I Think We've Found Your Dream Job

By Zack on April 29, 2009

Technology blog Mashable has located an excellent opportunity to score your dream job. How do they know it's your dream job? Well, let's just say it involves Drinking Wine, Twittering and making $10K a month.  Interested? Head over to Mashable to find out the score.

Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma County is offering just that — a $10,000 p/mo for six months, rent-free job updating Twitter and Facebook with your winery lifestream. Sounds too good to be true right?

According to a San Francisco Citizen blog post, this dream job is a reality — just one you’ll have to compete to win.

Eager applicants had the chance to go to 120 Market Street, San Francisco, between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm today to get an inside scoop. But, the real job contest begins tomorrow via AReallyGoodeJob.com, when dream job seekers can fill out an application and submit a one-minute video demonstrating their special skills.

If you don't win the gig, have no fear. We'll help you find your dream job with The Links ...

The Wall Street Journal Has: A way to explain your career setbacks to potential employers. "When you're in an interview, don't wait to be asked about the time you were disabled. "Assuming your health is no longer an issue, be proactive and tell your interviewer exactly what happened before he or she asks," says Douglas Matthews, president and chief executive officer of outplacement firm Right Management."

College Recruiter Offers: Career advice directly from recruiters. "Consider this: Candidate A and B are top students, leaders within their university, involved in extracurricular activities, great experience and both have a 4.0 GPA. The difference is, Candidate A is willing to start anywhere including a Front Desk Agent because he understands that within 6 months he will have proven himself and will be promoted. Candidate B only wants an Asst. Manager position upon graduation and will only reside in Virginia. Due to Candidate A's willingness to be flexible this candidate will most likely be chosen."

Forbes Lists: 10 things to do if you can't score a job. The market is tight right now, and if you are just getting out of school you may not have immediate luck finding a job. Don't freak out. Just keep your cool and look over this list by Forbes.

Grad Spot Explores: Graduate School options. Ok, you didn't find a job and you want to consider the option of heading back to school. Lot's of people do it. It's great. Just make sure you are prepared. Grad spot profiles Peterson's, a website that can help you research different schools and manage all of the information you are processing during this process.

"Dream Job" courtesy of steve heath via Flickr Creative Commons.

Start Your Fall Internship Search NOW

By Zack on April 28, 2009

It's internship week at Forbes.com!  No time like the end of a semester to start prepping for the next one. And Forbes has an excellent run down of some great topics on internships to help you move beyond just making copies:

• How To Land The Internship You Want

• From Intern To Employee

• Interning When All They Ask You To Do Is File

For more information on how to score the perfect internship, let's hit The Links ...

College Recruiter Warns: Poor references may hurt your chances of finding a job. But, there is a solution: "Founded in 1984 by Heidi Allison-Shane, Allison & Taylor, Inc. is a firm that conducts reference checks to help job seekers either ensure that they will get positive references once they start applying for positions or to discover if the reason they're not getting job offers is due to negative references. Allison-Shane started the firm because she saw a need that wasn't being filled."

College Recruiter Offers: Advice on writing a good followup "Thank You" note after an interview. It's important to follow up with a note, so that you stay fresh in the mind of the interviewer and also to show that you are considerate and know how the game is played. CR has the fundamental basics in this post.

Mashable Profiles: Glassdoor, "a Web service that allows users to anonymously share information like salary, workplace reviews, and their honest opinions." A pretty cool concept, indeed. Check out Glassdoor before an interview ... or after to let everyone know how things went. And good luck with your internship search.

"Throw away that copier!" courtesy of jonrawlinson via Flickr Creative Commons

Cyber You: Cultivating Your Personal Brand

By Zack on April 27, 2009

We've seen time and again that, when looking for a career, who you are online is just as important as who you are offline. Sometimes we admittedly focus on the negative side of that. Watch what you post to Facebook, Twitter, etc. Today, I'd like to focus on how you can increase your chances of getting a job through your online presence. This is called your Personal Brand (duh.)

There are a number of experts who advocate the importance of you personal brand - from Dan Schawbel to Seth Godin - and they are excellent resources to use to further your career. Today's Wall Street Journal has a very useful piece from Alexandra Levit on how to build your personal brand.  According to Alexandra there are two important functions of your personal brand: to prove you are capable of a job and how the community in you field perceives you. She gives an excellent example

A veteran of the recruitment research field, 41-year-old Jim Stroud developed an early interest in social media. Hoping to launch a new career in the field, Mr. Stroud built an online brand as "The Searchologist."

"A searchologist is … someone who is proficient in searching the Internet" for people who aren't actively seeking new jobs, he explains. His presence in search engines and networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as a podcast series and blog, led Mr. Stroud to his job as social-media development manager for EnglishCafe, an English learning community for global professionals.

Anita Bruzzese, on her blog On The Job, advises job hunters to use stories to emphasize and express their personal brand. Using personal storues, according to Anita, is an excellent way to enhance your image with prospective employers (or even current employers you only get access to on rare occasions). A compelling anecdote will pull the listener in, and make you memorable and stand out.

Finally, at the Personal Branding Blog, Katie Konrath warns about the stigma assumptions and stereotypes can have on your personal brand. Says Katie, "We need to be aware of the automatic assumptions that people make about us based on  stereotypes. Why?  So we can negate them when they work against us." Stereotypes persist in many career fields, so it is important that you recognize where these could exist and do your best to snuff them out before you get improperly labeled.

We hope you found these personal branding tips useful, for some general career info, lets hit The Links ...

Brazen Careerist Elisa M Ortiz Reveals: The secret to job hunting success: Preparation. "Go back through the job description where you’ve already highlighted and numbered the key skills the employer wants. Think carefully about how you can help the organization achieve its goals. Then, write - yes, physically pull out a piece of paper and write - out your answers to all the obvious questions as well as clear examples of how you’ve accomplished a particular task well."

Career Hub Reports: Referrals are the number 1 source of external hires. "Nearly 40% of all positions filled within companies result from internal transfers or promotions. Interestingly, job boards (excluding company sites) produce only 12.3% of external hires and seem to have reached their peak." This is very interesting news which highlights the need for making and cultivating connections in your career field. One way to do that? You guessed it, Your Personal Brand.

"Cool Blog Sociale - I Heart Job Offers Resume T-shirt" courtesey of SOCIALisBETTER via Flickr Creative Commons

Passion Worth Listening To

By Nellie on April 24, 2009

Showbiz fever stinks. I've been bit by this drive before and the hunger still lingers. No matter how many gigs you get, your closest family and friends will still advise you to have a plan B if plan “Make-it-Big” doesn't happen. True, your chances of not making it is greater with this career choice than with other aspirations, but what exactly do you want do in this industry and what defines success for you? If you are looking for a place to begin, start with your passion. Get your daily-dedicated blog reading on with Secret of the Job Hunt's Jason Monastra and his posts called "Passion and the Job (Part 1)." Monastra asks:

What do you wake up thinking about?
What brings you more fulfillment than anything else?
What spurs a restlessness in your heart when you discuss it?
What can someone say, or bring up, that immediately floods you with passion to talk about, act on, or defend?

As far as the entertainment business goes one site I frequently visit since 2002 is called Get that Gig. They've beefed up their content with more featured companies, more resources and a section of interviews with professionals called "Day in the Life Of." The people they interview are clearly doing something they love and getting paid to do it.  How sweet is that?! Even if you don't have the voice of Don LaFontaine you can still learn a few things about this aspect of the business from voiceover announcer Dennis Clarke of Dennis Clark Ltd and radio producer Mason Rothert who is one of the original co-founders of Thump Radio.

Allow us to pass along The Links on this lovely day (no one should be allowed to stay in their cubicles on Fridays)...

Get Sirius with Your Career: Work or intern in a fast-paced, creative and unique radio company. See what their employees are saying about their company.

They All Thanked the Academy: Go behind the scenes of glamor and get your foot on the red carpet--- intern-style. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation offers a 6 to 8 weeks full-time internship to any college student in the US.

OMG it's MTV: MTV networks offers internships in nine major cities across the States. You won't part of the screaming droves of fans for the Jonas Brothers but you could be the one to hand Nick Jonas his bottled water. (Hey it is closer than the front row!)

Jeff Schmitt on MediaJobMarket Questions: "Are You Interviewing for the Wrong Job?" You have everything right and ready for the awaited interview but maybe this isn't the job for you.

Thanks for reading today's post and hope you have a great weekend!

Recovering From Spring Fever

By Mindy on April 23, 2009

Have you ever had one of those days when everything is just awesome? This is definitely one of those days. It's finally spring. The weather’s amazing here in DC, traffic was a breeze, I found an open parking spot at work (no small feat) and had the perfect chai at Starbucks. The flowers are blooming, birds are singing- basically I'm just in a good mood.

If you're not in such a good mood (in other words, completely frustrated with your job search), check out Fortune's online, multi-media version of their April cover story, "How to Get a Job." They have some good tips that might get you out of your haven't-found-a-job funk. They have several pages of tips, along with audio and video clips from hiring managers and people who actually did get the jobs. The page on interviewing techniques is interesting- one of the women who landed a job brought a PowerPoint presentation to her interview detailing how shw would tackle the position in the first 30 days. That's what it means to come to an interview prepared.

There's a lot going on the link-world today, so I'll just list them all out for you. Enjoy!

The Links are overflowing...

The Intern Queen and College Jolt Details: How to get an internship in sports. If you eat, drink and sleep ESPN, there are some opportunities to get your feet wet in the sports world.

Alison's Job Search Blog Gives: Advice on the dreaded lunch interview. How do they seriously expect us to eat and make a good impression at the same time? I can't go a meal without dropping something on myself. That's just the way it is. So my advice: Don't wear white.

Cheezhead Uncovers: A new job board for green-collar jobs. In honor of Earth Week, see if any of these green jobs appeal to you.

CareerThatDon'tSuck.com Lists: Some great companies that are hiring. Everything from engineers to accountants to creative directors.

Lindsey Pollak Encourages: All '09 grads to check out LinkedIn Blog's Seek Week, which is dedicated to help you find jobs. She has links to some other great LinkedIn resources, like the Grad Guide, as well.

College Finance Gathers: Inventive strategies for avoiding the salesmen, pollsters and religious fanatics that roam your campuses looking unwary students.

"Washington Monument" photo courtesy of jared via Flickr Creative Commons.

As The (socially networked) World Turns

By Mindy on April 22, 2009

Twitter’s the new guy on the social networking scene, but has already taken off at an insane rate. This last week saw several celebrities and CNN in a media-hyped race to become the first Twitter “Millionaire.” Sally Falkow at The Leading Edge said:

This week several celebrities and mainstream media outlets raced to be the first Twitter user to get 1,000,000 followers. Ashton Kutcher won. CNN was second. Oprah featured Twitter on her show and started tweeting. In just a few days she’s got half a million followers. According to PC World unscientific estimates put the number of new users signing up in the post-Oprah days anywhere from 500,000 to 1.2 million. Those figures come from looking at the progression of user ID numbers assigned to new accounts.

According to Twitterholic.com, Brittney Spears, President Obama, actress Ellen DeGeneres, performer John Mayer, Shaquille O’Neal, Jimmy Fallon and Twitter itself are also in the top ten twitter feeds, each with more than 600,000 followers. Safe to say that Twitter is creating a good amount of buzz.

Just like warnings started flying as Facebook gained popularity, career experts are warning Twitter users to “watch what you tweet.” The ResumeBear just had a post about 30 Ways to Loose a Job on Twitter. There are a collection of dumb tweets posted by employees who obviously don’t get that there’s always somebody watching.

Rather than tweeting, “I am currently trying to decide what disease to fake so I can leave work early today. I have it narrowed down to lupus or scurvy.” (seriously?) try finding a job instead. Cheezhead clued me in to this great list about the top 15 job apps on Twitter. Take TwitterJobSearch for example. Cheezhead noticed they’ve posted 44,165 jobs in the past week. That’s nothing to sneeze at. I also liked the idea of NearByTweets, where you can search Twitter by Keyword and Location to find out if there are any jobs open in your area.

I heart Twitter, Oprah... and The Links:

ReadWriteWeb Announces: That you have a say is what Google says about you. Starting yesterday, you can type "me" in Google search and will be able to create Google profile.

The ResumeGirl Has: Still more last minute job tips for graduating seniors. When I graduated, I dreaded the inevitable "So what are you plans now?" questions. If there are any of these tips you're not using yet, they could help.

Jacob Share at BrazenCareerist Holds Out: That temping really is one of the best options right now. There have been a lot of posts about temporary agencies recently (see exhibit A and B). If you are struggling in your job search, don't be afraid to try it.

The Personal Branding Blog Offers: A simple checklist to ensure that you are ready for your next networking meeting. Dan Schawbel says, "There are two things people want to see in a networking meeting: enthusiasm or passion, and what you bring to the table. Make sure that you incorporate both these answers into your story about your history and your goals." If you are networking as part of your job search, this is a good article.

If you aren’t on Twitter, it’s about time. I mean, Oprah is on Twitter. You have no excuses left. And when you get on Twitter, make sure to check us out!

What Playing Legend of Zelda Taught Me About Jobs

By Nellie on April 21, 2009

No matter how hard it gets there is always a way out, there is always hope and opportunity awaiting you. I learned this from playing The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. There are times when my character, Link, would be an ice barrage away from entering the next floor and just when you thought there was absolutely no way of crossing the chasm all you had to do was take a step onto an invisible bridge. (Whew!)

I could spend hours going about the same castle and sometimes not even touching my Nintendo DS until I was good and ready to take another challenge. But you don’t give up because eventually you unlock your way of logic and begin to see that all the weapons (or tools in our case) and circumstances before you are exactly what is needed to proceed to the next level.

One person that did just what Link did in real life is my sister, Juls. She was a recent undergrad with a degree in Business Marketing but was having a difficult and disappointing time landing a job. We needed a place to stay within a month, money was stretched like a bad pair of hosiery and it was just the two of us trying to survive an ocean away from our parents.

Recommended by one of her friends, she took her diploma-minted resume to a local temp agency and began working at an insurance company and then at a commercial real estate firm. She worked at the front desk and helped with administrative duties. No it wasn’t what she went to school for and there wasn’t much pay but her persistence, education and character would soon pay off.

Within six months of temping she was promoted to full-time status and working as a real estate administrative assistant/marketing coordinator. She’s working and benefiting proof that when you use the resources you have in your network, your city or go online there ARE jobs needing to be filled and best suited for you...if you don’t give up on the situation.

From mac and cheese boxes to Bento box upgrades my sister’s story is just one of many. If you have a story like this and would like to share, we’d love to hear them.

Speaking of sharing, here are The Links that could possibly take you to your next level…

Christian from CBCampus: Lists 25 companies that are hiring along with their stats of the industry, estimated grads they’re hiring and what positions are open.

Lisa McGrimmon on Ezine @articles: Gives us 10 reasons why working with a temp agency could be beneficial for those who are still treading recession waters in wait of that full-time job.

Careerealism Twitters Question #89: From a recent History grad who feels wrong about the job but is hesitant about an offer for a sales job. See what the experts tweet on their Twitter link.

Gurbaksh Chahal’s Blog: This young entrepreneur (under 30) and multi-millionaire is seeking internships that could lead to full-time employment for his new company called gWallet. This could be something opportune if you take a look at his track record of previous startups he founded like Blue Lithium which was acquired by Yahoo! for $300 million.

ThinkTalk Network Newsflash!

Just wanting to promote our network of schools and their student run TV stations. Washington State University’s Cable 8 station was profiled on CBI (College Broadcasters, Inc.). Read about Cable 8 here.

"Green Link" photo courtesy of : : w i n t e r t w i n e d : : via Flickr Creative Commons

Are there any jobs not worth having?

By Mindy on April 20, 2009

Are there any jobs out there that suck enough to be worth not having?  The Daily Dish blog at The Atlantic thinks so. Andrew Sullivan found this post about Thorpe Park's very own Vomit Cleaner-- and the job description is as bad as the job title sounds. What amazes me is that Mr. Owens seems pretty content with his position, as long as he has some "nose pegs" handy. Huh...

Goes to show that there are some pretty intense jobs out there. CareerCast.com conducted a study in January that ranked 200 professions from best to worst, based on environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. The Wall Street Journal reported that Lumberjacks came in last because of dangerous working conditions and low pay. Other "worst" jobs include dairy farmer, taxi driver, seaman, emergency medical technician and roofer.

If your current job isn't as fulfilling as you'd like it to be, the recession helps put things in perspective. More than 2 million people have lost their jobs in 2009. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that a staggering 5.1 million people have been laid off since the beginning of 2009. Lindsey Pollak advised one reader who is unhappy at work to stick with it until the economy looks up:

Given the fact that we are in a bad economy and you have plenty of positive things to say about your current employer, I'm inclined to recommend that you stay in your current position (with a few changes) until the economy improves.

After all, if a professional vomit cleaner can be happy with his job, who can't?

In the meantime, The Links will never leave you wanting:

Gradspot Lays Out: Ways to move up the ol' management ladder at your job. No, they probably won't promote you just because you fill your office chair so superbly. These things take work.

Dan Schawbel Analyzes: How aligning your passions and your expertise can help you find your niche. If you are feeling stuck at work, maybe it's time to start building a personal brand that can add value to your company.

The Intern Queen at College Jolt Details: How to land an internship in the entertainment industry. It's a cut-throat field, but there are opportunities out there if you're persistent.

The Urban Muse Says: So we don't really need to know what you had for breakfast, but it's a great place to share blog finds or career goals.

How Not to Get the Job

By Zack on April 17, 2009

On most days we do our best at the ThinkTalk Career Blog to bring you advice on how to best further career. We provide interviews with successful individuals, career advisers, resume advice, cover letter advice and countless other ways to improve your odds in the search for a new job. And that's all great.

But some days - especially Friday's - we like to have a little more fun. On days like today, we want to show you what not to do when searching for that perfect job. And if that comes at the expense of those who have failed before us, well then, that's just the price that must be paid.

The brilliant and insightful Seth Godin recently linked to the hilarious hidden camera job interview blog How To Nail an Interview. The website installed a camera in an HR employee's office to capture some offending interviewees violating some basic rules of interview etiquette ... all for your benefit and enjoyment. Let's go to the video tape.

I love the interviewer's timing. Waiting a beat before incredulously asking "You stole office chairs?" Check out the website for the rest of the rules on how to properly conduct yourself and prepare for that big interview (and thanks for the enlightenment, Mr. Godin.)

For more advice on how TO score the big gig, we present The Links ...

George's Employment Blawg Offers: Advice on answering the always difficult interview questions "what are your weaknesses." Take my advice, the correct answer to this question is never "shots" (even if it's true!)

Brazen Careerist TalentEgg Incubator (what?) Suggests: some do's and do not's for the post-graduate internship. Maybe a job just isn't in the cards after graduation. A good way to keep getting experience is to take an internship. They are out there, you may just have to do some digging. This is a good list of things to do and things to avoid in your search.

Maggie Mistal: Provides some insight into how to score a job with the government. Maggie's Q & A with Stewart Liff, author of Managing Your Government Career, is a great way to learn about what to expect and how to set yourself apart when applying for government gigs.

Mashable Has: The 10 social networking sites that college students should be using. There are some great sites in here, beyond just the run of the mill Facebook or LinkedIn. My favorite is Cramster. "The Q&A board is pretty extensive, and is full of experts willing to help with any questions you might have 24/7. Users can also gain “karma points” by answering questions, which can be redeemed for prizes."

The Competition is Heating Up

By Zack on April 16, 2009

The wonderful and talented Vanessa Dennis has a great post over at her blog, Recruiting Fly, that details the best information from CareerBuilder's Annual College Job Forecast survey on the increased competition 2009 grads face. "Forty-three percent of employers plan to hire recent college graduates in 2009, down from 56 percent in 2008 and 79 percent in 2007." Obviously, with less positions available competition will increase. Here's a breakdown of some of the other numbers from the forecast.

Thirty-three percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000. An additional 17 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000 and 14 percent will offer more than $50,000. Thirty-six percent will offer less than $30,000.

“While recent college graduates are facing a highly competitive job market right now, there are still opportunities out there,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “The biggest challenge is showing relevant experience, which employers say is one of the most important factors they look for in applications from recent college graduates. This isn’t limited to professional work experience, so don’t get discouraged. Class work, school activities and volunteering also qualify as relevant experience and can be included in your resume as well.”

The post also has some information on mistakes that potential employees make during the interview process along with what type of experience employers are looking for in recent grads.

For more career info, we're taking it to The Links ...

The Resume Girl Offers: Tips for finding last minute summer internships. Did you procrastinate on your summer internship search? If so, that's OK, there is still hope according to TRG. You are going to have to work at it, but there are still internships to be had.

College Humor Says: Speaking of procrastination, here is a hilarious graph of what happens the longer you procrastinate. What's the saying ... "why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow."

Alison's Job Search Blog Teaches: What to do when a company rescinds a job offer. Step One: Cry. Just kidding. It's a pretty low move by a company, you have to admit. And sadly, there isn't really much you can do.

College Finance 101 Rounds Up: Online resources for finding and applying for scholarships for the Fall semester. Anything you can do to reduce your costs for school (especially if you are taking on loans) is an investment in your future. I highly recommend you use this resource to locate some potential scholarships.

"Competition" photo courtesy of Anonymous Account via Flickr Creative Commons