Help me give college grads a fighting chance

It's Spring.  The birds will soon be chirping, the flowers blooming and the college grads descending like locusts on every marketing agency, marketing department and media outlet.  They all want one thing -- their first real job.

I remember how scary it was.  20+ years later, I shake my head at the mistakes the grads make while trying to vie for my attention.  So I decided we (yes WE) could give them a gift that will put that digital camera to shame.  We can help them get that job.

Here's how you can help:

~ Post your answer to one (or more) of the following in the comments section:

• How I landed my first job (war/success story)
• What I wish I knew when I was trying to get my first job
• My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business
• Words of wisdom about careers in general

~ Point to this post on your blog and encourage your readers to come over and add their 2 cents so we can gather even more answers and advice.

We'll gather up all the comments, thoughts and stories and create an e-book for the grads to download and study.  Who knows -- maybe we'll get some great employees out of the deal as well!

Come on -- someone helped you once upon a time.  Time to return the favor.

Comments

[Designer Mike]

* How I landed my first job (war/success story)

I graduated college with a degree in graphic design in 1999 when the job market was tough. It seemed nobody was hiring or wanted to hire a fresh faced 20 year old designer with talent but no experience. I needed to pay the rent so I sucked it up and work blue collar jobs. I worked for $7/hr at Gabus Ford parking cars in the heat and cold of Iowa weather. I also worked a second job unloading boxes for FedEx at 3AM!

At Gabus Ford one day I was asked to help ther DM Register sales rep take some photos for the ad. I saw my chance. I asked the rep if I could give her my resume to give to the Register folks (I had some in my car). I gave it to her thinking nothing would EVER come of it. Well, two days later I had an interview and got the job.

I guess the moral of the story is to work hard every day and always be prepared.

[Aaron M. Potts]

Having done everything from door-to-door sales, to military service, to having a well-paying position with a successful dot-com company (before the bubble burst), my advice to any job seeker would be to think long and hard about what you actually WANT to do.

It is far too easy for us to take a position or grasp an opportunity that we are qualified for, without giving enough consideration to whether or not we will still want that position 20 years from now.

For example, a photographer can do anything from running their own business to being on the payroll for a company that may or may not even be around 20 years from now. And if they were, would you still want to work for them?

In short, follow your PASSION, not your opportunities!

[Copywriting Maven]

"My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business."

As someone who's made a career and 3 businesses based on the concept "be the biggest fish in the smallest, most profitable pond" ... I'd urge fresh-faced college grads to consider the road not taken when they consider the various career paths open to them.

Don't go for the obvious or the glamour.

Seek out interesting industries and smallish companies where you can get your hands dirty in a number of different jobs.

Keep your goals loosely structured, but have goals.

Recognize when opportunity is biting you on the tushy and be not afraid. You can always get a job doing something, but some opportunities won't wait for you.

I fell into direct marketing 25 years ago as a junior copywriter working for a small B2B publishing company while going to grad school for a masters in broadcast management. Within a few months, grad school and broadcasting was a memory.

I was home and so it has ever been.

[Mark Goren]

Great idea, Drew. Here are some answers:

• How I landed my first job (war/success story)
It took months after graduation, but I finally landed my first job after being referred to a head hunter who was looking for an English writer with an understanding of French to fill a postion. The job was related to communications, but not in advertising (where I really wanted to work). I got the job – and took the first job offered at an agency shortly thereafter.

• What I wish I knew when I was trying to get my first job
That it would take months to find one. I would’ve taken the time to travel.

• My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business
Go back to school and find an advertising-specific certificate program. Network like crazy. Volunteer for industry award shows/committees/organizations. Stay in touch with the industry.

• Words of wisdom about careers in general
Never forget the help you received from seniors in the industry and return the favor when you’re in a position to.

[Liz Strauss]

What I wish I knew when I was trying to get my first job

I wish I knew how much being an enthusiastic learner is worth to a manager who is looking to hire. I wish I knew how much it wasn't about me, but about how I would fit in with the company. I wish I knew tha it was about the people and how well my skills would help everyone shine -- not just me. I wish I understood that my energy and my willingness to learn everything probably weighed more than my degree which everyone else being hired also had.

I wish I knew that listening and thinking before I talked was the most important skill of all.

[Roger von Oech]

When I was starting my own company thirty years ago, I asked a lot of people — business owners, managers, coaches, teachers, and so on — for their ideas on what it took to be a success in business.

And the best advice of all came from my printer. His words of wisdom to me were: "Don't fall in love with type styles."

He went on to explain that a lot of designers tend to fall in love with a particular font, and then they want to use it everywhere — even in places where it's inappropriate. Well, I didn't listen to him, and soon I fell in love with Palatino semi-bold. I used it everywhere, and, yes!, after awhile my design looked hackneyed.

I think you can generalize my printer's advice to: "Don't fall in love with ideas — be they marketing systems, accounting protocols, software designs, whatever — because as soon as you do, you'll want to use them everywhere — even places where they're inappropriate."

I think one of life's greatest pleasures is to fall out of love with a previously cherished idea? Why? Because then you have opportunity to look for other possibilities!

[Chris Cree]

Here's what I tell the younger folks around me just getting started:

A job isn't forever. You don't have to have it all figured out when you start. In fact, you'll save yourself a lot of heartache if you give yourself room to learn what you don't like and possibly change direction.

If you have a choice between taking a job for money or because it is something you would really love to do, don't go for the money. If your work happens to be something you are passionate about, say something you'd consider doing even if they didn't pay you, then the money will follow eventually. And probably in much larger amounts than that other job could ever bring you.

Finally, you're much better off just being yourself. If you have to pretend to be someone else in an interview to get the job then you are probably going to be miserable working there in a year or so. If they turn you down because you were yourself then be grateful because they've done you a favor. They've just saved you some misery down the road.

[ann michael]

WOW – there is some really great advice here already. In trying not to duplicate anything, my general advice is: remember that teamwork and collaboration are the name of the game now.

I know you’re wonderful, but there are other wonderful people out there too and you WILL accomplish more working with them.

Don’t be frustrated or concerned about people that are very different from you. Whether old or young, male or female, or from radically different cultures, you (we!) have a lot to learn from all of them.

Know who you are so that you’re not afraid or unduly offended by those who are different from you. They aren’t a threat. They’re a HUGE learning opportunity.

Be passionate, but balance that with patience. Passionate people are in danger of being very frustrated and bitter if they don’t learn to manage their passion and focus it on positive results.

Focus on others – what can you learn from them – what can you offer – how can you help.

Make it personal – forge relationships, alliances, and friendships.

Above all – love what you do and don’t be afraid to change what you do if you “fall out of love”. If you don’t you open the door for a lot of heart ache!

[Adam Steen]

Drew,

Check this out...

http://andydrish.typepad.com/andys_blog/2007/03/a_large_vocabul.html

[Steve Sisler]

My thoughts about careers in general begin with how we all begin...by taking our first baby steps! Careers are NOT etched in stone! They can and usually do change. That dynamic alone keeps the search exciting and fresh. Don't be afraid to take a step, whether small or large, outside of your comfort zone. You never know where that step will take you, what doors it will open for you. 25 years ago while in college I landed a part-time position as a delivery boy for a local independent pharmacy. Since then, the steps I have chosen to take have led me to positions of VP of Procurement for a 200-store pharmacy chain, pharmacy owner, VP of Sales after a career switch, while all the time being a loving father and husband. Never be afraid to go after what you truly want to accomplish.

Having said that, money is not the ultimate goal for which you get up in the morning and go to work. Personal satisfaction is as important as job satisfaction. Do what makes you happy! And when your personal and professional goals change as you continue to evolve, don’t be afraid to modify or even change your career path. There is no greater loss than to have never tried something new, as again, careers are NOT etched in stone.

At the same time, finding a comfortable balance between personal and professional commitments is a must! I’m not saying it’s easy, especially during those early years when you are establishing your career. Making commitments to your career and home life will yield dividends well into your future! The alternative will be to have a void either at home or work, and then you’ll ask, “Where did all of the time go?” By then, it’s too late.

Whether deciding upon a new career or simply a new job, be prepared! Educate your self about the industry and the employer with whom you are interviewing. There is nothing more frustrating than to be interviewing a candidate who knows nothing about the job they are applying for. Those interviews often last less than 30 minutes. Your enthusiasm to learn will go a long way during the interview process. Even better is when your enthusiasm comes through for a job and company for which you researched and created an action plan to be used during the interview process.

Lastly, do not dwell in the past. Learn from the past, but don’t live in the past. Always look forward to the new opportunities which lie before you. Once you have set your focus on a new dimension for your career, begin by determining what that first step will be. And then take it!

[Terry Starbucker]

Great comments here - unfortunately time allows me to only say this; the best bits of advice I could ever give to any person just starting a career are:

1) Whatever you choose to do, you MUST be passionate about it
2) Once passionate, you should visualize yourself at the pinnacle of whatever you choose to do, and then write that vision down.
3) Go after it with focus and persistence - every interview, every discussion you have with anyone about your career, should always come back to the vision
4) Believe in yourself
5) Keep your perspective and humor intact during the process
6) Enjoy the journey!

Good luck, and keep the faith!

[Mark True]

My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business...get as much 'safe' experience while in school. Volunteer for as many tasks as you can to get a little practice and knowledge about them all. Do some writing, some photography, some design, some speaking, etc. You wont'be good at them all but you will be good at some, so it's better to learn where they won't fire you.

Then, when you get in an interview situation, learn all you can about the organization - or its clients, if it's an agency - and be ready to ask intelligent questions. That makes the interviewer feel good because they like to talk about themselves, and gives you more information and more time to think about your answer.

It also give you a chance to decide if you really want this job before you get the job!

-Mark

[Doug Mitchell]

Doug's Nuggets - College Advice 13: 6-33

I graduated in 1994 with a degree in International Business. I knew that I wanted to have an international flare in my vocation but I had no idea what that meant. Like many business majors, I spent the first 5 years of my career in sales jobs that were fairly unfulfilling. However, I spent those 5 years thinking, planning, learning about myself, improving myself, and building relationships. The time was not "wasted".
Then, in 1999, I had a conversation with an early twenty-something guy that I'd built a relationship with in my sales days, "I'm looking to get venture capital financing for my start up company, He said, "I have one month's salary to give you to write the business plan. If we succeed, you're in. If we don't, that's it." I took it, we did it, and the rest is history.

So here are a few nuggets I've crystallized from my experience:

1. Always build relationships in everything you're involved with. You NEVER know when that person might be EXACTLY what you're looking for in an employee or advisor. These relationships will likely be the ones that either provide you jobs, financing, or business partners. I haven't had a resume since 1999 and wear that as a badge of honor.

2. Foster relationships with mentors. I didn't do this early enough. Create an honest self-assessment. I call it a "Life Resume". When you find someone you truly admire for their skills, business acumen, relationship skills, etc...ask them for a formal mentor/mentee relationship. Structure it and meet monthly. I found a venture capitalist and said, "I want to know what it's like to be you and what you do all day," and that's been over 2 years now.

3. Shift your thinking to solutions and you'll be a winner. Everyone has problems. Meetings are filled with idea killers and lamenters. Have you noticed though that many leaders are aware of the problems...but driven to break through to solutions without harping, getting down, or developing negative energy?

4. Become very comfortable in your own skin. Speak in public, get terrified and overcome it. Conquer that inner voice of doubt and break through to excellence. Nothing will serve you more than being able to communicate to large numbers of people.

5. Write. Become an effective writer by having your prose torn apart by someone good! Don't be afraid of the red pen! Learn to embrace it. Say more with less (I should listen to my own advice). Blogging is a great way to accomplish this. Please keep the party photos and youthful indiscretions off the myspace pages though.

6. Follow your passions (hint: they may change). I'm not particularly passionate about a subject like real estate, economics, or art. But I have discovered that I'm extraordinarily passionate about growing small companies into bigger ones NO MATTER WHAT THE SUBJECT MATTER. It took me a while to gain the perspective and breadth of knowledge to grasp this. But when I did, doors began opening for me. If you love an industry or segment, you may want to get some experience in any part of the value chain you can. I bet if I took a job sweeping the shop floors at a NASCAR team's garage just out of school, I'd be a marketing executive by now.

7. Embrace technology and be an early adopter. This does NOT mean become a programmer! Learn how to use all of the technology tools that successful companies use. There's nothing more powerful than "the girl who just seems to know how to do it all". It doesn't seem like it, but it will become harder keep up when you get older so consciously extend beyond your comfort zone throughout your career or you'll get passed by.

8. Consider the option of NEVER getting a "real job". Self-employment may not be everyone's first best destiny, but you may not know until you try. It may seem safer to be employed by someone else, but I'd beg to differ. If you have it in you, do it. I'd rather see try and fail vs. never try.

9. Dress Well. It's advice that seems to be missing from the "Golden Rule" list when growing up these days. It's NEVER harmful to be the best dressed person in a room. You will command more respect by being well dressed. If you don't know what looks good, seek help.

10. Have initiative. Take on tasks and roles that extend beyond your comfort zone and knowledge base. This could be the largest single factor in your success. Immerse in something new. Passionately obsess about something until you know more than most about the topic. Do this enough times, and you'll find yourself able to participate in a much larger sphere of influence. Nothing pleases me more than hearing, "I don't know how to do that, but I'll figure it out and have it done shortly."

[Andy Brudtkuhl]

I've been out of school from the ISU College of Business for just over two years now but I've been in the technology industry here in Iowa for 7 years.

First you must know that there is a sense of what I call ageism in Iowa (maybe elsewhere). Although I do have 7 years experience with tech in Iowa, potential employers see a 24 year old kid. In many companies it won't matter how smart you are or how much experience you have - you still have to prove yourself.

This leads to my second point - patience. I have all the ambition in the world and it gets very frustrating not moving as fast in my career as I want. Part of this is a product of my first point but I've grown to live with it. Don't expect to get where you want to be right away. Ninety percent of the time at the beginning of your career your experience, knowledge, or talent don't matter. You have to work your way up just like everyone else.

And if you do lack that patience, like me, there's always room for more entrepreneurs. If you don't have that spirit small / startup companies provide the best learning experiences because you often must wear many hats.

Another thing I've seen from peers of mine as they graduate - they quit learning. That's a great way to get stuck in a job you don't like for a long, long time.

And last - don't let a job, boss, or company mold you into what it wants you to be. If you are pressured to do so its not the right fit and you will be starting off your career in the worst possible way.

[Patrick Schaber]

My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising:

Keep an open mind! When I graduated from college with a degree in Marketing my expectations were too high as far as what kind of job I thought I'd land. The jobs that I truly wanted required much more experience than what I had. I had to adjust my expectations and am I glad I did. My first jobs out of college were in customer service and sales and they offered me a great base of experience getting to know customers and how to interact with them. I think I'm better in my job today as a Marketing Manager because I was able to get that experience early on in my career.

Also, look for opportunities to expand your knowledge base when you're in a job out of college. What gaps can you fill? What new talents can you bring to a job? Always be thinking out of the box

[Chris Brown]

How I landed my first job: A lot of "informational interviewing"... I'd call and ask for an informational interview & then try to get 2 more leads for informational interviewws. Eventually, someone knew someone who needed someone.

What I wish I knew when I was trying to get my first job: that the best job leads come from the most surprising places. A friend of the family. Your old soccer coach. The uncle of a friend. It's not usually what you would expect.

My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business: Look for a place where they are willing to work with you, not just hand you work. Being mentored is a really great thing if you can find it.

Words of wisdom about careers in general: Follow your passions. Jobs change. Stay in touch with people, especially when you don't need to. Pay back favors. Pay favors forward. As soon as you get your job, give some help to someone else who is still out looking, even if it just encouragement.

[Tony D. Clark]

Some terrific advice here so far, Drew. This is a great project. As a home-based entrepreneur, I have a little bit different view of the questions, so it here goes...

How I landed my first job (war/success story) - My only "real jobs" were in my late teens and early twenties - some manual labor, a line cook, a waiter, and part-time bookseller. So I don't really have any advice here - I just walked in a filled out an application. These were mainly to cover me while freelancing. But I highly I recommend that everyone be a waiter/waitress and a manual laborer sometime in their life. It's hard work, and you take a lot of crap. I learned a lot about business from my short stints in those jobs. Mainly that I never want to do it again, and to treat those providing a service with respect and kindness (as long as they are doing the same).

What I wish I knew when I was trying to get my first job - That I didn’t want a JOB. I wanted a CAREER and a BUSINESS.

My advice for someone trying to break into the marketing/advertising business - For breaking into the business, I defer to the other experts here. But for the aspiring entrepreneur, I always recommend reading Ogilvy on Advertising. No better yet, to quote Brad Hamilton from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, "Learn it. Know it. Live it." As an entrepreneur, I learned that a majority of the other books out there just regurgitate Ogilvy. Better to get it right from the source.

Words of wisdom about careers in general - It all comes down to doing what you love. Every successful person out there got to where they are, by doing what they love - Jobs, Buffet, Oprah, Tony Robbins, Adam Savage, Alton Brown. No matter who it is, they have a passion for what they do. It shows in their lives, in their faces, and in their bank accounts. Don't take 10 years to figure this out. By then it's much harder to do something about it. Follow your passion, use your gifts, and provide something of value and you WILL be successful in every way you can imagine.

[Carolyn Manning]

Develop your DESIRE by reading the successful business books written by successful business people.

Start with Napoleon Hill's Think & Grow Rich. Add a few of the masters: Peters, Covey, Goden, etc, etc.

Round your thinking with a smattering of philosophy, some classic fiction, a little poetry. End with Napoleon Hill's Think & Grow Rich.

If the range of your interests is wide and varied, your open mind will take you far.

[David Reich]

I can honestly say I got my first job through The New York Times. For me, that old ad slogan holds true.

Well, it got me the interview, anyway. What really got me the job with a small public relations agency was a portfolio that I came in with. It had samples of my writing as a reporter and news editor of the college paper, along with news copy I'd written for my newscasts on the college FM radio station. And I had news releases I'd written as an intern in the college public information office.

My advice really is geared toward people still in school. Get involved and, if possible, find activities that relate to the field you'd like to enter. This way you'll have a resume that stands out from the crowd because of your real-world experience. And if you have a porfolio of real-world samples rather than only class assignments, you'll be that much ahead of the game as you go job-hunting.

Good luck and don't get discouraged.

[Dr. Delaney Kirk]

Here are my "Ten Steps to Getting The Job You Want."

http://www.delaneykirk.com/2006/10/advice_for_stud.html

[Katie Konrath]

I just completed my Masters dissertation on how the workplace is changing and what skills young people will need to succeed in it. For my research, I surveyed 559 hiring managers (many of them in sales) about what they're looking for when they hire new employees.

I thought it was incredible how many managers told students to study something they love. Over and over again, they said they're looking for people with with passion and energy.

On my blog www.DoesYourMajorMatter.com" I just posted 25 more words of advice for college students. They're too long for here, but I hope they're useful. Let me know if you need more.

[Drew McLellan]

Designer Mike -- you capitalized on the opportunities to shine. And you worked hard. Sometimes I wonder how many college kids are really ready to do that today.

Aaron -- hard to argue with that advice. We spend 8+ hours a day working. It will literally and figuratively kill you to do something you hate day in and day out.

Roberta -- Amen! It's why I built a business in Des Moines, not NYC. Not that I don't love NYC, but I learned that I could make a living, still be in the midwest by my extended family and root for my Vikings!

[Drew McLellan]

Mark -- I think that's what this project is about for me. Helping because long ago, others did the same for me. Different format but same comfort, hopefully.

Liz -- listening and thinking before talking. Boy, think how many people's rear ends that advice would have saved! You're right, being an avid learner is about the greatest trait an employee can have.

Roger -- Your advice is probably even more timely today than it was 30 years ago when it was offered to you. The world evolves so rapidly, you have to be both nimble and flexible to survive. Loving last year's great solution may cost a great deal.

[Drew McLellan]

Chris -- don't you think most people have to been burned by the "took the job for $" mistake? Boy, if we could help a bunch of college grads avoid that, they'd love us forever. Or do you think that's one of life's lessons that you have to experience to learn?

Ann -- lots of incredible insights. I love the "forge relationships." You are so right -- business is wrapped all around that idea right there.

Adam -- thanks for the link!

[Drew McLellan]

Steve -- let go of the past. Now that is some great advice. As you and I both know, easier said than done. But it starts with making the conscious decision to do so.

Terry -- enjoy the journey. Amen! So often, we are focused on the end game when really, the game doesn't end. So you might as well enjoy playing it.

Mark -- that is so true. If I have two candidates and one has an internship and the other worked at the GAP, I will always interview the interned candidate first. How about you?