Twitter- The Newest Kid on the Block

Now that I'm a working girl, I'm getting a glimpse into the rest of my life that starts in just four months. Commuting into NYC, balancing things at work and home, somehow finding a way to pay for all of this...AHH! It doesn't help that my college placed electronic signs in most of the administrative buildings that count down to graduation. "T MINUS 100 DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION. DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?"

Geez.

Luckily I think I'm pretty well prepared. I've noticed though that a lot of people my age sort of lack the technology savvy that is so attractive to employers now-a-days. Granted, my generation is fantastic in most respects in that we eat up the latest gadgets to pop up on the market, but when it comes to social media applications that are emerging, college seniors could be better. Everyone has a Facebook and Myspace (the haven for teenage, angst-ridden high school students) has jumped back into the spotlight. Neverthless, I noticed at work today that a study came out that claimed that businesses don't do enough in terms of monitoring their clinet's reputations on social media applications. So what better time to acclimate yourself with one than in college? Think how impressed employers will be.

If you're new to the whole social media app. thing then I'd suggest starting with Twitter. Imagine updating your Facebook status throughout the day, but without the guilt. You can respond to others' status and even "follow" other people to indulge your inner creeper. So tone those stalker skills. Even celebrities, companies, and high profile politicians have "tweeted." Just check out Obama's Twitter. Trust me, you'll become addicted (once you get over the initial embarassment of not having any friends).

Feel free to follow me on Twitter! My username is kdavie09! Happy Tweeting!

A Little Lesson Courtesy of 'The Office'

One Small Step

So this morning I traveled into NYC to interview for an internship at a really great PR firm...and I got it! Thank you, Jesus. Now because I have the crucial pre-graduation internship in the bag, I'm going to offer some tips and advice so that others can find the same luck.

I came home and checked my email, and a friend had conveniently sent me an email with a blog post that I might find useful. It talks about when to begin the crucial job search. Now I'm not sure if my friend even knows I started a blog recently, so this was really coincidental and literally fell into my lap.

It's really helpful though and led me eventually to another Point of Procrastination. Alright, I can argue that this website is educational in that it blatantly demonstrates what NOT to do in the job market, but you tend to forget that after about the 3rd or 4th rediculous cover letter or resume excerpt you come across. Keep that in mind though if you find the minutes passing by too quickly- it's serving a purpose in the long run.

Second Point of Procrastination, then let's get down to business

As I was talking with a friend about my new blog, we began to wonder what happened to our blogs of old. In high school, so many of had Livejournals, Deadjournals, Xangas, and then simply stopped posting because the new soup de jour FACEBOOK became available to us. Granted, the posts weren't even that interesting and I'd probably be embarrased should a would-be employer ever stumble on them, but I was nostalgic all the same.

I looked mine up but hit a brick wall. Fortunately, I found something better, or at least more interesting. Burger King and Facebook have teamed up for a special promotion of the "Angry Burger" and are enticing users to dump 10 unlucky friends they may have beef with for, essentially, a beef burger. Check out the link for more details.

+++++++

Now, for the actual helpful section of the post.

I'm venturing into NYC for an interview tomorrow. Hopefully it's no sweat, but I go prepared with a list of possible interview questions (and those not permitted to ask) and I'm going to share a few:

• How would you describe your academic achievement?
• What school year was the most difficult and why?
• How would you describe the ideal job for you?
• Tell me about a responsibility you enjoyed.
• What has been your least valuable work experience?
• If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what would you be looking for?
• What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
• Where do you think you could make the biggest contribution to this organization?
• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Those are just a few. For a full list of interview questions, click here.

Welcome!

So I've decided with only a few short months seperating yours truly from a college degree, I'd create a blog to ease the minds of my fellow senior students (and, if nothing else, make myself more attractive in today's technology driven job market CHA CHING).

Here you'll find regular posts with helpful tidbits regarding securing a job, interview tips, advice from experts (namely, friends who have successfully landed a job or have found themselves on illustrious internship committees), and most importantly, points of interest to distract readers from the looming threat of wearing a cap and gown.

Welcome to the mind of a college senior- rapidly approaching graduation and entering the real world in the midst of a recession and record low amounts of entry level positions, armed with nothing but her education, resume, and a sense of humor.


Now because I'm not OFFICIALLY beginning the countdown until next Tuesday when classes resume at my particular institution, I'm offering my first point of procrastination: http://www.sporcle.com/

Cleverly simple, Sporcle is a trivia website that tests the knowledge of patrons. Some are especially easy. I nailed the test asking me to name all of Santa's reindeer pretty quickly. Others, not so much. I tried to name all of the planets and almost forgot Uranus (I'm aware of the jokes that can be made in response to that). There's a test that asks ambitious readers to name all 150 Pokemon or every point of historical interest named in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Trust me, this website can keep you occupied for hours on end, but beware- all of the tests are timed. Don't say I didn't warn you.