So I’m graduating soon.  Too soon.  The CRC (Career Resource Center) here at Wesleyan has been telling me to apply to as many jobs as I can and hope that I get a bite from at least a few of them.  I refuse to do this.  Why?  Because why would I work at a place that writes mind-numbingly dull jobs descriptions when I could work at a place that writes job descriptions like this.  GlobalGiving gets it.  They understand that:

It’s pointless to hire someone based solely on a resume and cover letter. When almost every company’s job description asks for applicants that are “creative” and “innovative”, why does almost every companies’ application process involve the same old boring resume and cover letter?  GlobalGiving is actually asking their applicants to do something.  Not only will this give them an idea of whether the applicant will be successful at the job, it gives the applicant a sense of whether they will enjoy working there.  Win win for everyone.

Good talent looks for challenges. The second I saw this application, I was excited.  I think it’s proof enough that it is 3 AM and I’m still working on this application. Getting your applicants excited about working for you is the best way to distinguish between who wants to work for you and who is just applying because they need a job.

Hiring can be viral. GlobalGiving’s unique application process has already received a ton of attention on Twitter.  They asked applicants to use the #IWillLoveThisJob hashtag, creating a flurry of tweets from interested folks (like me) and their supporters. Let the battles begin!

So here I go. If you think I’d be good for the position, feel free to retweet this post (I cleverly put the hashtag in the title so it will automatically be included! I’m so sneaky.)

I spoke with a few CRC people at Wesleyan about why they thought the number was so low and they told me that college students are generally not very good at networking.  Many students don’t get jobs before they graduate because they are opposed to networking or don’t understand it at all.

Networking is not ingratiation. A lot of college students say that they would never get a job through networking because they are morally opposed to “sucking up”.  While it’s a good thing these people are opposed to sucking up, it is a bad thing that they think sucking up and networking are the same thing.  They aren’t.

Photo Courtesy of foreverdigital

Networking is not schmoozing at a party. Many of my friends tell me that they hate networking because they feel awkward doing it.  I ask, “Doing what?”  They say, “You know, talking to random people at parties.”

First, if you’re having difficulty talking to people at parties, try drinking a glass of wine.  Second, networking is not about randomly approaching someone at a party that looks distinguished enough to be important.  That would be awkward.

So if you aren’t sucking up to people and you aren’t schmoozing at a party, how do you network?

Photo Courtesy of Steve Rhodes

• Contact people you already know in order to get in contact with people you want to know. Being personally recommended for a job or interview from a trusted source will instantly get your resume out of the pile and into someone’s hands.  The key to any job search is finding out who the people are you want to know. Whenever I apply to a job, I first search on LinkedIn for the company, see if I have any 2^nd degree connections, and then ask that connection to put me in contact with someone at that company.  If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile (which you should), or don’t think you have that many professional contacts (which is okay), there are other ways of doing this.
• Find an advocate. Ask a past colleague who liked you if they have any suggestions for people to talk to or places to look at.  There is nothing more useful than a boss that loved you, whether it was from an internship or an on-campus job that relates to the field you are interested in. These connections are vital because they will know where you should look for jobs, they will likely know people at the places you are applying, and they will want you to be successful in your job search.
• Use your network to find whether or not you are a good match. Leverage your contacts to ask around about the companies and positions you are applying for.  Learn if you are a good match by asking questions about the company, their reputation, their work environment, and the type of people that work there. By narrowing down your search to places where you would actually be a good fit, you are more likely to find a company or position that you like and a company that likes you.
• Focus your efforts on contacts, not applications. According to a handout from Wesleyan University’s Career Resource Center, over half of graduating students get their jobs through networking.  So why do so many people spend a majority of their search applying to dozens of jobs. Rather than applying to 100 jobs, contact 100 people in your network.  It’ll take a lot less time and you’ll be more likely to find something that fits your needs well.

While schmoozing at a party and an appropriate amount of flattery may not hurt your job search, it is not the most effective way to go about focusing your efforts.  Instead, find out who the people are you want to know and then leverage your network to get in contact with them.  A good handshake doesn’t hurt either.

Good luck in 2011!

The semester has started and many of you are busily working away, spending the days in classes and the nights in libraries, quietly munching on your pita chips and humus while reading about how Ancient Greeks actually invented Velcro. Maybe you’re worried that there is more you could be doing to prepare yourself for a career or sweet summer internship. Good news: there is!

Welcome to the age of self-publication and promotion. You don’t need a prestigious professor as your mentor to get published anymore (although having one doesn’t hurt), and there are more than a few things you can do to prepare yourself for life in the real world.

Take advantage of on-campus groups and activities

College campuses are loaded with student run groups and events that are not only fun, but offer the chance to gain valuable leadership and teamwork experience. My most valuable experience at Wesleyan has been managing my a cappella group, The Wesleyan Spirits. Most employers look to see whether you have leadership skills and the ability to work with other people, so don’t be afraid of taking responsibility within your groups.

You know all those flyers and emails you get about interesting lectures and talks? And you know how you always intend to go? And you know how you’ve never actually been to one? Go! Make it a goal to go to at least one talk or lecture this next semester on something that really interests you. These kinds of events won’t be available to you once you graduate, so think of it as free personal and professional development.

Get an on-campus job

There are hundreds of different possibilities for student workers on campus. From library assistants to food workers to technical consultants, students can find work in almost any field as long as they are willing to look. Instead of opting for the easy desk job that lets you do your homework, or a well paying job that a monkey could do, try finding a job that challenges you and provides opportunity for upward mobility. Let’s look at two popular on-campus jobs at Wesleyan University:

While the Weshop Grocer gets paid more hourly, the Events Technician is receiving free training on multimedia software and has the opportunity for upward advancement. Yet surprisingly, the Weshop Grocer is one of the most (if not the most) popular jobs on campus. With your on-campus job, ask yourself: Am I learning something? And if the answer is no, then why are you there?

Volunteer

With the current economic environment, paid jobs are sometimes hard to come by. Volunteering is another great way to get hands-on, out of the classroom experience in a variety of different work environments.

Be creative. Look for volunteering positions that give you responsibility or leadership opportunities. If you’re interested in journalism, contact the local newspaper. If you’re interested in the arts, find a local arts center for kids that you can teach at.

Stay Informed

Instead of spending your time on Youtube and Gossip blogs, (although I do love seeing cats jumping out of boxes and reading about Kanye’s exploits) try to become an expert in something you are interested in pursuing. There are so many tools out there (like Google Reader) that make it easy to manage your news sources and help you be more efficient in your “news consumption”. 

Start a blog

I´ve said this before in my post on Internships and the same is true during your semester. Keeping a non-personal blog is one of the most effective ways of establishing yourself as a dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable individual. It shows employers or future bosses that, among other things, you have the discipline to self-motivate and self-manage, skills often lacking in recent college graduates. We are the Procrastination Nation.