It's All in the Perspective

By: Caitlin Charles

Each Friday during this past semester, the LACD team has gotten together for a weekly meeting to discuss our progress as an office.  We often begin these meetings with a short professional lesson from our Director Lisa Snodgrass, and recently we have been discussing the topic of differences in perspectives.  For example, how differing generations in a work place can have opposing perspectives on a certain protocol. While neither one of these may be right or wrong, we have to be able to acknowledge the alternant points of view from our own.
This lesson came into play for me recently as the LACD team hosted a spring version of the Networking Happy Hour event from this past fall with myself as the project manager.  Knowing the high numbers in attendance from the fall event, I had created high expectations for myself and for the outcome of the spring Networking Happy Hour.  After what seemed like a rough beginning to my plans, I was very happy to have some wonderful local professionals participating in our event, and was ready for the evening.  Unfortunately, when the night came, and the time began to pass, I noticed that not very many students were arriving to network with the professionals.  There are many reasons I have come up with in my head as to why this might have been the case, but no matter the excuse, I became very disappointed that there were very few student attendees.
What I came to realize in the days after the event, was a product of the lesson we had learned a couple of weeks earlier.  While my battle of perspective was not and issue of generation gaps like our example, but rather one of my own personal expectations versus reality, the moral of our lesson still applied.  While I was disappointed in the turnout because of the low numbers, I had not yet analyzed the success of the event from any other perspective.  What I came to notice was that while there were a small number of people mingling in the Beering Lobby, this detail allowed the event to feel very intimate and friendly.  The business professionals, LACD team members, and few students were able to really engage with one another and take on wonderful conversations throughout the night.  So, while there weren't hundreds of students rushing to meet with all of our networking professionals, we were able to really appreciate each and every one of our conversations during the evening and enjoy our time together.  I now understand that taking on a new perspective, or simply appreciating one that is not typically your own, can truly enlighten your view on a subject.

How to Set up a Tweet Up

By Caitlin Charles
 Social media shows its strengths once again, whether you are looking for connections in the new city you are going to be living in for the summer, or wanting to find a new way to network in your field of interest.  This particular outlet of social media was introduced to me during one of the presentations on COM day this past January.  A company representative discussed the idea of "Tweet-Ups", a concept that, as a new member to Twitter, I had not yet heard of.  I had not thought much about this facet of social media until recently as I continue to look for jobs after school.
As I struggle with my attempts to find that perfect position after graduation, I keep coming back to the importance of networking.  Since that same company representative at COM day also explained that about 80% of job openings are not listed publicly, networking is more important today than ever.  So when you feel you have exhausted your networking resources with outlets such as LinkedIn, scheduling a Tweet-Up can be a great way to meet with other professionals in your area.
A Tweet-Up essentially describes a gathering of people at an event with a common goal or cause, that is set-up through social media connections such as Twitter.  Getting some local professionals in your area to meet in a park for an evening after work this summer would be a great way to network through a Tweet-Up in a comfortable setting.  So when you are trying to network with other professionals through this channel, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Create a theme, or goal for the event that you hope to acheive
2. Develop a list of potential guests that would contribute to that goal, and begin following them on your social media and making initial contact.
3. Be strategic with your planning and do some research on the audience you hope to host.
4. Set a time and place with your theme in mind and begin tweeting to your potential guests on Twitter. Include hashtags such as #roofup for a roof top tweet-up, to allow your guests to follow the conversation.
After you have taken these few steps to create a successful Tweet-Up, take the opportunity to freshen up your 30 second elevator pitch, make sure you have plenty of business cards ready, and start networking!

Are You LinkedIn?

 By: Caitlin Charles

Looking through Mashable.com recently, I found an article by Todd Wasserman about the resources this year's graduation seniors are using to apply for jobs.  The most shocking change from last year, is the increase in students using the LinkedIn network to find positions. Where last year reported only 7% of graduates were using LinkedIn for job searching, 28% of the 2011 graduating class are using the social resource to find their future positions.  After having multiple lessons and interactive events concerning LinkedIn and social media networking during Career Week, and now finding these results, it is critical to now ask, "Are you LinkedIn?"

LinkedIn's professional network has over 100 million users, and is definitely becoming a critical resource for college students.  During Career Week I was able to sit down and help students create and/or develop their accounts, and learn some of the key steps toward making sure every LinkedIn account was used to its greatest potential.  Here are 3 important steps every LinkedIn member should take after creating an account.

1. Upload a Photo.  Branding yourself as a professional is huge when trying to distinguish yourself among your peers that are applying for similar jobs.  Having a photo is key in letting potential employers put a face with your profile information, and also tying all of your social media together.  Using one basic head shot for your multiple social media accounts will help keep your identity put together, so when someone from LinkedIn wants to look you up on Twitter, there is no doubts on who to follow.  When choosing a photo, it should be of you alone, in appropriate attire and scenery, but don't feel like you need a professional photographer take your head shot.

2. Fill in your "Professional Headline".  This tag line will be the first thing that appears under your photo for anyone searching for your profile, so it needs to be well thought out.  The phrasing should be short and sweet (you are only allowed so many characters).  LinkedIn describes these headlines saying, "Your headline gives you a way to sum up your professional 'identity' in a short phrase."  Try to include a couple of descriptive words and briefly describe your professional situation, such as what line of work you are hoping to go into.

3. Join a Group.  In addition to searching for people to make connections with, groups are a great way to connect with members of LinkedIn with similar interests.  For instance, alumni groups are a great way to find former classmates, or other graduates who have jobs in the field you are looking into.  Even if you did not graduate with them, you can connect with some of these members and let them know you are interested in learning more about what they do.  These are great connections to make that can lead to future job opportunities.

The "Unpaid Internship After Graduation" Dilemma

mscareergirl.com

By Caitlin Charles

As a graduating senior, I now only have 6 weeks until I can no longer use my "student" status as a reason for being without a job, and I become just flat out unemployed.  My busy final semester has left me with a scarce amount of time to secure a position for after graduation, and I am still hoping to find the right place for me.  I have had some great job experiences over my last four years that have helped me to develop some wonderful networking contacts.  Between these connections and my job searching, I have found a few positions I would be interesting in taking after graduation, but nothing has quite worked out yet.  This however is not the discouraging part.  What has become so daunting in my post-graduation job search is the fact that unpaid internships have started to become the norm instead of entry-level positions.

Now, I'm not trying to discredit the excellent work experience and value that an unpaid internship can offer. I have had a couple of them myself, and can definitely attest to their benefits.  Where I would like to raise my question however, is their credibility as placement for recent college graduates, and even young professionals with more experience in the work force, who are simply changing directions.  Granted, if young professionals are willing to accept the unpaid positions to get their foot in the door, as a company, it sounds like a great idea.  However, for those well qualified individuals who simply cannot afford to work for free after graduation, the company could be losing out on a wonderful employee who passes up the opportunity for one with pay.

Is it wrong for me to feel like my degree is worth a paid position out of school?  I'm willing to put in the effort, and work myself up from the bottom rung of the ladder, I simply cannot see myself being able to survive on an unpaid position.  It seems to me as though my unpaid internships and other work experiences during my last four years should be able to represent those first key steps toward acquiring a paid job after graduation.

I do not want to pass up a wonderful opportunity to work for a great company, so I have been trying to work with this concept as I plan for my future.  While researching other sources on unpaid internships after graduation, I found some tips on how other young professionals have tried to justify taking unpaid positions.  For those taking on a similar dilemma in their job searches here are a few pieces of advice I have found.

1. Try researching grant opportunities that are offered to support educational experiences that can further your career area.

2. Consider taking out another loan after graduation.  Putting yourself further behind in loan payments may not seem like a great start to your post-graduation endeavors, but if it lands you that great position that will help you pay them all off in the future, it could be a good move.  If you have parents or relatives willing to support you through this time, they can always be a resource as well.

3. Consider negotiating an hourly schedule with the internship that would allow you to get a part-time paid position as well.