Monday, July 30, 2012

Who do you want to be?

This past week I attended a 6 day long leadership institute in Los Angeles hosted by the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) Conference. Needless to say, I learned A LOT, and as cheesy as it sounds, it changed my life. :)

One of the things that continues to resonate with me (maybe because it is imprinted on the back of the shirt we got...) is a very simple and yet complex question, "Who do you want to be?"

Prior to this institute, you asked me this question and I would quickly reply with a long confusing roundabout answer of where I've always pictured myself career-wise and why but how that's changing and now I don't know... -_-

But as we began the discussion of deciphering the question I realized there was more to this question than the simple WHO you want to be and answering with a possible career choice. The concept of integrity and being true to our core values continued to emerge time and time again. (Integrity we then defined as when your values, thoughts and behaviors are in alignment. The topic of values is another complex conversation we will leave for another blog post...) By the end of the conversation and with the clearer concept of what the question was actually asking we all discovered who we wanted to be as individuals and how we wanted to be remembered: as people and leaders who lived out our values in everything we did, living with integrity in our leadership positions, future careers, with friends and family, etc.

Reflecting on this question more I thought it appropriate as career advice and wanted to share with you guys because we often get caught up on on being who someone else wants us to be or living out someone else's values.

I challenge each one of you to decipher this question for yourself taking into consideration what your core values are and how you can represent them with integrity. This will also help you whether you are still questioning your career choice, considering a change in career or simply need a morale/energy boost in the career you've had for years now.

Don't be afraid to think about it... ;)

~Rosie

Monday, July 9, 2012

Top Tips for 2012 Graduates To Find Jobs

Hey recent grads! How's your first summer as an alum feeling?? ;)

If you are still having a hard time finding a job, here are some interesting tips Ron McGowan, author of the international bestseller “How to Find WORK in the 21st Century,” offers:

Clean up your online presence.
The first thing employers will do is to see what they can find out about you on the Internet. Are you ready for that? They may look at your Facebook page during the interview. Are you ready for that?
 
Think.
Put yourself in the shoes of any employer you plan to contact. Why would they be interested in you? What exactly do you have to offer them? Show them in your first contact with them that you know about them, the type of work they do and the industry they’re in. NEVER send out lots of resumes in a shotgun fashion.


Why should we hire you?
Assume you’ll be asked this question during the interview and be ready to answer it. Focus on the key points you made in the material you sent to them. Those are what got you the interview.


Bite your tongue.
Talking too much in the interview is among the biggest mistakes graduates make according to employers and recruiters. The more prepared you are for the interview, the less inclined you’ll be to ramble on.


Do your homework.
There’s a wealth of information available on the employer’s web site. Amazingly, many graduates never take the time to thoroughly analyze this information and be ready to answer questions about it in the interview. It will also help if you can talk about some of the key issues going on in their industry.
 

Create your own job.
Instead of waiting for someone to offer you a job, consider what millions of graduates around the world have been doing for years; i.e. operate as a freelancer. The following will give you an overview of the world of freelancing: http://www.elance.com http://www.odesk.com http://www.vworker.com 

Finally, you may get some business ideas at: http://www.springwise.com




And of course, use our resources! You have access to unlimited Career Services Center resources for your whole first year after graduation.


Take advantage of it!

~Rosie~
Rosie
rosie

Rosie is an outgoing Junior Psychology major who has worked in the office since her Freshman year. She wears multiple hats including president of her sorority Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc. and Vice President of Internal Affairs for Greek Council. As a very involved student leader she is a great resource for all things USF
Nathan
rosie

Nathan hails from the tropical state of Hawaii. When he is not in his business suit for his business classes, he is just "chilling" and bringing the Aloha Spirit to the office. He has worked for the Career Services Center for three years and has extensive experience with other internships including his most upcoming internship with Bank of Hawaii in summer 2012