How it Feels to Job Hunt as a Recent Grad

June is all about Dads and Grads according to advertising. (Not gonna lie, I sometimes forget about holidays until an ad tells me I should send my mother flowers.) 

The great part of graduating college is that you did it! You made it through four years of education, tests, trials, life lessons and hangovers. You're older, smarter, wiser and and a little chubbier than your younger self.

However, when it comes to looking for a job - you are not so savvy. And you realise you're on the bottom of the totem pole, starting over in whatever position is the lower version of a freshman in the professional world.

Good luck!

Here's a post of 8 of the Common Job Search Mistakes Recent Grads Make - the one that really stood out to me and that I wish I knew was "Not helping employers understand how your experience relates to their needs."  

And below is a fun gif series by NY Creative Interns (check out their job board and sign up for their newsletter for weekly opportunities, networking events in NY and online.)  

How it Feels to Job Hunt as a Recent Grad

You’ve just completed your college degree and you’re ready to take over the world!

You’ve heard that the job market isn’t so good, but you’re not worried at all.

 

First, you hunt for some entry level job postings online:

You quickly learn that entry level can actually mean 1-3 years experience.

But no worries! That’s what those college internships were for, right?

After finding a few decent job prospects, you get to work polishing up that resume:

Once your resume is up to par, it’s time to work on crafting the perfect cover letter. Let this company know just how thrilled you’d be to work there. 

Once those are both done, it’s time to send out your applications!

 Now it’s just time to sit back and wait for the job offers to roll in.

Errr…Fast forward a few weeks. You’ve filled out a few more applications but still haven’t heard anything back.

So you hunt for more jobs:

Write more cover letters:

And send out more applications:

 

You start to feel bad for yourself.

 

 You may even become a bit cranky.

The worst is when friends and relatives start asking if you’ve gotten a job yet.

You don’t know what else you can do.

But then, one day you come across the NY Creative Interns website:

It has a highly curated list of entry level jobs and internships in creative fields.

It also has helpful blog posts with tips for building your network, acing an interview, improving your resume, and more.

As well as a Weekly Opportunities Newsletter emailed every Monday!

Best of all, there are lots of in person and virtual events where you can gain insight and advice from creative professionals, build your network, and meet awesome new people.

Remember, you’re not alone. Finding a job out of school can be tough. But with the help of NY Creative Interns, you can make the best of this learning experience.

Confessions of a Recovering Perfectionist

I often write notes to myself. Not because I'm insane (Well...partially because of that) but mostly because writing things down helps me remember  and seeing words in all caps is like a silent yell from my inner self. And it's really hard to ignore my inner self.

I have a few around my desk, "It's only impossible until it's not." and "Complaining doesn't change anything. Action does." 

In February I added "Perfection is the enemy of done." 

And as much as that note yells at me, it’s been a tough lesson to live. 

Confession: I have a thing for Perfection. Or better yet, my personal idea of Perfection. I want things to be as buttoned up, as impactful, and as shiny as possible. If it's a representation of me, it has to be quality. Like Barney's level quality.

However, my problem is that I go miles past Kmart in to Nordstrom territory - which is a very, very good place to be -  but keep pushing, fighting, stressing and obsessing to get to Barney's. And I wear myself the eff out getting there or beat myself up for having not made it all the way. 

And those times I do get there, I’m not sure the store windows are clean enough, or the AC is at the right temp. What if someone thinks the revolving door is completely idiotic? (These are just metaphors of course. I’m talking about work – creating an ad or writing a headline and all that jazz, not building a department store.)

It's not that I'm scared of failing. (Read Mistakes Won't Kill You) And I totally believe in trying as many options as you can and doing multiple versions, and editing and re-editing. (Read Edit, then Edit Again) 

My issue is that I have a really hard time with things not being just right. Even if it’s at 98.9% right – I want that last 1.1%. So I often overthink, overedit, overanalyse, overwrite and pretty much drive myself mad.

Perfection is the enemy.

When you have an 8 a.m. deadline, Perfection will have you up all night, drinking unhealthy amounts of 5 Hour Energy and ignoring your body’s pleas for basic things like sleep and bathroom breaks.

When you need to present 3 versions of an ad, but the 2^nd one isn’t just right, Perfection will have you staring at a screen until your eyes twitch. Perfection will make you have 4 browser tabs open, all on Thesaurus.com, combing through lists and lists of ways to say the same damn thing, agonizing over every little detail. Perfection will leave you with one really great version, one good version and one red-headed-step-child version.

Perfection will make you look bad in front of your boss and coworkers.

Perfection will make you late for meetings.

Perfection will leave you with stupid, amateurish mistakes (like its/it's.)

Perfection will make you doubt yourself, your abilities and your entire purpose in life.

Perfection will wear you supermarket-plastic-bag thin.

Perfection will keep you from actually getting shit done.

 

I’m not at all saying just focus on just getting to the finish line, whether or not it’s any good. I’m saying if you’re aiming for exceptional and end up with great – be thankful for great and move on. It's better to have something complete to show than something half-baked but beautiful. (Or worse, a very shiny turd.)

There will be time to edit and re-edit. Trust me, your boss, project managers, account people and client will find always something wrong with what you did, no matter how perfect you thought it was.

You’ll have time to go back and make it better. To Barneyfy it. And you’ll come to realize that sometimes, Nordstrom’s is exactly what they wanted. Or that your Nordstrom’s is someone else’s Barney’s.

What you never want to do is mis-manage your time, miss deadlines, drop the ball on things, burn yourself out or sacrifice your health in chasing this ideal of Perfection.

Don’t be so hard on yourself.

No one expects you to be perfect. No one expects you to have Barney’s quality all the time. Or to never make a mistake. 

But  everyone expects you to deliver. To actually get shit done. And to do it well. (Whether at work or in school.)

If it's a good idea, that will show. Even if it's written on a napkin. It's better to finish it and have something to show, instead of spending hours polishing what turns out to be a very pretty Dollar General idea and realise you stressed yourself out for nothing. 

Focus on completing first, then get to finessing and polishing. Everyone is going to have feedback on what you do anyway. And you’re probably going to look back in a month and see how you can make it better. (Read Your Book WillNever Be Done.)

I’m going to take my own advice and finish this post. It’s a good post. And it doesn’t have to be perfect. (Read Be A Mess)

Wait. Let me just pull out my thesaurus and red pen and read it one more time.

No. I won't do it. I'm done.

Hi, my name is Neisha and I'm dangerously Virgo and an insatiable perfectionist. And I'm working on getting over myself.

Here's some notes you can write to yourself to help you get over yourself too.

Internship 104: 8 Ways to Network

That saying "Get your foot in the door" means so much in advertising. Connections are (fortunately/unfortunately) everything.

Now that your foot is in there, start working on how you can stay there. (And I guess you should figure out how to bring the rest of your body in too. It starts getting cold around November.) 

While you're interning, make sure you take the time to socialise and meet people.

Eight Quick (and seemingly obvious) Networking Tips: 

Go to events at your agency. During the summer, most agencies are a little slower and do fun things like Summer Fridays (half or full days off) and have lots of socials and events.
Read Drinking Is Good For Your Job

Go to events at other agencies. Be on the look out on LinkedIn, Facebook and with your friends who work at other places to find out what's going on, when and where.
Read What to Do When You're New 

Meet other interns. Whether or not they're in your internship program, department or even on your floor -- reach out to them, hang out with them, get to know who they know. You never know -- you may end up being  an usher at one of their weddings.  (Happened to me, could happen to you if you played your cards right.) 

Meet recently-hired people. Talk to other entry-level people and juniors. Find out about how they got in, what they know, who they know and learn all you can from them. Except for bad habits. Don't learn those.
Read Shyness Will Get You Nowhere

Ask people to lunch or to grab a coffee. Whether it's a junior, another intern, an ACD or a planner on your team, a smile and a simple "Hey, wanna run grab a coffee with me?" or "Hey, wanna try to grab lunch on Tuesday?" will get you far. Smokers have smoking breaks, which are amazingly social (and life-threatening). I use lunch and coffee/tea breaks to socialise in a way you don't usually get to sitting in conference rooms or cubicles.
Read Small Talking Series 101, 102 - Use the News, 103- 5 Questions, 104 - Introducing Yourself  

Use LinkedIn. Update your profile, add all your links, work and relevant experience, join groups and share articles, and reach out to people you meet along the way to keep their contact information and get access to who they know. (BTW I hate when people give me business cards, I lose them and feel like a litterer. I prefer whipping out my phone and adding them on LinkedIn right then and there. It's 2013 after all.) 
Read: How to Get Ignored on Linked In

Ask questions. Seriously. Even if you think it's dumb. Even if you think it's something you should know. (Maybe then, just ask one person, quietly. Or Google it. But definitely ask -- knowing is always better than not knowing.) 

Be yourself. Or be Chuck Norris. Either one of those works.

Here are some related posts with more advice, tips and information
Networking & Following Up Tips to Help People Remember You
Seriously, You Have to Make People Remember You 
How to Make Small Talk  
People to Always Be Nice To 

Internship 103: 5 Ways Not To Suck At Email

Never, ever, ever hit send before you read what you just wrote at least twice. Do it out loud
if necessary. Then do it one more time, just in case.

It's easy to say "I'm too busy" Or "I just need to say this real quick" Or "Let me do this on my way to the kitchen/bathroom/next meeting..." But doing that is almost as dangerous as not using condoms. You may get away fine a few times, but one day... you'll surely be fucked.

When it comes to emails -- ESPECIALLY work emails -- you have to be very conscious and very cautious.

Here are 5 Ways To Deal With Emails: 

1. Make sure you're saying what needs to be said in the most concise, professional and clear way.

2. Say only what needs to be said. Nobody has time to read an essay. Cut out anything that isn't essential. (For instance, those  last two sentences I just wrote)

3. Don't make yourself look stupid by making foolish gramatical mistakes and typos. Seriously. Don't do it.

4. Never respond when you're angry, scared or frantic. You'll regret everything after you hit send.

5. Don't fill the send field until you're done writing, editing and proofreading your email. Sending something too quickly or to the wrong person is an epidemic. Don't become a statistic.

The five things probably look simple enough. But there's really an art to it. Being able to properly represent yourself, your opinions/feelings and your agency in writing is something that comes with time.

Here are some related posts about emailing. Have a look while I go re-read this post and make sure I'm not embarrassing myself.

Dos & Donts of Emailing
The Art of Emailing
Follow Up Email Template
Email writing tips

Internship 102: 12 Things You Must Do

The Creative Wannabe Work Commandments was one of my very first posts, and probably
one of my favourites.

If you've never read it, take notes. If you have already read it, read it again and refresh your notes.

Today is a great day to be awesome.


Twelve Things You Should Chisel Into Your Memory

Whether you're an intern or junior, there are certain rules you need to conduct yourself by to make people like you and want to work with you.

Sure you're great. You know it and I know it and your mom knows it. However, these folks at Agency X have no idea, and quite honestly are too busy trying to show off their own greatness to care.

I went up to a mountain top (aka sat on my bed) and meditated (tried real hard to remember things from my internships + first year at work) and spoke to the advertising gods (napped) and put together this list of
Creative Wannabe Work Commandments.

* Never be late. Ever. Lightning will strike you down and kill you if you are. (Or not.) Get in before everyone and leave after them. 5:30 pm is midafternoon break time. Some of the biggest client changes - and biggest opportunities for you to get called to do some work - happen at the very last minute. Which is usually about 5 minutes before you're ready to go home. 

* Dress like a creative, only better. There's no official dress code for creative types, so vans, torn jeans and Random Band #7 t-shirts are perfectly fine, but don't dress as if you're going to school, your friend's house, a party, a sleepover, the beach, the bathroom or a cocktail party. Dress in a way that if someone met you, they'd never assume you were an intern or junior and if the client were in the office the team wouldn't be ashamed to introduce you. Pick the best dressed person and use them as your template. 

* Never get drunk around co-workers. Even if you're at a bar. Even if they're drunk. Even if it's your birthday. Even if they encourage you to have just one more. There's a lot of socializing over drinks in advertising, sometimes at work (shh) or outside of the office. Don't ever confuse your colleagues with your college buddies. You'll have to see them again tomorrow morning, sober and straight-faced. You can't take back anything said or done over scotch and tequila shots. Remember that.  


* Keep busy. If you have no assignments, ask for one. Ask your supervisor, ask his supervisor, ask her partner, ask everyone around if they need help with anything, if you can sit in on their meeting, if you can look over their shoulder creepily. If you're finished your work, Oliver Twist out in the piece and ask for more.Volunteer yourself, offer your services, step up and slide yourself into every opportunity to do some work and - here's what really matters - impress people.

* Limit Idling (On and off line). I love Facebook and Twitter as much as the average bear and I often use them to do research, but when people walk by my desk, there's no way they can tell if I'm skimming our competitor's fanpages to see what we can do better than them or if I'm buying a cow on Farmville. And that's what they'll assume. They also assume you're taking a long lunch if you're away from your desk too long, you're gossiping if you're talking to a coworker in the hall and you're taking a nap if you're in the bathroom for too long. (Confession: I've been guilty of this.) Always look occupied and engaged so they feel like they need you there.

* Don't say no. Never turn down an assignment or feedback. You're at the bottom of the totem pole and the best way to work your way up is to (wait for it) work. So if someone asks you to do something and it's late/you're too busy/you don't want to do it - don't say no, say you'll try to work something out, or you'll see if So Andso can help or ask for more time to get it done. Don't ever turn down an opportunity to show you're dependable, hardworking and amazing. If the client or account people ask you to do something creatively outrageous, you'll learn more diplomatic ways of saying no. My favorite is "Oh, that could be interesting. I'll try to work something out with that and see what other solutions we can come up with."

* Overdeliver. If they ask you to do three versions, do four. If they ask for "some" headlines, write ten. If they say "come up with a campaign" come up with three and flush them out in a wicked presentation that shows how your idea works across all media. Go above and beyond. Treat every assignment, no matter how big or small, like it's your final assignment and your entire grade depends on it. 

*  Save the drama. I was going to say for your mama, but she doesn't want it either. This is a place of business, so put your personal life on mute once you step through those doors. Limit personal calls, conversations and visits. Don't stress about your boyfriend on company time. And God forbid, don't talk about that girl you may or may not meet up with later before/during/after the status meeting. No one cares. And you don't want them to. They'll look at you different and possibly like you less. You want them to know that you're a hard worker, a quick learner and a creative genius - nothing else matters. Nothing.

* Get a mentor and an ally. Find someone on your team or on another team who you respect and can ask for guidance, advice and introductions. (Advertising is very much about who you know and who they know. So make those connections.) And find an ally, someone on your team who you can share your work and ideas with, discuss projects and day to day things, and who can say they know you, like you and think that you're a hard worker, quick learner and creative genius.  Neither of these people should be your boss, and they don't even really have to have a big title or anything, your mentor should have about 5 years on you and your ally at least 2. Just make sure you have two people you can turn to if you need rescuing or a recommendation. 

* Always take notes. Write that one down. Always have a pen and pad with you. Write down all the important things to remember during the meeting - and things to Google later (People throw around terms like "top of the line" and "POP" and "MCOW" like they're Skittles.) Jot down your first thoughts, doodle, write tag lines, make product pro + con lists. Plus having a pad always makes you look much more serious and involved than everyone else. 

* Be professional. Creative Departments are super laid back. People skate board, play Wii, drink beer, curse, slam doors, blast Kanye a little too loud and throw balls across the room. However, these people have been working there far longer than you have. One day, you will be that person. But today, you're not. So be on your Ps and Qs. Don't get too casual in conversation or email. Avoid slangs, curses, sexist/racist/homophobic statements or jokes, oversharing and being loud. Your coworkers are not your friends. Your office is not your house. You are here to work and make sure everyone sees that that is your #1 priority.

* Keep track of your accomplishments. People may not notice how much you're doing, what you've contributed or the kind of progress you've made. So create a folder or make a list and keep all of your wins so in 3 or so months, you can see how far you've come and most importantly, prove that you're an asset to that agency. Feel free to title the folder or list "Evidence of My Greatness." I won't judge you for it.