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Your Job Search: Is it like looking for water in the desert?

April 12th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidavid/ / CC BY 2.0

Guess what? The world changes constantly. (Big surprise, right?)

It wasn’t that long ago that we were riding high with the many new industries opened up by the introduction of the world wide web and the fascination of what a company could do with computers. Jobs were abundant. Nationwide, headhunters were gathering candidates before graduation. It’s not happening like that today. (But you already know what that. You’ve probably experienced it first hand.) Why, you ask? Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock – and if you have, you’re going to have other problems in your job search – our economy has hit a few road bumps, budgets have failed, and companies have gone under. This can make it very difficult for today’s graduate to locate a job that is worth all the time and money spent in college.

I have had numerous students come into my office with the same complaints: Where are the jobs? Why did I even go to college if there is nothing out there for me?

Let me clue you in: There are jobs out there.

I definitely believe that. It’s just a matter of finding them. And that is the key: Companies are not going to find you anymore… you have to find them! So what does that mean for you, the job seeker? It means you need to learn a few new tools and techniques so you can creative in your job search. And that’s why I’m here. I’m going to teach you how to be assertive and aggressive in your job search by getting to know yourself and your potential and options.

Getting creative means looking for jobs in areas or with techniques previously not used. Did you know that only about 20–30% of jobs are actually published to the general public? (One of my fellow bloggers knows this is true. She wrote about it.) Yet, despite this fact, 80–90% of people looking for jobs concentrate their efforts solely on finding published jobs. So where are the rest of the jobs? They’re centered around an employer’s wish list or they’re just “thoughts,” waiting for the right person to come along and make them a reality.

All employers are thinking about the future: where the company is headed, what projects the company needs to undertake, and who they will need to hire to meet these goals. Many professionals network to find the person to fill positions rather than publicize it to everyone and chance hiring the wrong candidate. This means to you that you need to start digging for jobs rather than searching for them.

Digging entails networking with professionals already working in your desired industry/career field. It means getting to know the people, talking with them and picking their brains for ideas. Networking also may mean interviewing professionals about their career and how they got there (not necessarily just handing them your resume, but rather hinting at your search in progress).

Digging also can mean taking on more volunteer work, part-time work, or internships in the areas you are interested in. This will allow you the chance to get “your foot in the door” and gain contacts in the field. I cannot expect to just jump into the computer industry without first having some experience in computers or by not having any contacts to “back me up”!

Using this train of thought means you need to follow some simple steps:

Get to know your interests: What is it that interests you? You must first learn the product you are going to be selling before you can create a marketing plan!
Market yourself: You must continue to learn new things so that you have opportunity to move to different areas. Learn effective job search strategies from Career Services or from your contacts.
Take away the bumps in the road: If your industry is feeling a pinch in your area, be willing to move somewhere else. I can remember a student who asked me the potential job market in the Greenville area for fashion design. I couldn’t help her much because, let’s face it, Greenville is not the center of the fashion world. Keep this train of thought in the forefront of your mind.
Be positive and energetic: It will be hard in some instances…believe me. But, remember to keep your energy high and your mind positive. The more negative you become, the harder the process gets. Employers pick up the negativity in the interview and this will count against you. No one wants to work with a sour-puss!

So what happens when you do all this and still hit a brick wall in your search? Easy. Back up and find another road to follow. This is where your resources come into play.

Contact your school’s Career Services department. Contact friends who can provide you with an outside view. Contact alumni groups for your university. Contact your parents’ friends and your friends’ parents who work within a relevant field. And read further into this great blog! Anything to keep you moving forward with your job search.

Patrick Madsen is the Director of Programs & Education in Career Services at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. He manages the Programs & Education curriculum to include career advising services, speaker series, brand management training, and other events to help students prepare themselves for the world of work. His background includes a degree in Psychology from North Carolina State University, a masters degree in Counseling from East Carolina University, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership/Student Affairs from Nova Southeastern University.

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Tags: elevator speech, job hunt, Job Search, networking, Patrick Madsen
Posted in Job Search, Networking, Patrick Madsen, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

My First Job… or Learning to Appreciate the "Menial" Tasks in Life

April 8th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/valerianasolaris/ / CC BY 2.0

A recent post by blogger Tom Madrecki has generated some conversation — both on the blog and in other outlets — so I thought I’d respond by reflecting on my experience at my first job.

Like Tom, I left college ready to take the world by storm. After all, I had a college degree. What more could I need in order to make my mark on the world, right? Yup, you guessed it. That would be a big, fat WRONG.

I quickly learned that college degree = menial labor when it comes to your first job. And though I wasn’t happy about it, since my parents made it clear that a paycheck was key to my survival, I knew I had no choice. (I grew up in a very practical household. Aspirations were great and all, but first you paid the bills!)

My first job was as a literary assistant at a literary agency. Don’t get me wrong, I got to do some fun things. My favorite was reading the unsolicited queries from authors seeking representation and writing memos as to why I thought the agency should or shouldn’t sign the authors as clients. But that was a small fraction of my time, and it was often done at night or on weekends because the other, menial, have-to-get-done-now tasks took priority during the work day. These were things like inserting my bosses’ fixes to book contracts (using a typewriter!), answering phones, filing, ordering supplies, organizing (read: cleaning) my boss’s office, sending royalty checks and statements to clients… tasks I’d always thought of as “secretarial” — the sort of thing I’d gotten a college degree to AVOID doing.

At the time, I hated those menial tasks. Now, I can appreciate them for what they were: an incredible learning experience.

I learned more about the business by performing what I’d before thought of as “menial tasks” than I ever would have otherwise. One reason was that I decided if I had to do these things, I would do them well. (Not to mention I had a boss who was a stickler for details.)

What I found was that once I proved I could handle those detail-oriented tasks, my boss gave me increasing responsibilities. I was given the opportunity to edit one of the proposals, which was so much fun. And eventually, she asked me to supplement the public relations activities being done for her authors by the publishing houses. It was my chance to shine… and boy did I. It’s the reason I have the career I do today.

So what’s the moral? Or morals?

Those “menial tasks” you may think are beneath you right now present some of the best learning opportunities… if you let them.
Everyone has to work their way up the ladder, and sometimes that means taking a job that isn’t “ideal” just so you get your foot in the door.
Oh, and those “menial tasks” you think are beneath you? Trust me. They aren’t. Those “menial tasks” are often part of some of the most difficult jobs out there, and it takes a special person to be able to do them well and do them gracefully. (Case in point: When my current boss’ assistant goes on vacation, I handle my boss’ calendar. It’s time consuming. It’s challenging. I do it without complaining, despite being 10+ years into my career. And I’m always more than relieved when her assistant returns!)

Now I’m going to call on all of you. Please comment below and share your first job stories — both the good and the bad. I’m sure we’re all learn something from what you have to say.

Robin Ferrier is the editor of What’s Next, Gen Y? and Communications Manager for the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus. She is also the President of the Capital Communicators Group and the co-chair of the Marketing Committee for the Tech Council of Maryland. She has inadvertently become a frequent career / professional / job hunt resource for friends and colleagues due to a career path that has included five jobs in 12 years.

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Tags: first job, job hunt, Job Search, post-college, Reputation, Robin Ferrier, Skillset, Thomas Madrecki
Posted in Job Search, Robin Ferrier, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

A Reality Check for Soon-to-be-Grads

April 6th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Sarah Morgan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18425359@N03/ / CC BY 2.0

One of the What’s Next, Gen Y? bloggers, Thomas Madrecki, recently posted about trying to figure out what to do upon graduation.

Few things are more obnoxious than hearing from someone older that you’re mistaken because of your youth, so it’s with misgivings that I set out to do exactly that, especially because it’s obvious that Thomas is both intelligent and successful and I don’t want to take issue with him in particular. But what struck me in his post was this:

“The idea, of course, is that work-place competition and increased selectivity in turn engenders more successful paid hires in a tightly budgeted and relatively small industry. All of that is well and good, but even for the most confident of applicants, the idea of heading to a new city with no guarantee of long-term growth or a permanent job is a potentially worrisome hurdle to overcome.”

This started the wheels turning for me. Yes, competition and selectivity IS well and good. And “worrisome” is, often, a fact of life. The thing is, the system is not set up to care about the feelings of new entrants to it.

What bothers me is that frequently, undergrads are called out for having unrealistic expectations or for being entitled — and nobody fixes it. There are increasingly job-specific undergrad offerings, but still, no Reality 101. Sometimes parents or internships explain what you’ll need to wrap your head around, but many times, graduating seniors are in for a woeful shock.

So here I am to shock you. You don’t have to like what I’m going to say. I didn’t. But please believe that the sooner you accept it, the sooner you get through it.

You will be lonely at first. Your career so far has been education, in the company of a peer group that was growing together. You won’t have that company in the same way again, and it’ll be a jarring difference in life.

You will be the butt of jokes about your youth. These include, but are not limited to, references about musical acts, fashion trends, and which president was in office when you were born.
You will make friends with whom you have far less in common than your friends to this point. The work force makes college — yes, every college — look like a military school of conformity.
You will not understand where your coworkers are coming from.

You will have to do what your elders will refer to as paying your dues. This will be maddening. You’ll have a thousand very good reasons why it’s nonsense. It will happen anyway.

You will lose out on something due to office politics, outside relationships or tenure.
You will have to work later than your boss.
You will have to do stuff that is boring.
You will not get paid as much as you want.

You won’t know anything. Yes, despite all that you just went through to learn all that.

You will only use about 15% of your degree. The rest of what you find yourself doing will come from your experience with clubs, roommates, activities and internships.
You will want to use the theory that you learned. Nobody has the money or the support to work on those theories.
You will do things because that’s how your boss wants them, even when you have a better idea.

You will have to fight to be taken seriously.

You will get the same reaction as a precocious child at the grown-ups’ table when you first begin to try to contribute. Keep doing it anyway.
You will learn to get to the point faster. There aren’t any more assignments where you have to hit a maximum. Cut everything you want to explain in half.
You will, in five years’ time, either laugh or cringe about 90% of what is upsets you right now (just think about five years ago). Keep this in mind before unburdening yourself on your coworkers. They’ll be understanding, but you want to be taken seriously, not just understood.

Please don’t despair. I’m only telling you the bad parts on purpose. You’ll see them coming and they won’t sting as much. And you can enjoy the rest of it that much more. The good parts are fun and surprising and there’s no need to prepare for them. Congratulations and have fun!

Sarah Morgan has a decade of experience working in and with the top pharmaceutical companies in the world. She educates corporations, organizations, universities and media about social media; blogs at sarah-morgan.com; Twitters at twitter.com/sarahmorgan; appears professionally at linkedin.com/sarahmorgan, informally at facebook.com/profile.php?id=10908629, and in real life in the glorious state of New Jersey. (Yes, New Jersey.)

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Tags: job hunt, Job Search, post-college, questions, Reputation, Sarah Morgan, Thomas Madrecki
Posted in Job Search, Personal Brand, Sarah Morgan, Thomas Madrecki, WhatsNextGenY | 4 Comments »

How Are Dating and Interviewing the Same?

April 5th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Allison Kapner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonardlow/ / CC BY 2.0

So, now that last week we had our “commercial interruption” last week, let’s get back to the main story. We’re moving from dating and the job hunt process to dating and interviewing. So let’s examine Step 2: the first phone call – setting up the “appointment.”

So, you met someone. Maybe it’s a company that FINALLY called you about that job you’d drying to get. Or it’s that person you really wanted to date. Congratulations! So now what?

Rule number 1: Expect the first encounter to be awkward. Why? Just because! Here you are speaking to someone, not quite sure what they will sound like, their level of energy, their real interest, or who it is that controls the conversation (i.e., who has the upper hand, or who wants who more). Losing the body language aspect can be detrimental if you are not aware of how you should carry yourself… even over the phone.

Rule number 2: Learn to be ok with silence. There may be an awkward silence on the phone. That’s fine. The other person could be taking notes, or distracted by an important email that just arrived in their inbox. Be ok with silence. You don’t have to fill it. In fact, filling it could be detrimental to your prospects, be they professional or personal.

So how do you implement the rules above? Here are a few tips:

If you hear from an employer, assume they will control the flow of the conversation and that they have the upper hand. Because chances are, they’re interviewing more than just you.
Be energetic and sound excited without going overboard.
Make sure you choose a quiet location.
Don’t be too long-winded. (There is a good chance this person has 10 other phone calls exactly the same to make after yours.)
Make sure you have your calendar ready to go should they ask for a second interview. And if they do, be flexible.
If you are asked to come in for an interview, ask for the names and titles of the people you will be meeting or speaking with and don’t hesitate to ask for correct spelling so you can later stalk those people online… I mean, do your research.

Another piece of advice, if you are applying to jobs and get unknown numbers calling your cell, answer it professionally, I had a student pick up the phone saying “yeah…” the other day and I could have been an employer. If you’re not in a good place to pick it up, let it go to voicemail. That’s why it exists.

A lot of these same rules apply to dating: Keep it simple. Again, sound energetic. (No one wants to date a fuddy-duddy.) There may be a power struggle about who keeps lead of the conversation, but do your thing and politely say you were in the middle of something if you’re antsy to get off. Anxiety vanished and date set up. Easy, right?

Also, although it sounds silly, smile on the phone. It will show through. (This is actually a tip for dating and interviewing.)

A side note: A lot of logistics – both for interviewing and dating – are now set up over email, which because of its impersonal nature, is not as difficult, but is just as tricky.

If an employer reaches out via email to you, mimic their tone in your response. Also, keep your response short and to the point. The point of the email is to set up a time and place, not to tell them your life story. My favorite line from my public relations classes: Keep it simple, stupid.

If a date emails you, again, I would mimic the tone. Again, I would recommend keeping things short. (You don’t want to tell them everything in email. If you do, what will you talk about on the date?)

And if you’re concerned about tone, in either case, have a friend proofread the email for you before you send it.

Overview: Do whatever it is you are most comfortable with, but be aware that tone and other nuances easily get lost in translation via email and the phone. If you are cognizant of this going into it, you will be more successful at making the process as simple and painless as possible.

One last thing, do not begin with text messaging in either case.

Allison Kapner is a Relationship Manager in Career Services at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School where she is responsible for building partnerships with employers to ultimately create job and internship opportunities for students and alumni. She also advises and coaches students on job search techniques and brings a unique corporate expertise to assist candidates, as her past experience was as an Executive Recruiter in financial services in New York City.

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Tags: Allison Kapner, Interviewing
Posted in Allison Kapner, Dating, Interviewing, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

The Tug of Truth

March 31st, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Thomas Madrecki

cartoon of people jumping off a cliff like lemmings

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/ / CC BY 2.0

When I talk to friends and family members about future job prospects, there is a now nigh standardized list of ideas and opinions that seems to inevitably meet the air: “You should go to law school.”

Yes, as a trained journalist and devout academic scholar, I seem to have a knack for all things research-based and detail-oriented. And ever since I began to see America’s legal system in action, there has been a part of me that readily identifies with the profession and feels I could easily become one of the thousands of well-paid lawyers across the country.

At the same time, though, I must say there is some aspect of law school that strikes me as undeniably mundane and typical. To employ a clichéd description, I don’t know if anything screams “selling out” quite like attending law school. Of course, that’s my personal opinion – but to me, it is the sum of all things “safe,” “expected,” and “what your girlfriend’s parents might like their future son-in-law to do if he isn’t a doctor or a celebrity.”

If not law school, though, what course of action might best suit my talents and interests?

With a background in editorial decision-making and writing, not to mention a decent amount of print and web design experience, I’ve naturally focused on job opportunities within those sectors. But communications agencies are tough to break into and many require that potential full-time entry-level employees fulfill an internship post-graduation. Those internships are frequently unpaid and there is an upfront emphasis on the fact that interns may not – and, in this economy especially, chances are, will not – be hired after the summer months. The idea, of course, is that work-place competition and increased selectivity in turn engenders more successful paid hires in a tightly budgeted and relatively small industry. All of that is well and good, but even for the most confident of applicants, the idea of heading to a new city with no guarantee of long-term growth or a permanent job is a potentially worrisome hurdle to overcome.

Elsewhere in the communications world, truly viable job prospects seem few and far between. There are plenty of interviews to be had, even in this tough economy, but what is missing is an easily accessible pool of entry-level positions tasked with the type of far-ranging creative work in which I have an interest. I might be able to find work as a marketing associate or as a corporate communications assistant, but the degree of responsibility – how multi-faceted an opportunity is – entrusted to me would most likely be lacking if the average job description holds any truth.

The end result is a feeling on my part that accepting a job for the sake of having a job would be, much like law school, settling for something I don’t whole-heartedly want to do. I’m a passionate person, a devoted person, and a hard-working person – but I have to believe in what I’m doing, and I have to feel like whatever I’m working on takes full advantage of all my talents and mental abilities. Perhaps from a pejorative stance that makes me highly selective and/or slightly inflexible. On the other hand, I consider this potential weakness one of my greatest strengths: Whether in good or bad times, I won’t settle for anything less than the best.

That notion of “refusing to settle,” though, brings to mind perhaps my biggest fear about the “real world” and the job market. I’m a firm believer in the pursuit of happiness – in a quest for existential meaning and philosophical understanding. Some might even say that the questions of truth – What makes living worthwhile? How can man better his condition? How does one become a hero if becoming a hero is possible? – tend to dominate my thinking on a wide range of subjects.

And so, now on the verge of entering a consumerist, very non-philosophical world (in which the bottom line reigns supreme and one’s only goal is to fulfill the demands of his job), I am somewhat concerned that any job opportunity will require me to make a personal sacrifice – to X-out or subdue the Nietzsche-loving student, to replace the self-directed author and literary critic with a mechanical businessman removed from higher, more human devotions.

Which is better? Which is more immature – to obsess over truth or to obsess over completing menial tasks?

The answers to those questions are profoundly personal, and everyone has a different opinion to share. That much has been made clear to me while I’ve searched high and low for the elusive perfect opportunity.

As for how I’ll respond to such musings, I have yet to determine what I’ll do next. I’ve come to a cliff – it’s time to jump or run…

Thomas Madrecki is a fourth-year Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia and the former managing editor of The Cavalier Daily newspaper. A true media chameleon, he hopes his extensive writing background and knowledge of various print/web design options makes him the perfect candidate for a career in brand management, communications, journalism, and/or public affairs. On the side, he’s also a former Dexter USBC High School All-American bowler (averaging about 225) and a budding, Nietzsche-adoring philosopher with a keen interest in existentialism and the pursuit of happiness. Make sure you check out his online portfolio!

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Tags: Job Search, law school, lemmings, post-college, Thomas Madrecki
Posted in Job Search, Thomas Madrecki, WhatsNextGenY | 4 Comments »

The Rules of Recruiters… and Why Commitment Matters to Them as Much as it Does the Guy You're Dating

March 29th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Allison Kapner

So rather than go in a boring step-by-step order and continuing with Step 2, I’m going to share a bit about working with recruiters… which, in the dating world, translates into dating guys that are just out for one thing.

For those of you who don’t understand the face of recruiting, times have changed. Employers used to hire recruiters for all levels and all functions. During the recession, companies began realizing how much they were spending on agency fees and started creating strategies around working with recruiters.

Internal HR staff are now trained to make cold calls and use social media to reach out for certain positions. So, for example, analyst roles most likely will not go through recruiters because of the number of applicants who apply on their own. Ask yourself, why would a company pay a VERY hefty fee for me when I can apply directly and not go through a third party?

So while recruiters who are experts in their field can be extremely helpful and add value, if you’re young and inexperienced, I wouldn’t count on a recruiter landing you your first job.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/ / CC BY 2.0

Recruiters – of the internal and external sort – can be your best friend or worst enemy. They can act as the gatekeepers to your dream employer, or can be the reason you don’t get your dream job. The genuine ones (such as me in my past life) care about you and put your needs first even if it means missing a deal. They do this because they know and respect good karma. The ruthless recruiters are only focused on you as a dollar sign. Recruiters, by nature, stay on top of their star candidates, the people who can actually interview successfully for the roles they are looking to fill. They woo you, keep you on their good side and walk you through the interview process. The second you mess up or the client decides to “pass,” you are back to the starting line until another job comes along that you’re the PERFECT person for.

The funny thing is, the worst thing you can do to a recruiter is work with other recruiters. They’ll say whatever it takes to keep you from others because they don’t make money if someone else places you…which leads me to a dating story and point that recruiters and men (sorry guys!) can in fact consciously or subconsciously share the same mentality.

I once met a guy – we’ll call him Aaron – who has an intense personality and acts as someone who is driven and motivated. For the first few weeks of knowing each other, he contacted me. I didn’t think much of it and didn’t respond much. In fact, he was upset that I wouldn’t friend him on Facebook. I was impartial. (Similar to how most candidates are in a good market when approached by a recruiter.) He persisted and we went out to a three-hour first date dinner. It was great. He wanted to know all about me (1st interview or “screening” per a recruiter) and I “passed” round one. He suggested going to get ice cream a few days later, and after going to four places and striking out four times trying to get ice cream, Aaron finally figured out a way to find us ice cream. I was impressed, he was creative and innovative. (Similar to a recruiter getting you a first round interview, if you’re a strong candidate, they’ll do whatever it takes.) This continued and things were going well. A few weeks into it, I decided it was time for me to finally give in and be nice and after him asking many times for a housewarming gift (weird, yes), I brought over cookie dough as a housewarming gift.

Stop the presses!! From then on, every time I received a text or spoke to him, the question was “how many guys do you bring cookies to?” Well, he obviously couldn’t handle the idea of me dating other people and he freaked himself out (later apologizing, then falling off the face of the earth). In his apology, he admitted he freaked himself out because he wasn’t ready for someone who would expect something out of him but he was too insecure to have me date others.

Moral of the story: If you can’t make a recruiter a quick buck or be a quickie to a shady guy, you’ll get dropped – and fast – which is probably for the better.

Second moral: Keep your options open until a recruiter asks you to only work with them (or until a guy asks you for a commitment). Don’t give either the satisfaction of being your one and only unless they prove themselves worthy.

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Tags: Allison Kapner, job hunt, Job Search, Recruiters, recruiting
Posted in Allison Kapner, Dating, Job Search, Recruiters, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

How are dating and searching for a job the same? Pt 2

March 22nd, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Allison Kapner

… Continued from my last blog post.

Step 1: Finding the date, finding the Job….What’s the Difference? NOTHING!

My last blog examined some of the different media outlets for job and mate searching. We continue that discussion below with other sourcing techniques used.

Networking

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Your Personal Networks
The best way to land a job (or a man or woman) is through friends, colleagues, family and people you know. Network, network, network. If you’re looking for a job, tell people you know and trust. (The trust part is important if you already have a job and don’t want your employer to know you’re looking.) Likewise, if you’re single, make it known you’re open to dating. Don’t act desperate, but realize that you never know who people know or what other circles they run in.

If you do make a connection – job or personal – through your network, manage the process wisely: Make sure that you remove the person who set you up. You don’t want it to be awkward for the middle-man if things don’t work out. I’ve gone out with many friends of friends, colleagues of friends, etc. and I’ve never ruined a friendship. The same goes for job searching. If your uncle sets you up with a company that you end up not liking, remain professional and leave things on a positive note.

And if you’re the connector: Make the intro and then REMOVE yourself. Otherwise it will backfire. I guarantee it.

Happy Hour and the “scene”
More often than not, when you go to happy hour you will meet like-people that can help you for dating and job hunting. (It’s foolish to approach a happy hour – and happy hour – as merely a social situation.) Take advantage of this. Again, you never know who someone’s network is. Plus, many bars have specials, so it can be easy on your wallet. How can you use this to your advantage in your job search? Find out where the company you want to work for is located. Chances are the neighborhood bar is their after work spot. Make it yours as well.

The more obvious happy hour – job search connection are the myriad of professional networking events (as well as social meet ups and groups) that happen every day. Take advantage of people looking for the same things as you!

When you’re starting to feel down, you MUST remember for both, it’s all about…

….Timing
When all else fails, just remind yourself, it’s all about timing. Being in the right place at the right time when the other person/people are in the right place at the right time can and will change your life both personally and professionally.

…Believing
The second you feel defeated in your job search (or dating), you’re not setting yourself up for the next best thing. Keeping the optimism and faith that it will work out will be your strength when it seems that you’ll never get the call for the interview… or find that perfect mate. You must believe they will both come (see timing).

…Smiling
A smile says a gazillion words and can be all it takes to secure your next move.

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Tags: Allison Kapner, job hunt, Job Search
Posted in Allison Kapner, Dating, Job Search, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

Building Your Personal Brand, Part 2

March 18th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Patti Nuttycombe Cochran

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonbleasdale/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Welcome back! Where did we leave off? Oh, yeah, I was driving home the Power of Your Personal Brand and the importance of your Personal Brand’s messaging being clear and consistent, and positive.

Why? Check out this YouTube video. There are some mind-blowing statistics included in this video that one cannot ignore.

Forget “Big Brother”… the WORLD is watching you! One must be vigilant … even militant … about protecting one’s Personal Brand. But don’t get paranoid; get PROACTIVE! Having a constant awareness of one’s Personal Brand offers an on-going opportunity to:

define ourselves…
redefine or reinvent ourselves…
evolve…
enhance…
add value…

All these actions are POSITIVE and allow us to be nimble and involved in the development of our Public Image. Taking control of your Personal Brand involves identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive! Ask yourself: What makes me stand out? What’s my greatest strength? What’s my most noteworthy quality?

Then, reflect on this list of qualities and ask the legacy question:

What do I WANT to be known for?

This should take some serious contemplation…good luck and enjoy the powerful introspection and reflection!

NOTE: Want some advice on what I see when I look at the brand you’ve created for yourself online? Email your name and links to your online presence to our editor. She’ll forward the information to me and I’ll choose one or two of you and do a Personal Brand evaluation for you in an upcoming blog post.

Patti Nuttycombe Cochran is Vice President-Client Services Consultant at Right Management, a global provider of Career Transition services and consulting expertise on Talent Management, Leadership Development, and Organizational Effectiveness. Patti is an avid networker interested in building the region’s business and philanthropic communities.

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Tags: Patti Nuttycombe Cochran, Personal Brand
Posted in Patti Nuttycombe Cochran, Personal Brand, WhatsNextGenY | 3 Comments »

You Have Questions… We Have Answers!

March 17th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Robin Ferrier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/ / CC BY 2.0

I’ve said it before — in my “welcome” post and on our “about us” page — but I think it bears repeating: This blog is about you.

Why is this important? Because sure, we’re all experts at some level and can write about what we think you need to know. But you’re the ones out there every day living in this world of job searching, interviewing, etc.

So I want to encourage you to send us your questions. What do you want to know about this process? An etiquette question? Resume troubles? Cover letter confusion? No question too small!

So let us know. Email me your question and the appropriate blogger — or bloggers — will post your question (without your name) and a response. I promise!

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Tags: Cover Letters, job hunt, Job Search, networking, questions, Resumes, Robin Ferrier
Posted in Cover Letters, Interviewing, Job Search, Networking, Personal Brand, Recruiters, Resumes, Robin Ferrier, WhatsNextGenY | No Comments »

How are dating and searching for a job the same?

March 15th, 2010 :: Robin Ferrier

by Allison Kapner

Let’s examine Step 1: Sourcing your date or job lead through the internet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodomut/ / CC BY 2.0

Step 1: Finding the date, finding the Job….What’s the Difference? NOTHING!

So how do you go about finding a new job and a new mate? This post could really go on for days. In fact, I could probably do a PhD on the topic, but I’m trying to keep this fairly concise.

Back in the day you would pick up the newspaper every day, circle the classified ads that looked appealing, fax in your resume and hope for the best. (Believe it or not, in 2004, I actually got my first job this way!) Nowadays there are endless job search engines, job boards, recruiting agencies and other ways to find jobs using the internet. Talk about information overload!

Back in the day, parents set up arranged marriages, or maybe you and the neighbor across the street were stuck with each other because there were so few options for meeting new people. Dating wasn’t socially accepted the way it is today. Nowadays, there singles events, meet-ups, speed dating, online dating… and the world of online dating is segmented out for every type of person: fitness singles, eHarmony, Jdate, etc. The list goes on and one. Seeing a theme? Information overload!

The Internet: Broken out by effort level, where do you look?

Least amount of work – job search: The most common sites are obviously Monster, Yahoo! HotJobs, CareerBuilder, etc. You scroll, search around and stalk these boards and assume every single job that’s available in life will be posted there. (Hint: They’re not.) LinkedIn has become an obvious tool, and over the past few years, LinkedIn has really grown and been a huge asset when used correctly. Twitter and Facebook are now jumping on the job search bandwagon. My point? The jobs that are blasted to the public result in thousands of applicants for each job, and for some reason people apply to jobs no matter whether they meet the qualifications or not.

Least amount of work – dating: Post on Match.com. I used Match.com once in my life while in NY. The result? People of all shapes and sizes banging down my door. Why? Because it’s easy. You post a quick profile and picture and that’s that. People can contact you as long as you pay and you don’t have to do much work other than throw up a profile.

Large amount of work and focus – job search: If you are really focused – and truly want to be successful – you will go to specific companies’ websites, register (if needed), and stalk properly until they post your dream job, then wait for days, weeks, sometimes months until you watch the job disappear or you get that magical call. You’ll be targeted and strategic and put a lot of work and research into finding the “right” companies.

Large amount of work and focus – dating: Sign up for eHarmony or other sites that make you actually do work. I’ve used it, and wow do they put you through the ringer. If you think someone is attractive, chances are they are too “shy” to use the fast-track way of communicating, which means you go through about a 10-step process just to get to writing emails to each other. But eHarmony is more targeted. They send you matches based on a values profile you fill out. You hope that the system matches people who share similar beliefs and values….and I do have to say the work may be worth it sometimes.

Feeling lucky?
If you are feeling lucky with your job search, check out Craigslist. I’ve randomly heard people that have had found a great job posted there. (It is free after all, a lot of smaller companies tend to use it as a tool.) But watch out for sleazy sales jobs. They try to hit the masses with them. One small piece of advice: I’ve know someone who has tried to date through Craigslist. You probably won’t have the same good luck. I recommend staying away from the single classifieds.

To be continued…

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Tags: Allison Kapner, job hunt, Job Search
Posted in Allison Kapner, Dating, Job Search, WhatsNextGenY | 1 Comment »

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How are dating and searching for a job the same?