The College Hangover
As the alarm buzzes so begins the debate. The debate whether or not getting up and getting ready for class is really worth it. As you weigh your options you debate over the following: (a) You can skip class and get the notes from someone else or (b) go because your class grade depends on it. While the responsible choice is to go to class, not everyone is responsible.
For many recent college graduates, it appears that nothing has changed. You still want to sleep in and you don’t want to get up yet. The big difference is that if you decide to sleep in and ’skip’ class you can’t just make up what you missed by getting the notes from a fellow classmate. Instead you are missing out on your future. While it is easy for many of us to just hit the snooze button, and sleep for what seems like an amazing 5 minutes, too often do recent college graduates carry over this mentality into life after college.
It what can be described as a sort of college hangover, what many fail to realize is that time waits for no one, and the sooner you can ’sober’ up, the better. Reminiscing about all the good times you had during college is great, but it is even more important to look toward the future. (more…)
Aspire To Be The Leader, Not The Follower
When you first enter a job, one of the first things that you need to understand is your role within the company. Are you the leader or are you the follower. While their are obviously more followers than leaders in a company, that doesn’t mean you should accept that role and not try to be more. One of the biggest complaints that I hear people say is that they hate their job because their is no chance for them move up. To this I ask: Have you done everything you can?
If they answered yes, that means that you have put in the extra hours, you have offered to help out in areas that aren’t your own responsibility and you have taken an active role within the company to try and bring value. If not, then it you need to ask yourself: Why? While their is nothing wrong with being a follower, people remember leaders, not followers. In the workplace when a project has positive results, typically the leader of the project will get most of the credit. It is true that those involved in the project get some credit as well, but the bulk of the credit will go to the leader. When a project goes bad, the opposite will happen. Someone has to take responsibility for a failure and that means one of the ‘followers’ are subject to scrutiny.
Why Be The Leader?
It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business
For almost a decade, John Calipari led the Memphis Tigers Men’s Basketball team to multiple NCAA basketball tournaments, several Sweet 16’s, was named the Conference USA coach of the year four times and most recently was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year. With a resume like that, it makes you wonder why people now consider him a ‘traitor’ and ’sellout’ after all that he’s done for the University of Memphis and its basketball program. While there are obviously two sides to every story, what happened between Memphis and John Calipari leaving for the University of Kentucky happens everywhere.
John Calipari saw an opportunity. Not just any opportunity, but the opportunity of a lifetime. The opportunity to coach one of the most revered college teams in the NCAA and one marked with tradition and full of history. When the University of Kentucky came calling, John Calipari packed his bags. In the perfect world, coaches would fall in love with their schools and never leave, but as everyone knows, nothing is perfect. The University of Kentucky gave John Calipari a chance at something he so desperately wanted: a Championship.
In the business world, most everyone can relate to John Calipari’s situation in one way or another. When a job opportunity comes your way that pays better and gives you a chance to put yourself in a better situation, instinct says you should take it. If that is the case, then what did John Calipari do wrong? He will make more money and with a bigger name school and John’s name on the Mens basketball program, getting recruits to come to Kentucky will be simple. From the business perspective, John made the right choice in leaving, but from the fans and others views, he is simply a ’sellout.’
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Who Says You Can’t Find A Job?
One of the most common complaints that people have is that they just can’t find a job. Largely, if not entirely due to the economy, unemployment is at an all-time high and more and more individuals are finding themselves at home. Many of my friends have told me that they have applied to several jobs only to never hear back from them. So what is the problem here? When people say that they can’t get a job, the first thing I ask them is “where have you looked for a job?”
Saying that you can’t find a job should mean that you have tried every possible job opening available and still can’t get an offer. What most people mean when they say is that they can’t get a job is that they can’t get a job they feel they are best qualified for. Take for example the recent college graduate. After 4 years of hard work, they would expect to be rewarded with a full time job that somehow justifies their hours of studying and hard work. In reality, because of the economy many recent college graduates are finding themselves unemployed and back at home.
Graduating college, you come away with some expectation of what life post-college would be like. You expect to have a job that you have prepared for all during college and expect to have some sort of ‘plan.’ With the economy the way is though, you should expect nothing and should be ready to change your ‘plans’ at any moment. The point I am trying to make is that Yes, you should apply to all those jobs that you feel you should get but that you should also be flexible in the jobs you apply for. Just because you were an accounting student in college doesn’t mean you can’t apply for jobs you are overqualified for or out of your focus.
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Building Your Network During College
If you think you don’t know how to network, just take out your cellphone and go to your contacts. You are already networking. Believe it or not, but some students have no idea what networking is or why it is important. In a business sense, networking is like your yellow pages or directory. Whether you need someone who can design you a website or help you get that foot in the door at a job opening, networking is a powerful tool.
I remember reading that power can be judged by the influence of one’s network. If that is the case, then it is imperative that individuals begin working on building up their network as early as possible. One of the first places that you can start building solid relationships is during college. Everyday you meet new people and have plenty of opportunities to find groups and meetings that you can network at. For myself, I made it a point to try and meet new people from different majors who I could keep in touch with after college. The advantage of this is that if I ever needed some assistance with something out of my scope, I could always just dial up a friend and ask them. Even better, I could refer my own clients to others that I trust and have built a good relationship with.
While networking can be thought of as a business tool, it can also be a social tool as well. For example, if you see a girl you are interested in, it is always easier to have your friend who knows her, introduce you to her. As a college student, networking is mainly a social aspect. If you want to look at it in a business sense, college students network with each other so that they can exchange homework or to study for tests. Networking can be broken down into two parts: the social part and the business part. The two main questions that you can categorize your contacts are “how do you know them” and “what do they do.” The first, “how do you know them,” can be thought of as the social aspect of networking. Are they friends from school or a club? Where did you meet them? The social aspect of networking is all about getting to know them. The business part or what I call the “what do they do” aspect is all about knowing how you can help each other out. Several of my friends work in the financial market and I frequently ask them about how the market is doing and what they forecast. In return I help them with some social marketing ideas and also have advised them on how they can use the social media platforms like a blog to brand themselves.
If you are still in college or just about to graduate here are some tips and ways you can start building your network:
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Being A Leader As An Entrepreneur
Look in the mirror and what do you see? Do you see a leader or do you see a follower? This is the question that I have been asking college students across the country from some of the best schools in the nation for our internship program. With polished resumes and sometimes rehearsed responses, many interviewees were actually taken a back when I asked them this question. While some may expect the normal response to be a simple ‘Follower’ or ‘Leader,’ I want to know why.
Part of what we are looking for in candidates for our Campus Entrepreneur Internship Program are individuals who have not only an entrepreneurial edge to them, but also have a leadership quality to them. From the candidates point of view, they may want to ask me why it is important to be leader when it is only an internship. The easiest for way for me to explain it is because part of being an entrepreneur and starting your own business is being able to lead others.
So what separates the leader from the follower? From my own experiences, I have noticed that all great leaders have great confidence in themselves and also their team. An example I often use to explain the difference between a leader and a follower is to look at sports. Who are the superstars, and who are the role-players. It is easy to replace a role-player, but it is difficult to replace a superstar. Superstars excel above the rest, and lead by example. As an entrepreneur, you take on many different roles. From accounting to marketing, entrepreneurs must be confident in their capabilities and be able to pick up any task and be ready to lead others who are unsure how to approach a situation. As a entrepreneur, you must not wait for people to teach you how to do something but rather you must want to learn it yourself.
Speaking with one of the interviewees about whether they were a follower or a leader, they responded that they see themselves as a more of a follower because they like to sit back and learn from people who have more experience. While there is nothing wrong with the response, I feel that to be a great entrepreuneur, you must want to be more than just someone who takes orders from others. You must have the desire and passion to one day be able to make important decisions and to have people come to you when they need advice. Part of what this internship program is about, is taking someone who see’s themselves as being the leader ‘type’ and giving them the tools to be one.
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Why You Should Do An Internship
Recently, a friend of mine who is a senior in college told me of the situation they are in. With just a couple months remaining before they graduate, they are scrambling to find a job. After spending months sending out resumes and going to career fairs, they have gotten very few interviews and no job offers. My friend, like so many others who are soon to graduate are worried that after 4 years of sleepless nights studying and hours thinking if they were in the right major, that it may all have been for nothing. While it is an exaggeration to say that it has been for nothing, to some that is what it feels like. The best way to describe this could be through an analogy. Imagine you are training to be a pilot. After four years of training and hard work, imagine now that airplanes have become obsolete. Would it not feel like you had spent all that time for nothing? This is the same kind of feeling that some of my friends have expressed.
For those of you that are in the situation where you are graduating soon and are unable to find a job, the question that you must think about now is “What will I do next?” My advice is to find an internship. Speaking to a friend of mine who works at a career center, they told me that one of the common reasons that students don’t apply for internships is that they assume that internship’s are a waste of time and that it is just ‘grunt’ work with no pay. While this may be true in some situations, it is not entirely correct.
The main difference between internship positions and full-time/part-time job positions is that internship programs generally don’t pay their participants. Instead, interns are usually offered school credit. In some situations, interns actually get paid for their work. Now that I said that, I must recommend that to anyone who is looking for a job just to pay the bills and to strictly make money, not to take an internship.
Internship programs are offered as a learning experience for individuals who are interested in learning more about a career path they are interested in. This is one of the best parts of an internship. Unlike jobs where you are expected to have a somewhat firm understanding of the work, internship programs teach you the in’s and outs of the job. If you are a college student, internships are a great opportunity because of the flexibility that many companies offer. Companies know that most interns are balancing work and school, so they always want to make sure that school comes first. When you have a job, they worry only about your performance in the work place, not how you did on your chemistry test.
For college students, one of the biggest issues when applying for a job is the lack of experience that they have. There are two ways to address this. The first is to identify this early on while you are in college. As a freshman all the way through your junior year of college you should be attacking every internship opportunity that comes your way so that you develop the skills and experience for when you are going for that full time job offer. If you are already a senior in college and realize that you don’t have the experience then the best strategy that you can do is to jump into an internship right now. With the economy not helping the job hunt, college graduates with no experience are facing an uphill battle. With companies looking to save money, many are more than willing to give students a chance to earn some experience in exchange for course credit. In some situations, some companies don’t even require students to get course credit for their internship.
The biggest advantage I think that students can get from doing an internship is getting their foot in the door with an organization they are interested in getting a full time job offer with. For interns that are dedicated and work hard, they are sometimes rewarded with a full time job offer at the end of the program. I myself was able to get a full time offer from Future Delivery upon completion of their internship program and am currently working with them to promote and build fun and creative tools for students and young professionals.
For any student or young professional that is looking to get into an internship program here are some tips and advice that I learned during my internship program:
- Email Etiquette
- One of the key things that students forget when writing to recruiters and employers is that they are not your friend. Using instant messaging lingo like “lol” and “thx” are not acceptable. Remember that everything from how you address others to how you structure your emails reflects what kind of applicant you are.
- Cater Your Resume
- A common mistake that most students make when applying to an internship is that they send the same resume that they would send to a full-time job position. While this is okay, it is helpful to cater a resume to the learning aspect of an internship and also to list relevant experience or coursework that relates to the internship.
- Time Management
- As mentioned earlier, internship programs are very flexible and understand that you are still in school. Still, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to go to meetings because you would rather go to a party. Internship programs want to choose candidates that want to learn and be there, not students that want just want to get credit for it. Remember that just like a full-time job, companies will cut you from their internship program at anytime.
- How To Find An Internship Position
- Many schools have their own job listing database that employers will list their internship programs on. I highly suggest that you start your job search here. This is the main hub that companies will list their programs on because students are their main target for internship programs. Another tip I would suggest is that even though a company doesn’t have an internship position posted online, it never hurts to call their human resources and ask them if they have an opportunities for students. It is hard to turn down a students desire to learn.
Using an analogy one more time, an internship program can be thought of as training wheels for your career. Given the option of jumping on a bicycle with no prior training or the option of jumping on a bicycle with training wheels, which would you choose? I’d take training wheels any day.
Understanding Your Personal Brand
One of the most common questions asked in interviews is: “Tell me about yourself.” While many may believe that this question is meant to tell your interviewer general information about yourself, the interviewee’s response can be a make or break in the interviewers mind.
In evaluating a candidates response, among the criteria that interviewers evaluate are a candidates composure, their readiness, and above all their understanding of themselves. To someone who has never met you, when they ask you to tell them about yourself they are not asking you what classes you are studying or what your favorite color is, but rather they want to walk away knowing what kind of person you are. If you tell your interviewer that you are studying history, they want to know why you are studying it. Is it because you are passionate about it or because you didn’t know what else to study? Remember that it is not only your initial response to a question, but it is also how you follow up your response.
As mentioned, it is important to an interviewer how well you understand yourself and if you can express it to others. While it may seem like an easy question to answer then why do so many people have trouble answering it? Everyone can say general information about themselves but it takes more. This is where your personal brand comes into play.
When people think of Pepsi, they think of the red, white and blue logo and the drinks they produce . When people think of the Yankees, people think about their commitment to winning as evident by their expensive spending sprees. Just like with the examples of Pepsi and the Yankees, candidates need to build their personal brand to the point that when people think of them in a career sense, candidates can be associated with certain qualities or as a brand.
One of the best ways to start building your personal brand is to start with a blog. While some may think that a blog is supposed to be private and to be shared with only your very close friends, being comfortable with expressing your thoughts and views is what can make your blog a powerful tool in branding yourself. With a blog you will be able to network with others and let others know who you are and what you do. By finding your ‘niche’ through your blog you can use it as reference to employers and interviewers as proof of your knowledge of whatever career path it may be.
So when is the best time to start?
As soon as possible. Personal branding is not a one day project. It takes time to build the foundation of your personal brand. After successfully building up your personal brand or foundation, you can move on to networking with other professionals and peers through the various social networks available. For the college student getting ready to start recruiting for a job, you may have already started building your personal brand without even knowing it. Websites like Twitter and Facebook are great ways to network with others and build solid relationships. By networking with others you are not only giving yourself the chance to get your name out there but also you are able to get great advice and insight from other professionals.
After building up one’s personal brand, an individual should no longer be unsure of how to answer the question “tell me about yourself.” So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make a name for yourself!
The Human Chess Piece
In the game of chess, each player gets 16 chess pieces. With those chess pieces, it is the players goal to take the other players king. Most chess players will tell you that chess is made up of calculative moves with each player thinking of all possible situations and scenarios that might happen two to three plays later. In comparison to the game of chess, companies function in a similar way.
Similar to the game of chess, a company has rankings withing itself that signifies power and influence. Just like the king is the most important piece in chess, the CEO or the corporation itself can be considered in the same way. Likewise, a company also has those that would be considered pawns. In today’s economy we have a very unique but also scary reality. On one side we have a corporation and on the other we have our opponent, the economy.
If we were to look at the situation as a chess game, the economy is pressing us hard and threatening each and every company. Whether its the small mom and pops stores or the large corporations, everyone feels the pressure of the economy bearing down on them. Like pawns getting picked off a chessboard, corporations are forced to layoff workers in order to stay alive and ‘protect the king.’
Their is no easy way to ‘defeat’ our opponent, but like in chess we must evaluate our the options and make the best choice we can. I believe that Grand Master Chess Player, Emaunel Lasker said it best when he said:
“When you see a good move, look for a better one” – Emanuel Lasker
While the situation is dire and we must make swift decisions, it is not without saying that we must think not only about the instant ramifications of our decisions but also the long term results as well. When certain moves seem like the right one, we must scrutinize it till exhaustion and make sure that we can’t make a better one. Learning from mistakes only makes us smarter and capitalizing on great ideas makes us stronger.
While I have compared corporations and its employees to a chess game, the same can be applied to anyone. Whether it be an individual, a family, or business, everyone in their own certain way is playing against an invisible opponent. Understanding your opponent and the situation is key to success. Without understanding what is going on is like trying to play a sport without knowing the rules.
While some may say that the saying “if at first you don’t succeed try try again” is the best way to approach things, I would disagree and say that it is not always the best approach. What I feel is wrong about that quote is that it says nothing about doing your best or giving it your all. What it should say is:
“Try your best, and if you don’t succeed, try again.”
For some chess players, they can win without even trying. Still, we must not take the ‘game’ we play lightly and must realize that the biggest difference between losing in chess and in real life is that we don’t get a rematch with it.
Drop For Me!
Have you ever wanted to start an online business, but don’t know how? From finding the right personnel to run your daily operations to networking with the right individuals, starting an e-commerce business can be difficult. Understanding how hard it is to start a business, we have launched DropForMe.com. Drop For Me was started with the purpose of helping others who want to start drop shipping or an online business by providing them with a free supplier list.
One of the most difficult parts of starting an online e-commerce site or drop shipping is finding suppliers. While they do exist, it can be time consuming and also frustrating. We realized this and thus DropForMe.com was created.
So how does it work?
1. Go to DropForMe.com
2. Sign up for our free email list
3. Get emailed 3 new suppliers twice a day, 5 days a week!
Simple as that!
The suppliers we have are great for anyone interested in starting their own drop shipping business or even looking for suppliers for their current ones. Not only do our sources drop ship for you but many also offer wholesale.
We also took into account that some of our subscribers may not want to wait 30 days to get the full months list so we do offer the whole list for a small fee of $20.00 with an additional 80 suppliers on the list for a total of 200 suppliers.
I must give credit as well to Peter Shankman who inspired the idea through his “Help A Reporter Out” (HARO) free newsletter. Similar to his goal of helping others, it is our goal at DropForMe.com to help others who are looking for a quality supplier time and money so that they have more time to become successful!.
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Follow us on Twitter: DropForMe
Confidence After Leaving College
Graduating from college I can say that I am smarter and wiser than when I first arrived. While I say that I am smarter and wiser, I wouldn’t say that college fully prepared me for the ‘real world’. Instead college taught me about international trade theory and how to write a paper in proper MLA form. What college didn’t teach me, I had to learn on my own. From learning how to write and prepare a resume, to interviewing, I like so many others felt that college did little to prepare me for the ‘real world.’
Talking to others that recently graduated and are currently looking for a job, lack of confidence in themselves is the biggest weakness that many expressed to me. Whether it’s not being qualified enough for a job or not knowing the direction they are headed, many believe that college’s should have spent more time in helping students prepare for post-graduation plans. Perhaps it is only the university I attended, but I feel that while students had an idea of what career path they wanted to go down it was still vague and unclear.
Consider this quote by the famous Albert Einstein:
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.”
I believe that Einstein’s quote reflects the situation that many of those graduating from college will realize in the future. What you learn after college is worth more than what you learn during it. While I am by no means saying that college hasn’t given me tools to succeed in life, but rather I am saying that college needs to do a better job of giving students realistic preparation. Most students will never use econometrics or advanced invertebrate anatomy, but what most students will remember are time management, organizational behavior, how to write a resume and email etiquette. Unfortunately, the things I just listed are all things that aren’t offered through college courses except through career centers. While the career center is a good place to go for resources, ask students if they have been to their career center and most will tell you no or even ask where it is. This of course is subject to scrutiny as no two career centers are alike. Problems such as students not being unable to go to the career center during there often selective hour should not be reason for a student being prepared for the future. If college courses offered classes that were post-graduation focused such as personal finance and personal development courses with no grade and would have no effect on one’s units then I believe that it would be beneficial and many students would opt for it.
Confidence as I mentioned earlier is an element that some college students wish they had more of. Whether its offering classes that are geared toward practical preparation such as resume help or helping students map out post-grad plans, colleges should strive to not only give us the knowledge of numbers and theorems but also to be able to enter the workforce or any endeavor and feel like we are prepared and ready for anything.
The first project that I worked on at Future Delivery was FD Career. FD Career’s motto was “Career Development Made Fun.” Through exercises/quests and networking opportunities, students and young professionals are able to make themselves more well rounded and thus be better prepared. One of the key elements to being productive at work is believing in your product which in this case was FD Career. As a freshman in college I would have loved to have a website like FD Career around to help prepare me for career paths and help me understand the importance of networking and one’s personal brand.
To students and anyone who is looking for a job or even just looking for a direction and help, I leave you with a few words of inspiration from a doctor:
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
~Dr. Seuss
The Power Of Charisma
As I stopped to listen to the inauguration speech of newly appointed president, Barack Obama, the thing that stood out most about him was not the content of his speech but rather how he was able to draw the attention of millions by just the words he spoke. His words not only captivated millions but it also instilled hope and inspiration to those who listened. Obama shares a rare trait that great leaders have. That trait is charisma.
While many may be described as charismatic, true and genuine charisma is often hard to find. Charisma is often defined as a rare trait in human personality that includes charm and a ‘magnetic’ quality. Not only is charisma a rare trait, it is also by far one of the most valued. Taking a look at the famous leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Nelson Mandela, the key characteristic that all of them shared was their ability to captivate an audience. From Napoleon’s ability to rally his troops through is powerful words to Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to charm thousands and lead millions, charisma is a powerful tool. Anyone can become a leader, but it takes true charisma to get people to follow you. You maybe extremely bright, but without charisma, you can only go so far.
In the business world, charisma plays a huge role in the workplace. While work ethic and efficiency are both key factors in promotions, a persons charisma is also key. Someone who is charismatic not only gets along with most people, but they can also make up for areas they lack in with their charm. The goal of any company is to hire a well rounded individuals that can come in and bring value to the company. The key word out of that sentence is value. Speaking to the HR of a few companies, many agree that charisma has huge value.
Aside from the charisma playing a huge part in the business world, charisma is also a dominant trait in entertainment and sports. When you look at players like Kobe Bryant and actors like Will Smith, aside from work on the court and on film, people naturally gravitate toward them. This ‘magnetic’ trait that they have has helped them become as popular as they are today. Even looking at our past president, George Bush, we can see the power of charisma. While he wasn’t loved by all, people would agree that part of the reason he got to White House was because of his personal charisma.
While not all of us can be as smooth as Will Smith or are able to captivate a nation like President Barack Obama, it is important to recognize those that are charismatic. Being able to identify individuals with genuine charisma can be difficult because who is to say what “true” and “genuine” charisma is, but here is a suggestion to figuring it out: Look around you and see who are the followers, and who are the leaders. More than often, the leaders have true charisma.
One Relationship: Two Roads
As I enter my third week of the work I have come to the realization that I am an ‘adult.’ Books and midterms have been replaced by meetings and hours of starting at a computer screen. For most, the corporate work path is well suited for them. Working at Future Delivery I have a truly unique opportunity. I am able to set my own work hours, sleep in as late as I want, and work on any project I want. So you ask what kind of job is this?
This is what it is like to be part of a start-up company. Everything I mentioned previously is not what it may appear. Yes, I can set my own hours, but I have been working approximately 14 hour work days, 7 days a week. I can work on any project, but still need to get them all done. I can sleep in, but if I do, that only means I will sleep even later. The corporate life provides structure, rules, and guidance. In a sense, when you first start out working in the corporate world, you are taught how to work. No one can teach you how to be an entrepreneur or part of a start-up company. Instead, you are given an idea. With that idea, you have to run with it. If the idea doesn’t work. Then pick up another one and run again.
For myself, the person that means the most to me aside from my family members, is my girlfriend. Recently, she joined the corporate world and now works 9-5, 5 days a week. Looking at how far we both have come, I realize that determination has played a big part in where we are today. In high school, we were both determined to be with each other through it all. During college, we made it through a long-distance relationship. Now here we are again. Facing two different paths: Corporate world vs Entrepreuner world. One is where you follow the rules, the other, you make em.’ When her work day is done, mine continues. When her work day starts, mine still is continuing. I have made adjustments to my life so that I am able to spend ‘quality’ time with her. From waking up early and getting more work done during the day, to delegating tasks to others. Just like when you ride a bike, at first you will have bumps and falls, but eventually you will get the hang of it. Similar to that idea, the career paths my girlfriend and I are part of is ‘work in progress.’ We will learn what works and what doesn’t. What is right and what is wrong. Most of all, we will learn how two different career paths can make for one great relationship.
What Are You Worth?
When looking for a job, one of the biggest determinants in the job search is pay. While it is important to have a job you like and environment that is conducive to work, it seems that pay is the one factor that most would rank high on their job search importance. In a sense, the value of the job can be seen as having a monetary value.
Except for very extreme situations, most job’s will be taken by anyone if the pay is right. For most of us, pay is balanced out by our satisfaction with the work environment, company culture, and several other factors. It is no surprise that salary and how much you make a year is one of the biggest factors by which society judges individuals. Even as a small child we are taught in school that we need to study hard so that we can get a good job in the future.
So what is a ‘good job?’ Their can be many different definitions to what a ‘good job’ actually is, but the consensus response will almost always include making money. Their is nothing wrong with wanting to make a lot of money. I would be a liar to say that making money wasn’t important. The truth is that whether you hold money to be important or not, it is. Money drives our economy, culture, and society. Money has become a way for us to measure the value of things.
Among the many things that we put monetary value on, humans are one of them. Some may feel that putting value on a human is like putting a value on their life. Still, insurance companies do it all the time. They even have a human life value calculator. Factors such as if you smoke, what your occupation is, and how much you make are all part of the valuation of humans.
In a sense, everything that we do can be used as a determinant in our value. Similar to how employers determine your salary based on your experience and the value created by the work you do, humans can be valued in the same way based on their life experiences and value added to society. While it may sound like a bad to say that one individuals life is more important than another because they didn’t smoke and the other did, taking a closer look around us you can find examples where we are already doing it.
A classic example is what goes on in hospitals. The function of the hospital to save human life. While this is the goal of the hospital, the hospital also must be able to generate revenue. This means that the hospital must make decisions that they feel will be both cost effective as well as effective in saving and treating patients.
In some situations, expensive treatment is needed. This is where the valuation of human life can be seen. Imagine we have two patients, patient A and B. Both patients need to be treated for a life threatening condition which is very expensive. Treatment will successfully treat the patient and make them better. Patient A has health insurance, a white-collar worker, and it is his first time in the hospital. Patient B has no health insurance, a blue-collar worker, and his fourth time in the hospital. While it is ideal for the hospital to treat both the same, reality is that they don’t. What will happen is patient A would receive treatment at the hospital, and patient B would be stabilized and discharged to the county hospital where they would receive little treatment. While it is wrong to do so, it is reality. So goes the saying, ‘money doesn’t grow on trees.’ As long as it doesn’t we will continue to put a monetary value on human life.
Dear Blog, Please Get Me A Job
As I was flipping through various news articles on the web, I came across an interesting article written by Adam Nichols of the New York Post. The article, entitled “Better Sign of Times“, was about a banker who was recently put out of a job due to the economic situation. For many of us, ’standard protocol’ when looking for job involves:
1. Looking for job openings
2. Submitting our resume
3. Waiting for an employer to ask us to interview with them
Joshua Persky, the un-employed banker from the article, thought of a different way to look for a job. Using his creativity, Joshua Persky used a sandwich board sign saying he was looking for a job and wore it around Park Avenue. Not only did Persky attract plenty of attention from New Yorker’s, but Persky also attracted many job offers. So popular was Persky’s approach to finding a job that he created a blog where he documented his experiences.
Eventually, Persky got a full time offer from Manhattan firm Weiser LLP. When looking back at his experience Persky states in the article that
“Obviously, I had vigorous interviews, but I think it was [the blog] which sealed the deal,”
A blog.
Not his resume, not his interview, and not his sandwich board, but his blog. That is what sealed the deal.
As college students and young professionals prepare to apply for jobs, one advice that I would like to give is this. Company’s that are looking for someone to fill the position that they have an opening for get hundreds and hundreds of applications. Just like when you apply to get into a college, you have to write a personal essay, in essence, a personal blog can serve just the same purpose. A personal blog gives the interviewer a chance to look at many different aspects of you that a resume would never be able to show. From your writing style and use of logic, to what you are interested in and motivated at; your blog is an extension of yourself and everyone should have one.
It is not hard to find two applicants that have great GPA and great community involvement and drive, but what is the key determinant in deciding who gets the position is who is able to leave that lasting impression. In the case of the sandwich board banker, Persky was able to differentiate himself from the rest of the field by not only having a creative way of ‘applying’ for a job, but by having a personal blog that tells ‘his story’ and builds his personal brand.
Whether you write about fashion, music, what your favorite cartoon is, or even what you think the government should do with the economy, always remember that a personal blog is a tool that tells people who you are, where you’ve been and most importantly, where you want to go.
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Article: Better Sign of Times, Adam Nichols
Learn To Love It: College
As I entered my fourth year at UC Riverside, I looked at my current surroundings and realized how much I would actually miss this place. Looking back to the first day I arrived at the dorms I remember thinking how I couldn’t wait to get out of this place. From the desert surroundings, to the staggering number of homeless individuals around University Ave., UC Riverside looked far from home.
It took four years of sleepless nights, countless energy drinks, ridiculous pranks, ‘psychological warfare’ with the girlfriend, and hours of studying for me to realize how much my college had become my second home. Speaking to many of my friends who have graduated, they tell me how much they miss school and how they wish they could go back. Sometimes I think, “really?” Were these not the same people who the first day of school said they wanted to go back home. Now I hear how they want to get away from there “real” home.
For some of us, life after college means moving back home and going back to a house of rules and structure. No longer are you able to stay up as late as you want blasting your music. And no longer is leaving your dishes in the sink for weeks on end an option (yes, it happens).
I have been blessed to have been able to attend a UC school and have been able to experience the quality education that they offer. The UC system is unique in that it gives prospective college students in California a chance to go to a four year university and receive a top tier education without having to go to far. From UCLA to UC Berkeley, they have campuses all over the state for all types of students. If you are considering attending a UC, I would strongly suggest visiting the campuses to make sure you know which one would suit you best, because you have to remember, it will be your ’second home.’
With my ’second home’s’ lease ending soon, I wish to offer some advice to soon to be graduates as well as those who are still in college.
1. Enjoy it
Plain and simple. As the saying goes, “You only live once.” Applying that concept, you will only be an undergraduate once in your life. Whether it’s re-inventing your image or building life long relationships, enjoy this time of your life.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “Hi”
All of us have seen the freshmen who go up to other classmates and introduce themselves and try to be sociable. Some people laugh at them and some find them awkward. What other people think in the end is irrelevant. Unless you plan to work with them for the next 10 years of your life, they can be one of two things in your life: Significant or Nothing. Why let fear of what other people think stop you from meeting someone significant or meaningful?
3. Relationships and Balance
Everyone hears about the one night stands that happens in college. While this does occur, finding someone that means something more to you than just a physical attraction is a part of the college life many college students find. The key to this is to find a ‘happy medium’ where you are able to balance both your love life and school work. Remember, no one wants to date a bum.
4. Be Active
For most of us, college will mean being in the best physical shape of our life. From the weight rooms, tennis courts, a numerous treadmills, it is hard to say you can’t find a place to be active. Go out there and be active, because when your are out of college, staying in shape and finding ways to be active is harder and might even cost your wallet more.
5. Plan Ahead
College teaches us that time management is important. It is also important to look at the big picture and plan ahead. Use all the available resources to make sure that you are not only prepared for your classes, but life after college.
It may be too late to do everything I’ve wanted to do while at college, but it is not too late for others. Hopefully someone will read this and go out and say “hi” to someone or find someone meaningful in there life. If not, I can say that I have found someone meaningful in my life and that I no longer laugh or question when people introduce themselves to strangers because I know that this is college. Anyone can be anything.
Etiquette 101
For most of us, sitting down at a table and eating breakfast, lunch or dinner is a time of relaxation and leisure. It is during this time, that we also exhibit some of our most ‘un-attractive’ manners and table etiquette. From talking with food in our mouth to leaning or slouching in our chair, many of us forget the table manners that our parents tried so hard to teach us.
While some may see no need for table manners in our own ‘personal space’, it is important to have some knowledge of them in the event that you need them as for example during a business luncheon or a formal dinner. So let us refresh on some key pointers that will help us seem ‘civilized’ at the least.
Continental vs. American
No, the title is not in some reference to a sporting event but rather in reference to the two different styles of eating etiquette.
The first, Continental, is considered to be the less formal of the two and some believe to more ‘efficient. Using the Continental style of eating, the fork is never moved from the left hand when eating. When eating and cutting food, the index finger is placed on the back of the fork and the knife is kept in the right hand. It is also noted that when cutting the food, the cut strokes should be made in one direction only (top to bottom). When using continental just remember, right hand – Knife & left hand – Fork.
The second, American style, which is most commonly used in the United States, is similar to Continental style. Similar to Continental style, the fork is in the left hand and the knife in the right hand when cutting. Your index finger rests on the back of the handles and you should cut several pieces of your food. After cutting, you will rest your knife on the edge of the plate with the sharp edge looking into the plate.
The big difference between American and Continental style is that after you rest your knife, you switch your fork to your right hand.
Tips
Whether you use the Continental or American style of dining, here are some helpful tips that may help you make a great impression in front of your boss or parents in-law.
- -Used utensils shouldn’t touch the the surface of the table. Balancing them on the corner of your plate is a better place.
- -Most dishes will be accompanied by the appropriate knife. For example: steak and seafood. Don’t use the butter knife to cut that 12 oz. New York Steak
- -Most upscale restaurants go for the cloth napkins, which means you only get one. Try dabbing the mouth when needed which will your napkin last longer. (This doesn’t apply to Buffalo wings. We all know that’s just impossible.)
- -If something is even remotely out of your reach, ask for some assistance from someone at the table.
- -Sit up straight and don’t lean your elbows heavily on the table.
- -It is best to wait till your party is served all there dishes out of courtesy.
- -Be on time. Being early also shows that your dinner/meeting with your guests is important to you.
- -In most cases, if you are the one inviting, it is suggested that you pick up the tab. No clear rule here
- -Napkin should be placed on your lap when you sit at your table and placed on your chair or to the left of your plate when going to the restroom or stepping away from your meal as to show you will return.
The next time you sit down to a business luncheon or an important dining engagement remember to enjoy your dining experience. Also don’t forget one of the key elements to succeess: always be confident and composed. With that said, bon appetit!
Without Fear
Looking back, as a young child we had many dreams of what we wanted to be when we grew up. Some wanted to be doctors, some wanted to firefighters, and some police officers. Fast forward the picture to the present and that same child that wanted to grow up wanting to be a doctor or a firefighter has new dreams and desires.
Gone are the days of dressing up as cowboy, and in are the days of looking through hundreds of job listings.
Gone are the days of when we would play cops and robbers, and in are the days of trying to figure out how we will pay off those enormous college loans.
When we first embarked on the adventure known as’college’ we were gullible, curious, and imature, but after four years we have transformed. As ‘adults’ we are now inquisitive, assertive, and most of all aware. Aware that this could be the most crucial time of our lives. Our parents, our professors, and our college experience for the most part, has given us the tools to go out into society and contribute and be sucessful. Still one thing has not changed. Fear.
Fear is a invisible foe that exists all around us. Especially in today’s current economic and global situation, we are pressed to confront this ‘fear.’
For the individual that is fearful of what the future may hold I will cite a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt:
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do“
We live in a historic time. How will we remember it? Will we remember how we stood there fearful of what economic crisis would happen next? Or will we stare ‘fear’ in the eyes and find a way to fight it
As individuals, we have the knowledge, the dedication, and the perservernece to suceed. We must not let ‘fear’ hold us down. Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live. Therefore I tell you.
Go. Live without fear.
