In the spirit of spring and graduations, we’ve compiled a
few of our favorite speeches and the wisdom they impart, from David Foster
Wallace’s “This is Water”, Jeff Bezos’ “Gifts and Choices” speech to Princeton
grads, to Julie Andrew’s speech at CU’s Spring 2013 Commencement.
Wallace was an award-winning writer and novelist.Though he died in 2008, Wallace left behind
some very impactful knowledge, including his 2005 speech to Kenyon College graduates.Wallace encouraged the importance of
awareness and choosing how to think unselfishly in our future mundane
lives.
Perhaps you saw the YouTube video floating around on
Facebook in the past few weeks.The
video has since been taken down, but you can check out the text of his speech
online.
When it comes to admirable figures in modern society and
business, Amazon founder Bezos is definitely a forerunner.Having started Amazon in 1995 as an online
bookstore to satisfy the worldwide demand for literature, Amazon.com is now the
world’s largest online retailer.
In his 2010 speech to Princeton graduates, Bezos reinforced
the idea that while “cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice” that all
graduates should keep in mind in their future endeavors.
In his wildest, most secret childhood dream, Uslan
desperately desired to write Batman comics.After a series of very
fortunate events and many years of perseverance, Uslan has not only written
Batman comics, but has also had a hand in producing every contemporary Batman
movie from Tim Burton’s “Batman” to Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight
Rises”.
In his 2006 commencement speech to the graduates of his alma
mater, Indiana University, Uslan encouraged students to take calculated risks,
believe in themselves, persist through frustration and rejection and follow
their passion.
Stephen Colbert. Need I say more? 2011 Northwestern graduates laughed and clapped
their way through Colbert’s puns and backhanded praises to his alma mater.But as the graduates were to learn, Colbert
was, “not there to talk about me, I am here to inspire you by talking about
me”.
Colbert’s wisdom to the soon-to-be alumni?Don’t get discouraged if you don’t achieve
your dream.Remember that you are not
the most important person in your life, and whatever you do, you should serve
what you love, whether it’s friends, money, community or yourself.
Oscar and Golden Globe winning actress, author and bestowed
honorary “Dame” by Queen Elizabeth II, Andrews has inspired many with her portrayals
in film, from sweet, genuine Maria in the Sound of Music to stately Queen
Clarisse in the Princess Diaries.
Of course, like the roles she plays in movies, Andrews
couldn’t help but inspire students and audience members in her feel-good
commencement speech to 2013 graduates at our very own CU-Boulder.Wisdom such as “engage in planned acts of
kindness” and “when adversity hits, go out and learn something” are just a two
of the memorable quotes from her speech.
Written by Shawna Simcik for COBizMag.com on May 22, 2013
You've gotten this far, don't blow it!
Interviewing is one of the most important steps in the recruiting process. It allows the employer to see you in action and ask additional questions about your qualifications, skills and ensure a good fit within their culture. As a jobseeker, you've made it past the first barrier – the dreaded phone screen – and are now waiting in the batter's box. Don't blow it when you get to the plate!
Be Prepared – Really? Do we have to say it again? Preparation is everything! Find out as much as possible before the interview not only about the company but the interviewer and/or hiring manager as well. Go above and beyond all other candidates who will just review the company website. Search the company Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn page. Ask current employees about the dress code and intricacies of the culture that you wouldn't glean from a company website. Is it a public company? Then research their financials. Come prepared with intelligent questions about your role and the organization. An applicant that I met with went so far as to visit all the branches of a credit union across the state of Colorado and asked the employees what they loved about the organization and what they would change. She was armed with incredible data, research and questions to bring to her interview.
Find out More about the Hiring Manager/Interviewer – This directly aligns with being prepared but take the next step and find out a bit more about what type of person you are interviewing with – are they direct, detail oriented or someone who enjoys small talk? Adjust your interview style to meet these small personality characteristics. This allows you to build rapport quickly and demonstrate your fit.
Dress Appropriately – I mentioned earlier that you should research the type of dress code and, armed with that information, always dress one step up from the official or unofficial dress code of the organization for an interview. If employees wear jeans every day to work or practice business casual, show up to the interview in a business jacket or sport coat and slacks. Your physical presence is the first thing that an interviewer judges. Take the time to brush your hair and bring your very best.
W.A.I.T – Is an acronym that we most often use in our coaching approach. When you find yourself rambling on in an interview setting, stop and ask yourself, "Why Am I Talking?" In situations of stress and uncomfortable pauses we tend to fill the silence with ramblings and talk ourselves right out of a position. Answer the question and stop talking. If you begin to feel uncomfortable and tempted to fill the void, ask a clarifying question, "Did that answer your question?" or "Would you like me to tell you more about that problem/solution?"
Get Loose – We tend to get stiff or make awkward movements in an interview setting. We put our hands in odd positions; begin stuttering and some of us even start to rock in our chairs. It's okay to bring out a folder or writing pad with prepared questions and copies of your resume. Bring a pen to take down a few notes or answers to your questions. If you get the chance, video tape yourself in an interview setting before game day. You will notice your odd intricacies that only come out in stressful situations. Stay professional in your approach but remember that this is a two way dialogue. Don't be afraid to say, "That's a great question. Let me think about that." Then glance down at your resume or notes. Then continue, "Oh right, let me tell you about a time when I solved this challenge in my previous position . . ."
Millennial's: Leave Mom at Home - According to The Center of Generational Studies, Millennial's are getting their parents involved in the interview process. Either accompanying the child to the interview or calling later to negotiate the job offer. Leave mom or dad at home. Use your parents as a resource to help you prepare and research but when it comes to the interview stand on your own two feet. The more prepared you are – the more confident you will be and won't need your parent along for the ride. Mom/Dad – back off. Your involvement in an interview will only reflect poorly on your child's ability to hold a job, think critically and make their own decisions, all key characteristics of a good job applicant.
Story originally written by Shawna Simcik for COBizMag.com on May 22, 2013.
Shawna Simcik, MA, CMP is genuinely passionate about utilizing innovative resources and market knowledge to drive organizational, career and individual excellence. As President of Business Leadership for a fast-growing, certified Woman Owned Business, Shawna specializes in Executive Recruiting, Leadership Development and Career Transition. Reach her at. shawna.simcik@innovativecareerconsulting.com or ssimcik@oipartners.net. To learn more, follow her at @shawna_icc or contact her at 303-865-4400.www.innovativecareerconsulting.com
By: Amanda Barrell, Graphic Design and PR Assistant, CU Boulder Career Services
As a young job seeker, it can be intimidating and
frustrating to apply for positions in today’s economy. From customizing and sending out multiple
resumes, attending job fairs, and prepping for interviews, all of those details
can add up to be quite overwhelming.
Perhaps you’re frustrated by not getting any callbacks for an
interview.
While there are many details to focus on and stay up-to-date
with when applying to jobs, one aspect that may help improve your chances of
getting that interview with a company is your voicemail message.
Imagine right now that a recruiter from your dream job has
seen your resume and loves what they see.
They dial the number listed on your resume, it goes to voicemail, and
the recruiter hears this:
“Hey y’all, you know what to do!” BEEP!
Or…
“You’ve reached Bob, I’m not a slob, I want a job, don’t be
a snob; leave a message!” BEEP!
Or maybe you’ve just left your caller with an entertaining,
albeit unnecessary, snippet of your favorite heavy metal/country/hip-hop/pop
song before… BEEP!
Despite how amusing or clever you’re trying to be, if you’ve
used anything like these messages above, chances are your future employer is
not impressed.
Your voicemail should serve two purposes.
To help the caller confirm that they’ve
contacted the correct person/number.
To leave a short message regarding their
call.
Instead, make sure you follow these guidelines when
recording your voicemail message.
Keep it simple, short and precise.
Decide on three sentences you’ll say during the
recording and practice these sentences beforehand.
Pay attention to how your voice sounds, your
tone and how fast you’re speaking.When
you listen to it, can you understand what you’re saying?
If you mess up, don’t worry.Re-record it until it sounds right.
Here’s just one variation of a more professional voicemail
message:
“Hi, you’ve reached Jessie at 555-555-5555. I’m sorry I missed your call, but leave me a
message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you.”
BEEP!
Whether you’re a college sophomore looking for that first
summer internship, a new graduate trying to break into the working industry or
a young professional looking for a new career opportunity, it’s important that
your future employers see you as mature and professional, even in your phone conversation
and voicemail.
May in a college town. It’s that time of year when seniors’ thoughts go from studying and finals to graduation and what life will look like after college. Perhaps you have a great job lined up already or you are prolonging your time in academia with a stint in grad school. Maybe you’re still job hunting and polishing your resume, or going on a celebratory adventure. Whatever life post-college entails for you (or your kids for the parents reading this), here are ten proven steps to take once you enter the real world.
Why are they the top ten? Simple. These are what I wish I would have known when I graduated from college six years ago. 1. Organize your financial life
Before you can start, you need to know where to begin. Find out where everything financial-related is and get organized. You probably have student loans, plus credit cards, a checking account, and others. Write it all down. Even better, harness the power of technology to do it for you.
Mint.com offers a free online account aggregation tool that will make this a piece of cake. Online, smartphone, tablet, they’ve got it covered. There are helpful budgeting and goal setting features too. I’ve been using it personally for a few years and it’s indispensable. I really can’t recommend it highly enough.
Take a deep breath if this is your first time seeing everything in one place; maybe let out a low whistle. Keep breathing. Welcome to the real world. 2. Start saving what you can
Let’s start with some hard numbers. Do you think Social Security will bail you out when you’re ready to retire? According to the Social Security Administration, 53% of married couples and 74% of unmarried persons depend on Social Security for 50% or more of their income. That works out to about $15,000 a year in average benefits. Not much. And that’s for current retirees. The future of these benefits is rather bleak for the under-40 crowd, but that’s another blog post.
Three out of five retiree households had no savings in 2007. Half of those with savings had less than $61,000.
So, what can you do about it? Try a simple budget of 50% of your income towards fixed costs (rent, student loans, groceries, etc), 30% towards fun things (movies, ski passes, clothing, trips), and 20% towards savings (emergency fund, retirement account, new home, wedding).
Got your first raise already? Fantastic! Buy something nice for yourself, then start increasing your monthly savings with your well-deserved boost. A major factor to saving enough for your future goals is to keep your expenses from increasing faster than your income. Start off on the right foot.
3. 401(k) plan enrollment and employee benefits
If you have a 401(k) account, congratulations! You’re gainfully employed. The key is to make sure you are signed up for monthly contributions into it and that you are investing those funds. For the simple investment option, consider using a target date fund. Simply select the closest year to when you plan to retire and the assets will automatically be rebalanced from a more aggressive portfolio to a more conservative portfolio over time. No muss, no fuss.
For those of you more interested in an active role, you should look to build a diversified portfolio (i.e. try to avoid the temptation to accumulate big chunks of your employer’s stock). A financial advisor (like us!) can help with that.
I saved the best for last. Most employers will match the contribution you make to your 401(k) or other company-sponsored retirement plan up to a limit. So if you put 3% of your paycheck into the account, the employer would add the same amount in. Free money! Even if you have loans and credit card debt, make sure to max out the employer match and then go back to the debts. Not only is this money free, it is not taxed until you withdraw it at retirement and the “miracle” of compound interest means that the sooner you can get this money working for you, the better.
This is also a good time to make sure you understand any other benefits at your job. Health insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, relocation benefits, Friday growlers from Mountain Sun, and so on.
4. Open a Roth IRA
Don’t have a 401(k) or still have some money to put towards investing after making your 401(k) match? A Roth IRA account is the place to be. The key for a Roth is that contributions (up to $5,500 for 2013) are post-tax, but distributions at retirement are not taxed. This is crucial if you think you will end up in a higher tax bracket at retirement than your current bracket (or if taxes are going to go up in general). It also means those lovely compounded returns will never be taxed.
You can also withdraw your contributions at any time without a tax penalty because they were already taxed. It’s not recommended, and you should have an emergency fund setup from #2, but sometimes emergencies really are emergencies. 5. Watch your credit history and credit score
Checking your credit history and score is straightforward, but has huge benefits. Think of it as a yearly checkup at the doctor, except it’s free.
First, the credit history. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com. Once a year, you can see exactly what the credit card bureaus see about if you pay your bills on time, how much you borrow, and more. If there is anything wrong with the report, you can file for a correction. You want a “clean bill of health”.
If everything looks good, visit www.myFICO.com to get a free snapshot of the credit score assigned to you by the credit bureaus. This is what controls the interest rate (how expensive it is for you to borrow) for things like car purchases, home mortgages, credit card balances, and more. A good score is 750 and up. Over the course of a 30-year $250,000 mortgage at current rates (5/10/13), you will save tens of thousands of dollars compared to someone with a low score.
If yours is lower, there are some straightforward steps you can take to improve your scores right away. Pay down the balances on your credit cards, make sure you make payments on time (see #5), request higher limits, and give your credit history time to mature. Oddly enough, the more unused credit you have available, the better your score can be. To learn more, visit this credit score calculation page.
6. Use your credit card (wisely)
If you already have an existing balance, work on paying that off first before adding more back on. The key here is to pay off your balance every month in full.
Maybe you’re asking why not use a debit card? A credit card builds credit history and improves your score if used responsibly (see #3). That stellar credit score you’re building will pay off when you’re ready to take out a loan for future big-ticket purchases. The cash back rewards or airline miles don’t hurt. Also keep in mind the extra goodies like extended insurance, concierge services, and other member perks.
Don’t have a credit card? Not a problem. Head over to Bankrate and see what cards are available.
7. Automate your financial life
Assuming you followed the first step and setup an account at Mint, you’re halfway home. Now comes the fun part. All those accounts you linked have some great features. Are you taking advantage of all of them?
Setup auto payments on any account you can pay with your credit card (utilities and so on).
Have checks mailed via bill pay from your checking account for things you can’t pay with a card (e.g. rent).
Setup auto payments from your bank account to pay off your credit card in full each month.
Setup retirement contributions to come out of your paycheck right away. Soon you won’t even notice the funds are gone.
No more late fees, no more stamps.
8. Think about your goals for the next five years
If you’ve been interviewing, this question might sound familiar. It’s worth answering for yourself. Are you starting a career in a field you enjoy? If not, now is the time to consider a change. The switching costs (shout-out to my fellow econ majors) will only get higher in terms of lost income while you study for a new career or accept an entry-level job in a new industry. Ask around and see how many of your parents’ friends are currently in a job they don’t enjoy because starting over means losing weeks of vacation and other golden handcuffs.
9. Invest in yourself
You are worth far more in human capital (or the future income you’ll make) than your current paper net worth. Work on ways to increase that value, especially while you’re young and don’t have the extra responsibilities that come along with having a spouse and family to support. You’re also more likely to still remember your study habits. Strike while the iron is hot!
Look into continuing education through work. You’ll find that initiative is often rewarded. There are many avenues for free training/skills. First stop, your local library. Other resources:
Code Academy – Programming for everyone. PHP, Java, C++, Python, HTML, the list goes on.
MOOCs (massively open online courses) – Coursera, Udacity. Free classes from top universities. These are going to change the face of education. creativeLive – Design/photography. Watch and learn from some of the best creatives on the planet.
10. Meet your professional peers
Social life is a little different when you aren’t surrounded by hundreds of your peers on campus every day. Beer pong at 11pm on a Thursday is replaced with something called “networking”, or adult happy hours. Take advantage of local young professional groups and industry associations. If you’re in Boulder, check out Boulder 2140 (full disclosure: I’m on the board). You never know if that chance conversation might lead to a new opportunity.
This isn’t an exhaustive list and there are far more tips out there, but these are the biggest I’ve come across personally. What have you found helpful? Don’t forget to contact us with any questions.
By: Amanda Barrell, Graphic Design and PR Assistant, CU Boulder Career Services
Do you have problems with working
consistently for bad bosses or coworkers?
You’ve gone from job to job and yet, every position was poorly managed,
unfairly biased, micromanaged, etc. A
bad boss can ruin your work experience, and you might have horrendous luck with
your career.
But if you’ve noticed a pattern of poor
supervisors or experiences, maybe look beyond those possibilities and consider
what you’re doing and how you can improve your attitude and your situation. Taking some time to think about how you
interact with your peers and superiors may lead you to an easier solution than getting
fired or changing jobs.
Learn to communicate (with everyone)! Communication plays a huge role in any office
setting, and aptly so, because it covers many different facets of work
life.
Don’t be passive-aggressive.
If you have a problem with your coworkers or your boss, talk to them
about what’s bothering you. Don’t assume
they’re mind readers. If you don’t know how to express your frustrations, try
writing out what your issue is, keeping in mind both sides of the
conflict. Or consult a third (unrelated)
party to help you with phrasing.
Don’t engage in office gossip.
Gossip is a nasty thing; it festers and gets under your skin, especially
if you’re the subject of those rumors.
No one likes to be talked about behind their back, so even if you’re mad,
or those rumors about Jill’s family life at home are true, stay out of it. Gossipers will be seen as rude, catty and
unprofessional.
Do offer to help out with tasks around the office. If you notice Ben is swamped with incoming
calls and you’re “busy” covertly Snapchatting with your BFF Jamie, lend a
hand. You’d be surprised how good deeds
like that come back four-fold to you, whether it’s later in the job when YOU
need help or as a reference when you’re being considered for a new
position.
Whether you’re starting a new job
or working with a new group of coworkers, you’ll probably have to interact with
people in some shape or another. Team
dynamics can get tricky to maneuver, especially when there are a lot of
(sometimes polar opposite) personalities converging into one, relatively small
space. Above all, remember that it takes
time to adjust to each person’s quirks and pet peeves in any new environment,
so be forgiving.
By Katie Nailling, psychology and pre-health student at CU-Boulder
Career Services was recommended to
me through my pre-health advisor during an appointment when I addressed my
concern of finding work experience to add to my resume. I am a junior, majoring
in psychology with emphasis in pre-health, and I am planning on attending a
graduate school program for Physician Assistant or Physical Therapy.
My advisor recommended making an
appointment with Career Services to discuss my future career options and what I
can do now to gain experience in my fields of interest. I met with a Peer
Counseling Advisor (PCA), and we searched through job posts and internships.
Unfortunately, jobs in the healthcare field are hard to come by without any
previous experience or a graduate level degree.
I continued to search through Career
Services’ online job and internship database, Career Buffs, and attended a
resume workshop, which helped me reconstruct my resume and build a cover letter
for a job I wanted to apply to at Boulder Community Hospital.
I found this job posting through
the Boulder Community Hospital website and after two interviews, I was offered
the position of an Admissions Representative. The advisors at Career Services
helped my find this position by encouraging me to continue to look for internships
and helping me with my resume and cover letter at the workshop.
Going from a discouraged pre-health
undergrad student looking for a medical position, to an intern at a local
hospital made me realize that it is possible to succeed in anything if you take
the right steps. If you put in the necessary effort and have confidence that
you will find what you are looking for, you will succeed.
This experience made me realize that
you do not necessarily have to have connections in your desired career in order
to get a job. My application process could have worked out for any individual
striving for a health care job. With the help of the advisors at Career
Services, I am proud of my resume, love my current job position, and am
confident about searching for future job opportunities.
