What I learned from my first job out of college OR Why college grads should choose the best opportunity over the best salary

I never felt more awful then when I was looking for my first job out of college. From interviewing for sales jobs I was so wrong for to considering being a Disney costumed character I was epically lost.

Sure, when I started out I had all these dreams when I started college. But when I graduated, I lost my vision completely.

Suddenly, I just had to get a job. That was the next step and it needed to happen right away and it needed to be “good.”

The world became small again and my lack of professional experience and understanding felt overwhelming. What did people actually DO in work? What was this whole professional world all about? Where in the world do I fit in?

I did informational interviews all over the place and while they were incredibly helpful, so far all the interviews were showing me what I DIDN’T want to do.

Eventually, I found my way back to working in education, at my local community college. I took an entry-level job and a tiny itty-bitty salary, and even worked for $10/hour for the first month.

While my role was in the back office processing baccalaureate applications (the community college had just started offering a few bachelor’s degrees) I also filled in a few hours each day on the “floor” where we helped incoming students fill out and prepare for enrolling in community college.

That floor is where I began my journey of learning about the community college experience in an entirely new way. I saw life “on the other side.” I saw what happened in administration and how it affects students, and more importantly, I got to interact with so many hopeful students pursuing their education.

I fell in love with the students who walked into that office. They were so diverse in every way, with one thing in common – they all desperately wanted an education.

I’ll never forget talking to one student from Laos – at the time I had never even heard of the country (pathetic, I know). He was wrapped in a beautiful deep orange cloth and had the widest smile and brightest eyes. He had come so far to be here. Wow.

And then of course there were the adorable toddlers who often sat across from me as their mom or dad filled out their college application.

While I hated being at a desk all day, I loved the people I got to meet during that time in my life, and that experience was integral to my work today.

Eventually another position opened up at the college in the Student Life office and I jumped at it. It was competitive but my previous experience working at the college was definitely a huge benefit.

And that brings me to my point (you knew I’d get there eventually, right?).

When you’re looking for your first job out of college, focus more on the right opportunity then the right salary or the best sounding job.

And by right opportunity I mean the position that is going to give you the best chance in getting where you really want to go.

Because chances are, your first job WON’T be where you really want to be. Chances are it won’t be perfect. It will be hard. It may be frustrating. It may not be what you hoped.

And that’s okay.

Because if you choose the right opportunity, you can use your first job to be a training ground, a place to learn, a place to connect with people in your industry, and a chance to contribute something that can help you get to the next step.

This is the time where you can take risks and go for what you really want. Live with your parents if they let you to save money and focus on taking the right opportunity (sorry parents!).

Channel everything you have in getting yourself into the right organization, the right industry, and the right circle of people. Even if that means working hourly or doing something you’re not totally excited to do.

While doing a menial job to get an “in” in a particular organization can be beneficial, it can also be a really good strategy to choose an opportunity at a smaller organization where you will have a lot chances to contribute creative work or manage your own projects.

The key: choose something that has a huge potential for future growth – whether it’s through a particular company or through the tasks you’ll be able to do and learn from.

Go for something that excites you and motivates you to put your all into the position, even when it’s hard and not perfect.

If I hadn’t of worked at a community college this blog, my book, my entire career right now – would not exist.

I’m SO beyond thankful I was able to begin my career at a place that I really cared about, a place that offered me so many rich opportunities to learn and grow.

Don’t be afraid to choose the right place, the right opportunity.

This is your chance to take risks. Be fearless. It will not be easy. You may sometimes cry (and/or turn to Oreos and Full House re-runs as I did on bad days).

The beginning of your career can be really really hard, and I do wish someone would have told me that. But what I do know is that it’s also THE time to “set the table” for what your career can be.

Do it right in the early stages and you can set yourself up for a career you’ll actually like, maybe even love.

For more career advice check out my summer series, FirstJobOutofCollege.com!

Your chance at a $5,500 scholarship and a chance to make a difference

I recently went on a school tour in my community with City Year and had to share it with you as it's something I wish I would have known about before I graduated college. 

City Year is a highly regarded national service program for students ages 17-24 where students dedicate a year to helping students in public schools; benefits include a living stipend for your year of service as well as a $5,500 education award upon completion. 

On my tour, I was struck by the innocent faces of the children (I toured a Title I elementary school), the dedication of the principal, and the joy of the City Year corps members. 

Khady in her City Year uniform.

Our tour guide, a corps member, had a particular spark that radiated both from her smile and her glittery glasses. 

As we continued the tour I found out our tour guide's name was Khady and that she too was a community college graduate. While finishing her Bachelor's degree at UCF she is also working full time as a City Year corps member. 

Below is an interview with Khady so you can learn more about her journey and why City Year has been such a great experience for her so far. Being a City Year Corps member is a competitive process and it's quite an honor to be accepted. I hope her advice below will help!

You can also jump here to learn how to apply to City Year! 

Some fast facts about Khady: 

She started community college in 2009 after graduating high school and got her A.A. in Spring 2013 from Valencia College. She is majoring in psychology and is expected to graduate from UCF in 2015. She enjoys watching Netflix and Hulu and her favorite foods are salads and smoothies. 

1. Why did you choose community college?

I couldn't afford university and didn't know what I wanted to do. Valencia was near by and I knew some administration. I thought it would be good fit for me to grow.

2. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome in your life that helped you become who you are today?

Not knowing what I wanted to do and not having a solid foundation of college educated people; I wasn't driven. Not having a drive to do school or to be educated I didn't do well at first. After working in the "real world" and seeing a cap on my potential I knew I needed to get back in school and Valencia was the place for me.

3. What was one thing you did in community college that helped you be successful?

Taking time to study and read was beneficial. Valencia is a group based school and working in groups was so helpful that I brought that technique into my studies at UCF.

4. What drew you to City Year?

City Year found me. I was at school and saw the City Year booth. I read up on some things and saw that it was service based organization. My background is in service so I was interested. Seeing the benefits and also what I could do for our country, I knew it was a fit for me. I even met the recruiter through a friend and he was such a great help in the application process.

5. What have you loved about being involved about City Year so far?

I love being able to work with the scholars. Teaching them is different then what I have done with children before but it's a learning process. 

I also am the outreach coordinator at Catalina Elementary School through City Year. This is a fun part of my responsibilities because I get to write a monthly service briefing on what's going in our school. I also enjoy being the one to take all our guest around and show them the impact that City Year is doing.

6. How do you feel City Year is helping you grow towards your goals?

The work load is rigorous and time consuming. I feel as though once I graduate from my service at City Year I can do anything.

7. Doing City Year and going to college full time is a lot of work! Would you recommend this or recommend doing it after college?

I would recommend City Year for after college or right after high school. The work load is a lot. You are required to work a certain amount of hours for AmeriCorps certification. With the required hours for City Year and the required hours to be a dedicated college student its too much for a normal person. But it is doable.

8. What is one thing that has helped you manage your time the most and not let your grades slip while working full time?

Time management is an important part of my life. I have been working with my impact manager on how I am using my time and also what I can do to benefit my life and school. 

It's been a balancing act because I also have to go to the chiropractor from a serious car accident that I was in the day before City Year started. I have my iPhone that has a calendar filled with my responsibilities and I make sure that I check it daily/weekly to make sure I don't miss any due dates for school or City Year.

9. What advice do you have to a reader who would like to apply for City Year?

Read into the organization. Stay on top of deadlines if you are serious about applying. Look into other cites in America if you are looking for different scenery as well. 

Something I wish I did was travel to a different state like some of my team mates but I'm happy to be helping my home state. If you have questions I'm willing to answer via email: hgraydon@cityyear.org.

10. What do you hope to do after you graduate as a career?

I want to be a psychologist and have my own private family practice. I want to work with children and married couples incorporating art and music for therapeutical treatment.

Learn more about City Year at cityyear.org or jump right here to apply!

How to make it in LA: First Job Profile of Pivot Producer

This summer I connected with some amazing professionals who were willing to share their wisdom. Each profile features how their first job out of college led to their amazing careers today, as well as their advice to help you do the same. 

From my favorite movie, The Help, to my favorite documentary, Waiting for Superman, I'm a huge fan of the work of Participant Media. They use media to tell a story and create awareness that can change the world. And since they're launching a new network just for millennials called Pivot, I thought it'd be great to learn some career tips from the new network's senior producer, Adam:

First Job Profile: Adam Sumner, Senior Producer of Pivot at Participant Media 

1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it? 

 My first job out of college was working for a commercial producer in Charleston, SC. I got the job through my video production teacher. 

I was eager to get into the business and sought the first place that might help me, and I guess I got lucky in that my first avenue opened for me. We produced and edited mainly regional commercials, but it was a great first step in the right direction. 

2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job? 

I think you have to be eager to learn. You need to bring some practical knowledge with you, but don't act like you know everything, especially in this business. 

There are ways to say things and set etiquette that can only be taught by watching seasoned veterans. The most important thing I learned was listening and watching, but also being eager to act and help. 

3) What did you to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today? 

I managed to use my previous experience as an assistant producer to get on the documentary crew for the Bonnaroo music festival. I was very persistent to get that job and I think having that little bit of experience helped me land the gig. 

This job would change my life forever and still stands as one of the most incredible events in my life. Everyone on the crew was from New York or LA, and they'd say "where do you live in LA?" ... and I'd respond, "I'm from South Carolina."

I was a little bit out of place you might say, but again I was ready to listen and learn. I made some incredible friends and lasting relationships and from there I got the courage to make the move to LA and give this a real shot. I had nothing to lose. 

4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college? 

As I said above, you have nothing to lose. If you are young and free from serious attachments, shoot for the moon. Go for it. You can always move back in your parents basement. 

You also need to build on personal relationships. Searching the internet for job postings is like a shot in the dark. It really is about who you know - hit the streets, really get eager and annoying for what you really want.

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I second all of that!  Great advice - thank you Adam!

How a Skateboard Can Get You a Job [First Job Profile]

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to wear jeans to work, write on the walls, and have your creative ideas influence millions?

Meet Will Gay, Creative Director at Disney’s Yellow Shoes and the man who helped lead campaigns such as findingfantasyland.com and the iconic campaign featuring YouTube videos of real families surprising their kids with a Disney vacation.

I recently sat down with Will; he shared invaluable advice on how to make it in the creative field, what you can do to get the attention of high-level professionals, and how a skateboard can help you get a job. His story is also jam-packed with with vital lessons for your future career success. 

What was your first job out of college and how did you get it?

Before I graduated actually, I called a bunch of agencies, and didn’t ask for a job directly. I just said I was looking to learn more and that I wanted feedback on my portfolio because I respected that particular person and their position. During my senior year of college I landed a salaried job as a Junior Art Director at one of those small agencies I had contacted.

[Lesson 1: Reach out to people at companies you want to work for.]

What was the most important thing you learned from your first job?

When you’re young you often think you know it all. I did, and at my first job I actually got fired after two years. I pushed hard for good creative work and fought my boss and others in all the wrong ways to get it done. When they lost a big client, I was the first to go.

I learned that there is a right way and a wrong way to fight for your ideas. I was humbled early on.

What did you do to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today?

Even though the first job ended badly, I had worked hard to develop a good portfolio and within three days I got a job with another agency where I got along really well with my boss and started to realize there was another way.

After doing some work there I was recruited by an ad agency in Orlando. However, it seemed I hadn’t fully learned my lesson quite yet.

I clashed with my boss again and found myself fighting for my ideas in the wrong way. I thought I was “irreplaceable” and when they lost a big client, again, I was one of the first to go.

[Lesson 2: Learn from your mistakes.]

This time I was out of work for eight months, which was one of the toughest times in my life, wondering how I was going to pay my bills.

I started freelancing for two agencies, one more well-established and another not so well known in the creative world. Both offered me a job, but I decided to go with the lesser known shop. I wanted the challenge, and I loved it.

We won a ton of awards and during one of the annual Orlando award ceremonies Disney was there and recruited me. I loved my job growing the ad agency I was at, but when Disney comes calling it’s hard to say no.

[Lesson 3: Choose opportunity over salary.]

What did you do to make sure you were prepared for each new opportunity?

You realize in hindsight that the journey and the struggle are often part of something bigger. Each thing taught me an important lesson I took with me to the next stage of my journey.

If I had gotten recruited at Disney too early I wouldn’t have been able to survive. I try to tell people to not try to rush it too much. And I’ve learned that if you always strive for great work and focus on that, the money will usually follow you.

What motivated you to work so hard?

I always wanted to try to do better work at each job, and always strive to do something different. You definitely have to be patient though to make break throughs.

You can’t be a rock star straight out of school. Some people can, it happens, but most people have to be patient and go through that slow step-up process and keep trying to do better things to get a better job.

When I went through a tough unemployment time after college I was really inspired by the story of Walt Disney losing everything he’d worked for in his first animation business, and then as he rode on a train, feeling depressed, he drew this little mouse that started everything.

Exactly. Walt drew Mickey during the worst time in his life. It’s so important to embrace those tough times. If you’re open and not afraid to keep trying, a mouse could pop into your head on a train.

What advice do you have for recent graduates who are struggling to find their first job after college?

Don’t get discouraged too easily.

The key is to be persistent and try to get attention in a unique way. Do something that is the opposite of what everyone else is doing – it’s the only way to stand out.

For example, so many students email me their digital portfolios, so what really stands out now are the things I get in the mail.

[At this point Will excitedly goes to his desk and pulls out this small sketchbook.]

The sketchbook cover.

This is a book someone made and mailed to me titled “15 Fool Proof Plans to get my feet in the door and into a brand new pair of Disney’s Yellow Shoes.” 

The inside page.

And at the end of the book (which was filled with off-the-wall cartoons of how she would ‘sneak into’ Disney Yellow Shoes offices, one of which is below) she hand-wrote the link to her portfolio.

It was obvious this took time to make, and it wasn’t something she could send out to everyone. It was creative, fun, personal, and irreverent. It showed she really wanted to work here, but more so, it also demonstrated the kind of skills needed in the creative industry.

She works here now.

[Lesson 4: Really get to know the companies you want to work for and personalize your approach.]

What advice do you have for grads who want to reach out but aren’t sure how to get the attention of someone in a way that would work for their desired industry and skill-set?

Know your audience and do your homework.

[Will gets up excitedly again to show me a skateboard. I’m confused for a second and then he turns it around to showcase a professional and artistic resume.]

I got this from someone who wants to work in our graphic retouching department. He found out through my blog that I skateboard and like to recycle my skateboards by painting over them.

[He then shows me the bottom of the skateboard where it says essentially “please recycle this board and paint over it.”]

Just like the small notebook, it was very personalized.

What should students avoid?

In the creative field, they should avoid having too many things in their portfolio. You have to self-select; otherwise it seems like you don’t have a point of view.

I also hated when people told me my portfolio was ‘great’ but then never called me back for a job. Students should ask for feedback.

After a recent event at a local university I had a student who asked me if he could walk me to my car. “I’m desperate,” he said, “I can’t get an internship and I need one for my major; I don’t know what’s going on.”

I usually try to leave these events right away so I can have dinner with my family, but I saw the fear in his eyes. I asked him to email me his portfolio.

[Lesson 5: When reaching out to people, don't be afraid to be vulnerable. It shows you care and will get their attention.]

The next morning I received an e-mail from him that had been sent 10 minutes after we talked.

[Lesson 6: Follow up with people immediately. It shows you're serious.]

I went through his portfolio and saw quickly it was not at the level where it needed to be. I invited him to come into the office to discuss it.

Remembering the lack of feedback I received and wished I had in my early years, I was very honest with him and told him what he needed to change.

The next day I got an e-mail with his new portfolio. He had taken my advice; I told him it was great and he told me he’d be sending it out that day.

A week later I got an e-mail from him [Will’s eyes start to water as he says this]…this is so recent I haven’t really talked about it. He e-mailed me and told me he had two internship offers with really great ad agencies and thanked me profusely for my help.

[Lesson 7: Act on good advice from professionals you admire immediately and follow up with a big thank you.]

It makes me tear up because I wished someone had helped me like that – it’s so hard. It made me think about the time I was looking for a full time job and some feedback how no one would get back to me. I felt so proud of him and so happy that the help worked.

He accepted one of the internship positions and is there now.

[Lesson 8: When you take someone's advice you make the other person feel that they're making a difference. It's one of the greatest gifts you can give. And your mentors deserve it, because they are giving you one of the other greatest gifts - their time.]

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I want to say a huge thank you to Will for inviting me into his office and giving me a tour. As a super-Disney fan, it was such an honor.

I hope you enjoyed his advice as much as I did, and I hope you take action on some of the gems in this story. 

Who has a job that you admire whom you could reach out to and ask for advice right now? 

What creative way can you get the attention of someone at a company you really want to work for?

Go for it!

Wouldn't you love to be paid to island hop? Advice from Islands Magazine Editor

This summer I connected with some amazing professionals who were willing to share their wisdom. Each profile will feature how their first job out of college led to their amazing careers today (that they love, by the way), as well as their advice to help you do the same. 

I subscribe to Islands Magazine as a motivator - reading the amazing travel stories and looking at the serene beaches excites me to work harder to be able to visit the places I'm reading about. 

Last month I read an amazing story in the magazine and thought, "wow, the guy who wrote this is literally paid to travel to beautiful islands - what a cool job." I looked up the writer and it turned out he was the Executive Editor!

Many could argue being a travel writer is a dream job, but desiring to travel will not get you there. It takes hard work, and I'm so thankful to Robert for sharing his advice with us. Thanks Robert!!

 First Job Profile: Robert Stephens, Editor for the Islands media brand

1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it? 

For the first six months I got a taste of authentic television glamour...by hauling camera cables and building scaffolds for a production company. 

When you're in the trenches like that, you get sweaty, dirty, and poor, but those types of jobs are opportunities to prepare for the next step. And that step was what I consider my first career job: producing the morning news for a TV station in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

I'd interned there my senior year of college. During that internship I did whatever was necessary to be part of the news team — not just a college student running errands to earn a few credits. The staff apparently liked my work ethic, and when a position opened up, they contacted me. No more scaffolds. 

2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job?

Humility for one. Looking for solutions instead of problems for another. My first night on the job was a disaster, and the best learning experience I've ever had. I knew I'd be responsible for creating the 6:30 a.m. newscast. What I didn't know is that I'd be alone from 11 p.m. until the anchorwoman showed up at 6 a.m. to go over the scripts — the ones I was supposed to write. 

It had to be the worst newscast in the history of that market. Tapes weren't cued up. Scripts were mistimed. Phonetic spellings were missing. We went to black three times. 

Afterward, the anchor was fuming. Before she could say anything, I walked up to her and said, "I'm really sorry. Tomorrow will be better, I promise. And I'd appreciate it if you could show me a few things before I leave today." Things got better in a hurry. 

3) What did you to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today? 

The newsroom wasn't where I wanted to be. I wanted to work with the sports division because the writing was more creative and less formulaic. So I actually volunteered to work with the sports crew on some weekends and evenings. When I decided to move into print media, that extra experience on the creative side got me in the door. 

4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college? 

Don't chase clouds. That job is important, but if you treat it as the be-all end-all, you'll be badly disappointed. It's just a part in the engine called life. So enjoy the process, always.

How to get a job in the fashion industry: H&M First Job Profile

This summer I connected with some amazing professionals who were willing to share their wisdom. Each profile will feature how their first job out of college led to their amazing careers today (that they love, by the way), as well as their advice to help you do the same.

First Job Profile: Jennifer Ward, Senior Public Relations Director at H&M

1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it? 

I graduated with an Advertising/PR degree but was having trouble finding a job. I took a job at Tommy Hilfiger as a sales assistant so I could learn the other side of the business until I was able to find a position in PR.

2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job?

My first job was all about learning about the corporate world and branding. In addition to learning the sales side of the business the behind the scenes was most interesting to me. I learned how everything a brand does is strategic. Why they choose the colors, where the item is placed in the store etc. I thought it was going to be a fashion job, but most of my day was sitting in front of a computer analyzing spreadsheets.

3) What did you to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today? 

My first job helped me form a great foundation to overall understand fashion, but it did not help me much in my goals for PR. 

I had an internship in college for another fashion brand, and a year after graduating I interviewed for a full time position in their press department. It was a very small team of five which is where I learned everything to get me where I am today.

4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college? 

Talk, talk, talk. Ask anyone and everyone if they are able to help - networking is most important. A lot of jobs are not posted on website - it’s all about referrals. 

Having a strong resume will set you aside from the fierce competition. Try to have as many internships and volunteer jobs in your area of interest. If an employer is not hiring they will always remember their smart, motivated intern and help you find a position leveraging their contacts.

Great advice no matter what industry you want to pursue. Thank you so much Jennifer!

How to get a job where you meet people like Jay-Z & Lenny Kravitz

This summer I connected with some amazing professionals who were willing to share their wisdom. Each profile will feature how their first job out of college led to their amazing careers today (that they love, by the way), as well as their advice to help you do the same. 

First Job Profile: Chris McDonald, Senior Producer of The Tavis Smiley Show

 1) What was your first job out of college and how did you get it? 

My first job out of college was a production assistant for the CNN nightly news series "The World Today." I had interned with CNN and after I graduated I just went in and asked for a job. Luckily we had built such rapport during my internship they were gracious enough to employ me as a Production Assistant. 

2) What was the most important thing you learned from your first job? 

I took a lot away from my first job, but one bit of experience remains, and it's a doctrine I continue to live by.

CNN is a big company, so if you work there you deal with a great number of people. I worked out of the Los Angeles Bureau, so the big anchors were always coming through town. Since I was always eager to learn, I pretty much became the designated P.A. for all the big anchors, including Wolf Blitzer, Connie Chung, Lou Dobbs, Soledad O'Brien and more. 

Some anchors their producers have egos, and these people tend to make their power known by stepping on the people below them. In my case, it was me. 

Like many large organizations, the hierarchy was very evident and I found myself getting stepped on. I bottled up how awful it felt and vowed to never be that way to anyone working under me.

Yet for every egomaniac, there's a producer who remembers where they came from and is always open to offer help and advice. 

The funny thing is when I left CNN and got a job with some leverage and power, I was in a position to help an old producer at CNN with a huge favor. She was one of the 'good' producers, so I stuck my neck out for her and gave her her solid.  

I learned to be gracious to everyone you work with in business, and treat them equally no matter the position, because your paths will cross again someday and the tables will be turned. 

 

Chris with Lenny Kravitz

3) What did you do to leverage your first job to help you get where you are today? 

When you come out of college, there is an edge you have above the older working crowd - you're used to burning the midnight oil with term papers and reading hordes of books.

Thus, you have bounds of energy that the average adult no longer possesses. If you're ambitious, take advantage of that! It is a skill that has legs for miles!

I realized that very early on in the beginnings of my work years, and I applied myself in any way I could. Fortunately for me, I worked for a company with my facets to it - CNN had an entertainment unit, a news unit, a sports unit, a business unit and CNN Espanol. 

I went out of my way to work overtime and offer my production assistance to all those departments, and they complied. In doing so, I learned a lot! 

More importantly, I developed trustworthy working relationships with the Los Angeles CNN bureau across the board. Moreover, they started noticing my tenacity and allowed me to work beyond my title. 

Although I eventually earned the title of researcher, my job tasks extended beyond that by writing news reels, associate producing, producing and even conducting interviews on the red carpet and backstage at movie premieres and award shows. 

This enabled me to color my resume so much more than I could have if I simply stuck to the parameters of my job title. 

4) What advice do you have for a recent graduate who is struggling to find their first job after college? 

I always give the same advice that was given to me: you're young and you have the whole world ahead of you! Life is indeed short, but it's the most abused statement about our mortality. You actually have time! You're new to the job force, so your canvas is very large and blank!

You may begin painting a pretty portrait over here, but if you splotch it up, scribble it away and move further down your large blank canvas and start fresh. A lot of people, including myself, expect to come out of college and get that dream job right away. There is a TINY percentage of people that happens to. The rest of us have to work extra hard for several years to get there. 

And that's a rough notion to stomach, because even the most humble of students come out of college with a sense of entitlement - why wouldn't you? You just paid so much for good schooling; your newly acquired knowledge is fresh; you're up-to-date with the latest technology and the person you'll be working for has never heard of it. Frustrating, right? 

But let me tell you... in any industry there is absolutely no knowledge like years of experience and hard work. Take your time, work hard, and your time will eventually come.

Don't get discouraged either when it doesn't happen in three years when you're 25. That's called a quarter-life crises. You still have lots of time ahead of you. You'll get there. I promise. 

Thank you Chris for some of the BEST advice in this series so far! You can check out the Tavis Smiley show on PBS! :)

Best Career Book for Class of 2013

What do the principles of entrepreneurship have to teach you about your career, even if you don't want to start your own business?

Everything. 

That is the message of the incredible book I just finished reading by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and entrepreneur Ben Casanocha: The Start-up of You.

For the past year I have been living a dream job filled with risk, adventure, and airplanes. If you had asked me when I graduated college if I would have been doing what I'm doing now, I would have just laughed and said that sounds like someone else. 

For the past year almost everyone I meet asks me some form of the question "where do you want to go with your career?"

I'm often caught off guard because, honestly, I don't know what the future holds. I love that, but it also scares me sometimes. 

My answer to that question usually goes something like this: "I don't know what will come next; I could have never known I'd be where I am now. My only plan is to keep doing what I did to get this far -  learn like crazy, meet lots of people who are way cooler than me, and work really hard."

The Start-up of You reinforced that this kind of present-focused, people-focused, and learning-focused "plan" is a good thing (whew - thanks Reid and Ben for making me feel better!).

The truth is, you do want to have some direction, but you must be open to change. If not, opportunities will pass you by. 

We don't know what the jobs of tomorrow will look like, so the best thing you can do for your career is to focus on learning today. 

Every time someone asks you "what's next" (which they will a lot - it's a human-nature kind of question) take that time to think about what you are doing today. 

Are you meeting with an interesting person? Are you reading a new book? Are you applying for a new and challenging learning experience? Are you volunteering for projects that interest you at your current job? 

The best way to guarantee a compelling and exciting career for your future is to learn like crazy and surround yourself with people you admire. 

Also, read The Start-up of You. It will pump you up for your next adventure, and give you the tools you need to get started. 

The adventure (and the learning) has just begun. :)

Disclosure: Unless stated otherwise at the beginning of a post, any book I recommend is because I've read it, loved it, and couldn't keep it to myself. I only share books I think will help you and that I love like crazy. 

How to turn a first job you dislike into a dream job

For the majority of people, their first job out of college is not their dream job. 

For me, while every minute working with students as a Student Life Coordinator truly did feel like a dream come true, much of my job was spent working on logistics, managing budgets, cleaning up tiny bits of confetti, and throwing away half-eaten pizza with my bare hands.

The student-part was awesome, yes. But full-on 100% dream job? Not quite. But it was integral to where I am today, and I am so thankful for it, confetti and all.  

When most from our generation graduate, we tend to have this idea that with a college degree we will get some sort of magical dream job. It's what we were promised, right? It's what makes all those loans worth it, yes? 

Unfortunately, it doesn't exactly work that way. 

And for most of us, we don't realize this until we're moping up a students' sickness on the tile at 10pm because all the janitors have already left and we realize they never covered this in our major.

As I teach extensively in my book, the most vital thing that helped me figure out my next step was doing informational interviews with professionals I admired who had jobs to which I aspired. Every single one explained the difficulties of their first jobs. None of them were handed their 'dream' job, and for many of them, their current job really wasn't a 'dream.' It was still hard, just in a different way. 

But the best part for all of them, is that they had found challenges they really loved. They found a place where the hard stuff wasn't so bad, because they were genuinely interested in what they were doing, and felt like they had something to give.

So how do you get from a first job you may not love to a dream job? 

I feel incredibly lucky to be in my dream job right now, at such a young age. Working from home, writing, speaking, traveling, I literally wake up every day and say thank you. It is possible.

But it does take a lot of work, luck, strategy, work, hope, luck, work, work, work, and work. 

So here is the formula for turning a job you may not like all that much right now into your dream job. 

1. Do not slack off on your current job. Do your best and value what you have. Instead of complaining about what frustrates you, try making a list of all the things you appreciate about your current job, and read it every morning. 
2. Limit complaining about your job to 5 minutes per day. Even if you rightfully have a lot of complain about, try to limit yourself to no more than 5 minutes of venting to a close friend/family member/significant other. Then stop. Because in the end, complaining will start to make you feel worse and never better. 
3. Explore what you really want to do. Notice what you do love about your current job and what makes you want to gouge your eyes out with a spoon. Pay attention, objectively, to where you thrive and where you feel useless.  
4. Start searching job openings online and pay close attention to what they are looking for. Think about how you can build those skills in your current job and/or how you can build related experience outside of your job. 
5. Approach people with jobs you'd like to have and ask them for 15 minutes of their time in person or on the phone. Take them out to lunch or coffee, or call them on your lunch break. Ask them how they got started, and listen carefully to the steps they took between their first job and the job they have now. 
6. If your job is somewhat related to what you want to do, tell your boss you really want to contribute and ask what you could do to help him/her reach the department/organization's goals. Don't worry if you don't get a project you love right away, just show you want to help your boss first and do whatever they ask to the best of your ability. Go the extra mile, even if it seems no one will care. 
7. After you've proven yourself, built a good relationship with your boss, and paid close attention to your organization's goals and needs, think about your best talents and the kinds of projects you really want to do, and propose a new project to your boss that would use your best skills and talents and prepare you for what you desire to do next.
8. During your free time before and after work and during your lunch break, develop the skills you need for the next step you want to take. Spend that time reading books on the subject, actually doing it on your own if applicable, and getting to know people and attending events related to what you really want to do. 
9. When the time is right and you feel like you've developed the skills to be qualified to move on, begin applying for other jobs and seek advice from your professional mentors every step of the way. 
10. Continue to engage fully in your current job and give your 100%. The only way to ensure you'll be qualified for a job you really want in your future is to start developing the habits of hard work and dedication right now. Get involved in your job in the same way I encourage you to in college. Go to extra events, volunteer for projects that interest you, go to Human Resources development classes or programs. Get to know people. Thrive. And most importantly - learn. 

And that is the key to it all. Constantly learning. Every successful person I've ever met has developed the habit early on to engage fully in every experience, even if they didn't love it, and to learn from each and every job by being fully engaged. 

That is the secret to moving forward in your life and yes, actually making some of your professional dreams come true. It can happen. But it does take time and it does take a lot of extra work. But once you find something that's worth that extra work, you'll realize it starts to not even seem like work, but almost like, dare I say it, fun.