Want to learn how to nail the interview and application process at BlackRock? Hear it straight from the people who did it.
The post 8 Career Tips From People Who Landed an Internship at BlackRock appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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As a current student or recent graduate, one question you might be asking yourself is how can you prepare yourself for an interview and secure a job. But given the fact that interviews and application processes differ from company to company, you may have found yourself lost and unsure about where to start.
In order to help guide early-career professionals through interviews and applications, we took an in-depth look at the process at one of the world’s largest asset managers – BlackRock. To better understand how candidates can nail their application and interview process, we spoke with three analysts who successfully secured internships with this $22 billion company and continue to work and thrive there today as analysts.
This list includes everything from interview tips to general advice that these employees used to help them navigate the interview process and secure a job at BlackRock. While some of the tips are specific to BlackRock and its unique hiring process, many of them are universal and can be used throughout your entire professional career. We hope this helps make landing your first job or internship a little easier and encourages you to seek employment with BlackRock – a company that has been shaking up the industry and providing lifelong careers for years.
1. Reach out to current employees
Reaching out to current employees at a company is beneficial for a number of reasons. Julia Colliton, an analyst at BlackRock, claims that her interactions with a BlackRock employee prior to applying made her more attracted to the role, and motivated her to apply. Most people think of establishing relationships with active employees in order to help usher them through the finish line, which is true, but it can also help give you perspective into the actual role as well. Look for LinkedIn connections, ask questions, and do whatever you can to improve the perspectives of those you engage with, including your own.
2. Get activity/leadership experience
BlackRock is a company that values leadership experience in its employees. In fact, there is an entire section of their internship interview process that is dedicated to it. Not only will getting leadership experience better enable you to do your job better and thrive as an employee, but it will make your application stand out from the rest. You will most likely be applying with people who all have great GPAs and honors designations, so this is an area where you can really stand out.
3. Resume building
Establishing a strong resume is something that most prospects can assume they need to spend time on. But the ways in which you build that resume are vast. One thing that all of the analysts we interviewed agreed on was to gather as much feedback on your resume as possible. Have a friend who has been in the professional world for a while? Share your resume with them. Have a good relationship with your professor? Let them take a look at it. If you feel bold enough, go and find a recruiter on LinkedIn and see if they will check it out. The more eyes you can get on it, the better.
4. Prepare for the virtual cover letter
The virtual cover letter is something unique to BlackRock’s interview and application process and something applicants might not be familiar with. Acknowledging that the environment is unique and preparing for it accordingly is the best piece of advice we redacted from the current employees we spoke with. Things like checking your lighting and background or practicing your delivery in a “practice interview” by yourself are all things that will help you be better prepared. Also, researching as much as you can will help you face the questions that will be asked.
5. Overprepare for the interview
After speaking with current analysts at BlackRock, the general consensus about the interview was that you can never be too prepared. But what exactly does being prepared for an interview mean? Julia asserts that reading blog posts, watching podcasts, and taking a close look at the principles that the company stands for are all ways you can make sure to stay prepared for the list of questions you will be asked. Additionally, the more information you have the better equipped you will be to carry on an intelligent conversation and really leave an impression on your interviewer.
6. Stay relaxed and be yourself
As important as it is to retain a professional and focused demeanor during an interview, it is also important to stay relaxed and be yourself. BlackRock is looking for employees who are informed as much as they are personable and want someone who coworkers will enjoy working with and being around. Sara Feraca, an analyst at BlackRock, encourages applicants to “show your personality and composure while speaking” to establish a meaningful connection with your interviewer. BlackRock isn’t a company looking for robots to join their company!
7. “Be a student of the markets”
One of the more notable quotes we got during our interviews with three BlackRock employees was to “be a student of the markets.” Suggested by Julia Colliton, what she meant by this was to know your industry inside and out. It isn’t enough to just be overly familiar with what’s on your resume. You have to be able to speak intelligently and in-depth regarding anything and everything in the finance world. The more real-world scenarios and citings you can come up with, the more you will impress your interviewer, convincing them that you’re passionate about what you do and the person they should hire.
8. Follow up with your interviewer
The last piece of information that all of the employees we interviewed suggested to us was to follow up with your interviewer after your conversation. Make sure you ask them for their contact information if you don’t already have it so you can reach out when the time comes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that you might be pondering and to thank them for their time. Usually, the decision will be made whether or not you follow up with them, but in some scenarios, this will be the final push needed to get you past the finish line or to the next round of interviews.
At the end of the day, try not to be nervous and know that if you follow all these steps, you did the best you can to try and launch your career. BlackRock is a company that believes in diversity and inclusion and is proud to hire people from a variety of backgrounds, so they encourage people from all walks of life to apply.
Be yourself, be confident, and most importantly be prepared, and you just might see be able to find a job at the largest asset management company in the world.
The post 8 Career Tips From People Who Landed an Internship at BlackRock appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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Securing a job is daunting enough, and in a global pandemic, it can be downright painful. Unemployment is at one of the highest levels many of us have ever experienced, the stock market is a rollercoaster, and every day, the never-ending stream of bad news has the power to distract us, creating a sense of … Continue reading "Demystifying Employment Basics: Offer Letters, Relocation, ‘At-Will’ Employment"
The post Demystifying Employment Basics: Offer Letters, Relocation, ‘At-Will’ Employment appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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Securing a job is daunting enough, and in a global pandemic, it can be downright painful. Unemployment is at one of the highest levels many of us have ever experienced, the stock market is a rollercoaster, and every day, the never-ending stream of bad news has the power to distract us, creating a sense of uncertainty and confusion.
WayUp team members heard loud and clear that many early-career candidates who are new to the market or new to economic uncertainty want a better understanding of some of the fundamentals surrounding getting a job during uncertain times.
We put together a basic guide that outlines some of the fundamentals we thought you should know.
- What is an offer letter?
- What is a verbal commitment vs. a signed commitment?
- What does “at-will” employment mean?
- What is a relocation package and when can I expect one?
- What does it mean if my offer has contingencies?
- What does it mean for an offer to be rescinded? When can that happen?
- What does it mean to be fired?
- What is a PIP?
- What does it mean to resign?
- What does it mean to be laid off?
- What does it mean to be furloughed?
- What is a severance package and when should you ask for one?
- What is a severance agreement?
- Why would an employer push back a start date? Can they do that? What does that mean for me, and what should I do?
- How should I react if I’ve been laid off, fired, furloughed, or had a start-date pushed back?
- Can I put the job that I had accepted on my resume if I didn’t actually start in it? What about on my LinkedIn or WayUp profile?
- If I left a job because of COVID (I was laid off or furloughed), should I mention that on my resume or online profile?
- As a job seeker, what should I be thinking about at a time when there is an unstable economy?
What is an offer letter?
An offer letter for employment is intended to lay out the terms of your employment offer. It’s an employer’s way of letting you know exactly what the job entails and what you can expect from accepting the role. Check out our article on the difference between offer letters and contracts to learn more about what you can expect from this agreement.¹
What is a verbal commitment vs. a signed commitment?
When extending a job offer to a candidate, some companies require the candidate to give a verbal commitment before the company sends a written offer letter. A verbal job offer, which is made and accepted formally, is legally binding on both the parties. However, it’s a bit more complicated than a written agreement since you must establish the terms of employment at the time of the offer.
Usually, in the case of a verbal offer, there is no witness or any other proof of offer or associated conditions. That’s the reason it’s usually followed by a written confirmation. The employer offers you a job, you accept it, the employer sends across an offer letter, and finally, you accept the offer in writing.
Legally speaking, a job offer, whether verbal or in writing, is of no significance unless you have a contract of employment, since either of the parties can rescind such an offer.²
What does “at-will” employment mean?
At-will employment means the employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason and incur no legal liability for doing so. As an employee, you have the freedom to leave an at-will job at any time for any reason without legal consequence. You should also note that working in an at-will job means the employer can change the terms of your agreement with no notice or consequences.³ Think it’s unfair? Put it this way: if you can give your notice anytime, the employer is just saying they can do their version of the same thing — end the relationship with you. They don’t technically need to give you any reasoning (though companies with strong HR teams will usually give you a reason, and/or put you on a performance plan ahead of time), as long as they’re acting within the law (i.e. you can’t fire someone for their race, gender, etc.)
What is a relocation package and when can I expect one?
Some employers offer relocation assistance to help with moving-related expenses such as hiring movers, purchasing storage, or buying a plane ticket. Not all employers offer relocation assistance though, and there are often limits to what is covered in these agreements, so be sure to ask what your new employer will cover if this is important to you.
What does it mean if my offer has contingencies?
When an offer has contingencies, this essentially means that the employer has included certain caveats to protect themselves in case new information surfaces concerning your ability to satisfy all of the requirements of the job.
Common contingencies include: criminal record checks, drug tests, relocation (i.e. that you relocate to the location in the offer letter first), or background checks to ensure that all information you submitted in your resume or application was accurate. If you are hired by a Staffing Agency, another common contingency is that the client you’ll actually be spending time with must also approve of your application. In most circumstances, this is not an issue.
If you see that your offer letter has contingencies, make sure you understand what each of them are before signing. If one or more are unclear, you can absolutely ask the recruiter you’re working with for more information.⁴
What does it mean for an offer to be rescinded? When can that happen?
When a job offer is rescinded, that means the company is no longer offering you the job. In general, there are two reasons why an offer is rescinded. The first reason is that after the offer was made, the company found new information about you and decided you were not the right fit for their company. You’ll likely never find out what that information is, and it could be anything from seeing something they didn’t like on your social media to talking to your former coworker who already works at the company.
The second reason a job offer is rescinded is when the company’s financial circumstances change suddenly and drastically. For example, the company had to conduct a massive recall of their new product, there’s a sudden investigation into the company, or external forces deplete demand for the company’s offerings (i.e., the coronavirus pandemic).
Sudden financial changes can also result in your offer being put on hold. When your job offer is on hold, it means the company would still like to hire you but can’t right now. And the company likely can’t tell you exactly if and when they will hire you in the future.
What does it mean to be fired?
You may have heard someone say, “I was fired”. This means they are terminated at a company and are no longer employed with the organization. There are a few types of terminations, voluntary and involuntary or a lay-off. Involuntary terminations or “firing someone” is when a company informs an employee that they are no longer employed with the company. Typically, being fired is a result of poor performance, a violation of a company policy, or some other act that isn’t in line with how the business wants to operate. But if you’re an at-will employee, you can also be fired for any reason (with a few exceptions including illegal discrimination) or no reason at all.
What is a PIP?
A PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) is a plan that an employer will often put their employee on if the employee is not performing. Most PIP’s last 4 weeks and outline very clear rationale for why a manager feels as though an employee is not performing, along with a plan for how to get them to improve their performance. Most PIP’s last 4-8 weeks, and the manager or HR usually do check-in’s along the way to see if the employee is on track. Sometimes a company will fire an employee midway if they are not on track to achieve their PIP, but other times, if the employee is on track, the employee can save their job by performing to meet expectations.
What does it mean to resign?
Voluntary terminations or resignations are when the employee informs the company they are no longer continuing their employment with the company. This is also known as “quitting” a job. Most companies expect someone to give two-weeks notice, which means you (the employee) will work for the company for two more weeks and then will end your employment. Some employers will not take you up on your 2 weeks notice offer, and others will. It is absolutely best practice to give at least two weeks notice so that your colleagues and your manager can plan for your transition. Don’t forget: most people remember an employee most by their final weeks / months at a company, so be sure to leave on a positive note, and work just as hard in your final days as you would have in your first few.
What does it mean to be laid off?
When a company lays off an employee, it means there is no longer a need for the position within the company as it currently exists. The loss of employment is through no fault of the employee.
What does it mean to be furloughed?
A furlough is “a temporary layoff from work.” People who get furloughed usually get to return to their job after a furlough. In general, people are not paid during furloughs but they do keep employment benefits, such as health insurance. When an employee gets furloughed, they are not guaranteed to be able to return (a furlough could be extended or could turn into a lay-off) so employers typically expect to see some turnover from furloughed employees who choose to not take the risk of waiting to be brought back.
What is a severance package and when should you ask for one?
Some companies choose to offer a severance package when terminating an employee after they have started in their role. A severance package is a flat payment to a terminated employee, and can sometimes include benefits. Employees who are fired or laid off can inquire about their final pay and the possibility of a severance package included in their termination. If you did not start in a role (i.e. you got an offer letter but did not sign it, or you signed it but didn’t start yet), and if your offer is rescinded for whatever reason, you likely will not be given a severance package, given that you didn’t actually work for thee employer.
Severance packages can sometimes be negotiated if an employee is leaving on good terms, though larger companies often have specific frameworks they’re looking to stick to, so don’t be surprised if the company isn’t willing to budge. Finally, senior employees (usually at the Vice President level or above) often negotiate severance terms into their offer letter (i.e. saying if they are fired for performance or due to lay-offs, that they will get a severance package of a certain amount). We do not recommend requesting this to be included in your offer letter if you are joining a company at the entry-level.
What is a severance agreement?
A severance agreement is an agreement between an employer and an employee that contains guidelines for when an employee is terminated. A severance agreement template includes details like how much pay the employee will be entitled to after termination, when benefits will be discontinued, etc.
As you look over your severance agreement, most employers will spell out their methodology and provide an overview of how your individual severance pay was calculated. Typical Agreements include:
- Your severance pay terms
- Your vacation pay terms
- Cobra (Benefits) Information
- Return of Property
- Non-compete Clause
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Unemployment Information
- A General Release of Claims and Covenant Not To Sue⁶
You should not expect to get a severance package if you are not willing to sign the terms the employer is requesting. Furthermore, if you do sign a severance agreement, receive the money, and then break one of the terms in the agreement (such as your NDA), you could be held liable for paying back the severance.
Why would an employer push back a start date? Can they do that? What does that mean for me, and what should I do?
An employer may push back your start date for a variety of reasons. For example, if you are hired to support a client, and then the employer loses that client’s contract, they may no longer need your services and may ask to push your start date back unless they can find a new contract for you to work on. Typically, offer letters and employment contracts will include a Force Majeure clause that essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as war, epidemic, or Natural Disaster, prevent one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under the contract. Right now, the economic uncertainty we’re facing coupled with our changing lifestyles in response to COVID-19 means many companies have to constantly reevaluate and restructure their organization.⁷
How should I react if I’ve been laid off, fired, furloughed, had a start-date pushed back, or had my offer rescinded?
Losing your job or having your start date delayed affects everyone differently, but it’s important to find healthy ways to cope if you do receive this news. It’s a very small world, and you never want to burn bridges in the workplace. Maintain a positive rapport with the employer, and demonstrate that you can handle this adversity without losing your professionalism — after all, you never know if you may want to apply for a position with that employer in the future, or if the HR person you’re dealing with may move to another company at a later date where you want to work.
Can I put the job that I had accepted on my resume if I didn’t actually start in it (i.e. my offer was rescinded before I started)? What about on my LinkedIn or WayUp profile?
You should always put your best foot forward when networking or applying for a new job. Providing an accurate summary of your work history is essential to establishing trust and being matched with the right job for you, so we recommend that you only update your online profiles with positions that you’ve actually worked in. However, on your resume, if you have had an offer rescinded due to an external factor (such as Coronavirus or a company going bankrupt, etc), we typically recommend having one line under your “Work Experience” that shows the company’s name and says “Position eliminated due to ___” so that employers know you were not procrastinating with your job search.
If I left a job because of COVID-19 (I was laid off or furloughed), should I mention that on my resume or online profile?
Context is key when employers are evaluating your reasons for leaving a position. Letting them know that you’re searching for a new opportunity because of COVID helps them understand that you were not let go for reasons related to your performance. If you’d prefer to not include this information in your resume or online profile, you can alternatively incorporate this in your cover letter. However, we typically recommend having this information on both your resume and your online profile in order to give future employers / recruiters more context. There is nothing to be ashamed of — millions of people were laid off due to COVID-19, and it was not any of their fault.
As a job seeker, what should I be thinking about at a time when there is an unstable economy?
- Review your resume. You should spend time editing your resume to ensure you’re sharing the most compelling information. Check out this article to help you understand how to write a winning resume.
- Pro Tip: Submit your resume to TopResume to get a free, confidential review from a resume expert.
- Research every company you’re applying to. How big or small is the team? Public or Private? Venture Backed? Are they profitable?
- Perform high-touch outreach. Once you’ve submitted an application to the company’s you are interested in, find the hiring manager on LinkedIn and send them a thoughtful note encouraging them to consider you for their role.
- First impressions are important. Check out this article to help you prepare for your first phone interview.
We’re all in this together. More, now than ever, job seekers have an unique opportunity to stand out during the economic uncertainty. When we say knowledge is power, job seekers have helpful information available to them so they can take control to understand and demystify the hiring process. That way, job seekers can spend more time on the things that matter like crafting a thoughtful resume, researching the right role, and interview practice.
Sources
- WayUp. What’s the Difference Between An Offer Letter And A Contract?
- UpCounsel. Is a Verbal Offer Binding: Everything You Need To Know?
- National Conference of State Legislators. At-Will Employment Overview.
- Career Trend. What Is a Contingent Job Offer?
- FlexJobs. Rescinded Offers and Hiring Freezes: What They Mean for Jobseekers.
- Salary.com. 9 Things to Know About Your Severance Package.
- SHRM. You Are Excused: Force Majeure and the Workplace in the COVID-19 Era.
About the Authors:
Jim Leahy is the Director of Human Resources at WayUp. His decade of experience in building teams has made him passionate about helping others build their brands.
Matt Sheffield has worked with thousands of WayUp users to help them get their dream job. He now works in WayUp’s Business Operations department where he manages internal job requisitions.
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After graduation, Sara worked in finance within the aerospace industry. While she loved the specifics of her role, she wanted more interaction with clients. She had identified skills she wanted to develop, but the opportunities she wanted just weren’t available at her old job. One thing was apparent: It was time for the next step. … Continue reading "This Company Wants To Give You Your Next Job—And They’re Hiring All Year Round"
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After graduation, Sara worked in finance within the aerospace industry. While she loved the specifics of her role, she wanted more interaction with clients.
She had identified skills she wanted to develop, but the opportunities she wanted just weren’t available at her old job. One thing was apparent: It was time for the next step.
That’s when she heard about the Bloomberg Analytics and Sales program. She was able to land a position in an upcoming training class by displaying her interest in the financial industry, her desire to interact with clients, and understanding of Bloomberg. After going through the interview process, Bloomberg recognized her hunger for knowledge and matched it with an opportunity to learn right away. The company is known for a lot of things—like their world-class training programs, but what was really exciting was their year-round hiring cycle, which meant they were always looking for new employees to join the team.
Here’s how all of these factors made Sara’s “next job” her best job—and how that became the first step toward the career she really wanted.
Bloomberg’s Training Program Helps Everyone Learn Fast – And Keep Learning
Sara’s training focused on utilizing Bloomberg’s flagship product, the Terminal, to assess different financial products, decisions, and interactions. The combination of classroom learning and on the job training covered topics like the financial markets, Bloomberg’s products and clients, and customer service. Basically, she was learning what she needed to assist Bloomberg customers with specific financial questions.
At first, she was learning basic Terminal navigation across all asset classes, which enabled her to start helping clients with more general questions.
Sara then specialized in equity and fixed-income products. After several months in the role, Analytics representatives have the opportunity to focus on a specific asset class and become subject matter experts. They receive additional training so they can be best equipped to assist clients.
“The training is the most wonderful part, because you learn so much and they put so much time and effort into you,” Sara says. “It’s really great knowing that a company wants to invest in you that much.”
Bloomberg Encourages Employees To Create Their Own Career Path
Bloomberg’s training programs are continuously available to employees looking to expand their skills and develop professionally. The firm is focused on not only hiring top talent, but also nurturing it and making sure that everyone has a goal and a way to get there.
For example, employees in the Analytics department typically transition into a Sales 18-24 months after joining Bloomberg. At this point, the company recognizes Analytics representatives have become experts on the products and services, and are well equipped to support clients more directly by becoming Account Managers. Within Sales, Account Managers develop new skillsets such as maintaining relationships with existing clients on a daily basis to ensure that clients utilize the products in the most efficient way. Depending on the team’s coverage, Account Managers have the opportunity to travel and meet with clients in person.
Bloomberg’s career development opportunities come in a variety of different formats so employees can create their own path, from the structured training programs place to launch a career, and later the ability to grow through different areas within the organization.
“You’re never going to get bored in the same position. You’re constantly going to be learning new things. You’re constantly going to be asked to do new things,” Sara explains. “You’re always looking forward to something new, that next step, that next role. And you know that it’s within your grasp.”
Interested in finding your next step (and the step after that)? Check out open opportunities at Bloomberg on WayUp!
The post This Company Wants To Give You Your Next Job—And They’re Hiring All Year Round appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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Recruiters want to get to know you. Their jobs depend on finding and hiring successful candidates just like you everyday. Yet many job seekers are afraid of reaching out to recruiters. When they do, they fumble words, aren’t timely or don’t convey enough interest in the role to gain a reply, let alone a job offer. I … Continue reading "4 Steps to Email Recruiters and Get Responses [Email Scripts Included]"
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Recruiters want to get to know you. Their jobs depend on finding and hiring successful candidates just like you everyday. Yet many job seekers are afraid of reaching out to recruiters. When they do, they fumble words, aren’t timely or don’t convey enough interest in the role to gain a reply, let alone a job offer. I hate seeing skilled applicants lose out on a better life because they didn’t know how to communicate with a recruiter.
The good news is there’s a proven way to reach out to recruiters and get a response – break away from the pack with these tips:
1. Know what you want.
One of the worst ways to reach out to a recruiter is with a vague request that only benefits you. Think about how you can make the recruiter’s life easier instead of wasting their time.
“Have time to chat?” – Most likely not since they’re reviewing hundreds of applicants. Also, chat about what?
“I’m interested in this job – would you know something about it?” Yes, it’s their job to know.
Have a specific purpose for reaching out other than wanting a job – which is why everyone is applying in the first place. Learning about company culture, asking for introductions to the hiring team or getting feedback on your candidacy are great reasons to reach out to a recruiter.
2. Keep it short and sweet.
Recruiters get anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds to review each applicant. They have even less time for answering emails from people that would like to borrow some of their time to chat.
By keeping things short, you are respectful of the recruiter’s busy schedule and are more likely to receive a response. Messages shouldn’t be more than 2 minute read. Anything longer will be “saved for later,” but more likely will be forgotten and never opened again. How many times have you done this with your own email?
3. Observe the power dynamic and be respectful.
You’re the one requesting a job from someone with an extremely busy schedule. The recruiter’s opinion of you can make or break your job offer.
Be respectful with your tone and requests. Start small and always give the final choice to the recruiter.
“I applied to this position. Can you forward my application to the hiring manager?” Why does the recruiter owe you a favor? This is too direct for an introduction.
“I want talk about Acme Co. I’m free on Tuesday at 4PM and Thursday at 3PM.” This assumes the recruiter wants to talk to you, which may not be the case. Also, you want to give the choice of time to the person in power by offering a range of options. Being strict upfront isn’t a good first impression to set.
Being respectful shows you’re likely a pleasant person to work with, another plus in your job candidacy.
4. Make decision making easy.
Your goal with the first email is to get a yes to the introduction and a small request, not a job offer. While it’s possible to get a job with a single email, it’s highly unlikely for most people. Since you’re likely to have multiple email exchanges with your recruiter, start off small with easy “yes or no” questions.
“I applied to Acme Inc. How do you like it there?” This question begs for a long response, which probably won’t happen.
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With the above tips in mind, here are two email scripts I’ve used in my own job hunt to get responses.
[REACHING OUT]
Hi Recruiter,
My name is Leo and I recently applied to the Associate Marketing Manager position at Acme Inc. I’m reaching out to introduce myself and learn more about Acme’s culture. Are you open to chatting about your experience at Acme sometime this week? I’m free anytime after 2PM.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Best,
Leo
Why this gets responses:
- Clear intent
- Polite
- Respects power dynamic
- Gives easy choice to recruiters
[FOLLOWING UP]
Hi Recruiter,
My name is Leo and I reached out last week to learn more about your experience at Acme Inc. I didn’t want my last request to get lost in your inbox. If you’re free, I’d love to chat anytime this week after 3PM. Please let me know!
Thank you,
Leo
Why this gets responses:
- Refers previous message
- Polite reason for follow up
- Respects power dynamic
- Direct call-to-action for recruiter
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By mastering communication, you speed up your job hunting, network your way into an offer and stand out from the sea of other job seekers.
Here’s what to do next:
- Modify the above scripts to match your needs and try them for your next job hunt. Leave a comment below telling us your results.
- If you’re interested in learning how to turn outreach emails into job offers, check out my free tactical guide on “5 Steps to Interview” – a FREE download.
The post 4 Steps to Email Recruiters and Get Responses [Email Scripts Included] appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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Whether you want to make extra cash or add experience to your resume, there are several reasons for taking on both a part-time job and an internship at the same time. You might need the extra cash from a part-time job because of an unpaid internship or you might be trying to increase the amount of … Continue reading "Top 3 Tips for Balancing A Part-Time Job & An Internship"
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Whether you want to make extra cash or add experience to your resume, there are several reasons for taking on both a part-time job and an internship at the same time. You might need the extra cash from a part-time job because of an unpaid internship or you might be trying to increase the amount of money you can save by working two paid positions at once. Whatever your reasons, it takes a lot of time and energy to do both. In order to maximize your time in each role and prevent yourself from burning out, check out these tips to help keep your schedule manageable.
1. Speak to your supervisors.
Working two jobs will inevitably lead to a busy schedule so it’s important to be upfront with your supervisors at your internship and your job about your other obligations in order to avoid conflicts. If your internship requires you to be in the office on weekdays, see if you can take night and weekend shifts at your part-time job. Although most employers will understand that you have other responsibilities outside of work, sometimes an overlap is unavoidable. Having a packed schedule almost always results in a conflict at some point or another, so if your supervisors are aware of your situation, things will go much more smoothly when an issue arises.
2. Be realistic about your time.
Good time management skills are a must when you have a part-time job and an internship. Because your days are planned around your work schedule it’s important to make sure that you use your spare time well. This could include doing homework, studying, going to club meetings or hanging out with your friends. You don’t want other aspects of your life to fall to the bottom of your priority list. You know yourself best, so if you find that your schedule is getting to be too much to handle, you may need to rethink your situation.
3. Take care of yourself.
Self-care often becomes nonexistent when you’re running around every day, but it’s something you need to prioritize if you want to maintain a balanced life. Since your body is constantly moving, you need to recharge yourself. Eat healthy meals, sleep seven to eight hours per night and take breaks throughout the day. Although those things can seem trivial compared to what you have on your plate, ignoring your physical and mental health is not the answer. The busier you are, the more necessary it becomes to take care of yourself, because no matter what you’re doing, your well-being comes first.
Finding the perfect balance can be challenging and frustrating at times, but at the end of the day, you’re going to have great experience, a top-notch resume and hopefully some financial security. Just keep your eye on the prize, but remember not to stretch yourself too thin. Follow these tips and you’re already on the right track.
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In our fast-paced society, nearly every day consists of a busy schedule and it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed. Whether it’s school, work, your social life, or other responsibilities that are stressing you out, taking breaks is a must. They are good for your health and they give you something to look forward to during … Continue reading "4 Tips To Help You De-Stress In Only 10 Minutes"
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In our fast-paced society, nearly every day consists of a busy schedule and it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed. Whether it’s school, work, your social life, or other responsibilities that are stressing you out, taking breaks is a must. They are good for your health and they give you something to look forward to during your hectic day. Even if you don’t have that much time on your hands, you can take a deep breath and relax in only 10 minutes. You wouldn’t believe the impact it will have on your mood and then when you return to work or class, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on your next task.
Check out some of our tips below to relax when you’re on the clock!
1. Go outside and take a walk.
A breath of fresh air truly is the cure for anything. If you begin to feel stressed out or you just need a minute to breathe, taking a walk outside will do the trick. It gives you a chance to remove yourself from your environment, gets your blood circulating and allows you to declutter your mind, which will help lift the weight off your shoulders. Basking in the sun (or even a little rain) for even just a short period of time will rejuvenate you.
2. Drink a cup of tea.
Tea is meant to soothe you and help you relax, and even if aren’t a fan of tea, it’s the relaxation element that counts, so grab yourself a cup and savor the taste and the time to yourself. Enjoying the little things in life is what’s most important when you’re tense or frustrated because it serves as a reminder to not let a bad day get the best of you.
3. Write in your journal.
Journaling is a wonderful stress reliever. Write about anything that comes to your mind or maybe even write about what’s bothering you. Letting it all out on paper is incredibly helpful and a great way to get past the things that are stressing you out. And remember, your journal is yours only so no one else will ever read it. In this case, you really have the ability to let your thoughts loose, so that you’re not keeping everything bottled up all day and letting it grow even more.
4. Listen to music.
Bring your headphones with you everywhere you go, so when you have a few minutes to spare, you can go off in your own world. It’s the perfect way to unplug completely, because it’s just you and the music. Listen to your favorite song or listen to a song with a slow melody. Music is extremely powerful and hearing a song you like almost always puts you in a better mood, with a smile on your face.
It’s natural to experience stress now and then because it’s a part of life, but when you feel like can’t handle it anymore, take a little break and remember that it’s only temporary.
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As college students, saving money can be very difficult. You spend one week’s paycheck going out with friends, buying coffee every morning, grocery shopping, and filling your car with gas, so it seems almost impossible to put away money for the future. Luckily, we’re here to assure you that it’s not! You can save money … Continue reading "5 Money Hacks That Will Help You Save In College"
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As college students, saving money can be very difficult. You spend one week’s paycheck going out with friends, buying coffee every morning, grocery shopping, and filling your car with gas, so it seems almost impossible to put away money for the future. Luckily, we’re here to assure you that it’s not! You can save money and still have fun and enjoy yourself.
Check out these tips below to learn how you can treat yourself and not break the bank.
1. Budget yourself.
If you don’t pay attention to how much you’re spending, it’s much easier to overspend. In order to avoid having an empty bank account, set aside a certain amount of money that you think you’ll need for the week for food, transportation, and any other expenses you may have. What’s critical here is that you stick to it. If you give yourself a budget of $75 a week, for example, keep the rest of your money out of sight so that you won’t be tempted to spend it. Remember to only dip into your savings in the case of an emergency, like if you need to get your laptop fixed or you need to buy a new phone because yours broke. Then, when an out of the blue cost appears, you’ll have enough saved up to prevent yourself from panicking. You will be amazed by how quickly your savings will accumulate and you’ll be able to relax knowing that you have money saved for a rainy day.
2. Buy groceries instead of eating out.
Although making your own meals can be time consuming, especially during the busy school week, doing so will help you save a lot of money. You can even prepare meals ahead of time over the weekend, so that you’re not in a bind when you’re running around during the week. When you need something quick, that’s when you tend to go out to eat and then you wind up spending all of your money on fast food. The same thing goes for coffee. Instead of going to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, give yourself a little extra time in the morning and make your own coffee at home. Limit yourself to maybe one meal or coffee out a week, so that you still have something delicious to look forward to. Make it a treat rather than a regular occurrence. Your bank account will thank you, I promise.
3. Say ‘no’ sometimes.
Nobody wants to say no to a night on the town with friends, a concert, or a late night run to the local diner, but every once in a while, you may be better off staying in. While it’s important to enjoy your time in college and participate in a lot of fun activities, saving money is just as important. Make compromises with yourself. Instead of going to a concert once a month, maybe go once every two months. If you went out to dinner last weekend with your friends, maybe cook a meal at home this weekend and make an experience out of it. It’s all about moderation, because you still want to splurge on occasion, but it becomes dangerous when it’s an everyday pattern. Do yourself a favor and don’t be afraid to turn down an opportunity. Don’t worry about missing out on the fun, because saying no will make the next dinner, movie, or trip all that more exciting.
4. Buy only what you need.
Whether you love shopping for clothes, makeup, sneakers, games, or decor for your dorm room or apartment, it’s a habit that you need to kick in order to save some money. If you don’t need that pair of shoes or that bracelet, put it back on the shelf. The majority of what you’re spending is unnecessary and if you cut back on shopping, you have more money for necessities like food, transportation, textbooks, and more. You deserve to treat yourself when you’ve worked hard for your money and you should from time to time, but saving your money will be much more rewarding in the long run. Maybe even add something you really want to your birthday list, so the next time Mom asks what you want, you’ve got an answer for her. Buying one pair of jeans might not seem like much at the moment, but if you buy a new pair of jeans every week, those dollars add up quickly. You won’t regret having that extra money when you really need it down the line.
5. Work more.
A really great way to save money is to increase the amount of money you’re taking home. Maybe you can pick up an extra shift a week at your part-time job or become a Brand Ambassador for a company. You can even make a little extra money by filling out surveys for various products and websites that are willing to pay you for your opinions. Any little bit counts and if you’re finding that your current paycheck just isn’t cutting it, maybe you can babysit or become a dog walker on the side. There are so many options for college students to make money and if you have the time to spare, having a greater income will definitely help you save more.
Follow these tips and you’ll watch your savings account skyrocket in no time!
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This piece originally appeared on Shine. Follow Shine on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn: @ShineText “I’d like to create a new multi-media platform – an Oprah 2.0 – built around authenticity serving millennials,” said a good friend and fellow entrepreneur. “I’d like to write a new Christmas movie about an elf who ends up in a … Continue reading "4 Ways to Turn Your New Idea Into a Reality"
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This piece originally appeared on Follow Shine on already struggle with fear, “challenge” won’t help you, it will validate your fear.
Instead, take immediate action.
2. Explore Vs. Plan
All too often when we have an idea we get bogged down in the planning. How is it going to work? What do I need to do? What will it look like five years from now?
What if we let others guide us in the planning?
For example, my friend Tim found inspiration while visiting wine country in Europe. He loved the wine, but he noticed none of the wineries served food…and he wanted to eat! And there an idea to fill this gap was born.
Rather than plan any further, Tim should explore by calling five wineries in the area. He can ask questions to identify their needs and understand why they don’t serve food. Not only would this satisfy his curiosity, but what may result is a completely new solution, one he hasn’t thought of yet.
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert speaks extensively about the power of following your curiosity. She says:
“I didn’t desperately want a garden, understand. I wasn’t prepared to die for a garden, or anything. I just thought a garden would be nice. Curious. The whim was small enough that I could have ignored it. It barely had a pulse. But I didn’t ignore it. Instead, I followed that small clue of curiosity, and I planted some things.”
And this is how she came to write The Signature of All Things.
3. Brainstorm Freely
All too often our vision is limited by what we can or can’t do.
This is a personal pain point that I fight daily as I plan out my program Work Bigger. For example, technology isn’t my strong suit so I should not build a tech platform.
This makes sense to an extent. We should do work where we can exercise our strengths. However, this point of view can also limit the possibilities, and the chance to have a breakthrough. What could we discover, invent, realize if we had the courage to get wild with our ideas?
One method used in design thinking is flaring and focusing.
What I like about this method is that it helps manage the “but,” and the “reality check.” After a wild brainstorm session, we “focus” which means applying a reality check for our ideas among other criteria. But before we even get to that, we can allow ourselves to come up with as many crazy ideas as possible.
To do this effectively, find an open space. A large whiteboard and post it notes help so you can group ideas later on. More importantly, defer judgement during the brainstorm, go nuts, and write down as many ideas as possible.
Another option is to live the questions for a couple of days. Personally, I sometimes find it difficult to brainstorm under pressure. So instead I spend two to three days in thought thinking about my idea, meditating on it, and writing things down as they come up. I then revisit all my options and apply the “reality check” filter.
4. Create a “Braintrust”
While reading Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace, I stumbled on the idea of a “braintrust.” At Pixar, filmmakers come together to provide candid feedback on their projects. The goal is to identify flaws in a product and help projects make the shift from mediocre to great. When discussing the process of true creativity, Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar says the ideas don’t start out great. It’s only through feedback and constant iteration that greatness is achieved.
Achieving a breakthrough is unlikely to be done alone. Others’ perspectives are key as it allows us to draw on their experiences and knowledge.
You may not need a braintrust right away, but you need a group of people who are solution oriented and have your best interest at heart to help you take your idea to the next level.
In Conclusion: To Go From Idea to Reality
Let’s be mindful of how we approach the idea process. What if rather than simply engaging in discussion and posing unseen challenges, we engage in more action? What could happen?
Creativity resides deep within us. We just have to access it.
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This piece originally appeared on Shine. Follow Shine on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn: @ShineText With an increasing number of digital tools meant to create ‘connections’ at our fingertips today, it is becoming more confusing to navigate the idea of building a professional network. Is your network…the number of connections you have on LinkedIn? The number … Continue reading "4 Ways To Work Your Professional Network"
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This piece originally appeared on Follow Shine on Set up a coffee with the future you
When you’re trying to grow your network, build a list of titles you think align with your career growth path. Then, reach out to those around you who have those titles, set up a coffee, and start learn what they do, and how they got to where they are today.
Focus on quality, not quantity
There is definitely such a thing as having too many professional connections.
Your ability to dedicate energy and focus to your relationships decreases with the volume of people you’re trying to connect with. Instead of reaching out to every person in a senior leadership role at your company, focus on building deeper relationships with one or two people you naturally connect with, and whose role you admire. Try to have 10 coffees with 2 people, instead of 2 coffees with 10 people. And don’t force a relationship with someone you don’t naturally connect with, no matter what their title is.
Make it a two-way street
Building your network isn’t just about getting advice and support – it’s also about giving those things. Often times, when we connect with someone we admire, we forget that the other person wants to be fulfilled by the relationship as well.
I have a ‘friend-tor’ whose career I admire greatly, and who gives me tons of advice. In return, I offer him a fresh perspective on his position as a leader, and give him feedback that people he works with on a daily basis may not be giving him. As in any type of relationship, consider what you’re bringing to the table.
Your network is a living breathing thing
Keep in mind that your professional network may grow, shrink or change as you continue on your career path. Some connections you may form could turn into friendships, while others may become obsolete the further you move along in your path. Maintaining connections is important, but also remember that the purpose of a professional network is to help your career flourish – not to be the most popular young professional in your city.
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This article was inspired by a piece originally published by OnDeck®, which is hiring summer interns on WayUp now. Whether you’re a college student taking on the internship search for the first time or a recent grad trying to make waves at that first post-grad job, making a great impression can be difficult. However, … Continue reading "Want to Learn How to Market Yourself? 5 Books That’ll Get You There"
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This article was inspired by a piece originally published by OnDeck®, which is hiring summer interns on WayUp now.
Whether you’re a college student taking on the internship search for the first time or a recent grad trying to make waves at that first post-grad job, making a great impression can be difficult. However, our friends at OnDeck, an amazing company that helps small businesses secure loans and financing, are here to help.
Being able to market yourself well is becoming increasingly important (especially in the digital age!), so OnDeck rounded up a great list of 33 books for you to dive into on that very subject. If reading almost three dozen books is a little intimidating for you, we picked our favorite five from OnDeck’s list so you can get started.
The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki
Want to feel inspired to do anything? Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but Guy Kawasaki’s best-selling book The Art of the Start will help you feel ready for any challenge that comes your way, including rocking the job hunt and being the best employee ever.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Influence is important no matter whom you’re trying to persuade, and Robert Cialdini’s classic book needs to be at the top of your list.
Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
“But I’m not a writer!” you might be saying. Whether it’s a resume or a tweet, no matter what you’re creating, it’s important to know how to market yourself through the written word. The good news? This book can get you there!
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
Why do certain products and ideas catch on? Jonah Berger has the answer, and using his advice, you’ll be able to not only come up with the next big contagious ideas, but you’ll also be able to show others why they should invest in you, too.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher
Learning how to negotiate is a big part of growing up, and no matter what your endeavor, understanding compromise will serve you well.
Think OnDeck’s suggestions are awesome? Their book list isn’t the only thing that’s great about the company; they’ve got an amazing culture and great team members, too. Check out their positions on WayUp and apply now!
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Have you ever found yourself in that weird, numbing sensation when you lose track of what you really want to do in life and how you’ll ever be successful at it? Don’t lie. It happens to all of us, and rightfully so. A lot of the time, this feeling eats us up, and we’ll find … Continue reading "The 3 Books That Totally Changed My Perspective on Success"
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Have you ever found yourself in that weird, numbing sensation when you lose track of what you really want to do in life and how you’ll ever be successful at it? Don’t lie. It happens to all of us, and rightfully so. A lot of the time, this feeling eats us up, and we’ll find ourselves buried in a pillow contemplating how we’re ever going to survive. It’s okay, though. Luckily, other people have had this sudden dilemma in the past and have found ways to overcome it, shut it down and prove themselves wrong. And to be even more generous, they’ve written down their strategies to allow people to follow a similar path.
So, if you’re ever contemplating dropping out of college and hiding under a rock for the rest of your life, go find these books and enlighten yourself a little bit. They totally changed my outlook!
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This is a classic awarding-winning novel that won’t take you more than a week to read.
First off, it’s super, super good. (Just had to put that out there.) Secondly, it will open your eyes to all the potential you possess as a young, soul-searching individual. What a sigh of relief, right?
The book’s plot is about a young man named Santiago who is on a journey to discover his identity and purpose in life. The simple, metaphorical lessons he picks up on his journey are meant to inspire readers to take risks and big steps in life. I highly recommend giving it a read it while you’re young and looking to plan out a future; you won’t regret it, I promise.
2. Outwitting The Devil by Napoleon Hill
This book right here will do exactly what its title implies. Napoleon Hill puts into words how to overcome life’s fears, obstacles, challenges and tough times and how to be confident when doing so.
Dealing with outside stress is something that is extremely common amongst students and recent college grads, and if you cannot take care of it, potential for growth and success can be quite detrimental. Hill is very famous for his books on personal success and how to achieve the most in life, and with his knowledge being available to you for free (with the use of your school’s library, of course), you’ll find yourself changing for the better, and your friends will be totally jealous.
3. The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra
This, just like the other two books mentioned, will teach you more about yourself than you would ever think. I won’t ruin it for you since, of course, it is the “Book of Secrets,” but the secret is that it’s truly worth the read.
Chopra outlines in unique fashion so many important life aspects such as, how to converse with people knowledgeably, how to carefully examine the world around you and how to take in and process information in the most efficient ways. Again, don’t be the one to read this when you’re older and realize you only have so much time left to reach your potential. Go do this now!
To uncover success in your personal life and career, you not only have to be confident and composed, but you also must have a good perspective on yourself and the future. For students and millennials all together, this can be extremely stressful, and the pressure can be somewhat overbearing. These books obviously won’t have all the answers, but they are definitely a good way to help get your mind on the path to a successful future.
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In every aspect of life, whether it’s school or work, it’s important to be a viable communicator, and first emails can have a huge impact on the rest of your career. Follow these tips and you will stay on top of your game without ever worrying about if you made a good first impression after … Continue reading "Want to Make a Great First Impression? The 8 Important Things Every Professional Email Has"
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In every aspect of life, whether it’s school or work, it’s important to be a viable communicator, and first emails can have a huge impact on the rest of your career. Follow these tips and you will stay on top of your game without ever worrying about if you made a good first impression after pressing “Send.”
1. Create a Good Subject Line
People easily ignore emails everyday because of the vague or lazy subject lines. Do not write “favor?” or “job application” as the introduction to your message. Make sure to be grammatically correct and then include your name and a to-the-point quick two words on what you want.
For instance, “Interview Request – Jacob Fagan” is direct and gives the reader all the information he or she needs, especially if that person doesn’t already know you (or is fielding lots of similar requests).
For more help crafting an effective subject line, check out this article on our blog.
2. Get Right to the Point
You don’t want to ramble on or make it hard for the recipient, especially because there’s nothing for them to lose when deciding to reply or throw it in the trash. Say who you are, your affiliate and what you want all in the same sentence. Keep any background information short and relevant to the conversation or request.
For more information on how to write a short email that gets results, check out this article on email mistakes and this one on beginner networking.
3. Leave More Than One Mode of Communication If Possible and Appropriate
Some people, like employers may want the opportunity to call you if need be, and including a social profile or two can also be helpful, depending on your field. This gives more options for them to contact you and could be the deciding factor on if they want to.
4. Include a Signature
This is important because it looks professional and has important information like your name, number, email, title, and website. Not only does it look formidable, but it’s also useful to the person you’re emailing. It allows people to learn more about you without googling, and if they want other ways to contact you, they can find it there.
Also, aside from basic contact information, avoid making your signature too long (it doesn’t need to be more than three or four lines) or showy. Steer away from huge fonts and any added flair.
5. Check Your Grammar
Employers and other professionals do not want to sift through grammatical errors, especially easy ones like “your” and “you’re.” Double check everything; run it through easy sites like this one and even have somebody look it over.
6. Pick One Format, Font, and Font Size
I’ve read countless emails that contained multiple font sizes and unnecessary formats. For me, I always stick to 12-size font, Times New Roman and default format without indents. Overall, it’s easy to read, and a change in font or font size can look unprofessional.
7. Use a Professional Email Address
Don’t use ponylover4345@hotmail.com for professional emails. Create a new one using your name only or just your school email. People won’t take you seriously with an immature email address.
Also, don’t be afraid to have a “work” email, but know that employers can still see your immature email on your Facebook or other social media sites, if you’re not careful.
8. Write at a Fifth Grade Level
Not everyone is like you; there are many people who speak and write differently, so make sure to keep your language simple. Whether you’re emailing your professor, a potential employer or another professional, stay away from “English essay” language. The most important aspect of the email is to make sure the other person knows what you’re saying. Keep it straightforward.
A first impression via email is never easy, because your tone and word usage can make or break a relationship. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll write amazing email every time.
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When I was growing up, I always wanted to do big things – great big things, in fact. I used to tell my family that all the time: “I’m going to do great big things.” Everyone would laugh as if it was the cutest thing they’d ever seen or heard. I was a dreamer and … Continue reading "Want to Be Your Best Self? 10 Important Things That’ll Get You There"
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When I was growing up, I always wanted to do big things – great big things, in fact. I used to tell my family that all the time: “I’m going to do great big things.” Everyone would laugh as if it was the cutest thing they’d ever seen or heard. I was a dreamer and I lived with my head in the clouds. I had no idea that by the time I was 26, I would feel more lost than Dory from Finding Nemo.
With that being said, though, here are 10 things I’ve learned in trying to be my best self.
1. Your 20s Really Are Some of The Best Years of Your Life
Regardless of what anyone tells you, your 20s can be the best years of your life. This is the time you get to go from job after job and figure out who you are and what you want to do.
Though it’s true that every year should be the best year of your life, there’s something about your 20s that’s so different. Use your 20s to experiment, create and find who you are.
2. A Positive Attitude Will Win Every Time
I used to be the most negative person anyone had ever met. I’d play the victim card at any given moment, and not a single word that ever came out of my mouth was ever really positive in nature.
What did I learn? Be positive. Even when you feel like you can’t be positive, do it anyway. You won’t regret it. Because years from now, you know what? You’re going to look back on life and wonder why you spent so much time on being negative, mean or just plain unhappy. Life is far too short.
3. The Old Adages About Eating Healthy, Exercising and Sleeping Are True
Sneaking a multivitamin in there wouldn’t hurt, either, but I’m so serious: You have no idea how trading a bag of chips for an apple, or a soda for a glass of water, is going to improve your mood! It isn’t just about your physical health, either; it’s about your mental health too.
I suffer from depression and anxiety, and I had no idea that by going from processed foods to fresh produce, healthy fats, whole grains and proteins, my mood would improve so much. I’m not an expert in this area, but I can tell you from personal experience that changing things up in your life is going to help you improve immensely.
4. Make Friends
If you’re new somewhere or you’re just looking for different places to go, hit up local libraries! The first week in Aurora, I went to the library and signed up for a book club. The local library hosts a monthly gathering where people can discuss the book of the month. It was one of the best things I could have done.
Humans need interaction, and we need people who see things both differently and the same as we do. Get out there. Make friends! I promise you it’s okay to meet people. As a 26-year-old in a new area where I know next to nobody, it’s been fairly difficult for me to acclimate on those grounds alone. I’m scared to go into any place by myself, but I shouldn’t be and neither should you; get out there! Most towns and cities have websites, so check out the “Recreations” tab, ask what’s out there and don’t be afraid of trying new things.
5. Be Cautious (But Not Too Cautious)
If something doesn’t feel right, about 90% of the time I’d say that gut instinct is what you’ll want to follow. If your instinct is telling you that something’s off with a group of people, for example, listen to it. You may not see red flags right away, but eventually people’s true colors will begin to show.
6. Go Out Alone
I swear to you, you won’t regret the decision to go out alone. Since I’ve lived in Colorado, I’ve gone out alone twice, and while I didn’t acquire any new friends, I did talk to some people. If someone sees you sitting alone eating a meal, they’re bound to talk to you in some way (at least in the places where I’ve been!). Don’t be afraid to strike up conversations with people!
Even if you’re just in your favorite shoe shop and someone tries to talk to you about the most menial things, take that conversation! Don’t be afraid to talk to people! I know in today’s world it’s hard not to be a little timid when it comes to talking to strangers, but give it a try every once in awhile!
7. Get Used to Boredom
You have to get used to boredom, even if you’re dating someone or are around a million people all the time, but why? Why do we have to get used to boredom? Because people aren’t always going to be around. That’s not negative. I’m simply saying sometimes your significant other, friends or other peers won’t be around. In those instances, you’ll want to know how to entertain yourself!
The moments of boredom are the moments most of us hate and never get used to. We always have to be moving. We always have to have something to do. I’m telling you, though, to get used to boredom, because it’ll prepare you for the moments that will come later on in your life when you’re in a new place, far from home, traveling or your friends are all away.
8. Don’t Plan So Far Into the Future
I keep telling my roommate that in a year I hope to be back in Nebraska or Iowa; I’m sure it gets annoying. The other night she looked at me and said, “Why are you even planning so far ahead? You have no idea where life is going to take you.” She’s right. I’ve got absolutely no idea. You think you’re working a job you love, but what if someone offers you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in six months or in a year or next week? You wouldn’t very well turn that opportunity down now, would you? Don’t plan so far ahead that you become anxious or depressed when those plans fall through or change.
9. Get Used to Criticism
I wish someone had told me this and taught me this as I was growing up. Sometimes you’re going to receive rude criticism, and sometimes people are going to be really nice to you about it. Either way, you need to learn to accept it, use it and move on. One of my own tricks is realizing that I can take the criticism of others and use it to better myself. Another one is to take into consideration what people say and how you really feel about it.
As we hear criticism or read criticism, we can react in one of two ways: We can either become upset by it or we can take that criticism and turn it into a snowball of amazing changes. I’m a writer, and yet accepting criticism isn’t something I do well, or rather, it’s something I never used to accept. I would be so distraught when people didn’t like my work. Now when people offer up criticism on my work, I use that criticism to make my writing better.
When someone feeds us criticism most of us automatically become defensive. We don’t want someone to point out our flaws! How dare they? This is the wrong mindset to have, though. Instead of being defensive when someone offers up criticism–whether they’re rude about it or nice about it–take that criticism and stash it in a safe place in your brain. Use it later on as a guideline of how you can change.
10. Keep a Journal
Keep a journal to track your progress as a person. Often times, it’s interesting to go back and look at how we’ve changed as the years have gone by. When we keep a journal, we’re also keeping our changes tracked, our feelings monitored and our mental state intact.
This goes for everyone! Keeping a journal is not mutually exclusive to women. Men can do it and absolutely should do it. There was a time when I stopped journaling (and my journaling habits now are even a little spotty), and I could kick myself for it! Journaling is such a great way for you to gain mental clarity as well as help you grasp who you are!
Write down how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking and what you’re doing. In a year, go back and look at those entries and see just how much you’ve changed as a person. It can be fun and exciting to see that, and it can motivate you to continue taking chances you never would have before!
Most of all, though, learn to embrace life. I know this isn’t a bullet point, but I’m serious. If you can’t embrace life, the chances of you leading a happy one are pretty slim. I used to be one of the unhappiest people I’d ever known. I’m not sure how I did it or when it happened, but I started to embrace life. It’s still hard sometimes to embrace the shortcomings life hands me, but it’s gotten much easier.
Don’t be afraid to live.
The post Want to Be Your Best Self? 10 Important Things That’ll Get You There appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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For the past few days, you’ve only known Kleenex, warm blankets and decongestant. Regardless of how it happened, you’ve been sick and miserable, and you’re probably not looking forward to all the work you’ve missed since you’ve been quarantined. Here’s your guide to jumping back in like you never left to begin with and breezing … Continue reading "4 Tips for Not Totally Losing Your Mind Over Work After You’ve Been Sick"
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For the past few days, you’ve only known Kleenex, warm blankets and decongestant. Regardless of how it happened, you’ve been sick and miserable, and you’re probably not looking forward to all the work you’ve missed since you’ve been quarantined.
Here’s your guide to jumping back in like you never left to begin with and breezing through all the stress that comes with getting back on your feet.
1. Plan What You’ll Be Missing
You’re starting to feel very sleepy, and no, it’s not hypnotism; it’s that cold coming on! And once those headaches and chills start taking over, you’ll be feeling pretty forgetful about your other responsibilities. It’s good to think of preemptive measures once you start feeling sick, so when it hits you all at once you won’t feel as useless.
Leave detailed notes for yourself on your desk, your computer or in your planner. Put together an outline of all the different aspects that need to be covered. Between school, work and extracurriculars, there are usually a lot of dates being tossed around as well as details of projects and assignments that are your responsibility. You don’t want to forget about those, especially when you’ve already been gone a few days!
Before you step away from your desk, put together a quick outline with all the dates, names and contact information you’ll need in order to know exactly what you have to do when you come back. (This is always a good idea after weekends or days-off too!)
And yep, that’s right, go ask grandpa for an extra yellow legal pad and start jotting down everything you need to do. We’ll call this the “master list,” complete with everything not done needing doing. You may use a planner or prefer to use your laptop or tablet (I use those things too, I’m not a cavewoman) but believe me, a legal pad is the way to go! It’s been proven that writing things down works much better with not only memory retention, but memory extraction too.
2. Prioritize Your To-Dos
Once you’ve created your master list, determine which items are most time-sensitive (nope, not the most important). You’ll need to circle what had to be done yesterday and then determine how soon these other items on your list have to be done.
General rule of thumb: Be good about due dates and deadlines, because if you’re not, regardless of illness or excuse, it will become a bigger burden on you, and your supervisor. Plus, their stress is the last thing you need right now.
So, you’ve figured out what you need to do ASAP, but you’re really starting to feel sick. Onto one of the most important parts: Communication.
3. Communicate With Everyone
Communication is critical, especially if you feel that you may be missing a deadline because of your illness. You must always communicate with supervisors, professors and other people counting on you if you’re feeling like you might have to take a few days off. It’s better to let them know in person if you can; however, in today’s technological uprising, you may be working for someone in a completely different time zone. In those cases, email, phone conversations, and Skype calls or Google Hangouts are all appropriate and will show people that you are responsible and care about the quality of work you’re putting in.
And even if you think you might quickly get over whatever bug you’ve caught, it’s better to let people know early. You don’t want to tell them you’re not feeling well at the last minute while you’re being carried out of the office on a stretcher. (Just kidding!)
Also, let them know your game plan for when you return, or at least find someone to cover for you while you’re gone, if it’s necessary. That’ll definitely ease and prepare people for when it does come down to you having to take a few days off.
4. Take a Deep Breath
You might be feeling stressed, but relax! You’ve been sick and you’re finally feeling better, and the added stress will not bode well with your recovery.
Just remember to communicate with your peers, professors, boss and/or co-workers. If you absolutely must, take some work home with you that’s easy to do as you rest in bed, and keep your prepared notes handy for when you’re sick.
These tips will help you stay organized and keep focus. You might have your work cut out for you but you’ll survive; it’s all a part of life. It’s what happens; people get sick.
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Looking for easy ways to make cash? It can be difficult to make time to earn extra cash as a full-time student or employee, but these easy tactics will make it easier to have more financial security right now. 1. Be a Note-Taker for Your College Classes You won’t believe this: People will pay you … Continue reading "9 Quick Ways to Grow Your Bank Account Overnight"
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Looking for easy ways to make cash? It can be difficult to make time to earn extra cash as a full-time student or employee, but these easy tactics will make it easier to have more financial security right now.
1. Be a Note-Taker for Your College Classes
You won’t believe this: People will pay you money to become a note-taker in your courses! It’s an easy way to make extra cash in college, and while you might need to pay more attention in class, it’s only going to be helpful in the long run. How can you get started? Check in with your school’s dean of disability services to see if there are opportunities, or check out websites like OneClass. Pay is typically anywhere from $10-$30 per class, and those checks add up quickly.
2. Snag a Tutoring Job
Whether you’re in school or not, this could be something for you. There are multiple online sites that assist in helping find tutor jobs.
3. Become a Freelancer
Whether your expertise is writing, computer programming, video production or design, this could be a great way to earn money without working full-time for a company. Find something you’re interested in and try to master it before starting a freelance job. Ask your network to see if anyone is hiring for your skill, then head to WayUp and freelancer networks like Upwork to find gigs!
4. Become a Pet Sitter or Walker
If you love animals and need some extra cash, this is for you. It’s a good way to interact with animals if you can’t own one yourself, and who doesn’t love playing with adorable pets?
5. Sell Your Stuff
Sell your things! eBay and Craigslist are your friends that keep a stream of money coming in. If you never use something, throw it on eBay and make some extra cash. It can be time-consuming, but the rewards will add up. One of the biggest problems I have is deciding whether I’m going to use something again, and it’s not an easy decision. The quicker you sell something, the more value it’s going to bring.
6. Hoard Those Coupons
These can save you a whole ton of money in the long-run. There are many coupon sites online like coupons.com and hip2save. Some stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond also allow you to use more than one coupon, so your checkout price could be a fraction of what you were going to pay.
7. Pick a Day Every Week to Spend $0
This is a fun way to save money every week. Whether it’s making coffee at home or packing a lunch, this will become a habit every week. I’ve found myself having a couple of these days each week as a college student, which positively affects my bank account.
8. Automatically Transfer Money to Your Savings Every Week
That’s $80 of savings every month and close to $1,000 a year if you put just $20 in savings every week. It’s a great way for college students and young people in general to keep money in their pockets. Don’t be afraid to go without $20 in your budget for the week; just remember the interest will add up on it.
9. Get Rid of Satellite Television
This is huge, because streaming has become bigger than ever with Netflix and Amazon Video available on the computer. Switch from that satellite TV provider charging you over $100 a month to Playstation Vue or something similar. You can get 55 channels a month including basic cable for $29.99 or 70 channels for $34.99, among other options. Vue is a streaming provider that can be watched on Roku, Playstation 4, Amazon Fire and smartphones. Add in Rokus for $29.99, HBO Now for $15 and Netflix for $7.99, and that’s still cheaper than satellite providers. As a college student, these have saved me an incredible amount of money every month.
These money hacks are easy to use and can give you a lot of success. Any extra money is good money, so spread the word!
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It goes without saying that budgeting is a difficult task. It’s not easy to regularly keep track of your spending, and make sure you are paying back your credit card on time. However, all young people should learn how to budget, so here are some tips to follow to make this easier. 1. Keep … Continue reading "Know Nothing About Personal Finance? 4 Tips That’ll Make It Easy to Get Started"
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It goes without saying that budgeting is a difficult task. It’s not easy to regularly keep track of your spending, and make sure you are paying back your credit card on time. However, all young people should learn how to budget, so here are some tips to follow to make this easier.
1. Keep Track of Every Expense as Soon as It Happens
It may seem a bit tedious, but at the end of the day when you’re wondering how much money you spent, at least you will have answers. It is as simple as this; after you go to the grocery store, jot down the amount you spent. You will thank me later.
2. Create a Budget in Excel
The great thing about Excel is that it does the math for you. Why not take advantage of what you have at your disposal and use this great resource? Not only will it help you to keep track of your finances, but it will also enable you to advance your skillset in this highly useful application. This can eventually lead to proficiency in the program, which you can put on your resume!
If you need help getting started with creating a budget, here’s a great resource to learn how to build an Excel budget template. If you need a little bit extra guidance, check out the YouTube video below!
3. Invest In A Budgeting App
Maybe the notes and excel method is not for you. No worries; there are totally other alternatives! Not only will Mint help you budget, but it will also help you track all of your personal finances and learn how to improve your credit. You don’t have to worry about the price since it’s free, so you may as well give it a try.
If Mint is not doing it for you, there is also the option of using the Level Money app. This app is basically a GPS for keeping track of your monthly spending. Confused about how many Ubers you are calling and how much you are spending on them total? This app is perfect for that.
4. Research Credit Cards
Now you may not realize this just yet, but it is extremely important to start building credit. Credit will help you buy your first car, rent your dream apartment in New York or achieve whatever other aspirations you have your sights set on.
Now you may be thinking, “What even is credit, and have I already started building it?” Credit is what you are creating when you are swiping a credit card; you’re trusted to pay back your credit, usually on your credit card provider’s app or website. By doing this, you’re building up your credit score. Your credit score indicates your ability to pay back a loan and will help you make bigger purchases later in life.
When you get your first credit card, it’s crucial that you are paying it back monthly. To play it safe, you should pay it back about a week before it is due. Maybe it will harm your bank account in the short term, but you will fare just fine.
Some credit cards I recommend beginners start with are:
- Capital One Journey Student Credit Card
- Discover It Student Chrome Card
- Citi ThankYou Preferred Credit Card for Students
Be independent and build up that credit score sooner than later!
Maybe five minutes ago, you were completely lost in the sauce about your finances. With these quick tips, you can alter the entire financial playing field. You can be financially savvy in no time, so what are you waiting for?
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Scholarships and grants have always been a nice way to pay off school fees. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always offer these things after school. There are other methods of earning money from the government and banks in order to afford school, pay off debts, and/or simply pick up a little extra money. You can take steps in order … Continue reading "3 Government Programs That’ll Make You Money Now"
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Scholarships and grants have always been a nice way to pay off school fees. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always offer these things after school. There are other methods of earning money from the government and banks in order to afford school, pay off debts, and/or simply pick up a little extra money.
You can take steps in order to provide this for yourself right now. Here are three suggestions as to how you can use your resources to make more money.
1. Certificate of Deposit
After you’ve received your FAFSA back in the mail, you can see that a lot of the time, the government offers you two types of loans; subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans require you to pay a certain amount monthly as you go to school. If not, your debt will collect interest, making you pay back more money than you first took out, which will increase the longer you are not capable of paying what is required of you. Unsubsidized loans, by comparison, do not gain interest while you are in school. It is not expected of you to pay back anything until you are graduated, so rather than paying interest with your unsubsidized loans, there’s a way to earn.
A Certificate of Deposit, or CD, is a timed deposit that can be used to do just that. Think of it like a savings account, but rather than making constant deposits and withdraws, the money goes untouched for a set period of time. The purpose for this is to collect greater interest offered by banks on large amounts of money.
Placing your unsubsidized loans in a CD to gain interest, all while you continue to go about your studies until you graduate, could help you pay for your schooling as long as you are disciplined enough not to touch it for four years. Afterwards, you can use the money you’ve collected from interest to save, spend, or pay other loans.
Say you receive your FAFSA, which offers $10,000 in unsubsidized loans. If you were to place this money into your own CD for around four years, it’s estimated you could make an extra $2,000 more per year, or $8,000 in a total of four years to help pay for school, loans and other investments
That’s not to say that it’s too late to make an investment if you aren’t a freshman. You can still easily make money off of loans from a mere two or three years instead, earning yourself a decent amount of extra money. Of course, this will all depend on the amount of money and the rate at which it will collect interest, as rates are always fluctuating.
In order to open a CD, talk to your trusted banking system. Be sure to know what interest rates will be for the amount of money you’ve deposited, and what sort of timeline you’d like to set up beforehand. For other tips and information, go to this guide investing in a Certificate of Deposit.
2. Retirement Programs
Perhaps you feel a little young to start thinking about retirement. However, your proactive behavior could earn you hundreds of thousands of dollars! Another banking strategy can prove useful in turning smaller amounts of money into larger amounts using interest rates. With only a few thousand dollars, you could invest in your future finances.
Set up an IRA, or an Individual Retirement Account. The sooner you do this, the more money you could potentially make over the time span of four to five decades. You will need to make multiple deposits over the course of a few years. In order to open up an IRA, you’ll need to decide which type would suite your needs the best. Many people decide to set up a traditional IRA, which you can start easily at this link.
You may want to use this as a saving strategy; you can put away a certain amount of money for every paycheck you receive. Unlike a CD, an IRA is far more flexible with deposits and withdraws, so this money does not need to be earned all at once. By the end of forty to fifty years, you could be making at least $160,000 depending on interest rates!
John Green talks about this with an in-depth example of saving using summer jobs to your advantage in the video below.
3. Earned Tax Credit
Working might seem like the obvious answer as to how we might make money, but fortunately, if you meet the right criteria, you could qualify for extra, free money. The important aspect of receiving this money is to simply know of it and apply for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) when filing your taxes.
This benefit is exclusive to independents with a low to moderate income, below $39,000- $53,300 with children, or below $14,800 without children. This income must be acquired by documented work or employment. However, if you’re a college student working minimal hours during the school year, or if you only work during the summer, you can still be eligible.
For those without children, you can earn a few hundred dollars extra, depending on the rate, which as of 2015 stood at 7.65%. If you were making around $8,000 a year at this rate, the government would owe you $503. Income, the current rate, and the number of children will heavily influence how much you might earn.
If you qualify, it’s important to file a tax return with the IRS. If you’d like to learn how to do so, check out this link to the IRS website that lists the required documents and what steps to take.
Though these steps may seem a bit out of your way, the results are worth it, since you have the opportunity to earn hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars while at school or right after school. It’s important to be purposeful in how you use your money and how you file your income!
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Most college students and recent grads are struggling with money. We are constantly being told to save money for the future, but we barely have enough money to live right now. Life is really expensive, especially when you have student loans, but whether you are saving up for a vacation next summer or you’re simply … Continue reading "5 Easy Ways Anyone Can Save Money Now"
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Most college students and recent grads are struggling with money. We are constantly being told to save money for the future, but we barely have enough money to live right now. Life is really expensive, especially when you have student loans, but whether you are saving up for a vacation next summer or you’re simply trying to afford to pay all of your bills, these tips will help you start saving money right now without having to sacrifice everything you love in your life
1. Work More to Earn More
One of the most important steps to saving money is making sure you have money to save. See if you can pick up a few extra hours at work. If a coworker needs someone to cover their shift, offer to work for them. Any extra hours will help; you can save the money you earned by working more. Don’t over-work yourself though; make sure you still get enough sleep!
If you want to work more, but your job can’t give you any extra hours, you might want to pick up another job! If you love kids, see if any relatives or neighbors need a babysitter. If babysitting isn’t your thing, most part-time jobs only require 2-3 days a week, often on the weekends! Hint: Almost every retail store hires seasonal employees for the holidays and the summer, but make sure you apply early. (They might even keep you on as a regular part-time employee if you work hard enough!)
By saving all of the money you make at your second job, you’ll already have a good chunk of money in your savings account!
(And if you’re looking for ways to make a quick buck, we’ve got thousands of great paid positions here and all on WayUp!)
2. Test Products and Online Surveys
Testing products and completing online surveys might be some of the easiest, least time-consuming ways that I’ve ever made money. There are research and testing companies all over the country; just make sure to look into every opportunity. Certain places only do focus groups, wanting to hear your opinion on a specific topic. Others specialize in product testing or taste testing, which is super easy! I’ve gotten paid to test a new foundation and mascara for a couple of months and give my feedback. I’ve also gotten paid to compare mints for two hours; it was so simple and quick! (I left for the day with extremely fresh breath and a nice check!) Some testing companies are Focus Pointe Global, Consumer Product Testing Company in Fairfield, NJ and Partners in Research in Totowa, NJ.
Online surveys can also help you make some money! Many websites that do online surveys tend to pay in the form of gift cards rather than cash. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Twitter or shopping online with the money that you should be saving, take a survey to earn rewards. There are plenty of websites to take surveys on, such as Global Test Market, e-Rewards, as well as Focus Pointe Global. It might take some time to actually earn a reward, but it is definitely worth it!
3. Direct Deposit to Savings
The hands-down most effective way to save money is by automatically putting part of your paycheck into your savings account. If your job offers direct deposit, they most likely have a feature that allows you to split where your paycheck goes. You might choose to put a percentage of your paycheck into your savings account, or you might pick a set dollar amount. Whether you put away 15% or $50 of each paycheck, you will be saving money without even realizing it.
Look at it this way: If you save $50 from each paycheck and you get paid twice a month, that’s an extra $100 dollars a month that you automatically save! You’ll end up reaching your goal a lot faster by simply putting the money away.
4. Brew Your Own Coffee and Don’t Eat Out
If you always have a crazy schedule like most college students, then there is a pretty good chance that you constantly need coffee or some other caffeinated beverage. Unless you’re already saving money by brewing your own coffee at home, you’re probably spending at least $3-6 on every drink you get. Instead of going out and buying your coffee make your own at home instead. Starbucks sells instant hot and iced coffee mixes, which unlike other brands, actually taste amazing! Add in your favorite creamer and you have Starbucks coffee for a fraction of the price! You’re basically a barista now.
Even if you’re not a coffee person, you can still save even more money if you avoid eating out. By saving restaurants for birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays, the occasion will feel so much more special. Making your own food at home is so much cheaper than eating out. Plus, who doesn’t love a good home-cooked meal for a change?
5. Download Money-Tracking Apps
In case you’ve never explored the App Store before, there are millions of apps for anything you could ever want to do on a smartphone. By downloading an app to help you track your money, you’ll be way less likely to overspend.
Everyone has different preferences for functionality and design, so find the one that best suits you. Fudget is the simplest money-tracking app because of its clean list interface. Mvelopes is a digital envelope budgeting app, a spin-off of the classic cash-in-envelope budgeting system. Mint is definitely the winner among most college students, so definitely check it out! You can monitor your spending habits to see where you need work, as well as create personalized budget plans.
Saving money doesn’t have to be impossible. These 5 tips will help you reach your money-saving goals, but don’t worry, you won’t have to drop everything fun in your life.
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Whether you’re a college student or recent grad, there are lots of opportunities on campus and in the real world to network. If you’ve never been in a situation where you’re networking with potential employers or impressive professionals before (or even if you have), you may know that it’s a rather intimidating event to just … Continue reading "5 Ways to Make the Best First Impression Ever (That Are Totally in Your Control)"
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Whether you’re a college student or recent grad, there are lots of opportunities on campus and in the real world to network. If you’ve never been in a situation where you’re networking with potential employers or impressive professionals before (or even if you have), you may know that it’s a rather intimidating event to just walk into.
Here are some of my tips on how to schmooze with any employers or network with other professionals and hopefully walk out with business cards that could turn into valuable connections.
1. Wear an Outfit You Feel Confident In
If you’re networking with anyone, it’s typically encouraged to dress business casual. For women, this generally means a skirt and top, a pair of slacks and a top or just a dress. Many women also choose to wear a blazer and heels instead of flats to feel a little more powerful. Men have to dress business casual as well, and this usually involves a pair of slacks, a nice button-up shirt and a blazer.
While this dress code is important to adhere to, make sure that you feel very confident in your outfit choice. If you think the hem of the skirt is too short or that your shirt may not look right with your slacks, take the extra couple minutes to change into an outfit that doesn’t make you self-conscious or wonder whether that will be what costs you a valuable opportunity.
2. Stand Tall, Sit Straight, and Smile
Body language is everything when it comes to meeting new people, especially potential employers. The goal is to make these people feel like you’re confident but not cocky and that you really do care about your future.
If you’re just standing and talking to them, make sure you’re standing tall, and try to refrain from fidgeting around. If you’re sitting, make sure you aren’t slouched so far into your chair that just your head is popping out. Try to smile as much as possible; employers and professionals (like anyone else) love a good sense of humor, and if you look happy to be there and can get a smile or two out of them, you’re golden.
3. Sell Yourself
This may sound like an obvious one, but often times, self-promotion is the most uncomfortable aspect of networking with recruiters, hiring managers, employers and other professionals. It’s always difficult to find the balance between boasting and just sharing your experience. I’ve found that the most effective way to show your skills is to actually put the spotlight on the employer by asking good questions.
For example, if you have been an editor for your newspaper and are speaking to the editor of a well-known publication, you may say something like, “I’ve been part of my school paper for three years, but I’m wondering: How’s the dynamic in your newsroom?” This allows the person to respond and say something like “Over the last X years, I’ve seen so many changes in my own newsroom, like…” This way, you’re showing that you have experience without making it sound robotic or forced.
4. Do Your Homework
This is another seemingly obvious one but definitely a mistake I made. If you’re heading to a networking event or another opportunity to mix and mingle, it’s super easy to get caught up in the big names and connections and consequently, neglect to actually research people and companies instead of just going off your preconceived notions.
If you can, figure out who’s going to be at an event in advance, pick a couple companies or people who interest you and learn everything you can about those organizations and professionals. This way, you’ll have the ability to go up to the people and ask them specific questions about what they’re doing instead of just general ones that you’re able to come up with on the spot.
5. Touch Base
This is a step that I think many forget, but it’s one of the most crucial ones. After you speak to an employer or any professional, make sure you take time to send him or her a brief email when you get home.
In this email, you should mention a part of the conversation you had with this person that really resonated with you, include a copy of your resume (if appropriate) and thank him or her for taking time to talk to you. The most important thing? Remain professional in the whole email; refrain from dropping an “lol” or smiley face. People will appreciate this extra step, and it gives them a way to find you again if they end up wanting to reach out.
And if you want more tips for writing a great networking email, check out our templates here.
I wish you all the best of luck during this busy career season. Sell yourself well, dress to slay and go kill it!
Cover image courtesy of Flickr.
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Picture this. You’re sitting down at your desk, getting ready to work. You look around your workspace, and all of your motivation disappears and work time turns into a Netflix binge. Why is this? How do you fix this issue? 1. Working in the Dark Bad lighting is hard on your eyes and makes … Continue reading "7 Workspace Mistakes That Are Wrecking Your Productivity"
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Picture this. You’re sitting down at your desk, getting ready to work. You look around your workspace, and all of your motivation disappears and work time turns into a Netflix binge. Why is this? How do you fix this issue?
1. Working in the Dark
Bad lighting is hard on your eyes and makes it much more difficult to focus on your work. Make sure you have a good lamp and use it. A good lamp is not too intense, but bright enough to focus! Check out this article on different lamps for moods. There is a list of good lamps to boost your mood, as well as lamps for the evening before bed and focus friendly lamps! If you are able to place your desk where you get natural light, that is the best. Sunlight is a mood booster and is usually a very ideal level of brightness. It’s not too harsh and not too soft.
2. Refusing to Purchase Supplies You Like
Office supplies are a necessary accessory for your desk. For example, if you don’t have pens that you actually like to use, you are not going to want to use them. If you have to constantly get up to find a stapler every time you sit down to do work, it’ll get hard to stay focused.
A good pen will do wonders for your planning, writing and feeling of productivity. Target is my favorite place to find office supplies! They have so many cute and functional supplies. My all-time favorite pens to use are the Sharpie pens; they don’t bleed much, and they don’t smear easily. The Pilot G2 pens are another great option if you like the retractable or “click-y” pens. And, of course, you can’t forget the Papermate Flair pens that are great for color coding and using to write your headings on notes. For sticky notes, Target has some cute girly options and some fun options, but you also can’t go wrong with standard Post-It sticky notes!
3. Piling Up Stacks and Stacks of Paper
Those stacks of paper cluttering your desk? Get rid of them. It’s just clutter that doesn’t give you room to work.
My favorite way to get through papers is to make three piles: One pile is trash, one is to file and one is to work on. Sort everything into these groups. Now, immediately throw away or recycle the trash pile; shred anything if you need to. File the papers that need to be filed, and for the papers that contain to-dos, grab a pad of sticky notes and write down what needs to be done with that paper and stick it on there.
Now, find a place to put the “to work on” papers. I personally like to use magazine storage containers, but you could also use a tray. Anything that keeps everything neat and tidy works.
4. Using Your Desk as a Landing Space
It is so easy to throw your stuff down on your desk when you walk in the door and use it as a landing space. Try to avoid it! The clutter will build up very quickly. My solution to this? A catch-all basket at the door. It doesn’t completely rid you of clutter, but it is all contained and it isn’t all over your desk tampering with your productivity.
5. Tempting Yourself with Junk Food
Uh oh. See that chip bag? Mindless eating is no good for your health. It also doesn’t help you focus. Keeping healthy snacks at your desk, but out of sight, is best. Certain foods will help you focus and be more productive.
For example, blueberries can be great for memory as well as focus. Nuts and dark chocolate are a great snack as well. I know it is easy to sip on energy drinks to try and focus, but green tea is the best option. It has enough caffeine to perk you up as well as vitamins and antioxidants. So, toss that junk food!
6. Leaving a Mess of Electric Cords
Cords create a visual clutter that can be distracting, depending on your preferences. There are several different options to help with this (and you can find lots more all over Pinterest!).
For cords that you don’t have to ever unplug or take somewhere else, this option with a PVC pipe is awesome to tuck away those hideous wires. This command hook trick is great for lamps or coffee pots. My favorite and most dorm friendly option is this DIY shoe box with holes for cords. It allows easy access as well as the option to tuck the cords back in the box when you aren’t using them.
7. Letting the Few Random Scraps Become Millions of Scraps
Random paper scraps, wrappers, and other junk often clutter my desk. Try your best to keep that at bay by giving yourself adequate storage and having a trash can nearby. Dusting your desk off once or twice a week can also help a lot. That way, you have to keep all those other cluttered items off of your desk, and it’ll get rid of the scraps of paper and other things.
What items often clutter your desk? Do you have any must have items for productivity?
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There are plenty of people out there who would call themselves dedicated night owls. While it doesn’t make you weird or a vampire (probably), being most awake at night can make it harder to be productive (after all, there are so many great YouTube videos calling your name at one in the morning). How can … Continue reading "Hey, Night Owls: Here’s How to Be Your Most Productive Self"
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There are plenty of people out there who would call themselves dedicated night owls. While it doesn’t make you weird or a vampire (probably), being most awake at night can make it harder to be productive (after all, there are so many great YouTube videos calling your name at one in the morning).
How can you stay productive no matter how late (er, early) it is? Use these five tips.
1. Make a To-Do List Every Day for the Night
It’s unhealthy to stay up too late just to do nothing, so instead, make sure to make it a priority to do something every night.
Be sure to write down a huge list to help plan things out. It’s a good way to stay on a schedule and will be a helpful skill down the line. It’s also similar to a deadline, because it gives you a healthy amount of stress every day. Without a to-do list, it would create a false sense of security, because you “have all night” to do everything, and whether it’s a research paper, midterm, or a deadline at work, the failure to plan time out could be costly.
I recommend writing the to-do list on a real piece of paper, because it’s easier to refer to and physically writing something down can help your productivity.
2. Take a (Smart) Break
If most of the day consists of school and a job, it’s important to get some down time as well. Do something productive for an hour then take 30 minutes for yourself. Whether it’s socializing, jamming to music, watching a TV show, playing video games or listening to an interesting podcast, make sure to free your mind from constant stressing.
People always say it’s smart to stay away from mindlessly watching TV for hours, but the same goes for studying for hours without stopping; the stress becomes overbearing and it also becomes a mind-numbing experience.
3. Exercise
It’s difficult to find hours in the day to get the body moving, so why not do it late at night? If you have access to a late-night or 24-hour gym, take your notes, textbooks or podcasts with you and gear up for a power hour on the treadmill, or just do some jumping jacks or sit-ups in your room.
Not only does exercise improve physical shape, but it also improves brain function, according to this scientific journal entry at Harvard Health Publications. The study says moving your body reduces insulin resistance and inflammation, helps healthy cells grow and aids in creating the right brain chemistry.
4. Get Your Protein and Greens
With the lack of sleep, it’s important to add proteins and greens to your diet to give you more energy for the mornings. Try green smoothies or cooked vegetables with a chicken breast or another high protein meal.
Late at night, it might be hours since you ate a big meal, and it’s unhealthy to deprive your brain of food. At the same time, it’s important to fill it with the right things.
5. Stay Away From Caffeine (For the Most Part)
A coffee or soda to start the late night won’t be a big deal, but it won’t be healthy to replace water with caffeine every night. Alternate them, but for the most part stay away from caffeine or any kind of stimulant. Caffeine will make you go to sleep even later and cause a headache in the morning.
Why is too much caffeine a bad thing at night? According to All Things Considered, late-night caffeine consumption “resets your inner clock.” A separate study showed that a double espresso three hours before bed delays your “melatonin surge” by roughly 40 minutes.
Some of us are hardwired to feel more awake at night, and that doesn’t mean your productivity has to fall by the wayside.
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We know how much of a struggle bus college can be financially, but the good news is that you definitely don’t have to go it alone. We’ve compiled a list of over 100 amazing discounts available to all college students right now and broke them down by category, so take a gander and get ready … Continue reading "100+ Awesome Student Discounts You Can Use Right Now"
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We know how much of a struggle bus college can be financially, but the good news is that you definitely don’t have to go it alone.
We’ve compiled a list of over 100 amazing discounts available to all college students right now and broke them down by category, so take a gander and get ready to save major money this semester.
Electronics
1. Dell: Students can get a free TV with the purchase of a PC.
2. Sprint: Customers get select user discounts on their plans when they verify their student status.
3. Norton: You can get $30 off Norton’s security services for your electronics.
4. Fujitsu: Take 5% off of your purchase.
5. Ableton: Save 60% on Ableton Live.
6. T-Mobile: Get $50 cash back when you activate a new phone line.
7. Microsoft: You can save 10% or more on products depending on your school.
8. AT&T: The cell phone service provides discounts for students on select plans.
9. Best Buy: You can get up to 25% of savings off of Best Buy electronics.
10. JourneyEd: You have access to a variety of discounts, including a Microsoft Office subscription for $30, two Photoshop editions for less than $80, and more.
11. Apple: Students can get discounts on laptops and computers as well as special financing deals.
12. Bose: You can save up to 15% off of all Bose products.
13. B&H Electronics: You’ll have select discounts available for thousands of products.
14. Das Keyboard: Get 20% off of any keyboard plus free shipping.
15. Adobe: Students can save up to 60% of Adobe Creative Suite (which includes popular products like Photoshop and Illustrator).
16. Lenovo: You can save anywhere from 10-20% on a variety of electronics, from laptops to tablets.
Food
17. Arby’s: You can 10% off your entire order if you show your student ID.
18. Qdoba: Students get free drinks when they order food and a $5 burrito meal.
19. Dunkin’ Donuts: Time to take 10% off of your order.
20. Chipotle: If you order a meal and show your student ID, you get one free drink.
21. Burger King: Take 10% off that Whopper when you flash your valid school ID.
22. Chik-fil-A: Get a free drink with your food purchase.
23. Pizza Hut: You can earn 10-20% off of your order.
24. Dairy Queen: DQ offers a variety of deals for students depending on the location.
25. Taco Bell: Take 10% off of your order when you show your valid school ID.
26. Health Snap: Get a 5% discount on health food, supplements, and more.
27. Shoney’s: Enjoy a 15% discount year round off of your meal.
Entertainment
28. Spotify: Your Spotify account will only cost $4.99 per month.
29. Apple Music: Spotify competitor Apple Music is also offering a $4.99/month deal.
30. Lincoln Center: Lincoln Center offers a variety of discounts to its different shows, from $10 jazz tickets to $29 entry for the New York City Ballet.
31. Denver Art Museum: Take 20% off the normal ticket price.
32. Harkins Theaters: You can receive 20-25% off the ticket price on Thursdays.
33. AMC Theaters: Students can take 10-15% off of their movie tickets on Thursdays.
34. New England Aquarium: Take $2 off ticket prices for admission and IMAX.
35. Carnegie Hall: See a show in one of the most renowned arts spaces for only $10.
36. Memphis Symphony Orchestra: You’ll be able to purchase a $10 ticket for a performance.
37. Broadway: Snag a Broadway ticket for only $20-30.
38. Museum of Modern Art: Students get nearly 50% off of the ticket price.
39. Broadway in Chicago: Tickets are as low as $14.50 for students.
40. Regal Cinemas: You can knock off 5-20% off of the normal adult ticket price.
41. Art Institute of Chicago: Take 25% off of the ticket price for admission.
42. Metropolitan Opera: Students can register for special discounted ticket prices.
43. Caesars: Students get a 10% discount off of any Caesars entertainment events.
Transportation
44. Amtrak: Save 15% on train travel.
45. MBTA: You can receive 50% off of your travel.
46. Eurail: You’ll get a whopping 35% taken off of the normal ticket price.
47. General Motors: You can receive select discounts on specific car models.
48. Penske: Take 10% off of your truck rental, and get another 10% off if you book a one-way rental online.
49. Sixt Rent A Car: Students can take 5% off of their reservation.
50. Greyhound: Students get 20% off Greyhound travel.
51. STA Travel: The site is entirely dedicated to student travel discounts.
52. RailEurope: The company offers select deals on its various lines, like a $65 ticket from London to Paris.
Apparel
51. Necessary Clothing: Enjoy 8% cash back.
52. Club Monaco: Take 20% off of your purchase at Club Monaco’s in-person and online stores.
53. Levi’s: The classic denim brand is offering 15% off for student purchases.
54. Under Armour: Take 10% off of your purchase.
55. Vineyard Vines: The brand offers a 15% discount to students in stores when they show a valid school ID.
56. Dockers: Time to take 20% off of your Dockers purchase.
57. Hanes: Hanes offers a 15% discount.
58. American Apparel: Take 15% off of your American Apparel purchase online and in stores.
59. Topshop: Say hello to 10% off any purchase.
60. Boohoo: You can take a whopping 50% off of your purchase.
61. SurfStitch: Enjoy a 15% discount off of your purchase.
62. Alex and Ani: Take 10% off of your Alex and Ani purchase at retail stores.
63. Just My Size: You get a 10% discount.
64. Urban Outfitters: There’s a 10% discount with your name on it.
65. Jack Wills: Say goodbye to 10% of your bill.
66. Modcloth: Slash 15% from your purchase.
67. In Love With Fashion: Enjoy a 15% discount off of your purchase right now.
68. Pacsun: It’s time to take 10% off of your purchase.
68. Express: A 15% discount is calling your name.
70. Madewell: Madewell’s offering 15% off of a full purchase for students with a valid school ID.
71. Banana Republic: The clothing company is taking 15% off of your purchase.
72. ASOS: Students get 10% off of their full purchase with a valid school ID.
73. Dune London: A 10% discount is calling your name.
74. JCrew: Have a valid student ID? You can take 15% off your purchase.
75. The Limited: Take 10% off of your purchase.
76. Dorothy Perkins: Say hello to a 10% discount.
77. Original Penguin: Take 10% off of your purchase.
78. Public Desire: Students get 10% off.
Beauty
81. Ulta: Get 5% cash back on orders of $50 or more.
82. Sigma: Students instantly get 10% off of all products.
83. Sephora: You’ll receive 10% off of your purchase.
84. Sally’s Beauty Supply: You can get $5 off of any purchase of $25 or more.
85. Urban Decay: Say hello to 10% off of your Urban Decay purchase.
Media
86. The New York Times: Get Times access for just $1 a week.
87. The Wall Street Journal: You can get the WSJ for $1 per week during the semester for $49 for the whole year.
88. Barnes & Noble: Time to save up to 90% on textbooks.
89. Washington Post: You can get free digital access.
Other
90. Travelers: Travelers is handing out 8% discounts to students.
91. Evernote: Students can get 75% off of a premium subscription.
92. Sam’s Club: Get a $15 gift card just for being a student.
93. Walmart: The retail giant has a number of dorm room accessory deals you should take advantage of.
94. FedEx: Save 20-30% off of your FedEx order.
95. Goodwill: Say goodbye to 10% of your bill.
96. West Elm: Take 15% off your order.
97. Allstate: Got all A’s? Take 20% off of your insurance bill.
98. State Farm: Take 25% off of your insurance for good grades.
99. Zipcar: Many college campuses receive huge discounts for student Zipcar users.
100. Amazon Prime: You’ll get a number of sweet deals, all with free two-day shipping.
101. PB Teen: Shopping for new furniture? You can get 15% off of your purchase.
102. Esurance: Are you a good student with at least a 3.0 GPA? You can get 10% off of your car insurance.
103. GEICO: Save up to $200 for good grades and good driving.
Can you say ka-ching?
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When you’re in college, you may think you don’t need to focus on managing your money until you’re in the “real world.” However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and no one knows that fact better than the people who’ve been there before you. What do recent grads wish they could redo in college … Continue reading "5 Money Hacks Recent Grads Wish They’d Known As College Students"
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When you’re in college, you may think you don’t need to focus on managing your money until you’re in the “real world.” However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, and no one knows that fact better than the people who’ve been there before you.
What do recent grads wish they could redo in college when it comes to their finances? We got five of them to weigh in on the number one thing they wish they’d known about money when they were still in school.
1. Use Your Campus Discounts
“Take advantage of your school provided commuter resources if you commute, especially if you’re going to college in a city. Always use your student ID for discounts when available.” – Kyle, Emmanuel College ‘16
Many colleges list student discounts somewhere on their website, but even asking around can get you some money-saving results, and if you’re looking for discounts available to all students, this list is a great one to check out.
2. Factor in Moving Costs
“I really wish I had known how expensive it is to move. I got a job in NYC that started a week after I graduated and so the moment I left campus, I moved to the city. There are so many hidden fees in moving (truck rental, gas, broker’s fee, security deposit, furniture). I spent my senior year saving up for rent, but I wish I had budgeted more for the initial moving cost.” – Hannah, Wesleyan University ‘15
It’s not just moving after college that you have to worry about; living off-campus (and even on-campus in some cases) can be an expensive endeavor depending on where you’re located and how generous (or not-so-generous) your landlord is feeling.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from costly moving fees? First and foremost, do your research; ask friends who’ve previously moved what moving company/transportation they used, what surprising deposits they had to make, and what issues they had with their leases, and above all else, remember: Get everything in writing!
3. Learn How to Budget (or at Least When to Splurge or Save)
“I wish I knew when to cut corners, and when to splurge. Saving on weekday lunches is a great way to make sure you always have enough cash for a networking dinner. Buying Old Navy dress pants allows you to buy the corporate bag of your dreams. Staying in on a Saturday night saves you a week’s worth of [entertainment expenses].” – Mackenzie, Suffolk University ‘15
While it may seem great in the short-term to spend your hard-earned money, it’s worth it to take time in college to learn how to budget your funds and spend them accordingly.
Don’t know how to start budgeting? You can find a handy-dandy spreadsheet here.
4. Save Money (Seriously, Save It)
“Save as much as possible as soon as possible. Saving is relatively easy when you’re a college student in comparison to being totally on your own with a new job in a new city. If you’re lucky enough to have your parents giving you money in college, or a side job that lets you have extra cash to play around with, save it all and save it quickly. Don’t put it off. You’ll need it. Trust me.” – Olivia, University of Florida ‘15
Many experts say to save 10-15% of your paycheck, but even if you’re setting aside just $10, you’d be surprised how quickly your savings add up over time when you’re putting a little bit away every chance you get. You’ll be happy you did when you graduate and know that you’re not starting entirely from scratch as you enter the real world.
5. Build an “Extra Expenses” Fund
“When budgeting my daily and recurring expenses, I knew it was essential to leave some buffer room for unexpected expenditures (i.e. that late-night cab ride). Never hurts to save a few bucks for that surprise outing with friends.” – Brent, Trinity College ‘16
Regardless of how much you were hoping to spend, things come up, and it’s important to have a little money on the side for when things go awry so that you’re not dipping into your savings every time you need a little cash, and don’t rely on a debit card, either. Withdraw at least $100 of cash (hide it in safe places, obviously), and have it available to you in case you’re not able to use a card.
Even though it seems like you’ve got all the time in the world, learning how to manage your money well in college can make all the difference going forward.
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Chances are you’ve probably used a Microsoft Office product at some point in your life, but when you get to working a full-time job, you’d be surprised how complex using these programs can get. Suddenly your boss is talking about things like Mail Merge, functions and filters, and you have no idea what it means. … Continue reading "Everything You Need to Know About Using Microsoft Office at Work"
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Chances are you’ve probably used a Microsoft Office product at some point in your life, but when you get to working a full-time job, you’d be surprised how complex using these programs can get. Suddenly your boss is talking about things like Mail Merge, functions and filters, and you have no idea what it means.
Don’t fear, recent grads, we’ve got you covered: I’ve constructed a guide to the top three Microsoft Office programs you’ll likely see at your job (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and the helpful resources, tips and tricks that’ll make you seem like a pro as soon as you walk through the door.
Word
Ah, Microsoft Word. You type, fix your spacing and add some page numbers, right? To an extent, sure. However, there are a few underutilized features that will make your life easier and are key when collaborating on the same document.
Styles and Table of Contents
Styles can be used to make a document look cohesive and to put together a table of contents super easily (even if Microsoft makes it sound pretty hard in this article). All you have to do is highlight your section titles and assign them the appropriate heading or subheading style. Go to the Reference tab to insert your Table of Contents, and voila! Done.
Additionally, you’re not limited to styles that Microsoft Word has determined for you. To edit a style or create your own, right click on the style and click “Modify.” You can also go the Design tab, and choose from multiple preset themes that will change the formatting of all your headings.
Mail Merge
If you have to, for example, print 500 letters with everything the same except for the name of the recipient, be confident in knowing that there is an alternative to copying and pasting 500 times and going back to change the names. Mail Merge, though often associated with sending out multiple emails with different names to different email addresses, can also be used within Word to make multiple copies of the same document to print.
Track Changes
Say someone sends you a document to look over and edit for spelling, grammar and style. Professional etiquette demands the use of Track Changes (in the Review tab) in order to highlight the changes you’ve made so that the person you ultimately send it back to doesn’t have to have two versions of the document open to compare them side by side.
Excel
If you’re asked to put together any type of report, chances are you’re going to start off in Excel. Unless you studied something quantitative, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t spend so much time in Excel, and it can be intimidating.
The thing to know about using Excel in the workplace is that unless you’re some type of statistician, you’ll probably only need to know a few ways to manipulate or summarize data, which you’ll spend 20% of your time doing, and the other 80% is formatting it to make it look nice. Here’s a breakdown of the basic concepts you need to know.
Functions
Functions are used within a cell to either calculate or manipulate data. You know, things like SUM, PRODUCT, AVERAGE and COUNT. These can get complicated, especially if you’re doing multiple calculations at a time, so don’t forget your order of operations.
Additionally, there are functions like VLOOKUP, CONCATENATE and TODAY that will make your life so much easier but don’t come to mind naturally. Also, IF statements are really important pieces of logic to understand how to use to tell Excel, “If this cell says x, use the space in this cell to spit back y; otherwise spit back z.”
Features
Go ahead, click on those tabs up top; they won’t bite! Up here (A/N: the row of tabs and all the stuff in them is called the Ribbon) is a veritable treasure chest of tools that Excel has already built in. Some important ones to know:
- Pivot Tables (in the Data tab): A Pivot Table is a user-friendly way of summarizing large sets of data that might be downloaded from a payment system or an inventory tracking system. Pivot tables are super handy because they allow you to quickly choose the fields you want to compare against each other using the Row and Column Fields and summarize data using sums, averages and counts in ways that can be further manipulated to display as percents. It sounds complicated, but mastering Pivot Tables will save you tons of time and make you a star in the workplace!
- Evaluate Formula (in the Formulas tab): What happens when your super complicated formula is broken and you can’t figure out where you went wrong? Luckily, Excel includes something called Evaluate Formula that you can use to figure out exactly where your nested formula went wrong. (“Nested” means putting one formula inside of another, like Russian nesting dolls).
- Filters (in the Data tab): Highlight a list of data and press Filter. You can now not only sort alphabetically or numerically, but also limit what you’re seeing to whatever you want. If you’re filtering a long list of dates and don’t want to click on a month’s worth of individual dates, you can use “Date Filters” in the menu when you click the dropdown to narrow in on a range of dates. This works on numbers, too! Also, if you (or someone else) previously highlighted a few items to take a closer look at, you can filter by color to only see those cells that are highlighted.
- Text to Columns (in the Data tab): Did you download a .csv file and it came back looking;like;this;with;semicolons;instead;of;new;columns? Do you need to separate the airline and flight number of a bunch of flight codes? Enter Text to Columns, the answer to literally hours of mind-numbing copying and pasting. Text to Columns will ask you if you want to split up the text in your cell based on fixed width or a delimiter. Flight codes are 2 characters for the airline followed by a number, so you would use fixed width to tell Excel to split up your text after 2 characters. The CSV in .csv stands for “Comma-Separated Values,” but it’s not always separated by commas, confusingly. In the above example, the delimiter you would identify is a semicolon, essentially telling Excel, alright every time you see a semicolon, put everything after it in the next column.
- Freeze Panes (in the View tab): When you’ve scrolled so far you’ve forgotten what the fields you’re looking at even are, you need two things: 1) Coffee 2) Freeze Panes! Use this to keep your top row (or leftmost column, or whatever you want, really) in place while you scroll to your heart’s delight.
Formatting
Now that you have the calculations you want, you need to make it presentable! A lot can be done using colors and text formatters (bold, italic, etc) on the home tab, but some parts need further elaboration.
Charts
I’ll be the first to admit that Excel charts can be infuriating when Excel can’t read your mind about what you want your chart to look like. It helps to figure out some details beforehand:
- What kind of chart should you be using? Depending on what you’re trying to portray, you should find the correct chart to suit your purpose. This flowchart from The Extreme Presentation Method is a good start, and this paper from Tableau, an industry leader in data visualization (yes, this is an industry) goes further in depth.
- What fields are you plotting? How should you split up your data to make the most effective point? In my experience, the best and easiest way to do this is to make a Pivot Chart (the prettier cousin of the Pivot Table) and drag and drop rows and columns until you’ve found what you want. You can either just use this Pivot Chart or recreate it using a regular chart (regular charts are more flexible on the formatting).
After you determine these two, you should go ahead and make your chart. You can add or take away elements like data labels or trend lines by clicking on the Design tab that appears when you’ve clicked on your chart and clicking on “Add Chart Element.”
Conditional formatting: Looking at lots of numbers is generally unhelpful and occasionally nauseating, so when you add colors to direct the viewer’s eye to what’s important or out of the ordinary, it’s immensely helpful. Rather than go through each cell and select just the right shade of green for each cell (and then inevitably have to go back and change it), you can use conditional formatting to do your highlighting with the click of a button, and keep it dynamic based on revised calculations.
Keyboard Shortcuts
I highly recommend learning keyboard shortcuts to be able to navigate Excel more easily (and seem like an Excel wizard!). I won’t bother with Googling “Excel shortcuts” for you, but here are some absolute essentials [Mac options in brackets]:
- Ctrl/[Command] + Shift + [arrow key]: Highlight entire columns or rows of adjacent cell
- Ctrl/[Command] + Shift + v: Paste Value. If you’re copying from a formula and only want the value, not the formula, this is the shortcut to just get the number
- Ctrl/[Command] + Shift + t: Paste Format. Like I said, you’re going to spend a lot of time formatting!! To do this more efficiently, use this shortcut to copy and paste only the formatting from one range of cells to another.
- Ctrl/[Command] + PgUp/PgDn: Scroll quickly in between tabs of an Excel workbook.
With these tips at your disposal, you’re well on your way to becoming an Excel guru!
PowerPoint
When it comes to PowerPoint, the golden rule is less is more. In a professional setting, under no circumstances would you want the design of your presentation to overpower the content.
To that end, here are some tips to make sure that happens:
- Use the Slide Master. In the View tab, you can find this essential feature that will help keep your slides consistent and looking professional
- Use the Align tool. Objects that are almost aligned can be very distracting. The Align tool (in the Home tab) is a great trick to make sure your shapes and objects fall in line.
- Keep the context of who is viewing your slides and how they’re viewing them in mind when building. There are three main types of PowerPoint presentations you can make:
- Presentation: Intended to be presented to one or more people, with heavy emphasis on diagrams and short phrases, so that the audience pays more attention to the presenter rather than trying to read the slide. Can be creative more so than informative since it’s meant to be presented and can have a higher number of slides if needed.
- Deck: Designed to stand alone as a summary of a would-be presentation or a presentation that happened in the past. People should be able to read through it and understand all the main points of the presentation without having attended it.
- Placemat: A one-slide detailed summary of the highlights of the idea being presented, not dissimilar to an infographic. Sometimes used during meetings but meant to be easily distributed without needing additional context or explanation.
- Make your presentation color-blind friendly, if it’s very visual. It can make or break your presentation for some people in the audience. Some tips here.
Armed with all these tips, there’s nothing Microsoft-related your boss can throw your way and faze you. You’ll probably be teaching your co-workers a thing or two instead of the other way around.
Cover image courtesy of WomeninTech Chat.
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The biggest challenge in any relationship is effective communication. The most common arguments that I get into with my boyfriend are due to the root cause of miscommunication and lack of follow through. Usually, it is when both of us drop the ball and focus more on letting our emotions rule our actions rather than … Continue reading "Communication is the Oil"
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The biggest challenge in any relationship is effective communication. The most common arguments that I get into with my boyfriend are due to the root cause of miscommunication and lack of follow through. Usually, it is when both of us drop the ball and focus more on letting our emotions rule our actions rather than strategically thinking, “How can I communicate clearly without emotional bias?” On the personal level, it can be very extreme in consequence. However, it can also happen in the workplace.
Follow through is especially important in the workplace. If you sent an email to Amanda asking if she has a specific piece of information, she replies with the information, and then you neglect to follow up with a closing email, she does not know you got the information and then has to spend valuable time sending another email to check you got the original email. This is not only an inefficient use of time, as it also gets in the way of productivity and disrespects the other person’s time. Communicating effectively is a must for any working organization to run smoothly, just like your car needs oil to run smoothly. Without the oil, people’s words cause enough friction to result in a roadblock in overall performance.
Here is a recent personal example: I was looking into how to change my name one Friday afternoon and found that in order to do so, I must put notice in a local publication for a fee. I had a question about the procedure, so I sent an email to the publication. The person on the other end of the email responded quite promptly. I saw the email, read it and did not reply. I did not think it was necessary in my quest for information about this topic. However, that next Monday, I got an email from a different person from the same publication. She wanted to know whether I had gotten the information I needed, as I hadn’t replied to the other person assuring I got the information. She also wanted to know whether or not I wanted to pursue the course of action for changing my name. I replied immediately and said I did get the information, thanked the lady and told her I would think about my next course of action. By not replying to the lady who first sent me the email with the information, her superior had to take time out of her work day to reply to my question that had already been answered. In doing so, I had disrupted their productivity and disrespected their time because of it.
In conclusion, not only is effective communication essential to a workplace running smoothly, it’s a matter of respect as well. So don’t forget to send a quick “Thanks!” to the person who just forwarded you that last email you needed!
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You can get a lot done simply by asking for help, and as a new professional, going out there and getting direct help in finding and landing your next internship or job can be the biggest difference in you starting your career off right, sitting at home on your couch. But not all help is … Continue reading "The Art of Asking for a Favor"
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You can get a lot done simply by asking for help, and as a new professional, going out there and getting direct help in finding and landing your next internship or job can be the biggest difference in you starting your career off right, sitting at home on your couch.
But not all help is asked for equally, and the odds of your request being granted hinges on the quality of how you ask for it.
Here are 4 ways you can master the Art of Asking for a Favor:
Ask The Right People
While many people want to help, not all of them are equally qualified. Being able to accurately identify those select few is key to ensuring help comes your way. Approach people whom you have a genuine connection with and who are in some way invested in your success; asking for a favor from a casual connection may come across as entitled or rude and will definitely not be completed.
Ensure Your Favor is “Turn Key”
When you need something done and need something done fast, do as much of the work as possible, leaving very little for that other person to actually do. Unlike your parents or professors, these people willing to help you out are doing so out of choice, not obligation. Avoid putting all of the work on them in order to help you out.
The most egregious examples of this was an email I received a few months ago, which read simply: “I am looking for hardware internships over the summer. Startups are OK too.
Do you think you could help me out?”
The simple answer to this question is “Yes, I think I can help you out,” but the most important part of the request, the HOW part, is still a mystery, and without communicating clearly HOW someone can help you out, your favor may very well fall to the bottom of the priority pile or be ignored altogether.
So be very, VERY clear on the HOW of the favor you are asking. In marketing, they refer to this as the “Call to Action, ” and make sure you do exactly that; call the person you are asking to act.
Examples:
“I have attached my resume, could you send it over to your HR department for consideration for the Coordinator Position? It’s job #987235.”
“I saw you were connected to Bob Smith, VP of Development at the Acme Corp. Would you be able to introduce us over email? Looking to possibly apply to his company in an accounting position and wanted to know more about the job and the company itself.”
Being clear with your favor and doing a majority of the legwork doesn’t take much time or effort, but it will increase your chances of that action being taken.
(Overly) Express Gratitude
When people go out of their way to help you, make sure you express (heck, overly express) how much you appreciate it. At minimum, send a thank you email, but if you really want to go above and beyond, snail mail a handwritten card with a small gift inside. These small tokens of appreciation really go a long way, and when you need something again in the future, that person knows you will appreciative it and will most likely help you again.
Provide Updates
Make sure to keep that professional in the loop with any updates resulting in the favor they did for you. Keeping them updated makes them continue to be invested in your success, and again, they will be willing to do future favors for you.
About the Author:
Kolby Goodman is certified career coach and has run his company The Job Huntr for nearly 5 years. He specializes in helping new professionals create eye catching resumes, craft memorable interview answers, establish a professional LinkedIn profile, and explore new opportunities in their personal and professional networks.
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Multitasking could be the cause of your diminished productivity at work, according to Mashable’s article. Read more to see what else could be making you less productive and ways to fix those issues.
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Multitasking could be the cause of your diminished productivity at work, according to Mashable’s article. Read more to see what else could be making you less productive and ways to fix those issues.
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One of my guilty pleasures is gaming. From the old school Sega Genesis games that came in bulky cartridges, to real-time multiplayer online games like League of Legends, to (amazing!) video games like those of the Bioshock series, I really can’t get enough of the awesome fantasy worlds that these games present. The artistry and … Continue reading "3 Success Tips I Learned From a Video Game"
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One of my guilty pleasures is gaming. From the old school Sega Genesis games that came in bulky cartridges, to real-time multiplayer online games like League of Legends, to (amazing!) video games like those of the Bioshock series, I really can’t get enough of the awesome fantasy worlds that these games present. The artistry and amount of work that goes into a lot of these games is literally astounding, and for my current gaming fixation – ‘Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’ – the proof is clearly in the almost obsessive attention to detail. It is no wonder that in this particular game, which in so many ways reflects the world we live in, I managed to pick out a couple awesome tips for real-world success.
Skills are Gained Incrementally
It should have come as no surprise to me that in a game like Oblivion, where not only can your character learns numerous combative skills, but social skills. The social skills include things such as (no joke here) getting people to like you and learning how to barter; one might find a couple great success tips to use back in the real world.
The first wonderful piece of advice I took from this game is that one must keep in mind that skills are gained incrementally. Put more simply, if you’re not doing absolutely amazing at something – say, watercolor painting – when you first give it a try, that does not mean you’re no good at it. What it does mean, is that you’ve started a learning process, one that can and will be built upon should you continue to practice techniques and expose yourself to the process of painting itself.
Remembering that skills are abilities which are gained incrementally certainly applies in the workplace as well. From reviewing what one did wrong in a job interview, to building upon what went right with your presentation in a board meeting, practice leads to – if not perfection – a stronger understanding in whatever you are trying to learn.
And keeping that in mind is important for someone like me who is often perfectionist to a fault. So, whether I am working on creative writing projects or trying to increase my Wood Elf’s Alchemy skill, I can rest easy knowing that just because I didn’t succeed at first does not mean that I have failed.
Opportunity is EVERYWHERE
The beauty of the Elder Scrolls series – especially in its later installments – lies in the fact that you can interact with nearly everything. Behind literally every door is the possibility of finding gold, increasing your fighting skills, and stumbling upon new missions, whether it be rescuing a fair Lizard maiden from a crazed cult of necromancers or delivering extremely rare bottles of wine to an obsessed innkeeper for a reward.
Many times, things to do in my current focus – Oblivion – can just fall in your lap when a character comes up to talk to you. Other times it may be an item you find, a scene that you witness, or your own initiative in talking to someone for a potential mission. In the game, one can simply do the main storyline without deviation – or even more peculiarly, ride around on a horse the whole time – but the main takeaway from this aspect of Oblivion is that opportunities surround us as a general rule.
Sometimes it is our own curiosity that spurs it (remember when my curiosity led me into my local city hall and on the path to an internship with the City Manager?), and sometimes the door of opportunity is opened by the environment and people around you. It is just a matter of whether we are aware enough to see the possibilities we sift through every day without a thought and – in cases where luck doesn’t just cause opportunities to fall into our lap – whether we can be bold enough to pursue them.
The World Is Mesmerizing
A lot of people will speak on the beauty of the worlds created by game designers, and when it comes to the Elder Scrolls saga, that intricacy is often the first thing people refer to. The world of the Elder Scrolls saga is extremely detailed; some even find it too detailed, as it does tend to distract from the main storyline.
But more importantly – for our purposes, anyway – is the realization that the worlds created in any video game are not only born of imagination and creativity, but an innate wonder about the real world around us.
It was easiest for me to figure this out while playing Oblivion just because there are so many elements in the game that one can actually find in real life; much of the flora and fauna were taken straight out of a farmers’ almanac. And at some point in the time I spent just tooling around in the game, I stopped and thought about just how insanely big the real world we live in is.
Thus, the third success tip I learned from playing my video game is to recognize that the world we live in is a beautiful, complex, impossibly huge place. There are always things to learn, problems to solve, people to help, places to explore, and probably a thousand other things I haven’t even thought of yet. Exploring your surroundings, learning about people different from you, and being able to make new connections by indulging the sense of wonder we – or at least I – tend to reserve for fictional places (read: Hogwarts) is what really allows us to grow our résumés and ourselves as well-rounded individuals.
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For those of you who have trouble organizing your emails, take a look at this list posted on Mashable. Utilize these tips so you can spend less time sifting through store promotions and spam, and start spending more time doing enjoyable things!
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For those of you who have trouble organizing your emails, take a look at this list posted on Mashable.
Utilize these tips so you can spend less time sifting through store promotions and spam, and start spending more time doing enjoyable things!
The post Ways to Manage Your Inbox Better appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.
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Brand on brand on brand. It’s definitely THE buzzword used by companies, celebrities, athletes, and now it’s your turn. Below are 10 tips for you to leave an impactful digital footprint. Put a Pin in it Pinterest – The Power of the Pin Recipes, homemade craft ideas, and funny memes are just the tip of … Continue reading "May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor: Utilizing Social Media to Build Your Brand"
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Brand on brand on brand. It’s definitely THE buzzword used by companies, celebrities, athletes, and now it’s your turn. Below are 10 tips for you to leave an impactful digital footprint.
Put a Pin in it
Pinterest – The Power of the Pin
Recipes, homemade craft ideas, and funny memes are just the tip of the Pinterest iceberg. The power behind this digital tool lies in its ability to connect users who share the same interests, and you can use this force to build your brand and make career connections.
Once you start following companies, professionals, and pinners who share your passions, there is a seamless transition into the world of creating your own boards and pinning products, ideas, and other industry-specific tips. You can create shared boards with colleagues or friends when working on projects or even create a personalized vision board to help you stay focused on your personal and professional goals.
Pinterest is a free resource for you to discover innovative concepts to stand out in any industry. If you are new to the job market or transitioning into a new career, following industry leaders helps you to stay current on trends and to find creative ideas so you can stand out from other candidates. You can easily share your accomplishments with others by uploading pictures that highlight your job performance, such as a photo from a program you organized with tips for others who want to mirror your results. With over 70 million users, you are sure to find helpful tips and popular pinners who can help you take your job search or career aspirations to the next level.
The Circle of Plus
Google+
At first glance, the Google+ interface looks like Facebook because you can share pictures, videos, updates and more. Google+ offers that plus the ability to create circles, which helps you categorize people in your life into groups (such as friends, co-workers, family, business contacts, etc…).
Whereas what you share on Facebook is shared with all of your friends, Google+ allows you to share strategically to certain groups. So, you can connect with industry leaders and engage in dialogue without cluttering the conversation with personal pics and posts (yours and theirs), and maintain a professional dialogue. Google+ also offers Google Groups, which are discussion groups focused on specific topics. Members find it is an an excellent way to connect with others in your industry and engage in thoughtful discussions. If you are already using Gmail, Google Calendar, or other Google apps, you can appreciate how seamlessly Google products work together.
Call Me Maybe
Alumni network
Your degree provides you with many career opportunities and professional connections via your alumni network. Your college career services office can provide you with information on local chapters, networking events, meet-ups, and even access to an alumni directory. Through the directory, you can search for alums who work for a specific company you are interested in or in the field you are seeking to enter.
While the alumni network is a great resource for every graduate, it can be especially helpful for those who don’t have many professional contacts. If your college doesn’t have a current directory yet, join the LinkedIn college group to search for alums. It’s much easier to open a conversation with a stranger when you already have something in common.
6 Seconds
YouTube / Vine
You know you want to be the stand-out job candidate, but the application process is still pretty structured with traditional resume/cover letter applications. Since most companies are now using on-line applications, you can use hyperlinks to utilize the power of video to introduce yourself and your work.
Video clips of presentations, slideshows that highlight your portfolio, or a brief introductory clip can give employers a greater sense of who you are rather than simply scanning a resume. Some companies are now requiring video applications, and job seekers are getting creative — some using Vine videos (six-second looping videos), funny animated videos, or creating informative/how-to videos related to their field. Many job seekers search YouTube for information on companies they are interviewing with to find current news clips, promotional videos, or even interviews with people who currently work at the organization describing the interview process and company culture.
Follow the Oscar Selfie Road
Twitter is one of the most powerful job search and professional networking sites. Many people like Twitter because they can follow trends in entertainment and their favorite celebrities, but you can harness the power of the hashtag to also find trends in your work industry.
Following companies, industry leaders, and commenting and tweeting about your field increases your digital presence and professional network. Tweet Chats are live Twitter events focused on a specific topic at a set time and filtered into a single conversation using a set hashtag. You can find and easily participate in Tweet Chats for any industry, and doing so often results in numerous professional connections. Many professionals maintain a current digital presence by retweeting articles related to their field, posting pictures of professional events, and endorsing companies on Twitter. A huge benefit of using Twitter is its transparency and ease of connecting with others in your industry. You can easily find, follow, and engage in professional dialogue on both a local and global level.
Thumbs Up
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past eight years or so, you’re familiar with the site that lets you post your thoughts, feelings, and pictures as fast as you can say “like.” However, you can also utilize Facebook to do much more. For starters, you can create events to organize meet-ups, hackathons, or any other gathering of your choice. Companies may invite you to events, such as tech talks and onsite visits. The best use case is for groups. For example, there may be a Facebook Group for 2015 summer interns in the Bay Area. This is a great forum to determine your roommate situation, weekend plans, etc.
6 Degrees to Luke Skywalker
If you think LinkedIn is just for working professionals, then you’re missing out. As a student you can utilize LinkedIn to list all of your accomplishments. Even if you don’t have formal work experience, it’s great to include advanced classes in your field, associations you’ve joined, and any projects you’ve worked on. Endorsements and recommendations are huge too. Ask professors and fellow students to write about your learning, organizational, and teaching skills. These will be transferable to future internships. Finally, post meaningful articles so others can see what you’re interested in.
All in the Hashtag
Amaro or Perpetua? This can feel like one of the most crucial decisions in life, so once you’ve tackled that you will notice that Instagram is a huge opportunity for branding. Companies you’re interested in may also utilize it to showcase their company culture and events. If it’s a place you’d like to work, leverage that to search hashtags and include your own to get noticed. There are companies and events trending everyday that you can jump onboard with. Be creative by including videos as well, and make sure you connect your account to Twitter to gain maximum exposure. #getthejobdone
Show, Don’t Just Tell
Portfolio
You are smart and accomplished, which means you have tons of projects, code, and personal work that you’d like to show. Portfolios are a great way to condense and showcase this information. Link to it in your resume and profile on all the above social media avenues. A portfolio can be creative; if you’re a designer, show freelance work, drawings, and classwork that you’ve done (there are plenty of free sites and templates to get you started). If you’re a programmer, GitHub is the best way to show and not tell. For the latter, branching off the master or forking will make you stand out.
Frolick in the 1st Amendment
Blogs
Our government worked hard to get us free speech so use it to your advantage! Keep a blog to write about topics you are passionate about. This is a great way to build up a following of readers as well as a community to share ideas and actions. You can even have guest bloggers (consider reaching out to people you’d like to work for one day) — a fantastic way to network and add meaningful content to your blog.
This post is by: Angela Cleveland, Educational Counselor & Saqi Mehta, Career Counselor
Angela Cleveland is a school counselor in New Jersey. She is a Google Certified Educator who advocates for using technology to enhance students’ learning experiences, the teaching profession, and online professional collaboration opportunities. For more information, Angela Cleveland can be reached at angelacleveland27@gmail.com
Saqi Mehta is a trained Career Counselor who is passionate about all aspects of career development, and has worked with college students at MIT & Harvard Business School. She is currently the University Recruiting Lead @Square. For more information, Saqi can be reached at saqimehta@gmail.com.
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I recently had a chance to chat with Kristin Demidovich, CMO for tech-edu company, MentorMob. Kristin shared with me her experience in switching from a career in fashion retail to a start-up, and what she’s learned along the way. What is MentorMob? MentorMob is a learning and discovery website and app that uses crowdsourced knowledge … Continue reading "Fashion Management to Tech CMO: Dare to Live Your Best Life"
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I recently had a chance to chat with Kristin Demidovich, CMO for tech-edu company, MentorMob. Kristin shared with me her experience in switching from a career in fashion retail to a start-up, and what she’s learned along the way.
What is MentorMob?
MentorMob is a learning and discovery website and app that uses crowdsourced knowledge to create comprehensive learning guides.
When you go online to learn something, you don’t really know where to start, what to learn next or who you can trust. So in a sea of free content, people are still paying for online lessons. We realized that if the best content was organized into guides for any topic, then millions of people around the world could learn from the best experience for free. We see the impact that encyclopedic sites have made; we want to do the same for hobby and lifestyle topics.
MentorMob allows individuals to learn from one another by communicating within the site, like traditional mentorship. MentorMob also allows for a one-to-many type of mentorship by providing a digital platform for a larger number of individuals to learn almost any skill. The community of individuals who have helped curate the best content into guides for various topics, like parenting and kiteboarding, are sharing their knowledge to an infinite number of people who can learn from them.
What is your role at MentorMob?
I have an awesome part in the team at MentorMob… I am the Chief Marketing Officer, but what that means is I get to do really cool things with really interesting people everyday – everything from learning new hobbies, to promoting professional athletes online, to going to events to network with creative individuals. With this role Virgin Hotels has actually added me and our MentorMob community as their Dare Devil persona for the Chicago Hotel opening. Pretty fun!
What did you study in school?
Fashion Retail Management at Columbia College Chicago
What was your first entry-level job out of school?
I was an Assistant Manager at Coach. I continued with Coach for the next 8 years of my career, working in many different Chicago locations and ending at Store Manager level.
Wait, What? What made you change careers?
I was ready for the next step in my career personally. I was not sure what I was looking for, but I knew it had to be something I was passionate about, believed in and could make a difference in the world with. It was 100% scary, but knew that I could try it and always go back if I needed. I just had to try.
What was the biggest surprise, and/or biggest learning moment, being part of a startup?
The biggest surprise is how much you can accomplish and learn if you put your mind to it and stay confident! This came from multiple learning moments of mine – of being told NO time and time again. In a startup, most will say “no” at first and you will get down on yourself, your idea and sometimes even the team. BUT you have to remain confident and through this confidence you will be able to learn how to turn those “no” into “maybe” and even “yes.” Always remember that having the confidence and courage to try a startup is more than 50% of the battle. The rest is staying confident throughout the road to success or failure. You have already succeeded by trying.
What is the most inspiring thing about your job? What makes you get up and want to go work for MentorMob every day?
Meeting new people that are insanely passionate about a hobby or lifestyle and set out daily to teach other people or themselves everyday. No day at MentorMob is the same. Somedays I am talking to top kiters in the Dominican Republic and other days I’m hearing an inspiring adoption story from a parenting blogger in Iowa. It is so inspiring to see how excited people are to mentor and interact with others in the community. Knowledge is powered by people!
Any advice for people out there considering career changes?
Try it! One of my favorite quotes comes from Richard Branson – ‘I’d rather look back on life and say ‘I can’t believe I did that’ than ‘I wish I’d done that’. If you try what you love, you will do it well, want to learn more daily and never give up. It will not seem like work. You can always go back, but you may never know “what else” unless you try!
Advice for people considering working for a startup?
Ask a lot of questions and have AWESOME mentors. You are doing something that no one has done before, so don’t think you have all the answers. Do not be afraid to ask questions and seek help. Being vulnerable is looked as being confident in wanting to be successful!
Learn more about Kristin and MentorMob at www.mentormob.com or @MentorMob.
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I’ll admit that I am defiant of the social media craze. These thumbs don’t tweet or post or pin. I’ll Link In here and there, and every now and then I’ll leave a biased remark on the DC versus Marvel movie forums. It’s not that I hold myself captive to the Ron Swanson paranoia of big … Continue reading "You Need Tech (Even if You Really Really Really Don’t Think So)"
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I’ll admit that I am defiant of the social media craze. These thumbs don’t tweet or post or pin. I’ll Link In here and there, and every now and then I’ll leave a biased remark on the DC versus Marvel movie forums. It’s not that I hold myself captive to the Ron Swanson paranoia of big federal government monitoring and corporate data mining, but between communicating with my teams through email, phone, and text I don’t see what all the hoopla is with mood updates and stalking bathroom selfies.
However, among my five or so questions I ask my interviewees is if they connect and how often. Now, when I get a mature and seasoned candidate for service manager they usually reply with big bulgy eyes, “Huh?” They’re not used to it of course. Why should I expect them to vacuum Freon, pull pumps from a dishwasher, and be able to comment on Cousin Sue’s vacation in Cabo pictures? Soon afterwards I unfold why their ability to connect affects all positions from those with chairs and cushions to those with cracked and calloused hands.
Everything is online
We can’t escape the future. Everything is going digital and if you’d like proof, think about the last time you printed pictures from a disposable camera. Not only have we gone online, but now we’re mobile. At any moment we can connect and upload files, read Excel, and catch up on monthly reports, all from the comforts of the commode. I expect my service managers not only be to send me well-articulated email responses, but be able to adapt to any new method on the horizon. Tech is constantly evolving, which makes any employed role in this era revolutionary. Yesterday’s job market will be different tomorrow because the rate in which we expect positions to change. Soon even in our realm of service and maintenance (and all others), all tickets will be closed from the palm of their hand, which brings to mind the second reason why connecting is more and more a trade than a craft.
Connecting is Communicating
With all emoticons and acronyms aside, our online communications is significant to each and every role. If there’s something to harvest from our constant commenting, it is that trades like involving the ability to key sixty words per minute, a skill often taught in school or evening classes, is now self-acquired from use of social media. Probably one for the best responses I’ve gotten from an interviewee is that he responds to 800 emails a week and has over 200 connections on LinkedIn. That tells me he can craft a professional response and can network like a politician. Often I weigh this against a 50% technical ability in field as both are not overnight skills one suddenly wakes up with. Word of advice, get in the redundant good habit of spelling out every text so that you don’t have to rely on abbreviations to convey a message. The only message I’m getting is that you’re insecure with your spelling.
Of course, I’m not saying anything new or enlightening. By this point we’re all pretty confident with the ability to connect. However, I am reaffirming the notion that whether or not you’re clearing the property for litter or spearheading the next acquisition, each role is indebted to realm of the online frontier.
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With twitter, texts, IM, pings, chats and more, it’s easy not to have a face-to-face conversation anymore. But, there are some things that have to be said in person – even if it’s hard and uncomfortable. If you have an issue with a co-worker or boss, the first step is to talk with them, in … Continue reading "Can We Talk?"
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With twitter, texts, IM, pings, chats and more, it’s easy not to have a face-to-face conversation anymore. But, there are some things that have to be said in person – even if it’s hard and uncomfortable.
If you have an issue with a co-worker or boss, the first step is to talk with them, in person, directly about the issue. Make sure the conversation is about work process, product, and how it affects your productivity—not a personal attack.
When someone takes the time and is concerned enough to have a conversation, especially one that is difficult, chances are the person on the other end will appreciate it. It is all too tempting to talk to other co-workers about your frustrations, but that doesn’t resolve the issue, and it creates a toxic environment.
Prepare yourself for the conversation by talking with someone you trust or a mentor about your concerns and how best to frame the conversation. Getting that unbiased perspective is important and will help you feel more confident and comfortable going into the conversation!
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Why do people procrastinate and what gets people to focus? I asked myself this question in the midst of my studying for finals. Here I was at the library reviewing for exams, and I couldn’t help but notice how many students were browsing Facebook or watching random videos on YouTube. To combat the issue of … Continue reading "Capturing Coffee Shop Productivity"
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Why do people procrastinate and what gets people to focus? I asked myself this question in the midst of my studying for finals. Here I was at the library reviewing for exams, and I couldn’t help but notice how many students were browsing Facebook or watching random videos on YouTube.
To combat the issue of unproductivity I’ve discovered some tools that have helped me boost my concentration, when it comes to times such as finals week.
1. SelfControl
SelfControl is an app that helps users avoid distracting websites. So let’s say it’s finals week and you absolutely need to concentrate, but you can’t resist the urge to go on Facebook, or update your Twitter—that’s where SelfControl comes in. The app has the ability to lock websites that you deem distracting for a certain period (e.g., you can disable Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on your laptop for 5 hours, and if you try to access the websites you blocked you will be led to a blank page).
2. Coffitivity
Coffitivity is an app that recreates the sounds of a coffee shop in the comfort of your bedroom, or wherever you choose to be. I particularly enjoy using Coffitivity because of its ability to increase my overall productivity. Whenever I find myself using the app, I find myself concentrating better and working more efficiently. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the environment of a coffee shop that makes me actually do work. The ability to choose different sounds from its very own cafe library is a plus, and they also have apps for both Android and iOS!
3. Spotify
Spotify is my go-to app when I need to focus on a particular deliverable on hand and listen to music (e.g., writing a paper, looking over a business case study). Many music streaming services have customizable radio options, where you can choose a particular song of your liking and similar songs will play thereafter. Spotify has a “Focus” genre, which includes playlists such as “Intense Studying” and “Superior Study Playlist”
I hope these tools have proved to be useful in studying for finals, or writing that final term paper! If you know of any other similar apps or tools, feel free to share them below.
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They all have mentors that have influenced and shaped their success (Maya Angelou, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Robinson and Joe Higgs, respectively). Successful people often credit their success to the help of a mentor. In fact, most hugely successful people have mentors, going back to Plato who taught Aristotle who in turn taught Alexander the Great. … Continue reading "What Do Oprah, Justin Timberlake, Barack Obama and Bob Marley Have in Common?"
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They all have mentors that have influenced and shaped their success (Maya Angelou, Pharrell Williams, Michelle Robinson and Joe Higgs, respectively). Successful people often credit their success to the help of a mentor. In fact, most hugely successful people have mentors, going back to Plato who taught Aristotle who in turn taught Alexander the Great.
Even the world’s richest people have mentors. When Warren Buffett was 21 he became the mentee of economist Benjamin Graham who would teach him skills that would allow him to become the most famous investor in the world (and one of the richest on Earth).
Before Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft they worked for Dr. Ed Roberts, who was the inventor of the Altair 8800, which sparked the computer revolution. The two wrote software for the Altair which would inspire them to later found Microsoft.
Not yet convinced? Check out this list of famous people who had mentors:
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Andy Grove mentor to Steve Jobs
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Don Graham mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
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Steve Jobs mentor to Marc Benioff, Salesforce.com
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Madonna is a mentor to Gwyneth Paltrow
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Audrey Hepburn mentor to Elizabeth Taylor
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Adam Farrar mentor to Leonardo DiCaprio
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Tom Sharpin mentor to Russell Crowe
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George Mason mentor to Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of the US)
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Gopal Krishna Gokhale mentor to Mahatma Gandhi
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Mahatma Gandhi mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Mahatma Gandhi mentor to Nelson Mandela
See more famous mentors here.
Why You Should Have a Mentor
My first job after college was working for a tech consulting firm in Silicon Valley. I worked with a lot of big companies like eBay, Cisco, Oracle and IBM. It was a big job for someone right out of college. My boss was my first exposure to mentorship and I learned so much in a short amount of time that I have made it a point to always have a mentor, no matter how busy or successful I get. My mentors have taught me, inspired me and connected me and you should have a mentor too!
Some of the things you can learn from a mentor include:
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Learn new skills – they can teach you how to do something because they’ve already done it.
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Accountability – like in school, if you have a deadline and someone to answer to, you’ll get the assignment done.
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Networking – introductions to other people who can help you. Mentors are great for opening doors.
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Goal setting – working with someone can help you set goals, be inspired to achieve them and accountable to reach them.
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Idea generating – brainstorming new ideas is one of the best ways to get started or to get out of a rut.
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Inspire – associating with someone who has already done what you aspire to do can be encouraging and motivating and much easier than trying to do it alone.
What to Look for in Mentor
Your time is valuable so you want to work with a mentor that is going to be most beneficial to you, so there are a few things to look for in a mentor.
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Experience in your industry – you want someone who has already taken the journey you’re on. If you want to be a successful dentist, an attorney isn’t going to be much help. Choose someone who is several levels “above” you. Don’t choose one of your peers. We are the sum of the 5 closest people in our circle so associate yourself with successful people you aspire to be like.
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Willingness to give – choose someone who has a positive attitude about giving back.
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Connections – the more people your contact knows, the more likely it is that he can introduce you to others who can guide you. Hermits don’t make good mentors.
How to Find a Mentor
Gandhi had a mentor and was in turn a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi’s mentor was Dadabhai Naoroji, who was instrumental in starting the Indian Independence Movement. In 1888, he wrote to Naoroji, “…you will, therefore oblige me greatly if you will kindly direct and guide me and make necessary suggestions which shall be received as from a father to his child.” It’s interesting that what Gandhi did was very simple. He was humble enough to ask for help. Don’t be intimidated to approach someone super successful. Those are the people who may have the most to teach.
Make a list of 5 people you think fit the criteria above and give them a call and tell them you’d love their advice, tell them you don’t want anything from them, that you’re not selling anything, but just want to ask for their advice. Successful people are usually willing to help others as long as they know the commitment is fairly low and expectations are clear. Just ask to meet them for lunch once a month. Start small and build a relationship to see if it’s the right fit. It doesn’t have to be formal or time-consuming. Make it easy for them to say “yes”.
If you don’t know anyone who you’d like to be your mentor, start networking. Go to events where successful people in your field are and meet new people. When starting new relationships, don’t ask for anything. Focus just on giving and creating value for other people.
This will build a relationship much faster and they’ll see you as a person who is trustworthy and valued. It’s just like dating. You wouldn’t go in for a kiss right away. That would scare someone off. You need to build trust and show value.
Remember no matter how successful you are, there’s always someone cooler than you that you can learn from, so go find someone who has already taken the journey you’re about to embark on.
“No matter what you might do, There’s always someone out there cooler than you” – Ben Folds
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This is a guest contributor’s post by Simran Thadani. For many college students, summer is internship time — a chance to explore new avenues, acquire new skills, and grow through new experiences. Whether you’ve got a journalism gig or lab research position, here are five free, must-have apps you can download on your phone to … Continue reading "5 Apps To Help You Succeed In Your Summer Internship"
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This is a guest contributor’s post by Simran Thadani.
For many college students, summer is internship time — a chance to explore new avenues, acquire new skills, and grow through new experiences.
Whether you’ve got a journalism gig or lab research position, here are five free, must-have apps you can download on your phone to get you organized, connected, productive, and smart — in short, to make sure you rock that internship.
1. Pocket
It’s important to stay focused at work, but when there’s so much great content coming at you it’s easy to get sidetracked! Save anything you find interesting to Pocket and come back to view it later, whether that’s on the weekend or on your daily commute. Once something’s saved to Pocket, you can access it on your phone, tablet, or computer, even when you’re offline. Plus, with Pocket’s excellent sharing capabilities, you can share your new knowledge with colleagues and friends.
2. Evernote
It’s no accident that Evernote’s logo features an elephant, the animal that never forgets. Sign up for an Evernote account, and you can store just about everything you need to do your job — text, notes, lists, photos, websites, documents, itineraries — in neatly organized, fully searchable notebooks. You can also tag, highlight, annotate, and share content. No need to fret about where those meeting notes went again; let the electronic elephant do the heavy lifting for you!
3. Any.do
This sleek little app can seem unobtrusive — until you realize how quietly useful it is. Then you’ll wonder how you ever went without it! An elegant blue-and-white interface, browser extension, smart notes and reminders, and separate “Work” and “Personal” lists help you stay on top of your tasks, without getting stressed about them! You can also use Any.do’s “Cal” app, with the same calm, intuitive interface, to manage your daily schedule.
4. Dropbox
Dropbox’s “It Just Works” philosophy is a humble understatement of just how reliable the cloud storage service really is. With hundreds of millions of satisfied users, and apps available for all platforms, it’s very likely that you’ll resort to your Dropbox account to share files with colleagues. If your workplace has a Dropbox for Business subscription, you can even register two Dropbox accounts at the same time, and the app will keep work and pleasure separate — and secure.
5. TED
With its steady stream of “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TED has become a world center for conversation, learning, and self-improvement. The organization’s TED and TEDx conferences have produced an ever-expanding library of knowledge. Download the app for access to high-quality video and audio talks from world experts on everything from technology and business to leadership and writing.
Bonus:
6. LinkedIn: The world’s biggest social network for professionals, LinkedIn is a great place to build on the network you’ll start to form during your internship. Connect with new mentors and colleagues, seek recommendations from supervisors, and update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your top achievements from the summer. Keep an eye out for relevant groups to join — and, down the road, job postings for full-time positions.
About the Author:
Sim Thadani works on Marketing and Community at Pocket. She enjoys yoga and cooking, and geeks out equally over the latest mobile apps and the rarest 16th century manuscripts.
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One of my dad’s favorite catch phrases is: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Selling insurance (his job) is different than pitching products to the media (my job), but this advice certainly applies to both. I’ve had the most success in media relations when I’ve focused on the ways in which a product can improve … Continue reading "Get The Most Reach Out Of Your Media Outreach"
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One of my dad’s favorite catch phrases is: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” Selling insurance (his job) is different than pitching products to the media (my job), but this advice certainly applies to both. I’ve had the most success in media relations when I’ve focused on the ways in which a product can improve a consumer’s life, rather than simply listing off the product’s capabilities.
I spend my days directly pitching to the media, and indirectly pitching to a wider consumer audience. This process is both successful and unsuccessful, depending on the client I represent. What I’ve heard from journalists is that there just isn’t enough time in the day to read every email that comes in. Most emails get deleted immediately if the journalist doesn’t know the publicist, or if the subject line doesn’t catch their eye. My best advice is to think about those emails that you delete right off the bat, without even opening them. Do your best to avoid the language used in those email subject lines. Know your audience. Know what they’re looking for – and craft a catchy line that corresponds.
Whether you’re writing ad copy to catch the eye of a commuting consumer or crafting an email to catch the eye of a juggling journalist, you need to do more than just present a product – you need to present a lifestyle.
“This is a phone charger. It charges your phone.”
That doesn’t work.
“Stay connected all day long with this phone charger. No missed calls, no mixed messages. Just a fully-charged battery that lasts.”
That works.
Get right to the point. Tell your audience how your product can improve their lives. Otherwise, you’re wasting their time.
Think about all of the billboards, magazine ads, radio jingles, TV commercials, and subway banners you see every day. It’s overwhelming. Give consumers something worth seeing. Pitch journalists something worth reading. Take the time to dive into the product, learn about it and believe in what you’re selling. The more time and effort you put into your pitch, the more responsive your audience will be. It will make everyone’s job easier.
When in doubt, always remember: Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
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#MySideProject profiles awesome side projects from the college community! Carlos Villalobos (@carlosvivaldi), globetrotter and student entrepreneur, goes above and beyond what Google’s internship application asked for to stand out from the crowd. How? He proposed a game changing initiative to promote Google Maps. Oh, and he posted it online for the whole world to see. Can … Continue reading "MySideProject: An Application to Google Like No Other"
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#MySideProject profiles awesome side projects from the college community!
Carlos Villalobos (@carlosvivaldi), globetrotter and student entrepreneur, goes above and beyond what Google’s internship application asked for to stand out from the crowd. How? He proposed a game changing initiative to promote Google Maps. Oh, and he posted it online for the whole world to see.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in El Salvador, went to a British high school that put a lot of emphasis on international experiences. I applied to Northeastern University because of its leadership opportunities as well as their co-op program. I am currently pursuing a major in Finance & Entrepreneurship. Well, I started off as a marketing major, and did my first co-op, six month internship, at Adobe Systems in San Francisco, California. I discovered that marketing in a classroom environment wasn’t something that I was looking for, so I switched into Finance to gain more technical, hands-on skills. In general, I’m fascinated by technology and seek every chance I get to fiddle with the newest gadgets out there. My other interests include going out for coffee, brunch, running and photography.
What position at Google were you applying for? How did you stumble upon it?
During my second co-op program, people kept telling me that now was the time to start building my network and they were right. I wasn’t going to wait until graduation to put this networks to work, so I decided to start reaching out to people in the technology industry in the efforts of getting my second co-op. I cold called and e-mailed recruiters in the industry until one thing led to another. An opportunity came abroad – the Google BOLD internship program. I was rejected during the first round of applications but I wasn’t going to take no for answer — not for something I had worked so hard on. In about a week I put together the Google initiative project and sent it back to the recruiter who originally sent the rejection e-mail.
Can you describe MyGoogleInternship?
MyGoogleInternship is a fictitious project that I made out of self-initiative in order to strengthen my internship application at Google. I took on the role as an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Google assigned to the Google Maps team after Apple insourced its own maps application for iOS. In this situation, I’ve been given a billboard space in New York City’s Times Square with a few objectives. Essentially my idea was to set up a panoramic display booth in Times Square that advertises Google Maps in an unconventional fashion to increase our user base, measure our growth and spark awareness to our product. I designed a modest proposal, dealt with the financials, and measured the return.
What inspired you to go above and beyond? And how long did this take?
I guess I just tend to do that, to be honest. At this point in time, with all the resources available, it’s easy to learn about anything you’d like to know. There’s no excuse not to. There is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t go the extra mile. It sets you apart from all the other candidates. It shows you care. This project took about a week to do; on top of classes, extracurriculars, and looking for other co-op opportunities. I’m also part of a case consulting management team and we build actual initiatives for different companies each week, so I kind of leveraged that expertise to get this done quickly. Getting everything straight, researching, and building the website took just a few days.
How did Google respond?
When I sent my initiative to my Google recruiter, I didn’t hear back from her for two weeks. All of a sudden I received a response from her saying that Google’s Hiring Manager loved my passion and wanted to interview me. Her exact words were: “I’m obsessed with his website”. Although this story doesn’t have the ending I would’ve expected, it was still a happy one. I interviewed with them late January and got turned down. However, I was still reaching out to other companies. I received an offer from a company in London that offers investment management consulting. It was too good of an opportunity to pass down.
What were other reactions that you received?
When the website went live on a Sunday, someone found it online and posted it on Hacker News. The next thing I know, I was getting numerous emails and the view count went up to 3,122 in one day. My personal website got a similar amount of views. I was like ‘what the hell just happened?’ Of course there was a lot of criticism, but also positive reactions and feedback. People said: “I used to process HR [at Google], reviewed thousands of approved applications, none of them have anything close to something like this.”I understood that when you put yourself out there, you should expect things to go either good or bad.
What advice do you have for students looking to apply to big corporations like Google or any companies in general?
Hey it’s not easy, but the adventure is worth the struggle. I would strongly recommend three things:
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Networking is very important. The ability to reach out to people and introduce yourself on a cold email is absolutely ground breaking. Don’t be afraid of emails and don’t sell yourself short, aim high and do everything beyond your reach to get there. If you want something, go get it. Nothing is stopping you. Let them know that this is who you are, and this is why you want to work for them. There is an importance in taking risks and fighting for what you really want. Google’s product management is still my dream job and I went all in for it. I managed to get the attention of their Hiring Manager.
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Next, always go the extra mile. It never hurts to go beyond and do something unexpected. Stop thinking outside the box but try to redesign the box. Write down your story and don’t be afraid of sharing it around. Look, I’ve come to realize we are the face of a new and upcoming generation; one that will take over key leadership positions, not only of this country but all throughout the world, and it is up to us to put ourselves forward and challenge our capabilities to new frontiers. We’ve got to set new and higher standards. We are writing the future. Life is now and today you are the youngest that you’ll ever be; you better be making the most of it. Do it because it is up to you, and if you don’t, then no one will.
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Finally, never underestimate the power of a smile, of being relatable and personal, and showing that you care for something; this goes further than any skill or GPA. People want to know who you are, what you’re moved by; whether that’s red velvet cupcakes, salsa dancing or technology. Try to improve yourself every day and aim higher than ever before. You know, Google has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard University, and I won’t stop working towards this goal because there isn’t anything in the world that I want the most.
What are you working on now?
I’m actually starting my own company — Bökeh. We intend to change the mobile photography experience with a groundbreaking innovation. It’s crazy. Right now I’m meeting with potential investors and sending business plans around. We just joined an accelerator program — it’s pretty exciting right now. I would encourage anyone who is interested in starting their own venture to go out there shake the ground.
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This is a guest post by Michelle Landahl for Student Stories. PUBLIC SPEAKING. Did those two little words just make you cringe? Well, if they did, you’re certainly not alone: more people fear public speaking than death. In my high school career, I faced both. And this is the story of how a random catchphrase … Continue reading "Making Every Word Count: How to Ace Life’s Important Speeches"
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This is a guest post by Michelle Landahl for Student Stories.
PUBLIC SPEAKING.
Did those two little words just make you cringe? Well, if they did, you’re certainly not alone: more people fear public speaking than death. In my high school career, I faced both. And this is the story of how a random catchphrase from my honors speech class got me through it all.
I was “that” person in speech class. I could make up a speech on the spot and ace it, despite the fact that there were times I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I could have the class on the verge of tears or splitting their sides with laughter with a simple voice inflection or the perfect choice of words.
I made it look easy…so easy that the audience never saw my trembling hands or flushed cheeks. They never saw my knees buckle or heard my voice crack.
When people asked me how I could do it so effortlessly, I didn’t really know what to tell them. To me, it was far from effortless, so my usual response was, “I really don’t know.” That is, until one day when my teacher put a phrase to it: “Fake it ‘til you make it.”
That was her advice to us for every speech. Nervous? Fake it ‘til you make it. Couldn’t remember the next line? Fake it ‘til you make it. And if you faked it hard enough, you could have the audience on their feet, on the edge of their seat, or at least on your side. And you’d start to believe it yourself.
I was her poster child for that expression, but there was no way I could understand how much that little phrase would come to mean to me. The semester ended, we said our fond farewells, and parted ways.
The next speech I would give would be improvised like all the others, but it would be at a candlelight vigil in a high school parking lot.
Tragedy struck my small town as two of our seniors lost their lives in the same week. And I was the one who always had the words to say. I could always be counted on to give the perfect speech, but when students, teachers, and my deceased best friend’s family all looked to me, words were increasingly hard to come by.
Somehow, I spoke a few times that night. I spoke two days later at her funeral. I spoke months later in front of my entire senior class. Every time, my hands trembled and my cheeks flushed, my knees buckled and my voice cracked. But did anyone ever notice? Absolutely not.
All of this has made me realize that life is marked by important speeches. The speeches given to oneself before an exam, a team before a game, or a potential employer before landing a job. Are those speakers never nervous? Never doubtful? Of course not. All you see is them “making it.” That’s the whole idea.
Throughout life, remember that you will have to make many important speeches. They may come in the form of an important answer to an interviewer’s tough question, a last goodbye to a family member, or a proposal to the love of your life. Before each one of these crucial moments, you’ll have flashes of self-doubt where you’ll want to turn back. To give up. Times where you’ll want to say, “I can’t do this,” and walk away. Your hands will tremble and your cheeks will flush, your knees will buckle and your voice will crack. But if you know how to fake it – suppress your fear, see the opportunity, and take it – then without a doubt, you will make it.
About the Author:
Michelle Landahl is a sophomore at Elon University majoring in Biochemistry. Currently, she is “overcommitted, in over her head, and loving every minute of it.” Although she wants to work in an emergency room after graduation, her main goal in life is to pass on her wisdom and advice through laughter, tears, and every other medium in between.
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This is a guest post by Ryan Kelly for Student Stories. I’d be willing to bet most students, if asked during a job interview, would say that they are comfortable handling phone calls. I mean, it’s just holding a plastic thing next to your face and talking, right? Easy. I will be the first to … Continue reading "The Importance of Phone Skills"
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This is a guest post by Ryan Kelly for Student Stories.
I’d be willing to bet most students, if asked during a job interview, would say that they are comfortable handling phone calls. I mean, it’s just holding a plastic thing next to your face and talking, right? Easy.
I will be the first to tell you that it is not as simple one might think. But I will get to that shortly.
First, consider how many times you are engaged in a phone call over the course of a month. I whipped out my iPhone for this, do the same if you feel so inclined. After calculating my rate for this month prior, (either made OR received) I averaged about one per day. Give or take a few, I think this is the range where a lot of college students would dwell: about one a day. Remove butt dials and telemarketers from the equation, and this number may grow even smaller.
I’m not blaming anyone one for not spending too much time having in depth discussions over the phone. I fall into this category too. We live in a society driven by indirect communications, where most people are primed to send a text or email before having a one on one conversation. It’s less mentally taxing, and can be done in the background while we focus our efforts elsewhere during the day. Despite this, we should not overlook the importance of being able to proficiently share and receive information via the phone, as it is very often a responsibility for internship and entry level positions.
My first internship as an undergrad was right on my college campus, working for a research team conducting a psychological study. As with any research study, there was a recruitment and enrollment process for participants. I was in charge of said process, meaning the bulk of my work included screening families, scheduling assessments, providing reminders for assessments, and reaching out to participants for follow up visits. Phone calls, which were typically a part of my life a few times a week at the most, could easily reach in the double digits during one eight hour shift. On top of that, the screening and enrollment process required me to gather a lot of personal information about subjects, some of which was very private in nature. If I wasn’t respectful in my tone or delivery of questions, there was a lot of room for the person on the other end of the line to be insulted or made to feel uncomfortable.
For the first couple days of my internship, I was truly nervous every time that phone would ring. And this manifested itself in every way possible. I stuttered. I forgot to ask necessary questions. I gave incorrect information. I froze. “Uhh” was my go-to word. Hearing myself struggle through the first several phone calls rid me of any confidence. But I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Those who were on the receiving end of my ineptitude heard too, and their occasional sighs, groans, or flat out unpleasant responses only further illuminated the amount of improvement my phones skills required.
Any way in which I found myself unprepared to handle a phone call at work can all be attributed to a simple lack of practice. I rarely made phone calls before, and even if I did, it was almost always to someone I knew well. As clichéd as it is, practice will make perfect. The more calls I made at work, the more efficient I became. As I became more efficient, I gained confidence in speaking with strangers, and was no longer dreading having to deal with a potential stressful situation with a study participant over the phone.
Believe me, it is a skill with which you may not even know you need more work. In addition, being proficient and confident over the phone can benefit you in not only in the workplace, but in the hunt for an internship. Think about it: Phone calls are commonly used by employers to schedule interviews. Occasionally the interview itself can take place over the phone. Competency on the phone here is crucial, since this may be the first impression you provide you potential hirer.
Therefore, if you find yourself searching for or beginning an internship position in which you will be working the phones (in any capacity), the best way to prepare yourself is straight forward: call people. Anyone. Hey, don’t know if Barnes and Noble has any more copies of the next Game of Thrones book you need? Hit them up. As easy as Domino’s makes it to order online, try ordering over the phone. Make plans with friends. Call home, your family probably misses you anyway. I know most of these aren’t important types of exchanges, but repetition will help you in comfortably relaying messages to others, and potentially asking questions of strangers.
Other advice for handling phone calls during an internship:
Always identify yourself.
This is a good habit to get in to, as it is important for callers (or those you call) to have a name and title for the person with which they are interacting. Added bonus: if a caller knows you by name, this person will tend to be much more cooperative (from what I have experienced).
Do not be afraid to say “I don’t know.”
I can’t emphasize this enough. If someone asks you a question, they typically aren’t looking for a guess. They want as accurate an answer as possible. If you can’t provide one, there is nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know”, but be sure to follow it up with “let me check for you/ let me ask my supervisor/ let me look it up” and act accordingly.
Try not to take the unjustified rudeness of certain people personally.
Some clients or customers truly have no patience, and are not above barking at someone who is trying his or her best to assist them. Shake them off, and cherish the super friendly caller.
On the other hand, you would be surprised at how forgiving people can be.
Admit when you make a mistake. “Hi there, I’m so sorry to tell you this but I accidentally scheduled your assessment on the wrong day. Totally my fault, and I’d like to reschedule it for a day that works for you.” This is important if you are in a setting where you may have to make calls to the same people consistently, as you can build a trustworthy rapport by being up front about the matters at hand.
Pen and paper next to the phone. Always.
Write down information as you talk to the best of your abilities, even if you don’t need it later. You may not realize how quickly we sometimes forget things we heard just seconds before.
Stay comfortable and loose.
Basic psychology: If you are relaxed, it will likely keep the person with whom you are communicating relaxed too.
About the Author:
Ryan Kelly is a Health Science major in his fourth year at Northeastern University. His internship experience includes settings in academic research as well as a contract research organization.
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As exciting and educational as school gets, it might not be providing you with the creative outlet that you need. Every young, driven student has a passion. With that passion comes the desire to do something on your own. Whether it’s starting your own business, developing your own software, or encouraging a social movement – … Continue reading "Four Steps To Starting Your Side Project"
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As exciting and educational as school gets, it might not be providing you with the creative outlet that you need. Every young, driven student has a passion. With that passion comes the desire to do something on your own. Whether it’s starting your own business, developing your own software, or encouraging a social movement – you have an idea and you want to make it real.
And now is the time to. In today’s competitive industry, recruiters are looking for young ambitious students to excel at something outside of just pure academics. Your side project will define you as someone with an innovative vigor that’s not afraid to take action on the things you’re passionate about. In our interview with Google’s University Program Coordinator Jessica Safir, she states that recruiters “don’t just stop at your resume where it says education, and then stop looking.” They are always looking for more, especially involvement outside of a candidate’s studies.
So stand out from the crowd, explore your passion, and attack your side project today. Take these four steps to get you started.
Step 1: Brain dump your ideas, and stick with one.
You may have a series of ideas in your head just waiting to come alive. To filter out the good from the bad and the realistic from the fantasies, start brain dumping.
Open up a word document and begin writing down ideas. Jot down anything you’ve ever wanted to do, any problem you’ve ever wanted to solve, or anything you’d like to see exist in the world. As students, we have plenty of thoughts bouncing around in our head. Brain dumping will give you the ability to flush them out.
Once you have this list of ideas, you need to figure out which one of them you’re actually passionate about. Remember that it’s not about ideas, it’s about making ideas happen. Steve Job was an advocator of passion, calling it a critical component of success.
“It has got to be something that you’re passionate about because otherwise you won’t have the perseverance to see it through” – Steve Jobs
Did you find an idea? Stick with it, refine it and move on to the next step.
Step 2: Determine what you need.
This is where you need to tap into your network and find a way to utilize your existing resources. Here’s a Beginner’s Guide on How to Network if you need a little help. Your idea cannot be made into a goal without determining the steps to get there and what you need in each step.
Are you trying to start your own blog?
You should probably look into which hosting site you’d want to buy your domain name from, or which free website builder to use. You can start networking with your friends who have had publishing experience, or work at your school’s newspaper. Maybe you’d like to start connecting with fellow peers who are knowledgeable in the topic you want to blog on. Either way, remember that a blog can be a powerful tool in both spreading your ideas and getting you noticed. In fact, you can use a blog to apply for an internship. Just one of its many perks.
- To get you inspired, Thomas Frank, a recent college graduate of Iowa State University, started building websites for local businesses when he was in high school. He decided to found a blog called College Info Geek to share the knowledge he’s gained through college,and after. Now he helps thousands of students learn the essential to personal branding, finding a job, and more!
Are you trying to start your own business?
Most university have a vibrant student entrepreneur community. Check if there’s an on-campus incubator or if there are scholarships being given out to students trying to fund their next big idea. Connect with other people who specialize in the area that you need for your business. For example, it’d be a good idea to on-board a student graphic designer to get your logo branded. You may be the brains behind your project, but there are always other resources you can utilize to get your project in solid form.
- For example, Phil Michaelson was a student at Harvard who founded his website, KartMe, as a side project. He wanted an easier way to view recommendations from his friends of places to visit, books to read, movies to see, hotels to stay at, and more. To solve this problem, Phil worked with freelance designers he found on Elance to prototype his website. Upon graduation, he launched the site into full force!
Whatever the case is for your project, figure out who and what you need to get that idea of yours up and running.
Step 3: Have a goal timeline.
Now that you have a project idea and identified the resources you need to make it a reality, it’s time to fill out your goal timeline.
In one week, how much progress will you have gotten on your project?
In one month, how will your project look?
In three months, will your project be completed or will it only be a quarter done?
Think of goals you want to hit and ask yourself WHEN you want to hit it. Pick up a calendar and note the dates when you’re suppose to be done with one part of your project. This is a way to keep yourself accountable. Remember, be realistic. While you’re juggling school with having a social life, it can be difficult turning your attention back to your side project. Give yourself enough time on your goal timeline to work on your project, and also do other things.
Step 4: Experiment and never give up.
A point to remember about a side project is that it’s an experiment. It’s a playground outside of school where you can let your innermost creative beast rampage the slides and swings. Sometimes things can go wrong that you don’t expect and that’s completely ok. The most important thing about working on a side project is that you’re learning, creating, and doing something that you’re passionate about.
Who knows? Your side project can turn into a full-time business, or get you recognized and hired by that company you’ve always wanted to work for. It can gain you media recognition, or make someone’s day better. Whatever it may be, a side project is your passion being put to work.
And the time to start is now.
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This is guest post by Greg Narayan, who graduated in 2010, packed up for New York City, and now helps folks decide where to start up a blog of their own. Find Greg on Google+. Looking for a job? Feel behind? Not sure your resume will make you stand out? Listen up. Start, a, … Continue reading "Start a Blog: It Will Help You Land a Job"
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This is guest post by Greg Narayan, who graduated in 2010, packed up for New York City, and now helps folks decide where to start up a blog of their own. Find Greg on Google+.
Looking for a job? Feel behind? Not sure your resume will make you stand out?
Listen up. Start, a, blog.
A blog is a place where you can showcase your writing, artwork, or academic portfolio. A blog can be shared instantly with a wide audience. It’s a place where you get all the attention.
And trust me, if you want a job, you want as much attention as you can get. In this post I’d like to explain why starting a blog sets you apart from the pack, and highlight a few careers where blogging is particularly useful.
Begin blogging? Yes you can!
As a prominent blogger I hear the term “golden age” thrown around among my colleagues. At first I laughed. “Golden age, we’re not in a golden age of anything anymore!” I responded. But then I heard the term a few more times, among more distant clients.
It suddenly hit me. We are in a golden age of online publishing. It’s incredibly easy to start your online presence on the cheap and build a following all through free tools like Facebook and Twitter.
Blogs own more of the web everyday! They’re personal, friendly, and funny, making them attractive for readers and advertisers alike!
The first step to getting involved is deciding where to blog. Having started a few blogs recently, I’ve found that it’s a lot of fun picking your topics, writing your first post, and watching as people give you feedback. You sort of feel like a tiny celebrity.
Here are some blogging considerations:
1) What’s your mission statement? Try to write one down for people to see.
2) Are you curious about learning code? Blogging can teach you this!
3) Do you want your blog to earn income someday? If so, WordPress is a great choice.
Once you have a blog up, link to it on your resume. Now let’s look at a few careers that really value bloggers and blogging as a whole. Ya know, where having a blog will help you get a job.
Writing Careers
A career in online writing is ideal for young students. Companies want folks who write frequently, stay in touch with the media, and can produce original, creative content on the fly.
And as mentioned above, a blog is great way to show off your writing. The best way to begin is to guest-post or guest-contribute to the sites and blogs you’re reading! This can be tough at first if you have no online social proof (ie. you’ve never been published) but be persistent.
Once you get on a couple sites, you can reference your writing to other sites with larger audiences. It’s all about using your networking skills (ya know, the ones they don’t teach you in school?) to get your voice in really awesome places around the web.
For inspiration, you can browse some of my best guest posts.
Once you’re feeling established, shoot for the stars. Try writing for places like the Huffington Post or the local times in your city.
Marketing Careers
Marketing is one of those fields where you, and the way you present yourself, mean a ton! Sure it helps to have a good resume and GPA, but if you’ve demonstrated the ability to market a blog to success, you’ll definitely stand out.
You’ll hear buzz words in marketing like “social interaction,” “social traction,” and “social proof.” You don’t have to be a genius to master these…
“How would you get more traffic to our website?” is a question you’ll hear in interviews.
Your blog is basically your talking point from a marketing perspective. If you’ve tried marketing for companies on your blog (of which there are thousands to choose from) you can cite past successes of what works. Whether you’re writing an article series or running product giveaways, there are lots of ways to engage real companies with a blog that will add up to good experience under your belt.
This is the kind of experience employers–many of whom can’t even set up up a website–will love.
Advertising Careers
Advertising careers and marketing careers go hand in hand. Most firms that engage in one need a team for the other, but from a blogger’s perspective, the two are a bit different.
Advertising is all about design, and online advertising is no exception. What kinds of landing pages work for consumers? Where do banner ads get the most clicks? How could you use Adobe InDesign to create a pleasing brochure for online clients? These are all questions you may face at the start of a job in advertising.
You’ll have to know what sells online.
Armed with a blog, maybe even one that’s made some sales of its own, you’ll be far ahead of other candidates who just babble about “that group project they had great results in.”
Web Design Careers
A web design career may involve HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, or more complex languages like C++.
If you’re studying these in school, great! But most of us opted for something more mainstream like business or economics.
If that’s your case, you ought to know that a blog introduces you to all of these languages! It’s a great activity if you’re curious, or feel like it’s your turn to learn “code.”
I can’t tell you how overjoyed I was to edit my first chunk of HTML, even if all it did was add a page finder to my blog.
Nowadays, a career in web design doesn’t have to be as hands-on as, say, 10 years ago when the programs being used were highly complex. “Web design” for a company might even just mean editing and managing the company blog!
How fun would that be?!
So what should you do?
Start, a, blog.
Roger that?
Don’t wait. Starting a blog is a task best done today. Why? Because each day that goes by represents lost readers, blog posts you could write, and an online presence you could be building for yourself.
And as the above showed, a blog can compliment (or entirely replace) your resume!
Good luck, and post any questions for discussion in the comments below.
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You may be wondering, “what does starting a conversation have to do with Mastering Summer Internships?” By now, we’ve already discussed the value of networking, but we haven’t yet discussed how networking is something you can do at all times. Have you ever considered that the people waiting in line with you to get a … Continue reading "How to Spark Thrilling Conversations"
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You may be wondering, “what does starting a conversation have to do with Mastering Summer Internships?” By now, we’ve already discussed the value of networking, but we haven’t yet discussed how networking is something you can do at all times. Have you ever considered that the people waiting in line with you to get a burrito, sitting beside you on the bus, or walking beside you on the street could have the potential to lead you to your next job, teach you about something new, or be the connection that leads to the success of your summer?
We’re constantly within inches of rich gold mines all around us, but we rarely have the courage to start these conversations. We’re afraid the person beside us will think, This guy’s crazy. The best way to address this fear is to ask how we react when someone tries to start a conversation with us. Are we annoyed or delightfully surprised? I know I’m usually overjoyed when someone starts a conversation with me. In an environment where everyone seems to have blinders on, it’s like being offered a sip of cool water when someone starts talking to you. Of course, there will occasionally be someone who will give you the cold shoulder, but I bet even they are touched somewhere deep in their heart that’s three sizes too small.
Now that we’ve busted that myth, let’s dig into how you can start a conversation.
1) Ask them for help or advice.
This will make them feel valuable by giving them an opportunity to share their knowledge. Some examples of this are when you’re standing in line wondering what to order at a restaurant, ask the person next to you, “Excuse me. What do you recommend ordering here?” While standing in line for the bus or subway, ask, “Does this bus go to Mission St.? I just wanted to make sure.” It doesn’t matter if you already knew the answer; your goal in this initial stage is simply to break the wall of silence between you.
2) Start with the basics.
Let them know you’re interested in getting to know them by ask them where they work, for example. You can also mention something they’re wearing. If they have a Boston Red Sox cap on, ask, “Are you a big Red Sox fan?”
3) As I’ve mentioned before, find their passion point.
The best part of a conversation is when you see the light spark in someone’s eyes as they start to tell you about what they love. Their passion point could be their job, their family, or their favorite hobby.
4) Satisfy your curiosity.
Reflect on what you truly want to know about the person you’re talking to. What are they an expert on that you’d like to learn more about?
5) Ask questions that revolve around them.
If they talk 90% of the time, that’s great! Studies prove that people love talking about themselves.
6) Names!
Ask them for their name and offer them a firm handshake. I’ve found that it’s better to ask someone their name once the conversation has been rolling for a while. If you introduce yourself initially, you can then experience a lull in the conversation because there’s no bridge from that topic. Also, once you know someone’s name there’s more of an expectation that you’ll keep in touch. For tips on remembering people’s names, click here.
7) Enjoy the conversation.
Don’t focus on impressing who you’re talking to. You are your true self when you’re having a good time, so just smile and appreciate the conversation you dove into.
8) Keep connecting with them.
Add them on Facebook and LinkedIn. Send them a quick message mentioning how much you enjoyed meeting them.
You could meet someone who leads you to your future job or you could meet your new best friend just by starting up a conversation with the person standing right beside you. Getting in the habit of starting conversations with the people all around you will serve you throughout life, and I guarantee it will make waiting for your burrito much more enjoyable.
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The best opportunity you could have as a summer intern is to build something from the ground up by having a unique project that’s all your own. Owning an independent project will cause you to accelerate your learning curve during your summer internship. You’ll be the sole person to work out any problems that arise … Continue reading "How to Build Your Personal Project"
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The best opportunity you could have as a summer intern is to build something from the ground up by having a unique project that’s all your own. Owning an independent project will cause you to accelerate your learning curve during your summer internship. You’ll be the sole person to work out any problems that arise and put all that you’ve learned to practice. Being able to have this level of personal responsibility will give you the opportunity to shine as a member of whatever team you’re on. Just like remarkable buildings are appreciated by all, the personal project you build this summer could become a landmark that causes your company to thank you for years to come.
Meet with your manager
The first step to starting your personal project is to plan a meeting with your manager. Before you mention your personal assignment, ask your manager what you’ve been succeeding at and what you could improve on. Write down your manager’s answers to these questions so you can reference them while you work.
Be creative and passionate
The perfect project is found at the point where the company’s goals and your passion meet. Express to your manager that you want your project to help the company and you want it to last. You must be able to display that you’ve excelled in your current job and that you will be able to carry the responsibility of a new task.
Your project could be something like building a unique software, individually reaching out to customers, or writing your own content for a site. However, it could also be something as unique as designing a model for the product your company produces. When you’re in the process of developing your project, don’t be afraid to ask your manager if you can extend the boundaries and do something unconventional.
The project the company needs you to take on may not fit with what you had imagined it to be, but that’s no reason to moan. Delight in the fact that your project is all your own. It’s your opportunity to shine this summer.
Check your progress
Once you start your project, continue to check in with your manager about it. Be as transparent as possible. Don’t be ashamed to ask for assistance when you’re sure you need it, but challenge yourself to make your project as much your own as it can be. Mastering this project will become your key to mastering your summer internship.
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