We have all heard the phrase “In this economy…” which is often followed by a discussion regarding the lack of jobs there currently are around the globe. Such a fact rings especially true for this years graduating college seniors. But if you play your cards right, there is hope. There are many means by which you can help yourself get a job and impress your employer in the process. Read on to find out more.
1.) Intern: Interning at a company will allow you to gain experience in all different areas of an industry. Most importantly internships can help you decide if your intended career path is the right fit for you. Lemore Hecht, a senior at Quinnipiac University, interned with WOR radio station in New York City this past summer. Hecht says, “an internship is the most valuable experience one can have in terms of getting a job in the future.” You can experience what it is like to be in a real work environment, and learn aspects of a particular industry you would never gain in a classroom. She believes, “not only does it get your foot in the door and gives you the experience of working in the field of your choice, but it also helps you form a network that will help you in the future.” Also having an internship will put you ahead of others applying for a job who have less experience. Hecht says, “the connections that you build are important so that when the time comes around to find a job, you have an "in" with a company. She believes forming such a relationship with professionals in your field of study will only help you when you begin your job search. Most importantly interning during your time in college shows you are ambitious about the field you are trying to break into. Also you will gain useful knowledge about the entire industry, inside and out, as you will have experienced it for yourself first hand.
2.) Network: It seems too good to be true but simply talking to the right person can be the gateway to the job of your dreams. “Networking is how I got my first job,” says Jacqueline Elliot, a Communications Planner at MediaCom, an advertising agency in New York City.Scott Siminsky, the Manager of Sales at ABC and family friend of Elliot’s, had ties with the ad agency she currently works for. He reffered Elliot to three different ad agencies which led to three different interviews. Elliot got offered a position at MediaCom as a Communications Planning Assistant in 2006 and was promoted within six months. As mentioned above, internships can also help form relationships with those in the professional field both within your company and beyond. Making the right impression on someone may prompt them to refer you to your next potential employer.
3.) Do Your Research:One of the first steps one should take when preparing for an interview is to research the company. The last thing you want to do is find yourself dumbfounded when an employer mentions something about the company and you have absolutely no idea what he or she is talking about. Knowledge about your company, its partners and competitors will make you stand out from the crowd. It will prove that you are not only interested in working there, but have taken the initiate to stay abreast of the company’s goals, reputation and possible changes they may be making. Researching a company can be done simply by taking a look at the company’s website, annual reports, or even researching them at any good old fashioned library.
4.) Use the Internet: There are a plethora of websites out there that can help you get your foot in the door, without even getting off your couch. The internet is a great way to make your name and resume easily accessible to companies and employers who may be using the internet as means to find potential candidates. Many job postings are found on websites like Craig’s List, an online classifieds site, with job opportunities listed around the world. Sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com allow you to not only post your resume and look for jobs, but also seek career advice and research various occupations.
5.) Clean Up Your Act:Facebook and Myspace are tools that allow people to stay in touch and keep track of what your friends, co-workers and family are up to. While sites like these were especially useful during college, however when it comes to finding a job, employers often look to such sites to learn more about their potential employees. Although pictures of you drinking with your friends may seem harmless, it's not particularly the type of image you want to promote of yourself when seeking employment. Elliot says one applicant at her company was turned down for a job after her boss came across her myspace page, which featured the girl in a less than flattering light. Deleting your profile completely is not necessarily being suggested, but limiting what kind of personal information you share with the public should be used with discretion. There are however websites that can be beneficial for you to join when beginning your professional career. See step 6.
6.) Get “Linkedin:”Linkedin is a website that allows you to “get the most from your professional network.” Once you sign up you can search for job opportunities, speak with experts in a particular industry as well as reconnect with colleagues from previous jobs. The site also allows you to make a personal profile which highlights your career goals and experiences. The website states its “mission is to connect the world’s professionals to accelerate their success.” Take a look at the video below to get an insight as to how linkedin can benefit you and your career.
7.) Customize your resume: “Gearing your resume towards the field you’re seeking employment in is very important,” says Elliot. Highlighting such qualities will enforce how you are specifically required for a certain position, not just the industry in general. “In my objectives I put pertinent information about the prevalent experiences I had at my past places of employment.” If you are applying for a niche position that requires particular skills, be sure to highlight such attributes you may possess which could be particularly essential for your position. Capitalizing on such special skills you may have could be what ends up setting you apart from another applicant.
8.) Dress Appropriately:People say looks aren’t everything, but when it comes to job interviews, first impressions are extremely important. How you look when you first greet your potential employer is key. According to About.com, men should dress in a solid colored suit and tie, wear their hair neatly, and limit any distracting jewelry or strong aftershave. Women should also dress in a pants suit, or skirt that is still at a conservative and comfortable length when sitting. Women should especially limit wearing too much perfume or gaudy jewelry and should perhaps just wear simple earrings. Eileen Mancision, a Medical Assistant for Westchester Medical Group in Scarsdale, NY says even if your interview is taking place over the phone you should dress as though you were having a face to face interview. Mancision says doing so will help put you in the right mind set, even if you are only speaking to your interviewer by telephone. Whether you are having an interview in person or not, dressing correctly is highly important; because no matter how qualified you may be your appearance is the first thing your employer will be judging.
9.) Be on time: Getting to your job interview is the hard part, being punctual shouldn’t be. Showing up even just a few minutes late to your interview can make you appear as though you are a tardy or irresponsible employee. Especially, dare I say, in this economy it is crucial to try and do everything possible to give yourself that extra edge. Running late may only add to your anxiety and nerves which will make it harder for you to concentrate at the task at hand: getting a job offer!
10.) Stay Confident: Now that you have adequately networked to land yourself an interview, researched the company, and deleted any incriminating photos of yourself on facebook, staying confident is a major component when trying to impress your boss during an interview. Prior to your interview you should ask yourself why you want to work for this particular company and how you feel you can be an asset to them. Having a good understanding of such goals will help you to stay on track when answering questions during your interview. Elliot says, "staying confident and positive is very important." Especially these days with the struggling economy and constant layoffs being made, such attributes will only help you in the long run. Even if you don't get the job you were hoping for the first time around, each experience will only make you stronger, and show you what you need to work on in the future; because the right job for you will come along eventually, but it takes a great deal of hard work and determination to find it
Marry rich and you can live like the women of the "The Real Housewives." Over the past few years, I must admit, this show has become my guilty pleasure. While I'm from NYC I unfortunately can't say I can relate to any of the women on this seasons installment of Bravo's the Real Desperate Housewives of New York City. One thing I am thankful for is that I don't (or at least I hope, have an accent like Jill Zarin's, one of the members of this season's cast of characters.) I became hooked on the series freshman year when too much caffeine and excess amount of time on my hands allowed me to stay up all night watching a better part of the first season of the show. The first season focused on the women of Orange County who all live in a development of mansions known as Coto de Caza. Some of them work, while others live off their husbands money, either way they are equally wealthy a all lead extravagant lives.
When they're not gossiping about each other or pretending to be friends they're typically seen dining out, going on vacation and of course relaxing at the spa, because their lives are oh so stressful. The same theme of activites hold true for the women of both coasts. The ladies of NYC can be seen jaunting off to the Hamptons and the women of the OC stay at the most lavish hotels in Las Vegas.
As I mentioned some of the women married rich which is how they found themselves living the lavish lifestyle they do, while others have made their fortune selling insurance or real estate. What bothers me about these women is they all consider themselves to have 'class' simply because they have money. But the majority of the faux blonde, fake breasted women of the OC all engage in activities that are far from classy and often downright mean.
On a recent episode of the Real OC Housewives one of the women, Tamra, the self described "hottest housewife," plotted to get one of the other women "naked wasted" (not so sure what that entails). Basically she forced tequila shots down her throat to get her so drunk that she embarrassed herself in front of everyone, many of whom she had just met. Tamra has a personal vendetta against Gretchen, who she fears may take over the reign of "hottest housewife," as she is younger, spunkier and new to the crowd--clearly this is evidence of "classy" behavior.
Jill of NYC, has an accent something similar to the sounds of a sweet combination of Long Island, the Bronx and straight up loud and obnoxious. Unfortunately on a recent episode she realized how detrimental opening up her big mouth can be in NYC; she bashed one of the other women's husbands and it just so happened to be printed in the NY Post. Nevertheless I still manage to find myself setting my TIVO to tape the ridiculousness of this show each week-whose latest installment included a one year birthday party for one of the women's dogs-which was sadly nicer than my sweet 16. Check out the drama for yourself every Tuesday night at 10 on Bravo.
Anyone with a facebook is aware of the fact that it is customary for users to update their "friends" on the most important aspects of their lives throughout the day.
This is all done through the use of status updates, a feature on facebook which allows me to keep tabs on pretty much what all my 557 bffs on the book are up to. Now I know when they are hungry, procrastinating studying for a test, going out and getting wasted with their "loves" and the like. Personally I don't need a facebook tab to allow me to express my feelings. Far too often I come across ones that read something along the lines of: "trying to find the meaning of life" or "searching for real love." Like I said in one of my previous posts, facebook has many great tools for keeping in touch with friends, family and acquaintances, but sometimes people go to extremes. This became evident when a man was arrested, yes arrested for stealing a womans laptop to check his facebook account. I guess he couldn't go another second without knowing if someone wrote on his wall, tagged him in a picture or perhaps he simply needed to update his status. Here's more on the story from the Sarasota Herald Tribune:
BRADENTON, Fla. — Sheriff's officers said a 19-year-old man snatched a Starbucks customers laptop after being told he could not use it to check his Facebook account. According to officers, the man then grabbed the customer's laptop and ran out of the coffee shop, located in an outlet mall.
Two people in the parking lot tackled the man and held him there until a mall security guard arrived.
The victim got his laptop back and the man was charged Saturday with robbery by sudden snatching, a felony.
We've all been there; situations that are just plain awkward. Personally I've found myself in quite a bit and I'm sure you all have too. This hip-hop parody pays tribute to some of life's most uncomfortable moments...enjoy!
You’ve heard from seniors form universities around the country who are quickly approaching the end of an era: college. But what’s life really going to be like post-May? Will naps still exist? Is having fun even allowed? Is life even worth living? Chris Davitt, a 2008 graduate of Keene State in New Hampshire sheds some light on what it’s really like out there in the “real world.”
Q: What do you miss most about college?
A: I miss not being able to wear sweatpants everyday. I miss the food from the dining commons. I miss door tags. I miss being able to drink at 2 in the afternoon and not having someone judge me. I miss watching people try to text in class in their ugg boots. I miss getting frustrated going to work to lifeguard at the campus pool for three hours because I knew I was missing happy hour.
Q: How did you go about finding your first job? Was it a difficult process?
A: I had a hard time finding a job at first. I was looking for a teaching position and a lot of schools were looking for somebody who had their masters. I sent out forty applications and went on about five interviews. I was only offered one job. However, I am very happy where I am now.
Q: On a daily basis how is your routine different from how you spent your time in college?
A: My routine is mostly the same. I work for seven hours until the late afternoon. I come home, do some work, eat dinner and watch T.V. It’s very similar to going to class, doing homework, and just hanging out at night.
Q: Did you have many college loans to pay off after graduating? If so how have you been managing your money in order to do so?
A: Yes I have about $20,000 in student loans to pay off. I have been trying to save so I set up a separate bank where I put money that will eventually help me pay off my loans.
Q: Do you feel you have less free time to socialize with friends?
A: Not really. The main thing that has changed is I have more responsibilities now.
Q: Were you forced to move home after college in order to save money
A: No I was lucky enough to move out on my own right after college and I am glad that I did so. I think it could be very difficult adjustment if you move home right after leaving college. I still have my independence that I had while I was in college.
Q:You're college buddies referred to you as "Big C" during your time at Keene; Is such a nickname still appropriate at the middle school you now teach in?
A: Luckily they don't know about the nickname. I do however reference stories from my college days, but I leave out the stories that involve drinking. I try to maintain an image of a real person, but I also try to stay professional.
Q: As a young teacher did you find it hard to gain the respect of your older co-workers/your students right after college?
A: Yes at 23, I definitely feel young at times. However, I try to keep the mood light and I feel like people enjoy that kind of attitude
Q: Is it hard keeping in touch with your friends from college now that you have jobs, significant others and more responsibilities?
A: I consider myself lucky most of my friends from college live close by. Some of them are working and others go to school and are finishing up their degrees. I see at least one of my friends almost every weekend.
Q: Do you feel you’ve changed at all since graduating?
A: For the most part, not really. The only thing that has definitely changed is I have more responsibilities now.
Q: What kind of responsibilities do you have now that you didn't have in college?
A: These days I have to worry about paying bills on time, and even worse having to cook for myself.
Q: If you could go back and do college all over again, would you?
A: Absolutely I would, but I do not think I would change much. The only thing I would do differently is study harder my Freshman year.
Q: In order to give some hope to all our graduating seniors out there, what are some benefits of living on your own, working, etc?
A: I think the "real world" is very similar to college life actually. The only suggestion I would have is make sure you stay organized. The last months of college can be very stressful, but it’ s important to remember to have fun and enjoy your last few months.
He was known as "Big C," back in college, but is now more commonly referred to as Mr. Davitt by his students. He spends his days teaching, cooking his own meals, and relaxing at night. He is also lucky enough to have moved out right after graduation and in turn has been able to maintain the independence he became accustomed to during his time at Keene. While he no longer has his meals cooked by the staff in the dining commons, or can get away with wearing sweatpants on a daily basis, Davitt explains life after college, isn't so bad after all. He says his life now isn't all that different than it was this time last year. He now has a place of his own, money to spend, and still spends time with his friends; now that doesn't seem so bad, does it?
For four college students the idea for a website consisting of jokes, and funny photos, began innocently as a way to get beer money during college. But Collegehumor.com, according to The New Yorker, is now home to eight million users a month. The website includes anything from hysterical home videos, to a "stupid question hall of fame" and even humourous essays written by College Humor's own staff. And now nine editorial staff members at the website, thanks to MTV, are starring in a scripted half hour comedy depicting the daily happenings at the office, where being funny is pretty much their job.
I suggest checking it out. The show airs every Sunday at 9:30 on MTV. If only we could all get sweet jobs working at a website like this after college...
to them that they don't even realize how God damn annoying their mere presence truly is. Perhaps you live with Mr. Doesn't refill the ice tray, work along side cubicle phone screamer, or maybe you even are the resolution gym hogger
The blog "People Who Deserve it" call out those gems who wear jeans to the gym (why?), "indescretely" pick their nose, or people who just plain creep you out like Ronald McDonald. I've listed my top five favorite offenders who I am sure you have come across during your lifetime. If any people in particular seem as though they go out of their way to ruin your day, then feel free to leave a comment:
1.) Bad breath boss:
Here at PWDI, we believe in hygiene and not much else. So when a particular douche-nozzle fucks with the one thing we hold dear, it’s a fair bet we’re going to call that bastard out. Big time.
Bad Breath Boss, guess what? It’s your turn. We’ve had just about enough of your condescending pep talks and rampant halitosis. If we wanted to smell like an onion bagel and feel bad about ourselves we’d shower at H&H.
Please in the name of baby Jesus, brush your teeth, chew some gum, have a mint, maybe see a specialist, because when you talk it smells like the plague, and we’re not allowed to bring a SARS mask to work.
And if you continue to violate our nostrils with the smell of hot trash, we’ll have no choice but to rip that DeVry diploma off your wall and shove it down your stink hole. You’ve been warned.
2.) Don't disturb waiter:
Last time we checked, a waiter’s job was to wait on the people. A modern day servant if you will. A modern day servant making more tips than we’re making writing this stupid blog, or pretending to work while we watch cat videos on Youtube.
But some of these skivvies just don’t get the point. Like they’re doing you a favor by bringing your food - plopping it on the table like gruel in an orphanage. You’re missing a fork and there’s a toenail in your risotto? Well too bad sucka, ’cause your waiter’s too busy doing lines in the bathroom and looking pensive by the bar.
Next time you have to deal with this menial serf, go ahead and read him the daily specials: bangers and mash with a side of black eye.
3. Resolution gym hogger:
Ahhh, new year, new crop of hackneyed gym goers. You know the ones. They eat 79 donuts during the holidays in anticipation of fulfilling their new year’s resolution. “This year, Will be the year.” Um, pardon our pessimism, but no, it won’t. Don’t get us wrong, we’re big proponents of getting into shape (we need to keep our stamina up in order to outrun angry mobs). You, however, will join our gym and hog our machines for the first 2 months, until you realize the treadmill is equally as horrible as it was last year, and your Tivo’s getting way too full on this new “workout regime.”
Allow us to shorten the process by offering you this exclusive one-day-only registration special. You pay nothing, and we make the thought of the gym so painful, you stay home and cry off those extra pounds.
4. Passive agressive emoticon user:
Sorry team, you’ll be working late again tonight Looks like we’re gonna have to let you go Oops, I ran over your cat Do any of these statements make you feel good? No. So why then, does Passive Aggressive Emoticon User feel the need to end each thought with a rage inducing smiley-face. Or worse, a wink?We’ll tell you why. Because she’s a horrible bitch who takes pleasure in other people’s misery. Should you have your very own PAEU, remind her that projecting her pathological disorder on others is unacceptable by replying to her next email with your own emoticon. What’s the symbol for broken face again?
5. Dude who takes monopoly way too seriously:
When it comes to board games, some friendly competition goes a long way. Keeps things interesting.
But, then there are those who treat every game like a death-match with Dolph Lundgren, turning an exciting game of chance into the most excruciating three hours of your life.
It’s times like these when you need to step back, take a deep breath, and remind “Dude Who Takes Monopoly Way Too Seriously” to chillax.
After all, it’s a game involving fake money, plastic properties and a petite chienne. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t land on Pennsylvania Avenue.
So instead of going all Gary Coleman, threatening to not participate if you don’t get to play banker, how about you pull up your diapers, temper that tantrum and roll the dice. Don’t make us crack open your community chest.
I'm a broadcast journalism major and criminal justice minor. I was born in Manhattan but have lived in the Bronx my entire life. I love running and recently ran in my first 15k. I studied abroad in London during my junior year and fell in love with the city and traveling. Therefore I've decided to head to Sydney, Australia for the upcoming summer to intern. I go back and forth just about every day about what I want to do with my life. One day I want to be a news reporter, the next an FBI agent. I've also come to the conclusion that being a back-up singer in a band is my true calling. I cannot say with confidence where I see myself in 5 years; I just hope it includes me having a job.
Looks like we’re gonna have to let you go 
