Career Development has a Twitter!

Hey bloggers!  Do you like to tweet?  Why not follow Chestnut Hill College’s Career Development office on Twitter?

There are always tweets about upcoming events and job opportunities.

Search @CHCCareerDev on http://www.twitter.com & become a follower!

Thank God for Training

In my last post, I mentioned that I was interviewing for a volunteer position. Since then, I have completed my interview, survived training and orientation, and even worked a partial shift. This Wednesday will be my first full shift.

The whole process has made me realize how well some organizations train their employees and how poorly some others prepare their employees. The Newseum, my new place of volunteer-ployment, definitely falls into the former category. As a visitor services volunteer, I received a full 8-hour day of orientation, plus two 4.5-hour shifts of training.

I have to admit I was  a little nervous about the orientation — 8 hours of sitting in a classroom being oriented to a new job doesn’t exactly sound excited — but I was very impressed with the whole process once it started. 

when to settle for the time being

Lately my job (part-time…which is helping pay my rent so I can attend CHC Grad School) isn’t making me too happy. I really miss my old job from working at Pier One Imports (was there for 6 years!) I was so used to that environment that I miss it. I realized however, that despite the fact that I might not be 100% happy where I am…I need to settle with it for the time being. Job hunting and searching is not an easy process. Once you finally get a hold of a job, you need to wait it out and see how it progresses. Yes- my job is  a small retail part-time thing, but this does apply to that BIG CAREER. I know that once I begin teaching in my own classroom (after I get my masters I will get my own classroom!! Very EXCITED) there will be times where I might feel so stressed I might want to give up. In those moments, I can look back on this and think, “No, I can do this.” We all know that you learn best from mistakes and the experiences that go along with them; so just for now-  I need to settle for something in order to achieve happiness in the long run.

Finding that job

Yes, it has been quite some time- but lets discuss job searching!

If I haven’t mentioned before, I am in the 5-year Master’s program at CHC…this means that, yes, I graduated in May 2010 and have my degree, but I am still at CHC taking graduate courses (even this summer!) I knew that finding a part-time job was going to be needed in order to pay for my groceries!

Job searching took FOREVER! I was driving all around and did not know where to begin and how to go about it. CHC offers some really great resources- the Career center being my main focus of this post. WOW can they help! They have so many links and ways to find a job or an internship that can really spice up your resume (which they can help you make also!). Check out CHC’s Career Services blackboard site…check out the opportunities! You will be amazed at what is offered and it is right at your fingertips (they even have a link right to this blog)!

-Brittany

MacGuffin Jobs

So I have not blogged lately as I have been a bit preoccupied with a new job at a country club and resort. The job’s specifics are hard to explain, at first I thought it was part-time because of the number of hours they were giving me (which I guess was just part of the training period) but now seems to be full-time. Management just changed recently so things are chaotic, despite being full-time one does not get benefits until working there for over a year, one cannot make a lifelong career out of this position, etc. Okay, so it is far from PERFECT. But it’s a JOB, right? Right?????

That’s what I try to keep reminding myself as I continue to apply for what feels like hundreds of jobs in my desired field yet hear nothing back, but some days I get so frustrated because this is certainly not where I imagined I would be at this point. “Baby steps” is what everyone keeps telling me.

One day, while searching job sites, I came across a blog called Career Transitions written by Katharine Brooks. The blog is part of a bigger blogging network called Psychology Today, but seemed to have some good career advice. Then I stumbled onto one of her posts about MacGuffin (a term coined by Alfred Hitchcock) jobs…an idea which pretty much summed up my mantra of “baby steps.”

MacGuffin jobs according to Brooks, “are common for career changers or recent graduates. They are jobs that aren’t ultimately important in the long run, and may only last a short time, but can play a key role in shaping a career.” In other words, the job that doesn’t seem perfect can lead to networking opportunities, increased skills, an opportunity that you never would have thought of or been able to receive before, or even lead you to realize new and different things that you might want to do (or not do) on your career path.

Brooks goes on to remind her readers that the MacGuffin jobs, though not perfect or entirely desirable, are important because, “it’s not what they are, it’s where they lead.” She continues saying, “So if you’re looking to transition into a new career or seeking your first job out of college don’t dismiss the not-so-perfect job. It might just be a MacGuffin that will propel you to a new act or chapter in your life. College seniors entering the job market tend to assume that the first job after graduation is crucial: that if they make a “mistake” in selecting their first job, their career path is doomed. If the first job isn’t perfect it makes them question their time in college. What they don’t understand is that the first job is often a MacGuffin– simultaneously important and unimportant.”

Definitely some great advice to keep in mind!

To read Brooks’ post on MacGuffin jobs: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201003/macguffin-jobs

To read Brooks’ Career Transitions blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions

Sticky Points

Since I moved home from Chestnut Hill last August, I’ve been mostly unemployed. The only work I have had has been blogging, which can be done from a distance and does not require going to an office. While I’ve been trying to look for a job this whole time, I haven’t actually turned in all that many applications, and the ones I have turned in have not resulted in any calls, let alone interviews.

Suffice it to say, I’m a little out of practice for interviews.

Therefore, I’m a bit nervous about an interview I have this afternoon, even though it’s only for a volunteer position. Mostly I’m nervous just because it has been so long. I’m also nervous, though, that they’ll wonder what I’ve been doing this past year, since there isn’t much to show for it on my résumé, or that they’ll think there’s something wrong with me, since I graduated college at the top of my class but am still unemployed a year later.

A Dearth of Jobs?

Today my Google Reader was filled with an apparent contradiction: in one category were more than 3,300 job postings since Friday, while another category contained links to two illustrations of the current dearth of new jobs.

The first illustration I found was from GOOD magazine:

The infographic illustrates, on the left, the 218,000 private employer jobs created in April and, on the right, the 41,000 private employer jobs created in May. Not a good sign.

The second illustration I found was from the CalculatedRISK blog:

The chart illustrates the percent of job losses during all the post-World War II recessions. As you can see, our recovery progress in this recession is not doing as well as previous recessions.

Super Cool Job of the Day: The Resorter

The job of “Resorter” at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If chosen, you’ll get paid to live at the resort from July 1st through the end of August, eating 3 gourmet meals a day and documenting your experience.

The requirements include that you be:

• Social media savvy. (Who in our generation isn’t?)
• A recreational photographer/videographer. (With the capabilities of point-and-shoot cameras today, that should be a breeze.)
• Interested in resort activities — fine dining, hiking, biking, golfing…
• Skilled at writing. (After all, your real job is documenting and promoting the resort’s amenities.)

If this sounds like your dream job, and you’re over the age of 21, then what are you waiting for?

The Interview

So you’ve perfected your resume, wrote a cover letter, and sent them out to companies. Then you get a call back for an interview! Your very first one! Awesome and exciting, right? Yea! Until the “first interview jitters” set in…

This was my experience last week. I got the call, set up a time for an interview and was completely ecstatic….then within minutes I began to experience a level of nervousness I didn’t even know existed!!

I survived the interview unscathed, and in fact feel very lucky that I had such a positive first interview experience. Here are some tips that might help you get over the “jitters.”

1. PREPARATION. Going blind into an interview will most likely never end well. Research the company, see if they have a mission statement, become familiar with the responsibilities of the position you are applying for, practice your answers to common interview questions, make sure your suit or interview outfit is ready to go, come up with questions to ask of the person/people interviewing you, etc.
2. TRAVEL. Know how you are getting there. Whether by train, car, plane, whatever, make sure you have directions and leave yourself plenty of time to get there. You might want to Google coffee shops in the area so that if you arrive with time to spare you can get a cup of coffee or bottle of water and use their restroom to make sure you are ready (all tucked in, nothing in your teeth, etc!). Don’t be late, but definitely don’t be too early! 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time is usually sufficient to get to the office.
3. FRIENDS. If you’re feeling super nervous and your friends are around, try making plans with them. Hit the beach, go to the movies, or get together to play video games in order to relax and take your mind off of the upcoming interview for a bit. If you can’t get together before, definitely catch up afterwards. Your friends will not only want to hear how it went, but your experience could also help them in their own interviews!
4. FOLLOW UP. Make sure you send a thank you email to the person/people you interviewed with (remember to ask for their business cards if they don’t just give them to you!) 24 hours after your interview. Thank the person/people for their time, reiterate your interest in the position and perhaps briefly restate why you are qualified for the position or how you might contribute to the company. Try and remember to keep it short and sweet, though – no more than a few brief paragraphs!
5. PERSPECTIVE. The truth is, that even if we nail an interview and we are convinced that the job is PERFECT for us, we may still be disappointed by a company’s hiring decision at some point in our lives. It is hard, but try to keep perspective, look at the positive side, and push on with the job search. Any interview we go through is great experience – it helps us strengthen our communication skills and become more comfortable answering questions about ourselves, skills, and experiences.

Good luck!

Job Search Tips

By now, you’re (hopefully) aware of the job search resources available through Chestnut Hill’s Career Development office. The downside of having so many available resources, though, is that it can be hard to figure out where to start. That’s where I come in. Having been on the job hunt for more than a year now, I’ve gathered up a few tips and tricks to help you make the most of your job search.