Rainbows, Sunshine, and Butterflies

It has officially been way to long since I have made a post in the blog. The reason is because I have just entered the magical time in my life where I begin frantically looking for full time careers because graduation is only two months away. Let me tell you it’s a plethora of rainbows and sunshine and butterflies! I’m going to use this post to jot down some of my thoughts that might be helpful for fellow or future graduates. This new chapter of life can be scary, nerve wrecking, exciting, challenging, empowering, and make you want to pull out all of your hair at one time. Here are a few things I’ve learned in the process:

   1)START EARLY – Start sending out resumes and job inquiries at least 4 months before you graduate. The hiring process can take a long time and chances are you’ll apply to 30 companies and only hear back from one. I am so grateful I started this process a month ago as I am just starting to hear back from places.

   2)SEND OUT EMAIL INQUIRIES - Just because somewhere you want to work doesn’t have a job posted doesn’t mean that they don’t have any open positions.  As a sophomore in college I sent out a random internship inquiry email and ended up with a fabulous job at an advertising agency. In my current job search I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback. Several agencies weren’t hiring but were happy to put my resume in a file for later down the road. One agency even set up an interview with me. I’m currently waiting for the second interview! It doesn’t hurt to ask. Let’s be honest … the worst thing an agency will do is delete your email because they aren’t hiring. So far in all of my experiences I have gotten nothing but positive reactions.

   3)   THANK EVERYONE YOU TALK TO- This is SO important. Once you finally get the opportunity to interview with somebody make sure they know that you appreciated the time they spent with you. Business people are extremely busy. Even taking 15 minutes out of the day to talk to someone can be a challenge. If someone makes the time for you a thank you card is a necessity.

      4) BE PREPARED- Have your business cards ready to go along with a nice dress suit. In the beginning things can move very slowly. But when things happen they happen fast! Always be prepared!

   5) CONNECT- If you are interested in a specific company and you send them a resume research their social media outlets. Follow them on Twitter or “Like” them on Facebook. Make professional comments on their pages. You never know who’s at the computer reading your messages. Get connected!

   6) FREAK OUT- It’s ok to freak out from time to time. You emotionally invest yourself into job opportunities. It’s normal to be anxious and excited about hearing back from a specific place. This week I went shopping twice, over indulged in chocolate truffles, got a new hair cut, and got my nails done just to keep myself busy and calm my nerves. It’s natural and everybody feels anxiety in these kinds of situations. 

   7)  RELAX- I have to believe that when the time is right I will be placed in the right work situation. I’ve had to remind myself that maybe some opportunities don’t work out because there are better opportunities down the road. Take a breath, relax, and continue to put yourself out there.