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New Year’s Resolutions–Develop A Post-Graduation Plan

Monday, January 17th, 2011

In David Sedaris’ humorous memoir, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, he describes his tenure in the hallowed halls of the prestigious Princeton University. As opposed to most ambitious Princeton students, Sedaris flitted from course to course, not entirely sure what he wanted to major in. (He did briefly consider majoring in Patricide, but scrapped it after his mother grew jealous. “Why aren’t you majoring in murdering me?” she demanded.) After graduating, Sedaris headed back home, just as lost as he had been when he left several years ago. “What are you going to do with your life now?” his parents asked him. “Well,” Sedaris replied drolly, “I do have some dirty laundry I need to do.” And he did do laundry, for the next six months.

Don’t let yourself end up like David Sedaris! (I mean, the Sedaris who just graduated from college, not the present Sedaris, who is a best-selling author and world traveler.) After completing four years of education, Sedaris wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his degree. In this way, he is like thousands of seniors who will be tossed from the sanctuary of their university and into the real world this May. These students wander aimlessly through the summer months, taking up waitressing positions, collecting unemployment, and living with their parents. These students also suffer from a general sense of dissatisfaction. They wonder exactly what they went to college for, and whether it was really worth it.

Thankfully, I was not one of these students when I graduated from college nearly two years ago. I knew exactly (or pretty exactly) what I wanted to do after graduation. First, it had always been a kooky dream of mine to work on a dude ranch. So I got a position at Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming for the next 8 months. After my employment on the ranch was over, I knew what I wanted to do next–get an editorial internship in NYC, preferably with a publishing house. And, as an intern at the Campus Clipper, now I’ve accomplished this as well! Although my path after graduation has been a somewhat meandering one, I’ve always had a goal in mind–to become a freelance writer and copy-editor.

From both examples, David Sedaris’ and my own, you can see that having a goal in mind when graduating from college is necessary to your happiness. Even if that goal does not lead to that 90k dream job you envisioned while a dew-eyed freshman, it at least gives you something to strive for. So my advice to you is this–have “Develop a Post-graduation Plan” be one of your New Year’s Resolutions. Whether you’re a senior trembling in the face of impending graduation this May, or a freshman who’s stuck on deciding a major, it’s necessary to have to a plan in mind!  I’ve provided a few tips to help you below.

GO WITH YOUR INTERESTS

This seems like a no-brainer, but so many students sideline their interests to pursue a major that they feel will “make them successful” or “bring them money,” even if they dislike it. For example, one of my old boyfriends pursued marketing major in college because he felt it would help him land a job. But after 3 years of struggling through lectures he didn’t enjoy, he quit. He is now enrolled in music school and loving it! The moral of the story is this–don’t waste your time majoring in something you know you’ll hate, just to make yourself marketable. This may help you land a more lucrative job, but the problem is you won’t enjoy your job any more than you enjoyed your major. And jobs don’t last 4 years–they last decades.

But what if my passions are banjo-playing and 2D cartooning, you may ask. Sure, I can have a good time and major in art and music now, but how will I be able to find a job at all with this degree? Believe me, if you really want to be a banjo-player, you’ll find a way to pay the bills. My friend who is in music school teaches kids guitar to make ends meet. He’s much happier in his classroom surrounded by eager-eyed students than he would be if he was working 9-5 in the financial district. And if you’ve got an art or music major to back you, you’ll have a better chance of succeeding in your dream than if you only sat through finance lectures in college.

CONSIDER A DOUBLE MAJOR

Maybe you do want to be a banjo-player, but you also want to enjoy the finer things in life. Consider majoring in both music and a more “practical” major, such as business. This way, after graduation, you’ll be able to score a salaried desk job while at the same time playing gigs on the weekend. This, however, will only work if you’re willing to let that salaried job take precedence. You can’t be a banjo-player and wear a white collar at the same time. Plus, if you do decide you want to be a double major, you have to make that decision very early on in your college career. By the time you’re a sophomore, you should have earned credits towards both majors. Double-majoring is also a lot of work. Believe me, I was an English and Communications double major in college, and it often seemed like I had more papers than I had fingers to type them with.

WHEN IN DOUBT, GIVE CAREER SERVICES A SHOUT

Maybe, unlike that banjo-player, you really don’t know what you want out of life. You’re like David Sedaris, skimming through lectures, but never sitting in on one that makes you say, “Hey! I wanna do that!” Don’t be afraid to let other people help you. Career Services is located on your campus for a reason. Schedule a visit with them and explain your problem. The counselors at Career Services have a lot of experience helping uncertain students just like you. I also recommend seeing the counselors at Career Services because they have more time to assist you than your course advisor does. My course advisor in college was inundated with work for his own classes, and was trying to advise 20 other students besides me. Our appointments usually consisted of him telling me I needed several more math and history credits, then shooing me out the door. But my counselor at Career Services actually had time to sit down and discuss my future. After all, that was her job, and she loved doing it!

So I hope these three tips will help you develop your own “Post-Graduation Plan.” Right now, the future may look a little murky. It’s so important to have a path ahead of you in these woods which are called life. Maybe that path won’t be in a straight line, but as long as you can put one foot in front of the other, you’ll reach that goal! 🙂

Also remember to check out our new book, The NYC Student Guide, for more tips on career-planning. The Guide will be out soon!

Written by Megan Soyars, Campus Clipper Blogger

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TIPS ON JOB-SEARCHING

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

While perusing the Craigslist part-time job ads a couple days ago, I stumbled upon the following ad:

Small business owner mid-30’s looking for part time help from someone energetic, hard working, and flexible.

Would be need 10-20 hrs per week.

Some of the tasks include filing, copies, calls, answering phones, and giving the owner massages.

Great pay.

Thanks 

Sounds good, I thought initially. “Great pay”, easy hours, a nice office setting. But I felt like I’d missed something. I re-read the message. Yep, there it was, in plain print. “Giving the owner massages.” That short phrase threw the whole deal into question.

What did the job poster mean by it, I wondered. Perhaps it was just a typo. Possibly he had meant, “giving the owner messages.” That would make more sense, right? But I had the sinking feeling that this was for real. The mid-thirties small business owner needed a little company.

This ad is a perfect illustration of the sort of hit-and-miss scenario that characterizes job-searching. You apply to 50 jobs you want and 5 you don’t want, and you get hired for the job you didn’t want. You get called in for an interview, impress the boss with your attitude and expertise, then learn they gave the job to the girl who rushed in to the interview 20 minutes late. Believe me, I know all the scenarios, and have lived through most of ’em. Ever since I left the hallowed halls of my university nearly 2 years ago, my life has been one big job search. It’s been stressful, discouraging, anxiety-provoking, and sometimes downright miserable. I’ve pounded the pavement on strange streets. I’ve knocked on doors and been turned away. I’ve bade goodbye to co-workers who’d become the best of friends. 

But through it all, there’s always been hope. There’s always been a job out there for me, and some of them I’ve really loved. I’ve proudly shaken the hand of new employers. I’ve walked home from a hard-day’s work feeling like I earned that paycheck. And through it all, I developed a first-hand knowledge of job-hunting that I’d like to share with you!

WHERE TO LOOK

CRAIGSLIST
As the “giving owner massages” ad illustrates, there are always a few bad apples to be found on this site. But many of them are legit. I’ve found several jobs, gigs, and internships through Craigslist.

SEARCHING OLD SCHOOL
Sometimes, nothing beats old-fashioned pounding the pavement. Try your local neighborhood first. With any luck you’ll be able to walk to work, one of of the bonuses of living in NYC. If you don’t find any openings in your neighborhood, try bigger streets. I recommend hitting Times Square, or 5th Ave in Manhattan. There are always openings in these high traffic areas. Simply walk into a store and ask if they are hiring.

JATCHED
Check out JATCHED.com! JATCHED, which is featured in our new book, the NYC Student Guide, is a job-matching service that pairs college students with prospective NYC employers.  

REVAMP YOUR RESUME

Your resume should always be up-to-date and reflect all your abilities. Employers don’t know anything about you except what your resume tells them. Are you hard-working? Do you always go the extra mile? Don’t assume the employer knows, tell them. Sometimes it’s not good enough to just type that you were a copy-editor for the campus paper. Describe how many times you worked overtime in the staff room.

BE WILLING TO SETTLE FOR LESS SOMETIMES, BUT ALWAYS KEEP REACHING FOR MORE

Sometimes you’ll have to work a couple shifts at McDonald’s before you score that perfect job. Remember a paycheck is a paycheck. And in the meantime, think of this as only one step in the path of following your dream.

SEE UNEMPLOYMENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY

Right now, you don’t have a job, but think of it this way. At least you’re not stuck at a job you hate! Endless opportunities await you. You can work anywhere, or do anything you want. You just have to keep looking, have the right mindset, and always follow your dreams!

Written by Megan Soyars, Campus Clipper blogger

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Landing that Job

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Written by Megan Soyars

As a college student, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Classes, homework, extracurrics, plus a social life–the list could go on forever. Throw a part-time job into the mix, and…what? You say you don’t have time for a part-time job? It sounds like you need help juggling your life.

But never fear, the NYC Student Guide is here to help you! Campus Clipper’s recent publication, the Guide, offers advice on how to manage both studying and work while giving both of them the time they deserve.

For example, the Guide features the innovative start-up company, JATCHED.com.  JATCHED, a job-matching service specifically for college students, was designed by two entrepunerial NYU students, Aleksandra Bookman and Mary Casey.

JATCHED is unique among other job-matching sites because it caters to the college student’s hectic schedule. You’d complained that you don’t have time for a part-time job. Well, JATCHED has the solution to that quandry. The site features gigs that you can work around your schedule, rather than the employer’s. Some examples include transcribing, dog walking, and web designing. And many of these gigs can be down from the comfort of your dorm room! No need to trek out into the cold to that 9:00-5:00 shift. So next time you find yourself pinching pennies in a time crunch, check out JATCHED.com.  

Aside from offering job advice, the NYC Student Guide apprises students about scoring internships, joining campus groups, and a host of other topics. Pre-order your $9.95 copy to today by emailing us at clip@campusclipper.com!

-Megan, Trinity University

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Networking: the art of knowing a guy who knows a guy.

Monday, July 5th, 2010

I attended a pretty blah networking workshop the other day but managed to walk away from it with some  not-so-blah food for thought:
Networking–you can and should always be doing it. Although workshop instructors make it out to be a science, it’s really more of a life philosophy. It’s the the acknowledgment that anyone we meet at any point can take us to new and exciting places regardless of whether they help us out or we help them out.

Networking is about coming to terms with the fact that by yourself you are a pretty small entity, but with links to others, your reach is infinitely broader and your possibilities increase exponentially.

Sound good? Okay, so where do you start?

With the very next person you encounter.

It means genuinely taking an interest in the people around you without a specific end goal in mind. After all, you can’t pin point a goal until you have some information, so just go information digging. Make it your mission to keep searching until you discover something about the person that
surprises, intrigues, or excites you. Keep exploring till you hear yourself saying: “Oh! Really?” And focus on listening, asking open ended questions, and thinking of how you or someone in your network could help this person out. Introduce people to one another whenever the opportunity arises. Remember also to network with people you already now. The person who is now your physics homework buddy can also turn out to be an event planning guru or know someone who is.
So connect yourself, connect others, then reconnect–as long as it’s genuine and you are interested in the give as much as the take. Let’s make this world a more collaborative sandbox.

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What Recession?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual unemployment rate across the country has more than doubled since 2006. While the national unemployment rate for the month of April was 9.9, the unemployment rate for New York wasn’t too far behind at 8.4.  This is troubling, not only for the entire workforce, but for recent graduates as well. It seems that the end of the recession is never going to come and that all is lost. I beg to differ.

For the past two years of my life, while many have been running around in a frenzy, spreading the word that “there are no jobs because we are in a recession,” I have been denying what everyone seems to be saying. I’ve never really been too keen on statistics, as I learned how they could be altered, while completing my studies in undergrad. I often saw students change both words and numbers around, molding their PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets to fit certain ideas, even if the real numbers or real data didn’t match up to these concepts; sort of the way some journalists do with their “objective” stories. I’d rather base my opinions on what I see. And based on what I’ve been seeing, we are in no way, shape or form, experiencing a recession. I can prove it.

Exhibit A: I want you to pick a Saturday when you have nothing but free time or even a few hours, preferably mid-afternoon to three o’ clock PM. Take the train to 34th Street in Manhattan and walk along this street, from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue in either direction. Take notes, look around, and take pictures if you want.  What do you notice? Is it desolate? If not, approximately how many people are walking the streets? Do they have bags in their hands? Are they going into stores? Do the stores seem crowded? If your answer to the last three questions are yes, then you have successfully proven my point thus far. Recession’s, don’t usually include the joys of shopping.

Exhibit B: Let us move on to entertainment. I have been to the movies about three or four times this year. Now that may not be a lot to some, but each time I went, I always felt that I was on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange. By the way, I’d visited three different theaters and the environment was always the same, from Chelsea to Midtown to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, the crowds were always there; even on weekdays! I went out with a variety of friends for three weeks in a row to several restaurants around events around the city, and they were packed as well. Hmph, some recession!

Exhibit C: Now according to some, there are no jobs. Really?!? Then how come when I visit web sites such as craigslist.org or monster.com or the career web sites for the colleges I’ve attended, I see thousands upon thousands of jobs, internships, and careers? These are added on a regular basis and come from all industries as well as all career levels. But how can that be if we’re in a recession?

By now I hoped you’ve figured out the answer; just reread the title if you haven’t. So, keep looking for jobs, continue to shop, eat, and live. That’s what I’m doing because I live life by looking at what’s directly in front of me. Plus I’ve never really liked the news. It’s so depressing!

What will you do? Will you believe what the statistics say or will you believe what’s directly in front of your face?

Shana H

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Interning in NYC: Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter

Monday, June 7th, 2010

One of the most crucial components of the internship application process is your cover letter. Essentially, the contents of this letter provide potential employers with their first impression of you, prompting them to read your resume and decide if they want to call you for an in-person interview. Thus, it is extremely important that your cover letter represent you in the best possible light. While writing your cover letter, remember these points:

1. Write individual letters for each company. Standardized form letters not only lack creativity, but also imply a lack of interest in the position to the person reading it. Taking the time to write individualized letters shows the reader that you possess a sincere interest in the company and the position that you are applying for, which presents you as the better candidate.

2. Research the company. Make sure you know the basics of the position and the company that you are applying to, and be sure to add some of your findings into your cover letter (i.e. as reasons why you want to work there, why you admire the company, how you can help fulfill the company mission, etc.) Again, this helps to convey your personal interest in the organization and will help you land an interview.

3. Support any claims you make with specific examples. This is your time to brag about your accomplishments and show the reader why you would be an excellent addition to their team. So if you say in your cover letter that that you excel in the classroom, be sure to tell them about how high your GPA is or about your two years on the Dean’s List.

4. Use a professional tone and proofread your letter. You want to your future employers to think that you are serious about work and that you are capable of behaving properly in a professional environment. Making jokes or having any grammatical/spelling errors shows them that you do not care about making a good impression.

For more info and tips, here’s a useful website that I found while I was writing my cover letters. It not only gives you more information and tips, but also provides you with examples of good cover letters and other business correspondence, such as thank-you letters and networking letters. So have fun writing your way to an interview!

-Christina Brower

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Interning in NYC: Tips to Aid You in Your Search

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Landing a full-time job after graduation has gotten a whole lot tougher these days due to the present state of the economy. Jobs are few and far between and the competition for them has grown especially fierce, which is why obtaining an internship has become an important priority for most students these days. However, the competition for intern positions is just as ferocious. So how can you maximize your chances of surviving in such a cut-throat environment? Here are some things that I learned to do when searching for an internship:

1. Start your search early! For example, if you’re looking for a summer internship position, start looking for open positions in late January/early February and continue until late April/early May. You will be surprised how many positions are available when your search spans a couple of months.

2. Submit your application ASAP! Some students are under the impression that if they are one of the last applications that employers see that they will have a better chance of being remembered. This, however, is not the case. Applying hours before the midnight deadline can make you look like a procrastinator. In the work place, deadlines are extremely important, and most employers want someone who is timely with their work. So once the application period begins, submit your resume and cover letter as soon as possible to avoid being a part of the last minute rush.

3. Apply to as many positions as you can! I know this can be a long, tedious process, but believe me it is absolutely necessary. This spring, I applied to over thirty companies, and only received about five calls/e-mails for an interview. So put yourself out there to as many people as possible. It will make your chances of actually landing a position more probable.

4. Make use of your resources on campus! Most colleges and universities have a career services department, which provides students with resources, such as resume critiques, mock interviews, company tours, and weekly e-mails with new internship/job opportunities, to aid students in their searches. These people are trained professionals who have helped many students go from the classroom to the office and can help you become a better candidate for employment or put you in contact with the right people.

5. Utilize internet search engines! In addition to MonsterTrak and Craigslist, there are many sites available that are devoted to finding internships in a particular field. Just Google it and see what comes up. For example, after doing a Google search, I found a website called BookJobs.com, which was wholly devoted to internship/job opportunities in the book publishing industry and which is where I found the most openings.

-Christina Brower

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The hardest part of a job is finding one

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

As I graduated college three weeks ago, I anxiously feared my most impossible task yet: finding a job. My stepfather had told me that the hardest part of a job is simply finding one and with the economy being what it is, I could tell I was going to have a heck of a time. I did not have a million internships or a degree in anything applicable to the jobs I was applying for; although being an English major does have some perks. To my surprise, a few days after sending out my resume, I had five interviews lined up, and, that Friday, I got a job. I think part of what happened was that I was lucky; the job I got needed to be filled quickly and I was available to start as soon as possible. But, the bigger part of it was that I was meticulous.

When I started my job, I realized that over 200 people had applied, and over twenty of them had landed interviews. So, what made me special? A few things…

1. I focused on my educational achievements. Since I did not have too much job experience, I tried to emphasize my education by putting my GPA on my resume, which is something that not everyone thinks of doing. If it is good, (I would say 3.5 or above) might as well slap that baby on there!

2. I was real. The guy who hired me at my job told me that, even though I did not have a lot of experience, he really liked my personality. After looking over all kinds of things to do and not do at an interview, I decided to just be myself. If an employer is looking at a bunch of people, being a robot is not going to make you stand out and land a job. On the other hand, if you are funny, or charming, or smart, or even a little silly, an employer will see you as a person and relate to you. And, if they don’t like what they see, then you probably would not be happy working there anyway.

3. I was careful. Looking over the resumes that were submitted after I landed my job, I saw a common theme: people were just being plain careless. Some people had submitted resumes with objectives that were irrelevant; obviously they had sent that same resume to a million jobs and were just changing a line and forgot to change their objective. Others had forwarded the same email to a bunch of different people. Still others made careless errors in their resumes themselves and obviously who would want to hire someone who cannot even look over their resume?

While I might have been an exception to the horrors of the job search, you can certainly be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition if you just pay attention to how you are presenting yourself. If you have something that makes you stand out, emphasize it. Maybe even try a few different resumes or cover letters to see which ones help you land more interviews. And, as always, be yourself–it really does pay off and there really is no point in getting a job you are just going to be miserable in.

-Emily S

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Recent Grad, New Job, or So I Thought

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

When I received my undergraduate degree from Baruch College in May 2006, I was ecstatic. I immediately began applying for jobs and couldn’t wait for my phone to start ringing non-stop. Little did I know that this was a far fetched idea; my phone did ring, but not as often as I had originally hoped for, so I decided to make some phone calls myself. I contacted the human resources departments of at least three companies to inquire about the status of my applications and was told more than once that I did not have enough experience. Experience I thought, how many new graduates have experience? I believed that one industry related internship and a few years of non-industry related work experience were enough for me to get an interview, but apparently it wasn’t. At that point, I realized both the power and importance of an internship, which may have been obvious to some, but to others, such as me, it was new and enlightening information that could have helped to speed up my career.
According to freedictionary.com, an internship is defined as “a student or recent graduate undergoing supervised practical training.” This means that as a student or a recent graduate, one will gain hands on experience in their field of choice. Most internship’s are unpaid, but do compensate students by offering credit for a specified course. For example, a student may work as an intern for the duration of the fall, spring, or summer semester. When the internship is completed, the student may then receive the number of credits for the course taken in conjunction with the internship.
There are various ways in which a student can find an internship. Below is a list of resources/tips that can help students with their search.

  • Contact your school career and internship center. These centers have trained staff members who are there to assist you with your career, job, and internship needs. Most of these centers offer career guidance, resume and cover letter workshops, and interview preparation assistance.
  • Utilize the career services that are offered by the public library. New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, and Brooklyn Public Library all offer free career services. They also have many materials that may help you with your internship search.

New York Public Library Info for Job Seekers
Queens Library Job Resources
Brooklyn Public Library EJIC

-Shana H

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