I don’t post here often, but I lurk frequently. I’d really like the advice of this diverse group of intelligent folks because I’m somewhat out of my element.
My younger sister is a senior at a Big Ten University. She’s earning her Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a major in Management. She’s got a 3.34 GPA, she’s bright, extremely responsible, can write coherently, etc. She’s done a lot of volunteer work during college and has held leadership positions in her sorority. She’s not really a “leader” type, but she’s one of those people that everybody likes, she’s organized, and is competent at mathematics, though not crazy about it.
She’s now looking for jobs. She has no idea what jobs are out there, let alone what jobs she thinks she might be interested in. She definitely does not want to go straight to graduate school, and would prefer to go only if she finds something she truly enjoys doing that she needs an advanced degree for.
The problem is that she lacks the resources to get this information. Her two older siblings went straight to law and medical school, respectively, so we never had experience with the job market. All her friends either didn’t go to college and are stuck in minimum-wage jobs, or are in pre-professional tracks at college. Hence, none of us can give her advice or guidance.
She also has a serious confidence problem. Our parents are totally unhelpful and highly critical. And though the lawyer (me) and the doctor-to-be have never put her down, she feels as though she can’t live up to our accomplishments (because she’s only above-average bright, instead of in that upper 5% or so). :rolleyes:
Now that you have the background, I have a few distinct questions:
What would be some good jobs/fields for her to start her search in? (Posting descriptions of jobs people got just out of college would be helpful too–I’ll forward them to her.)
Does anybody know of any great companies for young people to get a start at right out of college, preferrably in the Midwest?
What interview/job search advice/tips do you have?
First of all, if she is in a Big Ten school, she does NOT lack the resources to get this information. I’m sure just about every one of them has some kind of career counseling office with all kinds of resources.
She should take some interest assessment tests. She rates various activities and skills she has, and out pops job titles that fit with her profile. My sister did this early into her undergraduate courses; she was rated highly in mathematics and computer programming. Now she’s a programmer making nearly 100K a year, and she’d never even considered it before her testing. And even near her undergrad degree, your sister can take the same kinds of tests.
Unfortunately, Career Services at her school has been extremely vague with their help. (Along the lines of, “go to this job fair!”, and she gets there, and there are hundreds of employers, but she’s still clueless about where to start.) And believe me, she’s asked.
The more information/guidance she gets, the more confident she feels. Which isn’t very. It’s sad, really, because she’s very qualified. I think making the leap from school to The Real World has just been incredibly intimidating for her. She’s not usually so skittish.
I will pass on the information about the skills assessment tests. Thanks!
If she’s unsure of what exactly she wants to do in the business world, she can contact career services on campus about shadowing oppurtunities. My college had a list of alums and companies that offered shadowing–where a student could go to a place and follow an employee around for a day to see what they do. Shadowing is usually for a day or two, so it’s quicker than an internship. It gives an idea of the pace of the work, how time is managed in the position, and what exactly the person in said position does. It’s a great way to get an overview of a position without committing to do a job for any length of time.
Upon graduation, get her on the next flight to Europe. Let her wander, roam, meet some people and see what is out there. Unless she absolutely HAS TO work in the months following graduation, she should take this time to think things out and take a breath.
And if her (your) parents don’t support this adventure, slip her a few bucks and finance it yourself. By the time 3-6 month pass, she will have a good grip on the direction she wants to go.
There is absolutely no need to frantically find a corporate desk to sit behind before her cap and gown hit the ground.
Thanks ghandi, I’ll mention the shadowing to her right away. I think sometimes with their Career Services, you have to know exactly what to ask for.
She’s already gone the “take a trip and find myself” route. Needless to say, she’s still lost. Unfortunately, she’s now also utterly broke, and she’s tapped out the parental units (not all bad), who financed her jaunt. I can’t afford to send her anywhere myself.
She does want a job. She likes to work and she wants to work. She just doesn’t know what jobs are out there for someone with her qualifications.
I have to disagree with Dmark. The best time to find a job is when there are all of those fairs etc. on campus. Many employers will let you have some time off before you start, so she may still be able to roam Europe for 3 months, but it would be nice to have a job lined up.
It sounds like she might fit into one of the various ‘consultant’ type jobs. The important thing, IMHO, is to get a good first job, and realize that it will probably not be the be-all end-all job of her dreams, but it will be a start, and it will pay the bills, and provide here with some experience that will help her figure out what she wants, and doesn’t want in a carreer.
The other thing that she may want to do is to simply start signing up for as many interviews as she can manage. Even if the little blurb on the information sheet doesn’t sound like the best thing ever, interview experience will give her confidence, and expose her to what types of jobs are out there.
Has she ever had a summer job or internship? What kind of volunteer work does she do? What are her hobbies?
Tell her to go to a job fair and talk to the first 5 employers she sees. Tell her it’s okay to make a fool of herself for the sake of getting experience & knowledge. Ask the employers what positions they are recruiting for. Ask the employers what they think someone with her credentials would be qualified for. Pick up brochures from bunches of employers.
At my school (the University of Texas) various companies sent recruiters, and students could sign up for interviews. Usually the sign up sheets gave some information about what qualifications the company was looking for. If such a thing is available, tell her to sign up for anything that sounds remotely interesting. It really doesn’t matter if you blow the interview – every interview makes you better prepared for the next one.
Nobody can do this for your sister. She’s going to have to get past her fear and just do it. I found that it helped to go to interviews with the idea that I was going to have fun.
She might check at www.monstertrak.com to see if her school is registered there. Career placement services at my school is enrolled with the website. I just went and signed on. Though it’s not huge in the way of guidance, per se, it might give her a confidence boost if she posts her resume and generates some interest from potential employers.
Something I did find helpful in the way of career guidance is a book called Career Renewal. This particular book might not be as helpful to her as it’s geared more towards science graduate students and professionals, but I’m sure a similar book exists that would work for her. What I found most helpful about the book is the exercises that help you determine for yourself the activities you get the most satisfaction out of. I’m in sort of a similar position (getting master’s degree in May and don’t know what I’m going to do), and it’s helped me become more imaginative about the jobs I might be qualified for.
Try the book “What Color is your Parachute”, by (I think) Richard Bolles. Includes questionnaires and ideas to get started thinking about what kind of job you want.
Thanks to everyone who posted after my last reply last night–you all gave very helpful advice, which I will forward.
I have told her to take a bunch of interviews and just get the experience, even if she’s terrible in the first few. I even shared some of my own interview horror stories with her, so she would know she wasn’t alone and that it does get better. But sometimes she needs to hear the advice from someone other than Big Sis.
Another question: how did all of you prepare for interviews? Did you have a strategy? Questions prepared? What things that you did were remarked upon favorably by interviewers?
There are books available. Also, she ought to know something about the company, even if she just looks at their web site, and she ought to have a few questions in mind to ask, but in general the first interview on campus is usually more about the person than the company, so expect a bunch of odd “Tell me about a time when you worked as a tesm…” type questions. I think the only way to get comfortable in that setting is to practice by doing it.
I am not disagreeing with anything anyone has said above, just wanted to add another tactic: Identify some companies based in her area which do something she regards as cool or perhaps intriguing. Like, let’s say she lives near chicago. How about looking for jobs at Mars/M&M? This is just an example. Check out job opportunities within those companies. Apply for every job for which she is even remotely qualified.
I also want to make a comment. In today’s society, most people seem to have a “live to work” mentality, meaning that they feel they must derive a great deal of satisfaction, and indeed, identity from their work. Think about the opposite perspective “work to live” – it’s just a job and while you do it well while you are there, its main purpose is to pay for things that you give you joy and satisfaction. Who you are is made of the things you do outside of work.
I’m aware that there are books out there (as is she), and she’s using them to prepare. I’m looking for insights that are a little more unique than the basics to be found there. For example, when interviewing at law firms, there was one question that I asked that invariably got the, “Wow, what a great question, nobody ever thinks to ask that but it’s so important…here’s why…blah blah blah” response.
Hello Again, it’s funny, your first piece of advice is something I’ve been emphasizing to her, and your second is something Dad has been telling us for years. It’s good to have the reminder about the last part, though–you so rarely hear anyone say that anymore.
How about temping? The interviews tend to be pretty low-pressure, and it’s a good way to make contacts and figure out what kind of permanent job you want to have. (Well, in my case it was a good way to find out what kinds of jobs I DIDN’T want to have, but hey, the principle is sound.)
Something you might mention to your sister is that on-campus recruiters and employer reps at job fairs are not the people who will be hiring her. They are screeners, and if she gets through the screening she’ll be asked to show up for further interviews. G.P.A. is very important, and since hers is good, she’s off to a good start. Being personable and neat and composed count in the screening process. It sounds like your sister shouldn’t have a problem.
A bit of perspective helps. Her first job will probably not be her last. Rather it will give her a foot in the door and allow her to learn more about her field and to make contacts.
I’ve always prepared for interviews by sitting down with somone and answering questions. You can make a pretty good guess at at least some of the questions that they’re going to ask (What have you enjoyed, mistakes you’ve made, why should we employ you (always a nasty one!) etc) and formulating answers in advance. If you go for these general questions there’s usually something that can be adapted to fit a question.
What about job agencies? I found a great employment agency that really helped me. Bear in mind that I was registered with several at the same time, most of which either passed nothing my way, or passed everything my way just to get me into a job and earn their commission. But if she can weed these out the good ones can be really helpful.
Unfortunately, she’s now also utterly broke, and she’s tapped out the parental units (not all bad), who financed her jaunt. I can’t afford to send her anywhere myself.