Beginning your career can be scary. I remember the first time I attended a career fair in college, I was so nervous about talking to the employers and giving them my elevator pitch. Things that went through my mind were “what do I even say?”, and “what if they aren’t impressed?”. Luckily, they were all very friendly and I survived my first big career event as a college student. Sometimes though, in situations like a career fair, interview, or networking, we can let our nerves get the best of us and end up dominating much of the conversation. I don’t know about you, but when I am super nervous, I tend to talk way too much. Talking too much can have a negative impact in many of these situations. There is nothing worse than being stuck talking to someone at a networking event, where you should be mingling, for more than 30 minutes. Here are a few tips so you don’t end up talking too much and risk having a negative experience.
Over the years, I have both been afforded opportunities personally and also observed the internal dilemma caused to young people when faced with the decision of relocation. It can be difficult. How do you weigh the pros and cons? What concessions must I make in order to ultimately get where I want? What if I turn the opportunity down?
These are all questions we either have or will face on our career journey. As I have taken my own steps and engaged in countless conversations on the topic of relocation, I have whittled my advice for a young person weighing options down to four steps.
Step one is to say, “Yes.” That’s my ultimate advice to a young person wishing to catapult their career, either straight out of college or along the way. You don’t have to compromise your long-term aspirations, but I guarantee your long-term options will be much reduced if “yes” is not part of your vocabulary.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard career professionals give advice to college students that if they really want to have a meaningful career, you have to be willing to say, yes. Say, “Yes,” to new job responsibilities. Say, “Yes,” to a new role. Say, “Yes,” to relocation. In all cases, you show a willingness to stretch yourself. That puts you in a better position to:
I’m sure you’ve heard the good ole’ saying – people don’t leave jobs, they leave their manager. While not always the case, it is certainly true in many instances. For sure the person you report to and how they treat you and value you are important. But, how do you figure out what you are going to get through the recruitment process?
The nice thing is, you are in the driver seat when it comes to this for the most part. In a job seeker market, you can do a little looking until you find the right fit. Here are some things to consider.
• What was the first impression like when you met them? Your gut can tell you a lot. Did they give you the time of day; treat you with respect; seem interested in you as a person? What types of questions did they ask you – were they self-serving or did they inquire about you as a person?
