Interview - Part 2 and Part 3

After my first interview I received a call a couple weeks later to set up a phone interview. I was excited to know I had made it past the first round, but somewhat nervous for what lay ahead. I found that I am actually more comfortable and at ease speaking with someone in person rather than on the phone. However, things must have gone well because a week later I was asked to participate in a THIRD interview at the Houston office.

Once again, I was so excited to know I had made it through yet another interview. As I drove down the Beltway on my way to the Houston office for my third interview I was fairly confident in my ability to secure the position. I started imagining life at my new job, started day dreaming about having my own place again, and was more than excited to see what the future had in store.

Upon my arrival I was escorted to the technical writing department - yes, they have an ENTIRE department dedicated to technical writing. I was pretty impressed. I was even shown the work space and introduced to a few current employees.

My first interview was with one of the technical writing department's supervisors and was a good warm up because I would be meeting with the senior director who oversees the department that day as well. After a brief interview with the supervisor, I was then led to the office next door where my second interview of the day would take place. We spoke about reasons I felt qualified for the position, we spoke about the training process, about compensation, and even about The Dallas Cowboys. In my mind, things were going well.

Unfortunately, after a month long interview process I was told that the company was going to pass on my application at this time. I have to say, I was rather disappointed since I had set my hopes so high, but I have to have faith that everything happens for a reason...

and so the search continues!

Chin Up, Cheer Up; Interview - Part One

Hello blog followers! I apologize for the hiatus; things have been hectic lately, but I wanted to update everyone on my current job searching status.

While the job search status still stands at unemployed, things are looking up! I had my first interview about one month ago. Allow me to explain -

Sometime in mid September I received a "recruit email" from a company I applied to earlier in the summer. I was told my resume had been received and that they would like to speak with me further. Not wanting to get my hopes up, I kept the news to myself and gave them a call. After two days of attempting to contact them and after one, fifteen minute phone questionnaire, I had secured an interview! Well...sort of, maybe, kinda. After speaking with a representative on the phone, I was then scheduled to come in and complete an aptitude test. I was told that if the test went well then there would be the possibility for an interview afterwards. If I bombed the test, then of course an interview was not likely.

Instructed to dress in business professional attire, I must have scoured the entire city for the perfect interview outfit. I wanted to make sure I looked well put together. Once again, whether or not I secured an interview was questionable, but I planned to go into the test prepared for an interview afterwards. Confidence is key!

As I walked into the building, I'll admit - I was a little nervous. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Upon my arrival I was immediately sent to the testing room where I completed an hour long aptitude test. I am supposing the test went well, because I was then asked to stay for an interview.

I was slightly nervous going into the interview, but after taking a few deep breaths my nerves began to calm. I had gone over mock interview questions as well as interview tips the night before, so I knew I was well prepared. The interview was short and sweet, lasting approximately 30 minutes. Afterwards I was sent on my way and told that I would be contacted within 10 business days. It would be approximately 2 weeks before I heard from them again.

Unexpected Finds in Unexpected Places

I've always been an excellent thrift store shopper, but the last four years I spent in college as a broke student only strengthened my thrift store shopping skills. Why is this relevant to my job search, you ask? Well after speaking briefly with a fellow writer the other day, it was suggested that I seek work via Craigslist. Why not, I thought.

As it turns out, Craigslist is just like that wonderful thrift store you find hidden on the roadside. It's that place you drive by everyday but never stop to take a look inside. And sure enough, Craigslist was that store - complete with miraculous and unexpected finds. In one sweep, I found five plus jobs to apply for. Who'd have thunk it?! Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that my resume will snag someone's attention!

NOTE: While Craigslist does offer a vast array of job postings, be sure to tread lightly. Not all job postings are what they seem, so use your best judgement before applying for a position.

Dream Big, Fear Not

Leaving the days of college behind and stepping foot into the real world can be a difficult task. The stress and confusion can be at times overwhelming. Needless to say, the past few months have not gone as smoothly as planned. The job search is grueling and taking more time than I could have possibly imagined. However, just as I was beginning to feel lost and losing hope, I came across the inspiration I needed.

As I sat down to relax, finally opening the book I had been anxiously awaiting to read for weeks, within the first few pages I was instantly intrigued and inspired. I am tempted to include the entire introduction to The Alchemist in this post, but I will refrain. However, for those of you who have the time, I highly recommend reading it.

Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, points out that we all have a personal calling or a path that has been chosen for us here on earth:

"Whenever we do something that fills us with enthusiasm, we are following our legend. However, we don't all have the courage to confront our own dream" (Paulo Coehlo).

Whether or not to fulfill our legend is up to each one of us, so why do many of us falter when following our dreams? According to Coehlo, there are four obstacles standing in our way. The first obstacle is impossibility. We are told many times that our ideas are impossible, and we grow to accept this as fact. So eventually, we forget about our personal calling all together. Secondly, love complicates our dreams; "We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream." And the last two obstacles we face are related to personal fears. The fear of defeat overtakes us. Losing everything we have worked so hard for is frightening, so we play it safe. And last, but not least, we fear the dream itself.

Instead of fearing defeat, defeat your fears. Instead of allowing guilt to guide, remember all you have overcome and what you deserve. Instead of convincing yourself the possible is impossible, believe. And instead of burying your dreams, embrace them.

How I Learned to Love the Idea of an Internship

As I found myself on the verge of a nervous breakdown, disheartened and dismayed, internships.com appeared to me as a beacon of light. Alright, so perhaps things weren't quite as dramatic, but I was beginning to lose hope. Now approximately two and a half months into my job searching journey, I am still graduated and unemployed. I suppose I had always assumed finding a job would be easy. I never imagined that my search would be this difficult, not to mention time consuming and overwhelming.

While on my quest to find a job, I have realized that although a degree is a spectacular thing, experience is a close equal. Having never held an internship or volunteer position in my field of interest, I have soon become enamored with the idea. Allow me to explain. First and foremost, an internship allows for personal exploration. Not sure what you want to do with your life? Test the waters. Look for an internship with a company you could see yourself working for in the future. Not only will this allow you to test the waters, it might even lead to a full time position! Secondly, an internship is an immediate resume booster. Having experience in your field of interest will help you snag your dream job. And last, but not least, if you are graduated and unemployed like me, a little extra income from a paid internship can't hurt!

For more information on internships or how to snag a hidden intern, visit this link. The benefits of interning are abundant!

Resources

As a recent Graduate seeking work, there are many things you learn on your journey to finding a job. For instance, I never knew such things as "job clubs" existed until only recently. I always assumed one found a job by searching the classifieds or browsing the web...boy was I wrong!

While enjoying dinner with my Aunt and Uncle (both Austinites) a few weeks back, I was first introduced to the concept of a job club. In short, a job club is a club for those seeking work, or, according to the Launch Pad Job Club, it is "a networking, support, and job lead sharing organization that aids and supports jobseekers in their search for The Perfect Job" (from here). My Uncle, now unemployed after an extensive career of 20+ years, is a member of Launch Pad and has found the club to be exceptionally helpful. As a matter of fact, after a year of unemployment, he has now secured himself a full time position - first hand proof that job clubs can be beneficial.

So instead of wasting time combing the classifieds for a position hundreds of other people will likely apply for, test your networking skills by joining a job club!

AND

For those of you who would like more information about the Launch Pad Job Club (located in Austin, Texas), you can visit their website here.

Business Cards

So today I began work on my very own business card (from here)! I haven't yet decided what sort of information I want to include on the card, but here's a sneak peek. Leave a comment, and let me know which one(s) you like! (You can click on the cards to make them bigger for better viewing)

Stay in the Loop with LinkedIn

I had never heard of LinkedIn until recently, but apparently it’s all the rage. In an age of harsh economic conditions and of growing social networks, it never hurts to have a few friends on your side. So as I started off on my journey to find a job, creating a profile on LinkedIn was a necessity. For those of you who would like to know more about LinkedIn, you can check out this book.

Find me here!

Flub to Flub: Perfecting a Professional Handshake

I thought I had it down. I thought my handshake was perfected. Firm, not flimsy. Strong, but not bone breaking. Gentle, but not weak. As I gave Mr. Miller a goodbye-it was nice to meet you-handshake, I was introduced to the flub. You know – that area of skin that stretches between the crook of your thumb and pointer finger...that’s the flub. “Flub to flub,” he said. “Always make sure your flub meets their flub.” And that was it. Plain and simple. So friends, the next time you go to shake a hand, remember the flub.

Weaving the Web

As a recent college grad, jobless and enjoying summer vacation, I hadn’t been up before noon in nearly a month, so the alarm’s constant call was like nails on a chalk board. Just.five.more.minutes. I must have hit the snooze button a dozen times, but by 6:15 I was finally out of bed. I jumped in the shower and got ready as fast as I could. I grabbed a diet coke and was out the door by 7:15.

I arrived at Austin Java nearly 30 minutes before our scheduled meet time. I wanted to be early (being late never makes for a good first impression). As I sat alone and waited for Mr. Miller to arrive, I’ll admit, I was nervous. Was I dressed appropriately? Was my hair a complete wreck from the morning’s unexpected humidity? How would I greet him? The thoughts in my head were plenty, piling up like cars on a highway during their morning commute. Bumper to bumper, thoughts continued filling the highway in my mind...

He said he was approximately 6 foot, 4 inches tall, slender, and the host to a short beard that had finally begun to gray. I must have stared down everyone who walked in the doors when finally he arrived. Was it him? It was. The contorted muscles in my face must have given me away – he looked once and then once again and knew it was me. After exchanging brief greetings we soon sat down over a cup of coffee to chat.
I wasn’t sure where our conversation would go or what would come of it, but I had a good feeling.

The more we spoke, the more comfortable I became. “I notice your eye contact has changed,” he said mid-conversation. When we first began to speak, I wasn’t sure where to look. Was I staring too intently? Was I looking away too frequently? Unbeknown to me, I was looking away more than I had intended to. However, as I became more comfortable, my gaze steadied and became more forward focused. I was glad to have been called out on my distracted gaze. If he had never said anything I’m not sure I would have ever known I hadn’t been making direct eye contact. Only twenty minutes in and I was already learning things about myself.

After about an hour or so of conversation, we parted ways. I had gained valuable information during our chat, and more specifically, I had learned the importance of networking.

- Lessons Learned -

1) It never hurts to ask. When searching for jobs, never be afraid to contact someone for their advice. It’s a good way to make a connection and a good way to gain valuable information about the industry you’re interested in.

2) Use all available resources – people, places, things. For instance, since I am interested in a job in Austin, it was suggested to me that I do some research at the local library. Yes, the library of all places.

3) Don't limit yourself. You shouldn't expect to find the job of your dreams right off the bat. Don't be afraid to take an internship or a volunteer position to gain experience and to test the water.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life

Graduation day - a day that most of us look forward to years before its actual arrival. A time for family to gather, for mothers and fathers to smile with pride, and for graduates to enter the real world. We iron our gowns, put on our best pair of shoes, and hit the door running. Most of us excited, some of us secretly nervous, and all of us anxious.

As I walked across the stage, May 14, 2010, I was overcome with emotion. I was so proud of what all I had accomplished and excited to turn over a new leaf in life, but somewhat sad to see the last leaf blow away with the whirling wind that was college. Looking down at my diploma, I thought about what would come next. My life that had been so carefully crafted for all these years was now a life lacking any sort of plan. I had no internships lined up, no job, no home. I was a gypsy grad floating free.

It’s been nearly 3 months since that day, and well...I’m still almost just as confused now as I was then. They taught me to use proper grammar, they taught me the difference between ethos, logos, and pathos, they taught me how to whip out one heck of an essay, but no one ever taught me how to find a job. And so now is my predicament – job searching.