Bill’s blog was all about answering interview questions in a way that highlights you and your skills without shooting yourself in the foot at the same time. Any one who is seeking a job or an internship should check it out and take what he has to say to heart. so check out ‘common job interview questions and the best answers’ and see what info you can pull. Who knows, maybe being better prepared will land you your dream job!

My biggest passion is in helping people. It’s more than saying ‘I’m a people person’, its a way of life for me. I am the type that is more than willing to bend over backward to make life perfect for anyone and everyone but myself. The common phrase for my type is ‘they’d give the shirt off their back for someone’. I think I’m an extreme accepting in saying that if you so much a shiver or look like you might be cold…I will give you my shirt, jacket or whatever it is you need without even asking.

That being said, who doesn’t want to help those in need? For those of us who love helping people, the biggest reward would be helping those who need it the most.

My dream job would be working in some sort of a non-profit agency providing monetary and volunteer assistance for some sort of medical need. I love, love, love kids (my friends say I am going to have 62 kids when I get older), and it breaks my heart to see them sick. Something along the lines of St. Jude’s, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired, Cerebral Palsy groups, etc. are what drives me and my passion.

My day-to-day activities would be in meeting people and knowing that I am making a difference by working for the organization. No day would be the same and no two people alike.

My ‘dream job’ is a bit out there , but it works for me. Now all I have to do is find it.

During the conversation, she asked me the question I have been getting in the interviews I have had…’What do you really want to do?’

Why is that question so hard? Is it because I have been exposed to so many different areas in the public relations and advertising field through various class projects, voluntary campaigns I’ve worked on, my experience with my family print finishing company?

She challenged me with this, and now I am passing it on for you to try out. What is your dream job. Reality aside, what do you want to be doing and who do you want to be. Explain in full detail the position you will hold, what your job would be like, your day-in/day-out activities, will you travel, clients you manage, where will your job be, what the job smells like even! Then, when all is said and done, you’ll get that question in the interview “look 5 years down the road, where do you see yourself and what do you want to do” and you’ll finally be able to answer it.

I’d love to hear what people want their dream job to be, in full detail of course. If it’s an internship you are looking for, do the same. Feel free to post it in the comments section, maybe someone will have an opening that fits you and your dream.

Set aside 1-2 hours per day to look at various sites. Before you start, make a list of where you are going to look. My focus for school is advertising and PR, so I’m not only looking at ‘hire’ sites, but also individual agencies and non-profit work as well.

Unsure of businesses in a city that looks enticing? Do a google search and see what pulls up. Recently I find myself Googling “advertising agencies in kansas city” because that is where I would love to end up. When you search it though, you might be surprised to go past the first or second page with results.

Try hire sites that search other sites. If it’s in the journalism field, try talent zoo or indeed. Both sites can give you criteria that you can modify a little easier and they search all the other hire sites as well.

Mix up your cover letters a bit. Don’t send out the same generic letter every time and insert company and job position when needed. People in the industry are connected, mostly as friends, and tend to talk. If you send out the same boring letter, it looks like you didn’t try. Tailor your letter toward the company and position you are applying to. If you have experience that is not relevant to the position you are applying to, don’t put it on there.

After sending your resume and cover letter, spell checked and looked over by peers and pros you trust, RE-SPELL CHECK IT AGAIN. Give the employer about a week or two to get their ducks in a line. Call them, make sure they have received your info and see if they have any questions. Just make sure to use your polite manners and tell them thank you!

It was told to me once, there is no ‘law’ on how to go about applying for jobs, and if you don’t do x, y and z, you won’t get one. It all depends on who you are and how you appeal to that employer. Just remember to not get too bogged down and mentally drained. There is a reason for everything, even when we sometimes don’t see what that reason is.

There was one pro that really interested me, and I apologize that I do not recall her name, but she was from a television station and we began to talk about media sales and commission. At her company, she said it is like any job straight out-crazy hard to establish yourself. You not only need to build up a list of clients, but you need to build an honest and trusting relationship with them. Give them a reason to continue to bring their business to you. This is especially important for those in the advertising industry trying to make a living on commission (the more your clients like you, the more money they spend. The more money they spend with your station, the more commission you make. It isn’t awful science, but some may not understand it).

My Pro friend gave me some useful information about not being afraid to put yourself out there, but at the same time it takes a dedicated person to get the job done. Going into media sales takes a backbone and someone who is willing to put their time into it. If you are willing to put for the effort, in due time it will be payed back.

Until next time, keep networking and your chin up fellow ’09 graduates. We will find jobs!

As discussed in class, there are ways to add a Twitter feed to your blog (which we were having issues with in class…silly Twitter), your resume, portfolio, a blog role (still can’t find that one), heck even your picture (I feel as though I’m blog-tarted).

Here is my question to you-what would you like to see (yes you fellow students, OSU staff and professors, person who stumbled onto this page out of coincidence, and future employers) on a person’s page that would describe them better? After you make your suggestions, by all means please include ways to make them happen (possibly in a way that is easy to understand). The more suggestions the better we can get to know one another, so post away bloggers!

During class yesterday I learned just how easy it is to make a Web site of your own and that creating your own domain name isn’t as difficult and scary as it may be to some, but for those that are still scared of even turning on the computer (i.e. my mom) nonetheless clicking the scary Internet icon-have no fear, the fearless are here!

Our orange-tasic site is going to be designed to target students interested in none-other than what brings us together in the wonderful world of what goes on in the Paul Miller Building. That’s right-you guessed it-journalism and broadcasting! Now I can’t give away too many of the secrets, but I can say that www.sociallyorange.org is up and ready for a successful lift off! Keep your eyes peeled and get ready to be socially connected with a bunch of orange lovers like me!

Tune in next time for…Rejections letters-here I am!

About 20-30 times a day my phone’s text messaging alert goes off. In a state of pure excitement that someone is needing my assistance, wanting to notify me on something, or just checking in on me is killed within the 2 seconds it takes for me to open my non-smart flip phone to see that it is just a twitter alert.

Recently, in my social media class, we have been learning the ins and outs of twitter, it’s capabilities, uses (networking, updating what you are doing, notifying people about your business, etc.).

The reason why my excitement is somewhat demolished when I see it is only a twitter alert is because I feel like maybe its time to think before we tweet.

My social media teacher as advised us that it might annoy some if you tweet anything and everything you are doing or even every thought that comes to mind. Constantly I am getting alerts about some team winning a college intramural game, someone going to the gym, sitting in a boring class or even if they are tired from the day’s activities.

When is enough actually enough? Is it ok for people to tweet that often? I typed in “What is twitter” in their search bar and received nothing in return, so here is my question(s) to you… what is twitter and when the urge arises in you, to tweet or not to tweet?

In PR we talk all about making connections and networking, networking, networking. In today’s econimic status, you can’t network enough. And it’s not just networking when it comes to jobs that is important, its in getting that favor for your company that would blow your boss’ socks off, or getting a little something extra from a professional to put in your group presentation for a class. The more you network, the more experienced you are, and the more your name is out there in the ‘real world’.

Some sites you might want to consider to use when considering networking is Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, VisualCV, etc. The more you put yourself out there, the more experienced and comfortable you will become when talking with professionals.

Check out the video for The Today Show and remember to KEEP NETWORKING.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29178929#29178929

Unfortunately what you are not  being told and not being taught is the most important lesson of it all – how to grow up!

I am an Advertising and Public Relations Senior at Oklahoma State University and in about 3 1/2 months my little bubble that I live in, my Mayberry, will burst and I will be on my own in an attempt to survive in the scariest place of all – reality. Hopefully with a job as well.

You are probably asking yourself – what is this girl talking about? Why does she think the world is so scary – it’s a great place to be! Ask yourself though – do you already have a job and are somewhat financially stable? As a young adult, or at least in my shoes, I know I have no clue as to which way is up when it comes to finances and on top of that, the economic crisis is repeatedly being said to be ‘unfriendly to May graduates’. I attempt to use those ‘friendly’ job search engines but only have results fed back to me for a medical sales rep or to go into the Army (and if you ask me – camo, combat and I don’t mesh well in the same sentence, nonetheless, in the same universe).

My parents keep telling me to keep my head held high and stay positive about the job hunt–seems a bit hard,but guess what – you get to read all about it for the next few months. By all means, make suggestions, laugh at my trials and if you feel the need, offer a lead for a job (if you’ve got one, I’m all for suggestions).

So, if you choose to follow my blog, which I hope you do, you will be following me through a somewhat short crash course in growing up. Think of it as a first hand account on ‘what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do’ for those of you who are either getting ready to graduate and looking for that first job like I am (good luck to both of us), about to graduate in the next few years or have kids and you’d love for them to one day graduate and feel more prepared than I do about this exciting but very frightening journey into the ‘real world’.

Sit back, relax, maybe even get yourself some popcorn because this will either be the longest 3 1/2 months are the fastest semester of my life!