What is work?

My Grandma J. has a habit of dropping off what my brother and I refer to as "Gameday Goodies" before heading to the Bill Snyder Family Stadium to cheer on the 'Cats at home football games. These typically consisted of home-made cookies and various fruit. During my last semester, she dropped off what will remain the greatest Gameday Goodie ever -- a home-made pumpkin pie. So, I called her that week to thank her and tell her how my roommates and I enjoyed it. That conversation, as all other conversations I have now, became about what I want to do with my life. My grandmother urged me to take the first job I could find. In her mind, a job is like any other job, and that is what I needed. I told my grandma that I didn't want only a job but a career. 


I always had a cram-packed schedule during college -- a demanding course load;  extracurricular activities with multiple weekly meetings, office hours, and more; and research work. While I am thankful for all of the opportunities for learning and growth I had through my extracurricular activities and research work, I felt as though I didn't have time to reflect upon what all of this learning and growth meant. I had lost focus on the long-run. I arrived at college with a solid 12-year plan involving undergraduate school, medical school, and a specialty fellowship. My interests expanded during college, though, and I was no longer certain I wanted to go to medical school. In addition to that life-altering realization, I had so many interests that I couldn't even tell my grandma a specific career path I wanted to follow. 


After two years of studying pre-physical therapy, my grandmother quit college when she married my grandfather. Years later, after raising three children, she returned to K-State to get a degree in Education. Since she hadn't realized what she truly wanted to do with her life until after raising a family, she thinks it is normal and completely acceptable to not realize your calling until you are in your 40s. While I am aware that is the case for many people and it may become the case for me, I don't want to start in that frame of mind because I don't want that for my life. I don't want to get just a job. I want to find a job that will be my first step towards a career. I wanted to take the time reflect upon everything I learned, decide what I enjoyed doing the most, and focus my interests. I didn't have the words to help my grandmother understand why. The conversation ended in a few tears of frustration and, still a teacher after retiring, my grandma saying she knew of a book that she was going to order from Amazon and have sent to my college address. 


The book my grandmother sent me is 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller. I am working my way through it, and it is proving itself helpful. It has given me the words I was looking for when trying to explain to my grandmother why I didn't want just a job. The quote below, found in 48 Days, phrases my thoughts quite nicely.


“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.” –James Michener


This is what work should be. This is what I wish for my life, and what I wish for every person's life. 


Today, I have more focused interests, but not because of 48 Days. Truly believing in life-long learning, I continued to study after graduating college. I have probably bought nearly the same number of books since graduating college as I bought during my four and a half years of college. I am well on my way to securing the first job of my career. 

I am certain I will be writing more about 48 Days. I recommend the book. However, true to my Grandma J., it talks about God's role in our work. So, if you aren't religious, then I would recommend finding a different career-guidance book. There is a pretty comprehensive suggested reading list in the back of 48 Days, so you could find it in a book store or library to take a look at those recommendations.

The 3 Job Interview Questions

I saw this article from Forbes circulating on LinkedIn today.

It claims that there are only three true job interview questions.

1. Can you do the job? 
2. Will you love the job? 
3. Can we tolerate working with you? 

When you consider what the heart of these three questions are, they are focusing on your strengths, motivation, and fit. I whole-heartedly agree with Forbes; these are the three things interview questions focus on. Check out the break down below. 

Can you do the job? - STRENGTHS

Do you have not only the technical skills the position requires but strong communication and leadership skills, as well? 

Will you love the job? - MOTIVATION

You will work harder if you believe in the mission of the organization and enjoy the challenges your responsibilities pose. You will also be more motivated to work hard if you fit in and like your work environment (see next question). 

Can we tolerate working with you? - FIT

I am a pretty strong advocate of being your own individual. That being said, this is one of the few times I will say it is important to fit in. Poor cultural fit is the #1 cited reason for a new leader's failure. It is important for you to consider whether your preferences and the organization's culture are a match or not. If they aren't, then you will likely have difficulties being successful in your position. More importantly, though, if they don't match, then you will be unhappy working there.  

The interviewer may use the B.R.A.V.E. framework below to identify your preferences and determine if they align with the organization's. 

Behave

How do you make decisions? 

What is your leadership style? 

Relate

How do you communicate with others? 

How do engage in intellectual debate? 

How do you manage conflict? 

Attitude

How do you feel about the organization's purpose, mission, and vision?

Values

What are your underlying beliefs? 

How do you approach learning? 

Do you take risks? 

What are your plans for your future? 

Environment

Do you prefer a formal or informal work environment? 

What type of office layout do you prefer? 

How to Give a Great Presentation

Happy TED Tuesday!

This is a great TED talk that can teach you how to give great talks. Grab a paper and pen to take notes with because, believe me, you'll want to use Nancy's lessons in future presentations.

Nancy Duarte: The secret structure of great talks

From the "I have a dream" speech to Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch, all great presentations have a common architecture. At TEDxEast, Nancy Duarte draws lessons on how to make a powerful call-to-action.

Nancy Duarte believes that ideas are the most powerful tools people have. Her passion is to help every person learn to communicate their world-changing idea effectively.

Organize Your Search Resources

In today's technological world, there are endless websites dedicated to searching for a job, writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing, and even developing a career plan to help you achieve your end goal. Having all of these resources online is helpful, but it can be overwhelming. 

Maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult to keep track of all the job search resources I am using. So, I used a mind-mapping program called SimpleMind to organize the job search sites I need to check daily, the online profiles I need to keep updated, and the people I have contacted (whose names I removed for privacy, obviously). 

This is just an idea. You can, of course, organize your mind map however you choose and just use a pen and paper. Feel free to refer to my mind map as a guide, though! 

What do you need in order to achieve?

I love TED.com. For those of you who are not familiar with it, TED stands for Technology Entertainment Design. Their tag line is, "Ideas Worth Spreading." Each year, TED holds a conference where thought leaders from various disciplines share their "Ideas Worth Spreading." There is a documentary about TED filmed at their 2006 conference called The Future We Will Create: Inside the World of TED that you can check out here on Hulu.   

I looked through the TED videos I have favorited over the past few years today, and rediscovered a presentation from the 2006 TED conference by Tony Robbins. He has a lot of great thoughts, but a particular one resonated with me.

Robbins says that emotion is the force of life. He believes the defining factor for achieving things in life is not resources, as people usually cite. The defining factor of achievement is resourcefulness, which is driven by emotions.

Resources           versus           Resourcefulness
- Time                                      - Creativity
- Money                                   - Determination
- Technology                           - Love
- Contacts                                - Curiosity
- Experience                            - Passion
- Management                         - Resolve

On job search and career advice sites, you usually only see articles about resources - networking for contacts, formatting resumes in Word, how to share your experience, etc. You don't hear about the importance of your resourcefulness, though. I believe it is the key, though, like Tony Robbins says. It is because of the resolve and determination you have during your job search, the creative ways you carry out your job search, and the passion you have for a job or company that you are successful in securing a job you will love.

How to "Work It" at a Career Fair

For my fellow K-Staters, the Agri-Industry Career Fair is in a few days. Career fairs can be intimidating. There are rows and rows of tables to navigate through crowds of students. How do you make yourself standout from the crowd to potential employers? K-State Career and Employment Services will give you this list of advice in a packet when you arrive at the career fairs, but check it out now so that you are prepared. Of course, all of this advice applies to other career fairs as well.

1. Know your job interests and your qualifications

Be able to express your qualifications - strengths, academic preparation, related experiences, and skills. For more information on how to best do this, check out my Elevator Pitch post. 

2. Have a well-written resume

This is key. If you want some resume-writing tips, check out my post On Resumes.

You may also want to have a business card with your name, degree, date of graduation, email address, and job objective.

3. Research companies in advance of the fair

There will be a lot of companies at the career fair. Too many to decide who you want to talk to after you arrive. Take the time to look over the list of companies who will be attending in advance, research those that interest you, and prioritize them so that you can better manage your time. In addition to your being able to better utilize your time at the career fair, the knowledge you gained while researching the companies will show potential employers that you are hard-working eager to work for them. 

4. Allow enough time and plan ahead

Realize that career fairs are typically held in large venues, they will be slow-moving crowds, and you will likely have to wait in line to speak to company representatives. Make sure you allot enough time in your schedule to account for all these factors. It's better to start earlier rather than later because you will be upset if you run out of time. Also, some companies may leave early if the weather is bad, they have a long drive back to their offices, or weren't having many students approach their table. 

When you first arrive and pick up your packet of information, find the map. Orientate yourself, and mark the location of the tables for the companies you want to visit with. 

5. Appearance counts - wear professional or business casual clothing

Dress like you would for an interview. Typically, people dress more nicely for an interview than they would for their job from day to day because they want to make the best impression possible for their interview. Think of this as a stepping stone to get an interview, so it just as important. 

Make sure you get a name tag at the registration table on your way in, too. 

6. Ask questions and listen

Find out what you can do to be considered, get more information, arrange an interview, or make an on-site visit. Reveal information in give and take fashion... this is an opportunity to identify employers' needs and the match of your skills.

Questions you may want to ask:

• What courses/major do I need to better prepare for a position in your organization? 
• What value do you place on GPAs? How important are extracurricular activities? 
• How beneficial/necessary is graduate work in this particular field/industry? 
• Describe your organization's training program. 
• What are the chief qualifications you seek in a first-year employee? 
• Does your organization hire _______ majors? What positions or division would they typically work in? 
• Do you offer internships or co-ops and if so, in what areas? 
• What do your interns or co-op students do? 

Make sure you ask for business cards or literature!

7. Record information in your notebook/padfolio

Take time between speaking to each potential employer to take notes on what you learned. Find a place that is out of the flow of traffic to do so - against a wall, for example. 

Oh, and heads up: You will feel silly if you have a notebook. I did at the first career fair I attended. Every student that is serious will have a padfolio. Get one.

8. Follow-up with a note

Show the company representatives you are interested by sending a follow-up note as soon as possible expressing interest. If there was a company's table that you didn't get to visit, then send them a note, too, with your resume included. Sending a note is a nice personal gesture, and it helps you stand out as a person so company representatives are more likely to remember you in the future.

I, personally, have experienced the benefits of sending a follow-up note. Company representatives may email you when they learn of a new job opportunity. Or, they may offer to schedule a phone call or meeting with you to discuss you employment options further.

Can You Pitch Yourself?

Prepare a sales pitch for yourself - a 30 to 60 second commercial. This commercial is often times referred to as an "elevator pitch," implying that is a to-the-point pitch that is short enough to give to someone on an elevator ride. Think of old episodes of The West Wing when the President only has time to talk to you while walking down a hallway on the way to a meeting with somebody else.

During your pitch, highlight what you can do, not what the prospective employer can do for you. You need to be able to express your qualifications - strengths, academic preparation, related experiences, and skills.

Key points:

• Introduction
• Thank him/her for their time
• Mention your bridge - Who referred you? Where did you meet them?
• Your education
• Your specialty
• Work history review
• Responsibilities - What did you do? 
• Major accomplishments
• Your present availability - Why are you looking? 
• Your goal