First Day on the Job

Fact: I haven't posted in over a week.

Fact: It's because I started a new job.

Yes, you read that correctly, I received (and accepted) a job offer!  I started already and things are going great.  I won't go into details on here but it is in my field and where I want to be working (double bonus).

What I want to post is some things to make sure you do when starting a new job.

Night Before

• Get a good night's sleep.  You want to appear alert and enthusiastic about the new job, not tired.
• Pack your lunch.  Seriously, it'll shave off a little time from your morning routine.  Just don't forget to grab it on your way out.  Plus, you never know how easily you will be able to go and buy lunch on the first day, so unless they say they are taking you out to lunch, it's best just to bring one.
• Double check your email to make sure there are no changes in your start day.  Also, make sure you know what time you need to be there.

First Day

• It's a fresh start.  Remember: unless you are working with people you have worked with before, these people don't know the good and bad about you.  Therefore, it's best to show all your good aspects and hide any bad (hopefully throughout your entire time there).
• Meet people.  Make sure you meet as many people you will be working with as possible without being awkward or annoying.  
• Make sure paperwork is in order.  More than likely, there is either something HR forgot to have you sign or want you to do all of the fun stuff on day 1.  Make sure you know what you need to fill out (ie tax forms) and  when anything else is due (ie benefits sign up).
• Proper dress. You can usually gauge what the dress code is when you go in for an interview.  If you were too nervous at the time to take note, it's always best to ask HR (or just watch people going in and out the day before).
• Timing is everything.  Don't show up late.  In fact, plan to get there earlier than need to.  You can always wait in the parking lot.
• Find a stapler.  You may be laughing at this (or have a scene from Office Space going through your head) but in general, I mean to make sure that you know where basic supplies are in order to do your job.  It took me 4 days until I found a stapler to use for the multiple piles of paper I had accumulated the first few days.

Also remember:

• You still have to prove that you are the best choice for the job.  More than likely, you will be in a probation period your first few months so you still will be under scrutiny.  
• If you start slacking off on the job, people WILL notice (I always do when my colleagues slack) and trust me, it will take a while to erase that image.
• DON'T get involved in office politics.  You never know whom will talk to whom and once you get involved, it can damage your career.

Finally, I will share the best advice I received from someone in my field when you're a young professional breaking into your field: Keep your head down and do your work.  Ask questions when you have them and put your best effort in your work, no matter how small and menial the task may seem.

Why Employers Should Hire Recent Grads

Okay, I have been job hunting for a few months now and I've come to a conclusion for me and those in the same boat as me: not too many people want us.  Why?  Because of the fact that we are recent grads.  I am so sick of looking through job sites and finding a job that looks promising....only to read that they want someone who has 10+ years of experience (Seriously?  What can possibly take 10 years to learn on the job?).   Though I have, in vain, applied for jobs that "only" require 3 to 5 years experience because you never know which places count internships and work study jobs, most really do mean it when they state you need the experience. Well, I'm going to tell you why employers should to hire recent grads.

1. We will work for less


We're not idiots, we know that with less/no experience, we shouldn't expect to get paid as much as the mythical person with 10 years of experience.  In fact, we'll probably work for half the amount that the magical 10 year experienced person makes at their current job.  Especially if we want to find a job quickly to start paying the never lowering student loan amount we've accumulated.  And what company doesn't want to save money?

2. You can mold us into what YOU want


With little/no experience, we don't have a set way of doing things.  We are a clean slate, a blank piece of paper, an empty canvass...you get the picture.  Therefore, you can make us do things the way you want us to without us slipping into the "how I did this at my last job" mode.  We will become the exact employee your company wants without having to "retrain" us.

3. We are competitive


This is more age-specific but then again, most graduates are my age.  We grew up in the era of video games, stricter college acceptance rates, and when the job market took a hit.  We know how to be competitive and we will bring that to the workplace.  Just like trying to get the high score in pac man (you know you secretly played that game ALL the time for that purpose) we strive to stand out against our colleagues.

4. We need to make a name for ourselves in the field

We have more to prove than the "I have 10 years of experience" know-it-all.  We are trying to make a name for ourselves in the field as early on as possible.  Why not take advantage of that?  This one kind of goes hand in hand with the previous reason.

5. We are up-to-date in the field

Everyone can thank their professors for this one.  In school, we are taught the most up-to-date cutting edge methods in our fields.

6. Weekends are irrelevant


I find it funny when a job posting states: must be willing to work some nights and/or weekends as needed.  Not because there is the possibility of having to stay at the office late, but because they have to explicitly state that you have to be willing to do it.   People my age have come to expect to be ready to work anytime, or at least are not as bothered by it as our older counterparts.  It has become the norm for our generation.

7. We can be mobile

Many of us are not married or have families.  Therefore, we are more likely to be willing to relocate or travel as part of work.  Bonus: less personal days due to sick kids.



For more reasons recent grads should be considered check out here and tips for employers (Jump on the bandwagon! Particularly those companies in my field!).

Job Hunting = Box of Chocolates

I'm sure a few of you just thought of the movie Forest Gump reading the title.  "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."  Well, job hunting is the same way, but for different reasons.  Yes, you don't know what you're going to get for an outcome when applying to jobs, but I'm thinking more of when one applies for jobs.

First off, like when you get a box of chocolates, you want to apply for the jobs you find most interesting/favorable first before someone else gets the chance to.  The best chance one has of getting a job is applying as soon as possible because you don't know when they will start interviewing and if they decide to hire a person on the spot. So, like your favorite piece of chocolate, you want the opportunity to have it before someone else.

After you chose your favorites, you start to become less picky about what comes next.  The ones you really want are done, therefore, it's time to start on the other, less interesting ones.  However, unlike the chocolate box, you still want the jobs you're applying to whereas the chocolates, you may not care as much if other people take them. 

Then comes the jobs/chocolates that you'll take/apply to if there is nothing else available.  You still will eat the piece or take the job, but you don't see yourself enjoying it for long and will look for better alternatives.  Usually these are the ones that don't get a second thought afterwards unless of course, you get a call for an interview.

Finally, there are the ones that you avoid.  The ones that even though they're there, you don't want them at all.  The ones usually left in my boxes contain dark chocolate.  Same with the jobs, even though you qualify, you don't want it and therefore don't even apply.  Or in the case of chocolate, don't eat it and give it away.

Of course, applying for jobs may also cause a few boxes of chocolates to appear on your counter.

Another short post but today was a little busy for me both in my professional and personal life.  As always, feel free to comment below or add your own comparisons below.

The Art of Job Creativity

As the weeks wind down on my current job, and the job market for people like me remains the same (ie sucks because while there are jobs, there are also a lot of people who are in the same boat as me), I have started to think about alternative careers to sustain me for a while until a job that could use my degree pops up.  Here are my thoughts (note: a job-job is a job that will use my graduate degree to it's fullest extent, a job is one that doesn't):

1. I could continue to work at the pharmacy, just work more hours (which I know the pharmacists there will probably jump for joy when they read this) and pick up a second, similar paying job.  Money will be tight even if I continue my current 50 hour work weeks, but at least will be coming in.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 90%

2. I could find another temporary job (in my current city, I'm not moving to do this crap again) that needs my degree, or something close to it.  Or like my current job that wanted a recent grad or second year student (my program generally takes two years to complete).  The pay may not be as high as a regular job, but it adds experience to the resume.   If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 100% (in current city) 60% (in another city).

3. Work at a museum.  Science (ideal), history, or even art if they'll take me.  I've wanted to work in a museum and I already volunteer at one (which is hiring part time education assistants and volunteer service associates right now).  If I can't find a job-job might as well do something I'll probably never be able to do again.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 70%

4. Become an author.  I've written chapter books since I was 8.  No lie, I still have the very first one I ever started.  Of course, this would require me to actually finish novels.  Would probably be able to do considering soon I will have a lot more free time.   If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 50% because it will take a few years to make a noticeable profit.

5. Go back to school.  For a PhD.....not in this field.  Partly because my grades are not straight A's and for PhD programs that matters.  Actually, after a couple years I may do that anyways and then you all would have to call me Dr. Epilogical.  I'm thinking anthropology, that way I still can satisfy option 3, just on a grander scale (and if I do option 3 followed by this, it counts as relative experience).  Or maybe micro- or marine- biology.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 80%, you know, assuming I actually am confident I would be accepted into a program.

6. Get a fellowship.  They typically only last 1 to 2 years but, it's in my field and I may actually find one in the area I like.  Plus, it can be added as relative experience for an actual job-job.  I didn't include this as temp job because.....in my mind it's different.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 100% (in current city) 90% (in another city, partly because I don't want to have to move a third time after it ends and start in a new place all over again.)

7. Get  job that could use my undergrad degree.  I never actually have used my undergrad degree, with the exception of applying to grad school which is a whole other field, though I guess you can say they're pseudo-related.  Regardless, it would technically make me underemployed but at least I would be making more than I am now (and be able to actually work in a lab which is kind of what I wished I done the year between graduating from college and starting grad school).  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 100% assuming it would be easier to find a job than a job-job.

8. Get one of those per diem consulting jobs in my field that no one else really does because they actually have a job or think they're too good for it.  I can consult.  I always have an opinion and will be willing help a company for money.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 100%, in fact I would probably do it even if I do find a job-job and use the money for a vacation fund to Germany/Switzerland.

9.  Become a blackjack dealer.  Shut up, it would be entertaining and you know you secretly want to yourself.  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 20%

10.  Become a pro bowler.  Of course, that would require me to start bowling again.  Grad school kind of kept me away from that.  Plus that would be awesome to put on a resume!  If push comes to shove, probability of doing: 30%.


If anyone has any interesting suggestions, serious or entertaining, feel free to comment below.  Or share your own experiences because I would like to feel like I'm not the only one who has had this problem (because I know I'm not).

Resume Roulette

Topics this post:

• My resume evolution
• General resume tips

So, I thought I switch it up a bit and talk about the "joys" of applying for jobs.  I'm in that process right now and literally spent 4 hours fixing my resume a few nights ago after having spent 6 hours in the past couple weeks fixing it.  It now looks semi-decent. So I figured I would entertain everyone with the story of the evolution (or creation if you prefer) of my resume followed by some resume tips.



Origin of the Resume
I really don't know when I actually created my first resume.  It was some time during undergrad though.  I think it was because I read somewhere that you should get a resume started before you start looking for your first professional job.  So I figured I get one started my mix of weird, yet decent jobs that I had held thus far in my life as well as the volunteer work I was doing at the time.  Was less than a page.

First Resume Edits
So, for my capstone class (in undergrad) we were required to submit a resume (as well as a cover letter) for both career services and the professor to give suggestions on.  The resume was easy, I already had one.  The cover letter (which the professor had written Auschwitz on but that's another story).  Anyways, when our resumes were returned, mine had a few corrections (most in regards to the objective statement that they said we needed but ironically, my grad school says don't put on, go figure).

I actually pulled out the resume a few moments ago and it looks juvenile, to say the least.  But, I didn't really need it except for applying to grad school which I got in to so the baby resume did it's job.

The Resume Evolves
So, after starting grad school, I was offered work study funds (yay!).  We were all also advised to visit the school's career services to 1) become familiar with them and 2) to have our resumes reviewed since they know what employers in the field are looking for.  So, after applying for some work study jobs and getting no calls, I realized that it might be time for my baby resume to grow up a little.  So, I made an appointment to have my resume reviewed and worked on changing it according to their tips online before my appointment.

At my appointment my resume was torn apart, as in red ink everywhere, not ripped up (which is what I felt like doing after the corrections).  So, baby resume received a harsh dose of the real world and had to change.  It became almost two pages long with all the added jobs since I have always held two jobs simultaneously since I was 18.  Then it entered it's teen years and landed it's first job.

Time to Grow
Well, with the occasional update the now grown up resume was doing pretty good, as far as finding work study and my current job (a temporary contract position).  However, now that I want to start looking for a real job, the resume needs to mature a little more.  So, I began to update it, getting rid of the volunteer section since none are relevant to my target job field, updated my job descriptions, and qualifications summary after receiving advice from my boss.  So, after multiple edits, I now have a resume that will hopefully help me land a job when meeting an excellent cover letter.



Resume Tips
Now to share some resume tips that I've picked up over the years from multiple sources.

• The Header
• Include your name and contact information on at least the first page.  Any following pages should include your name in case the pages get separated.
• Contact information includes:
• Name
• Phone number
• A professional sounding email address (ie firstname.lastname@whatever.com
• There is some debate whether or not to include your address.  If you are posting your resume online, then you may want to leave it out.  But, if you're sending it to a local job, it may benefit you to have your address listed since they may prefer to hire a local candidate.
• Qualification Summary
• This is optional but highlights skills/experience that the job you are applying lists for their preferred candidate.  Therefore, this section should change to reflect the skills that the potential employer is looking for.
• Education
• List degree, school, and (expected) graduation dates.
• List GPA only if you want to and if it's high.
• Note: If you list it for one degree, you must list it for any other programs.
• List any thesis/dissertation done in the program
• Job History
• You can organize this in multiple ways.  I did chronologically since it's the easiest.
• Make sure your position is listed along with the company.
• Add  important duties done while one the job. 
• Put these in bullets to make it easier for the employer to skim through.
• Volunteer Work
• Include this section only if:
• It's relevant for the position
• You don't really have any work experience.  It shows you're not a lazy bum essentially.
• Publications/Posters/Presentations
• These sections should actually be separated but they're pretty self explanatory if you've done them.
• Miscellaneous
• There are other sections that can be added but those sections above are the most common.  
• Make your resume stand out, don't use a template.  Organize it the way you find works best.
• As your list of jobs grow, you don't have to include every single job, especially the fast food job you held in high school.  Just stick to those that are relevant to the position.
• If you have no publications/posters/presentation sections, your resume should not surpass 2 pages.  Anything more that, you need to start analyzing if everything in it really needs to be included.
• If your resume has multiple pages, include page numbers.  This is for the same reason you should include your name, in case the pages get separated.
• Make sure job descriptions are not separated.  In other words, ALL the bullet points should be on the same page as your job title.

That's all the advice I have for now.  If you have any more advice or would like to wish me luck in my job search, feel free to comment.