So not only am I applying to full-time positions in Atlanta, I've also gone onto the Nordstrom website to apply to part-time jobs. Here's hoping to hear from someone or something soon!
Still signing off
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Just Keep Truckin' (Applying to Jobs That Is)
If you are unemployed and think you are too good for a part-time job, then I think you're missing out on a great place to network! Since working at the restaurant, I've met many fellow grads like myself who are also looking for jobs. A restaurant is a great way to network because you talk to customers one on one. The best shift to work for network is lunch. It might not be the best to make money, but I've gotten many business cards after talking to customers about my degree and my desired career path. (Of course it doesn't hurt that I just love to talk to people!)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Moving in a Few Weeks? Where Did the Time Go?
Somehow it became September already and now I'm scrambling to find out what I have to get done before I move. Of course moving to an entirely different state, almost 1000 mi away is a lot different than moving down the street or across town. Here are some of the things I need to take care of before I hit the road: (And don't worry, I've been applying to jobs left and right).
1) Packing: Well the most dreaded thing on the entire list. I was hoping when I moved home to Boston, it would be for a while (find a job, make money for a couple years etc etc). I am NOT looking forward to that...
2) Address Change: I think I should maybe wait until I get there to actually do the address change. I would hope my parents would hold onto my mail for me. Plus my dad loves opening my mail anyways.
3) Bank Change: My current bank is only found in suburbs of Boston, so it wouldn't be very useful in Atlanta. I'm going to have to maybe go to Bank of America. Of course I also need to look at more options...
4) Car Insurance: Ok this is one change I am SO looking forward to do. I really feel like my insurance is ripping me off, but I'm gonna wait for the policy to expire for the year. That way I'll still be covered in GA. I think I'll also wait until then to
5) New License/New plates: I think the correct order I have to do this is license first, then plates/registration and then insurance? I'm not really sure.
6) Medical Insurance: I'm still covered under my dad's plan until I'm 25, but I'm not sure how it would work if I move out. Plus if I get a job and claim myself independent on taxes does that mean I'm not dependent on my dad's insurance?
As you can see, I still have a lot of questions to get answered before I move down there. The problem is that my dad is not very happy that I'm moving out and feels that it's not a good decision on my part. And when dad isn't happy, no one's happy. I just wish I could sit down and ask him these questions and not have to worry about him judging me or saying some smart remark about me being poor...he wasn't exactly rich when he was my age either. Plus I won't be entirely alone. My boyfriend's mom moved back into the area, so I'll still have someone who can give me advice or help if I need it.
I am open to suggestions, my readers! I need help figuring this stuff out. Am I going in the right direction? I just feel like I can get more help from Clemson if I'm closer to the network (regarding finding a job). Let me know what you think!
Still signing off as...
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
P.S.
I've been doing some updates on my portfolio page if you haven't checked it out yet. I just finished a logo for and independent film co. "astropiano films" if you haven't checked it out already! The logo will be featured at their first film premier for "Sunblocked" opening October 1, 2010 in Harvard Square!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Learning Social Media Part 2: Wikis
I know I haven't posted in a long time. This whole part time job thing is taking over my life! But the update is that I'm moving to Atlanta Oct. 2nd! I'm very excited and now I need to dedicate most of my free time to find a job!!
However, I have been really getting into social media and learning what it has to offer. So today--I'm learning about Wikis. According to Wiki.com a Wiki is "A database of pages which visitors can edit live." Essentially, you could make a wiki about anything: vacations, businesses etc. The wiki allows users to edit the pages right in your internet browser. Edits can be made in real time and appear almost instantly within the wiki page. Many wikis now are making their editing easier to casual users with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). This way the user doesn't need to know HTML in order to add graphical elements to the page (bold, italic, pictures etc.) sort of like when you're editing your Blogger page!
Most wikis record each edit of a page. This makes it easy for users to revert back to a more "correct" version of the page if the edited content is inappropriate or false information. Wikis have attracted the interest in experts and have becoming more and more trustworthy. Most have links to articles used as reference, so they are a good tool to use if you need references for a paper on a subject like... security printing...
A wiki that I used in college for research help was PrintWiki:
The PrintWiki allows users to add or delete information. They also encourage using the wiki as a forum for discussions on print related issues. PrintWiki posts Industry news so you can stay updated on topics that are discussed on the wiki.
Wikis are a useful tool in marketing. However, using a wiki for marketing a business or product there a set of suggested rules to follow. Wikis are used to give information, so you want to avoid sounding too biased or too promotional; stick to the facts. On Wikipedia's own "Starting an article in Wikipedia" page, they suggest writing with a neutral point of view to avoid conflicts of interest. Wikipedia also states that wiki pages/articles should be notable, meaning that it should be found in an encyclopedia. So you shouldn't write about yourself or your own business. Businesses should just edit the content written ABOUT them rather than write about themselves, but again remembering to stay neutral. You can read more about creating a Wikipedia article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page
I hope that expanded your view of wikis. Wikis help engage people in topics and encourage creativity and discussions with people across the country and even the world. Definitely something to learn if you want to really get into social media and information.
So I'm continuing my job search today (helping out some other new grads about navigating the job sites). I've already applied to a couple social media positions. I hope I hear from someone soon! I might have to get in contact with Clemson GC department and see if they know of any position in the Atlanta area.
Signing off still...
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Learning Social Media
Social media is one of the largest growing marketing platform today. It can help you reach out to new customers and let them know what you and/or your company is up to. As you all know, I am "FUN-EMPLOYED" and currently searching for a job. Today I started to expand on my (slight) social media obsession in order to add to my resume.
After applying to a job as a Social Media Manager, I started to think about all of the different media that I use to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. The first obvious one is Facebook. Facebook was started waaaaay back in 2004 by a couple of Harvard kids looking to connect their campus. Soon they expanded to other schools, such as Clemson University, and the rest is history. I joined Facebook pretty much as soon as it got to Clemson (Fall 2004--freshman year). Through Facebook, I was able to connect with kids in my classes and to meet new people. Now Facebook is a giant of Social Media, enabling its users to play online, interactive games, create fan pages for any cause or company, and of course keep track of their friends. Facebook's creators are constantly updating the UI and its applications. They have often gotten themselves in trouble for their privacy options. I haven't, personally, seen any problems with the privacy. (I happen to have my privacy, pretty much if you don't know me, you won't find too much info on me unless you're a friend). Facebook also happens to "own" the posts and pictures, so just make sure not to post anything that is way too private or something that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see.
Facebook can be a great tool to use if you're a company, especially if you are trying to reach us Gen Y'ers and the Millenials. These two generations are the biggest users of online social media. As a company, you are able to create a page, that your customers can "Like" and can receive posts/news about it on their news feed. As a company you can also create ads that appear on a news feed. Facebook can use the data entered on your profile to pair people with the right ads, making sure that your company reaches the correct audience.
Another big platform for companies to use now is Twitter. I am a new comer to this one and when I first heard about it, I thought it was just a fad. However, Twitter has blown up and it seems that it's here to stay. Basically, Twitter lets you say what you're doing or just whatever's on your mind in 140 characters or less. Twitter is is less complicated than Facebook at first glance, but there are a lot of things you can do in 140 characters!! Twitter allows you to tag your posts. By tagging the subject, people who are searching for that specific subject are able to find all posts (including yours!) regarding that search. Also, Twitter keeps track of similar subjects and if they have a lot of posts about it, then it is labelled as "trending." On your home page, you are able to see which topics are trending in your area, country and even worldwide! This is a great tool for companies who are trying to generate buzz for a new product, new developments or even offer special sale or coupon found only on Twitter. People who are your friends are called your "followers" and you can "follow" people back. Celebrities are big users of Twitter and you can find the real accounts by following the ones that are "Certified." Celebrities often have large followings. For example, Lady Gaga recently set a record at over 5 million followers! Celebrities often "tweet" about products they endorse. This way the ad (disguised as a casual tweet) reaches a VERY large audience.
As I mentioned in a previous post, LinkedIn is a great tool to use when job searching. Does it surprise you that it is, in fact, a social networking site? Think of LinkedIn as the Facebook for professionals. You are able to post your resume, your accomplishments and connect with colleagues. As a company, you can also create a page for your company that people are able to follow. By following a company, you are able to keep up with recent news about a company and you can find out who works there, who has work there and their new hires. I am currently following a couple of companies to see if I have a chance to work there. You can also join groups that have similar career interests. For example, I am a part of the Clemson Alumni, Communication Arts and New Grad Life. The discussions in the groups are able to be sent to you via email if you don't want to log in (or forget your password all the time like me...).
However, there is one GREAT new tool I found today that is great for keeping track of ALL your media!! Hootsuite.com is able to combine Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, MySpace, and WordPress all into one dashboard. Here's what it looks like:
Each different site has its own tab so that you can look at each feed in just one click. Hootsuite is also great for tracking statistics if you are a company. By utilizing their shortened links (ow.ly) they are able to track how many people have clicked on that link and it can compile the data into charts for quick comparison. Even though I am just using it for my own personal accounts, I am practicing so that hopefully WHEN I get a job and I need to use it, I'll be an expert! I wish that it supported Google's Blogger! Now THAT would make my life 10,000,000 times easier!!
[Did you notice that I left out MySpace? Yeah, Myspace is good for bands because of its ability to play and stream music, but it's also good for attracting creeps. I only joined it because Facebook was only opened to certain colleges and my high school friends couldn't get on it. I got rid of MySpace after Facebook opened up to everyone. It's not really professional (in my opinion) and I feel its mostly for middle school and high school kids.]
So that was my quick guide to the most used of social media. Stay tuned for more on my two part (maybe three part) posts about the wide world of social media and its benefits for business and those (like me) searching for a job.
I am still signing off, my followers/readers,
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
After applying to a job as a Social Media Manager, I started to think about all of the different media that I use to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. The first obvious one is Facebook. Facebook was started waaaaay back in 2004 by a couple of Harvard kids looking to connect their campus. Soon they expanded to other schools, such as Clemson University, and the rest is history. I joined Facebook pretty much as soon as it got to Clemson (Fall 2004--freshman year). Through Facebook, I was able to connect with kids in my classes and to meet new people. Now Facebook is a giant of Social Media, enabling its users to play online, interactive games, create fan pages for any cause or company, and of course keep track of their friends. Facebook's creators are constantly updating the UI and its applications. They have often gotten themselves in trouble for their privacy options. I haven't, personally, seen any problems with the privacy. (I happen to have my privacy, pretty much if you don't know me, you won't find too much info on me unless you're a friend). Facebook also happens to "own" the posts and pictures, so just make sure not to post anything that is way too private or something that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see.
Facebook can be a great tool to use if you're a company, especially if you are trying to reach us Gen Y'ers and the Millenials. These two generations are the biggest users of online social media. As a company, you are able to create a page, that your customers can "Like" and can receive posts/news about it on their news feed. As a company you can also create ads that appear on a news feed. Facebook can use the data entered on your profile to pair people with the right ads, making sure that your company reaches the correct audience.
Another big platform for companies to use now is Twitter. I am a new comer to this one and when I first heard about it, I thought it was just a fad. However, Twitter has blown up and it seems that it's here to stay. Basically, Twitter lets you say what you're doing or just whatever's on your mind in 140 characters or less. Twitter is is less complicated than Facebook at first glance, but there are a lot of things you can do in 140 characters!! Twitter allows you to tag your posts. By tagging the subject, people who are searching for that specific subject are able to find all posts (including yours!) regarding that search. Also, Twitter keeps track of similar subjects and if they have a lot of posts about it, then it is labelled as "trending." On your home page, you are able to see which topics are trending in your area, country and even worldwide! This is a great tool for companies who are trying to generate buzz for a new product, new developments or even offer special sale or coupon found only on Twitter. People who are your friends are called your "followers" and you can "follow" people back. Celebrities are big users of Twitter and you can find the real accounts by following the ones that are "Certified." Celebrities often have large followings. For example, Lady Gaga recently set a record at over 5 million followers! Celebrities often "tweet" about products they endorse. This way the ad (disguised as a casual tweet) reaches a VERY large audience.
As I mentioned in a previous post, LinkedIn is a great tool to use when job searching. Does it surprise you that it is, in fact, a social networking site? Think of LinkedIn as the Facebook for professionals. You are able to post your resume, your accomplishments and connect with colleagues. As a company, you can also create a page for your company that people are able to follow. By following a company, you are able to keep up with recent news about a company and you can find out who works there, who has work there and their new hires. I am currently following a couple of companies to see if I have a chance to work there. You can also join groups that have similar career interests. For example, I am a part of the Clemson Alumni, Communication Arts and New Grad Life. The discussions in the groups are able to be sent to you via email if you don't want to log in (or forget your password all the time like me...).
However, there is one GREAT new tool I found today that is great for keeping track of ALL your media!! Hootsuite.com is able to combine Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, MySpace, and WordPress all into one dashboard. Here's what it looks like:
Each different site has its own tab so that you can look at each feed in just one click. Hootsuite is also great for tracking statistics if you are a company. By utilizing their shortened links (ow.ly) they are able to track how many people have clicked on that link and it can compile the data into charts for quick comparison. Even though I am just using it for my own personal accounts, I am practicing so that hopefully WHEN I get a job and I need to use it, I'll be an expert! I wish that it supported Google's Blogger! Now THAT would make my life 10,000,000 times easier!!
[Did you notice that I left out MySpace? Yeah, Myspace is good for bands because of its ability to play and stream music, but it's also good for attracting creeps. I only joined it because Facebook was only opened to certain colleges and my high school friends couldn't get on it. I got rid of MySpace after Facebook opened up to everyone. It's not really professional (in my opinion) and I feel its mostly for middle school and high school kids.]
So that was my quick guide to the most used of social media. Stay tuned for more on my two part (maybe three part) posts about the wide world of social media and its benefits for business and those (like me) searching for a job.
I am still signing off, my followers/readers,
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Update: Part-Time To Pass The Time
Hey Bloggers!
Well it's been a busy few days. Today I had orientation for the restaurant that I'll be working at and I start working working on Thursday...yaaay. I am still looking for another job and I'm planning on moving to Atlanta in September/October.
I am using my cousin to help me find a job in Atlanta. (The headhunter) Just asking her advice on who to contact, what to say, etc.
So here's hoping to not be
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
(sorry for the short post--my lil cousin, well not so little she's 17, is coming into town tonight. I'm going to take her in town to visit schools)
Well it's been a busy few days. Today I had orientation for the restaurant that I'll be working at and I start working working on Thursday...yaaay. I am still looking for another job and I'm planning on moving to Atlanta in September/October.
I am using my cousin to help me find a job in Atlanta. (The headhunter) Just asking her advice on who to contact, what to say, etc.
So here's hoping to not be
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
(sorry for the short post--my lil cousin, well not so little she's 17, is coming into town tonight. I'm going to take her in town to visit schools)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Great Find for Fellow GC Grads!
Hey followers! As usual, I was perusing the job sites and I found an excellent site for those in the printing industries/field. The site is called: PrintLink.com
Apparently they are a Graphic Placement group. So you upload your resume, put some info up and then someone is supposed to contact you if you fit anywhere. They also have job listings from all over the country that you can browse and apply for. I was just so excited about the site that I thought I had to share!!
Back to the job boards!!
Signing off, still yours and...
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
Apparently they are a Graphic Placement group. So you upload your resume, put some info up and then someone is supposed to contact you if you fit anywhere. They also have job listings from all over the country that you can browse and apply for. I was just so excited about the site that I thought I had to share!!
Back to the job boards!!
Signing off, still yours and...
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Not So Helpful Job Site
Hello Blogger World. Haven't been up to a whole lot, other than diligently sending out resumes and anticipating ANY response. One job that I applied for, I can't stop thinking about. I really feel like I have a chance at getting this job. Entry-level, pre-press job I mean that's pretty much what GC has prepared me for!! I've started following them on LinkedIn and I feel like the next step would be to make connections with people at the company. However, I don't want to come off as desperate or arrogant. I really REALLY want this job.
I have an interview for a restaurant job today, no big deal. Just need to make some quick cash to pay some bills and start saving to move down to Atlanta. So I'm still going to say that I am "Fun-Employed." I hope that doesn't offend anyone haha. Times are tough and a job is a job.
As for the topic of the day. Job sites (as I previously posted) can be very helpful. However, one job site that I had joined is really not working for me. The site is called "JobFox."
This is what my public profile looks like to employers:
Since my most recent job was working at chili's too on campus, apparently the site classifies me as a food service worker. There's nothing WRONG with working in food service, but that is NOT what I want employers to see when I'm trying to apply for jobs in graphics. Plus I can't change it because I would have to take it off of my resume so that the site wouldn't read it off the resume. They also keep sending me jobs for hotel and food service that I DON'T WANT! And the actual graphics jobs they do send me are for people with 4+ years of experience when the job site CLEARLY lists me as less than a year experience (thanks--I guess all my class work doesn't count either).
JobFox also keeps sending me emails for upgrading my resume (for a mere $100). Gee thanks but no thanks. I've said no MULTIPLE times, yet they keep sending me emails about it. They're almost as annoying as the Mary Kay lady!!
Well I must go get ready for my face to face interview. I just wish it was for a full-time real job position.
So I am still considering myself
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
I have an interview for a restaurant job today, no big deal. Just need to make some quick cash to pay some bills and start saving to move down to Atlanta. So I'm still going to say that I am "Fun-Employed." I hope that doesn't offend anyone haha. Times are tough and a job is a job.
As for the topic of the day. Job sites (as I previously posted) can be very helpful. However, one job site that I had joined is really not working for me. The site is called "JobFox."
This is what my public profile looks like to employers:
Since my most recent job was working at chili's too on campus, apparently the site classifies me as a food service worker. There's nothing WRONG with working in food service, but that is NOT what I want employers to see when I'm trying to apply for jobs in graphics. Plus I can't change it because I would have to take it off of my resume so that the site wouldn't read it off the resume. They also keep sending me jobs for hotel and food service that I DON'T WANT! And the actual graphics jobs they do send me are for people with 4+ years of experience when the job site CLEARLY lists me as less than a year experience (thanks--I guess all my class work doesn't count either).
JobFox also keeps sending me emails for upgrading my resume (for a mere $100). Gee thanks but no thanks. I've said no MULTIPLE times, yet they keep sending me emails about it. They're almost as annoying as the Mary Kay lady!!
Well I must go get ready for my face to face interview. I just wish it was for a full-time real job position.
So I am still considering myself
FUN-EMPLOYED!!
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