Q: What was your biggest fear about leaving college and entering the “real world”?
My biggest, most violent fear was being unable to pay my bills, pay my rent, and end up back in retail at the local mall and living in my parents house. I have a fantastic relationship with my parents, don't get me wrong, but the level of independence I desired was including a salary, one that reflected the completeness of a degree.
Q: What five words would you use to explain your job search as a recent grad?
Q: What is it about your situation now that makes you a happy grad?
I am very fortunate to say I have a solid, challenging job with the perks of a steady paycheck, the confidence of my employers, and the responsibilities of a real-world office worker. I have the solidarity of a 9-5 work schedule, and the familiarity of my job cycle: I know what is expected of me, I can complete my work and go above and beyond what is expected of me.
Q: What are the best things about your current role?
I love being entrusted with many of the important things that need to be completed in order to run a business. For example; payroll, invoicing, accounts payable and receivable are all components of a business that require meticulous handling. I am young and see the potential to grow into my role and earn more responsibility as the business grows. It's also a wonderful feeling when you're opinion holds water in the work environment. There's nothing like proving yourself and then reaping the benefits: being trusted.
Q: What advice would you give recent grads today about leaving college, and finding a career and life they love?
My best advice: do not limit your opportunities. I graduated with a psychology degree and at first when I was job searching I had a difficult time finding the one specific job I wanted. Did I ever imagine becoming an office manager? No. I was stuck on the perfect psychology related job - but I soon became discouraged.
There are many stairs on the staircase to our dreams.
I learned in order for there to be any hope of finding a good job, I needed to realize "Ok, my first job may not be my dream job, or my career, but that doesn't mean I can't gain great and valuable experience doing a job that utilizes my strengths and also getting my foot in the door." There are many stairs on the staircase to our dreams.
Q. What are some of the best things about being a recent grad?
Some of the most exciting things I've experienced in the last year is just that: experiences. I am able to say I have been fully supporting myself for a year now. Financial independence has been wonderful. With that, I have been able to plan for the future: my goal is to go out of the country on a trip to Paris in 2015.
Last year, I was able to afford to go skydiving, among many other things I will soon be crossing off my bucket list. I feel accomplished, successful and making my family proud while contributing to the success of a company.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.