Bridget Graham - Working World 101: The New Grads Guide to Getting a Job

WORKING
WORLD 101

THE NEW GRADS GUIDE
TO GETTING A JOB

Bridget Graham and Monique Reidy

Copyright 2009 by Bridget Graham and Monique Reidy
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any
form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are
made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

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Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
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ISBN 10: 1-59869-495-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-495-6
eISBN: 978-1-44052-013-6

Printed in the United States of America.

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Lyrics are from the song Etcetera Whatever,
by Over the Rhine. Copyright 1996 by Over the Rhine/Scampering
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CONTENTS

PART ONE
Would I Hire Me?

PART TWO
Would I Interview Me?

PART THREE
Now That I Have the Job...

Acknowledgments

I D LIKE TO THANK M ONIQUE for taking this adventure with me. Weve come a long way from sitting in the coffee shop saying, We should write a book for college graduates! I thank my parents for always encouraging and supporting me no matter what path I choose to pursue; your love and encouragement mean the world to me. I thank my friends for their support, especially Lisa, who has been very good to me. I have so many wonderful people in my life who are excited for me when I achieve, and it means the world: Marie, Muge, Maria, Helen, Mr. and Mrs. A, and Scinde (I miss our walks), Kjersti and Marc (and Toby and Leo, whom I am honored to love, are a given, of course); your joy in my projects is always so encouraging. (A special thanks to Jake.) Thanks to Laura who let me take the journey of writing I always wanted to take. I thank Can for the help he gave me while I was reaching for my goals. Thanks to our book agent, Uwe Stender at TriadaUS, who believed in our project. I also want to thank Brittney and Traci for offering me a dream job even though it came along at an inopportune time (that I didnt initially see coming); I cant tell you how much I would have loved it. I thank all the HR friends and store managers along the way in my career who helped me grow to the next level. I have the knowledge to write this because of you. To Maria K. who long ago on a rooftop told me to seize my place at the table; I have never forgotten this piece of advice. And I thank God for letting my dreams come true. Heres to happy jobs and happy careers!

Bridget

M ANY OF US HAVE FACED a particularly overwhelming subject matter in life that has elicited an I could write a book! statement. In my case, Ive watched as my three twentysomething daughters struggled with the challenges that confront young job seekers and have learned that landing a rewarding career is not an event that automatically happens even if you hold a college degree. I am grateful to Tawny, Nicole, and Kimmy for their resolve to follow their professional dreams even though it involves a multitude of trials and frustrations, and for their help and inspiration with this book project. I am also thankful to Steve, my supportive husband who has been a source of help and reassurance, and who has had to fend for himself on numerous occasions throughout this past year while I was busy writing. Im so fortunate to have friends who were genuinely interested in the progression of this assignment and who have encouraged me at every turn. I especially appreciate Patty, Rita, Dave, and Judith, who have been a tremendous support system. And had it not been for my aunt Nelly, who on numerous occasions drove across town to feed my three dogs, I probably would not have had the luxury of working uninterrupted, as I was able to do. I am also thankful to Bridget, whose expertise in HR has been invaluable and whose sense of humor helped make the hours we spent working together so much more enjoyable. And finally, a big thanks to Uwe Stender, who constantly propelled us forward and worked tirelessly with us to see this book come to fruition.

Monique

W E BOTH WANT TO EXTEND a very special thank you to the corporate and young professionals who have agreed to be interviewed and have allowed us to share their experiences in this book.

Introduction

Youre graduating from college and its a wonderfully exciting time for you; the college years are coming to an end, and there is a career filled with possibilities ahead of you. You are a well-prepared, knowledgeable generation, and there are many reasons for you to be proud. You have so much to give and we want to make sure your expectations are met when you search for your first job!

This book came about when both of us returned to graduate school after many years in the working world. We heard your questions on how to begin a job search as we sat with your peers in class, and we discovered ideas and tips that Working World 101 will pass along to you.

You may not even have thought to ask some of the questions well be answering, but we know what interviewers will be asking and the qualifications they want. Bridget Graham has spent more than thirteen years working in human resources, and Monique Reidy has worked as an advertising director and owned and managed a design firm with clients such as the L.A. Dodgers, the USC football team, Showtime Networks, Amgen, and others. Between the two of us, weve hired countless managers and terminated those who just didnt get it. Our expertise will help you navigate through the job search, interview, and beyond, and we will also share real-world advice about what companiesbig and smallare looking for when hiring.

With all our experience, we understand that your generation is unique. We know you are confident, optimistic, civic minded, and techno savvy. Your generation respects competent individuals, not titled ones. Heres the thing: the people hiring you are Gen X and Baby Boomers, and there are some adjustments that will have to be made. Knowing that generational differences exist is of tremendous value as you begin your job search.

Even when talking with professionals about this book, we found generational differences. Baby Boomers have one set of preferences for what they want to see; Gen X individuals have another. No one is right and no one is wrong, but understanding this helps. Ask employers (or hiring managers), and most will tell you they know they need to tailor their companies and styles for your generation. Most know that within six months of working youve already decided if a company is right for you. Most know that your goal is to find a job and a life with meaning, not to work for the same company for twenty-five yearsand this is okay. But employers expect professionalism. They want to know, even if youre only planning on working for two years before heading on to the next company or even off to backpack in Africa, that during the time at their company youre giving 110 percent and contributing to the growth of projects, clients, and the company.