Job Challenge Day 5: What Are Your Tips for a Successful Interview?

With so many of us on the job hunt AND so many interviews completed, what are your tips on a successful interview?  Did you hear similar questions in each interview?  Once hired, did the boss/supervisor give you a compliment on why your interview was so good?  Let us know!

Day 5:  What are your tips for a successful interview?

Job Challenge Day 4: Where Do You ‘Look’ for Job Oppurtunities?

Career centers, calling companies, career fairs, websites, instructors?  College Lifestyles is incredibly excited to start listing both job and internship openings to our website starting 4/19; but where do you find out about job opportunities?

Our CEO was pretty bold when looking for jobs, ‘I called the HR department at local hospitals, wellness centers, and any where else.  I was pretty desperate for a job.  Sure, I got hung up on and told no, but one call did lead to a job!’

Day 4:  Where do you ‘look’ for job opportunities?

 

Remember to RSVP for our Job Search Twitter Party on 4/18 9pm EST/8pm CST using the hashtag #CLchat.  On 4/19, you will be able to upload your resume to our site to aid us in your job search!

Pre-Interview Checklist: 5 Things You Need To Do

Pat yourself on the back: you just nabbed an interview for your dream internship or job! However, stepping into the office and shaking hands (a manicure’s a must!) with your interviewer is hardly the beginning. Prior to the big day, ease those pre-interview woes by checking the following five tips off of your checklist.

 

Social Media Clean-up 

Knowing how to efficiently communicate digitally is vital (and why half the planet has either a Facebook or Twitter profile–and those are only the most well-known forms of social media communication). Because of human reliance on social media, posting incriminating words or photos onto a website is an afterthought. Be smart and stay ahead of the game by keeping suspect items out of your photos or not uploading any negative images altogether.

And it’s not just photos. Tailor your “About Me” section as if it were a cozy resume. For example, do include any books you’ve read and quotes that portray you in a positive manner, not in one which suggests all you do is party. Even if it is what you do, your boss doesn’t care to know!

Research the Company

Walking into the interview cold-turkey is the best way to be unprepared. What will you do when the interviewer wants your thoughts on how the company markets their products? Or what if the interviewer asks you what was your favorite magazine issue of 2011 and why? You’ll freeze up if you have no idea, but it’ll be smooth sailing if you invested time into company-scaping.

What’s the STAR Method?

Situation or Task, Action Taken, Results Achieved

In short, the STAR method is  a style of behavioral interviewing meant for throwing the interviewee off guard a bit, testing your ability to respond quickly, properly, and critically to specific questions. Not everyone uses this method, but it’s always best to be prepared. And remember, flip any flaw into a positive! If your weakness is time management, state how you enjoy taking on several duties and helping others because you have many skills, but you are also dedicated to quality task-completion.

Sample STAR questions:

1. How have you handled a situation in which the information presented to you was conflicting or there was no clear right or wrong answer?
2. Give me an example of a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before.
3. Tell me about a time when you felt it necessary to compromise your own immediate interests in order to be flexible and tolerant of another person’s needs.

Practice Makes Perfect

Now’s the time to make good use of your campus Career Center. See if it provides mock interviews for you to practice your vocals, body language, and facial expressions with a trained professional. Remember, career-oriented interviews will be different than an interview for Urban Outfitters.

And get comfortable with your bathroom mirror by reciting  responses in front of it. Although it may seem initially-awkward, being acquainted with your expressions in front of a mirror is best because “Your face will often speak louder than your words,” Ted Heckman said via careerealism.com.

Buy A Leather Notepad

Don’t shuffle into an interview with a large tote. A classy and stylish notepad is very professional and limits how much you will have to carry. It’s also a safe place to store a pen, jot down notes and questions before or during the interview, and for keeping copies of your resume and cover letter. You can buy one online or find them at your campus bookstore, but beware of the steep price tags.

As always, Walmart to the rescue! Walmart carries leather notepads at an alarmingly affordable price. Below is what one for 10 bucks looks like:

Do all of the above and your future boss will be eager to tell you…

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

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Job Challenge Day 3: Interview Day Superstitions?

While this question may seem a little odd, think about it.  Do you do something before a huge exam – listening to a favorite song, yoga – to relax you?  If so, we want to know!

Day 2:  Will you have an interview day superstition?

Job Challenge Day 2: Who is Your Business/Career Role Model?

While this question may or may not be asked in an interview, learning where your business/career role model ‘got their start’ can help you build your career path.  Research your role model’s previous internships, job experiences, and current volunterism practices.  Determine if you can apply for similar internships and jobs, as well as if you can participate in their philanthropic endeavors.

Day 2:  Who is your business/career role model?

Job Challenge Day 1: Why Do You Want to Be a (insert career choice)?

Often asked in a job interview, why do you want to be a (insert your career choice)?  Think about why you selected this career field, why taking these courses made you happy, etc.  By writing it down below, you can practice the statements for your job/internship interviews!

Day 1:  Why Do You Want to Be A (insert career choice)?

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Date A Co-Worker

You can bet temptation may arise while working in close quarters with attractive colleagues. But whether you fold clothes at a boutique or bus tables at a restaurant, hooking up with a co-worker is a certified no-no.  Are you lusting over a new employee? Read these next five tips before taking it any further.

 

Productivity

Having a boyfriend or girlfriend in college is distracting, no? Picture that, but let it interfere with another top priority instead—where you make money. Particularly during the beginning fairytale stage (ah, puppy love), you’ll want to linger around your beau and see what they’re up to, thus neglecting your work. You’re supposed to be impressing your boss, not showing him that you’re needy.

Professionalism

Having a relationship with someone you work with is neither appealing to your fellow employees nor your superiors who will have to watch your PDA or any explosive arguments. You were hired for your strengths and abilities and with the hopes that you can make tough decisions, including choosing to not fall in love with the closest cashier.

Also, some businesses have laws to abide by that include a policy in which employees aren’t allowed to date or marry co-workers or supervisors. Make sure you’re aware of these stipulations prior to signing a contract.

Favoritism

Let’s face it, you’d likely choose to work on a task with your spouse or would be less likely to report something wrong that they’d done, which could, in turn, cost you your job. Making the love of your life your favorite can also be a foundation for fights, as your significant other may eventually (and jealously) wonder why you might’ve chosen to work with another guy or girl over them.

Office Talk

Having a relationship within a place of already-gossipy employment gives your colleagues all the more reason to spread a rumor or two. People are bored at work and will stir up anything juicy to get through the day. Avoid it all by keeping it classy and keeping your dating-life separate from your workplace!

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

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College Lifestyles Interviews La Carmina: Fashion Blogger, TV Host, World Traveler

Want to travel the world? Be on TV? Write a book? La Carmina has done all that and more.  After being accepted to Yale Law School at just 20 years old, La Carmina needed a creative outlet and began a style blog in September 2007. Since then, La Carmina has acquired an impressive resume a mere 7 years after her graduation from Columbia University. College Lifestyles had the chance to pick this multimedia guru’s brain, and find out how you can do all the cool things she does – for a living.

 

College Lifestyles (CL): Could you explain for our readers what exactly it is you do?
La Carmina (LC): I’m a travel and fashion TV host, journalist, and blogger at http://www.lacarmina/com/blog. My focus is on alternative and Gothic youth subcultures, in Japan and all over the world. I was born in Vancouver, Canada and studied at Columbia University and Yale Law, but I started a blog and it led me down a life-changing road. I’m now the author of 3 books — including Cute Yummy Time (Penguin) and Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo (Random House) — and a journalist for CNN, Huffington Post, AOL. My ”First Mate” and I started a TV fixing, hosting and coolhunting (CL Note: ie trendspotting) firm, called “La Carmina & The Pirates.” I also host my own web series for AOL / Huffington Post, and constantly travel for appearances and press trips (this year, I participated in a panel and sat front row at New York Fashion Week). Right now, my focus is on television presenting; my credits include The Today Show, Travel Channel, NHK Japan, Fuel/Discovery/National Geographic, Food Network, Pepsi, Sony, Norway TV, CNN. All my TV clips are here.

CL: How did you start each of these ventures?
LC: From the start, my blog focused on my passion: Japanese, alternative and subculture style. As fashion blogging blew up, I was fortunate to have opportunities to host TV shows, travel (New York, Italy, Hong Kong, Mexico, Japan), and write for major publishers and media organizations. My site organically led to these opportunities; Andrew Zimmern’s production company found me because I wrote a book about theme restaurants and blogged about bizarre Japanese cafes. They invited to be the guide on Bizarre Foods in Tokyo. After, I kept receiving television hosting and arranging offers, so I started a company with my First Mate Naomi, called La Carmina & The Pirates. We also do coolhunting, consulting, Tokyo tour guiding and other missions.

CL: What is a typical day like for you?
LC: Each day is different, depending on whether I’m on a TV shoot, traveling, or working on my site and Pirate jobs. If I’m on a travel TV shoot, it’s go-go-go from morning to night. There’s tons of advance planning, from getting filming permits to sorting out each step of the itinerary. On low-key days, I spend time with my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow, and catch up on the deluge of emails that never seems to end.

CL: By the looks of it, you’re an extremely busy person – how do you manage your time?
LC: I believe in “working smart.” A lot of people work themselves to the ground for no reason or gain. I think it’s important to manage your time well, say no to the unessential tasks, and delegate. Fortunately, since my work is strongly personality-based, work and play are usually linked.

CL: How did you become interested in Japanese culture?
LC: Since my family is from Asia, we often traveled to Japan when I was young. In my early teens, I visited Harajuku and adored the vibrant street fashion and culture – Jrock, Gothic Lolita, Punk, Kawaii. This was the initial spark that led to where I am today. I continue to be fascinated by Japanese pop culture, such as the weird theme restaurants and cute bento boxes.

CL: How did last year’s 3/11 earthquake affect your work?
LC: Many of my friends were affected by the disaster, and I wanted to do something to help. I fundraised in LA, and released two design collaborations to benefit Japan: a HOPE benefit t-shirt with Like Atmosphere, and a panda bear necklace with Soho Hearts. Both are for sale here, with proceeds going to the earthquake and tsunami victims. These charity collections are meaningful to me because they’re an artistic response to the disaster; a way to raise awareness and rebuild. On the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami (March 11), I also teamed up with two amazing Industrial dancers, tank9 and Mary Nine. We filmed a dance video in Seattle, for Ridley Scott’s “Japan in a Day” project — you can watch it here. Our footage captures the immense positivity and energy of youths teaming up for an important cause.

CL: Why do you think you’ve become so successful as an online presence, and how can CL readers do the same?
LC: Part of it is luck and good timing; I started La Carmina blog in 2007, when blogging was a relatively new phenomenon. I posted frequently, participated in social networks and built everything up gradually. I also feel that when an opportunity presents itself, you should try to take it as far as it can go — the sky’s the limit. I never dreamed I could have these amazing gigs in travel and TV, but now it’s my life.

CL: How did your undergraduate experience shape your career?
LC: I studied at Columbia University in New York City. I like to say I majored in “nightcrawling,” since I probably learned more from the city’s alt nightlife than the classroom! However, I loved my school’s Core Curriculum, and humanities courses in Japanese culture and philosophy. Going to Columbia and Yale Law let me explore my interests and figure out what I wanted to do.

CL: What advice do you have for aspiring writers/fashion designers/TV hosts?
LC: Prove that you’ve got the track-record (schooling, portfolio of successful projects). Show numbers and the results that you can
deliver. And only work with people who “get it.” You have something special to offer, a window into the world you inhabit — so make sure your clients appreciate and respect that. I think a college education always helps to broaden your mind, and get you where you want to be.

CL: What’s your favorite place you’ve been and why?
LC: I love Tokyo’s spooky scene. You’ll always find me and my friends at Goth Industrial and Fetish parties. I also spend too much time in the Japanese Lolita Jrock Punk second hand store, Closet Child.

CL: What’s your favorite part of the job? What’s the most difficult?
LC: Nothing makes me happier than hearing from readers, who say my blog brightened up their day, or inspired/ helped them in some way. Sometimes it’s challenging to work for yourself — you have to always juggle and chase new projects — but I love the freedom and flexibility it gives me.

CL: How do you manage your personal relationships when you travel so much?
LC: Skype and email makes it easy to keep in touch. And my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow is endlessly forgiving.

CL: Goth-Loli style is beautiful but very dramatic. What is a good ’starter outfit’ for someone who wants to incorporate a little bit of this style in their wardrobe?
LC: There’s no rulebook that states you must own certain items or wear expensive Japanese brands to enter this lovely world. Instead, you can make Lolita a part of your life in many small ways. And the further you explore this wonderland, the more your confidence will grow. Start with tiny “tips of the hat” to Lolita fashion in your daily wear. For example, you might wear a big bow in your hair, or doll eyelashes, or a cute tutu skirt. My friends and I like to mix Loli influences into our clothes; we don’t believe you have to look like an Angelic Pretty model in order to genuinely enjoy the fashion.

CL: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
LC: “Don’t be a tuna head!” From the Maniac Mansion computer game.

CL: Is there anything important that you’d like to share with CL that I haven’t asked?
LC:  It’s impossible to predict the path you’ll end up on, but a college education will always help you to get there. I’ve found that my writing and reporting has benefited from my studies, and that companies have been more keen to work with me because of my degrees. I didn’t end up in law, but found a path that I love, and that’s 100% me. And you can do the same! I hope you’ll stay tuned to my La Carmina blog, to see where my adventures take me next.

Want to know more about La Carmina? Check out her blog, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter!

Sasha Graffagna is a New York University junior studying Journalism and Comparative Literature. She is currently on exchange at La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

5 ways to career-proof your Facebook

Employers taking a look at your social media sites are common. Most people include everything about their daily lives and let’s face it, it does tell a lot about the type of person you are. According to the Society for Human Resource Management in a survey conducted last year of companies that screen applicants’ social media sites, 73 percent said they don’t give the applicants a chance to explain questionable information. So CL is here to help and give you 5 ways to clean up your Facebook page.

Go through photo albums and profile pictures

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. The very first thing you want to tackle in cleaning up your Facebook page is your photo albums and profile pics. This will probably be the hardest thing to do because every picture holds great memories, but it won’t look good if an employer sees you kicking butt in beer pong or showing off that tinsy winsy bikini at the beach. Not sure what images need to go? We’ll break it down for you.

-          Partial or semi-partial nudity

-          You making out with your boyfriend

-          Photos that include drinking

-          Provocative outfits

-          Any obscene gesture or action

If you’re still having trouble deciding what should be deleted, ask yourself this simple question: Would I be o.k. with an employer looking at this picture with me right next to them? If you had a small heart attack, remove it.

Tags and wall posts

Sometimes, you never know what a friend may tag you in or post on your wall. The next step is to go through photos other people put up of you. If it involves anything from our list above, untag it and you can ask your friend to remove it. It might also be a good idea to set your settings so you have to approve tagged posts before they show up on your profile. To do this go to privacy settingsà scroll down to Timeline and Tagging and click edit settings à select ‘on’ for Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline. Once you’re done with that, check your wall for posts from friends using inappropriate or offensive language and delete them.

Status updates

Status updates are a good way people get to know what’s going on in your life. This can be good or bad. Remove all statuses that use inappropriate or offensive language (ex. Cursing). Keep statuses simple and mature.

About me/Info Section

This section offers tons of information all on the same page so it’s important to keep it professional. Keep your bio short, classy and to the point. Talk about personal and career goals and positive qualities. Relationship status is something you might overlook but an employer may not so it’s not a good idea to claim you’re a ‘widow’ when you’re really not. Your friends may think it’s funny but an employer won’t. Quotations should follow the same rules as status updates – simple and mature. If it’s quotes of instead jokes only your friends would get, it’s offensive, controversial or just plain immature delete it.

Use good judgment

There’s no way of getting around employers taking a look at your Facebook or social media pages so use common sense when it comes to what you post. NEVER say anything negative about past employers or internships (this does include unflattering remarks about coworkers). Don’t use bad language and think twice before you post. Chances are if you have to think twice about posting something it probably shouldn’t be up there.

 

Cleaning up your social media presence doesn’t have to be a daunting task but it is a necessary one. Check out CL’s article on Employers request Facebook passwords. Accept or Reject?

 

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

Employers request Facebook passwords. Accept or Reject?

Over the past month Facebook has been a popular topic when stories broke about employers asking potential employees for their Facebook password. It doesn’t come as a surprise employers check social media as a way to get a better glimpse of a potential employee, but for some people it draws a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

Jamisa Spalding, 24, said she has not experienced an employer asking her for any of her social media passwords during her job-hunting process but a classmate of hers has had this happen.  “She told me that while on an interview with a law firm for an internship position they asked her for her Facebook password and she told them no.” Unfortunately, her classmate did not get the internship. “It’s an invasion of privacy,” said Spalding. “There has to be other ways employers can get the information they are looking for.”

Shakeya Kapri, 24, suggested employers use personality and in-depth questionnaires as an alternative to get to know the person being interviewed. “Unless it’s a company Facebook page they should not be asking for that information,” said Kapri. “It’s confidential”

 

JoAnne Ryder, 23, said she understands why employers would want to check Facebook but she believes all the information needed can be obtained without having access to someone’s password. “It seems out of the ordinary that an employer would even ask for it,” said Ryder. “I think they are taking it too far. Just look the person up on Facebook and if their profile is private send them a friend request.”

Theresa Cooper, 22, said she will be graduating in May and is beginning to start her job search. “It’s a little invasive,” said Cooper. “These employers can get the information they need the old-fashioned way with good-old interviewing but if it was a job I really really wanted what choice do I have. I would rather have a job versus Facebook.”

 

CL wants to know your thoughts. Would you give up your password for your dream job? How do you feel about employers asking for social media passwords?

Need help cleaning up your Facebook? Check out CL’s 5 ways to career-proof your Facebook.

 

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Minyvonne Burke is a fashion and lifestyle writer for College Lifestyles ™. She graduated from Point Park University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Hofstra University. She loves online shopping, cute bags and NYC.

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