MyLifeMyCareer.com

For all the frosh out there going through rush, getting hazed, making it to classes, and finding your way around. I just heard from a guy one month into school, and he feels like everyone is smarter, he doesn't know what to do, and just doesn't feel like he belongs. It's a rough first semester or two, that's for sure. To immediately improve your life, switch majors to something that you enjoy doing. Examples:

* listening/editing music -> recording arts degree
* doodling/drawing/web design -> graphic arts or new media
* investing -> finance program
* being outdoors -> geology, environmental science, agricultural science
* building things -> industrial design or engineering
* playing sports -> sports marketing, therapy, or broadcast communications
* playing video games -> game developor/designer

If your school doesn't have the program you are looking for then transfer. It's too early in your college career to get locked into something you dread learning about. You will be getting a degree in something that you will probably be doing for the next 45 years so pick something that you will enjoy doing! Get involved with groups around campus: student governement, intramural sports, drama clubs, whatever. You usually just have to go to their call out meetings and bam, you're in. It's the easiest way to meet people that you may enjoy hanging out with rather then the people on your dorm floor who just roam in a pack, which was cool in my case and may be in yours. Hang in there, its a good 4 year drive that leads to more fun after college.

Jack Welch ruled GE with an iron fist, and they rose to the upper echelon of not only American businesses but the international marketplace as well. I wasn't too pumped to read this book initially, because it had an old guy on the front which gave me the impression of "a lecture is coming". This guy is wise, though. It's not a book about getting a job, although there is a chapter on career searching towards the middle of your reading. He talks about managing and working all aspects of the business, and this gives you a good idea of how companies operate today. I liked it because I took some of the points made in the book and turned them into interesting questions that I used in interviews and at career fairs. I did come away feeling smarter and more confident when talking about jobs and general company info with recruiters. I would definately recommend checking it out at your library or any bookstore.

You wouldn't think of a small mall clothing store as being a good place to work after college. But behind every small mall clothing store is a home office controlling hundreds of other small stores (actually there is a storage room for all of the inventory but you get the point). Urban Outfitters is ranked as one of the fastest growing companies to work for by Fortune magazine. At the home office they need accountants, IT people, graphic and new media artists, designers, logistics specialists, marketing people, and any other business position you can think of. My guess is that you will get to work in one of the small stores at some point in the early stages of your training, but you will most likely work most of the time at the base. The culture of this company is pretty cool from what I've heard, and I'm sure the dress code is pretty lax as well. I'm sure you get pretty sweet discounts on their clothes too (if you're into that, they are rather trendy).

I'm sure after a few years, you will have saved up some money and could probably run your own store for them if you have a little entrepreneur in you. Lots of opportunity here with a good company. Here's the direct link to UO's home office jobs. Good luck!

I recently attended a career fair at my alma mater for the company I work for. It was fun seeing professors and classmates on the other side of the table. Although, after only a few minutes there I asked myself, "Was I really this awkward and nervous last year?" Just relax and enjoy talking to people about their jobs and the companies that they work for. Dress nicely, I saw more suits this year then in past years so you may want to step it up a notch. Bring some resumes in case you haven't already submited yours online to the campus recruiting site or directly to the company. You have nothing to worry about. I was pretty nervous answering questions about my job, company, and future expectations. I didn't want to mess up just as much as the interested students wanted to make a flawless impression. Nobody is perfect and you and the recruiters will make mistakes. To prepare, be sure to research the company through their website, figure out some questions that you want to ask (what kind of positions do new college graduates typically fall into, what will you do in a given day, what is the company culture like, etc), and attend any "meet the employer" events prior to the career fair. The biggest thing is to just relax and be yourself. I hated it when profs, parents, and anyone else told me this in the past few years because it's much easier said then done. Do it anyway (if you can, totally up to you though).

I just saw a commercial on tv for Careerbuilder.com claiming to have the most job postings than any other provider out there. This is probably true thanks to the thousands of jobs posted by work at home scammers, get paid to shop, take surveys and earn loads of cash, and other bottomless pit ventures. It's so hard to find the good jobs on that site as they are all covered by the steaming loaf of fake jobs. I would recommend using CBcampus.com or monstertrak.com rather than their parent sites as they are more centered at college students looking for jobs (or those with limited professional experience). I know that you will still find work at home scams there as well, but there aren't too many jobs posted where you have to have more than a year of experience. One day they will realize that asking for better filtering and controls to make these sites much more useful is a reasonable request. Until then, be patient and good luck sifting through the garbage of "more jobs than anyone else".

I was talking to a guy just starting out college, and he was telling me that he wanted to just get his associate's degree in Computer Information Systems, and then just get an entry-level job that he can build from. He said after that he would go back for his Bachelors of Science.

I told him what I tell everyone. Get at least the 4 year degree if money and time allow it. Student loan payments are not a huge burden once you graduate and are making more money than you ever have in your life. Get the loan if you have to and finish school. The BS or BA leverages you over everyone else who is walking around with a diploma from a 2 year program. Also, once you get in the routine of working full-time and enjoying a decent salary it's tough to get back into the academic mode. I've only been working for 4 months, and I'm pretty content about not going back for a few years at least.

So, stay in college for 4 years, enjoy the social scene, learn more, leverage yourself above other job candidates, and give yourself the sense of completion so that you can be content leaving college after all of the commencement parties.

When you look for companies to work for, look at them as if you were going to purchase their stock. If you're not an investor yet, here's my process. I check out the financial statements, the press releases, and most importantly, the conference calls (all posted on companies' websites). I want to get a feel for how a company operates and where it is really going. Now, look at Ford Motor Company. You have most likely seen or heard of all of the job cuts and entity cutbacks Ford has been making. The media and everyone else is giving the impression of sell, sell, sell. I'm saying buy, and buy more. The "bold moves" campaign is more than their new advertising slogan. The bold moves website is becoming very popular, and is getting a lot of press. It's an interactive look into "the future of Ford". The word 'restructuring' when associated with business has a negative connotation. In Ford's case, it is necessary and they are building up once again, this time with the customer in mind. Using the medium of the web and new media is the only way to really reach the next generation of buyers, and Ford gets it.

Agree or disagree, check it out for yourself. Here's the intro video to their episode based documentary.

Even with all of the construction and traffic that comes with the morning commute, I enjoy the 40 minutes of music and easing into the day. Since I drive directly west in the morning, the sun rises in my rearview mirror. There was fog over the cornfields with the dark sky ahead and a sweet sunrise to my back...so I snapped a photo quickly.

Very clever.

Since I was just starting out with the new site, I think I'll start it out with a blog and then build up from there as you guys need and want more tools. If you are unfamiliar with mylifemycareer.com, you're not the only one. It launched about a week ago, and this is the second edition already. I wouldn't call it a failure, but I think it was too much of a sales pitch for a book I wrote. This isn't about that. I want to provide college students (and anyone else) with any advice and help that you need with getting through college and more importantly launching your first career. I am simply a college graduate with a full-time job, and am taking a step back to help those who want to take a step forward. I was very lost at times in college and especially in the job searching, but I learned so much and am willing to share it all with you. You can comment on here, send me an email, IM me, GoogleTalk me, message me on facebook or myspace, and anywhere or anything else that allows us to communicate. Give it a try. In regards to my book detailing my last year and half of college searching for a job, it is finished and is loaded with good information. I will make it available to you by thanksgiving this year when you're ready for it.