We continue our series of dark humor cartoons on the reality awaiting newly minted degree-holders as they face an uncertain future, with few job prospects, in a very cloudy economic climate. (We will certainly welcome “newbies” into The 405 Club!)
-By Yvonne Fitzner, Contributing Writer & Member
Congratulations Class of 2009
Evaluating Internships in College→
RJ Sherman from brand-yourself.com wants you to get more out of college by getting an internship. But which one should you pick and why? If you’re in the position to pick between a few here’s how to evaluate internships in College:
- Time Commitment: It is important to make sure that it is something that you can handle along with your work load and your social life. Internships are a great way to build connections and can help you get a foot in the door but if you cannot perform the tasks that are asked of you through the internship then taking it on may actually hurt you more than help. Do your best to put yourself in a position where you can excel.
- Relevance to your area of expertise: There are two theories about how much your internship should relate to your area of expertise. Some believe that you should only take on opportunities that are in your field while others think branching out is a good way to lean about other areas. I am a proponent of the latter because broadening your understanding of how everything functions is a good career move. It makes an employee more versatile. You also never know how things are connected so while a job may not seem to fit with your career plans it may, in fact, be closely related. I would not dismiss an opportunity simply because it is not in your specific field.
- Organization type: Startups are where you learn the most. In no other type of organization are you able to try a variety of different tasks and actually make a difference to a company. In a startup you are part of a vibrant and growing team. You have the ability to do what you love to do and you will never have a dull moment. Big businesses are great for upward mobility and job stability (for the most part) but you can quickly get lost in the shuffle and turn into just another number.
- Type of work: Getting someone coffee 5 days a week does you no good. You want a position in which you can learn new material every day. Working under someone with more experience can be very helpful, but also make sure you are always looking for ways to improve. This aspect of evaluating internships in college is similar to the time commitment. You want to be challenged but you don’t want to sign up for something you know you cannot do.
- Compensation: I hesitated when including this item on to this list. Compensation should be the least of your worries when making a decision about internships in college. There is a difference between an internship and job. Internships are designed to help you grow; they are there to allow you the ability to gain experience and get a significant advantage over your peers. While compensation is nice, giving up a great opportunity in an area that you are passionate about because of the amount they will or will not pay you is not a smart career move.
Another video from College Humor for recent grads…
College Class of 2009 Holds Ground With Average Starting Salary Offer→
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shares some encouraging news for recent graduates and their starting salary:
Despite the poor job market, the college Class of 2009 held its ground with its overall average starting salary offer, according to a new report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
NACE’s Summer 2009 Salary Survey report shows that the average starting salary offer for new college graduates now stands at $49,307. That’s off less than 1 percent from the average $49,693 that 2008 graduates posted last year at this time.
NACE research indicates that many Class of 2009 graduates continue their job searches, but shows that those who have secured employment have starting salaries that are comparable to those offered a year ago, underscoring employers’ reluctance to tamper too much with starting salaries, even in a tight economy.
Advice for a Recent Graduate Looking for a Job→
MyLifeROI.com posted some advice to recent grads who are job hunting. We included their question and answer pieces but the post has some other great advice:
Q: With this economy being as tough as it is, what is your advice for graduates that are looking for jobs?
A: Don’t “wait for the economy to improve.” I know a lot of people doing this. They don’t want to be underemployed; So, they would rather be unemployed or go back to school. But, in my opinion, that is nonsense. Think about where you would like to be (in regards to your career) in 1 year. In 5 years? Start sculpting your resume to get you those jobs. To do so, look for jobs that interest you that will also develop your skills and knowledge. This may mean you are underemployed today, but it should help you get to where you want to be down the road. And what will that make you? Rightly employed :)
Q: I got a Liberal Arts degree! Now what?
A: A typical joke about liberal arts degrees will quickly tie the degree into arts and crafts. With that assumption, you will have a tough time getting any job! But the truth of the matter is this: a liberal arts student takes a wide breadth of courses on different topics: philosophy, psychology, anthropology, government and politics, etc. All of these courses teach you how to analyze a problem or a situation and come up with a solution. A lot of companies know this (mine included) and have no qualms hiring a liberal arts student for a business related role. They do expect you to have a certain level of aptitude, though, because they will have to train you a little more so than someone who went to school with that major. In practice, not by much, though. For a technical job like engineering this won’t be the case, but don’t write yourself off just because you got a liberal arts degree!
Q: How can I find a job that utilizes my strengths while also aligning with my personal interests?
A: What you want to do, in this case, is look for themes throughout your past. You can do this by writing down all the elements of your life. Even if that lemonade stand you started when you were 6 seems irrelevant, write it down. Why? If you put that in conjunction with the leaf raking business you started at 12, the painting company you operated during college, the web site development company you started right after college, and the craft business you started a few months ago – you will come to a theme of entrepreneurship. As a kid your entrepreneurship was geared towards more trivial things. As you got older it developed into larger scale things. But, regardless of the industry, you have shown a knack for entrepreneurship. If you truly want a job that aligns with your strengths, look for something entrepreneurial in nature to co-exist with your personal endeavors. To make sure it aligns with your personal interests, well… that one is for you to figure out!
Please realize that it doesn’t have to be a theme as obvious as the example above, though. If you have always enjoyed being the friend everyone can open up to and tell their problems to, do you think being a guidance counselor or psychiatrist is in your cards? Perhaps!
Linking it Up - August 19, 2009
1. Good Questions to ask the Interviewer from Kunin Associates:
- What do you see as the challenges of this position?
- What are the responsibilities of this position, and which are the most important?
- Are there any projects in motion for which I will inherit responsibility? What is their history and status?
- What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance?
- What accomplishments do you expect within the first year of performance?
- How would you describe the company’s personality and management style?
- What are some of the company’s long-term goals?
- What is the company’s mission statement?
- What are the opportunities for growth?
- Where would you place your priorities for the duties of this job?
2. YPC.com (Young Professionals of Chicago) shared 3 Simple Ways to Differentiate Your Resume From the Rest:
- Use the right keywords
- Do not include “no duh” info (Don’t write “References available upon request.”)
- Fit it on one page
3. Three Common Questions from New College Grads where Alexandra Levit answers the following 3 questions:
- How do I deal with a revolting and incompetent co-worker?
- How do I extricate myself from being a gopher in the office?
- How can I start blogging, and what are your tips to get started writing for an established outlet?
4. Silly Mistakes Kill Cover Letters from Gradversity (originally from Secrets of the Job Hunt) has some smart advice regarding cover letters:
Set your materials aside for at least 24 hours.
Those are words of wisdom. Now you just have to follow them.
Linking it Up - August 20, 2009
1. Beginning your senior year with your career in mind from Heather Huhman and Entry Level Careers Examiner:
For those of you in your senior year of college, the “real world” is looming not too far ahead. Some of you might be thinking, “Thank goodness I have 10 months until graduation. Maybe the job market will bounce back by then.” Others might be focused entirely on class, not even thinking about what lies after graduation.
Your senior year is time to be on the offense instead of defense. There are many ways in which you can be proactive and still get your schoolwork done (and yes, attend those parties). In a recent interview with Susan DiTullio, manager of college recruiting at VistaPrint, she provided 10 tips to help prepare you for landing a perfect job and beginning the next exciting chapter of your life:
- Plan ahead
- Draw from past experiences
- Career Services is your advocate
- Keep your résumé current
- Network, network, network
- Attend career fairs
- Do your research
- Dress for success
- Working inside the process
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
2. Intelligence Means Squat: Study Shows One Trait Predicts Success BETTER from CAREEREALISM:
…When it comes to predicting who is going to succeed, you gotta ask yourself one question:
“Got GRIT?”
The study shows people who focus on a goal and stick with it long-term seem to achieve more professional success than those who jump around . Duckworth explains this in a recent Boston Globe article as follows:
“Grit is very much about the big picture,” …“It’s about picking a specific goal off in the distant future and not swerving from it.”
3. Three Tips For Writing Your Personal Bio from the Brand-Yourself.com folks:
- Keep it short and sweet. Brevity is the soul of wit, as Shakespeare says, and the people reading your bio will be relieved if you stick to this idea. They are on your website to get a quick idea of you, not to read a novel. Stick to the same rule-of-thumb as for your résumé: include all essential information, but keep it concise and to-the-point.
- Call him Ishmael. Remember to write your bio in third person. After including your full name once, it is fine to refer to yourself by your first name for the remainder of the bio. If, however, your career path requires a more formal style, use your surname for the rest of your bio instead.
- Be yourself. You are not writing a research paper on pelicans or economics, so resist the urge to revert back to college composition class (where you wrote a certain way because you needed an A). Your personal bio needs of course to be readable and grammatically correct, but don’t confuse a need for professionalism with a reason to stay bland and generic in your writing. Allow some of yourself to show through your words.
Life Among the Unmotivated
by Rachel Evil McCall - writer, and Carla Wyzgala - artist.Comic 10 - Completely Legitimate Field of Study
23rd Aug 2009, 6:00 PM
Who says you don’t build experience in college?
Linking it Up - August 31, 2009
1. 7 Surprisingly Creative, Well-Paid Jobs:
- Computer security specialist
- Project manager
- Product manager
- Mediator
- Instructional designer
- Home stage
- Finish carpenter
Not sure we agree about some of these being the most “creative” jobs possible.
2. How Far Will Your College Degree Really Get You?
Your degree track makes perfect sense to you. It gathers all your talents, skills, and aspirations into one neat and clean package that will inform the world at large who you are and what you can do. At least it’s supposed to. But what happens when the folks reading your resume are not exactly seeing what you think they are?
Robert J. Pietrykowski, assistant vice president for human resources and chief negotiator at Cleveland State University, explains that when it comes to college degrees, confusion is often the order of the day.
3. Can your name keep you from getting hired? (Note: I am linking to this mainly because of my love for Office Space)
2.9 million college kids unsure of career plans→
fack. don’t remind me.
The College Counselor via Life Advice from Old People
Pearl spent 39 years working in high schools. When she wasn’t teaching, she was working as a college counselor. You know those “College Fairs” they have in schools – the ones where representatives from the universities show up at your high school for a day? She was one of the founders of that program. When asked to help launch the first College Fair, it was her idea to bring in out-of-state schools so the kids would be able to see what other options were out there for them. That’s not a bad legacy to have left behind. She spent her working years educating the youth and helped lead them towards an educational path beyond high school. Although she’s been retired since 1984 she’s still invited by former students to high school reunions from every school where she’s worked. Not only did my high school college counselor not help me make any decisions, I couldn’t even tell you her name.
Pearl, age 85.
“ Half of college graduates under age 25 are in jobs that do not require college degrees, the highest portion in at least 18 years, Mr. Sum said.
The NY Times reporting that teenage unemployment has hit 25%, the highest level ever recorded.
There’s a vicious perversity in our colleges becoming more vocationally-oriented while guaranteeing less and less when it comes to gainful employment afterward. What’s the point of all that college debt if you hold little hope of paying it off?
(via gregbrown)
“ Isn’t it odd that we’re willing to spend $300,000 to buy an accredited but ultimately useless academic line on our resume, but we hesitate to do a month of hard work to create a chunk of experience that’s priceless?
Seth Godin (via tmblg)
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The blog for funnelthru.com - a job board dedicated to honest entry level jobs. We discuss interview tips, hiring trends, videos we love, and anything else we think you might find useful or fun.
