Sunday, January 31, 2010

A Few of My Favorite Things

Growing up, my dad always urged me to read The New York Times. He thought that I could learn a thing or two about grammer, good writing and current events. But when I went away to college, reading the Times every morning became a lost practice. Enter nytimes.com. I even have the app on my iPhone and it makes staying up to date a whole different ballgame.

Even now, I read the New York Times daily. Sometimes it is online and sometimes it is in print (Thanks Muhlenberg for subscribing.) And without fail, my dad sends me articles pertaining to the economy, job market or growing up in general. While his articles may seem overbearing at times, they have also made for good inspiration. I know many of us don't have time to read the newspaper let alone do part of our assignments, so I will post what I think to be relevant articles for you to skim and enjoy.

It turns out that the New York Times provides unassuming career advice. It has a section called 'Corner Office' where CEOs and business owners sit down and provide their personal experiences in the job market. I began clicking and reading the interviews and came across Bobbi Brown's story. In the make-up realm, Bobbi Brown is queen, but she is also an incredibly sucessful business woman. Her interview provided insight into her personal work philosophy, hiring processes and her career tips.

There are two quotes that stuck with me. The first is:

"I don't think about interviewing them for work. I first try to understand who they are as people."

Her hiring outlook seems so unusual yet so practical. There are countless people (myself included) who majored in one subject but want to pursue careers in another. Interviewing a person based off their past experiences, interests and goals can provide for a well-rounded perspective of that person. At the end of the day, your hiring may depend on your qualifications, but it helps to know that perhaps an employer is also factoring in the rest of "you".

The second quote that stood out was:

"When you are talking to someone, look them in the eye. Always tell the truth. And you have to start at the bottom. I don't care who you are and what you do, you have to start at the bottom. If there's a job as a receptionist at a company you would love to work for and there's nothing else, get that job. And don't just sit there."

It seems so simple to remember to look at someone in the eye when you are speaking to them, but it is also so easy to forget it when you are in the process of interviewing. Eye contact is one of the most important parts of interviewing--it shows that you are engaged, interested and focused. Telling the truth should not be an option--lying about your experiences on your resume or in person won't end of helping you in the long run and it can make you appear dishonest. As for starting at the bottom? Where else would you start! I guarantee that every successful person has started as an administrative assistant, working part time or in a job that wasn't their first choice. In order to grow, you have to start small. But in order to move up, you need to be motivated and a hard worker. Simply sitting there won't ensure your success, but being proactive will.

Look for more of these Corner Office excerpts in the future!

For the rest of the interview, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/business/24corner.html?ref=jobs.

Monday, January 11, 2010

So it begins....

Most people look at winter break as a chance to relax. For my friends at home, its a chance to lie out on the beach and run around in flip flops. For my counterparts in the North, its a chance to live in a Winter Wonderland and make snow angles and sit by fires.

Turns out, that's a thing of the past.

This past break has been dominated by spread sheets, file folders and countless clicks of a mouse. That's right. The job search has begun.

The most incredible part of this whole "adventure" is that I was in total denial about how involved it would be. Who knew that there are over a dozen websites that will list jobs or that there are websites specific to the industry that you want to go into? For the longest time, I thought there was monster.com and that was it. Boy, was I wrong.

Jobfox.com - careerbuilder.com - indealist.org - indeed.com - yahoo jobs - mediabistro.com....and the list goes on.

What I figured out this break is that organization and Google will serve as your best friends. Simply put in "event logistics new york city" and hundreds of sites come up. And then that overwhelming feeling hits you. But worry you shall not: by creating a simple spread sheet with columns like 'job title', 'organization', 'point of contact', 'date application sent' (well at this point you get it), it becomes much easier to manage all the looming information.

I cannot tell you how to organize this massive undertaking. What I do recommend is tracking the dates of every time contact is made. This includes sending the applications, following up, and receiving response. Make sure that you keep a list of the person of contact and their position in the organization. What works for me may not work for the next person. I am someone who thrives on post-its and color coding and creating file folders. The most important thing is to create a reference for yourself that you can easily access.

I thought that it would be easier to stick my head in the sand than approach job hunting head on. For me, taking the first step and being organized was too real. It meant that no longer ignoring something made it tangible and I just wasn't ready for that reality. When I finally figured out that Graduation wasn't going anywhere and I needed a plan, it became a lot easier to begin the process. Although I sound assured, my process started out slow. I sifted through dozens of listings that I was beyond unqualified for. The more you look, however, the more you find. I began coming across listings that seemed appropriate to my experience and interests. And interestingly, the more I found, the more I wanted to look.

With each application sent, there is a level of satisfaction that comes with being able to date mark the column "Application Sent". It signifies one more potential job and a layer of fear that is stripped away.

But don't get me wrong---it still took me fifteen minutes to send the first application, because I realized that once I pushed 'send' there was no looking back. My hands were shaking, I looked like I just ran over a squirrel and the color was drained from my face. And once I got over the initial physical shock, it felt really good to finally say "Listen out world---You better be ready for me. And my kick ass resume."