Rookie Move - Common Career Mistakes Millennial’s Make
By Lauren Brose ‘15
So October just happened. Football season is winding down and it’s getting kind of windy at night, isn’t it? Normally I am stoked about Fall… but not this time. I walk through campus counting how many days I have left before I no longer have a reason to hang out around here—I am officially done with college in December. Thinking back, I wish I had taken that study abroad semester I deliberated having. Instead, I thought to myself, “finish school. Lauren. Get a job. Real world sounds cool.”
The real world will be fun, they said.
We all make mistakes along the way when trying to find jobs—I mean, I sure have. Here’s some common mistakes us youngsters all make. Don’t be that person.
Don’t ask about salaries unless they have offered you a job. Do look on Glassdoor to see what ranges of expected salaries are to give you and idea of how much you’d be earning at that compared compared to other prospects. Do ask professors and advisors about salaries—this topic is normally taboo but why is it? We deserve to have an idea of what we will be earning after graduating.
During job negotiations, always maintain likability. It’s imperative that you’re a likable person because your interviewers are ultimately asking themselves “will he/she fit into the company culture? Would I want to work alongside him/her?” When you leverage how valuable you are and how other companies have already extended offers—something I consider a pushy move—they will more than likely just say “whatever, well why don’t you go with them then.” Remember: you’re negotiating with the person who is sitting across from you not with the company.
If there is a time during the negotiation stage of getting a job, always have a valid reason to back up your requests. If you want higher pay for the sake of it or if you want a certain number of vacation days just because, I would advise you not to bring it up (refer to bullet #2).
PLEASE! PROOFREAD! Emails, resumes, cover letters… if you want employers to think you’re sloppy, lazy and unintelligent then by all means skip proofreading and just send off your documents and emails blindly hoping for the best! I’ll let you in on a little secret: I am a horrible proofreader. I don’t enjoy doing it but I now take the time to do it because, for one, it’s humiliating to send an email to Jane when it was intended to Mark. Additionally, it only takes a minute or two. Trust me, this one is important.
Avoid preparing for job interviews the day of. When I interviewed for a job most recently, I had typed out my notes and asked myself questions I believe I would be asked. I wrote down short points with brief elaboration so that I know where to connect my thoughts. Each question had an average of four bullet points that supported my answer. When I was asked why I chose this particular field, why I wanted to work at the company and about why I am a good fit for the role, I had the answers already broken down right in front of me. I heard myself speak with much more confidence and I didn’t have to flip through my typical scribbled notes in my disorganized notebook. After having done this only once, I cannot possibly understand why I wouldn’t do it this way ever again.
Don’t assume all there is to learn is in class and in the workplace. There’s an abundance of resources available online that teaches entrepreneurialism and self-promotion as well as other useful trades including video editing, Photoshop, graphic design, coding and social media marketing. Instead of waiting for a class to open up or for your work to train you, seek it out on your free time. Strong candidates for job know the ins and outs of the business they are applying for but also the industry it’s involved in.
Sometimes it gets hard to not focus only on the money. It’s just as easy to say “I am just going to do something I love and not worry about money” as it is to shun away all jobs that pay under a certain dollar amount. Consider all aspects. Consider what you will gain from the experience, if the location and opportunities offered are worthy, and if you see yourself growing to a stronger position in the company in a timely manner. Maybe you wont get a crazy salary right off the bat but the next position up could have a ton more perks and opportunities to travel.
Try to time your job interviews around the same time period so that your offers come in at the same time as well. Sometimes it is easily obtainable such as choosing later interview dates to buy additional time and sometimes decisions are made incredibly fast and you have no control over it. It’s always okay to mention you are being considered for other roles as well and are wondering what the timeline is to give you a better idea on when they are going to make a decision. It’s not okay to let them know you already have an offer that might expire before they make a decision and if they can come up with a decision sooner that would be great. They’ll laugh at you and tell you to take the other job.
Dedicate two hours a week on your career. This can be building a blog portfolio showcases your versatility as a professional. It’s important to be Google-able otherwise employers will think you’re a nobody. As hokey as it sounds, I’d rather employers know about how I did in my high school track meets, find my WordPress or Instagram account. I honestly have nothing to hide, which brings me to my next point. Do we need to change our Facebook names to something obscure and untraceable? Personally, if someone tracks me down on Facebook, they wont see anything but a bunch of photos of me with friends. So what? At least they know I am social and have an outgoing personality. If anything, that only strengthens my competencies in sales. Decide whether it isn’t a big deal for employers to find you on social media and always always always keep a clean record on your social media channels. In 2015, you’d think it’s assumed we are all doing this but you’d be surprised at how shameless people can be.
One last glimmer of advice: trust the Trojan Family, have confidence in yourself (when you’re uncomfortable it shows and no one wants to hire a scaredy cat), smile and keep up the energy, and don’t ever think for a second that ambition has its limitations (it doesn’t).
Fight On <3
