Where I've been, and where I'm going

One last "Hail to the Victors" at graduation

Guess what! I'm back! In fact, I didn't really go anywhere - neither did this blog, figuratively speaking, but that's besides the point. So, so much has been going on over these last few weeks (months? has it really been that long?) that I really have been too busy to blog, and seriously, that's the truth. And you know what? I'm not at all apologizing for this. My lost blogging minutes were spent studying for finals, applying for jobs, and doing absolutely nothing with my best friends while we were all actually in the same place. Oh, and I also watched President Obama deliver my commencement speech as I became a college graduate. NBD.

Here's some actual news: I got the internship! You know, the one I flew to New York to interview for. I was quite hesitant to take this position, since I'm basically getting paid nothing and that city ain't cheap; furthermore, although it's been hinted multiple times that I could get a full-time offer after the summer, this by no means is a guarantee. For type-A moi, this is no good. I want the security of an actual job, and I've been working my ass off to get one all year. Is that so much to ask for?

Apparently, it is. Although I did accept the internship I have continued to interview at other places, because I really do believe one should always keep his/her options open. I'm not sure if I'd take another job at this point, since I've already settled on the idea of this internship in New York, but you never know. Anyway, I spent 3 hours (!) at this one digital marketing agency the other day. Everyone seemed totally awesome, and I'm pretty sure they liked me back. Turns out, they did like me, but I guess not enough to actually offer me an entry-level position. "We do have a great internship, though." Ugh.

I've also been interviewing with an educational publishing company right here in Boston. Like I said, I've already wrapped my head around the idea of being in New York for this summer and possibly beyond, but, I have to admit, I'm really warming up to the concept of being in Boston. Maybe it's because I just found out that two of my best friends will be here after they graduate. Maybe it's because although he's looking for jobs in New York (anyone know of any open i-banking analyst positions?), my boyfriend might still be in Boston. Or, maybe it's just because I bought some really cute shoes on Newbury St. the other day. Whatever.

Bottom line is, why limit myself? Although I absolutely love New York City and I do hope I wind up there, I shouldn't consider it the be-all-end-all of locations to live my life in. That decision will be made - when the time comes - based upon the job opportunities that arise, and what will truly be best for me and my career. Surprisingly, I'm okay with not knowing exactly what's next. On deck for my more immediate future plans: Going to New York tomorrow to look for summer apartment rentals, trying to read Eclipse before the next Twilight movie comes out (sorry, Vaness), and enjoying the brisket my mom is cooking tonight in honor of the whole family back together.

Anxiety over button-downs and loafers (I mean, my interview)

It's definitely worth noting that I absolutely love to shop. Anyone who knows me (ahem, 100% of this blog's readership, most likely), knows that. But yesterday, I had to tackle the daunting task of purchasing a few items to make me look awesome and über-professional for my upcoming interview in New York. Let me tell you, this was not easy.

I like to pride myself upon the fact that, most of the time, I'm pretty good at picking out an outfit for myself or my friends, whether this is from within our own closets or while out at a store. I figured I would be a natural at shopping for a specific occassion, where the guidelines seem pretty simple: nothing too tight, nothing too low-cut, nothing too loud. I was wrong.

I already have a pair of nice black pants, and a conservative-chic 3/4 sleeve grey Theory blazer to hopefully knock this interview out of the park in less than two weeks. All I needed was an appropriate shirt for underneath, and a nice pair of flats; heels are out of the question for this all-day-long affair. But when I walked into my first store and started browsing the racks, I began to panic.

Although in my opinion, it's always better to over-dress for an interview, this is the first real, serious, business-y interview that I've ever had. While I currently own more clothes than I know what to do with, I've always worked in semi-trendy places. I looked around the store, not even knowing where to begin. I was seriously lost, and I needed help.

Even when I asked a sales girl for some assistance, I felt like I didn't know what the eff I was doing. Yeah, I love to shop, but I've never had to buy stuff like this before. How is it supposed to fit? Am I supposed to look uptight? I'm pretty sure I was in the middle of a panic attack in the fitting room, because I actually started to sweat profusely. I made a mental note that whatever shirt I wound up purchasing for the interview must be short-sleeved.

I wound up leaving with two shirts and a pair of shoes, most of which I actually think that I'm going to return. I found a shirt in my closet that works pretty well and still manages to feel somewhat like me, but the silver accents on my new loafers clash with the gold accents on my bag. Although my mom told me to calm down because it's "just clothes," I know that in order to be taken seriously, I have to look consistent. Hopefully I'll find another pair that works.

I never realized that shopping could be so stressful. What if I get this internship and take it? I'll have to get lots more stuffy business clothes, and I'm not sure if I can put myself through this again. Now that I've almost nailed the outfit, though, it's on to more important things. Like...actually preparing for the interview itself?

Taking the plunge

Okay, it's been FAR too long since my last post. What gives?

Well, what gives is that I've been out trying to live my life the best way that a second-semester senior can only know how. These past couple of weeks, my days have been filled with laying in sunshine, green beer, and, yes, attempting to complete (on an A-level) a few major assignments that I must fulfill before I graduate. "The Scramble" isn't just about getting her ass on full-time payroll after graduation, people. I've just been spending more time doing and less time writing about it.

But, good news! That internship interview last week went very well, and the folks over there called me the very next day to offer me a second-round. Woohoo! Only problem is, the second-round interviews are to be held at their New York office. The woman from HR that I have been corresponding with assured me that the communications/media consulting firm would be happy to arrange a series of phone interviews instead, and that this would not interfere with any final decisions.

I wasn't born yesterday. I know that, if I show up in person, groomed to perfection, with a glittering smile and stunning composure (this is my blog here and I can write about any fantasy world I damn choose), they would be fools to turn me away.

But after looking into flights, they didn't exactly cost peanuts. Also - and I feel like a brat for admitting this - but I honestly wondered if I would feel like I was missing out if I opted to leave school during one of my last few precious weeks left. Plus, despite my previous, more positive professed stance on internships, I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to fly to New York just for an internship interview; I might not even get the internship, and even if I do, I might not get a full-time offer after that.

Luckily, my parents are dying for me to get/take this internship. Obviously, I'm very into the program also, but sometimes, it's that extra support that counts. In other words, after chatting with Harriet and Peter, we decided that flying out to NYC was definitely an investment to make. I leave April 7th, and I'm actually very excited. I even tacked an extra day of room onto the trip, so that I could hopefully schedule some other meetings. I'm just waiting on some return e-mails. And waiting...

As the semester winds down, I've learned that a full-time job offer isn't exactly necessary for post-graduate success. I have friends attending graduate school, friends teaching in Israel for a year, and friends who don't have the slightest idea where the hell they'll wind up. Although my admittedly type-A personality would love to have the anxiety of potential unemployment taken off my shoulders, I have confidence that in the long run, things will work out. In the meantime, all I can do is keep on truckin' with my applications, and enjoy my last 6 weeks of college - even if it means spending a little less time on this blog.

A blow to my online self-confidence

Let me start this off by stating that I put a link to this blog on my resume. That's right, I actively advertise my "deep," random, and often biased thoughts to those I hope will hire me. When I started this blog, I truly believed that nobody out there really cared about what I had to say. Turns out, potential employers do - I've heard more than once that my interviewer/contact has checked out my blog. Since I know that some employers might see this post, I feel the need to preface the fact that my rant is not directed towards anyone in particular. It's just a general feeling that I've had brewing inside me since day one of my job search.

I think that it's a good thing that I put myself out there for anyone to see; our precious little world is rapidly becoming one filled with Tweeters, Flickr (-ers?), and bloggers. In particular, as I hope to become involved in the creative online industry, it's oh-so-important that I appear to somewhat know what I'm doing with that kind of stuff. Hopefully, that kind of competence is what my minute audience sees when they browse this site.

What I don't understand, though, is the lack of effective communication that I've experienced within this supposedly "2.0" web world. I could probably count on several hands the number of non-responses I have received after various e-mails and LinkedIn messages. When asking for a little advice about a specific job listing, or even just requesting the name of an HR contact from a UM alum, apparently, a short message in return is too lofty an expectation.

The best (read: worst) part about this is that I know these people are out there at their computers. When I get in touch with someone, I do my research. I Google them, check their Twitter feed, and mini-stalk them for a few minutes. So, if these people put themselves out there expecting to be heard and responded to, why not return the favor? It's the 21st century, and the Internet has enabled us to do amazing things when it comes to maintaining contact; it takes me a total of two minutes - tops - to send an e-mail from my BlackBerry. And then there's that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I get after the second go-around in messaging attempts: Is he/she not interested in me? Did he/she forget about me? Usually, I can't decide which outcome is worse.

I understand that, as a prospective entry-level employee, and sometimes a stranger, my needy e-mails are not necessarily high on the totem pole of to-do items for these people. I'm not that important, I get it. I just have a hard time believing that these people weren't once sitting in my chair, hoping for the miracle that is post-graduate employment, in a crappy economy to boot.

This has happened to me after initial, wonderful chats about setting up a phone interview or even a face-to-face interview. The contact relationship begins to bloom, I get excited, and then it dies a sudden death - and I look crazy after sending a third message ("just wanted to know if you were still interested in talking..."). What gives? Get with it, people.

Is "internship" a four-letter word?

A few weeks ago, I had a bunch of phone conversations with this particular company, thanks to an introduction to one of their higher-ups from my mom - yet another reason why she's the shizz. Anyway, all of these chats went pretty well; each person I spoke with seemed cool, and as I spoke to more and more of these employees, I could really see myself becoming a part of this team and what they do.

I'm not so sure that I'd call any of these conversations an "interview" per se. Each phone call lasted no longer than twenty minutes - some of them only ten - and it didn't really appear as though there was an actual position available that these people were looking to fill. Of course, they were all so nice, told me that I'd fit in well with the company, that they would be in touch, blah, blah, blah. But, I wondered, was I being led on?

This reminds me a little bit of sorority rush, where we aren't allowed to tell girls that we'll see them the following week, just in case they don't get invited back to our house (Mean Girls, much?). I'm also reminded of The Bachelor, which I watched last night for the first time thanks to all the roommate hype I endure on a daily basis. In the show, my friend Carrie informed me, contestants vying for the hottie's affection can tell him that they love him, but he is not allowed to say it back until the very end of the show. I wish interviews were like that. I've gotten my hopes up in the past, and as I've written, it's not pretty.

I e-mailed each of my "interviewers" to thank them for their time, and I didn't hear anything for a few weeks. I actually contacted the HR rep who I previously spoke with a few times, wondering whether the company had assessed their staffing needs or not. Time went on.

Finally, the HR lady got back to me, letting me know that although everyone really enjoyed speaking with me, the group was still unsure of their ability to bring on more full-time staff. They'd know more around May, she said, and if I was still available/interested, they'd definitely want to talk again. In the meantime, they are currently hiring summer (paid) interns, and she could set up an interview for that if I was down.

My immediate reaction: disappointment. Obviously I'd prefer a full-time job with the security of continued employment beyond August. I felt a little bit like the girl who was dirty-rushed, told by the older sorority chick that her house cannot wait to see her next round, only to find out that she was not invited back. But was this feeling warranted?

I tried to relax for a sec. True, if I took the interview, it could lead to signing on for yet another internship, only to possibly have to begin the employment search all over again. But, it also could lead to an eventual full-time position after the summer is over.

I had a few questions. One: if I took the interview and hypothetically got the internship, would I still be considered for entry-level positions in May? Her answer was yes. And two: if I took the internship interview, got hired, and was then offered a full-time job either during or prior to the actual internship, could/should I take it? I didn't actually ask her this one. After talking to my mom, we decided that the answer to that one had to be yes as well; as a recent grad, anyone would have to understand that I'm looking for something that will continue to pay the bills full-time. And besides, all of this is assuming that I even get the internship, which might not even happen.

I wrote the woman back and told her that I would be happy to take the internship. Let's face it, this employment search is going to take way, way longer than I originally anticipated. It would be nice to have something cool to fall back on, just in case I still don't have anything full-time by then. An internship can get your foot in the door, and a paid internship is even better. I've come to the realization that I'm not in any position to rule out opportunities or possibilities, no matter what they are. I'm just hoping that things work out eventually, even if an internship delays that satisfaction 'til after the summer.

When it comes to applications, it's quality over quantity

I already have a New Year's resolution, and for the most part, I'm sticking to it. I got a gym membership (!) and I've actually been using it almost every day, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. I'm giving myself a pat on the back for that one. But the other day, I made another resolution - to try to apply to five jobs every week. To me, this didn't seem like too daunting a task.

I even designated a chunk of time to work on this goal, and nothing else. This can be pretty tough for me sometimes, because more often than not, I tend to let my schoolwork get in the way of my job search. Already, things were looking pretty good. It was a Friday afternoon, I had already visited the gym, and I had a list of saved jobs on my Indeed.com homepage, ready and waiting for me.

But once I began researching these positions, their respective companies, and any current employees that I might be able to network with, I realized that - if done right - this seemingly easy "routine" of applying to a few jobs a week might take longer than I thought. In the few hours that I had set aside for the Employment Effort, I sent a ton of e-mails, LinkedIn messages and invitations to join my network. I added notes to each of my saved listings on Indeed, of who I contacted via what mode of communication, their position, and my relationship to this person (past employer, UM alumnus, etc.) Now what?

Because it is always better to have a direct contact at whatever companies I apply to, I know that it is worth the wait for the (potentially quite few) responses that I will receive. For the time being, the ball isn't in my court anymore. And I'm okay with that. I was even able to set up a few calls about certain positions and/or organizations, although they might only be informational interviews; I'm not sure. If people don't get back to me, I'll probably try again this weekend. If round two is similarly unsuccessful, I'll either try to find some other contacts or just go ahead and apply for those jobs.

Bottom line is, while goals are absolutely important, it's important to make sure these goals are realistic and truly in your best interest. Even though I left the UgLi yesterday feeling completely depressed/unproductive/like a waste of space, I know that all of my communication efforts aren't for nothing. In my opinion, it's way better to go into a job application prepared than to simply pump out copied-and-pasted cover letters and resumes. I think? Hopefully, I'll actually see some results. Stay tuned!

How much preparation is too much, really?

Ummm...pretty sure I have a 3-hour long interview tomorrow morning. No big deal.

Essentially, I need to call three separate people from this company at 10, 11, and 12. Hopefully, these conversations will end with a little bit of time in between for me to regain composure. The thing is, I'm honestly not so sure how ready I am. I have reviewed the company, their major clients, and my interviewers. I have brushed up on my own experiences, so that I'm ready to discuss leadership or teamwork experience with ease. I've even looked over certain vocabulary to strategically include in the conversation, that might be key terms the interviewer is looking for. But for some reason, I still don't feel ready.

I think that the reason for this is the sheer fact that I just returned back to school from my winter break; because I haven't had any real work yet, I'm still not in a motivated, go-get-'em mindset. But I have prepared. So, is this relaxed feeling such a bad thing? In the past, I've gone so crazy preparing for these interviews that I have given myself such bouts of frustration and fear that borderline classify as minor panic attacks. Maybe I should try to reinterpret these feelings of unreadiness with feelings of confidence. If I go into an interview feeling at ease, I'll probably act as if...I'm at ease. Which is good. Right?

I'll report back with news!

Facing rejection

It's been a while since my last post, which means that there's much to discuss. I mentioned last time that I had another interview - a phone interview, ugh - to prepare for. This particular position was for a company I'd absolutely love to work for, a very creative place seemingly filled with fun, smart people. However, while I felt confident about my research on the company itself, my nerves were concerned with another aspect of this interview: the case study.

Although my last interview had been pretty intense, from what I had read online about interviews with this place, some of these questions were going to be tough. Very tough. How the hell am I supposed to know why manholes are round? Is there even a right answer? But, after training myself with these questions, I realized that these people just wanted to see how I can think creatively and strategically, in hopes that I might apply the same on-the-ball approach to challenges at work. I anticipated a few of these questions, along with a case study or two to see how I would solve actual real-world issues in that particular field.

To be honest, I would have been absolutely lost without the help of a Michigan alumnus that I found on LinkedIn, who works for this company. Clearly, from the rest of this blog, I could ramble on about LinkedIn forever. But in this situation, it also proved beneficial to be a member of another network - that of the University of Michigan. I sought this alumnus out, and he was happy to guide me through the recruitment process, specifically helping me prepare for my interview. He, along with my boyfriend who prepped me over the phone (since he's pretty seasoned with crazy interviews like these) really saved me in this interview. When the calls came, the conversations flowed, I went through the case studies with ease, and I thought everything went great.

Well, I thought wrong. Despite my feelings of relief after this interview, I did not receive an invitation to go through to the second-round. I was actually shocked. I have learned the harmful effects of getting my hopes up, and definitely didn't let this happen with my last interview with the company that previously let me down. However, I really thought that this interview went great, and that I hit it off with the interviewers. I don't really know where I went wrong; the Michigan alumnus told me that it could just be that this department of the company does much recruiting within Ivy League schools, and I think I could have had a little more past experience within this particular field. Plus, we've got to throw in some impactoftheeconomy, blah blah blah. I'm going to e-mail the recruiter to find out if I could possibly get any feedback.

On top of this, I was also not offered a second-round interview with the first company I talked to. I had at least prepared myself for this, and I happened to be at Wisconsin visiting my sister at the time, so this was actually less rough. I think that - although these are only 2 rejections so far - it has finally hit me that this is going to be a longggg process that will definitely last through second semester. I've decided that December break is going to be my time to really buckle down and get out a zillion applications. And, strangely, I actually feel sort of positive about next semester. I know that I will be much less overwhelmed with my school work, and will finally have some time to focus on this (more important) job search. These rejections have shown me that, unfortunately, I'll need it.