The perks of an internship

11/4/09 5:35 PM

The seemingly impossible has happened.   After five months of job searching, making 15 versions of my resume and writing countless cover letters, I AM EMPLOYED.   I don’t think I ever truly understood the meaning of relief until the moment I got my employment offer. The paperwork is signed. All T’s are crossed, and all I’s are dotted. As of Nov. 2, 2009, I am a Community, Trust & Safety Associate at uShip, Inc.   uShip has been my first choice since I graduated in May, so I feel unbelievably fortunate. But I wouldn’t be in the position I am if I wasn’t an intern at uShip first. More than ever, I see the clear benefit of having internships and maintaining relationships with my employers.   ...

Negotiating a salary 101

10/27/09 11:17 AM

My roommate recently got a job working for a study abroad program in Austin. At the end of her interview, shortly after she was told she got the job, her boss said something very interesting: “It really doesn’t matter what salary I offer you, does it?” he said. “You really can’t turn it down right now, can you?” My roommate said they both laughed, and she told him she really couldn’t turn anything down. This made me realize that negotiating salaries is simply not something that recent graduates entering the workforce can do or know how to do. Our main concern is simply getting an interview. Most people haven’t even thought of what to do once they’re finally hired. So, in trying to stay hopeful that I will find work in the near...

The job search continues...

10/27/09 11:15 AM

As my job search continues, I am increasingly amazed at how time consuming it is to be unemployed. Turns out, I’m far more busy when I have nothing to do than I am when my plate is overflowing with obligations. My last semester in college, I was taking 18 hours (including capstone), working at the newspaper, babysitting, planning a trip to Europe and somehow still felt like I had all the free time in the world. Now, my oh-so busy schedule of interning three days a week and babysitting three days a week seems to leave little time for anything else. It’s not that I don’t have the time; it’s simply that everything takes a little bit longer when it doesn’t fit into a fixed schedule. I’m not quite sure if these lingering tasks take quadruple the time...

A challenge

10/23/09 5:25 PM

I had a system. In fact, when my search started in June, I had a very meticulous system. I got back to the United States after a month of traveling and immediately thought of the most efficient way to find my dream job. Rather than looking at job listings, I researched companies that I thought were a good match for me. I made sure I knew every minor detail about them. Then, if they were hiring, I carefully constructed a completely personal cover letter and adjusted my resume accordingly. If they weren’t hiring, I set up informational interviews to make contacts and learn more about the industries. I made quite a few connections, and I applied for my first 15 jobs with great confidence. I truly believed I was in good shape. I had two jobs and four internships throughout college,...