CNN Offers a Tidbit or Two!

A Little Confidence Boost =)

I came across this article on the NY Times "Shifting Careers" blog. It's a guest post by Michael Melcher, a professional career coach. In the article he discusses the dilemma so many wide-eyed, entry level hopefuls are facing right now- the dreaded silence after submitting an application.

We all need to remain optimistic (you'll see, he agrees) so I decided to post the article! Hope it helps!

They Never Write, They Never Call... by Michael Melcher

Despite the prevalence of technology in our lives, career progress requires real interaction with real people. Technology is a helpful tool but you can’t shake hands over the Internet.

But what happens when you put yourself out there and the world doesn’t respond?

You apply online for a job but get no response (or worse, an automated “no thanks”); you send a flurry of e-mails to contacts close and distant, but your own inbox remains a forlorn and empty place; you invite people to lunch or coffee but they can’t manage to tear themselves away from their busy, employed lives.

Career shifts always contains an element of isolation. It’s your journey, not someone else’s. As Herminia Ibarra has written, you often leave one work identity behind before you find the next one. But everything feels worse when you are waiting for the phone to ring or the inbox to chime.

People find new opportunities in recessions, but not people who spend a lot of time being depressed, whiny or angry. You need all the positive energy you can muster. How to get past the non-responding negativity hurdle? A few recommendations:

Act like a human being. The best antidote to feeling disconnected is to connect with people. The end of the year is a good time to do this. Get out into the world. Yes, you should try to go to professional events, but also take a class, see friends, go to church, make it to yoga, call your mom. This is especially important for people whose work includes an element of isolation, including consultants, lawyers, writers and stay-at-home parents. Manifest as a person, not as an e-mail address.

Lessen your dependence on the Internet. If you are focusing solely on online applications, your job search hasn’t begun yet. The quantities of applications that pour in to company and recruiter Web sites make it very likely that even highly qualified applicants will escape notice. Many job seekers get wrapped up in the idea that companies “should” notice them if they are qualified. Well, they might not. It’s a lot harder to make contact with a relevant person than it is to fill out an online application, but it’s infinitely more useful.

Assume that other people are busier than you are. A nonresponse isn’t a “no.” It’s just a nonresponse. Sometimes when people don’t respond in a reasonable time to your calls and e-mails, it’s because they are busy. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to help, it just means . . . that they are busy. So remind them. Send another message, ideally one that won’t make them feel guilty or irresponsible for not having responded sooner. I would try two attempts at one medium before switching to another (e.g., two e-mails followed by voicemail).

My rule of thumb is that, as a whole, you should assume a 5:1 ratio in job-search communications: five calls or e-mails going out for each one that will come in.

Improve your own communications. Maybe you are not coming off as well as you think. A good networking communication is direct without being pushy; confident without being entitled; and friendly without being forward. And it always contains correct spelling and grammar. Consider asking a friend to read some of your draft communications or listen to your oral pitch, and to give honest feedback.

Make connections for other people. Whatever barriers you are facing in the employment markets, you are probably in a position to others in their job searches, whether through advice, referrals or just being a friend. Helping others make progress is a good way to remind yourself that you do have an impact on the world.

Try Fedex. Two people I know managed to break through the interview gates by sending letters by express mail to the people doing the hiring. Boldness sometimes pays off. Just don’t everyone do this at once.

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I know I already petitioned people to do this, but I found this nifty button =)



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Career Fairs- Half the Work!

It can get tedious looking for jobs on the internet or perusing the listings in newspapers. Thankfully, there are some upcoming career fairs which literally bring the companies to you (which is great, because at least you KNOW they're hiring). I attended a career fair last year at Madison Square Garden during the summer and another happens to be coming up next week.

The Big East Career Fair is March 13th at from 10-3 pm at MSG. Take a look at the companies participating and check out their tips for preparing for the big day. Some of their recommendations:

- plan to wear a professional outfit
- prepare plenty of copies of your resume (emphasis on "plenty")
- market yourself
- CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE CONFIDENCE!

Another career fair is slated for April 2, 2009 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. Be sure to check out the Careerbuilder tips included as links on the page, especially the 24 jobs with rising salaries and eight salary-talk traps.

Make sure to check out the career fairs or company recruitment opportunities at local colleges and universities, and don't be afraid to look beyond your own institution (unless, of course, you must be a student there to attend in which case I don't recommend attempting to sneak in, no matter how competitive the job market may be). There's one at Montclair State University in April.

You could have a job, but it could be like this.

91 Days to Graduation

We're in the double digits, ladies and gentlemen.


First things first.

I've begun to search the job market this month as my college career winds down, and at first glance I have to admit that I reconciled myself to the fact that I am most definitely screwed. My optimism was restored quickly, however, when I stumbled upon a particular website at the suggestion of a friend. LinkedIn is a website where individuals can create a professional online profile (think of it like a Facebook account, but without all the images and information that make most people un-employable). It's absolutely free and extremely easy to manage, as well as border-line addictive. What's best is that potential employers can glance at your profile and see all of your relevant work experience, job descriptions, interests and activities, and awards all in one place. Past employers, teachers, and mentors can even recommend you. There are new applications to add every day (I'm a fan of the Reading List application myself) and it's amazing how quickly the site is catching on. Research has shown that even in today's economy, this website has shown more traffic as the competition for jobs increases. Why not be on the cutting edge? Eventually, just like Facebook, if you don't have a LinkedIn profile, you'll be out-of-touch and out-of-date.


As a point of procrastination while making your LinkedIn profile, I suggest scurrying on to PhotoFunia. It's a website that provides cool and artistic templates for your photos. You can simply upload them into whatever format you choose and bingo, photos worthy of the MoMa!

100 DAYS TILL GRADUATION

Goodness! It's been quite a while since I last posted! Guess you can never underestimate exactly how busy second semester senior year may be...

Today officially marks the 100 days until graduation countdown and, if your school is anything remotely like mine, this of course means a mass senior class celebration at a bar later where there will be no shortage of beer tears and, well, BEER.


Now considering the momentous occasion this blog is dedicated to is quickly approaching, (100 days from now to be exact) my mind began to wander to another Point of Procrastination. As my friend Kelly suggested, in a few short months many of us will be on to full time jobs (come on stimulus plan!) and of course one of the best benefits for any post-graduate is Happy Hour.

Ah Happy Hour, the happiest of all hours!

Now depending on your particular region, Happy Hour specials may differ. In my neck of New York in Poughkeepsie, Noah's is by far the most popular destination with free wings, garlic bread, and baked ziti on Thursdays and Fridays from 6-7:30 pm. Wash it all down with $1.75 beer and you've got yourself a dedicated legion of fans.

In NYC though, there are plenty more options to choose from. A personal favorite of mine is Flip Night on Tuesdays at Flight 151 on 8th Avenue where patrons flip a coin after ordering any house liquor or wine. Guess heads or tails correctly and the drink is yours for free. Be careful though, if luck is on your side, you may not pay for a drink all night, but you'll pay for your hangover in the morning. Tuesday gets even better with Doc Holiday's where from between 8 and 11 pm, guests pay $7 or $8 and can drink Bud Light to their hearts content.

For more happy hour deals, or really any entertainment/nightlife information, check out some of the more popular websites such as Shecky's, NYCGo, Yelp, or Thrillist.

Remember, it's always 5 o'clock somewhere.