Welcome to MyPath

Looking for advice to help you manage your career? See what experts and members of the MyPath community are saying.

College to Career: Your Guide to Starting Out

11 Posts tagged with the networking tag

As you can probably tell from reading my blog, I love lists. Top 10 These. Absolute 5 Thats. Well, I recently came across a fantastic list of 10 Everyday Super Foods, described by WebMD as “multitaskers,” such as nuts, blueberries and salmon, that are packed with multiple nutrients to help you stay healthy, promote wellness and weight control and taste good, too.

This got me thinking: What are the “Everyday Super Foods” for career success? What people, practices, tools and habits give you the biggest bang for your buck? Here is my list, and I hope you’ll share more “Career Super Foods” in the Comments.

 

1. Daily Goals. We often talk about annual goals or life goals, but successful people set -- and achieve -- small goals all the time (we sometimes call them priorities or to-do lists). Especially when you have a big goal -- such as getting a new job, writing a book or launching a business -- set small, daily goals that will keep you moving forward. Big goals are important, but small goals get the job done.

 

2. News. One of the most popular tips in my book, Getting from College to Career, is to read a newspaper every single day. Whether you read the headlines on your laptop, your phone, in an e-newsletter or a printed copy of the paper, it’s crucial that you keep up with world news, national news and the news of the particular industry you want to join. We live in the Information Age, so the most informed people are the ones who are most likely to succeed.

 

3. Coffee. While the actual caffeinated stuff helps a lot of people achieve their career goals, what I mean here is getting together with people for coffee -- also known as networking. When it comes to moving your career forward, the more people you have genuine relationships with (hence the importance of meeting in person), the more opportunities you’ll be exposed to.

 

4. Mentors. Mentors are people you can turn to with questions large and small about your career. They are people who have “been there, done that” and are willing to share their wisdom to help your career grow. To receive the maximum benefit from a mentor, be sure to set up regular meetings (once a month is a good start) in person, by phone or on Skype, and bring specific topics or challenges you’d like to discuss for each session.

 

5. Responsiveness. With the amount of e-mails, LinkedIn requests, Twitter direct messages, voice mails, text messages and IMs we all receive, it can be hard to get back to people in a timely way. But those who are responsive -- especially to important requests and time-sensitive opportunities -- really stand out from the crowd. If you are actively job hunting, responsiveness is even more important. More than a few jobs have gone to the first person to apply.

 

What other Career Super Foods do you recommend? Please share in the Comments!

 



0 Comments Permalink Tags: job_search_strategy, advice, productivity, networking, career, effectiveness, workplace, job_search

For many people, the July 4th weekend marks the beginning of Slacker Season at work: the time to enjoy long lunches outside and cut out early on Fridays. I love the mellowness of summer and encourage you to enjoy the season to its fullest. I also know that you need to keep your job search or career development on track, even when it's 100 degrees in the shade. Here are some suggestions:

 

Revisit Your New Year’s Resolutions.

Remember that sense of optimism and new beginnings you felt as you turned your calendar to January? Pretend you’re a company with a July 1st start to your fiscal year and reboot your resolutions right now. If you never set any goals for this year, lie on a beach towel staring at the sky and daydream about what you want to accomplish by the end of 2010. Then, commit to taking some small steps this summer (such as registering for an online course to improve your negotiation skills, going outlet shopping to perk up your professional wardrobe, revising your job description with your boss to prepare for a promotion) to move yourself forward.

 

Redefine “Beach Reading.”

Instead of reading the latest romance novel, gossip magazine or legal thriller by the pool, pack your tote bag with a book that will advance your career knowledge. Check out the biography of a successful business owner, a productivity guide or a job hunting manual. If you’d rather keep your eyes shut and avoid weird sunglasses tan lines, load some books onto your iPod and listen instead. Consider these 10 great career books for young professionals.

 

Warm Up Your Relationships.

People often have less on their plates in the summer months and are therefore more willing to take time for a networking. (And, frankly, people are just in a better mood when it’s nice outside!) If you’ve recently started a job after graduating, summer is an especially good time to build relationships with your new manager and colleagues. Be the initiator and invite people to grab an iced coffee or a mid-afternoon frozen yogurt.

 

The same advice goes for job seekers: set up lots of meetings and informational interviews this summer. You may find that contacts who were too busy a few months ago now have some availability for an informational interview or casual chat.

 

Tweet from the Beach.

Social media doesn’t go on summer hiatus. If you haven’t already, set up a Twitter profile and start following people you admire -- leaders in your industry, career experts, news sites and recruiters from the companies you want to work for (Check out  these additional suggestions for people to follow). Think of Twitter as your personal, 24/7 newsfeed of information, ideas, opinions, event listings, job announcements and other fuel for your career advancement. The Twitter universe doesn’t care if you are tweeting from a cubicle or a cabana; all that matters is that you are part of the conversation.

 

Summer tends to fly by too fast, so don’t wait another minute to take full advantage of all the fun—and professional opportunities—of the hottest time of year. Please share your additional suggestions in the Comments!

0 Comments Permalink Tags: generation_y, career, networking, job_search, social_networking, advice, job_search

A few days ago I received an email from a colleague who serves with me on a nonprofit board.

 

“Does anyone know where I can get Mets/Yankees tickets?”

 

I knew (Stubhub.com!), so I responded right away.

 

Later that day I was desperately trying to remember the name of a website I’d recently heard about where you can find out which social media sites have your username available. After racking my brain, I decided to tweet the question. Within three minutes, I had the answer (www.namechk.com).


On another occasion recently, I was trying to make a decision about hiring a branding expert. After researching all over the web and feeling more confused and frustrated than ever, I decided to reach out to three business owners I trusted and ask for their opinions and referrals. Their advice was invaluable and I was finally able to make my decision.

 

All of these situations reminded me of the most important career growth tip you can learn:

 

Ask for help when you need it.

 

There are vast resources available that can help you with any issue you face. The only catch is that you have to reach out for help -- no person or search engine or social network will know you need help until you request it.

 

If you’re having trouble figuring out your career passion, reach out to your university’s career center for an alumni appointment by phone or in person. (Hint: They are often free!)

 

If you’re unsure whether your resume or LinkedIn profile accurately represents your skills, ask a few trusted friends or colleagues to review them.

 

If you’re scared to attend a networking event alone, ask a friend to join you.

 

If you can’t figure out how to ask for a raise, go out and buy a negotiation book or hire a career coach to role play the salary negotiation until you’re comfortable.

 

If you can’t decide what printer to buy, ask your Facebook friends for recommendations.

 

Websites, books, blogs, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn Answers, career centers, coaches, friends and family members all have a wealth of knowledge and advice to share with you. Next time you face any career question, large or small, ask for help sooner rather than later. You'll be amazed at how much more quickly your career progresses.

 



1 Comments Permalink Tags: job, career, productivity, job_search, advice, networking

Last week I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the largest organization for university career services professionals and entry-level recruiters. As someone who frequently talks about the powers of social media for connecting, this conference was a reminder that LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are only half the networking story.

 

At the NACE conference, I had the pleasure of meeting people in person whom I had previously only communicated with online or by phone. While I had good relationships with many of the people I knew virtually, something changes when you connect in person, waiting in an interminable Starbucks line together or sitting side-by-side on a bus to an offsite conference event. More trust is shared, relationships become a little deeper and stronger bonds are forged.

 

The secret to successful networking in the 21st Century is what my friend Diane Danielson, with whom I co-wrote The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking, calls a “clicks and mix” approach: equal parts online and in-person networking.

 

This is not necessarily easy, as online networking and in-person networking require some different skill sets. Tech-averse people love chatting face-to-face, but find it awkward to communicate online. Tech savvy people and shy people often wish they never had to emerge from behind their computer screens to shake hands and make eye contact with real live humans.

 

If you face any of these discomforts, you must work to overcome them, because the most successful networkers are competent in both realms:

 

They belong to professional association groups online and attend the networking events of those organizations as well. This exposes them to all members of an organization and all benefits of membership.

 

They send emails or LinkedIn connection requests to stay in touch with people they meet at conferences (hint: I do this on the plane ride home following an event).

 

They determine how to communicate with a networking contact based on the other person’s “clicks and mix” preferences. Upon meeting someone, they will ask, “I’d really like to keep in touch with you. What is the best way to reach out -- do you generally prefer email, phone or another method?”

 

And, most importantly, they behave the same way -- professionally, politely and generously -- in person and online. It’s terribly disappointing to find out that someone you liked in person is rude or inappropriate online. And -- as I learned at the NACE conference -- nothing is better than discovering that a person you liked over email or twitter is just as fabulous when chatting over a frothy Frappuccino.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: social_networking, career, work, networking, advice, future_of_work

I was recently invited to attend a volunteer event for which the host asked everyone to bring books to donate to a domestic violence shelter. Donating books is a wonderful thing to do, and I enjoyed going through my shelves deciding what to give away.

 

The process also reminded me which books I couldn’t bear to part with. While many favorite novels and memoirs top this list (A Farewell to Arms, Bird by Bird, Netherland), it won’t surprise you that my career books are very important to me. As I went through my collection, I came up with this list of my 10 favorite career books for young professionals. Here they are, in alphabetical order by title:

 

A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink

Essential reading about the skills that will dominate in the new economy

 

Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck

My favorite book on figuring out what to do with your life

 

Getting from College to Career by...me!

Of course I had to include my own book! I wrote the guide I wish I’d had when I was in your shoes. It includes everything I’ve learned along my professional path so far.

 

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty

How you write is how you are perceived. This book is the best modern writing primer I’ve seen.

 

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

The best book on networking at any age, in any profession

 

Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois Frankel

Like having your own personal career coach

 

Roadtrip Nation by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard with Joanne Gordon

A fun, insightful look into a wide variety of career paths

 

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

An absolute must-read for anyone who wants a creative career

 

They Don’t Teach Corporate In College by Alexandra Levit

The best book on thriving as a young professional in the corporate world

 

Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler

The ultimate guide to setting and reaching your goals over the next 12 months

 

There are many other fantastic books I could have listed here. What are your favorite career books? Please share in the comments!

4 Comments Permalink Tags: career, recommended_books, job_search, job, networking, advice, work

Last Friday I spoke at an event for graduate students considering careers outside of academia. I loved the energy in the room -- there was a palpable feeling of excitement and potential. Of course, there was also a fair amount of fear.

 

The overarching advice I shared for anyone switching directions or making a career change is to position yourself as an insider in the industry you want to join. While it’s always scary to try something new, the more homework you do and the more action you take in the direction of your goal, the likelier you are to succeed.

 

Even if you are not currently a career changer, you will likely make multiple career transitions in your lifetime, so this is a valuable skill to learn and practice.

Let’s look at the actions you can take to successfully change career direction:

 

1. Start to build new experiences. As soon as you have the idea of switching career paths, dive right in and start to build your experience in that area, even if you start with only an hour a week. You’ll need something on your resume -- volunteer work, an internship, blog posts, class work, etc. -- that shows you are really serious about breaking into a new profession. Otherwise, people will suspect that you’re all talk.

 

2. Read everything you can about the industry you want to enter. Start to read trade publications, blogs, e-newsletters, LinkedIn group discussions and the Twitter feeds of anyone and everyone you can follow in the industry you want to join. Know which companies are in the news, which executives are succeeding or flailing, what the hot products or services are, where people go for lunch, when and where upcoming conference are taking place. As you become more comfortable with the news and issues, start to comment on blog posts and Tweets so you can become part of the conversation and get noticed by people who are hiring.

 

3. Set up Google Alerts. Once you zero in on specific organizations you’d like to work for, set up Google alerts for the names of any companies you want to join. This will give you a deeper sense of the major news and issues facing those particular organizations. Alerts will also ensure that you have specific, intelligent questions to ask and conversation topics to bring up when you attend networking events or land a job interview at one of those companies.

 

4. Talk to anyone you can who works or has worked in the industry you want to join. While Internet research is essential, nothing beats talking to a real person who has firsthand experience in the profession that interests you. Research people in your dream industry on LinkedIn and reach out for informational interviews. Talk to your friends, family and career services office to see if they can introduce you to anyone they know in your desired field. Ask these industry mentors to recommend insider tips, must-read publications and advice on what jobs in their field are most realistic for outsiders to transition into.

2 Comments Permalink Tags: linkedin, advice, networking, career, job_search, jobs, social_networking

What are the major hiring trends on campus this year? What are the best strategies for finding an entry-level job? What are the biggest mistakes students make in the job search process?

 

To answer these questions and more, I spoke with with Trudy Steinfeld, Executive Director of the Wasserman Center for Career Development at New York University, and Manny Contomanolis, Associate Vice President and Director of Co-op and Career Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

 

Don't miss the opportunity to hear top tips from two of the best career services professionals in the country!

 

Listen to the podcast interview now.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: career, job_search, generation_y, advice, college, networking

I’ve always loved new beginnings -- the first day of a new month, the turning of a new season, even the sunrise of a new day (on the rare occasion I’m up early enough to see it). Of course there is no bigger new beginning than the turning of the calendar to January 1.

 

This year in particular, the New Year feels like a crucial fresh start. 2009 will go down in the books as one of the hardest years ever for job seekers, especially those looking for entry-level work. If you’ve had a tough time in 2009, or even if it’s been a great year for you, here are some tips for starting 2010 on a successful note.

 

Out With the Old. To make room for new things in your life (a great job, fresh ideas, more money, a strong network, etc.) you need to get rid of any clutter that is weighing you down. This might include critical people, a job that drains your energy, college junk piled in your closet or self-defeating thoughts like “I’ll never get a job in this economy.” For inspiration, check out two of my favorite resources on the topic of simplifying and decluttering: the Zen Habits Blog and Julie Morgenstern’s book, Shed Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

 

Set Quality (not Quantity) Goals. We all know that New Year’s resolutions are generally forgotten by February. So, instead of making a long list of “rules” for my year, I prefer to declare three to five big goals or priorities. I keep them in a little note file on my computer and on a little card pasted on the inside cover of the notebook I use every day. I peek at my list constantly to remind myself what my priorities are, how I want to spend my time and what opportunities I should not pursue. If you need help clarifying your goals, check out Your Best Year Yet! Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever.

 

Do One Career-Related Thing Every Day. This is a piece of advice I share in every workshop I lead and with every student who asks for my most important career tip: take daily action. Just like being healthy or learning an instrument or excelling at a sport, being successful in your career requires daily commitment and daily action. Here are some to consider:
•    reading a career advice article on MyPath
•    attending a local networking event
•    tweeting out a career-related question to your Twitter followers
•    posting a comment to a professional discussion group on LinkedIn
•    reaching out to an alum of your school for an informational interview
•    reading one chapter of a career advice book
•    setting up an appointment with your college career center

•    applying for a job

•    anything else you can think of!

 

Finally, please don’t hesitate to send me your career questions (and yes, sending me a question counts as a daily action!). I will be answering reader questions in upcoming “College to Career” blog posts and podcasts here in MyPath in 2010.

 

Happy New Year!

0 Comments Permalink Tags: career, job_search, networking, social_networking, job, linkedin, productivity, generation_y, jobs, advice

I spent this morning facilitating a focus group with a dynamic group of college students and recent grads. Not only was it fun to sit in a room with a two-sided mirror (I felt like I was in a Law and Order interrogation room!), but it was also incredibly enlightening about the opinions of experiences of career-minded young professionals.

 

One of the topics we discussed was LinkedIn.com, the professional social network (full disclosure: I am a campus spokesperson for LinkedIn). I was really surprised to hear that some of the students in the focus group described LinkedIn as "only for highly experienced professionals."

 

This couldn't be farther from the truth. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool if you are just starting out in your career. In this week's podcast I share five tips that will help you make the most of this popular and powerful professional online network.

 

Click here to listen to the podcast now. Please share your comments, and any LinkedIn questions or additional tips, below!

4 Comments Permalink Tags: networking, college, linkedin, career, job_search, social_networking, generation_y

Many people think that job hunting and career planning stop in December, but that's not the case. In some ways, the holiday season can be the best time of year for job seekers. Check out this week's "College to Career" podcast for five holiday career tips, including:

 

Send tons of holiday cards. Celebrate a new networking relationship or reconnect with a friend, internship colleague or other contact by sending a thoughtful holiday card. Be sure to choose a non-denominational greeting if you're unsure of someone’s religion.  In fact, I always send “Happy New Year” cards to be safe and a bit unique. If you're on a tight budget, send e-cards with a personalized message to each recipient.

 

Ask for career-related gifts. If anyone asks what you want for the holidays this year, think about gifts that could help your career or job search, such as an inspirational business book, an attractive business card holder, a laptop bag, monogrammed stationery, a session with a career coach or a pre-paid coffee card. These are truly gifts that keep on giving, especially if they help you land a paycheck!

 

Relax and regroup. Give yourself the gift of rest and relaxation this season. Take some time to destress and analyze your job hunting efforts to see if you want to make some changes in the new year. You can also congratulate yourself on making it through the challenging economic climate of 2009. Soon we’ll be flipping our calendars to January and you'll want to be ready to make a fresh start and hit the ground running in 2010.

 

For more tips and advice, listen to this week's podcast. If you have additional holiday career tips, please share in the comments!

2 Comments Permalink Tags: career, generation_y, job, networking, jobs, job_search

At Thanksgiving dinner next week your parents and other relatives are bound to ask, "How's that job search coming along?"

 

While some young people fear this question, I encourage you to embrace it. Why not use your family's interest as an opportunity? If you're comfortable asking your loved ones for help, there are several ways you can enlist their support -- appropriately -- in your job search efforts.

 

Here are three examples of how your mom, dad and other family members can lend a hand in your job hunt. Listen to these and other tips in my new podcast.

 

1. Proofreading. You can never have too many people checking your resume, cover letters, grad school applications, social networking profiles and any other professional content you've created. If your parents have good grammar and spelling abilities, ask them to check some of your career-related writing and to make sure your online image is ready for prime time.

 

2. Rehearsing for interviews. Your parents or relatives (particularly anyone you know who has experience interviewing job seekers) can help you prepare for any upcoming interviews by running through questions, helping to choose an appropriate interview outfit or videotaping your answers.

 

3. Making networking connections. Your family members definitely count as part of your professional network. Ask everyone at the Thanksgiving table if they’d be willing to brainstorm any of their contacts who might be helpful for you. You’d be amazed at how many people come to mind when they really think about it.

 

Some people aren’t comfortable asking their parents for help and connections—it’s fine if you feel this way, and of course there are lots of other connections you can access. But if you are comfortable networking with your family, then I hope you'll spend some time talking about your job search while you're gobbling down your turkey.

2 Comments Permalink Tags: job_search, job, career, generation_y, networking

Actions

Popular Blog Posts