Message to Recent Graduates and Mid-life Career Changers

To anyone that is looking to join the workforce for the first time or is in the process of changing fields, rest assured that your worries that have in your gut right now are shared across millions of people across the United States and the world. From worrying about getting field relevant experience to the morphing global markets, there are so many moving parts sometimes you need to keep them out of mind and focus on promoting yourself. My personal experiences have led me to a few simple things to focus on to make sure you can land the job you want in the field you want. 

• Wordsmith every little detail in your resume. Your resume is what represents the blood, sweat, tears, and probably stress-related hair loss to the entire world. Each word has to be hand-picked to be focused on actions and the direct result of your actions. You may think your resume is perfect the way it is, but no resume is perfect. Get your close friends, family, and colleagues to critique the heck out of it (for perspective I've had over 30 people take a detailed look at my resume). Let them bleed the red ink all over it. Get the format consistent and the details crisp to every last letter. 

• Identify and reach out to your network. Identifying your network is fairly simple in the digital world we live in. From LinkedIn, to Facebook, to business cards you've been collecting, even to pulling from emails that are years old, you know people. You have connections which you need to utilize. Do not think any one person is too distant in your history to reach out to--which leads perfectly into the next topic. 

• Cold calls/emails are awkward but perfectly acceptable. I think I have built an amazing network of professionals and friends. No matter what, I am never hesitant to reaching out to them. I've sent probably a hundred cold emails and made over fifty cold calls in my life (remember that I'm 23), each less awkward than the one before. I know if seems painful to do or think about, but it will pay off. You will make the right connection that knows about the one position in the one field that you want. It'll happen, just give it time, be extensive in reaching out, and don't be afraid! Cold emails are always easier than cold calls, but once you do one or two, you will build your confidence and be able to do many more. Like taking off a band-aid, you just have to do it. Trust me. 

• Market your unique perspective and high level skills. Do not downplay your experiences. Whether they are related to college groups you were in to the extra assignment you took on in your last job, the work you completed gave you a certain perspective and strengthened some of your core leadership skills. Market that. Get the message out there. Every interviewer is looking for a baseline of leadership ability either through observed actions at the interview or through your experiences--identify those from your past and keep them at the forefront of your communication to your network. 

Take it or leave it, these are very important things to keep in mind when starting a career for recent graduates or someone transitioning mid-life. Through this blog I'll be expanding on these topics and giving plenty of different perspectives on the issues. If you have specific questions or requests, send me a cold email or comment below.