Getting to work is NOT a job skill

Written by Amanda Barrell 

Punctuality is not a skill you should be listing on your resume.  It’s common courtesy.  And as a young professional, you should be well acquainted with getting to work on time.  Even if you’re only working part-time a few hours a week, or volunteering, getting to work on time shows that you’re responsible, reliable and ready to work on whatever the day brings. 

We’ve all seen them, that person who waltzes in to work at 8:47 sporting dark sunglasses, bag in one hand, grande soy latte in the other.  They drop their things unceremoniously at their desk before heading to the lunchroom to gab with the intern for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, you’ve been at your desk slaving away for an hour. 

Imagine how disrespected you’d feel. 

Regardless of what your evening activities were the night before, make a point of allowing yourself however much time you need to get ready in the morning.  Of course there’s no accounting for last-minute family emergencies or out-of-the-blue car trouble, but hopefully not every weekday morning is like that for you. 

As a baseline, time yourself getting ready in the morning with no stress.  Make sure to include factors like how many times you hit the “Snooze” button; shower time; choosing your outfit and dressing; hair/makeup/shaving; eating breakfast and your commute, whether it’s catching the bus or driving in rush-hour morning traffic.  Then add 15 minutes for a good buffer.  

If you’re going to be late, go ahead and give your boss (or one of your coworkers) a heads-up via text or a quick phone call to let them know you’ll be late.  Your supervisor will appreciate the forewarning.  Just don’t make it a habit. 

Getting to work on time also involves your lunch break.  We know you love to catch up with your BFF Katie or your buddy Jim in town from Oakland, but when your meal creeps past an hour, there’s a higher chance you will be inconveniencing your coworkers at the office.  When possible, let your supervisor know if and when you’ll be taking a longer lunch break.  If you are in a position where you need desk coverage, make sure to arrange this with one of your coworkers ahead of time so that there is no disruption in service. 

By keeping all of these things in mind, and by making a conscious effort to be punctual to work every day, you will demonstrate your professionalism and others (your boss included) will see they can count on you to be a responsible, respectful member of the team. 

What tips do you use to get to work on time?  

The truth about college and careers

Written by Liz Ryan, instructor at the CU Leeds School of Business and CEO & Founder, the Human Workplace, for the Denver Post's blog on February 18, 2013.

I’m standing in the lobby of my kids’ high school, waiting for my twins to join me after their last-ever high school musical. My son had played trombone in the pit while my daughter sang onstage with the cast. How did I feel? Happy, sad, wistful, proud – exactly the way any parent would feel. In the lobby hung a wonderful photo portrait of the 500-member graduating class, and as I waited I scanned the photo, looking at familiar faces. Aah, I remember that little girl from Brownies, I thought, and that little boy from soccer, years ago. Another parent stood next to me, and he asked me “Is one of these seniors yours?”

“Yes,” I said, “this boy up here, and this girl.” “What are they planning to study in college?” asked the man. “They’re both going to study music,” I said. “Oh great,” said the man, as he turned and walked away. “More starving artists.”

I was too stunned to speak. I turned and looked at him as he strode across the lobby. Part of me wanted to run after him and shake him, and part of me wanted to wing my purse at the back of his neck. I rifled through my mental database. Had I seen that dad before? Oh yes, I had, I recalled. We sat on a committee together, umpteen years ago. That guy is a CPA in town. God bless him, I thought. God bless him and all the people who think that going to college means preparing yourself for a job, and nothing more. God bless those people, because they are deserving of our pity, if they have no more vision for a kid’s future (or their own) than “Get a practical degree, and get a stable job.”

College is not trade school. Trade school itself is not trade school, in the sense that you go in one end of a chute and come out the other end job-ready. Every kind of educational experience is more than that, or can be.

College, and every kind of educational experience, is grow-your-flame school, first. A kid learns something he or she is excited about, and the kid’s flame grows. I didn’t sit through hours of shoot-me-now music theory classes so that I could do music theory all day at a desk. I’m not sure jobs like that even exist. I did it because learning how the pieces fit together, how harmony and rhythm and chord structures work, enlarged my brain and elevated my perspective. Aah, I remember thinking, ten thousand years ago in music school. So that’s how that works. So that’s why Alban Berg used that chord in his opera “Wozzeck.” So that’s how it fits together.

If our highest aspiration were to teach kids how to do jobs, we wouldn’t need most college programs. You can learn almost anything on the job. That’s what apprenticeships used to do, for hundreds of years. Millers and blacksmiths and bricklayers didn’t stand around and complain that the kids in their shops weren’t qualified, because the point of the apprenticeship was to teach the kid how to do the work. Apprenticeships work wonderfully. How did we manage for hundreds of years without college? We taught kids how to problem-solve on the ground.

I’m a corporate HR leader. That’s my background. I have 100% confidence that if you give me a bright kid who’s interested in people, I can make the kid a capable HR person. It’s not just me – any HR mentor can do it. The academic part of HR is strictly beside the point, because learning the how-tos of compensation and benefits and training is better done in context than in the abstract, not just for HR people but for anyone.

I ran HR for a huge company, and I never took a class in HR. How did I do it? You work on little problems first, then bigger and bigger ones, and as you see larger problems and solve them, you see how the pieces fit together.

That’s always been the case, but we’ve taught people to believe they need degrees in order to do simple jobs that any reasonable person could learn. We’ve created a monolith of certifications and credit hours and ultra-specialized fields of study, and made people afraid to try to do anything important (or well-paying) without those trophies and trappings. That’s shameful. It’s shameful how we’ve degraded college and all forms of advanced education to x + y = z transactions, a la “Get this degree and you’re sure to get a job!”

To read the rest of Ryan's article, click here.  

Cool Careers- Jarret Roberts | Community Programs Director at Wildlands Restoration Volunteers

Written by Amanda Barrell

Despite only being a Boy Scout for one day, Jarret Roberts has had a love for the outdoors since he was little.  Roberts was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado and some of his favorite childhood memories consist of hiking in the foothills behind his parent’s house near NCAR, visits to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, and fishing.


In 2009, Roberts heard from one of his friends in the Student Conservation Assocation about a seasonal position opening up at Wildlands Restoration Volunteers.  His previous experience and knowledge from working with the City of Boulder Junior Rangers and SCA gave Roberts an edge and he got the job with WRV.

“WRV is a lot like the Junior Ranger program, but on a much larger scale,” Roberts said.  “Change [that] happens in a weekend would take three to four months with the Junior Ranger program.”

Reaching out to over 5,000 people, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers is a non-profit organization that provides an opportunity for people to come together, learn about their natural environment, and take direct action to restore and care for the land.

Today, Roberts is the Community Programs Director for WRV, a position that incorporates training, project planning and marketing.  As a relatively small non-profit, WRV trains and positions their volunteers as leaders within the organization.

“We rely on volunteer leadership.  Fifty percent of what WRV does is community building, training people and giving them skills so that the community itself can do the restoration.  The other fifty percent of the time is spent with on-the-ground projects.”


Running over 75 projects each season, WRV hosts 12-20 volunteer training sessions each spring, helping to train volunteers as crew leaders, those helping to lead the volunteer groups; tool managers who manage the tools and equipment; project leaders, those helping to run the projects who, when trained will run up to eighty to ninety percent of the projects; technical advisors, who are the ones who plan and design the actual projects, and cooks.
Because WRV relies so heavily on volunteer interaction and leadership, Roberts admits that no day is ever the same.

“There is no typical day, which is part of what I love about this job.  We all work crazy, crazy hours because we’re working a lot with volunteers.  Probably a third to half my weekends I’m doing something and a lot of evenings, which is really cool because it gives me flexibility to take off and go for a hike in the morning.”

Of course, being so passionate about the work that he does, it’s easy for Roberts to find things he enjoys about WRV.

“Working with WRV, most of us love the outdoors or appreciate them, and we get a benefit from the land, but the land doesn’t benefit from us using it.  It’s a one-way street.  This is one of the few opportunities where it’s beneficial for the land; it’s a symbiotic relationship.  I get to see growth in the environment and growth in people.  When those two things are put together, that’s an unbelievably powerful thing.”

Looking to the future, Roberts is really excited to further developing the Youth Program within WRV.  In the past three years, they’ve come from bare bones to engaging over 500 youth a year, doing 10-15 projects with them.  Wildlands Restoration Volunteers is also excited about becoming a bigger presence statewide, expanding their network and connections in Colorado.  For more info about getting involved with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, visit their website.

The number one job skill in 2020

Written by George Anders for LinkedIn on June 13, 2013

What's the crucial career strength that employers everywhere are seeking -- even though hardly anyone is talking about it? A great way to find out is by studying this list of fast-growing occupations, as compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sports coaches and fitness trainers. Massage therapists, registered nurses and physical therapists. School psychologists, music tutors, preschool teachers and speech-language pathologists. personal financial planners, chauffeurs and private detectives. These are among the fields expected to employ at least 20% more people in the U.S. by 2020.

Did you notice the common thread? Every one of these jobs is all about empathy.

In our fast-paced digital world, there's lots of hand wringing about the ways that automation and computer technology are taking away the kinds of jobs that kept our parents and grandparents employed. Walk through a modern factory, and you'll be stunned by how few humans are needed to tend the machines. Similarly, travel agents, video editors and many other white-collar employees have been pushed to the sidelines by the digital revolution's faster and cheaper methods.

But there's no substitute for the magic of a face-to-face interaction with someone else who cares. Even the most ingenious machine-based attempts to mimic human conversation (hello, Siri) can't match the emotional richness of a real conversation with a real person.

Visit a health club, and you'll see the best personal trainers don't just march their clients through a preset run of exercises. They chat about the stresses and rewards of getting back in shape. They tease, they flatter -- maybe they even flirt a little. They connect with their clients in a way that builds people's motivation. Before long, clients keep coming back to the gym because they want to spend time with a friend, and to do something extra to win his or her respect.

It's the same story in health care or education. Technology can monitor an adult's glucose levels or a young child's counting skills quite precisely. Data by itself, though, is just a tool. The real magic happens when a borderline diabetic or a shy preschooler develops enough faith and trust in another person to embark on a new path. What the BLS data tells us is that even in a rapidly automating world, we can't automate empathy.

Last week, when the BLS reported that the U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs in May, analysts noted that one of the labor market's bright spots involved restaurants and bars. Waiters, cooks and bartenders accounted for a full 16% of the month's job growth. As the Washington Post's Neil Irwin put it, "A robot may be able to assemble a car, but a cook still grills burgers."

Actually, it's the people in the front of the restaurant -- and behind the bar -- that should command our attention. The more time we spend in the efficient but somewhat soulless world of digital connectivity, the more we will cherish a little banter with wait-staff and bartenders who know us by name. We will pay extra to mingle with other people who can keep the timeless art of conversation alive.

(George Anders is a contributing editor at Forbes, and the author of four business books. Follow him on Twitter @GeorgeAnders, or keep up with his Forbes articles at www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/)

5 skills to take away from any job or internship

Written by Deanna Pan for the June 2013 edition of Student Health 101

You applied.  You interviewed.  You’re hired.  Congratulations!

No matter what kind of job or internship you’ve secured, there are many opportunities to hone your skills and develop your interests while there.  This is true even if it’s not directly related to your intended career path!  In a Student Health 101 survey, 97 percent of respondents indicated that they could learn valuable workplace skills in any job or internship, no matter its focus. 

Keep an Open Mind

Stephanie Ford, director of arts and sciences career services at The Ohio State University in Columbus says, “An internship outside your career field has value.  You’ll have experiences that allow you apply what you’re learning in the classroom and more generalized experiences that are going to be valuable, too.”

Diana C., a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, studies architecture.  She took an internship at a retail store specializing in women’s apparel and home décor because joining the visual display team would offer experience. 

“I signed up for [the internship] because I knew it would relate to craftsmanship, which would help me,” says Diana.  For example, she used her fine art skills to fashion a variety of paper-based displays.  “In architecture, you have to build models.  Craftsmanship is really important,” she explains. 

Skill Development

Allison Cohn, a recruiting manager at General Mills, encourages students to focus on universal skills.  “Think about [what] can transfer into the career or company that [you’re] really interested in,” she says. 

Ford agrees.  She says that early work and internship experiences can help you feel that you have the skills potential empoyers are looking for.  “Figure out what job experiences are going to help [you] build those qualifications,” she says. 

New jobs and internships present opportunities to learn technical skills, industry jargon, day-to-day operations business acumen and professional etiquette.  They can also allow you to develop talents you may not have known you have. 

As Dean M., a student at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Canada, says, “I’ve learned what I can do with my skill set and that I can do things I didn’t know I could do.”  

Communication Skills

Establishing rapport with supervisors and coworkers is essential in any position. 

“You have to be willing, in a nonaggressive and nonthreatening way, to have a conversation about what it is you are expecting and what your supervisors are expecting,” says Trudy Steinfeld, assistant vice president and executive director at the Wasserman Center for Career Development at New York University in New York City.  “Those conversations happen in a workplace all the time,” she advises. 

Learning to have productive, professional dialogue can be good practice for developing relationships and working on collaborative projects in future positions.  The ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, coworkers, and customers or clients will help you advance in any field.  These skills are also essential when participating in extracurricular activities and group work in classes. 

Read about more skills to take away from any job or internship here, pages 9-12.   

How to get the most from your summer internship

By Amanda Barrell

For many college students, summer internships are essential building blocks on the road to “the real world”.  Whether you’re a sophomore trying to discern what you’d like to do for a major or career, or you’re a senior looking to score a sweet job after graduation, an internship can provide valuable experiences and skills if you have the right perspective going into it. 

Pursue a worthwhile commitment

So you’re ready to move up from working at your childhood summer camp?  Great.  If you have an idea of what you’d like to do, that’s even better.  If not, use your major as a guide.  If you’re still unsure about your major, and especially if you’re an underclassman, don’t stress too much.  Think about what you’re passionate about, whether it’s the environment, local politics, or photography.  Once you have that, start exploring your options.  Check out job sites like Snagajob and Coolworks.com or visit your school’s Career Services office.  Not only can the employees there help you find a job, but they can also help critique your resume and prepare you for those intimidating interviews.

Be open-minded.  You might not think that working at your uncle’s general store in Estes Park could be beneficial to your long-term goals of working for a Fortune 500 company, but you might learn about money management, customer service, and teamwork, all skills which are admirable to future employers. 

Talk to past/current interns & coworkers—in other words, network!

Now that you’ve found that sweet internship, it’s important to make connections.  By talking to previous interns who have worked for that same company, or even those who have previously worked in your position, you can gain insight about the work you’ll be assigned, the office environment, and even your boss.

Don’t forget to neglect your coworkers either.  Briefly catching up about your long weekends over a cup of coffee in the lunchroom can help encourage teamwork when you’re asked to work together later.  When the time comes for you to leave your internship, you might also count on those coworkers to give you a good recommendation for future jobs.

Position yourself strategically

While we’re not saying you have to be everyone’s best friend, take some time to observe your office and your coworkers.  Find out who’s working on big projects and volunteer your help if you can, even if it’s just putting together booklets or setting up for a meeting.  Not only will coworkers appreciate your help, but they’ll also see you as someone who takes the initiative.  Just don’t forget to complete your own work and get your boss’ permission first before taking on any additional projects.

 Use your time well

Unless you are the social media coordinator at your summer job or internship, you should not be spending all of your time at work on sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.  No matter what your company’s social media policy is, it’s still a good idea to stay focused on other work-related tasks and projects.  If you’re bored, ask your supervisor if there are any other additional assignments you can get started on, or if they don’t have anything for you, ask your coworkers.  In most situations, there will almost always be people in need of an extra pair of hands.

Communicate!

Communication is one of those essential skills in any line of work.  Whether you’re suggesting a new idea or providing feedback about your internship at the end of your summer, speak up!  Most companies will appreciate the feedback, especially if it helps make the program better for future interns and employees. 

What skills have you found help you make the most from your internship?

How Google can help you land a job

Written by Josh Hansen for Brazen Careerist on May 30, 2013

The Internet is one of mankind’s greatest achievements. But since it’s grown to an unmanageable size, using it to hunt for jobs is incredibly daunting for any job seeker. A quick Google search for “jobs in pr” will give you 700,000 results in well under a second! Where do you even start?

Fortunately, there are a few little tricks and tools out there that can help you find the results you’re actually looking for on Google:

Search Operators

A search operator is essentially a set word, phrase or symbol that helps users increase the effectiveness of their search. Below are useful operators for job hunters:

• Site: This operator specifies a keyword or phrase that must appear at least once on the page. You can also use it to search for particular words or phrases on a chosen website. For instance, “royal family site:www.bbc.co.uk.”
• Minus sign: Use a minus sign to remove particular phrases or websites from your search. If you keep getting generic job sites in your results, use the minus sign search operator as follows: “pr jobs –www.randomjobsite.com.” This will eliminate any results from, or containing, that particular URL.
• Inurl: This operator specifies that a particular keyword or phrase has to be found in the URL before it will appear in search results. So if you want to work for a digital company, you could try “digital agency inurl:careers.”
• Asterisk: The asterisk is known as the Google wildcard and comes in handy if you’re not entirely sure what type of job you want. For example, to look for a wide range of entry level jobs in many sectors, search for “entry level * jobs.” Google will fill in the gap for you.

Here’s a full list of search operators.

Google Local

If you’re trying to limit your search to a specific area, go to local.google.com and type the location where you want to search into the bar on the left.

Once you’ve done that, type in the kind of business you’re looking for (e.g. “restaurant” or “school”). Google will then populate the map with the names, addresses and websites of all local results. Pretty handy, eh?

Strategic Search

If you know what company you’d like to work for but aren’t sure whether they have jobs available, how do you give them your resume without sending it to a generic email address?

Just use a simple Google search with the company name and position of the person you’d ideally hand your resume to. For example, you could search for “coca cola uk recruitment manager.” More often than not, the first results will include either their company profile (saves you having to trawl through their website) or a LinkedIn profile. Both can be used to get in touch about possible vacancies.

This technique is simple (and pretty obvious), yet it is woefully underused by hopeful job hunters. It really helps to avoid the middleman.

Google Alerts

Another of Google’s handy tools for those who want to be one step ahead of their fellow applicants is Google Alerts.

Enter a specific term you’re interested in, such as “pr careers in london,” and set a couple of self-explanatory preferences. Whenever that phrase appears on the Internet and matches your set preferences, you’ll be sent an email—and there’s no limit to the number of alerts that can be set up. It’s that simple (and useful)!

What Google tricks do you use for your job search?

Josh Hansen writes for Workfish, a UK recruitment agency that helps people find their dream jobs in PR, communication, social media and events. Follow Workfish on Twitter to keep up with the latest jobs.