The Daily Roundup: Start Me Up
By Zack on January 5, 2009
Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.
One of the most important aspects of success, I believe, is job satisfaction. To be successful in a given field you need to have passion for that profession. Passion manifests itself through satisfaction. As your satisfaction with your job rises and wanes, your passion for your position will change as well.
I was not surprised, therefore, when I read Penelope Trunk’s recent post on 7 Things to consider before launching a startup. Penelope references a USA Today article from 2006 that says Generation Y – those in their mid-20s and younger – have largely taken to self-employment. The arguments about Gen Y’s brash attitudes and overwhelming sense of entitlement have been made a million times over, and that is not the conversation in which I am engaging. There are certain indisputable truths at work that must be acknowledged regarding this generation (my generation as it so happens), and satisfaction with self-employment is one of them.
Penelope’s extraordinarily candid and at times (amusingly) random incoherence is a perfect exhibit of the passion and desire it takes to start your own enterprise and build it from the ground up. Because there are roadblocks. There are recessions, lack of funding, and, apparently in Penelope’s case, communicable diseases. So, for those of you who are finishing school and starting down the road of self employment, Penelope’s piece is a must read.
When largely 70% of young people say they want to run their own business, they are probably not thinking they will fund their business themselves. Since they probably have no money. So they are looking at taking in investors. But I'm not sure that 70% of young people want to take in angel investors, because here’s what it looks like:
If that’s not motivation enough to get your New Year off right, don’t worry, we have the Links to start you up. . .
Bizwomen Provides:
“True Startup Confessions." Sure, it’s good advice and all, but where is the teen angst?
Career Hub Reminds Us:
It’s Internship Season! Time to get started on all your prep for landing the perfect internship for the summer. It really is important to get started early, do your research, and get your resume and cover letter in before the rush. Or you may end up working with this guy,
College Recruiter Says:
Speaking of Cover Letters: “The Cover Letter Segmentation Study.” This is a breakdown of the different types of people and the cover letter’s they produce. I suggest you read through these, examine the strengths and weaknesses of each one, and adapt to best fit with your own style. Oh, and also Spellcheck.
Tracy Tran of Brazen Careerist Chimes In:
With advice on the interview process. Tran thinks ”almost all job interviews are a beauty pageant. You take all the preparation, find the best business suit (which [Tracy] will post about it at a later time), go to the internet to find the best answer and practice and that’s all before the interview just to impress the hiring manager and the company.” This, is according to Tran, is not a good thing.
Secrets of the Job Hunt Finishes:
With some advice on how to turn around your unsuccessful job hunt. If you aren’t starting your own company, have polished your resume, worked on the cover letter, watched every Secrets of the Job Hunt Finishes:, and you still cannot find a job . . . try checking out this free webcast on Tuesday, January 13th at 3PM EST.
