CollegeSurfing Insider

Sick of hearing about the impending recession? Just this morning there was yet another segment on The Today Show (check it out!) about how to recession-proof your job. But my feeling is that even in good economic times, it’s always smart to do a PR push — a public relations campaign, if you will — to promote why you’re an important asset to your company.

Of course, you may not always be able to control your fate when layoffs happen and new corporate visions don’t mesh with your skills, in which case, it might be a good time to assess if you want to make that career change you’ve always talked about. But if you’d like nothing more than to flourish at your current company, take the following tips from The Five O’Clock Club’s book, Navigating Your Career, to heart, you’ll become the kind of employee bosses want to take along for the bumpy ride:

Train your brain. When companies clean house, they first look to people whose skills are obsolete. Take classes, join trade organizations, stay in tune with the industry as a whole. Plus, doing so is good networking anyway in case tough times send you packing.

Take initiative. Don’t let choice assignments go to someone else. Volunteer for critical responsibilities, including tasks that will have you working more closely with higher-ups. Just doing your job well may not be enough if you want to make the cut.

Put on a happy face. Or as the Today Show experts say, “no drama, no diva, no complaining.” If you’re a problem child, a complainer, miss your deadlines, or gossip too much, a staff cut-back may be a good excuse to get rid of you. Work as if Big Brother is always watching, and be a source of support for your co-workers.

Become visible to those above you in the corporate pecking order. Make sure everyone knows about your great work and what you bring to the company. In other words, increase your emails to higher ups about project updates, ask questions, or offer encouragement about initiatives in other departments. Showing a genuine interest in the company as a whole will make you a more likely candidate for a lateral move should your department get the axe.

Keep an eye out. In unstable times, don’t feel like you’re being disloyal by keeping your resume current and your eye on job postings. You never know what tomorrow may bring, and you don’t want to be caught off guard.

When I saw the press release for the 2008 Shoprite “Best Bagger” Annual Contest, I chuckled. And then I realized — who am I to laugh? Being your best at what you do — whether it’s bagging groceries, writing blogs (a-hem!), treating patients, fixing air conditioners — whatever! – is super-important.

Oh sure, every industry has its criteria for being the best — in this instance, it’s “Speed, proper bag building technique, distribution of weight between bags and style-attitude-appearance” — but it’s all equal in the world of work.

Start thinking about what it is that will earn you top professional honors. Is it staying an extra hour to put in time on an important project, helping a new hire settle in, or enrolling in a certificate program to boost your skills? Do any one of these, or another career-boosting thing, and you’ll have advancement (sorry…) in the bag!

Before I go, I must share one more tidbit this blog inspired: How come when I go to Shoprite, I have to bag my own groceries? They’re holding out on me…

-Gina LaGuardia

Photo: Stephen Coburn

This is certainly the month for counting calories, comparing gym membership costs, and turning down a square of co-worker birthday brownies (all of which I spied during lunch today, as I ate my Lean Cuisine pizza and carrot sticks).

While well-intentioned when motivation is new and fresh, all of that pressure eventually comes to a head… usually right around the time you’re surrounded by buffalo wings, cheezy (yes, the “z” is on purpose) nachos, and deep-fried pot stickers on Superbowl Sunday. And soon after that, you’re drowning in the chocolately goodness of Valentine’s day candy. And who can resist those post-Valentine’s bargains at Duane Reed, when you can get a chocolate covered peanut-butter heart for 18 cents? You get the point, right? (I hope so, because this analogy is making me hungry, and I need to stop!)

Just like dieting, when it comes to the workplace, it’s easy to forget that eager, gung-ho spirit you once exhibited as a new employee, and fall into an unhealthy binge-fest of deadline procrastination, negativity, and doing just enough to get by. And before you know it, those corporate dress down jeans are squeezing you tighter and tighter each month as you grow to loathe the daily grind.

But guess what? Sometimes all it takes is what the WeightWatcher folks like to call a “jumpstart” to get you back on track. A “cleansing,” if you will, like the South Beachers do to eliminate carb cravings from their system. In other words, there’s nothing like a new challenge or a new role to get you excited about working again. And it doesn’t only have to happen in January! Here are some ways to get that going:

- Throw your name in the hat the next time a new project comes in. Showing initiative is a good move for you (others will notice!), and it will give you a shot at the groundfloor of something new that can become huge. Plus, it’ll break up the boredom. What would you rather do, take a hip-hop workout class or pedal for a half hour on a stationary bike?

- Give your brain a workout, too, by learning a new skill — and maybe your company will even pay for your career training! If you do your job the same way everyday, you’ll most likely be doing that same job next year. But bring it to the next level — like adding a podcast to your blog (one of my ‘08 goals, coming soon) — and who knows where it can take you?!

- Find strength in numbers. My collection of exercise DVDs are collecting dust. Why? Because I have to count on myself to pop one in and do it. But if I had a gym buddy or a regular class to attend (like my boss Gina’s kickboxing one — soon, G, I swear!), that healthy peer pressure might be just what I need to make it part of my routine. Likewise, professional affiliations will keep you abreast of networking events, and you can stay in the know by checking in on industry message boards and blogs.

If all else fails, you can always try something completely unconventional until you find your fit. Not everyone can give up carbs, right?

Feeling the burn yet? I hope so. Take care of yourself… I’m off to refill my giant water bottle and (hopefully) resist the brownies.

Yes, it does pour! And I’ve certainly got my share of work pouring in over the next couple of months. When it comes to your career, doesn’t it seem like just when you start to reach your comfort zone, new projects, staff shuffling, and outside forces collide to send you into overtime overload?

As I glanced over at my soggy cheerios unfinished from this morning, I realized I was so fixated on my laptop, I actually forgot to eat my whole breakfast. And I never forget to eat — trust me! Maybe it’s lack of sleep since I’ve been burning the 2 a.m. oil all week long. Who knows…

What I do realize, though, is that my current work influx is actually a very positive thing. In fact, much of it is the result of yesterday being my editor’s last day in the office — she’s gone off on maternity to have her beautiful baby boy (or at least that’s the gender I’m betting on in the baby pool). What can be more joyous than that?!

On the flipside, I also know that her absense will propel me to shine in the spotlight (when usually, I’m more of a sunglasses and visor kind of cube dweller). Sure, I’m a seasoned pro at editing, assigning writers, and blogging (don’tcha think?), but now I’ll have to show my face at corporate meetings, get in on conference calls, and answer directly to the powers that be. And that all means I’ll need a refresher course in corporate jargon, excel spreadsheets, and company culture — things we creative types usually don’t have to concern ourselves with much.

It’s when such challenges arise that I dig down deep and recall all of the lessons learned within the business courses I took in college (and thank goodness that I managed to stay awake through most of them!). Communications, marketing, finance, accounting, business administration — I knew I’d need those skills someday to succeed in an office setting. And that day has come.

My point here? When thinking about embarking on career training, it’s important to develop related skills beyond your craft, too, in order to be more marketable, stand out from your competition, and open yourself up to new opportunities.

So, aspiring massage therapists, be sure to learn about running a business and dealing with clients in between rubdown techniques. Prospective teachers, use your electives to develop a strong knowledge of technology (you just may be asked to teach online courses, create a class Web page, or broadcast podcasts for your students!). And future health care workers, think about learning a second language so you can deal with a variety of patients. Get my drift?

You never know when opportunity is going to rain down, so be prepared, otherwise your career might become as soaked and soggy as my cheerios.

So I was away last week sipping all-inclusive drinks at a Caribbean resort. A long holiday weekend followed that, and 90-degree weather has rounded out the last few back-to-work days here in New York. It’s no wonder I’ve been stricken with severe blogger’s block. I think I’ve got an early case of “summer brain.” You know what I’m talking about.

Remember when you were in grade school and you literally forgot how to spell and multiply by the time you returned to school in September? My editorial team discussed this very topic yesterday because it’s happening to all of us. And wouldn’t you know, I found out this morning that it’s not just a lame excuse to subconsciously try to extend our time away from the office.

According to a study of Baltimore students by Johns Hopkins University researchers, students fall almost 2.6 months behind in math skills over the summer. Furthermore, the study showed that 65 percent of the achievement gap between poor and affluent children can be explained by unequal summer learning experiences during the elementary school years.

In other words, kids (and adults, too) need to keep their brains stimulated to avoid permanent brain vacation mode. How can you do that this summer? Why not use the extra downtime and office summer Fridays (if you’re lucky!) to research a return to education that’ll boost your career or start a completely new one?

Whether it’s a full-fledged degree or certificate program, a computer training course to bulk up your lacking tech skills, or some on-your-own reading, dedicate some summer time to improving your skills or learning something new.

Whew… now, I’m spent! (Sorry — still working out those summer brain issues.)

The big talk this week is March Madness, but I’m more psyched for April baseball. Ahh, baseball…

I’ve been counting the months, weeks, days, and minutes until Opening Day since last November. There’s just something about the game — those walk-off homers in the bottom of the ninth; the knot in my stomach when the closer comes in to (hopefully) save the game; David Wright’s supreme cuteness; the triumph of an underdog team celebrating on the field. I can hardly wait until my Metsies take the field on Sunday night. While I wait patiently (OK, more like obsess over Game 1 starters), I’m realizing that there’s a lot to learn from America’s pasttime — not to mention countless baseball metaphors to exploit (my apologies in advance). So without further ado, please rise for the singing of the national anthem — er, sorry — I mean, check out these baseball-inspired success strategies…

“You gotta have heart” - So the famous song from the broadway musical says. And, if you do, you can even beat those “Damn Yankees” (I hope the Mets do this year, anyway). In other words, drive, dedication, and lots of practice can take you to the big game, even if you’re starting from last place (a.k.a. have no educational background or career experience). To get one step closer to first base, start researching hot career paths and swing away.

“Who’s on First?” - I love Abbott and Costello’s famous, hysterical skit, don’t you? But it goes to show that if you don’t get to know the who’s who of your field, chaos and confusion might ensue. Take the time to research career paths, speak with industry MVPs, shadow someone on the job in your field of choice, seek out professional affiliations and organizations, etc. Staying in the know will help you warm up for your big game debut.

“Field of Dreams” - Remember that movie and that whisper: “If you build it, they will come?” And that last scene between father and son? Just thinking about it makes me teary-eyed! But I digress… What I really wanted to say is that to find success in the field of your dreams, you’ll have to do some building. Skills building, that is (who’s backyard is big enough to build a ball field anyway?!). Take a course, earn a certification, or pursue a full-fledged degree. The choice is yours, and the educational opportunities are there. Once you’ve completed your “spring training,” you’ll be ready to play the field.

So follow your heart, find out who’s who in the field, and build your career dreams! And if you strike out once or twice, don’t sweat it. You’ll knock one out of the park next time… just like David Wright will against the Cards, God willing.

This past week, I was a guest speaker at a public relations course at St. John’s University, which also happens to be my undergrad alma mater. It was the first time I stepped foot on campus since I graduated in ‘98. In fact, the classroom I spoke in was housed in a gorgeous new academic center that used to be a lawn. It made me realize that some things are still the same (like the bad parking!), but mostly, times have changed.

When I was a college senior nine years ago, for instance, doing an internship was hardly a given. Not all students did them, and the ones who did, chose to as an excuse to take less classes. Lucky for me, I took the “easy” route and decided to intern for a small publishing company just down the road from campus above a strip mall. It was sort of related to my major — English — and I figured it was more interesting than taking some goofy elective like Astronomy or Medieval Archeology. The last thing I wanted to become, however, was the intern cliche, swimming in a sea of file folders, coffee filters, and band-aids from all the paper cuts. Hence why I figured a small company would be my best shot at getting some good experience under my belt.

So low and behold, I went to my internship 12 hours a week as my school required, and to my surprise, I learned so much. It was the first time I saw this new computer thing that made a gurgly fax machine noise called “the Internet” (yes, I’m serious!). I also handwrote my first article, and typed it into the company’s one computer while the other employees went out to lunch, and it eventually resulted in my first published byline.

As my internship progressed, I slowly realized I was hooked on seeing my name in print, and I wanted to be a journalist, a writer, and an editor. I graduated that May, but kept writing articles for my internship editor — some of which I was paid like $50 for. I was so ecstatic about all the extra income! As I’ve said, times have changed.

All these years later, that small publishing company is not so small anymore. They’ve relocated from the strip mall to a corporate office building, have a way larger staff, and everyone even has their own computer. Including me! That’s right — the internship that got me out of Intro to Woodworking, turned out to be where I’ve made my career home for the last nine years. I’ve grown along with The CollegeBound Network (and thankfully, they pay me now!).

What does this all mean for you, readers? Let’s extract some lessons:

- Don’t always go with the crowd. Had I taken Marine Biology for English Majors instead of testing the waters of a possible career path, I may never have discovered my affinity for journalism. To that end, had I listened to my college advisor and majored in business, I’d be punching numbers into spreadsheets right now — which is great if you’re good at that sort of thing, but I’m definitley not. And while it’s perfectly OK and quite common to change careers a few times over the course of your working life, it’s so much easier when you nail it the first time, don’tcha think?

- Decide what you love to do, and get good at it. Before I officially considered myself a journalist, I felt I needed to get some formal training, meet people in the field, and choose the right track for me. So before I went full-time with CollegeBound, I pursued my master’s degree in journalism at NYU to really hone the craft, and I realized my preference for magazines over newspapers in the process. Plus, it opened up a world of industry events and opportunities — in fact, I’m going to a media lecture for alumni next week. Which brings me to my next point…

- Build career relationships. You never know from whom your next job offer will come. Whether you intern for someone, meet at an industry trade show, or take classes, stay in touch with former employers, colleagues, professors, and classmates. Inevitably, networking is almost always how people land their dream positions.

- Change with the times. I wish I could travel back to ‘98 to tell myself to get in on the ground floor of that weird “Internet” thing. Oh well… But I did have the sense to keep up with technology and it’s a good thing. My print journalism career has completely transformed to a Web-based, blogging, HTML-ing one. And, well, the Internet basically runs my whole working life.

It goes to show that although times change, and campuses and companies grow, everything eventually comes full circle. Even if that circling happens to take place in a crowded college parking lot.

Q: What does it take to get hired in this wacky job market?

Does anyone really know that answer? If only… What I can tell you is it’s a combination of education, experience, and luck.

My husband landed his first job after earning a computer certificate following a job interview that went very well. Of course, I tease him that it was his broken foot that earned him a sympathy vote, not his tidy resume or sharp interview answers. What else would his interviewer be thinking, but, “Here’s a dedicated guy. He breaks his foot after making the interview appointment, and still manages to come limping in 15 minutes early!.”

Then, just yesterday, my future brother-in-law went on his gazillionth job interview. Not for lack of trying, but he just hasn’t had any luck in finding a good fit for his bookkeeping skills. He felt good about yesterday, but when he woke up with no voice from a bout of laryngitis, he figured it was a bad sign. I encouraged him, telling him it was my husband’s broken foot that brought him luck once. Sure enough, this morning he called to tell me that he was hired!

The lesson here? No, it’s NOT to go out with no coat looking for pneumonia or slip on the ice and break a limb — it’s simply that you have to stick out the sometimes long, arduous job-hunting process, and be confident in your skills. In my husband’s case, he had just completed a computer technical support program at a reputable career school, as well as short technology courses like A++, SQL, and other techie acronymns my editorial brain can’t recall. He just needed to find a company that would give him a chance to showcase his skills, while offering the chance to build on them and keep learning.

My bro-in-law-to-be, I think, was simply the victim of a tough job market and bad timing (despite having a business degree and experience in his field). Sure, he had a few job offers during his search, but none of them offered advancement opportunities, a decent salary, or normal hours. Until yesterday, that is.

So hang in there, new career seekers. Sometimes it takes a little luck, lots of patience, or even a networking fluke. But good career education and top-notch skills will always come in handy.

What do you think is the most important factor for getting hired? Share your comments…