MyLifeMyCareer.com

I work in the suburbs. In fact, I live in one suburb and work in another - an 11 mile one-way drive that can take anywhere between 20 - 45 minutes depending on if I decide to leave during rush-hour or not. On the weekends, I have to drive at least 20 minutes to the closest young professional magnet of a bar strip, and 30 minutes to downtown. If I need to get food or something from a store I have to drive a wasteful 5 minutes at least. Bottom line, I cannot walk anywhere really.

With gas prices approaching $4/gallon with no end in site, I would argue that it costs about the same if not less to live and work in a major metropolitan area. If I lived and worked in Chicago or any east coast city I would consider getting rid of the car completely, or at least downgrading. I'm spending over $200 a month on gas alone, which could easily offset or equalize the higher cost of apartments or condos in cities.

We as a country really need to change our city planning and urban development planning. Here in the midwest everyone wants their own yard and property even if it means they can only afford to build a cheap box in one of the many unattractive vinyl villages that our future generations will hate us for building. I'm a big fan of the "live where you work" way of life, and love the idea of living in a condo or townhome close to restaurants, clubs, stores, etc. You also have a much greater sense of community, not to mention using less land and resources. The "green" movement is really centered on efficiency in automobiles right now, and changing the way we build and expand our cities is rarely discussed when the impact could be greater.

So, should you live in a big city or look to work for companies in big cities? That's up to you and depends a bit on your lifestyle, but just be aware that your entry-level salary will leave you with a tight budget as it is - especially if you live alone. You cut out some major costs by living within walking distance of where you work and socialize, or you could at least make an effort to minimize your driving distance to work and where you play on the weekends (and weekdays...especially when Cinco de Mayo falls on a Monday, what's up with that?).

I'm in a tough dilemma with the office being located on the far north side of the city in an uppity suburb, and everything else is going on in the city. It's either going to be a long drive to work or a long drive to hang out with friends.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to help recruit college students for some of our open positions at the company I work for. Three things really stuck out during the day:

Dressing for Success is Debatable I look past the whole wearing a suit to a career fair thing, and had some guys and girls with really strong personalities dressed extremely casually who I was impressed with. Keep in mind that I am 24, and don't believe in wearing suits unless you're attending a funeral or wedding - even though I was wearing business casual yesterday. Chances are you will be dealing with a traditional recruiter, so at least wear business casual to play it safe. Most people who have been in business for awhile will not give you the time of day if you're not wearing work attire. If you know that the company you are looking to work for believes in brilliant minds over expensive clothes - match their dress code. There was a company recruiting next to us wearing jeans, sweatshirts, shirts untucked, etc.

Get Out There Early Quite a few freshmen were coming up and asking if I was an alumni member, and needed my business card. It turns out that the professor of one of the intro courses for the school I graduated from was giving extra credit to those who attended the career fair and talked to former students now working. Some would just take the card, but I made quite a few of them work for it, ask a few questions, and as they got comfortable and realized that I am not the normal douche-bag recruiter and would actually answer questions that had nothing to do with my company they started showing interest. I would have loved to have the opportunity as a freshman to go to a career fair and just talk to someone openly about the four years in the program, what to look for, what options are available, and what it's like afterwards. I had a crowd of four students at one time, and even received the comment that I was the most "down to earth and informative person they had talked to at the career fair". Unfortunately, most companies' recruiters are concerned only with qualifying candidates quickly based on their resume and a few questions, and talking strictly about open positions and their company.

Just go No joke, the greatest conversation I had all day was with a third year student studying nursing who just came to the IT career fair because she was early to work at the Union where the fair was being held. She was just talking about school, campus, the basketball season, and she just wanted to know what I thought about IU, living in Indianapolis, and working. It was the most honest and genuine conversation I had all day, where the person wasn't trying to impress me. She's going to be great at interviewing and really finding a position that suits her, rather than her suiting some company. If you're not up to par socially, I would recommend just popping into a career even if it is completely unrelated to your area of study and just approaching recruiters in the same manner. If they're recent grads, they will probably appreciate the conversation and change of pace from reviewing resumes and grilling students. Plus, there are always give-aways at most companies' booths.

If you went through four years of school and are still not sure what you want to do you have a few choices - sit around and live with the parents, get a job and move on, declare a new major and take a few undergrad victory laps, or get into an advanced degree program. Let's explore these options a little more:

Sit around and live with the parents. You'll probably get a part-time job to get paid to support your social life, but the full-time job search will probably last for at least six months unless you are lucky. Companies that usually hire full-time college grads usually hire either right after the fall or spring semester, so you may have to wait until the next end of the semester to start actually working, but your interviews and offers will come before that time so you need to continually be looking.

With your time off and part-time job, you may have time to find out what others are saying about their employers and jobs which will help you make a good choice or avoid a bad decision like them. Also, your friends can refer you if you are someone that they would risk their office reputation on. Referral fees are much larger in corporations and large businesses, so you and your friend could split it if it works out.

Don't just sit around, though. Work a few part-time jobs and find yourself by using the experiences and time off to determine what you really enjoy compared to what you thought you enjoyed. We all have pictures of ourselves after college, and when you actually get there it may be better or worse than planned.

Get the first job and move on. Do what you are supposed to do after college - get a full-time job, buy some suits, and throw in the towel. What? That was a depressing thought, and it's really not that bad for those that research the companies in depth that they are considering. You may find out that the job is not right for you soon after, and then you move on to the next one hoping to get closer to what you like.

The important thing is to not lock yourself into an employment situation by racking up credit card debt or buying stuff that you can't really afford just because you have a bigger paycheck. Have a good time, but create a budget and save your money so that if your job is not working out your paycheck and financial situation is not holding you back from an opportunity that could make you much happier and benefit your career in the long run. This is the getting paid to figure it out method.

Declare a new major and take a few undergrad victory laps. It's never too late to decide that your major is not really for you. Hopefully you decide before senior year, but if not you should not force yourself to graduate unless it is financially not possible to take more courses. Most of your general education courses can be used to fulfill major requirements for 8-10 years depending where you go (maybe longer), so you wouldn't be starting over. I had a friend who switched majors after their junior year to a completely unrelated area of study, and they graduated in five years while working part-time and taking summer classes.

If you force yourself to graduate with a degree that you didn't really enjoy obtaining, chances are that your related job will not be very enjoyable. The key here is that if you don't enjoy your classes then you need to start taking new types of classes. I know that you want to be done with school, but it won't be worth it a year or two down the line when you're already unhappy with your job and area of work. That feeling will only grow and become more and more bottled up until you start taking it out on other people. Life's to short to be pissed for no reason, or for a reason that could have been prevented.

Get an advanced degree. If you enjoyed what you studied in undergrad, and don't feel ready for the full-time job go for a related advanced degree. The course work is more specialized, the projects and classmates will typically be more professional in nature, and many positions now require an advanced degree.

I only recommend this route if you enjoyed your undergrad courses, and you know that you do not want a full-time job yet. If you're unsure about which path to take between grad school and working, take your placement tests and interview with companies at the same time. The best way to learn is by doing, right? Grad school should not be a backup plan in case you don't get hired after your undergrad years, but it is for many students which ends up having mixed results.

I like Careerbuilder and Monster as much as I rip on them for selling out and not providing the type of job searching tools that they could offer with all of the positions that they have in their database. Careerbuilder thinks that video resumes will be the future of the resume. I wonder why they think that? Maybe because YouTube is hot, hot, hot right now and for the past few years, and even though CB is late to the game with incorporating video into their service they have done it. Should they, though?

Whether or not video resumes are the future (they are probably not...), I found their examples on right and wrong ways to present yourself as ridiculous. The people in the "right" videos are about as personable as my left foot after it has fallen asleep and no longer has any feeling. The sad thing is that this is considered professional behavior, and if you want a job you need to read your resume back at 23.75 words per minute staring straight into the camera wearing a suit. Imagine an office full of these people and you have the current environment at the majority of companies out there.

I want to work with the people in the "wrong" videos, even if it is for a short period of time. The first guy is your typical sales rep, but at least he has fire. I probably wouldn't hire him because I would be annoyed after 5 minutes, but at least he has a personality. The girl in the middle needs to lose the "ummm", but at least she stands out. The last guy is awesome. If you are going to play guitar and sing a song in your interview, you are in. I would take a chance on hiring this guy believing that his motto is "work hard, play hard".

You can be personable and professional at the same time without being a future corporate robot. Whether you submit a video resume or are in an actual interview, don't be another Pinocchio.

Monster or CareerBuilder? Don't favor either of them, because certain companies only commit to using one or the other. If you want access to the widest spectrum of available jobs and positions offered by all companies then use both sites frequently.

As more and more companies outsource their online recruitment efforts to the two major players, some will not take the time to pay the extra money for double job postings on the two sites. I'm sure that Monster and CareerBuilder cut deals to companies, but currently the price is steep for a single job posting at $419 for a 30-day single job posting on CareerBuilder.com (as of 9.25.2007). I don't know many small businesses that can afford to post multiple positions, so you can see why a company would only post on one site if they are trying to meet their revenue goals by limiting expenses.

Of course, another reason that certain companies only use one site or the other is if they are larger and are constantly posting available positions. I would not doubt that the executives at the job searching giants cut deals to the bigger clients under the condition that they use their services exclusively. That's just my personal view and guess as to the way the job searching industry works.

Regardless of how or why companies only post on one site or the other you need to have your resume and be active on both sites.

Are all of the hours spent on your social networking site of choice really something that you can leverage in a job interview? Simply put...yes.

If you are a master of MySpace of Facebook you are well on your way to a possible career in advertising through online media and virtual communities. Take a few marketing courses, there should be some offered for non-majors through your business school if you are not majoring in business. If you really want to market yourself, take some entry-level web programming and design courses as well. That would be a deadly mix of education and technical know-how that you could deliver to many companies and recruiters.

It may mean that dodgeball 101 will have to wait, but take some challenging electives that will be rewarding when looking for jobs and also balance out your skill set.

Read more...
Calling All MySpace Addicts: The Ad Industry Needs You - Wired.com (accessed 6.25.2007)

Look at the quality of positions that appear in the classified ads online or in print, and tell me what you see. You may see a few "name brand" companies, but you will see very few reputable companies - especially reputable companies that are offering entry-level positions to college graduates.

The best companies and available positions need no advertising or marketing budget. They will have enough candidates that will seek out the positions through the desire to work for a certain company. Yes, the competition will be greater, and your chances of landing an offer for the position will be much slimmer. It's worth the fight to put in the effort of marketing yourself to a company for the chance to land an offer for a position that will provide a solid foundation for the rest of your career.

It's much more important to look past the immediate goal of landing a job, and rather to look for an opportunity that will provide you the skills and experience that will allow you to improve yourself and prepare for the next stage in your career.

Continuing from yesterday, an internship will only be valuable and worth your time if the company takes you seriously, provides you with a legitimate "earn while you learn" program, and will offer you the pre-professional experience that you need. Here are the top 5 reasons not to accept an internship offer with a company:

5. Your friend who is a freshman is more professional on a Saturday morning at 8AM after a huge flippy cup tournament the night before than the recruiter who is trying to get you to intern with them.

4. They only offer you work for 4-5 weeks out of the summer, yet require you to re-locate without providing you housing (good luck finding that 1 month apartment lease).

3. They don't pay you. As I used to say, "No Paper? No Labor."

2. When you ask what kind of work you will probably be doing on a daily basis, they allude to the fact that you better be good at stirring hot beverages early in the AM.

1. You go to Google and search for the company and the search returns no results, or even worse the Better Business Bureau is the top result.

Let's be honest, everyone likes the warm side of the pillow - it's formed to your head, perfectly heated, and quite familiar. Every now and then flipping the pillow for a refreshing change in the middle of the night just happens, and you experience a new feeling of relaxation.

With your job search, it helps to flip your thinking to the other side. What do employers look for when they are considering hiring a new employee? More importantly, what are they not looking for?

As much advice that is out there for college students looking for jobs, there is just as much for employers hiring college graduates and interns. Just do a few searches and see what you find out. I found a pretty humorous article on interns from hell, and how employers can avoid hiring them. Some companies look at interns as "cheap labor", and others take them seriously as you will read in this article. Be aware of companies and recruiters that are just looking for a paper pusher, but the bottom line is that many internships are pretty low impact so don't expect to be given the world.

Take your time, research the companies, and find an internship that will actually provide at least a little benefit rather than an internship experience to put on your resume that you won't be able to talk about positively when interviewing for a full-time position.

Quick little tip that could save your butt when planning an interview or office visit situation: Always take into account that you may be in a different time zone.

This is something that you will get the hang of soon after college once you start working. You should not only specify AM or PM when referencing a time, but also the standard time zone which you are in (CST, EST, etc). If a recruiter sends you an email asking you what time you would be available for a call or interview, just tack on the time zone to the end of the range of time that you give them.

"Oh, anytime after 1:00 PM would be fine as I will be asleep pretty much up until that time." - BAD

"Oh, anytime after 1:00 PM EST would work out great so that I have time to roll out of bed and find my phone." - GOOD (well except for the whole lack of initiative displayed)

So, it's a good practice to always state the time zone, even if the company is in the same time zone as you. You never know if the recruiter might be across the country and will be calling you from there for your phone interview. I imagine that some people have been burned by this, so don't shoot yourself in the foot when 3 letters could save you from screwing up.

How Not to Find a Job. Sign me up to read this, because it sounds so beneficial.

Actually, it really is.

There are a bunch of good tips in the article, and I especially like the one about keeping your story straight with interviewers. I'm not sure why you would lie to different interviewers in the same company. You know that when they pick candidates for their open positions that they sit in the basement of the office with some cheap beer, flash your picture up on the wall with an old projector, and all talk about you (Animal House reference, anyone?) until a decision is made. I guess you could be under pressure and feel like you're losing the interview so you start lying, but that doesn't sound like a wise thing to do. So, other than the "keeping your story straight" tip o' job searching goodness, it's a pretty resourceful article.

Crazy old bag. Keep your story straight? I'm just trying to get a job, not acquitted of some bogus charge in the court of law.

I don't know her name even though it was probably mentioned in the video (Sheila Curran, says it right below in the freeze frame, ha). She brings up several good points, though. The most important is that you figure out what you want to do by trying things, working in different internships, or being employed by different types of companies before and soon after you graduate. Don't sit around because you don't know what you want to be. Get out there and try a few things so that you have experience and a better idea of what you will enjoy doing after college.

I agree with the changing of positions and companies to build up your career and find what your calling really is, but don't take this to mean that you should jump around every six months or even every year. Training in a professional position as well as just settling in can take well over a year. Let things come to fruition, and commit to yourself that you will work through the good and the bad to see the light at the end of the tunnel (note: job-hopping also looks horrible on the resume) There will be days where you will be like, "Man, this job sucks", and then the next day you figure something out or have a great conversation with a client, and you realize that you actually enjoyed the day. That's work. You need to find the job where you have much more positive than negative influence on your life.

So, you had a few interviews, visited the office, went to lunch with a few people, and now you have an offer in your hand and it happened so quickly that you're not sure what to think. What do you do now?

Wait a day or two, or longer if you are expecting other offers from reputable companies. Go home and think about what they are really offering you (pushing papers or building your career with actual work and training), if you enjoyed the people at the office, and the location. Will you be in a cube, office, or share a long desk with many other associates? Will you be comfortable?

Take it all in, and let it register before making a decision.

Did the office smell good? Just asking.

The point from yesterday which may or may not have been clear was this:

Stop searching for the right positions.

Even if you find the perfect position that has requirements and job responsibilities that are so money that you can't possibly turn down the opportunity to apply, there is a good chance that you will be unhappy before your first 6 months with ABC company are up. Find a company that has a great track record for providing great positions and opportunity's for entry-level college graduates and a low turn-over ratio. Find a company that you could see yourself working for, not because of the name, but for what they have to offer. You will be happier and have a better chance of working for a company for an extended period of time. Searching for jobs is a lot of work, so make sure you won't be doing it all over again in six months.

Take the example of the different types of car buyers. Some see a car that looks cool, so they buy the car regardless of the warranty, company history, and service record. A year down the road when it is breaking down and going in for repairs every 3-4 months they are looking for a new car, this time with a reputable auto manufacturer. Others buy a car because of the name and what other people will think of them behind the wheel of this car that does the same thing as any other car. They can't even afford the car, are strapped for cash even to pay the lease because they couldn't afford to buy it, but they had to have thee car. Then there are those buyers who search for the brand that has been getting the highest quality ratings, best customer service before and after the sale, and provide a product that they can stand behind. These people are satisfied long after the purchase which leads to a more comfortable and satisfying life. No buyer's remorse.

It's the same with college students looking for companies to work for. Some will see a flashy, new company that has only been around a few years, is on the stock market, and has potential for high salaries and bonuses. Once they start working for the company they realize that management is not very intelligent, they are working insane hours doing crappy work, and start searching for a new job a few weeks after starting. Others work for the big name companies that come with a nameplate, urban penthouse, and corporate expense account. They too end up working 60-70 hour weeks on the road, and end up burning out before they can spend any money or relax. But, they work for so-and-so which allows them to sleep at night.

You just put in 4-5 tough years of college, and there is nothing better than working in a relaxed atmosphere, coming home at the end of the day, and going out every now and then. That is what it is all about, and it is possible if you start searching for the right company instead of the right position.

Hint: the right companies have the right positions.

I was thinking today about how I had no idea what positions to look for when I searching for jobs and internships. I just remember that my thought process in college was, "Oh, I'm good with databases. I will be a database administrator because it is a position that was listed on so-and-so's website and it has to do with databases".

I think it is important to identify what you enjoy and what you think you would like to do after college. It's the best first step that you can take. Let's be honest, none of us really know what we want to be, but we have a pretty good idea and that's all that matters.

Once that is identified it is time to search and you search for what you like to do. Well, I like to study music and new artists, so I will be a.....hmmm. I don't really know what that is called. A new music study-er and listener of artists that play instruments? So, this person starts to search online for positions and finds a few that sound like they fit and start applying.

This is the equivalent of treading water while having a couple of bricks chained to your ankles. That's right - you will drown, or in our case not find a job. You need to think about finding a job in a different way. Start by researching the companies that you enjoy. You don't enjoy any companies? Sure you do, you just don't realize it.

When you're listening to music, the album is produced by a studio, distributed by a record label, and sold through many music distributors. Look on the back of an album or your favorite band's website for companies that they are involved with. Look at the stores where you buy the music. Look at the websites and blogs and magazines where you study and learn about new artists. Now, look for the career pages on these websites for these companies, and see what kind of entry-level positions they have. They may not have the position of your dreams listed, but they will probably have a position listed that will allow you to get your foot in the door and a few years from now have that position of your dreams.

You will find realistic opportunities this way, rather then searching for positions blindly (while treading water with cement - you get the point). Graduating from college does not guarantee you Awesome Position 2007. You still have to fight and claw your way into a position among hundreds of thousands of other graduates.

Who knows? After a few years working entry-level and learning the ropes you could be [insert dreamy position here] (in case you were getting sick of the music listener and study-er position).

That's basically how a company views your summer time with them. They get a chance to see how you fit in with their company, what you are capable of, how big or small of a risk you will be to hire, and they may get you to do some work in different types of settings to see how capable and flexible you are. You, on the other hand, get to bag some professional experience, network with other professionals, and pick up the soft skills that will benefit you later on when you are interviewing and eventually selecting a full-time offer.

It's hard to get an internship as a freshman or even as a sophomore, but you need to try and at least familiarize yourself with the companies and positions that are out there, so by your junior year you know exactly what to look for. You may go to a career fair and experience the typical response from a recruiter, "Oh, you're only a sophomore. Well, we are really looking for juniors and graduating seniors...". Who cares? At least you practiced talking with a recruiter and made yourself available. That will go a long way in the long run.

There are some other tips and advice for landing internships and jobs as a college student in this article from USAtoday.com.

It's inevitable that you will search for jobs online through sites like Monster or Careerbuilder, and you should just to have your resume out there because you never know what may result. Your best opportunities for jobs are going to be found through your on campus recruiting resources or career services department. I will keep stressing this over and over, but to help you out if you are applying for jobs online through other more general sites which are not very beneficial to college students here are some pointers.

Do not apply for a job that has more than the position you are applying for in the title of the ad. You should see "Associate Analyst", "Entry-Level Registered Nurse", "Junior Layout Designer", etc. Avoid jobs with titles like the following (taken directly from cbcampus.com entry-level job search, try it out):

"Looking for Entry Level at 25?? Why not be in Management at 30?"
"TIRED OF DOING TWICE THE WORK FOR HALF THE PAY???"
"New Entry Level Openings - Training Provided"
"***Junior Account Executives*** Full Training / Entry Level!"
"Are You Tired of Being Turned Down For Lack Of Experience?"

The sad thing is, these and many more were listed on the very first page of search results. You will soon have a college degree. Do not even think about applying with a company that puts out crap like this. This is the equivalent of email spam in the online job search world. Any title that includes the words, "training provided", is a dead give away. You see, I received training when I was 16 and started my first minimum wage job. If a company needs to sell you on the fact that "training is provided", you have my permission to laugh at them because they are a joke.

Another dead give away for a POS position: using punctuation characters in the title. I am not a ***Business Analyst!!. I am simply a business analyst. However, this would spice up the ol' business card. Avoid job spam. Or joam. Or Spob. Whatever you want to call it.

Think about it. If you are interviewing with a company that is serious about providing you a great opportunity, and you respect the company and position then they will probably offer you a competitive salary. I would like to conduct a study to measure how content recent grads are with their new positions if they negotiated an offer compared with those who did not need to negotiate an offer because it was a great company and competitive offer. If a company is offering you a figure that doesn't seem right to you, "low balling" to put it bluntly, then do you think that they really value you? Do you want to work for somebody that is jerking you around before you are even officially an employee? Again, it comes down to what you value and believe in, and what you will stand for when an offer is waving within arm's reach. If there is truly a misunderstanding where a company missed a certification you hold or your experience truly warrants a higher salary then you may consider negotiating a salary. You should have a decently open relationship with your recruiter by the time the offer rolls around, and should be able to clear any misunderstandings up or negotiate. Here's an article that should help you with negotiating an offer in a professional manner. In most situations if you are interviewing with the right companies that respect you, you will not need to negotiate.

Sort of. Many people try to make their resume stand out with fancy fonts, glossy marble looking paper, and lots of large words. Don't use fancy fonts. If you're going to use classy paper then buy the "exceptional resume" paper which is more of a parchment color and looks more professional rather than gaudy. It's not about the quantity of information, it is the quality.

Guess what though? You can't make a resume stand out no matter how hard you try, unless you have made yourself stand out the past few years. The resume is simply a snapshot or profile of your past three of four years of experience and education. Many people don't work hard enough when it matters, and try to make their resume stand out by listing positions that sound important but didn't really benefit them. You will have to explain your resume in at least 90% of your interviews and definitely in all of your first and second rounders.

Prepare by pursuing internships starting after your first or second year of college, and working while you are in school at a campus office or a place that is applicable to your possible area of work after college. By building up your experience you will naturally stand out, and hence your resume will stand out.

It's all in the hips. It's all in the hips.

I don’t know who this guy is, but I like this short article on what to do to get the offers. He thinks like me. Check out this quick bullet list of pointers for first-time job seekers, much like yourself.

Smile. That’s one I haven’t hit on, but it’s important. You feel better when you’re smiling, and other people feel more comfortable around you. Don’t cheese it though. Keep it el natural.

I’ve got a little challenge for everyone still looking for a job or internship:

Apply with at least 20 companies by March 1st.

This may seem like a lot, but considering that submitting a unique resume and cover letter online at your university’s career web site or directly through the company’s website takes about a half hour you should be able to do this.

Doing this will produce at least a few callbacks if not quite a few. I would rather you have more callbacks and opportunities than you can handle rather than sitting there wondering if a job will land in your lap.

If there are on-campus meet-n-greet opportunities with employers and recruiters, go check them out. Make yourself available, so that companies know you exist.

Don’t be just another 12pt font Times New Roman name that gets passed over in the resume pile.

Good question brought up after that last post. I guess that would have been useful information. How do you get an internship aka quasi-professional position when you have never had any other professional experience? Always work from the time you get a car until present day, and avoid having large gaps of time where you are unemployed. This is the truth, walk around any career fair and just listen to the questions being asked by recruiters. I have been grilled on this, and many others have as well. Work ethic is a thing of the past, and if you have held steady jobs (an indicator that you realize work is necessary even though it is not always fun) for significant amounts of time this will bode well in the interviews. Believe it or not, you gain professional skills in almost every job, and these are what you need to put on your resume under your work experience. As previously mentioned, I worked for an estate management company the summer after my freshman year. Did I put "mowing straight lines", "gassing up the riders", and "trimming perfect edges" as my skills? Yes. Just kidding. Rather, I put "worked collaboratively and independently in a fast-paced, demanding environment", "developed multi-tasking skills by working in different positions on over 25 different properties", and "took pride in my work, and developed a strong sense of accountability". Sounds good, and it's true. Dig deep to find out what you really took away from a job that may seem ridiculous when you look at the position or title you held. What if you don't work? Are you screwed? Up the Ganges without an oar, so to speak? Not totally, but you are definitely at a disadvantage to your competition. If you don't work I would recommend taking 18+ credit hours of courses each semester and going to school in the summer and graduating in 2.5 years, and holding a 3.5+ GPA. College is definitely considered a "job" where you build up skills. Be sure to mention collaborative projects, research papers, favorite courses, technical skills, and all of that. One of the biggest questions I got in almost all of my interviews was actually a statement: "Describe a time when you worked with others as a team to complete a project and the problems you encountered along the way as well as the solutions developed to prevail". Be ready for this one, because you rarely work alone in professional settings, and they want to make sure you agree that there is no 'I' in team. I'm sure there's more that I will remember and add to this at some point down the road.

Many internships don't last the entire summer, so it's going to be tough to find housing for say, 2 months. Look for companies that offer housing for summer interns, where you will usually room with others interning at the same company. Most of the time you will be in an average to above average apartment or condo. Look for internships that pay. It used to be hard to find internships that came with a paycheck, since you would essentially be learning the entire summer. Now, there are many internships that offer decent summer wages for your work, even though you will probably not be making a significant impact in your 2-3 month tenure. Companies are willing to invest a couple thousand dollars into summer interns, and then they will hopefully pick their full-time employees from the same pool the following year when they are graduating seniors. This way, the new hires are not at square one when they start after graduating, and can transition into their new roles more easily. Not only do internships look great on the resume (biggest seller in my opinion - a MUST), they could also lead to an almost guaranteed full-time position with a company if you enjoyed your summer. That means ZERO extra stress figuring out what you will do after you graduate. What will you actually do in a summer internship? This will vary from working with other interns on meaningful projects that will help the company to simply being at the office and pushing papers. That's why it is important to really ask a lot of questions when you are interviewing, so that you actually enjoy your summer and don't have to count down the days until your return to campus. Fortunately, internship programs have become quite popular and competitive among different companies, which is good for you. This means more internship opportunities and less BS work during the hot summer months. Right now, I would say the internship hiring process is probably picking up from where it left off in the fall based on emails that I'm still getting from my old campus career center. I wonder how long those will keep coming? Get out there and get some.

I took a sociology course my freshman year at IU, and the teacher really took an interest in our lives and plans for the future. She gave us advice all of the time before, during, and after her lectures. One thing she harped on was that once you're in college you should never work in a position that a high school student could fill. This makes sense, and I never worked another job that I could have had in high school after I became a collegian (I worked at an estate management company - hmm, lawn mowing - that hired only college students after my freshman year which could be considered borderline). I realize that everyone has different circumstances that may "force" them to work in retail or restaurant positions, but I still think you should pursue opportunities on campus, an internship, a receptionist or data entry position at an office, or anything else that will give you some pre-professional experience. A great way to find a "starter" office job where you will be doing low-impact work is through your friends' parents or your family's friends. If you do end up working in the retail or the dining industry (sounds fancy), really try to learn how the business operates, and gain as much business knowledge as you can. One thing I always did when I would get frustrated working as a sales associate at a retail store in high school was to develop new processes and ways that I would run the business differently. Nobody would ever take the thoughts seriously because I was 16-17 years old at the time, but it was the beginning of my entrepreneurship "hands-on training" and I felt more productive. This common business knowledge that comes only from experience will help you in interviews and the hiring process, as you will be able to hang, so to speak, with the professional on the other side of the table. No diggity. That just popped in my head from an old song, and I had to throw it down, so enjoy that.

Colts, Baby!! Super Bowl Champions!! Besides the Colts being the best football team in the world, I thought the commercials were pretty good. Since this is a "career advice" site for college students I'm of course going to mention the new Career Builder ads. The monkeys were getting old, and I like the new marketing campaign theme "don't just survive the workweek" or something along those lines. Their tagline is now "A Better Job Awaits" which is more representative of what they have to offer. I think it is an excellent site for those who have a few years of professional experience, and wish to change positions or companies. Not so much for the college students, though. Having an online job posting site that is heavily advertised on college campuses is too easy. Why, you might ask? We are a generation that buys and gets everything through the internet from cell phones, to ordering delivery food, to keeping track of every detail of your friends' lives. Why wouldn't we try to get a job on-line with as little amount of work as possible? Well, as a college student the one thing that you are less likely to get online than in person is a job or internship. The risk associated with hiring entry-level employees and especially college graduates is high for a company, and they will do most of their interviewing and hiring right on campus. So, the next time there is a career fair and you think, "Oh I have my resume on Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com, something will come up", you just shot yourself in at least one of your feet. You're going to have to meet recruiters face-to-face eventually, so you might as well get out there every chance that is offered to you. You will be so far ahead of the game, and you still can have your resume online at as many sites as you want, just in case. Here's one of the CB ads though, for your viewing pleasure.

Continuing with the "buying a new tv" analogy, how can you sell yourself? Will you be a name-brand or a knock-off? What kind of first impression will you leave? Do you have the features to fit the buyer's needs? Here's a good article from AllBusiness.com about self-promotion and selling yourself to potentional employers and recruiters. It is kind of centered on women going through the hiring process, but the concepts presented are beneficial to all of us. As a college student, you will need to prove that even though you are between the ages of 21-23 you can still be yourself and mesh and fit in within the professional workplace. Sell yourself - the good qualities, your abilities, your accomplishments, but most importantly, be yourself.

Not literally, of course. This is the basic mindset of a serious recruiter interviewing the nervous college student. Imagine you're in the store looking to buy a new tv, and also imagine that you like to talk to yourself aloud or in thought. You've found a tv that seems to fit your requirements, but you ask the tv a few more questions (also imagine you enjoy talking to inanimate objects). Will you last (will you quit when the first thing doesn't go your way, or when your friend claims they have a way better job)? Will you work (will you show up motivated, dedicated, and willing to work most of the time)? Are you worth the money (will the productivity and return on investment from you outweigh the hiring costs, salary, benefits, and other costs to the company)? Will you not break in the first year (many college students usually change jobs within the first year, and I don't want to assume the risk that this may happen and waste precious time and training, so do you really want to work for me)? Will my friends enjoy watching this tv (will you fit in with the other members of the company, and are you able to work collaboratively)? See, there are many more "bigger picture" questions that have less to do with what is on your resume, and much more to do with the recruiter's decision to hire you. People put so much emphasis on the resume, but the resume is simply like the back of a baseball card. It's just numbers that you will have to back up once you step foot in the office on day one. That's why the cover letter, which is more personal and representative of your true qualities, works magic when paired with a well prepared resume. Neither answers the "bigger picture questions, though. Those questions cannot be answered with words, and yet your future depends on the answers. It's your personality, qualities, character, past actions, and plans for the future. You can fake them and get hired, but you won't be happy. You will become the statistic and perception of our generation by quitting, and then searching for the right company. Just be true to yourself the first time around, and get your career started out on the right foot by waiting for the right company...or stumbling upon it. I'm telling you, check out companies that you have not heard of, you will be pleasantly surprised.

I found this interviewing article on the Young Money website under the career advice for college students section. People used to tell me in grade school to visualize myself acing an exam in a very relaxing atmosphere. I would usually do that for about a minute before going and injuring myself attempted to race my bike at break-neck speeds. I think it helped in the long run though, mentally, and I'm sure it applies to interviewing as well. I remember getting this magazine every couple of weeks in the IDS at Indiana University, and it was always slightly entertaining. I'm sure many of you have seen it if many of you read the school paper. I like how they emphasize entrepreneurship, which isn't stressed enough around college students...unless you are a business student. It's important though, and I think there are many people with tons of potential and leadership skills that could run a business. Work for someone else for a few years to learn about how business really goes down, and then have a go at it. I think you become more responsible this way to minimize the risk that comes with running a business (80% of businesses fail before 3 years pass). It all starts with interviewing though. Get that first J-O-B (that's so lame when people do that, breaking down a 3 letter word is insulting to me). So, visualize yourself dominating an interview for a minute before riding a bike at break neck speeds or doing whatever you do.

I have seen the site, AfterCollege.com, before, and at first glance it looks like a career and job posting site targeted at college students. In fact, that is basically what it is. I can't speak for the results you may or may not get through their searches, but I did find an article that aligns itself with my opinion on resumes. I've touched on the technical aspects (in detail in a certain book), but I feel that this article adds a little more advice and insight on the technology used to accept masses of resumes. That's right, many times your resume won't even make it to the review process by humans when submitted online. (Hint: sell yourself in person, on-campus interviews, career fairs, etc. You will get this soon enough). Check out the article on resume advice in the world of online and electronic submissions. Sometimes, even your paper resume is fed to a scanner (or a paper shredder unfortunately), but at least in in an interview the recruiter will study it and it will see daylight. It's hard out there for a...resume. (*article link has also been posted in Resources section)

There still may be big name companies hiring soon to be college graduates, and many students build up infatuations for a company because of the salary, location, advertised job duties, or state of the art offices. Keep in mind that if the thought of working for "Awesome Company" is satisfying to you, than you will probably be in a line with tons of other students with their jaws on the floor, drooling on everything. And unless you have a 3.8+ GPA and the personality of your favorite comedian and actor/actress combined, you may get a few interviews but most likely will not be hired. The reality of the matter is this: I had the same feelings towards "big game" (yes, like in hunting in a safari setting) companies, and I know people who made it all the way through because they had the resumes, background, and personality to warrant the company taking a risk on hiring them. The majority of them have either quit or complain non-stop about being under utilized and how they feel like they were lied to in the hiring process. That's how our generation is perceived by the baby boomers and managers ahead of us: we were raised with a silver spoon in our mouths, and don't know anything about work ethics or working several years before getting that first promotion. We want it now or we're leaving. We get a horrible reputation due to the fact that so many students take jobs and accept offers with companies that are a horrible match for them leading to this negative attitude towards work. This leads to poor performance, bad reviews, and eventually resignations or dismissals (nice words for quitting and firing). Take the time to look for companies outside of your current spectrum, and you will find many diamonds in the rough. Align yourself with multiple, possible employers who agree with your personality, ambitions, and values. You will immediately begin to not only see, but feel the change in your perspective of companies out there. Then you will say to yourself, "Hmm...I guess it was just an infatuation".

If you haven't secured your offer yet (like me, my senior year), now is the time to really get out there. There are many quality companies still looking to give college students the start to their career. Don't just sit at your computer applying online at a job-posting site or directly with companies. Your chances are very slim of securing offers or even interviews among the thousands of students applying for the same job that interests you. Get to your career center on campus or subscribe to their email list to notify you of companies that will be conducting interviews on campus or having "open houses". Would you rather play poker at a table with the World Series of Poker all-stars or with a bunch of people who don't know an ace from a spade? I'm not saying you're more intelligent or marketable to a recruiter than the man or woman next to you, but less people will apply for an on campus interview opportunity and you get to sell yourself in person rather than being judged soley on your stats when you apply on-line. There is still time, but the duration of time from your first interview all the way to the offer being handed down can last several weeks to several months. Do the math.

The same company that ranked IU the #1 party school when I was a freshman (good times) is also a great source of career advice and articles to help you out with getting through college and transitioning after graduation. They also rank companies that hire college students as well as ranking the best internships. The page that I like most on their website is their advice portal which organizes and links to all of their content that is aimed at helping you with the different stages of your higher education. If you scroll halfway down the page, you will see the career advice (aka career planning and research) section. There is a quite a bit offered there, so check it out. I've also posted their link in my new Resoures page which will house all of the information that I keep finding.