The Hunger Games and Your Career

College can be compared to the training period before The Hunger Games, as referenced in the novel. The contestants were well aware of what they were facing. They were given a brief, specific amount of time to select their strategy and to be intentional about gaining as many relevant skills as possible. At the end of the day, no single strategy could guarantee victory. They could only be diligent in seeking out as many skills and experiences as possible, to best position themselves for victory. Sounds a lot like life, right?

If life is like The Hunger Games, then college is the training ground where the choices you make, or don’t make, weigh heavily on your performance on the field. It is important to note that you have entered into a very open-ended training field, where you can find out what you need to learn, and then train to develop the necessary skills to increase the likelihood of your future success. Or, you can choose to view college as an extended vacation and a postponement of responsibility, only to experience a rude awakening upon graduation.

Working in a University setting, I’ve noticed that a staggering amount of students are expecting a collegiate diploma to be a cheat sheet to life. The reality of the situation is that 2.5 million people will graduate with Bachelors’ Degrees this year alone. Anyone living in our current economy would probably, and accurately assume that there will not be 2.5 million entry-level jobs opening alongside this year’s graduates.

Additionally, study after study lends evidence to the idea that, in the long run, a college degree typically ends up being worth the financial sacrifice incurred. Not to mention that the majority of jobs and careers that pay decently, provide a moderate level of security and satisfaction, and allow for responsibility and growth require at least an Associate’s degree. So, if degrees are beneficial, why are so many employers echoing the complaint of having job openings but being unable to fill them in the midst of a struggling economy? They are citing a lack of skilled applicants. In other words, employers do not have the time, resources, or personnel to train completely new, unskilled applicants. Hence, they are looking for individuals with the academic training and the practical experience to back it up.

Here are 6 things that you can do throughout your time in college to ensure that you are taking advantage of your education:

1. Visit the Career Center. In the Career Center, you’ll find free Career Counseling, resume and cover letter assistance, and mock interviewing, in addition to other career related resources and events. Come early, and come often.

2. Volunteer. Not many employers, agencies, and organizations are going to turn down free labor. Volunteering connects you to professionals in your field, gives you practical experience that you can include in your resume, and allows you to develop the skills that employers are looking for.

3. Intern. Internships give you practical experience in your field, allow you to learn and develop new skills, build your resume, and expand your connections. It doesn’t hurt that nearly 40% of employers hire directly from their internship programs.

4. Start stuff. Are you surprised or frustrated to see that there’s no student club for (insert your interests here)? Who’s stopping you from starting one? You’ll gain skills in leadership, organization, teamwork, branding, promotions and more.

5. Lead. If you’re involved in a club or organization, step it up and become a leader. In addition to leadership skills, you’ll gain additional skills as they pertain to your position.

6. Social media and blogging. Are you familiar with the term “SEO?” Have you ever developed a systematic social media strategy? What do you use to schedule tweets and track analytics for hits on your organization’s Facebook page? If any of that sounded like another language to you, it would be to your benefit to gain some skills in this area if you’re interested in working with Social Media or in a Communications related field. Additionally, blogging hones your writing skills and establishes you as a voice in your field.

Consider this your heads up. Imagine if the participants in the Hunger Games squandered their time of training, only to find themselves unprepared for the harsh realities which they would eventually face. College is not a vacation from responsibility. How you spend your time here will greatly influence what your life looks like when you enter “the real world.” The world is open ended. It becomes a lot less intimidating when you equip yourself with the necessary tools. We in the Career Center would love to help you along your journey.

Resume 101

Every college graduate no matter what major will need one universal thing to succeed, a resume. Many graduates however have horrible resumes. They’re stale, cluttered, and do little to reflect the skills of the individual described. This is an increasing problem because employers will only look at a resume for an average of six seconds. That means that you have six seconds to vouch for why you are the better candidate out of the dozens of others who have also applied. A cramped resume filled with stock words such as dependable, awesome, and reliable are over used and do not grab the attention of an employer who has already sifted through hundreds other just like yours. Now that your eyes are opened and an arrow of fear for unemployment has pierced your mind, let’s look at some tips and tricks to help you beat the masses.

Do not use Microsoft Word. Yes, I am currently using Word to write this but it’s a blog not a resume. Your resume is the key to obtaining a professional job. Kelly Donovan, a resume specialist, describes Word’s templates as “ugly and ubiquitous.”  Having a template puts creative restrictions on your document.  Think of your resume as a canvas and you are the painter. A painter has full creative control and does need margins or restrictions. That is how you create your masterpiece. Your resume should reflect these qualities as well.

Say no to paragraphs. Large blocks of text will never get read. Remember, six seconds. Break everything up into sections based on skills, education, and experience. Avoid packing the page with every desirable attribute you possess. A resume’s purpose is to make the employer want to contact you and learn more about the person behind the resume. You want the employer to pursue you. Look at it like a relationship. Leave just enough information to interest them. Never crowd them with all of your positive points and wonderful characteristics. They won’t read it all. I promise.

Implement visuals. That doesn’t mean that you should take good rhetoric out of your resume. Additional graphics would better help your resume stand out to an organization. There are many professional websites and programs that can help you out create one. Visualize.me.com and InfoResume.com are easy beginner tools when you are looking for great visuals. Still include word devices within your resume though. When typing up your resume try to stay clear of Times New Roman, Cambria and Arial font. Use Calibri or Garamond, they read well on screen. Avoid putting everything in bold. I know every little thing may seem important to you, but placing caps and bold points throughout diminishes those that are actually of importance. Insert bolded items only when it is necessary.

A resume is the first hurdle you have to jump to get to that initial interview. Don’t fear or panic. The Liberty University Career Center is available to help you with your resume and cover letter. We provide many resources that can guide you through this process. Go to www.liberty.edu/careers for links to resume assistance and for direct help from our well-equipped staff. Making one may seem like a daunting task, but our staff will help you organize your resume so that you can get the job, pursue your passion, and maybe even change the world.

Caine’s Arcade

It’s never too early to own your own business and start a career! Check out this inspiring story of a 9 year old who started his own arcade in his father’s shop with nothing but some cardboard, tape and a lot of ingenuity.

Loving Your Job

Here’s a question right off the top: Have you ever been in a restaurant and seen a waitress wearing one of those shirts that read, “I love my job.” Inside, you probably laugh a little. She may like her job, or making good tips, but does she truly love her job?

Forbes.com released a list of the top 20 happiest jobs in America. Newsflash: Some people really do love their job. Here are some that caught my eye, and I’ll end with a challenge.

Topping the list was Software Quality Assurance Engineer. This is a well-paying job that is vital to the success of software manufacturers.  Tied for second were Executive Chef and Property Managers. Following these on the list were quite a few more involving software developers and technicians, while some were common jobs such as electrician and accountant.

Some on the list were management positions, which would make you think, “Of course they’re happy, they’re making good money.” But that might not be the whole story.

Consider this: “Many of the happiest jobs have some component with working with people,” Heidi Golledge, CareerBliss’ chief executive said. “Folks who work with others tend to rate their happiness higher on our site.”

While working with people, they likely possess certain gifts, traits and skills that made them a great fit. Essentially, they’re doing something that they were made to do. You can’t replace passion and genuine desire to do a job.

Can you say that about yourself? Maybe not yet, but what about your studies and degree plan? Are you studying something that you know you were meant to do?

If so, great. Continue to follow and pursue it so that you can hopefully make money doing what you enjoy. If not, what will you do about it? Changing careers is one possibility. First, do a self-examination to see if there are other things that could affect your happiness at work.  Then look at your job in a new light, and try to highlight the characteristics that attracted you to work there in the first place.

Not all of us will go around wearing t-shirts bragging on how much we love our job, but that doesn’t mean its not something to strive for.

Small Business vs Corporate America

Let’s imagine for a moment that you’re a basketball player and it’s the fourth quarter with three minutes left on the clock. Suddenly, you realize you’re the only player on the court and every shot you take keeps bouncing off the rim. Out of nowhere, the Miami Heat comes charging onto the court. You take the position of power forward, and your shots plunge seamlessly through the basket before the final sound of the buzzer. Now, note how your success was achieved. Did you win the game as a hot shot rookie by yourself, or did you win by joining an already established franchise?

The moral of that story? Team up with someone who’s already proven they know how to play the game. Let’s be a little honest about our economy right now. This isn’t its finest hour.  To those of you who will graduate with proud faces and a degree in hand, the world is about to transform into a scary place. Many people think that by creating a small business they will be more inclined to their own financial achievement and security. Well, not in today’s economy. To even start your own business you’re going to need money. A majority of future CEOs and managers borrow the funds they need to upstart. In comes the small business loan. A small business loan, given by the federal government, includes interest rates at seven percent and a repayment period that may last up to twenty years. Also, if your business fails, you still have to repay what you borrowed, plus interest. Recently, The JOBS Act passed through Congress, which could alter the relationship between small businesses and the federal government. This legislation is meant to give some breathing room for small businesses and provide easier ways of financing. Don’t expect immediate relief though. The JOBS Act has many distinct holes. Some come from resting on the foundation of crowdfunding, which isn’t even entirely legal. A Forbes magazine article by J.J Coloa called the Act, “. . . a regrettable amalgam of loosely related ideas and reforms . . . that dubiously ride the coattails of a worthy intention.” Loosening the regulations on how companies raise capital leaves too many liabilities.

Lloyd Chapman, a small business advocate, contributes to various publications regarding the dilemma small business’ face. In his most recent blog, he stated that billions of dollars per month in federal contracts, which legally should be awarded to small businesses, have been diverted to Fortune 500 firms in the U.S. and some of the biggest companies worldwide. This process is a part of capitalism. Capitalism is when production and distribution are privately or corporately owned. Small businesses have  been built up as a poster child for an American’s individuality and creative freedom to prosper. Corporations are depicted as brutal factories that inflict upon their workers long hours and small wages. However, some of the top corporations in America are necessary for us to live. Corporate America has become our backbone. Top companies such as Wal-Mart, Exxon and Ford are used by Americans every day making them necessary to our standard of living. Companies like these give their employees better health benefits than a small business, because they can actually afford to. They have little to no risk when it comes to the possibility of going under. Isn’t that a better future investment?

Corporations are the biggest donors to charities and environmental causes. They pump immense amount of income into our economy and keep our capitalistic society flowing. When it comes to your future, you need to take into consideration the most reliable options. At the end of the day do you want to be standing alone on the court or do you want Lebron James and Dwyane Wade scoring your goals?