What I learned in my year of unemployment

College Confidential Community
61

<p>yurtle (great nom, btw), what prompted that quote was a bit of the 2nd post from theOP, sled, to wit</p>

<p>“i believe it’s a bad characteristic to have, to try to skate by on things you’re not interested in…because my role models were all people who gave their all even when there was no indication of an immediate payoff/benefit. i would like to become more like them. if you can, give it your all in college, and i mean in terms of BOTH working hard AND partying hard. live with 100% commitment. doing just one without the other leaves you unbalanced i feel…”</p>

<p>I agree with everything from your latest post, yurtle. well said, and good book citation, quite relevant to this thread.</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> From B.A. to Payday: Launching Your Career After College (9781584797111): D. A. Hayden, Michael Wilder: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/B-Payday-Launching-Career-College/dp/1584797118]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/B-Payday-Launching-Career-College/dp/1584797118)</p>

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<p>“well I don’t know why he was so rude. All I know is that my networking skills are pretty bad or the alumni at my school just don’t like to help out much. I’ve emailed maybe 50 or so of them, and got 2 phone interviews as a result. After exchanging a few emails with certain alumni, they usually stop responding. However, I have called a few of them, and one of them really liked talking with me as we talked on the phone for over an hour with him doing most of the talking. I thought calling them would be more awkward, but maybe thats what I need to do?”</p>

<p>I think that what you need to do is join your alum association or a professional organization related to your field of interest, and then get involved in their projects, etc. Don’t just call up people and expect they will have the time to tell you everything that you want to know.</p>

<p>Particularly with this economy – when most people who are lucky enough to be working are doing extra work due to downsizing – people don’t have time to answer e-mails and calls from random strangers.</p>

<p>This particularly is true of the strangers’ questions are things that could easily be learned about on the Internet or by attending some professional meetings or conferences. If you’re basically calling up to chat or to get basic info about a field or to hope that if you talk to them long enough they’ll like you and will offer you a job, you’re wasting their time and yours. You’re also probably ticking them off because time is money. Even in better economies, people who are working didn’t have much free time to talk to random strangers with vague interests in their business. People have their families, organizations, etc. to take care of as well as their own jobs.</p>

<p>I remember that once when I was an executive, a high school student whom didn’t know called me and asked if she could come by and see me for 15 minutes to learn about the business that I was in. I made an appointment for her.</p>

<p>She showed up at my corporate office wearing jeans, bringing her mom and shopping bags. The student didn’t have a resume and didn’t have any questions that necessitated her taking up my time. She looked like she had just dropped by for a social visit. I was embarrassed and ticked off because I didn’t want my own boss to think that I was wasting company time meeting with my friends.</p>

<p>So… if you want to learn about a field, scour the Internet for info about. Join professional organizations and attend their meetings. Take the time to attend workshops and conferences related to the field that interests you. That will be money well spent. If you offer to help at the door or in other ways, you may even be able to get in free.</p>

<p>And if you do decide you want to meet with someone, offer to take them to lunch or coffee to give them some kind of appreciation for the time they’ve spent with you.</p>

<p>And don’t pester them with repeated phone calls and e-mails. They don’t have time to hold your hand. Remember, too, to send a gracious, handwritten thank-you to anyone who spends any time with you including providing e-mail advice or telephoned advice.</p>

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<p>Wow, this has been an eye-opening post. I’m still a junior in HS, but I will definitely zoom in on a future career. I intended to double-major in econ and philosophy, and then go to law school, but the OP has made me think I may need to re-examine.</p>

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<p>I strongly agree with taxguy’s recommendation to start your own business. For many people, starting your own business can offer better opportunities than are available to oneself via traditional employment.</p>

<p>If you just need cashflow until your business pays enough to live on, you can work in any number of traditional jobs to pay the bills. In fact, it’s better if you found a job outside your field which pays by the hour than if you found an entry-level job in a career field. Full-time jobs in a career field probably will want you to be completely dedicated rather than spending your time on side work. Hourly jobs don’t usually care what (legal) activities you engage in off the clock.</p>

<p>Self-employment is an especially good idea for those who have the ability but lack the traditional credentials for the career path in which they are interested. This could apply to someone who is very talented at what they would like to do, but only has a 3.0 GPA with minimal EC’s for some reason. It could apply to someone who had to attend a lower-tier school than they could have been admitted to for financial or other reasons.</p>

<p>For example, the university which ultimately awarded me a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science is probably best described as middle-tier. Compounding the problem is that people outside the area probably haven’t heard of it. I knew that with this degree, it would be tough to find conventional employment in my field in NYC. NYC really does disproportionately attract people from Top 30 universities; trying to compete with such people with my degree seemed almost laughable. Yet for IT contracting, clients are primarily concerned about specific skills. Where one got their degree is of secondary importance. So I became an independent IT consultant; this path worked for me.</p>

<p>In fact, a major former client of my IT consulting never graduated from college at all. It didn’t stop him from starting his own business. Last I was aware, he lived in a luxury apartment near Wall Street.</p>

<p>An even more extreme example is the owner of an ISP I used back in the early days of the Internet. He attended a “directional” state university and didn’t even graduate. Regardless, his technical skills and business savvy are both top-notch. He’d built the ISP up from nothing. He ultimately sold it for a sum which, while undisclosed, is probably millions of dollars.</p>

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<p>I thought the huge sucking sound started with the pro-business NAFTA legislation?</p>

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<p>Taxguy, </p>

<p>Yes it was one huge run-on post. I got carried away thinking about all the smart young people I know who are not organized but think they are invincible.</p>

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<p>well said.another proof that “experience is the best teacher”.sorry to employ the cliche.its impact of tutelage reflects in your striking tone and especially,in the use of “tunnelvision focus”.knowing your problem is half way to solving it.i hope you are headed in the direction you profusively advise.Contrary to what most might think,partying gives a fillip to confidence in inter-personal relations-a point that might turn out to be strong in your favor when you add it to what you implore us to do.</p>

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<p>networking is everything</p>

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<p>Take3 - I think your observations about skills vs. credentials and self employment are on target.</p>

<p>intparent thought the OP just hadn’t been listening to the adults in his life. I don’t think sledfish failed to listen to adults - rather he employed selective listening skills. He did not fully engage in the process of education/career building because he got so many mixed messages about his current level of success as a high school student heading off to college. I’ll bet when he graduated from high school everyone was very impressed by the schools he was accepted to. No doubt many adults gave him the mistaken impression that graduating from such a school guaranteed a level of success - just skimming through CC would lead one to believe such a thing.</p>

<p>Now sledfish has learned that no school can make something of you that you are unwilling to make of yourself - his is a cautionary tale. I admire his candor and hope that both high school students and their parents will learn from it. Raw ability is a wonderful thing, but unless it is developed it is no guarantee of success; being selected into a prestigious school or program is only a first step, then you must do something with that opportunity.</p>

<p>Sledfish certainly admits to slacking - but I have no doubt that he got a lot of messages from adults early on that this was OK because he was really smart and going to a great school. Anyone who doubts this need only think of the pitying looks some prestige blinded parents give others when someone tells them their own child will be going to state U. to save money.</p>

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<p>bchan said–
“Raw ability is a wonderful thing, but unless it is developed it is no guarantee of success”</p>

<p>saw this relevant article cited in a cc thread somewhere
[E=mc2</a> (and a lot of hard work) - National - theage.com.au](<a href=“http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/how-to-be-a-genius/2006/10/13/1160246332748.html]E=mc2”>E=mc2 (and a lot of hard work))</p>

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<p>I haven’t read this whole thread yet, so I apologize if this is repetitive, but my advice is to “Temp.” My company only hires for entry level positions from temps. Every fall during our busy season, they hire about 15-25 temps, and then the best 1 or 2 of those temps get offers for FT positions. So a few get to stay with us and many others get full-time offers from other companies during the few months they are with us, (there’s no commitment on either side.) Temps who have a good work ethic, fit in well, learn quickly, don’t act like know-it-alls, don’t cause drama, come to work on time, etc. have a chance of getting a FT, well-paying job out of it, and if not they’ll have some real-world work experience and a good professional reference, plus the income earned during that time.</p>

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<p>Excellent post but…
2 points
First, your observation about those who knew what they wanted and spent the last three years getting it is very insightful. While your college experience is related to your career it should be noted that they are not mutually the same thing. Preparing for employment is itself a very important part of career development. Many people, including the disgruntled poster above feel that colleges owe them a career. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They should teach you to be a critical thinker, but the career services part of your education should prepare you for your job search. But, and here is a big but, you must take responsibility for utilizing the services or at the very least start to formulate your plan much earlier than your senior year, or worse thereafter.</p>

<p>Second, about the Insurance sales position. I am not in Insurance Sales but I have found almost all past insurance salesmen to be very good job applicants. Here is why.
They learn very quickly the relationship between the cost of their employment and the amount of revenue they bring in.
They are great listeners.
They are detail oriented
They see the big picture
They realize the value of teams and support resources
They value productivity
They can sell
They are self motivated</p>

<p>Not a bad list of traits for employment in any field.</p>

<p>Not suggesting that you become an insurance salesman, but your obvious disdain for having to take a position like that may have a little to do with your job hunt success. </p>

<p>In any event, a great post and good luck in your search.</p>

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<p>very well written.</p>

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<p>I seriously think you are all thinking way too much. All you need is a smile and a prayer and it all works out in the end! Good luck!</p>

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<p>Prayer, i.e. asking God for help, right? I am a committed Christian, so know that I do not speak from disdain or angry atheism or anything, but dude… that is such a naive and silly comment. God’s expectation that His people use their gifts and talents well, and that they don’t slack off (in churchspeak… sin of sloth) is all throughout the Bible. To suggest that someone looking for a job should cease making any effort and JUST smile and pray is naive and demeans the efforts and struggles of the unemployed.</p>

<p>All that said, prayer is always a great option. No opportunity which comes our way is not at least enabled by God, and sometimes He brings opportunity to us in unusual ways. But to say that one need just smile and pray, and everything will always work out fine is not a Biblical position. Take Job. </p>

<p>Again, prayer and smiling is great. But God does not want us to be passive. A Christ led life requires effort on the follower’s part too.</p>

<p>PS - I don’t mean to be offensive, and I hope I don’t seem rude. I’m merely trying to point out fallacious thinking that will get you into trouble in the long run. I have no intentions of demeaning prayer at all. Beannachd Dia Dhuit! :)</p>

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<p>I keep telling young people (and the parents they live with) who can’t find a job, get your Real Estate License- online, easy peasy, get hired as an agent at a firm with lots of training for new agents- 100% comm or as an associate on a team salary+ % of business. Learn many skills- sales, organization, marketing, time management, Presentation skills, negotiation, closing a deal, contracts, the list goes on. Also, possible to have a part-time job if needed. If it is not the career for you, think of all the skiils you can list- much better than a year unemployed, with nothing to do at mom and pops house, making no money either. Worth a look see.</p>

<p>Not sure Grad school will solve the employment problem, skills are needed. No employer wants to teach a student to work 8:30- 5:00// 12 months a year. </p>

<p>Don’t misunderstand me, I worry for our youth-the entry point into the system is getting very high, plus many 60+ can’t retire and must continue to work at any level job they can. And the unpaid internship is really a scam. Should be outlawed, or nobody over 21 can be a Free intern. It is being abused by corporations- which is why at many University’s the career center places limits on how many hours a intern is made to do paper pushing work.</p>

<p>Above all, Parent’s do explain the situation, just as they explained the importance of good grades to get into a good uni- but the teen doesn’t know until they “KNOW”-same with college major+experience+summers spent thoughtfully=Job.</p>

<p>I hope it gets better, but I am not so sure it will. Not in time for this generation of grads.</p>

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<p>Things are actually worse in the job market in some places than in the original post.
Doing temp work would be great, if you can get that. The idea of starting your own business is fine on paper, but calling yourself an independent consultant without years of prior work experience is a total joke.</p>

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<p>A fantastic book is Ready or Not, Here Life Comes by Mel Levine. Some of it touches upon negotiating a transition into adulthood while juggling skill deficits. The greatest point that the book reiterates is that everyone needs to do a career search centered on the intersection between talent and passion. </p>

<p>In this economy, it may feel like more of a risk to follow one’s dream, but I firmly believe (and I have had a lot more experience hiring people that most) that it is still the best advice. I think it is also common for people of any age to be somewhat unrealistic about their real strengths and weaknesses.</p>

<p>The best thing anyone can do to become more competitive is to do what you truly love, and that at which you excel.</p>

<p>When a person is finally heading in the right direction, it is important to become extremely flexible in looking for opportunities. The chance to exercise a certain skill set can come in an infinite number of incarnations. Be creative.</p>

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<p>i got a lot of pm’s about this topic, so i’ll make one big post here to answer as much as i can.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>i didn’t make this post so i can get sympathy or pity. it’s just one man’s opinion and i didn’t come here looking to make friends. no need to thank me or even respond at all. just take from it what you think is right and make whatever changes you think will help. that’s all. i’m not a saint sent here to save everybody nor am i a deadbeat who’s just here to complain. i’m just a guy who experienced some things and wanted to write about it.</p></li>
<li><p>i’m not gonna write any books or give speeches on this. i think all self-help authors are phonies.</p></li>
<li><p>what have i been doing? i’m currently teaching and volunteering for free, and i take accounting/real estate/computer graphics classes at night at a local community college. it keeps me busy and my feet moving.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>“i think all self-help authors are phonies”</p>

<p>sledfish is HOLDEN CAULFIELD !!!</p>

<p>[YouTube</a> - Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVmudGLKXo&feature=related]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVmudGLKXo&feature=related)</p>