Category Archives: Jobs
Five Tips for Standing Out in Your First Job
Adapted from Monster, Alexandra Levit hits some key points. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Hopefully, this isn’t news to recent college graduates, but the workplace is more competitive than ever. If you have a job already, congratulations — you’ve made it over the first hurdle. Now it’s time to make sure you can stay put through this economic crisis and beyond.
Here are five essential tips gleaned from working with HR staff, managers and twenty-something employees in hundreds of organizations.
1. Be the One Everyone Wants to Work With
Members of Generation Y, or those born roughly between 1978 and 1993, unfortunately, have a reputation of showing up to work with a sense of entitlement. Combat this perception by showing that you’re willing to pay your dues and learn from any assignment, owning your career progression and being a “can-do” person. If you encounter roadblocks, marshal your resources to get around them rather than letting a project languish.
2. Surpass Your Boss’s Expectations
Find out what the boss wants from you first, and then brainstorm ways to go above and beyond the call of duty. You can also establish a good rapport by making your new boss feel needed. Show that you are ready and willing to be guided, and bond over the fact that he has some years on you. Understand the value of self-sufficiency, and approach your boss with a problem or complaint only if you’ve explored all options for resolving it yourself.
3. Carve a Niche for Yourself Through Innovation
Ask yourself what your company or department needs, and think about how you can use your unique set of skills and talents to provide it. So what if you’re hardly a Renaissance man or woman? You’re still new blood. Can you offer a fresh perspective on a vexing problem that has been plaguing your managers for months? Can you find a way to do something faster and more efficiently?
4. Take the Extra Step to Help Someone
Beach-ball management, or bouncing a request over to a colleague because it’s not your responsibility to handle it, is all too common in the professional world. If someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, make it your business to find it. By doing whatever you can to ensure your department or organization is perceived in a positive light, you will add value and stand out as a team player.
5. Subtly Promote Your Achievements
If you want people to take notice of you, you must make your accomplishments visible. How do you share your contributions without being perceived as arrogant or boastful? The key is enthusiasm. If you emphasize your passion when describing an achievement, people will think you’re just excited about it. An excited person appears earnest, and it’s hard to be critical of someone who’s earnest.
Of course, these suggestions aren’t limited to new college grads. If you’ve been out of school two years or 20, the tips might well be worthwhile in hanging onto your job through the downturn.
{Alexandra Levit, a nationally recognized business and workplace expert, is the author of the They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something’s Guide to the Business World.}
Travel Thursdays
During a meeting with my boss yesterday, I was informed that I’d be traveling to Switzerland Q1 of next year. Naturally being the overexcited type, I started googling and pinteresting anything and everything related to Switzerland. I’m not exactly sure which cities we’ll be traveling to, but judging from the pictures, it won’t matter because they’re all beautiful. Actually, the word breathtaking might be a better description…
Lake Geneva Montreaux Switzerland
View of the countryside
Winter
Humble Abode
Ocean-side
Marina
Meadows
In Town
I can’t wait!
The Invisible Invasion on Your Desk
Is your workspace really clean? Office workers are becoming hip to the fact that their workspaces are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria, but depending on what city you live in and what kind of office you work in, the level of contamination can vary widely.
In the past five years Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, has done four Clorox-sponsored studies over five years that looked at office environments, and found that the germiest desks were in the Big Apple.
Regional Differences
“There were a lot more bacteria in offices in New York,” Gerba said, suggesting that bigger cities with larger, multistory office buildings and colder climates kept people at their desks for lunch and breaks, which meant more chances for people to spread germs.
In comparison cities with lower densities, warmer climates and more opportunity for workers to leave their offices during the day had fewer microbes, Gerba said.
“Cities like Tucson, San Francisco and Los Angeles had much cleaner offices,” he said.
Handle With Care
Shared workspaces, like media newsrooms with staffs on different shifts, are also likely to be much more bacteria-laden than other offices.
To cut back on bacteria, office workers should focus on three areas to keep clean: their desktops, phones and computers. Besides washing their hands frequently, workers should invest in disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, since custodial staff rarely clean desktops or office equipment.
Gender Inequality
“Most people don’t usually clean their desk until they start sticking to it,” he explained, adding that men and women tend to contaminate different things.
Gerba found that men, for example, are more likely to have personal digital assistants, like BlackBerrys, that are highly contaminated.
When it comes to invisible microbes on the desktop, many women’s desks have a higher incidence of contamination. The research showed that women often have more perishable food at their desks, while men tend to go with candy bars or other packaged foods for their in-cubicle snack. Apples, oranges and bananas can leave mold behind. Another item women had at their desks that can be a breeding ground for bacteria are makeup kits, according to Gerba’s studies.
Cleaning Your Equipment
Shaking the crumbs out of a keyboard or employing a canister of compressed air to get rid of dust may help extend the life of office equipment, but to really clean use products that kill germs. Taking a dry paper towel to your desk is not only ineffective, but it may also make things worse, Gerba said.
“It moves germs all around instead of disinfecting,” he said.
Most office equipment should not be sprayed with cleaners, but wetting a tissue or paper towel with a gentle disinfectant can allow for adequate cleanup.
Take the Stairs?
While many office clean freaks will go to great lengths to avoid touching the knob on the bathroom door, Gerba’s studies found that knobs and light switches were “pretty clean.”
But one of the dirtiest spots in office buildings was a fairly innocuous site — the elevator’s first floor button.
“I always knuckle that one,” Gerba said.
{Source}
Job Search Blues? Keep Those Spirits Up
If you’re having a difficult time finding a job, and it seems like it’s taking forever, don’t despair. We’ve all been there. The uncertainty of what lies ahead. The fear of never finding a job or plopping into the wrong one. The anxiety and stress from interviews-gone-wrong. Take a breath. Relax. You have something the rest of us don’t – spare time. So smile!
Here are some suggestions for keeping your spirit positive.
Think Up
The mind is a powerful vessel. How we think and what we think can control our spirits. We literally can think ourselves up or down. To keep out the negative thoughts and self-doubt:
- Wake up thinking or saying positive statements.
- Avoid negative media, news, emails, and downer movies and television.
- End the day thinking or saying positive statements.
- Think about the positives a new job brings: new skills, new relationships, and a new chance to show your skills and talents.
Positive Reminders
Surround yourself with quotes or statements of hope and encouragement. Write your favorites on sticky notes on the refrigerator or computer — somewhere you can easily see them. Two favorites from Winston Churchill:
- “The pessimist sees problems in every opportunity…whereas the optimist sees opportunity in every problem.”
- “Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up…”
Take Steps
Literally. Move. Being a couch potato shows. Leave the house at least once a day. Exercise, jogging or walking will:
- Re-energize you.
- Help to clear the mental cobwebs.
- Prepare you to look your best for interviews.
Pamper Yourself with Kind Acts
How you treat yourself can impact your spirit.
- Play your favorite music softly in the background while you “work.”
- Eat healthy without hugging the refrigerator. Now is not the time to bulk up.
- Sing — regardless of quality. Singing happy songs will actually will help to stretch and relax your vocal chords while refreshing your spirit.
- Avoid being sloppy. Dress and groom yourself with respect — for you.
- Treat yourself with affordable goodies such as a favorite food or beverage, an afternoon movie with popcorn, doing something touristy, or a mindless novel.
See Spirited People
Make sure you spend some time, preferably in person, with positive and supportive people every day.
- Surround yourself with yea-sayers and avoid the naysayers.
- Work your network.
- Call people rather than email or texting them — it’s more personal and supportive.
- If you’re single and live alone, go to the library or a coffee shop to be around others.
- Help others in need. Get out of yourself from time to time.
- Spend quality time with your family and friends.
Keep at the Top of Your Game
Keeping your spirit up has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. Don’t let your skill set and knowledge slide.
- Keep up on industry news.
- Read trade journals and business magazines and newspapers.
- If possible, practice to improve your career skill set.
Now’s the Time
Enjoy the positives of your job search, like having spare time. Remember all those times you said, “If I only had time, I’d…”
- Read those books.
- Clean that closet.
- Take that class.
- Get in better shape.
Do Your Best Work to Find Work
Knowing you’re taking all the right steps to find a job will help improve your spirits.
- Write a perfect resume and cover letter for each job.
- Send X amount of resumes out each workday without fail.
- Keep up-to-date records of results.
- Keep accurate contact information on companies, executives and hiring agents.
- Have your interview clothes clean and ready to wear.
- Work at finding work every day.
Article by Pat Mayfield via Monster
The Big Question: Your Future
While I post about many other topics, I still haven’t forgotten the purpose of this blog. The purpose of this blog is to give advice in regards to career paths, the economy, and proposed steps forward. I realize that I have been a working professional for only two years. But in those two years, I’ve worked for two very diverse, large-scale companies and have held a total of four positions. Some may think I’m “not qualified” to give advice, or maybe that this blog shouldn’t exist at all. Maybe they’re right. But I feel that I’ve made tremendous strides as a young working professional, and my hope is that I can share my experiences and what I’ve learned thus far so you can avoid making those mistakes. That is why I’m here.
Let’s start from the beginning. Let’s say you’re approaching college graduation. By this time, most people would recommend that you should have “at least two internships under your belt” and that you “should have been applying for jobs all year long as a senior”. Yes, this is sound advice. Is it absolutely necessary? No. At least in my opinion it’s not.
To be perfectly honest with you, I wasn’t thinking about my future that much when I was in college. Sure, I was working towards a degree and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, just like everyone else. But I realized early on that I wanted to truly enjoy college. I did not have any internships. I did not have a part-time job. I spent one summer with friends and my new boyfriend, the second summer at weddings, the third summer in Europe on a study abroad trip, which leaves us with the fourth summer- the summer after graduation. THAT’S when I started applying for jobs. Personally, this was the best decision I’ve ever made. I knew that I would be working for the rest of my life, so why bog down the happiest time of my life with internships and part-time jobs that would turn out to be “less important” in the long run? I chose to live my life in the moment, and I haven’t regretted it since.
Right after I graduated, my roommates and I moved out of the townhouse we’d lived in for two years. I moved back in with my mom and worked a part-time job as a server at a restaurant to make some extra cash. You better believe when I wasn’t working, I was on my computer 24/7 applying for jobs. I would wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen, walk upstairs, and start scouring the internet for job listings in my pajamas. I remember my mom saying, “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed and dropping your resume off at places?” This brings me to my next point. There are so many tools available to us now that didn’t even exist five years ago. Yahoo Jobs, CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, Simply Hired, LinkedIn- the world we live in now is a job seeker’s dream world! You can immediately apply for jobs across the world with the click of button. No more snail mail. No more dropping your resume off in person. Live in a small town and want to get out? Always dreamed of living in a different country? You can! The internet is your oyster.
I mainly used Indeed when applying for jobs. This is because Indeed takes all of the job listings out there, from CareerBuilder, Monster, Yahoo, Simply Hired etc, and compiles them all into one website. Indeed and LinkedIn are the two I would recommend most. My dad has always said to me, “Getting the interview is the hardest part.” Boy, was he right. So before shooting off your resume into cyberspace, make sure it’s up-to-date and that you have an outstanding cover letter (more advice on that here). The downfall of applying for jobs on the internet is that after awhile, all of these resumes and cover letters begin to look the same to employers. Make yours stand out in a unique way without going over the top. It should look professional, neat, organized, and should be no longer than a page if you’re just starting out.
I submitted about 10-15 resumes online per day. If I was feeling really ambitious, sometimes I’d get to 20-25. I didn’t stick to just one industry-I applied to multiple ones. All I wanted was to get my foot in the door; I didn’t really care what industry the job was posted in. I knew I just needed to get some experience under my belt. My dream industry will find its way to me… eventually.
I applied for jobs, in all different industries, all sorts of positions, 10-15 per day, for a month and a half. I only got called for 3 or 4 interviews. One of those interviews turned out to be my lucky charm.
Don’t give up. Be persistent. If there’s a job out there that you really want and is realistically attainable, use LinkedIn to network. Communicate with others. Build your network. Ask for help. But most importantly, know in your heart that things will work out for you. Everyone’s timeframe is different, so don’t get discouraged. And by all means, if you want advice or need help, email me.
Seriously. You can pick my brain.
New Job, New Apartment, New Me
Well, the cat’s outta the bag.
It’s no secret that I’ve had more than a few changes as of late. Let’s see, where to begin…
I came into contact with another company in The Woodlands (north of Houston) in mid-July. After one phone interview and two face-to-face interviews (and a lot of anxious waiting), I was offered a position as a Supply Chain Project Manager. The benefits, salary bump, and responsibilities were too great to pass up, so of course I jumped at the opportunity. I left the company I had been with for two years on August 31st to start anew.
Timing was perfect because I was able to have one week off before starting my new job. I visited my boyfriend in California over Labor Day weekend – we toured Universal Studios, went shopping, and watched a lot of movies. It’s nice having someone to help clear your head and enjoy the little things. I’m very blessed to have him in my life.
When I returned to Houston, my father flew in to help me move to my new apartment. Like father like daughter, we were insanely productive. As busy as we were, we did get to enjoy some nice dinners and scenery once the move was over. I’m so lucky to have a father who is so supportive of my career choices and the moves I make. Thanks, Dad!
Yesterday was my first day at my new job. Everything was so organized when I walked in, I didn’t feel lost at all. My new, still-in-the-box laptop and desktop were delivered to my office promptly at 10AM (oh yeah, I have an office!), and my company cell phone is on its way. My boss took me to lunch at a little Italian restaurant on The Waterway, and afterwards we went shopping for office supplies. I’ve already met many people in the office that I truly connect with. This company is a great fit which is what this is all about. Making a career choice that fits you, and only you.
Here are some snapshots from the past few weeks:
- Ombre hair (Aug)
- Boyfriend & Me
- Dad & Me
- Views of The Waterway
- Cupcakes at Frost (featured on Cupcake Wars)
- View from my balcony at my new apartment
- My office building
Now if only I could figure out the timing of my MBA…
Until next time,
–
Use your head, in all aspects
Here is one of the many reasons why using your head is most important. Unless you want to be in debt forever and never expand your earning potential, I advise you think before you leap into one of these career fields.
No degree guarantees that a college graduate will earn more over a lifetime than a high school student. Worse still, there are many degrees where the average high school graduate will likely out-earn a college graduate.
If you’ve ever wanted to know the two main reasons why Americans decide not to go to college, the St. Louis Fed presented two convincing explanations. The more frightening of the two scenarios showed that, for students paying their own tuition, most will need a starting salary of $40,000 or better to overcome lifetime earnings of high school graduates.
How can it be that someone with a $40,000 starting salary can’t out-earn the average high school graduate? The reason is two-fold. Most college students forgo income while attending college. Also, given the average annual tuition of $25,000, a student paying his own way is facing a $100,000 college bill. Add the loss of income and the six-digit education tab, and graduates start their professional lives in a large financial hole.
If a starting salary of $40,000 is what it takes to overcome the high costs of going to college, you will want to know what degrees aren’t averaging the benchmark income. Georgetown pulled together statistics on average starting salary for many popular degrees. Below are five degrees with average starting salaries that may not be worth paying the costs for college.
Social Work
It’s great that you want to go to work every day and help others, but keep in mind that the average high school graduate will likely earn more money in his lifetime. Social work has an average starting salary of $30,000. Even those with experience can expect to find jobs at only $40,000.
Elementary Teachers
Recent college graduates have an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent. However, paying back your college loans might be a serious challenge. The average starting salary is only $33,000, and it’s not much better when you get experience. The average salary of an experienced teacher is $40,000.
Drama and Theater Arts
The riches and glamour of movie stars is not the reality of most college graduates with a drama and theater arts degree. Recent graduates can expect and average salary of $26,000 and an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent. With experience, however, majors can boost their salary to $45,000.
Family and Consumer Studies
Remember taking home economics in grade school? Family and consumer studies is a broad degree that explores how families interact in society, and home economics is one of the areas of study. While the degree might be practical, it only pays $30,000 per year for a college graduate and $43,000 for those with experience.
Anthropology and Archaeology
According to Georgetown’s statistics, it doesn’t pay well starting out as Indiana Jones. New graduates from degrees in anthropology and archaeology start earning at around $28,000. While starting salary is low, after a few years of experience, graduates in this field can earn up to $47,000. Unemployment for recent grads is very high at 10.5 percent.
So, should you avoid these degrees? Before you go changing your major, you need to understand that the starting salaries are based on averages. I’ve already discussed how misleading statistical decision-making can be. What this list should get you thinking about is this: Are you weighing the costs and the benefits before selecting a college? And are you looking at tuition and income specifically?
The main culprit driving the Fed research was paying a $100,000 tuition bill. That means that if you explore ways to lower college costs, any college degree could be a good investment. Perhaps it’s going to mean AP classes, a state school, or working hard to obtain scholarships. The point is that no college degree guarantees greater wealth and some degrees are riskier than others. If you want to increase your chances of your college degree increasing your earning potential, you need to think about the costs that go into obtaining a diploma and how you can minimize them.
Source: Yahoo News
Top Five Areas of Study for Bachelor’s Degrees
I was perusing some Yahoo articles and came across one I wanted to share. We all know a college education can dry up your bank account. It’s important to make sure your educational investment has the
potential to pay you back. So really, what is your education’s potential value?
“The rule of thumb is that someone with a bachelor’s degree makes about a million dollars more over their career than someone who doesn’t,” says Cheri Butler, associate director of the career center at the University of Texas at Arlington.
In fact, according to a 2011 Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce report titled “The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, and Lifetime Earnings,” a worker with a bachelor’s degree generally earns an average of $2.3 million over a lifetime – a significant amount more when compared to someone with only a high school diploma, who generally earns an average of $1.3 million over a lifetime.
Since the possibility of earning an extra million bucks sounds pretty nice, the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) April 2012 “Salary Survey” report to pinpoint five bachelor’s degree level areas of study that are among the highest paying for college graduates.
In no particular order, here are the top 5 areas of study to consider for those pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees.
Area of Study #1 – Business
Overall Median Starting Salary: $47,748*
From selling newly developed products to marketing time-tested products in new ways, business people are always looking for a competitive edge when it comes to winning over consumers. So, if you have a competitive spirit, earning a bachelor’s degree in the business field could offer a potential return on investment.
For one thing, the numbers appear to be adding up just right for graduates with a bachelor’s in economics. With the median starting salary for 2012 economics grads at $54,800 (up 5.6 percent from 2011), it’s one of the top-paying majors in the business sector, according to NACE’s “Salary Survey.”
Starting Salaries for various Business Majors include:
- Finance: $49,700
- Accounting: $47,800
- International Business: $31,200
Potential Value: “In business, you have to take in a lot of information, digest it, and make sound decisions,” says Butler, who adds that business majors get value from being taught how to identify “the next big thing.”
“But it’s not just in business; it’s in economics and finance, too. A finance program shows you how to make predictions and forecasts and how to make sense out of them.”
Area of Study # 2: Communications
Overall Median Starting Salary: $40,022*
Whether you aspire to write a popular blog or head up the corporate communications division at a Fortune 500 company, being able to successfully deliver ideas to an audience is crucial.
During a bachelor’s in communications program, you might learn how to communicate in various mediums, which is likely a valuable skill in today’s high-tech, information-driven world, says Paul Timmins, career services director in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.
How valuable? The $40,022 overall median starting salary for 2012 communications grads represented a 3.8 percent increase from 2011, according to the “Salary Survey.”
Starting Salaries for various Communications Majors include:
- Advertising: $44,700
- Communications: $39,400
- Journalism: $37,500
Potential Value: “Communications is one of the top skills that we hear employers want,” says Timmins. “They might need you to communicate in a variety of ways, in a small group, one-on-one, large-group setting, or in writing. It’s a skill that can be applied in a lot of different places, such as sales, customer service, top management, writing, journalism, public relations, or advertising fields.”
Area of Study #3: Computer Science
Overall Median Starting Salary: $56,383*
Home computers have been on the market for a number of years, and new gadgets like smartphones and tablets continue to introduce new technologies. That begs the question, who’s behind all these technological advances? Tech-savvy people, that’s who.
Perhaps that’s the reason the NACE survey found starting salaries for graduates in the computer science field increased by 2.4 percent in the past year. That translates to a median starting salary increasing from $55,087 for 2011 graduates to $56,383 for 2012 graduates.
The “Salary Survey” also reports that employers in the information sector – the collection of businesses that produce and distribute information and develop the products that transmit and process data, such as software publishers – had the highest number of new graduate applicants, with starting salary offers of $64,400.
Starting Salaries for various Computer Science Majors include:
- Computer Science: $58,300
- Information Sciences and Systems: $52,000
Potential Value: “Do you know an organization that doesn’t have a computer system? I don’t,” Butler says. “They are a fact of life, and we need people who can keep them running and make the most of those important tools. Your company is dead in the water if it doesn’t use computer technology.”
Area of Study #4: Health Sciences
Overall Median Starting Salary: $43,477*
Ever been interested in working in a hospital setting as a nurse? Want to learn what it takes to keep a body going strong into its twilight years? If so, a bachelor’s degree in one of the health sciences could be the vehicle that helps drive you to your destination of helping others.
And check this out: the median starting salary for all health sciences graduates was almost unchanged, with a noteworthy salary of $43,477 in 2012 – less than a one percent change from the previous year, which was at $43,802, according to the “Salary Survey.”
Starting Salaries for various Health Science Majors include:
- Nursing: $48,400
- Health and Related Sciences: $36,400
Potential Value: Butler says health sciences majors could see added value in their degrees because health care workers are in great demand as the baby boom population ages.
“We are healthier and living longer, so we need assistance in maintaining a livable lifestyle,” Butler says. “The 79 million boomers need a lot of infrastructure to take care of them, so there are jobs in the health care field. It’s supply and demand in my opinion.”
Area of Study #5: Engingeering
Overall Median Starting Salary: $58,581*
Do you have natural problem-solving skills that you’d like to use on a professional level? By earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering, you might be able to hone those skills, and even get some potential value from your education.
How so? Consider this: The “Salary Survey” found that engineering grads hold the bragging rights for being the highest paid of all disciplines that NACE evaluated. Engineering grads who majored in computer engineering, for example, had a median starting salary of $67,800 in 2012.
Starting Salaries for various Engineering Majors include:
- Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering: $64,200
- Civil Engineering: $55,300
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering: $41,800
Potential Value: Butler credits the creative aspects of the engineering field for providing value to this degree. “Engineers are the ones who create new things,” Butler says. “Next year, we will be using technology that hasn’t been invented yet, and engineering is at the core of that.”
*Overall median starting salary figures for 2012 are taken from the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ April 2012 “Salary Survey: Starting Salaries for New College Graduates.” NACE Salary Survey data is produced through data taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, and a master data set developed by Job Search Intelligence.
Full article at Yahoo Education
Post College Blues Part Two
The Turbulent Twenties. Isn’t this the stage a lot of us currently find ourselves in? Maybe you just recently graduated and have no idea what I’m talking about. Or maybe, you graduated over a year ago and understand precisely what this stage is. It’s a stage of confusion in your self-identity; a stage of wondering how to separate and individuate your college identity from this newfound, ever-changing professional identity.
I’ve tweeted and posted on Facebook mentions of a book I am currently reading. To be quite honest, this book has been my guiding light and salvation as of late. This masterpiece is called The Turbulent Twenties Survival Guide by Marcos R. Salazar.
Although I am only through the first section, I figured I’d post about it anyways. As I continue reading, I’ll post more ideas and thoughts I deem noteworthy.
Chapter One focuses mainly on one seemingly simple, yet complex question: Who are you after college? For the most part, we’ve found ourselves facing the reality that our view of ourselves, the world, and our place in it has been circumscribed by college and we’re now inadequate to cope with many of the challenges we’ll face. Soon after entering the working world, we quickly realize that who we were in school and who we were in class is often inapplicable in an environment that does not revolve around studying, writing papers, or taking exams. It is this lack of preparation that is making it so difficult for twenty-somethings to separate and individuate into our new post-college lives.
It is very clear that colleges are not fully preparing students for the new challenges of the twenty-first century. The result is a generation of young people who feel a sense of helplessness because our vision of self cannot effectively cope with the new matrix we’ve just entered into. (Amen.)
One critical aspect in determining our vision of self is that we are what we think. What can prevent us from accomplishing all of our goals is the idea that what we desire out of life is outside who we think we are and what we believe we’re capable of. If we think we’re not good enough to do something or that somehow we aren’t meant to be happy or successful, we will circumscribe who we are and continually prevent ourselves from achieving all the important desires we have during this period of life. This is especially easy to do after graduation because our confidence in what we are capable of can become seriously weakened.
This is why it is so important to separate from our old student identities, even if we are not fully prepared for our new lives, so that we don’t continue to have a vision of self that will limit us in accomplishing all that we want during our twenties.
The first step is building self-esteem.
1) Self-Efficacy is confidence in who you are. When you have confidence in your capacity to think and act effectively, you trust in your ability to create and achieve what you desire out of life, and persevere with grace under pressure in the process.
2) Self-Respect is your right as an individual. Giving up your goals and sacrificing who you are is the easiest thing in the world to do because, in reality, it takes a tremendous amount of strength, courage, and self-respect to honor your desires, to formulate independent judgments, to remain true to them, and to fight for your goals and passions when everyone else is telling you to be “practical” and stop dreaming.
3) Self-Respect is the foundation of respect for others.
The second step is developing a solid sense of self. You can find my previous post about that here. If you don’t click that link, this post will seem incomplete. Trust me.
The third step is accepting yourself. This starts with acknowledging the reality of who you are at this moment. If you admit to yourself, “I don’t know who I am”, it doesn’t mean you are saying, “I don’t know who I am, and that is okay with me.” What it means is, “I don’t know who I am, and I know it. I may not like it. In fact, sometimes it makes me feel weak, but right now I am putting my judgments and feelings aside and just facing the facts.” By accepting the reality of who you are and what you are thinking and feeling, you will begin to develop a stronger vision of self.
Remember, you have the power to say “This is who I really am at this moment. I may not like it, but I am not denying it either. I accept who I truly am right now.”
Learning to follow and integrate these types of psychological principles int your life is not an overnight process. It’s something that should be seen as a lifelong journey that requires ongoing commitment to self-examination and developing a better sense of who you are. By strengthening your self-esteem, you will begin facing postcollege life with greater confidence and optimism, and expand your capacity for happiness and fulfillment.
The next post in this series will discuss using the knowledge of who you are as a springboard for developing who you want to become during your twenties.
Best Cities for 2012 Graduates
It’s that time of year again. Spring is upon us which means- yep, you guessed it! More college graduates! Welcome to the workforce. Or as I’ve been calling it lately, the lurkforce. Yes, it would appear that recent graduates (and even not so recent graduates) are desperately doing everything they possibly can to land that perfect job… ok, let’s be serious. Just a job in general. Instead of working, they’re lurking- but who can blame ‘em? If it were me, I’d be lurking too and jumping at every opportunity that presented itself to me.
Within the past month, Kiplinger listed The Best Cities for 2012 Graduates. I was pretty surprised with their decisons, but who am I to judge? We’re all in this together, for better or worse. Let’s just hope that it’s for the better. We need to give this economy a kick in the rear, you know, for a boost in self-esteem.
East Coast Cities
New York City, NY – The big apple. The city that never sleeps. Hopefully it will sleep better knowing there is some job stability. The unemployment rate is 8.4%, yet the cost of living can be steep in most areas (monthly rent average is $1,072). Kristen’s blurb: I don’t believe this monthly rent average. Try closer to $2,000/month for an apartment the size of a closet. No, that’s not a joke. I have plenty of friends who live there.
Philadelphia, PA – Though closest to NYC, the cost of living is a little lower ($895 per month). Yet, the rate of unemployment (8.5%) and median income ($30,974) is about the same. However, Philadelphia is an active hub for jobs in healthcare, science, and tech.
Boston, MA – Boston has the lowest unemployment rate of the top east coast cities (7.1%), yet the cost of living is higher than NYC ($1,112). Still, Boston hones many educated citizens and large companies.
Baltimore, MD - Although near other metropolitan areas, Baltimore has a lower unemployment rate (7.4%) and a median rent compared to other east coast cities ($972). Though diverse as any city, Baltimore struggles keeping inner city crime at bay.
Charlotte, NC – Charlotte has the lowest cost of living for the east ($774 median rent monthly) and a great hub for those in the banking and financial field. If you aren’t in those fields, however, it could be a problem, as unemployment (10.4%) is higher than the national average (9.2%).
Washington, DC – Public and government sector jobs are abundant in Washington, DC, yet unemployment is a little high (9.5%). At the same time, the median rent is the highest in the east ($1,226), but the median income is the highest of the top ten cities ($40,952).
Midwest Cities
Omaha, NE – Omaha makes a place on the list because of the lowest unemployment rate (5.1%) and the lowest median rent ($711), which makes the low median income ($27,075) a minor issue. Omaha has five Fortune 500 companies and jobs in finance and IT.
Colorado Springs, CO – Much like Omaha, Colorado Springs has low median rent ($802) and low median income ($26,977). Unlike Omaha, the unemployment rate is high (10.1%) because of jobs that are skewed towards high-skilled workers in banking and IT.
West Coast Cities
Seattle, WA – Seattle offers a reasonable median rent ($942) with a good median income ($33,372). With regard to the job market, Seattle has space for clean technology and life sciences, and is the hub for Amazon, which posted over 1,900 job ads. But the economy has not recovered fully, as unemployment is 9.2%.
San Francisco, CA – For those in tech, San Francisco is the place for you. Home to 4,133 information technology firms, 50 digital media companies and 30 clean tech firms, low skilled workers need not apply. As a result, unemployment is rather high (10%), and the cost of living is the highest of the top ten (median rent is $1,259 per month).
Quick InfoGraphic to sum it all up:
