A misinformed pirate & internship tips

AskIsa: My ultimate formula for getting the best internships (& figuring out what you want to do with your life)

From the Ask Isa inbox:

Dear Isa,

Do you have any sources for finding internships? I'm a math major and am interested in civil engineering, although I am not 100% on that. I feel that getting a little experience in any engineering/math field would help me figure out exactly what I want to do. 

Sincerely,

Internship Seeker

Dear Internship Seeker,

You are right on about starting to get some experience to figure out what you want to do.

Some of the internship websites I know about are YouTern.com and InternQueen.com; you can also search Indeed.com for "civil engineering internship." I also recommend searching the websites in some of the most well-known corporations in your field to research their internship programs. 

The best internships are highly competitive and doing research early can make all the difference. 

The best thing to do is to start connecting with professionals via informational interviews (something I talk about how to do extensively in the 3rd section of my book.)

Here are the basics of the formula: 

1) Start a LinkedIn Profile
2) Click "advanced search"
3) Put "Civil Engineer" in the job title section
4) Enter in your zip code and choose a 10 or 25 mile radius
5) Click "search"
6) Review the profiles of the civil engineers in your area. What companies are they working for? If you can see their resumes, find out where they got started.
7) Choose one or two people whose jobs and/or companies sound really cool to you and request to connect with them. You can choose "friend," and then in the request message section write something personal telling that person why you admire their job and that you'd like to connect with them to be able to learn from them.
8) If they accept your request, send them a direct message requesting to meet with them for 10-15 minutes in person to ask a few questions about how they got to where they are today, what they like about their job, and any advice they might have when it comes to trying to get an internship in their field.
9) If they say yes, email them back with a few days/times you are free, ask them to pick the 15 minute window that works best for them, and then ask for directions for the most convenient place for them to meet (usually their office).
10) Then show up on time, dress professionally, and don't go longer than 15 minutes unless the person insists they want to talk longer. Ask questions. And listen, listen listen. Take notes.
11) Follow up via e-mail and/or a handwritten card and say thank you.

Most professionals will be so impressed that you've done this that they will offer you an internship directly, though you should never ask. This is just about learning, and if that's all you get it's so worth it. They will also know the best ways to secure good internships in their industry. 

Even if their company doesn't have any internships available at the moment, in your follow up email, ask if you can job shadow them for a few hours one day to see what their work is really like.

You'll be amazed at how much people will be honored that someone admires them and wants to learn from their work, and how much they will do to help you. Try it and let me know what happens!

Sincerely,

Isa 

Internship Seeker's updated response is below - things took a cool turn: 

Isa thank you so much for your advice! 

Looking at civil engineers’ profiles on LinkedIn helped me realize what I want to major in: Nutrition! I know I probably sound crazy, switching from talking to you about engineering to wanting to be a nutrition major, but I truly believe it is what I want to do. 

The Civil Engineering jobs did not sound interesting to me at all. I realized that if I were to pursue engineering I would be stuck in something that doesn’t really interest me. 

 Additionally, I talked to my uncle who went to college for civil engineering, and what stuck out to me was that he said “math is fun.” Math isn’t fun for me, and it surely wouldn’t get better at a four year school. I think I was focusing on the money aspect of engineering. Sadly.

But these two things (LinkedIn and interviewing my uncle) made me stop and think of what really interests me, and it’s nutrition. 

Nutrition is fun to me. I always am reading a book about nutrition, or researching it, or focusing on cooking something healthy. I’m even registered to go to a convention about nutrition in Georgia this fall. And one of my friends noticed that I bring up the topic of nutrition quite often. Nutrition is what truly interests me. So I hope I don’t sound crazy to you.

As I replied to Internship Seeker, she doesn't sound crazy at all. I told her this is one of the best possible things that can happen when you being your job-research process. 

LinkedIn-research, internships, and informational interviews are just as much figuring out what you don't want to do as figuring out what you want to do. Most people don't figure this out until they're stuck doing what they don't want to do.

Happy internship and what-do-I-want-to-do-with-my-life searching to you all! :)

How to figure out your career direction

How do you figure out your career direction when you have no idea what you want to do or what jobs are really out there? This video from the Pearson Students Blog will help you take the first step:

Best way to network and get top-notch work experience in college

Disclosure: I consult with Pearson Students; it is one of my favorite parts of my job. However, Pearson Students is not paying me to write this blog post. I am writing it of my own volition because I feel very passionate about what their student program offers, and after seeing it up close this past week, I knew I just had to share the opportunity with you. 

This past week I spent some time at a conference with the Pearson Student Advisory Board. You've probably heard me talk about Pearson before, as I consult with them, contribute to their student blog, and serve as the ambassador for the One Professor campaign. 

I first met the Pearson Student Advisory Board in New York where they were introduced to each other and all the things they would be contributing as part of their job this year. In short, the Board is made up of about 12 college students from across the country who do projects to inform a variety of Pearson company projects. 

At the Pearson conference, I was blown away by how much the executives at Pearson really listen to the Student Advisory Board. They take their opinions very seriously, and this week I got to witness these incredible college students making major decisions for a corporation!

It is so amazing for these students to have exposure to top executives and be able to contribute to major business decisions at such a young age; all students should have the opportunity to contribute to an organization before graduation in order to get pumped for their future job.

And that is exactly what happened to these students this past week; they started to get incredibly excited for their future careers. While some of them want to work at Pearson, and others as lawyers, engineers, or teachers, they all started to see that life after college could be pretty cool. 

Their confidence seemed to grow with every handshake from a CEO or VP, and by the end of the conference you couldn't tell the students apart from the actual employees of the company. They were professionals. 

This can be you. Whether it's with Pearson or another leadership or internship program at a company you're interested in, I highly encourage you to start researching and applying for programs that can give you this kind of exposure and experience. 

The PSAB members will tell you how much they've benefitted from the professional development, networking, and friendships, not to mention getting paid a stipend and getting to travel to places like New York and Florida for free! (If you want to connect with one of them for more information or advice just let me know and I can put you in touch.) 

Applications to serve on the 2013-2014 Pearson Student Advisory Board are currently open until February 11, 2013. The application process is very competitive, so you'll definitely want to start prepping as soon as possible. 

It's a great opportunity for any student who wants to grow professionally, and it's especially ideal if you're interested in business, education, publishing, marketing, editing, communications, public relations, or higher education. 

Pearson also has a Pearson Campus Ambassador program, which is a paid hourly job you can do from your campus, with the potential to move up to become a Regional Coordinator, which offers incredible management experience. 

I highly encourage you to start searching for advisory board or internship programs at companies that fascinate and excite you. There is nothing more catalytic than mixing your college education with real-world experience.

Jumping on the stage with the PSAB's after they met the CEO

When should you take an unpaid internship?

I've had many students ask me when it is okay to take an unpaid internship. Or rather - when is it really worth it to work for free?

Obviously anytime an internship is paid it's a huge bonus - but pay should be just that, a bonus, not what you look for first.

The goal of an internship should be to gain valuable work experience and make connections in an industry you think you'd like to work in one day. 

So below are the questions to ask yourself when considering taking an unpaid internship:

1. Does this company have a good reputation?
2. Would you really want to work at this company one day?
3. Will working at this organization enhance your resume and help you get a job you really want after college?
4. Are there people who work at this company that you want to meet?
5. Are there skills you could get at this internship that you couldn't get anywhere else?
6. Will this internship teach you a lot about what you want to do with your life? 
7. Does doing the work described in the internship sound interesting to you?
8. If you spent time doing this unpaid internship will you still have time or resources to cover your necessary expenses?

If you can answer yes to most of these questions then you should absolutely take the unpaid internship. It is going to give you much more than money. 

If you answered no to most of the questions, then keep looking for an internship that would really encourage your professional growth and give you a great return on your time and effort. In short, choose internships that excite you. 

When should you consider an internship as your first job out of college?

When most of us think of internships, we think of work experience you get while you're in college (some college's even offer credit for internships). However, internships can also be a great opportunity after you've graduated college.

Tim Groth, 25-years old and currently the Development Specialist for the Minnesota Wild (NHL), is a great example of how taking an internship after college can be a great investment in your future career.  


Tim attended the University of Kansas and majored in Sports Management. 
During his first two years of college he volunteered a lot in the sports world - refereeing rec sports and volunteering at big relays. "I was always willing to volunteer my time so I could learn how they ran these events and build more relationships with people who were running the events."


Very smart.


Tim's professors in his sports management courses became his mentors. Tim needed an internship as part of the curriculum, and one of his professors knew the community relations manager for the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) and helped him get his first internship. 


Tim graduated college in May 2009 and moved back to Minnesota, where he is from. He had been "applying for jobs left and right, lived at home, and worked a summer job to figure out what was next."


When working in his first internship he had met someone who had interned for  the Orlando Magic (NBA). Tim saw an open position in web design with the Magic, and while he didn't have any design experience, he applied anyway and also noticed their internship positions. 


His friend helped him get an interview for the Orlando Magic internship program. "Someone sent a quick email. Who you know really can help you get an interview, and having that personal connection to get that initial opportunity is huge." 

While having a personal recommendation helped Tim get an interview, he still had to compete with the 300-500 students that apply for these kinds of internships. 


Tim's previous experience with the Kansas City Chiefs and his extensive volunteer work in sports helped him get the internship. The internship was paid, but, like many paid internships, "it was just enough to pay the bills and rent." 


But Tim believed it was worth the risk. 


The Orlando Magic internship program helped Tim get set up in an apartment with three other roommates - all Orlando Magic interns. All of these guys had traveled from other states to take advantage of this internship opportunity. 


Tim moved to Orlando and started work the next day with his roommates. 


"The guys were my brothers. We lived together, ate ramen together, and we really became close friends because of our extensive work together."


Tim did the internship for a little over a year, and then applied for and was offered a full-time position with the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. 


The job Tim got was posted internally only, meaning it was only available to current employees and interns. This is one of the best reasons to consider an internship even after college. It is almost impossible to get a job at a big, well-known company in your early career without having that kind of insider/intern access. 


Even being an intern, however, you're competing with many other current and past interns with similar expereince. I asked Tim how he stood out and what advice he has to turn an internship into a full time job: 


"My work ethic I think is pretty strong. When I was an intern I strived to be the first one in the office and the last one to leave. I would never say no and always say yes to tasks, even if I didn't want to do them. I realized I was at the bottom and that this is what I had to do. I repeatedly asked my supervisor what can I do to help you? I'm free right now, what can I do to make your day any easier? It shows that you care and that you want to work hard. Supervisors have contacts and can help you get interviews elsewhere even if your organization isn't hiring."

"When you get an internship or starting a new job you have to be aware that everyone is paying attention. If you are just kind of hanging out, people see that. You need to be working and try to figure out something to do, whether it is the off season or not. Do your job really well and you will get a promotion, a full time position, or a great recommendation."

Internships are an incredible inroad to companies and industries that are difficult to break into (e.g. the sports industry). If a company has a relatively large and competitive internship program, it is a good sign you will need to be an intern in order to be considered for an entry-level job as your first job out of college in that organization. Otherwise, you'll be competing against interns with company-related experience and most likely won't have a chance.

Below are links to learn more about internship programs at some of the top ranked large companies where Millennials want to work: 

1. Google

2. Apple
3. Walt Disney Company
4. Ernst & Young
5. Deloitte
6. JPMorgan
7. Nike
8. PwC
9. Goldman Sachs
10. KPMG LLP

If you get a degree, you get a job…right?

A few days ago I did an interview with Mark Babbitt, founder of the innovative internship search website YouTern. I wanted to talk to Mark about the upcoming conference YouTern is putting on called 1KV (one thousand voices). This conference will bring together college students, post-grads, and young careerists who realize, as Mark put it, that being negative and complaining about the economy isn’t in our best interest. The economy isn’t going to change; we have to change.

So YouTern is bringing together a group of like-minded individuals who are ready to make a difference in the world and find success in a time when it can seem so far away.

Why does success feel so out of reach for young careerists and post-grads, and even some college students? Because, as Mark put it, his generation “lied to us.”

Mark boldly admits that his generation told young people that if you get a degree, work relatively hard in college, you will get a job. And not just any job, but a great job!

But today many post-grads find their post-college job in food or retail, working alongside those who are still working on their college degree or who never got one. Many post-grads find themselves living at home. And many post-grads feel lonely, confused, frustrated, and wonder what those four years were for anyway.

A college degree is incredibly valuable. But it’s vital to remember that the single credential, the single piece of paper, isn’t enough anymore; hence, the “lie.”

What is the truth?

The truth is that you must figure out how to focus your college degree on something you are great at and find interesting, and you must build career-related experience as soon as possible.

In short, you must go the extra mile.

And I have a step you can take towards that extra mile right now. How about attending YouTern’s 1K Voices conference in New York this March 23-25? How about joining the other like-minded people who are ready and excited to do more. How about recharging yourself during a weekend that will remind you what it takes to reach your dreams, and provide you with the tools and the support group to help you get there.

And want even more good news? Because Mark and YouTern are so awesome and really like you guys they gave me a special promotional code just for you to save some big bucks on your registration (please note I am not being paid at all to talk about this…I will only ever recommend anything to you that I truly believe in and think will actually help you, end of story).

But before you scroll down to get the promotional code and sign up for a weekend that could be a turning point in your life (and also sounds like a heck of a lot of fun), check out some of the incredible and exclusive insight Mark shared with me based on his incredible experiences and success working with our generation and their career search.

• Q: What inspired you to start YouTern?

A: Mark started YouTern because he felt we were losing the “human” part of human resources when it came to searching for jobs online (ever applied for a job and never heard anything back….it's the worst!). In Mark’s previous successful start-up he had interns who got a lot out of the experience working for a small business doing actual work (NOT getting coffee) and getting mentored along the way. He found his interns were going on to be incredibly successful, and he wanted to create a portal where more businesses and non-profits committed to mentorship-based and real-experience based internships could share their opportunities. He also wanted to help the struggling populations of students who wanted professional advice and high quality mentor-based internships.

What is really cool about YouTern is that they screen all of the company’s that post internship opportunities on their site so that, as Mark put it, “it’s not some creepy guy in his garage.” While of course they can’t guarantee it will be a perfect experience, they can guarantee they’ve done everything possible to guard against the “creepy” guys and only showcase internships that feature small businesses, non-profits, and socially responsible organizations.

• Q: What inspired you to create the 1KV conference?

A: Mark realized there wasn’t a conference for young careerists who are transitioning to the professional world. There was nothing to teach college students and post-grads what to do after you walk down that aisle in your cap and gown. There was nothing gathering together people who wanted to contribute to the world in a positive way and do whatever it takes to succeed – no matter what is going on in the economy. He wanted to bring together a group of people who refuse to sink to the negativity in the news and who realize the only thing we have power to change is ourselves. And when we increase our knowledge and skills and surround ourselves with good people – our situations almost magically change. This is a conference for positive people who are ready to get fired up about how to make an impact in the world and discover success in their career after college.

• Q: What is the number one benefit conference attendees will receive?

A: Realizing that only YOU can make yourself successful and getting the tools to know HOW to make yourself successful. One of the best ways to reach success in your life is to surround yourself with positive people who will keep you accountable, as well as learn from those who have had success before you. This conference features incredible speakers (e.g. Jenny Blake author of Life After College) who will ensure that you will come out with more than just a fired-up attitude and new friends to keep you accountable – but the tools to actually know what to do and how to get your life on track.

• Q: What is your best advice for what my readers should be doing right now in order to find a great job after they graduate from college?

A: Mark said that we have forgotten that getting jobs is a competition in which only those who take it as seriously as an athlete will win. The number one thing to do right now (and one I firmly believe in as it is the heart of my book)? Networking! Because as Mark said, 8 out of every 10 jobs are being filled through personal relationships. 

So right after you finish reading this blog do at least one thing to build relationships with people in your desired field and show the world that you are taking your career as seriously as an athlete. Create your LinkedIn profile and connect with a LinkedIn group that interests you. Join a Twitter chat (I love #InternPro). Join this blog's Facebook community. Visit your career center and ask if they have a mentorship database so you can meet with a professional who does a job that interests you. Find a mentor on StudentMentor.org. And…

Register for the 1KV Conference using the promo code: CCSuccess. 

I hope to meet you there!

P.S. If you're like I was in college and are broke and have no idea how you could ever afford to go to a conference in New York, just remember that anything is possible if you want to make it happen. Get creative. And never forget that an investment in your own success is the only guaranteed investment in the world. 




To read more about Isa's personal story & how you can build relationships to: make positive friends, be more successful in academics and work, find the right people to connect with, and access the hidden job market, grab a FREE e-copy of the first chapter of Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams! Claim your free copy on the Facebook page!

How Can You Tell if You Want That Job?

Hey guys! Today is a very special day for me.

The countdown has begun – I can’t believe it – but in exactly one month, my book will be released by Norlights Press and available for purchase on Amazon.com.

It is literally a dream come true. 

So I wanted to share something special with you in celebration of this countdown. 

I want to help you answer a question that I pose in the book: a question whose answer can help bring direction and excitement to your life -->


The Question: How do I know if this person's job is the one I want when I am older? 

I've talked a lot in this blog about choosing your major. But in the end, most people want to find the major that best prepares them for a job they would like to do. And the best way to know if you like a job is to try it or to ask someone who is in it. 

So when you meet someone or sit down with them to ask their advice, how do you know if their job is really one you'd like to have? How do you know if they would be a great professional role model for you in your life? Consider the following:

1.  Is there a wow-factor beyond the car?  I think any professional role model should have a wow-factor. And I'm not talking about the whoa-they-make-a-lot-of-money-and-drive-a-sweet-car factor.

Ask anyone who makes a lot of money but is unhappy in their work and they'll tell you to find something better for yourself. People today are looking for meaning in their work. And that meaning comes from finding a wow-factor in the daily tasks that make up a professional role model's work. 

What about the actual tasks they perform pique your interest? Remember, a job is continuous, and when you find one with tasks you generally enjoy, it will have a wow-factor.

2.  What paths have they taken to gain this success? When you think about finding professional role models, consider the variety of paths to success and learn from their timeline.

The truth is, that some professionals have a very long and winding path towards their present positions. Others have what I call the wunderkind effect – that is – some circumstance they encountered, or skill-set they possessed for a particular moment that catalyzed their success.

For example, one of my good friends whom I admire greatly is a successful filmmaker. He is incredibly talented and driven; during college spent time aboard a medicine ship in Africa, working for a charity, where he met someone who hired him to do some film-work that helped ignite his career at a very young age.

Some careers have built-in timelines that you can't avoid (e.g. you cannot finish medical school and become the top doctor immediately). However, some are varied and professional mentors  can help guide you towards what will help you expedite your success, as well as how to keep going even when things aren't happening as fast as you'd like. 

Sometimes, very talented, focused people encounter the right circumstances early on; sometimes they don’t. You might want be a very talented filmmaker, but not have that connection right away – it doesn’t make you a failure; instead, it means that you will have to be patient and persistent. For the most part, success takes time, and professional mentors will have a lot of guidance in that area. Consider their path to success, and think about if you are interested in following a similar one, keeping in mind the old adage that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. 

3. What personal passion is reflected in this career goal?  This might be the most important question.  It is also the easiest to answer – what personal passion do you have that is reflected in the day-to-day work of this person’s profession?

If it takes you longer than a minute to think of one, this professional might not be the career for you. 

You don't always have to be deeply passionate about your work, but if you can choose, wouldn't you want to choose something that really interests you? 

4. How is the balance of work/life reflected in this professional culture?  This is the question that is often ignored when thinking about a professional to look up to. 

And this is also one of the most important ones.

You will want to think about your personal goals, along with your professional goals, and see how they intersect in the work culture of that potential professional role model.

If you want to travel from city to city and live in rental apartments for months out of the year, you will find that certain professions really fit into that niche and can actually provide a lot of opportunities for you. Conversely, if you plan on having time to settle down, buy a house, and one of your future goals is to have children and spend time with them at home, those professions might not suit you as well.

Anything is possible, but you'll want to consider all of your values and goals and how a particular profession fits in. You won't want to ask a professional personal questions, but you are welcome to ask how they feel about work/life balance in their profession. You'd be surprised at how honest they will be with you. 

Don’t neglect factors such as hours worked in a week, travel commitment, vacation time, etc. – they will play a factor in your future, even if they don’t seem important now. 

Remember, you get months off during the school year from classes – professionally the norm is 1-2 weeks per calendar year.  

I hope these were helpful. They are just a foundation to hopefully get you thinking more deeply the next time you meet someone whom you might want to consider as a professional role model and mentor.

I wholeheartedly believe that  one of the TOP requirements for success is having professional role models/mentors in your life. 

If you ever have any other questions or would like help in approaching professional role models,  email me at advice@communitycollegesuccess.com. 

If this interests you and you'd like to learn more (such as how to actually find professional role models and get them to mentor you), check out my upcoming book Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams on March 15, 2012, when it releases from Norlights Press.  I can't wait to share it with you :)

The truth about internships no one will tell you

Internships are the new entry-level jobs. Jobs that entry-level workers used to do are now being done by unpaid interns - which makes it very hard to get a job right out of college. And the only way to make this easier for yourself is to start thinking about it now.

The hardest part about graduating  college – the part most of us don’t think about until once we’ve graduated – is trying to get job experience when no one will hire you if you don’t already have job experience. It is devastating and it’s the thing no one talks about.

College is advertised as this incredibly fun experience that leads to success no matter what. And then many of us go to college, graduate, and then expect the degree alone to be like catnip – something employers can sniff out and will seek out (confession: I thought this). But unfortunately, that is not the case and this leaves many post-grads (like myself) to have an incredibly depressing few months (or years for some) after college.

If you’re anything like me (especially being a first generation college student) you may think getting a college degree along with outstanding college involvement, credentials, and awards would make getting a job easy. It’s not easy. It is so hard. So very very hard. And the more I talk to people (both young and poor and old and rich) the more I hear it’s hard for everyone.

I wish someone would have told me that before I graduated - which is why I’m telling you, so you can be prepared.

There’s not a lot I can do to guarantee that you’ll have an easy time finding a job – it varies so much depending on your major, credentials, and location, and in many ways it is just always a hard process. But I think at least knowing it’s a hard, rejection-filled process that almost everyone goes through can make it much easier on our fragile “I’ve-graduated-now-to-conquer-the-world-wait-am-I-the-only-one-who-can’t-get-hired” hearts.

However there is a lot I can tell you to ensure you will have a much easiER time finding a job than someone who does not do what I’m about to tell you to do. The answer? I bet you’ve already guessed….

Internships.

There’s quite a lot of “hype” around internships right now and, well, I think it’s worth the hype.

Every internship opportunity is of course wildly different and just getting any internship doesn't mean it will be perfect. Some lead directly to incredible jobs. Some are great experiences but the organization just isn’t hiring when you graduate. Some make people do exciting work that paid employees take credit for. Some are thankless jobs doing grind work like getting coffee (though I think in this economy most of those have already or are fading away), and some are ways to take advantage of the internship system and get work done without having to pay anyone. I've had friends who've had all of these experiences. 

So there is a continuum. And of course – college shouldn’t be all about jobs. Classes, involvement, and appreciating and enjoying that experience to its fullest is so important (I miss it almost every day – and I work at a college).

But – and here is the big but – internships are a must. There is risk involved, like anything, and working without pay can seem like a painful and almost impossible experience especially for students who struggle so hard to pay for college (e.g. I just found out one of my most talented students washes dishes by hand at McDonalds for hours on end to help make ends meet). 

However, if done right, internships can be one of the most valuable investments you can make in yourself, your future career, and your future financial success. I believe they are always worth the risk.

And while a paid internship is amazing – an unpaid one can have a lot of hidden benefits if you choose wisely.

So how do you make the right decision? Where do you find internships? How do you choose internships that will have the greatest benefits for you? How do you make the most of the internship opportunity once you get it?

There is just too much to share in a post so if you’re truly dedicated to finding a great job after college enter in your name and e-mail below and I'll send you my free mini e-book on how to find the best internships, how to get them, how to choose the best ones for you, and how to make the most out of the experience to ensure your future success. (The mini e-book also includes a few sneak peeks of some of my best insider tips that will be in my upcoming book!)

Extra - Intern Word Associations
Before I wrote this blog I asked my amazing Facebook friends to share the first word/phrase that came to their mind when I said the word “internship.” I asked because I wanted to know if anyone else thought of the same things I did – both the good and the bad. And my good friends showed me that I was not alone. Three categories emerged about internships and you can read their first-words below. (I love that someone mentioned Teen Vogue because I secretly blame The Hills for all of my misconceptions about internships, jobs, how to dress for work, and how young you can be to own a house ;)).

Bad treatment/Media stereotypes

Hamilton: Coffee

Susie: work with no pay

Christopher: Getting coffee

Barb: poor.

Darryl: stipend-indentured servitude

Andy: Unpaid

Princess: No $$

Josiah: A smelly cubicle and the multiple coffee cup trays.

Alaina: free labor

Aneela:  teen vogue

Jay: no money

Jessica: Free worker

Requirement/Neccessary

Jessica: Required to graduate

Caitlin: w/o it..good luck trying to find a real job!

Sarah: Competitive

Robin: The key to getting hired

Amazing opportunity

Edwin: networking, career opportunities, Lockheed Martin

Sarah: resume builder

Matthew: a great opportunity to build your soft skills

Qadira: experience

Chris: Job

Juany: Traveling experience

Yeliz: Skills!

Melissa: Disney :) (the college program) haha i wanted to do it since I was like 10.

Dominique: I agree with free worker, and a great time to learn something successful!

Sana:  Cool job that I will be working in the future

Ale: An opportunity to learn

Duy: moneyyyyyyyyyyyyyy and future and respect and love, dream come true...or so on

Sabatini: I the opportunity to work and assist a professional in the field that you want to undertake later on.

How four students turned chance encounters into incredible opportunities (and how you can too)

Picture this: you’re a college student working at an athletic shoe store arriving for a normal shift at work. You’re ringing up purchases, straightening sneakers, and then you offer to help another normal customer. You start up casual conversation as usual, but instead of the conversation turning to whether the customer wants black or brown shoes you find out he has a career very similar to one to which you aspire (e.g. orthopedic surgeon). What do you do?

You can brush by the detail and continue talking about shoes. 

OR. You can tell him you really want to be a radiologist and ask his advice if you are in the right major for what you want to do.

If you do the latter, you will get great advice, build a relationship, and get invited to observe an orthopedic surgery.

How do I know?

Because this week a student - Milva - came bounding into my office saying “Isa – guess what?! I’m going to get to observe a surgery!"

 Now even though I’m squeamish and would never personally want to observe a surgery I leaped for joy because I knew how important this opportunity was for someone interested in the medical field.

And even more than that I was so proud of Milva for taking the chance, making the leap, and having the courage to boldly proclaim her future goals and ask someone for advice.

Because having the skill to ask adults in professions to which you aspire for advice almost always leads to incredible opportunities. Think back to some of your greatest opportunities to date - how many of them evolved from similar “chance” happenings and connections?

But of course – they aren’t simply left up to chance. There are a million ways Milva could have handled the situation. Not to mention if she had no idea what she wanted to do or had at least not made the effort to research a variety of prospective majors she wouldn’t have been able to proclaim to the surgeon that she had similar interests.

And more than just getting to observe a surgery, she now has a possible surgeon mentor and connection. This is huge. Because this is how internships, opportunities, and jobs happen.

And the earlier you can start the better.

Connections and opportunities like these also give you the chance to learn more about your prospective career and decide whether or not it is right for you. If it is, then you have incredible mentors and connections that will guide you towards resources and opportunities that you don’t even know exist right now. 

And if it isn’t, then you get to find out before you’re stuck in a job that wasn’t what you thought it would be.

Are you taking advantage of every opportunity you have to ask others for advice and get to know people in professions that interest you? It will literally change your life.

How do I know? Because it changed mine and I am seeing daily how it is changing the courses and the lives of the students around me.

Edwin (who aspires to be an engineer at Lockheed Martin) was honored at a Hispanic scholarship gala where he met a guy from Lockheed Martin who offered him an internship on the spot.

Jessica wants to be an event planner at Disney and after getting an hourly job at the park doing quick service food she expressed her future aspirations to her manager who arranged for her to job shadow an event planner inside the Cinderella Castle.

Erica wants to be a lawyer and possibly a judge and after volunteering to help with check-in at a big college dinner she checked in a judge. After striking up a conversation she was given the judge’s contact information and e-mailed her a few days later inviting her to lunch in order to ask her advice. Erica now has a mentor who is a judge.

 For some students these stories may not seem like a big deal. Some students know plenty of judges and engineers and surgeons. But if you’re a student like me – a first generation student, a minority student, and/or come from a low-income family – you don’t know people in a lot of professions. You don’t know a lot about these types of jobs. And you don’t have the connections you often need to get ahead.

These students now have these connections and have engaged in incredible experiences that have energized them further towards their goals and have ingratiated them to these professionals. Because as a professional there is nothing more gratifying then having a student truly care about what you do, want to hear your advice, and then actually take it.

So what do you need to do to make these connections? The answers are in the stories, but let me break it down for you as well:

1. Choose a major that you truly find interesting

What all the students above have in common is that they are truly excited about their majors. They have done research, they have asked many people for advice, and they have figured out their personalities and learned what professions really suit their strengths and interests. They are genuinely excited about their futures and their future fields and thus when they meet a professional in that field they can easily hold a conversation because they instantly have something in common with that person – they are both interested in the same thing. 

If you’re truly interested in your major it will be much easier to strike up conversations with strangers who also share that interest. And they will respect you much more than if you’re like “ya I’m majoring in this because, ya it seems like it’ll make money….so…..ya….”

2. Ask people for advice

When in doubt just ask people you meet who have a job or a major you find interesting what advice they might have for you. You will always learn something – and it’s an easy way to break the ice and genuinely connect.

3. Put yourself out there and have courage

All of these students didn’t just sit around waiting for these opportunities to knock on their door. They volunteered for random events, they were involved in student activities, they were student leaders on campus, they were fully present and engaged in their side-jobs, and they all took chances in order to meet the people that they did. Above all, they had courage to speak up and ask for help. And that my friends, sums up my book and everything else I’ll ever tell you – constantly ask for help.

Despite this crazy and often cruel world we live in you’ll be amazed at how many people will bend over backwards to help you if only you genuinely ask. 

Whether you would love to observe a surgery, run a special event in the Cinderella Castle, or anything else in between – most of those opportunities will come from connecting with other people and learning their advice.

You may think today is just another day – but if you’re living your life with some semblance of passionate pursuit you never know who you might meet or where your life might lead. You have to be ready. You have to have courage. And you have to ask.