The Nine to Five

"You begin to accept that, for better or worse, the old rules and rewards system is falling apart and..."

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:25:24 -0400

““You begin to accept that, for better or worse, the old rules and rewards system is falling apart and the simple equation of exchanging your time and skills for a fixed salary and defined benefits over a 30-year period no longer adds up. This is a scary thought, but also a liberating one. You see your friends starting businesses and you question why you ever believed entrepreneurship was the domain of only a rarefied few. You let it sink in that your new task is building and funding a life and lifestyle, not managing a linear career. You start to think about what it will take to flourish in the gig economy and what it will take for you to become one of those people who flourishes. You realize that you didn’t learn this kind of thing in school and that you’re going to have to teach yourself.””

- J. Maureen Henderson on Forbes.com

Out on a Limb

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:22:26 -0400

Out on a Limb:

I’ve been reading Ms. Bridges’ blog on Forbes and, being a contemporary, she gives some very sound, often inspiring advice. Here’s her take on why having regrets should be our biggest fear. As our lost, restless, yet still hopeful generation trudges forward, this is important to remember.

A less-boring but still professional look for work. Looks a...

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:44:39 -0400

A less-boring but still professional look for work. Looks a little more appropriate for fall, though, ‘cause I can’t imagine many places where a coat would be needed right now.

glamour:

Photographic evidence that a patterned coat belongs in your closet.

kidsontheradio: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you...

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:59:20 -0400

kidsontheradio:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

The Connectors

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:05:00 -0400

The Connectors:

I’ve always wondered how people do it - the people Malcolm Gladwell identified with the catchphrase “connector.” Some might argue either you have that natural ability or you don’t; others say it can be honed. Social dynamics as a whole, in particular the idea of being a connector, are endlessly fascinating to me. Sometimes the people who appear to be connectors are actually disingenuous or flaky. Most times these elusive connectors seem so mysterious/intimidating in their ability to be so innately charming that it make you skeptical.

I’m a wannabe connector. While I consider myself outgoing, and a people pleaser to a fault (and having it take up way too much emotional energy!), I also get really intimidated sometimes and low on confidence. “Dear diary” talk aside, this article is pretty useful in terms of connecting, especially in a more professional sense. It’s essentially basic social courtesy stuff, but we all need to be reminded of that sometimes.

SOLID JOB SEARCHING ADVICE

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:21:24 -0400

SOLID JOB SEARCHING ADVICE

If you can make it there...

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:37:25 -0400

If you can make it there...:

I have been somewhat obsessed with the “making it in the city” idea because I have a friend currently trying to make it in NYC in photography - and I’m readingSNLwriter Jane Borden’s book on her move from Raleigh to New York. I’m in the process of planning a trip there and I’m curious to see whether I’ll feel like it’s worth fighting to make it there.

There’s the whole “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” idea but I wonder how true that still is. I feel like other cities have so much to offer and the idea that NYC is the ultimate “make it” doesn’t feel right.

That being said, this is a great article for those of us who feel alone sometimes when we look around at our college friends and realize that we’re one of the few saddled with major debt.

The Great Internship Debate

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:21:21 -0400

The Great Internship Debate:

kidsontheradio:

For damn good reason the subject of unpaid internships has been a hot button issue as of late. I still don’t know my feelings on them, especially when I consider how many people are doing them post-grad. This could be some embarrassing display of my lack of confidence, but I tend to feel unqualified for career-oriented jobs and find myself still applying for internships. I’ve applied for a few this summer but I’m wondering whether I should ditch that idea, travel around, and find a job by fall.

thesmithian: [fresh]

Tue, 22 May 2012 23:20:17 -0400

thesmithian:

[fresh]

10 Writing Commandments from the Original Mad Man

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:34:46 -0400

10 Writing Commandments from the Original Mad Man:

David Ogilvy just wrote my writing Ten Commandments. Short, concisely worded writing that still manages to convey thought-provoking, eloquent messages is the goal.

"“I would not dismiss them. I think one wants to subvert them.” - The Nation editor..."

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:18:00 -0400

“

“I would not dismiss them. I think one wants to subvert them.” - The Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel

[My note: This is so coincidental because I was thinking something along these lines a few days ago. Women’s magazines are somewhat paradoxical to me because while they publish some very well-written, well-researched longform pieces they also at times seem maddeningly irrelevant and out-dated. What’s going to become of them?! For further thoughts on this see: http://jezebel.com/5883364/nobody-is-buying-ladymags-these-days and this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/nation-editor-womens-magazines-are-like-hbos ]

”

- The Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel on women’s magazines.

In news that will not shock you in the slightest, I agree. And I know more than a couple of ladymag editors who feel the same way.

(via rachelhills)

Gives me hope for a future office job. Cubicles are...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:17:15 -0500

Gives me hope for a future office job. Cubicles are horrendous!

good:

Freelancers, Alone No More: Coworking Is Going Big Business

While coworking spaces were initially conceived to give independent workers an alternative to the coffee shop, today, there’s growing interest in coworking spaces from larger companies as an alternative to the cube farm, as a way to lower real estate overhead, boost sustainability and stimulate workers who thrive on the spaces’ entrepreneurial energy.

Check it out on GOOD→

I haven’t actually watched New Girl largely because I can...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:36:17 -0500

I haven’t actually watched New Girl largely because I can take or leave Zooey Deschanel’s persona depending on my mood. But! I like what this article has to say. Is it true? Is our society becoming more feminized? Having grown up in a family of let’s-talk-it-out females, I am comfortable with this. I can see where this would be a huge adjustment for some, though. This also seems like it would be more applicable in urban areas.

This part interested me most:

Workers in the new economy use their personalities and communication skills rather than their hands. They build relationships rather than things. They rely on networking and “teambuilding.” They serve tech support or sandwiches with a smile, not to “customers” but to “guests.” They’re performers, paid not just to stock shelves but to nurture shoppers, not just to sell houses but to sell themselves. Even though workers of all genders are now told to wield these skills, we still associate this kind of work with women; social and emotional labor require the same expertise that caring for elders, heading up a household, and mothering does. The men of New Girl (and men in general) are encountering a new, feminized working world.

In an interview for a barista position today I totally said “customers” and not “guests.” Oops?

good:

What New Girl Says About the New Recession-Era Man

New Girl is actually quite reflective of our current society. Workers in the new economy use their personalities and communication skills rather than their hands. They build relationships rather than things. They are told to not just sell items but sell themselves.

Even though workers of all genders are now told to wield these skills, we still associate this kind of work with women.

The men of New Girl (and men in general) are encountering a new, feminized working world.

Read More on GOOD

GOOD’s February challenge…I shall give this the old...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:22:00 -0500

GOOD’s February challenge…I shall give this the old college try.

good:

The GOOD 30-Day Challenge: Become a GOOD Citizen

Distilled to its most basic form, GOOD is about the various ways, big and small, people give back to their communities. Our GOOD Challenge for February is to snap you out of the selfish habits into which we all sometimes fall and make you a great citizen—for a month, at first, but hopefully for ever after come March.

Take on the February challenge with us at GOOD→

Notsofunemployment

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:33:49 -0500

The unemployment routine is getting very old. I comiserated with a friend who, like me, was a December graduate and, also like me, is unemployed. We’re getting real tired of watching Real Housewives and Millionaire Matchmaker reruns. After doing a few minutes of research, I found that the U.S. unemployment rate, as of December 2011, is at 8.5 percent. Apparently it has been going down since February 2009 but, considering that the average rate has been 5.7 percent from 1948 to 2010, things definitely aren’t peachy.

I don’t have much right to complain. I’m young, healthy and have my career path before me. I know there are millions of others who have families to support, lack qualifications needed to get a decent paying job, etc. While I’m just beginning the fight, there are those desperately trying to recoop. That’s not to say that many of my contemporaries, including myself, don’t come with a major handicap: thousands of dollars of student loan debt. To be honest, I think I have been pretending my student loan debt exist these past few months. In June, reality will sink in.

Below I posted a link to GOOD’s 30 day financial fitness challenge. As we struggle to find jobs and hopefully save some money in the process, these tips certainly can’t hurt.

The GOOD Challenge: Financial Fitness

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:18:48 -0500

The GOOD Challenge: Financial Fitness:

Each month the fabulous GOOD magazine has a 30-day challenge for readers. Although we’re on the very last day of January, I wish I would have heard of January’s challenge of achieving financial fitness much sooner. As someone with a penchant for coffee drinks and going out, but who has graduated AND is currently unemployed, this is something I could stand to do in February.

The Prestige of Retail?

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:00 -0500

The Prestige of Retail?:

I’m still trying to find a job. I graduated December 3 and it’s been almost…gulp…two months. It did not dawn on me until this morning how much time has passed. Somehow the holidays made it seem shorter. I’ve decided that I’m not ready to commit (nor could I probably find) a full-time, salaried position at this point so I’m going for retail, restaurant, coffee shop, etc. Found this article published two years ago and it was simultaneously comforting and depressing. Thoughts?

Why Weird is Bankable

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:51:29 -0500

Why Weird is Bankable:

This infographic is a good reminder to be interesting while doing the soul-sucking work of looking for a job. We can do it, guys!

Word of the Year

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:24:39 -0500

A post by Austin blogger Tolly Moseley inspired me to rethink New Years resolutions. They usually only last a week anyhow and include abstract goals such as “write more!” Tolly talked about how she instead chooses a word of the year to serve as a sort of theme and goal to base her decisions around.

My 2012 Word of the Year is: Independence.

Some recent life changes, including graduating from college, have spurred me (or forced, one could say) to reevaluate how I’ve been living my life. It is terrifyingly easy to let time slide by and just be okay with the way things are. College, although it presents its own opportunities for self-exploration, can facilitate this drift-along feeling of things being okay because it is simultaneously a bubble and a safety net. You have to try hard to really screw things up.

Graduating from college, however, you begin to realize the overwhelming sensation that it is all on you now. The room for screwing up is much more limited. The opportunities available suddenly feel both a lot more diverse and a lot more narrow. I feel like I can move anywhere I want and start whatever kind of life I desire. This is an intoxicating feeling to dwell on for a while. There are, of course, a new set of limitations that accompany this freedom. Money is most likely number one. The money, usually accompanied by responsibilities to others, is a heavy reminder of those limitations.

I have to say, as stressful and bipolar as it can make me feel, I love this feeling. Although there are limitations, the doors have also opened. For the first time, I feel like my choices are all mine to make. I will screw them up and I will make successes out of them but I am ready. I’m also not ready, but that’s not worth agonizing over because things will move on regardless.

I have spent a while now being dependent on others in many senses. Weird, embarrassing personal fact: I don’t have my license and I’m 21. I’ve been dependent on a significant other, friends, family and the Austin bus system to get where I need to be. Today, standing behind a few 15 and 16-year-olds, I got my permit. That is my first step toward Word of the Year accomplishment.

I also tend to be dependent on the moods, feelings and opinions of others (although I’d bet many of us struggle with this). I over analyze things like nobody’s business and have overwhelmingly strong people-pleasing tendencies. This is a rather dangerous combination when trying to make my own decisions. Part of adhering to my Word of the Year is making steps to becoming stronger and more confident within myself. My confidence is elusive; it comes out when I’m praised or when I feel good on a certain day. It is easily challenged and can almost disappear when I start to struggle with something or a situation is not ideal. At the same time, I know I will feel stronger within myself as I experience and live.

If I dwell on the feelings I’ve described above, it’s amazing how quickly I’m brought down. Sometimes, when I get caught up in the those feelings of insecurity, simply doing something helps. My “doing something” today came in the form of more job applications, but be something less “productive” like grabbing drinks with a friend (something I also did).

It seems like part of feeling truly independent is learning to deal with those feelings of doubt and insecurity. Here is to our words of 2012 - both mine and yours.

Post-grad Update: Week 4

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:09:42 -0500

Wow. It has been a month since I’ve graduated. I sort of still feel like I’m on the typical college vacation, except for the fact that, you know, I won’t be going back to classes. I can sense that my vacation jokes are growing a bit stale with friends and family. BUT! I have been job searching and have an interview scheduled for tomorrow. I am nervous. I also am still trying to figure out what “path” I want to follow. Do I want a real, grown-up type job, or the sort of lifestyle that allows me flexibility to be young and (relatively) footloose?

I have found myself wanting to print out or write down any inspiring advice for the future I see and quickly try to apply it to my own life. I see the self I want to be, as well as the self who is sitting on her couch, tiptoeing around the questions that graduating from the safety net of college forces you to answer.

This could easily be the best and most challenging time in my life. At the very least, the most exhilarating, I hope.

Next up: A more practical, less diary-esque collection of online research for interview questions. LET’S DO THIS!