job is the low rate of pay. If you are suffering from the same problem, improving your performance on the entry level job can make it much more profitable. Unfortunately, improving ones performance on the job is often easier said than done. Finding your own weaknesses can be a difficult task but for those willing to honestly critique their own performance, the benefits to their on the job performance can be astounding.
The first step to improved performance on the entry level job is being honest with yourself. Put yourself in the shoes of your employer and look for both positive and negative points in your performance. Ask yourself what is causing your problem areas and how you can change them. Look at the areas where you excel and figure out how to use success in these areas to bolster the weaker areas.
Secondly, have goals in place and a plan for reaching them. Both long term and short term goals are critical to the entry level employee seeking to improve their on the job performance. As you attain these goals, set new ones to work towards.
Finally, never stop learning. Your performance on the entry level job is greatly effected by the education you have. To illustrate, let's pretend your job were to stack a set of blocks in alphabetical order. Stacking the blocks is simple and you can perform this function easily. There is only one hitch: You were never taught the alphabet. Without learning this information, where would you expect your performance level to be? Your skills will only take you so far if they are not backed by a solid education.
Let's face it. When it comes to finding success in our career, none of us are going to complain about hedging our bets. We want to succeed in every aspect of our lives but the area of our careers seems to have a special zone of attention for most of us. If you are beginning your journey down the road to success by looking for your first entry level job, how can you improve the odds?
Internships
Surprisingly, most students are not participating in this rare opportunity to gain valuable work experience. Internships off you the chance to work in a particular field and learn from hands on experience the things you can't learn in a classroom. Employers know this and if your resume shows an internship experience related to the job you are applying for, you have just tilted the odds in your favor.
Networking
I have said it before and I will say it again: Your network is important. Take the time to join a few professional associations or interest groups and see how great of an effect it has on your job hunting opportunities.
Research
You wouldn't go hunting a dangerous animal if you knew nothing about it. No, you would do some research and learn about your quarry and its habits. You would want to know where the animal lived, what it ate, what its tracks looked like and what you would need to capture it. Hunting for an entry level job needs just as much attention. Do your research to learn about companies you are applying to, the entry level jobs they may have to offer and their corporate values. This extra effort will pay off by putting you in a position of knowledge during your interviewing process and it will insure that the entry level job you are offered will fit your needs.
Pink Floyd chanted the anthem for at least two generations of teens when he sang the lyrics, "We don't need no education..." Little did his listeners realize that the seeming freedom from tyrannical instructors and educational systems that they were chanting about wasn't really the nirvana that they were imagining. Luckily, most of these youth weren't quite as revolutionary as they imagined themselves to be and went on attending class and even college. Had they truly turned their backs on their education, they might have found a world far more frightening than Pink Floyd's depiction of the Machine or learned just what it was like to be a brick in the wall.
The reasoning behind this statement are sound. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics has released a report that details the projection of availability for entry level jobs through the year 2014 and the educational requirements that will be required to obtain entry level jobs within these industries. Known as the Occupational projections and Training Data, or Bulletin 2602, this compilation of research was released in February of 2006. Dividing jobs into categories based on the level of education required, the projections indicate that the majority of available entry level jobs through the year 2014 will require at least some college education and those possessing degrees will have even greater chances of successfully finding entry level employment in their desired field of work.
What does this mean to the college student today? Basically, don't lose hope. Even though attending classes and balancing the student lifestyle and budget can be difficult, the entry level employment opportunities of the future will require you to demonstrate the skills you are learning today.
Telephones have become a part of our daily lives. Many of us carry one on our belt or in a pocket. Nearly everyone has one or more phones in their home. Yet, even with their widespread usage, the telephone is often overlooked for some of its more valuable uses like following up interests when applying for entry level jobs.
Because our past experiences may have taught us that a plethora of phone messages can be a bit irritating, we try to make a good impression with employers offering entry level jobs by not calling to follow up on any interests they might have in our application. Unfortunately, not calling at all can be worse than calling too much. When you take the time to call, you are showing a self motivated attitude and an interest in the entry level job they have to offer. If you are polite and let the secretary know that you will call back again, the prospective employer won't be irritated by a list of phone messages but will see just how much you want the entry level position you applied for.
Before you call, know what you want to say. Take the time to consider the phone call carefully and even rehearse the call before you call the prospective employer. This serves two purposes; you will be more relaxed and conversational on the live call and you can effectively reply to anything that you might be asked on the call.
As a final point, breathe once in a while. If you have ever attempted to hold a conversation with a teen-aged girl, you know just how annoying nonstop babble can be when there is no room for you to join in the conversation. It is just as annoying in the real world. By taking the time to pause and catch your breath, you open the door for the other half of the conversation to speak. You never know what valuable information you may learn by this method.
In conclusion, following up on entry level job prospects via telephone can be a very good way to insure your chances for employment in entry level job positions.
Many people with large amounts of debt to pay have resorted to working a second job, sometimes called moonlighting, but before you decide to live the lifestyle of the night owl, there are a few options and facts that you may want to consider.
In the year 1995, it was estimated that 6.3% of all employed individuals held more than one job. The most common reason for taking on a secondary entry level job was the need to earn more money than the primary occupation was providing. Other reasons included special benefit packages or non financial motivations.
The dangers of working second jobs include decreased job performance and increases in on the job injuries as people are not getting the rest needed to adequately and safely perform their job functions but the lure of saving for the future or paying off a specific debt can often prove motivation enough to overlook these problems.
While it is plain that finding a secondary entry level job can mean more money coming into a household, it is a good idea to weigh this against the negative effects that you may foresee and the other options for increasing your current earning potential. One of these options to a secondary job is that of overtime on the primary position. Due to national labor laws, overtime pay is significantly higher than base pay so that, if your present entry level job offers the opportunity for the extra hours, the pay received will be much higher than that earned on a secondary entry level job. Additional earning can also be generated on a primary job by continuing your education. In fields where education equals pay, a weekend workshop that supplies you with the proper credentials can equate to a much larger profit over time. A third option for those needing the extra money or benefit packages of a secondary entry level job is asking your primary employer for them. Many employers would much rather create a benefit package or pay increase than have their employees loyalty going to a different company or experiencing the decrease in efficiency that often accompanies moonlighting.
Taking these options and your reasons for needing a secondary job into consideration allows you to make an informed decision about whether you really need a secondary entry level job.
When you have found an entry level job in the career field of your choice, you feel like taking on the world. The job matches your needs perfectly and offers terrific opportunities for corporate advancement. Unfortunately, many of the entry level positions also offer the potential for burn out.
Burn out is usually the effect of working too many hours or in an excessively stressful environment. It can make the entry level job that looked liked a dream a few months ago turn into something that gives you nightmares. Burn out will add to your stress levels and diminish your job performance so it is very important to avoid this danger when possible. To do this, a few simple tips should suffice to keep you enjoying your entry level job for a much longer time.
Tip #1: Know when to say NO. Even though it is a simple two letter word that many of us learn very early in life, it seems that we forget how to use it once we enter the workforce. If the boss calls and says we are needed for a double shift, we can't seem to refuse even if its the third time this week. Unfortunately, this workaholic tendency has the inherent ability to cause burn out. After all, there is a reason they call it burning the candle at both ends. An occasional extra shift or project is fine and will help you build a fine reputation with your employer but too much is too much. If you are working doubles more than twice a week or taking work home with you at night, then you are risking burn out and need to learn this word again.
Tip #2: Avoid office gossip. You're probably wondering what gossip can possibly have to do with burn out, right? Actually, quite a lot. The politics of the office can be a fickle thing and being involved in the distribution of gossip or keeping up with the latest juicy details is not only time consuming but can be quite stressful. When you are worrying about who's doing what, you aren't concentrating on what you are doing. You will make mistakes in your own job and increase your stress. Being involved in the rumor mill also sets you up to be the fall guy when the wheel turns again. Gossip is harmful to reputations and the victims usually find the source. Avoid the stress and you will be much happier with your entry level job.
What is the true motivation of police work? Catching a serial killer. Putting a known sleaze bag in jail out of thousands that are still roaming the streets. And the patrol officer that is not Hollywood material but stuff for reality television- -what gives? A mediocre salary for being a target in a job that nobody appreciates you doing- -how fun is that? Seriously, if we have become a humanity that needs a police officer to keep the peace among every six hundred citizens then kill me now and tax less the other five ninety nine. To think officers actually feel bombarded by this ratio. What disorder are we calling officers for? Honestly, when has the presence of a cop actually meant good news?
So, considering the amount of crap an officer has on their plate, what's the point of police officers writing parking tickets? How is citing an expired parking meter or a double-parked car protecting and serving? Why is it important that someone receive a sixty-dollar summons for skipping a two-dollar fare? "Theft of Services" they call it as if it were a noble privilege to ride a filthy, delinquent subway. And what about the wages subway riders were docked for being late? The extra forty minutes of sleep they are deprived of daily because the trains can't be relied on? "Theft of Life" is what I call it. But I'm getting off the subject this piece is about the police.
I would never argue that police work is the most difficult occupation. The pay, can we talk about the pay? NYPD recently got a raise: from a whopping $25,800 per year to $35,800. Are you joking? To risk your life and deal with the scum of the earth everyday, that's the rate? As a result most police officers will make an arrest at the end of their day to tag on the overtime. They are union and that's where the real money is made. And if writing tickets is going to get you a bonus, then "Ma'am you are not crying yourself out of a ticket!" If you visit the www.officer.com website, you can peruse the 'holier than thou' rule of thumb discussions about issuing citations. But once again, I am getting off the subject.
Perhaps I am another disgruntled citizen who is irritated for having to shell out a considerable amount of money for going fifteen miles faster than I should. But no, I am a person in a position of equal power to those who are sworn to uphold the law, with the power of the pen and the right to free speech. My logical conclusion why anyone would want to join the police force is comparable to why anyone would want to join the mob. The money, the power-trip, the sea that swallows all questionable acts of conduct as long as no television cameras are around. And the difference in sentiment is obvious when
a friend sees you off on a road trip and reminds you to "watch out for the bacon".
If you are a recent college graduate looking for your first entry level job, you want to make sure everything is done perfectly during your job search so that you can begin your career on good footing. You likely have considered many options during your job search, from paid entry level job search boards to any number of other services which are often used by entry level job seekers. If you are now considering hiring a professional to write your resume for you, is this necessary or even advantageous?
It is true that a professionally written resume can be a powerfully influencing factor for executives hiring entry level employees. The professionally written resume has been worked over until it flows smoothly and eloquently. But is it really necessary to pay a professional resume writer at this point in your career?
To be truthful, the simple answer is no. With a bit of effort, you can create a very professional looking resume on your own. All that is really required is attention to detail and aesthetics, as well as thoroughly proofreading your work and editing the wording of the resume so that it creates a clearly defined statement of who you are and what you can bring to the bargaining table for the entry level position you desire.
As I stated in the previous paragraph, you don't absolutely need to hire a professional resume writer but that statement should be qualified. There are times when a professionally written resume might prove to be an asset. If you find yourself lacking in the necessary skills to produce professional appearing resumes or you have a large volume of accomplishments, education and work experience that you don't have time or desire to write about on your own, hiring a professional resume writer to handle the work for you may be a very good option.
If I were sitting across from you on the bus and asked you what your goals are, what would you say? Likely, your list would include things like early retirement or buying a bigger house but could you be more specific? Could those goals help you find an entry level job?
True, they may provide the incentive to look for an entry level position but such broad goals often do more to undermine our search because they seem so far away. What kind of goals do you need to get the entry level job you want?
It is actually fairly simple. If broad ranging goals make us apathetic, short ranged specific goals can pull us out of the slump and motivate us to achieve success. These goals aren't of extreme difficulty or even glaring success but are small and attainable while being forward moving. These short term goals are specific to a task and time line thus making them incentives for immediate action.
If you find yourself in need of short term goals to assist you in your search for entry level employment opportunities, consider a few questions to assist you in formulating these goals.
* Where do I want to be in six months and how can I get there? Then don't answer it as employed and get a job. Be specific. Say "I want to be working in this field or for this company and I will do this to get there.
* Why do I want meet this goal? Again, be specific. It's not enough to say you want something, you have to know why you want it.
* Can I meet this goal in the time line specified? Setting an unattainable goal is setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. By considering this question, you will set attainable goals and be able to reach them, thus inspiring you to set greater goals. Build your way up to the goals you want to achieve.
By setting specific, short term goals you will improve your ability to find the entry level job that will lead to fulfillment of your long term goals and aspirations.
As a college student seeking entry level employment, you are going to encounter rejection. How you deal with it determines the amount of success you will experience in your entry level job search.
With an overcrowded job market, employers have the opportunity to pick and choose from hundreds or thousands of applications for every entry level job they offer. This results in a lot of rejected applicants so you may receive a large amount of rejection letters before you finally find an entry level job. The secret to handling the rejection is not taking it as a personal affront or becoming disheartened. You may have been very well qualified for the position you applied for but, for whatever reason, the employer decided to go with another candidate for the position.
When this happens, take the time to mentally review the experience and take stock of the situation. If there was something you could have done differently that might have effected the outcome, then alter that with your next opportunity. Did the successful candidate have certification in some field that you were lacking in? Be willing to take a class and become certified yourself. Did you botch the interview because you stayed out late the night before or weren't properly prepared? Get more sleep before your next interview and take time to prepare yourself before you get there. Then again, the rejection may be for reasons that are totally beyond your control. If this is the case, accept that it was not your fault and go on. The next entry level job application you put in may lead to an even greater opportunity.
By handling rejection during your entry level job search properly, you benefit yourself and can achieve a greater level of success.
Everyone speaks about the definition of success. According to Encarta, "success" is defined as (1) achievement of intention, (2) attainment of fame, wealth, or power, and (3) something that turns out well. The idea of success runs through the minds of Gen Y as they follow their dreams to become successful in their careers. Recent college grads and students interested in internships and entry level positions must create a personal definition of success before accomplishing their goals. You can achieve personal success by focusing on your goals and giving back to your community.
Focus on Your Goals
You must have realistic goals in order to move forward in your career. Focusing on your goals could relieve the stress of wandering idle throughout college. Unfortunately, some freshmen believe college will last forever and it will not. As a recent college grad, it is your responsibility to create goal you want to accomplish. The goal has to be yours, personally. Does success mean family, financial security, or friends? Colleagues you can trust? What is success to you? Focus on your goals in order to find the best route for you to take in your college studies and career.
Give Back to Your Community
You are not alone. You can not achieve success alone (in most cases). It is fine to focus on yourself in the beginning, but remember who is involved. If you have a major achievement, others will be a part of it. Take time to thank the important people who help you achieve your goals by supporting you. The emotional support given from your community and family is the steam pushing you towards your dreams. Everyone needs to know and practice the act of public service. Without the public, a lot of important individuals would not have made it.
Something that few college students consider when deciding upon their careers is the area where they wish to live. Unfortunately, this lapse in judgement may end up costing them thousands of dollars in the future. Why? Because your geographical location affects your salary and your likelihood of finding entry level jobs.
According the a U.S. Bureau of Labor and Standards report from the fourth quarter of 2006, the average American worker brought home a weekly wage of $861 with a few states offering an average wage that was significantly higher than this national average and many that were far below the national average weekly wage. If you are looking for entry level jobs, it would be wise to consider your geographical location to determine if your education is being put to its best use for your financial health.
In this 2006 report, the highest average weekly wage was found in the District of Columbia with an average of $1,424 per week. The runner up, New York, was $320 lower with a weekly average wage $1,104 and the state of Connecticut made a close third at $1,101 per week. It is easy to see from this comparison that geographical location made a huge difference in the local potential for profit.
To further emphasize the point, lets compare these wages with the average weekly wage of Montana, who ranked fiftieth in the average weekly wage ratings in 2006. the average employee in Montana was drawing a weekly salary of a mere $625. That is almost $800 dollars less than the same employee would draw in the District of Columbia.
By making these comparisons, it is easy to see that where you choose to live will have a massive impact upon your financial welfare. If you find that your location isn't making the grade, you might consider relocating with the help of the entry level job search at CollegeRecruiter.com.
It is a sad fact of life that sexual harassment still goes on in the workplace. Although it is unfortunate that many college graduates who enter the workforce will receive this unwanted attention, there are steps you can take when you feel you have been made the victim of work place sexual harassment at your entry level job.
If you feel that your right to be free of harassing remarks and gestures has been violated, what can you do? First, speak up. Tell the person harassing you that you do not appreciate this kind of attention. If this fails to resolve the issue, tell someone in authority such as your supervisor that you feel you have been victimized. Don't be afraid to speak up reasoning that your entry level job is in jeopardy or that, as an entry level employee, tolerating such behavior is part of paying your dues. Sexual harassment suits cost companies millions of dollars each year and they are quick to respond to these problems when they are made aware of them. Far from putting your entry level job in jeopardy, you are showing the leadership of the company that you have strong ethical convictions that may be of use to them as you climb the corporate ladder.
What if your harasser is your supervisor? Unfortunately, this does happen to new employees in entry level positions quite often. Promises are made of career success in exchange for favors or threats about what could happen to ones career if these favors were withheld. In either case, this is still sexual harassment and should be handled accordingly. Speak first to your supervisor and warn them plainly that you will not hesitate to inform their supervisor if the behavior doesn't abate. Many times, this is all that is necessary to correct the situation but if the behavior continues, do not hesitate to report it to the next person in the chain of command.
By speaking out against sexual harassment in the workplace, you can make your entry level job more comfortable for both yourself and those who follow you.
Teamwork is a major part of life, especially in a work environment. Even if you are an independent person, there is no way around collaborating with people for presentations, new projects, etc.
I find that my perfectionism becomes my biggest fault in these situations. I want everything I do to be perfect, down to the small things. When working alone this is never a problem- I'm the only one doing research, writing the report, making the powerpoint, doing the actual presentation. I have control of everything and the end product is exactly how I want it.
When working with a team, I have to learn to accept others' ideas and trust that they are willing to work just as hard as me to bring out a great product. My perfectionism stands in the was sometimes and I begin to take over everything. I will go over other's work and change it to how I would have done it. In the end, I didn't work as a team member, but an individual and others resent me for that. This is not the way it should be done and I have slowly learned that my teams ideas can be just as good, if not better, than my own.
My fault as a perfectionists has it's good side too. I pay attention to the smaller details and find that a good place for me in the team is to edit (not change) the final product. This ways everyone has contributed and I'm still satisfied.
Working with a team can be difficult, but I have learned that if everyone works together the end product will be better than imagined.
When it comes to entry level jobs, it seems sort of confusing as to what to expect with salary. Obviously, coming out of college, you want to make enough money to pay off those student loans.
Looking at the simple facts, college graduates make a significant amount more than non college graduates. So, with that piece of paper, college graduates should be expecting to make a little bit more money. However, with society taking a shift towards a more imperial subject and money becoming more of a hierarchy, entry level workers should expect to make a little less.
This should not be a scare tactic though, however, as the college degree allows for more earning potential. While someone may take an entry level job earning a little bit less, they should expect to work their way up the ladder to meet their economic goals.
Do not be afraid to haggle prices in an interview. Essentially you know what you are worth. But also keep in mind that having a job to work and potential to achieve is better than being too stubborn to work for a living.
Let us all discuss something. Those college graduates who are jobless (I will go ahead and speak for all of them) want help in finding occupations. Not all people want to be sales people working on commission and I'm sure thats not what many people go to college to become, however monster and careerbuilder.com seem to think otherwise. Not blaming the sites themselves, just saying that it seems thats all they offer when you do a job search. So for all of you out there that have a job that is not in one of those fields, how did you come across this? Where is a good place to begin looking, people of all majors can respond considering many people I know seem to be having trouble. Lets discuss this.
In my job search, as well as in my life, the most important things to do are to stay focused and to stay positive. There are distractions in the world, such as the opposite sex and drugs, which can alter your mind-set, if you let them. My parents taught me that if I stayed focused on God and my education that good things could happen in the future. Life threw me a curve ball on September 11, 1997 when my father passed away when I was 13 years old. While this situation was hard to deal with, personally, I knew it was important to try and concentrate on school, and keep a positive attitude on life. My mother continued to raise me well and has seen me graduate from high school and college. Now, I must maintain that same focus and positive attitude in my job search. By doing so and keeping my faith in God, the right opportunity will come sooner or later.
I decided to answer some personal questions about myself and my own career goals, as a recent college graduate myself. I would also like to provide some advice for those in similar situations.
1. What profession would you like to try?
I would love to be a psychologist. I was a psychology major, and I'd really like to apply that to something for a career. I would recommend doing something that you feel most comfortable with, even if it has nothing to do with what you majored in.
2. What was your best interview experience like?
My best interview experience was actually recently. The employer (now my boss) was actually really nice and very polite. I was ready for all the questions, and the whole situation was completely comfortable. If you'd like a similar experience, I'd recommend just remaining calm and collected. Don't stress over it - you'll do fine if you remain professional.
3. Where do you hope to be in five years?
In five years, I would love to be married and starting a family. While doing this, I'd like to maintain a career. I don't want to stop working to have my family, and I'm sure that I can do it. Ambition is the key.
4. What would a movie about your life be called and who would play you?
Hmm... I'm not exactly sure what I would call the a movie about me. I'm sure I could thing of something creative on the spot though. I'd really like Scarlett Johansson to play me, but if she couldn't , I'd choose Evan Rachel Wood.
5. What's your dream job and is it in line with your major?
My dream job is to be an elementary school teacher. As a psychology major, it isn't directly in line with being a teacher, but it is related. I most likely will not become a teacher, just because it requires a certain amount of patience that I don't believe I have.
6. What did you like about the best manager/boss you’ve had?
I've had a couple of really good bosses and managers, and they've all been nothing but professional with me. They've made me feel comfortable at work, all the while maintaining a professional relationship with me.
7. What are you most passionate about?
I'm most passionate about my education. My favorite thing to always remember is that education is the one thing that nobody can ever take away from you. Education is the one thing that you will always have. Educate yourself!
If anybody has any other questions for me, feel free to comment!
Below are questions about your interests. Please post your answers or comments to any of the following questions. If you have other questions you would like to see answered by other bloggers, feel free to create a new post:
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Below are questions about your interests. Please post your answers or comments to any of the following questions. If you have other questions you would like to see answered by other bloggers, feel free to create a new post:
1. What's your dream job and is it in line with your major?
2. What did you like about the best manager/boss you’ve had?
3. What’s the ideal company to work for?
4. What are you most passionate about?
