Career advice...

[suckyskatergirl]

Ive had a couple threads on what to do after college, what im going to be and all. I am feeling extremely stressed out with graduation coming up this year and trying to finish a new major (may be turned into a minor). Im wondering how all of you more established folk acquired jobs and internships. Im going to have to look for an internship in the summer along with taking summer classes and i realized i HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO LOOK FOR AN INTERNSHIP OR GET A REAL JOB!!!!!!!!! ive only had restaurant jobs and volunteer work all my life. How do i make myself seem more marketable??? i know i'm going to the career centers at my school but what else can i do? Im a sociology and political science major. I have no idea what kind of jobs i want except ive always wanted to work in radio and television news stations (behind the scenes stuff). My parents are requiring that i get a real job right after college (which should be by august or september) or they are going to send me to missionary training camps in switzerland or hawaii (no this is not a joke)

For months ive been stressed about this and its been accumulating so much i can barely sleep at night and rarely feel relaxed ever. im just asking for advice and stories of how some of you older people got established.

[Gecko]

I was academically dismissed from college and needed a job. A friend of mine was getting ready to go away for school. I applied for his warehouse job until I figured out what to do with my life. This August I will have been here 20 years. I have done shipping, receiving, order picking, inspection, customer service, order entry, etc, etc.

Not much help, huh?

[roflsore]

mail-order bride.

[MalakaiKingston]

For months ive been stressed about this and its been accumulating so much i can barely sleep at night and rarely feel relaxed ever. im just asking for advice and stories of how some of you older people got established.

Learn to sell yourself, that shouldn't be too hard considering your current occupation.

[Ogre]

My background is in Engineering, I swayed between mechanical and Aeronautical... I had some surgeries from sking injuries that laid me up a while..On completion of my rehab, the doctor advised me to go rafting for some r&r..26 years later, I'm a proffesional river guide and land survey large tracts when I'm not floating.

[suckyskatergirl]

hmm so far i can be a prostitute and a mail order. My future does not look bleak at all.

[tomahawk]

if you're graduating this year (2008), not to get you worried, but you should have started job hunting a looong while ago (ie at the start of the school year)

career fairs are a great opportunity to meet ppl face to face, but ur resume often gets lost in the piles of them ppl get. But i'd still suggest to see if ur school has any coming up, just try to make an impression on people.

also, just email ur resume/a good cover letter all over the place. try to see if you have any friends that could get you connections (even an email to someone besides jobs@thiscompany.com is infinetly better b/c the chances itll actually get read are waaay better). job sites like monster are good too. career center should give you tips and whatnot, and hopefully contacts.

if you've worked in restaurants, try to contact the corporate HQ of such restaurants and see if they have any jobs in sales/marketing/whatever ur interested in. etc for other fields.

just apply to SHITLOADS of places, and see if one or two of em answer, and dont get discouraged if ppl dont answer, most of the time, thats normal.

also another possibility is try to get some internships in various companies, itll get u connections, and at least get u a job for a lil while.

or, if you wanna delay real life even more, grad school is the way to go

[DannyP]

My older brother is pretty much in the same boat as you, (except for that missionary camp). He'll be a senior in college finishing out his degree in economics next year and is constantly talking about all these jobs fairs he's attending. I'm not sure of the details, but pretty much you go there with a resume, and look around for internships and jobs with companies that are there hiring. I'm sure there's stuff like that near where you live.

[MalakaiKingston]

hmm so far i can be a prostitute and a mail order. My future does not look bleak at all.

look on the bright side, whether your parents get their way or not yer still gunna end up in a missionary position.

[Mile_High_Mark]

Didn't we already have this discussion?

[shapeshifter]

...lie like hell.

[JibeCity223]

Alot of the intern/professional world is heavily driven by networking. Try to hook up with some alums from your college who work in a field you would like to get into, alot of the times making a good impression will get you noticed much more than you think. The more people who know and like you the bigger your future prospects are. This really is HUGE, i know a few big buisness dudes who have offered people (myself and my cousin inclided) payed internships overseas based on a few pleasant interactions. Its worth considering, especially becasue the more people you et to know now, the more people they will lead you too who you will know in the future. networking baby.

[suckyskatergirl]

Alot of the intern/professional world is heavily driven by networking. Try to hook up with some alums from your college who work in a field you would like to get into, alot of the times making a good impression will get you noticed much more than you think. The more people who know and like you the bigger your future prospects are. This really is HUGE, i know a few big buisness dudes who have offered people (myself and my cousin inclided) payed internships overseas based on a few pleasant interactions. Its worth considering, especially becasue the more people you et to know now, the more people they will lead you too who you will know in the future. networking baby.

i hate the idea of networking. of course it works and of course im probably going to succumb to the pressures of business and $$ but it seems so pretentious and fake. I have to fake who i am in order to make fake friends in order to get ahead in life. this is what is wrong with america.

[drew]

I'm good looking, I think that helped me out along the way.

[HerBDerb]

Forget careers, live on a commune!

[big_loaf]

What's that you say? School doesn't teach you how to get a job with the #### you just learned? Nawwww



Poli Sci major? That can get you a job managing a Starbucks I think...



The best advice in this situation is to spread yourself around (no, not that way) and see who bites. Be picky with who you choose to sign on with, but at the same time, don't be afraid to try something different or new. That being said, don't jump on the first offer that slides your way either.
Confused? Good, now go get 'em tiger!

[R]

Im a sociology and political science major. I have no idea what kind of jobs i want except ive always wanted to work in radio and television news stations (behind the scenes stuff).

Why did you not go into the communications program from the getgo? Sounds like you have no direction in life and/or no goals you seriously want to achieve so therefore give me your info and I will enlist you in the Salvation Army.

[*SWEET*]

King5 News is waiting for you Nancy
That's GREAT american TV

[Momona Boe]

i hate the idea of networking. of course it works and of course im probably going to succumb to the pressures of business and $$ but it seems so pretentious and fake. I have to fake who i am in order to make fake friends in order to get ahead in life. this is what is wrong with america.

No, what is wrong with America is that people think they deserve something - entitlement is what I believe you call it.

Now when Mr Police Officer pulls you over, don't you bat your eyes and pretend to be lost or whatever to try and get out of that ticket? That's called "playing the game". This is a valuable lesson that you will use your ENTIRE life! Is it selling out? Yes and no. It is to a certain extent, but all you're really doing is showing authority that you are not a hoodlum and defiant, which is what society wants. Now 15 seconds after you drive away, you can turn your death metal up, stick a hamster in your butt, and scream about your love of Satan!

How does this translate to the job market? Well Nancykins, glad you've read this far! Networking and interviewing is "playing the game". At this stage of your life, you're not exactly sure what you wanna do. So try several things out. Remember, some jobs lead to completely other things. And don't forget friends of the family or uncles or cousins. They might be able to help out or give you a job. When you start your new job, "play the game". Be nice, be polite, do what is asked, and don't get caught on Silverfish when you should be getting your TPS reports done And most of all keep your eyes and ears open! Learn all you can. You can learn something from every job, even if you justt learn that something sucks.

Eventually you'll find something you dig and can accel at. And slowly you can start "letting Nancy out" and be yourself. But still remember how to "play the game", it will always be usefull.

Or just be a rebel! Good luck in the missionary

And if you want to work at a radio station, then wear something nice and bring your resume to every radio station that you can. Don't show up in flip flops with a chip on your shoulder. Who wants to work with a miserable person? Just "play the game" and get your foot in the door. LOTS of things can happen from even an internship. Say you know how to work an audio editing program, and the engineer is out sick or something. Somebody needs a clip edited NOW - Nancy saves the day! Yayyyyy! Now that guy knows you can do editing. A position opens up, guess who gets it? Nice Nancy who can "play the game". And that's how you make it. Talent is important, yes. But so is being in the right place at the right time.

Or you can wait for someone to discover you at home - good luck with that

[Falkon]

I hate to say it, but I have no idea what kind of job you can even get with those majors except maybe freelance social work. Most politicians I've seen are also lawyers. If you want to be in radio and media, get your degree in broadcast media.

I'm not getting my engineering degree to be a dentist. Come on, work with us here.