Coastal Carolina University, Wall Connections PresentationOctober 2009

http://www.coastal.edu/business/connections/

Jumpstarting Your Career:Leverage What You Do Best

..will be a long continuous journey of success, failure, renewal,

change and learning

Researching and InquiryEmbracing a Global ContextPreparing for the New WorkplaceMaking the Most of Your OpportunitiesJumpstarting Your Career

Today: 5 Roads You Must Travel

You have immediate access to so much information about people, industries, trends,

companies, and cultures. Yet how much time do you research and inquire?

Researching and Inquiry

Are you globally aware?

The dynamic changes in our economic, political, social, technological and

environmental landscape will have an enormous effect on your career and

how you think about “career”.

Embracing a Global Context

Learning Skills for the 21st Century

Core Subjects 21st Century Themes

Life and

Career Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills

Info, Media and Technology Skills

Language Arts

English/Reading

World Languages

Arts

Math

Economics

Science

Geography

History

Gov’t./Civics

Global Awareness

Financial Literacy

Economic Literacy

Business Literacy

Entrepreneurship

Civic Literacy

Health Literacy

Flexibility

Adaptability

Initiative

Self Direction

Social Skills

Cross-cultural Skills

Productivity

Accountability

Leadership

Responsibility

Creativity

Innovation

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Communications

Collaboration

Information Literacy

Media Literacy

Info & Communication Tools Literacy

Partnership for 21st Century Skills: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

Four generations occupy the current workplace. Each with

unique needs and expectations.

The workplace will never be the same…

Preparing for the New Workplace

Companies are reinventing themselves not only to stay competitive, but to rethink how to attract, develop, engage and retain staff with an eye towards the future.

They are starting with Gen Y @ work…

Making the Most of Your Opportunities

Successful careers start with aspiration, passion, discovery and the understanding that this is really hard work. You will gain a real advantage if you have a plan…

Jumpstarting Your Career

Be Reflective

Jumpstarting Your Career: 4 Keys to Success

Get Inspired

Develop Brand YOU!

Build Relationships

-Where do you want to be 6-12 months from now?

-Where do you want to be after 2 years of working?

-What gaps do you need to fill on your resume?

Set Goals

-Choose a city before choosing a career

-Consider the importance of proximity to family and friends

-Consider the cost of living and compromises you’ll have to make

Think Location First

-What are you most passionate about? Let your passions and values guide your career search.

-Take a Myers-Briggs test to identify your personality type:

www.personalitypathways.com

-Know the kinds of work you love and hate. Don’t include work you didn’t like on your resume or you may be asked to repeat it.

-Your first job may not be your dream job, but it’s a stepping stone. Think strategically about your longer term goals and what skills you need to develop to achieve these goals.

Be Clear About Your Passions

-Brainstorm your most important characteristics about both life and career

-Prioritize this list

-Don’t compromise your values

Know Your Values

Be Reflective

-Develop an inspirational & motivational playlist. You may want several to fit your mood while researching companies, writing cover letters, or traveling to the interview

-Create a short list of favorite quotations

-Visit the self-help or career section at your local book store

-Read lots of career blogs (Brazen Careerist, SixFigureStart, Marci Alboher)

Motivate Yourself

-Learn about the company you desire inside out including its vision statement and business strategy

-Read industry-specific blogs & columnists

-Research industry-specific association groups

-Know your interviewer

-Conduct a competitive analysis…who’s the competition and what are their strengths/weaknesses?

Research Mode

-Where do you go to learn about what’s new and hot? Magazines/Periodicals? Websites? Exhibits?

-Be aware of national and global trends by traveling, reading international newspapers, and talking to your friends & family

-Spend time people watching

Trend Spotting

Get Inspired!

-Choose carefully, someone in the industry you seek is best

-Communicate your goal(s) clearly

-Consider what you have to offer, mentorships should have reciprocal benefits

-Ask your mentor to critique your resume

Find a Mentor

-Don’t be afraid to reach out via email, but try to move quickly to an in-person meeting or phone call (it’s not so different from online dating)

-Research your contact…start with a Google search

-Always follow up with an email thank you note regardless of how the meeting went. 6 degrees of separation holds true

Take Initiative

-Develop a professional profile on LinkedIn (best way to showcase accomplishments) and Brazen Careerist (best way to showcase ideas)

-Be sure to create a professional email address (smartblonde@email.com isn’t a good choice)

-Think strategically about using Facebook. If using FB, make sure your profile is career-friendly.

Leverage Social Media

Build Relationships

-Do your research before contacting or meeting with a recruiter and make it obvious that you’ve done your homework

-The easiest way to prove your curiosity is to actually be curious. Your ideas will help to demonstrate your curiosity.

-Come to the interview prepared with questions.

Prove your curiosity

-Every bullet should be quantifiable

-Choose accomplishments that highlight work you ENJOY

-Be prepared to tell the story of each accomplishment

Focus your resume on measureable accomplishments

-Know the business you’re seeking to enter and brainstorm 2-3 ideas that you can speak to during an interview

-If necessary, offer free consulting or free part-time work as a way to break into an industry.

-Develop a reputation as an “ideas person”

-Be ready to prove that you can ideate AND execute

Be known for your ideas

-How can you differentiate yourself from other students with the same major and minor?

-Are you an “expert” in a particular area?

-Craft your resume so that you are perceived as a specialist. Choose buzzwords carefully.

What’s your niche or specialization?

Develop Brand YOU!

“There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

- John F. Kennedy

“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.”

- George Bernard Shaw