what new grads need to know about job searching by Alison Green on May 6, 2013 With a new class of college graduates preparing to earn their diplomas, millions of new grads are going to be trying to figure out how to find a job. Here are 10 key tips they should know as they enter into what’s still a tough job market. 1. Don’t wait to start job searching. You might […] Read the full article →
why is it bad to sound naive when applying for jobs? by Alison Green on March 27, 2013 A reader writes: I’ve seen you throw around the word “naïve” several times in your How-Not-Tos for cover letters and resumes. I actually find it a really helpful insult when I recognize things that I’ve been doing wrong. But still, being 22, I am kind of professionally naïve. Surely there’s got to be something beneficial […] Read the full article →
how much should I help this struggling recent grad? by Alison Green on November 8, 2012 A reader writes: I have a question regarding helping a recent grad find their first job in their field. Without getting into convoluted details, a young person’s resume was passed along to me because she is looking to work in my field. I don’t personally know her, and frankly, I’m not wowed by her resume […] Read the full article →
how did you get your first job? by Alison Green on November 1, 2012 A reader recently suggested an open thread on the following topic, and I thought it was a great idea: Friday’s question about why employers don’t see the potential in people got me thinking about how folks get their first career-track jobs (whatever that career may be), and what people who have been successful in their […] Read the full article →
how new grads can impress at work by Alison Green on August 22, 2012 With spring graduations several months behind us, many new grads (well, the lucky ones, at least) are settling into new jobs and learning to navigate office life … and finding it more challenging than they expected. Here are eight tips for impressing when you’re new on the job: 1. First and foremost, have your act […] Read the full article →
update from the reader whose dad was frustrated about her unpaid internship by Alison Green on August 16, 2012 Remember the letter from the reader whose father was frustrated that she hadn’t found a paying job yet? She was working in an unpaid internship that she enjoyed, but her father thought any paid work would be better for her resume. Here’s her update. I started getting interviews for jobs in my field in early […] Read the full article →
colleges aren’t preparing students to get jobs when they graduate by Alison Green on August 15, 2012 Far too many students are graduating from college unprepared to get a job. And part of the reason for that is that colleges aren’t providing the right guidance — and in some cases are actually providing harmful information. Here are eight things that higher education could do in order to better prepare students to find […] Read the full article →
ignore your parents! they are forbidden from giving you advice by Alison Green on August 10, 2012 A reader writes: As a recent college graduate using your tips, I was able to secure a job as an Administrative Assistant at a brand-new charter school that is opening up in my area in the fall. Granted, it does not offer many benefits and the pay is $10.00/hour, but I am also from an […] Read the full article →
I feel unprepared to get a job in my field by Alison Green on June 18, 2012 A reader writes: I graduated recently with an entry-level Education degree, but I haven’t been able to find a teaching position in my district. Some of my classmates, however, have already found teaching positions. I’ve given my resume to plenty of schools and gotten plenty of interviews, but I haven’t gotten any call-backs. Although the […] Read the full article →
my father is frustrated that I don’t have a paying position yet by Alison Green on June 6, 2012 A reader writes: I am a twenty-four year old graduate of several different university and college programs. I’ve struggled to figure out what it is want to do as a career, and because of that I’ve spent the last seven years in post-secondary education, completing three different (but all relatively related) programs. I’m finishing up […] Read the full article →