Job Out of College

Achieving Your Goals

Being the ambitious and driven person you are, you undoubtedly have many goals in your life that you are eager to achieve. However, you probably find it difficult to motivate yourself to get started. Here is a 3-step approach to goal achievement that I find helpful:

1. What is your Goal, Why do you want to achieve it, and by When?
2. What do I need to Know to achieve it?
3. How will I achieve it?

The most important part of successfully achieving your goals is knowing why you want to accomplish them. Clearly define how you will measure success of the goal by assigning a reasonable time frame.  Once you have this deep understanding, brainstorm what information do you need to accomplish this goal. Then plan out the process into 4 or 5 high-level tasks, and then 5-7 smaller sub-tasks with time frames associated to each. Feel free to use the Work Breakdown Structure Template.

Bored at Work?

FACT 1: More than two out of every eight hours at work (not including lunch and breaks) are wasted on activities that are non-work-related such as Internet Browsing.

FACT 2: The top cause of stress at work is lack of time to "get things done"

To quote Alanis Morisette, "Isn't it ironic... don't think you think?"

We all need our downtime to reduce stress and clear our brains, but couldn't you use your downtime more effectively? Here are a few ways to fill your downtime at work:

DO...

• Start a Blog
• Organize your email, calendar, and files
• Read and take notes on developmental e book
• Go speak to a mentor with a formalized agenda
• Walk around your office and say hello to a few individuals
• Talk to others and find out what they do in their job - make sure it does not turn into complaining
• Research and think of ways to improve the way the business functions

DON'T...

• Read news sites. Save that for the car-ride home.
• Read non-educational blogs.
• Browse "Video Websites" like ebaumsworld or break. They add no value
• Shop online - you'll waste time and money

What are some of your ideas?

Resources:
Staying Productive at Work
How to Reduce Stress at Work
Four Hour Workweek

Worried About Student Loans?

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I had a conversation with a family member who is a freshmen in college at a pricey university in Boston. She is worried that her degree choice will not land her a high enough paying position where she will be able to pay off her high student loans.

Although I was impressed that she had such a mature concern about her financial future, there are a few things she could do to ensure her financial well-being out of college:

1. Don't get overwhelmed! - Remember that an education will provide an excellent Return On Investment over the long-run. Regardless of the average salary your profession pays out of college, there are always options to choose from.
2. Plant your seeds in the job market - Even as a freshmen in college, you can set yourself up for a job right out of college. You have probably heard the horror stories of graduates who were unable set find a job for years; and others who had a position waiting for them as soon as they graduated. Be part of the latter population! An Internship is a great way to accomplish this. Remember not to focus strictly on getting the highest GPA, focus on getting the practical skills you need in the job environment.
3. Do your homework - If you are concerned about your student loans, the best thing you can do is go talk to your financial aid officer. Although this thought may scare you, financial aid officers are there to help you. They have resources and information about making the right choices about consolidation or changing your loan terms. Establish a relationship with your financial aid officer and learn as much as you can. Also, you can take a personal finance course which will help develop a better understanding of handling money. Unfortunately, this is one skill that is extremely important in the real world, but that school does not automatically teach you.

The average person will change job functions three to five times in their lifetime. Who knows what might happen after your undergraduate career - you may go to medical school, join the marines, or start your own business. But the bottom line is that you need an education to get there and 9 out of 10 times, you will need a loan to get one.

Resources:
FinAid

College Internship: Why it's a great idea

It's the beginning of spring. Spring break has past and there are only a few more months of school before freedom of the summer. You and your friends are all talking about plans for the upcoming months. Maybe you will be renting a beach house or traveling for a few weeks around Europe then bumming around the house getting a nice tan.

And why not? You have definitely deserved it after all the hard work you have done this year!

I completely agree that you need a break from your stressful lives. However, one of the best ways you can set yourself up for a great career while you are still in college is working an internship or co-op in the summer. Because internships are generally about 8 weeks long, this still gives you plenty of opportunity to relax and have a good summer vacation.

Here are a few reasons why it's a good idea:

1. Experience - talk to some of your friends who have recently graduated and currently seeking employment. Most of the time, the reason they can't find a job because employers want to see experience. So you have a Bachelors or Masters degree, but you have not been able to put it to practice yet. Get some experience - whether it's a paid or non-paid internship, you will still be able to put it down on your resume.
2. Networking - in working an internship or co-op, you are able to align yourself to people in your field. It gives you the perfect opportunity to be able to talk to people, establish relationships and learn as much as you can. Who knows, when you graduate, they might even have a job opening for you. That's how I got my first job out of college!
3. Speak the Language - college may teach you the "technical" skills and knowledge you need to know in your career, but they don't teach you much of the "practical" skills that are required. If you are able to understand the lingo, you will sound much more qualified during your interviews when you graduate.
4. Money - depending obviously on the internship, you can make a lot more money as an intern at a corporation than painting houses or working at a bar. As a freshmen college intern, I made an equivalent to $38,000/yr. Not a bad deal for someone with no degree and no experience.
   
5. Decisions about a career track - you have thousands of dollars in student loans, your parents are scrounging for  cash to pay for your tuition, and your not even sure if you like what you are studying! In working an internship in your career, you will be able to tell first hand whether or not you like the career you are aiming to reach.

So there are 5 really good reasons why you should work an internship or co-op this summer. What are some of your success stories?

Preparing for a Career Throughout High School & College

Despite what your high school guidance counselors and teachers tell you, you are not really preparing yourself for college throughout high school - you are really preparing yourself for your career. Though you may not know exactly what you want to do with your life in high school or even college, you are still building on the fundamental skills that you will need to be successful in your career. These include:

• Work Ethic
• Leadership Skills
• Communication Skills
• and a few others which you can read about in other parts of my blog

So even if you don't know what career you want, you can still begin building on these fundamentals to make you a stronger candidate for whatever career you will eventually choose.

If you want to be ahead of your peers in high school and be generally more mature and ready for college, career, and life, here are a few practical things you can do:

1. Find a mentor - mentors are one of the most valuable sources of information in my opinion. Early in your high school life and definitely in college, you should find someone who you respect and emulate. Begin speaking with them about their career and what they know. This also sets you up for more relationships with other successful individuals since successful people tend to flock together. Talk about your interests, but more importantly, listen to what they have to say.
2. Read - read books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, anything you can get your hands on. The more well-rounded you are, the more marketable you become. If you don't know what career you want yet, reading might help you develop an interest in something. If you know the career you want, learn more about it. Read books about leadership, communication, anything that is written by successful and intelligent people that can teach you something useful.
3. Practice - once you have read some material and learned more about leadership, communication, or maybe even specific knowledge to a potential career, put it to use. Begin exhibiting leadership skills. Try public speaking or giving presentations. Go shadow a doctor or physical therapist, or build a website on your own. The more you put your knowledge to practice, the more you will retain.

So remember, you're not preparing for college in high-school, you're preparing for life. Make a conscious effort to find a mentor, read, and practice fundamental skills like work ethic, communication, and leadership.

Taking Criticism

A few days ago, I had a meeting with 2 team leads for a project I'm managing. The meeting was a project issues meeting, where the 3 of us reviewed how the project was progressing and how we could modify our approach to accomplish our project goals more effectively. One team lead and I arrived on the subject of delegating more tasks to certain team members who were not as actively involved as the others. We felt that in order to get their dedication to the project, we needed to make them feel like they have a role in the project and to make them want to succeed. The other team lead stayed quiet during this conversation and for the rest of the meeting. I did not think anything of it at the time.

A few minutes after the meeting, the quiet team lead approached me and asked why I criticized his management style in front of the other team lead. Although it seemed like this comment came out of left field, I quickly asked some clarifying questions to get to the root of the issue. I explained that I realized there are different management styles that work for different people, but stated that delegating tasks to other team members has helped make my projects successful. This comment was not taken well. Although I further "sweet-talked" my way through the conversation to make him realize the benefit to my approach, getting so emotionally attached to the criticism the way the quiet team lead did is not an effective way to grow as an individual.

One of the most difficult and rewarding parts of the learning experience is being able to take criticism. I always try to take criticism lightly, no matter how much it annoys me at the time. I will argue until I'm blue in the face, but when I leave the conversation I think about the other side of the argument critically and see if there is any value. Using this approach, I am able to emotionally segregate myself from the argument and not necessarily lose face to the person I'm arguing with. It's always good to get other people's opinions - because who knows, they might teach you something!

My experience shows that the most important lessons I learn which make me a better person, come from people who are not afraid to give me criticism. As soon as you begin getting criticism, take your emotions out of the situation and try to understand what is being said and why its being said. Whether you accept or reject it in the end, you will at least know that it is a possibility and other people might feel the same way as your critiquer.  This goes for your career, education, and even your personal life. 

Not only should you take criticism, but you should ask for it! After an interview, feel free to ask how the interviewer felt you did. Ask how you could improve for next time. Although it may be difficult at times, it's one of the most valuable approaches to personal growth.

Education vs. Experience

I have two good friends who constantly argue about the importance of a Masters of Business and Administration (MBA). Eugene, a web marketing entrepreneur from Rochester, NY, argues that learning how to be a successful businessman is all about experience and learning from your mistakes and that paying for a piece of paper is unnecessary. Roman, a financial expert with a MBA, argues that a MBA education will teach you the knowledge you need to avoid making mistakes when you're in business and therefore is a valuable piece of paper to earn. They both recognize and agree that both experience and education are necessary but what does the job market value more?

Getting a job out of college is just like applying for college, in that you are competing to appear more worthy or qualified than your competition. Just like colleges use SAT or ACT scores to baseline your abilities nationally, hiring managers use education qualifications while searching for prospective applicants. It gives hiring managers a way to measure your ability. Whether or not you feel like your degree is representative of your knowledge or experiences, your degree is one of the best ways to measure you against your competition because our society highly regards education.

On the flip side, a degree could be an extremely costly investment. It can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans and decades to pay back. Most people learn better from experiencing something first hand anyway. Besides, there are  other ways to educate yourself besides pursuing a degree (Read about other forms of education at 1st Pillar of Success - Education). Unfortunately, it is much harder to prove this to prospective hiring managers.

So what's the bottom line? As always, it depends. But here are a few factors to consider when making a decision:

1. Figure out your career goals
2. Research the degree to see if it aligns with your goals
3. Talk to people in your profession that are in your desired positions, and ask them if a degree would help
4. Ask yourself if you are looking for an education or a degree
5. Is the degree a good investment?
6. Will the degree get me the job I want

No one can argue that both education and experience are extremely important in the future of your career. Just make sure you think about all factors that are involved for today and tomorrow.

Additional Resources: 1st Pillar of Success - Education