What were you looking to get out of your contact with The LI$T?

‘When I first contacted The LI$T, all I wanted was to have my resume edited, but then it turned into so much more.  I was attending my first career fair and I had no idea what I was doing.  I was directed to addittoyourlist.com which helped me out a lot. I read the articles on the site and almost all of my questions were immediately answered.’

How did The LI$T help you become successful?

‘I succeeded at the career fair by landing an interview with a Fortune 500 retail company.   I then emailed CKB about the interview and I set up a meeting with him to help me prepare for the interview, as well as, review my resume. The meetings went really well and I learned so much more from it than I expected to. CKB taught me how to phrase my experience to better speak to the qualifications of the job.  We also practiced sample interview questions so that I would already have examples of what to say.’

What did you like most about your 1:1 sessions with The LI$T?

‘I really liked how there was constant communication between the two of us and CKB was willing to answer any of my questions at any time. I definitely enjoy interviewing more now that I actually know how to prepare for them. I am very confident now when I walk in for an interview. With the help of The LI$T, I was actually offered the job.  I would recommend The LI$T to anyone that needs help preparing for a career fair or job interview!’

Thanks so much Maggie for utilizing our services and we know you are well on your way to taking the world by storm!  Stories like these is what keeps Jessica Ebony and I coming back for more.  For any of you reading this success story, we want to help YOU!  Please don’t hesitate to reach out and email us at haveyoucheckedthelist@gmail.com for any questions and we will be glad to help.

Until the next success story,

-CKB

There’s a ton of advice online about what professional things you can do once you’ve thrown that graduation cap in the air and walked across the stage.  But what about all the fun things you didn’t have time (or money) to do in college? Terence has great suggestions for you!

Jessica Ebony

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http://theadventurous500.com/college/10-things-to-do-after-graduating-college

For many of the readers of The LI$T readers, this is the home stretch towards graduation. First of all let me say, congrats you’re almost there! But what to do after you’ve crossed that stage, taken photos with family members, and written thank you cards for your graduation gifts? Here are my top 10 things to do when you finally “get out.”

1. Take a trip. Even if you can’t afford to go on some fancy trip to Europe or an exotic location, make it a point to go SOMEWHERE. Graduating from college is a momentous occassion that should be celebrated as such. Go with your friends some place, take a road trip to visit family, or just head to the nearest beach for some relaxation. If your looking for a cheap unique way to travel try Couchsurfing.com offers a unique travel (and free!) experience where travelers can drift from open couch to open couch, across the world.

2. Read a book, or five. Especially for you engineering majors, now that you have free time in your life to read book you WANT to read. Don’t let your mind turn to mush outside of work. The NY Times Best seller list and EW.com reviews are great places to find new books, or just go to your local Barnes and Noble or library and peruse their selection.

1. Why?

It’s the shortest question, but it usually has a somewhat difficult answer.  Why do you even want to go back?  Do you have a clear idea for furthering your education or does it just “sound” good?  Asking yourself “why?” will make you really examine the true reason for why you want to return to the classroom.

2. Does it align with your career goals?

Do you even need to further your education to land the job you want?  Although grad school will generally provide you with more options, it is not always necessary in every field.

3. How are you going to pay for it?

With college students graduating with more student loan debt than ever before, the cost of a graduate program becomes a larger factor.  Are you going to utilize tuition reimbursement from your current job?  Are you going to be aggressive with scholarships and grants?  Or are you willing to take on more debt for the degree of your dreams?  These are questions that you have to address long before you apply.

4. What will you be giving up by going back to school?

In every decision that you make there is always a trade-off.  If you go back to school, what will you be giving up?  Are you willing to place your education ahead of becoming a homeowner, buying a car, starting a family, or seeing the world?  It’s important to realize how furthering your education will be prioritized with other aspects of your life.

5. What type of program would you enroll in?

These days you don’t even have to set foot on a school’s actual campus to earn a degree.  Which approach will work best for you: online, part-time, full-time, studying abroad, etc…?

6. Have you identified others who have taken a similar approach?

If you look hard enough, (or these days not even that hard) you will probably find someone who has taken the same approach to grad school that you could use as a sounding board.  This person could eventually become a mentor and help you navigate the world of higher education.  They might also be able to help you find answers to the five questions above.

Thinking ahead and most importantly being honest with yourself will help you get a better idea of what grad school will be like for you.  All in all, you can never go wrong wanting to further your education.  Now we want to hear from you!  What other questions should you ask yourself to decide if grad school is the way to go?

-CKB

Click.  Read.  Scroll.  Submit Resume.  

Click.  Read.  Scroll.  Submit Resume.  

Click.  Read.  Scroll.  Submit Resume.

Thanks to the internet and large job searching engines like Monstertrak, careers.com, and the job search tools at most large companies this is how many of us apply for jobs these days.  You have to admit it’s pretty easy.  You go to a website, read through a job description, and if you want you can click a button, provide some personal information, submit your resume and POOF you’ve applied for a job.  This virtual approach has made it easy for job seekers to flood companies with millions of resumes each year.  However, there is still etiquette to remember when it comes to applying for jobs.  Just because you CAN apply to every job under the sun with the click of a mouse doesn’t mean that you should and here’s 6 tips why:

1) You don’t want to come off as desperate…even if you are
Filling out every application you see can leave a bad taste in a recruiter’s mouth and can make you appear as a nuisance.  It doesn’t take long before you can be tagged as a clog in the job application system.

2) Focusing on jobs that you qualify for gives you better chances at landing one
You have a much better shot getting 1 of 3 jobs that you’re really qualified for instead of 1 of 20 jobs that don’t align with your skills and experience.

3) It is okay to be selective
Just as recruiters are selective with who they decide to hire, you have to be selective with what you apply for.  A targeted approach with your employment will yield better results.

4) It saves time
You will save so much more time and maintain focus if you only apply to the jobs that fit your skill set and that interest you.

5) Interviews
Submitting cover letters and resumes to jobs that are a good match for you helps you better prepare for a potential interview.  Can you imagine being offered an interview for a job that you don’t even want?  How boring and what a waste of time that would be!  Trust…it’s happened to me.

6) Focus your efforts elsewhere to find a job
Instead of applying for jobs that will potentially be useless to you, work on building your network and developing a solid strategy to find the job you really want or at least the one you are qualified for.

In this economy it might seem like a better approach to rip and run through the application process to just land one job, but you will set yourself up for more success by having a deliberate approach to your future employment.  If you remember one thing from this article remember this:

Submitting your resume for every job you see is the equivalent of walking into a social mixer and making it rain with your business cards.  It’s tacky, others will question your true intentions, and in the end no one’s really going to want to get to know you.

Until next time…

-CKB

6) Develop a list of conversation openers/starter questions to use at networking events

5) Ask a question and then be quiet to hear the answer

4) Build visibility and gain respect by referring others and making connections

3) Build trust in your network by helping those around you become successful

2) Build your knowledge by concentrating on areas outside of your expertise

1) Use your network before you need them

Number 1 is a key tip to remember.  Networking is about showing compassion and being genuinely interested in others. You don’t want to come off as a user so develop and strengthen those relationships, so when you need them (and you will need them) there will be there no questions asked.  Now we want to hear from you!  In what ways do you continue to improve your networking skills?

-CKB

Photo Source

Our staff writer Christina shares reasons why students should consider taking summer classes at their local community college.  Check out her blog here and her previous articles on our site here!

Jessica Ebony

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Spring semester is starting to wind down and finals are right around the corner. Time to start planning for 2.5 months of summer bliss, right? Well while it may be tempting to spend your summer lounging on the beach, it is important to make sure that you aren’t losing sight of your educational goals. Even while you’re on vacation, planning ahead never hurt anyone. Do you have a few pesky core courses that you need to finish up? You can benefit in many ways from taking courses over the summer:

It saves you time – Summer classes are often shorter (anywhere from 6-12 weeks at most community colleges) and more condensed. So the good news is that you can knock these courses out and focus on your major courses in the fall and spring. Depending on the structure of your program, this could even set you on course to graduate early.

It saves you $$ – Everyone knows that tuition at community colleges is much less expensive than at a four-year school. The ability to transfer credits makes it easier for students to get the credits they need for their degree at a cheaper price.

It saves you from overload – If you attend a large college/university, you may feel intimidated by the class sizes, particularly if it’s a class that you struggle with. If you’re the type of learner that needs more one on one attention, a summer course at a community college may be the right environment for you.

So are you convinced? Well here’s how you do it!

Meet with your academic advisor – Review your academic plans with your advisor and discuss what courses would be best for you to take at your local community college.

Contact your local community college – Once you find out what courses you are going to pursue over the summer, check the course schedule at your local community college and get enrolled!

Plan your payment strategy – If you receive financial aid, please note as a guest/transient student at another institution, you typically cannot use your financial aid at more than one institution at a time. So if paying out of pocket for your summer classes may be an issue, you will want to double check with your financial aid office and find out what other payment options are available to you.

And once you’re finished with your classes, don’t forget to request your transcripts so that those credits can be transferred back to your home institution!

Christina

Great surrounding town or city

Fun activities and organizations

Inviting campus atmosphere

Well we have decided to showcase these aspects of campus life around the country in our College Spotlight series.  Stay tuned for future articles but for now, enjoy learning about Savannah State University!

Jessica Ebony

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The LI$T Expands our Network

Over the past month we have taken our site into a new direction, focusing on giving advice in-person! We finished the month March by presenting a professional workshop at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) – National Convention in Pittsburgh, PA.  NSBE is one of the largest student run organizations in the world and its convention hosts 10,000 high school and college students as well as alumni and corporate sponsors.  We enjoyed attending workshops, corporate networking events, and meeting students who we can help in the future.

Face to Face Networking in the Facebook Generation

Our 50+ workshop attendees (including collegiate members from Region 1, 2, and 3 and corporate recruiters) learned how to perfect their networking skills by focusing on small talk, discussed good networking characteristics, and practiced their elevator pitches.  Attendees said the workshop was fun and interactive and it even helped some students with their approach at corporate sponsored events and the career fair.  Overall it was a great success!

A One-on-One Approach…Career Consultations

After the success of our National Convention Workshop, Cameron and I started conducting private career consultations.  We already focused on providing free resume critiques to our readers but now we take the time to work with each client to help them reach their specific goals.  Whether they are trying to apply to an internship, receive a scholarship, or they need advice on a big professional decision, we are there to help our clients with our own brand of professional guidance.  So far we have 10 clients but we welcome more.  If anyone is interested, please contact us at haveyoucheckedthelist@gmail.com .

We are quickly approaching our 1st year anniversary of The LI$T and we would really like to thank EVERYONE who has shown us so much support.  We look forward to sharing more advice with our readers, expanding our staff, and having fun while helping students and recent college graduates!

Jessica Ebony

I have a question for you: How many times do you get a second chance to make another first impression?

I’m waiting…still waiting…still silence…that’s because you NEVER get a second or a third or an umpteenth chance at another first impression.

In networking, a job interview, or with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity sometimes your first impression is all you have.  First impressions don’t get caught off guard or have bad days, they are simply just present in the moment and it is up to us to be prepared to seize the opportunity.  Want to make sure you make the best first impression each and every time?  Learn how to do so using the 7Cs:

1. Clothing – remember in any first encounter you are always seen before you are heard.
2. Clear – don’t confuse people with your introduction.  Make sure you know how to clearly explain who you are and what it is you do.
3. Concise – short and simple is the key, because no one likes a rambler.
4. Catchy – what are you good at?  What makes you stand out?  Try to be memorable.
5. Connect – try and find a common ground to connect with the person.  I think this is the most important step as in most encounters someone is more likely to remember a personal connection they have to you rather than remember your personal introduction.
6. Communicate – remember your non-verbal communication.  A nice smile, a firm handshake, and good posture can go a REALLY long way.
7. Call - first impressions last after you walk away.  Always remember to follow-up with a call or an email saying it was a pleasure meeting them and to explore furthering your relationship.

Keep these 7 Cs in mind and you will capitalize on your first impressions each and every time.  Now we want to hear from you!  How many of you have tips for first impressions?  Every single tip can help.

-CKB

Jessica Ebony

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Graduating from college is great, but then you have to find a job and do grown-up things like work for a living and in 2010 the economy and job market wasn’t improving. I know and knew several people who had jobs, but unfortunately I wasn’t one of them. So after vacationing with my family in the summer of 2010 I continued job hunting. I worked a few smaller scale jobs and projects during my search including working on a plan to redevelop Haiti, but that’s a story for another day.

I contacted my current business partner William Mehserle Jr., who was one of my senior design partners, soliciting help for the current project I was working on. It was almost serendipitous, because we hadn’t spoken in about a year and we weren’t close friends outside of senior design, but he told me he had a project he wanted me to work on with him. We met in June of last year for the first time and in November of 2011 we launched our current site called: www.theexpressionary.com.

We sell one product right now, which is a personalized gift, called The Expressionary. The Expressionary takes the phrase: “If you looked in the dictionary under a particular word, you’d see a picture of a person or thing that word defines,” and brings it to life. Now your emotions and relationships can be defined and you can give a meaningful gift. 10% of the profit from each sale goes to one of our partner charities, which you get to select before you check out. Our mission is to give back to the community and help people express themselves to others in a meaningful way.

I’m the Vice President and I’m in charge of all things technical including how orders are processed and all technical challenges that we have. It’s a lot of fun to be working on something that I’m passionate about and believe in, but it can be stressful. If you’re looking to start a business or as we call them nowadays, startups, then here are a few things I’ve found helpful:
1. Expand outside of your regular network in college and make some other friends. You’ll never know where that could take you.
2. Write a business plan and test your idea. See if there will be a market for your business or product.
3. Listen to your customers. They’re the boss, not you or your investors.
4. Read everything you can about the particular field you’re in. Soak it up like a sponge, because this is your new schooling and you want to be great at it.
5. Whenever you get discouraged remember the goal and why you started the business in the first place.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps. Find our company and my business partner here:

Our Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/expressionary

Our Twitter: @myexpressionary

My Twitter: @MJFlanigan

William’s Twitter: @WLMehsJr

- Mike Flanigan