This agency owner’s response to that comment: “I don’t want people who ‘need a job’, I want people who want a job HERE.”

I thought that statement summed up a lot of what I’ve seen and heard in the marketplace lately, too. I hear a lot of “I need a job.” That’s the wrong approach. Here’s why:

* It’s no one’s job to give you a job. There are no more handouts. It’s as competitive as its ever been out there. You have to take that damn seriously. And that agency owner I spoke with? It’s not his job either. His job is to find the best talent that is going to help him achieve the best results for his clients (and ultimately, his agency).

* “I need a job” is too general of a statement. When you’re looking for a job, you need specificity. Both in organizations and agencies you’re targeting and in describing yourself.

It’s tough out there. No doubt about it. But, in environments like this, the most committed wins. It’s always been that way. Those that are willing to bust their tails, WILL find a job. It’s the difference between those who say “I want to work in PR” and those who say “I NEED to work in PR.”

Let me tell you a bit about my personal experience. Coming out of school 15-plus years ago, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was working at a golf course to pay my “bills” (I was living at home). A friend of mine said I should come join her working for a mortgage company focused on mobile homes. Essentially the job was faxing and a lot of office-type coordination.

I lasted one day. Never went back.

That experience drove my decision-making for a long time. I knew I didn’t want to “survive” at a job like that. I wanted to be excited to go to work each day. I wanted a career. I wanted much more. And that motivated me. I wasn’t going to settle. I wasn’t going to just “get a job.” I wanted a job in PR. And I started devising a path to get there (which included three UNPAID internships).

Now, I don’t recommend taking my path. But, I do recommend taking a more methodical approach to the job search. You have to if you want to compete against the hundreds of other candidates out there. The good news is: Few people are still playing the game the right way. It’s easier to cut through the clutter than you might think. Trust me. Sarah Anderson, a young student who’s working a bit with me now, is a perfect example of that.

So, what do I recommend? Consider baking the following components into your job search:

* Start a hard target search. Again, don’t just look for a job–look for the right job. I’m not saying you hold out all hope for that dream job working for The White House. But, I am saying you should develop a list of all the organizations and agencies you would love to work for. Start there. And focus ALL your time and energy on those targets.

* Master your elevator speech. I was pretty surprised last Thursday at our HAPPO Hour event. I met some incredible students. But very few of them had a polished elevator speech. When asked, “what do you do”? I got some pretty soft answers. Hone your speech. Write it out. Practice it. And make damn sure before you go to a networking event you have that thing down to a science.

* Brush up on the basics. Like I said above, it’s not all that tough to stand out from the crowd. Case in point, the first time I met with Sarah (see above), she came prepared with specific questions and had clearly done her research on me. She knew who I was and what I cared about (for the most part). I will tell you VERY few people put in that time and effort prior to a meet-up. Be one of those people. It will pay off. It certainly did for Sarah.

* Solid follow-up is critical. When and how you follow up after that coffee or networking event is absolutely critical. My suggestion? Start with email (provided you have it). Send a short note thanking him/her for their time. Mention a point/issue you discussed when you spoke. And then, offer up information you think might benefit that contact. For example, after the HAPPO event the other night, I sent someone I spoke with briefly a quick note. I noticed during my time chatting with this person that he’s a bit of a beer snob–me too! So, I included a link to a great beer community site I thought he might enjoy (Pintley–if you’re interested). Not a huge deal, but just a nice way to separate myself from others in this contact’s frontal lobe.

Those are my tips. What about you? How can students separate themselves from the massive competition out there right now?

Comments

“I am a recent graduate. I just made a huge mistake in a salary negotiation and am wondering if there is something I can do to fix it. This was the first interview and I was not prepared to discuss salary, as I know it is a huge no-no. Unfortunately, the interviewer’s second question was, “What is your salary expectation?” Instead of answering with the question, “Well, what is the range for the job?” I said, “Between $37 and 45,000, but it is negotiable.” I said this before I even knew what my duties would be. I don’t know what I was thinking! That is well below the average for the position in my area; the range is $50,000 to $60,000 with a median of $55,000. Do I have to stick with what I said at the job offer, or can I begin negotiating at a higher level? The salary that I had given was for a position from another company.”

Well, at some level I feel like it’s too late and you’re stuck, but on the other hand, it’s sure a good test for your future employer for you to have a frank discussion with them about the situation and explain what happened.

In general, if you get a question in an interview that you’re not prepared to answer, I would encourage you to say just that: “Ah, well, I haven’t really thought about a salary: at this point I’m still trying to see if I’ll be a good fit for your company and at what level I’ll be able to contribute” would be a good way to defer.

I’ll also point out that until you were to get an offer in writing from the second company, the number they threw out about a starting salary isn’t worth much of anything, and would certainly be a dangerous basis for negotiation. Remember, if you tell your new employer that you’re not happy with the salary, they could think you’re greedy and invite you to join the other company, who could then explain that they no longer have a position for you.

Am I offering up conflicting advice? Yep. Its a tricky situation you’re in and I would encourage you to tread carefully. Decide which would be worse: having a job and gaining industry experience at a salary lower than you believe you’re worth, or ending up with no job and you’re back in the market?

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do and how it goes…

If you’re having trouble communicating at work, or interviewing for a job, the important thing to remember is communication is a tool just like any other career skill. It can be improved, and there are steps to take to ensure your communication talents increase.

The most important factor when improving communication is building confidence. It’s the foundation of effective communication, and you can’t progress without it. Building confidence can be a hard task to undertake. Having a coach is certainly one option to consider if you’re having trouble establishing confidence on your own. Sometimes all it takes is an outside influence to improve a person’s presence.

Another element of effective communication, and one many people might over look is ‘eye contact’. No matter who you’re speaking to, be it your boss or the office janitor, always keep eye contact. It’s a sign of respect and no one will want to speak with someone they believe doesn’t respect them. Like confidence, keeping eye contact can be learned through practice. For some people it’s uncomfortable to keep eye contact with someone, but it’s something which needs to be a priority.

If you’re hunting for a promotion at work, more than likely you’ll be stepping into a role with increased leadership. The more responsibility you’re given, the more likely you are to have subordinates and perhaps even more people to answer to. When you’re balancing having those under you with your own supervisor, communication becomes even more important. Those under you will be looking to you for direction, and many times advice. You’ll also be the one who answers to the supervisor, many times about the status of your employees. If your communication skills aren’t up to par, you could be looking at unhappy employees, and an angry supervisor.

The point to take from this article is communication is a key component no matter where you are in your career. If you’re looking for a job, then communication is a required practice to perform in an interview. If you’re looking for a promotion then your boss is looking for confidence and someone who can establish leadership.

There are all kinds of reasons to pursue contracting work.

For those who are thinking of rolling the dice and making a living from freelance work, there are many key guidelines to follow. First, remember that you’re desperate. You will take any work that falls in your lap, do it with a positive attitude and complete it in a timely manner. You can’t be too picky when you first start contracting work. Much of what you do isn’t even about the money initially, it’s about getting your name out there and garnering contacts.

The only reasons you should ever turn down work is if you discover a client has trouble paying contractors, or asks you to do something illegal.

Something else to consider for those looking to live off freelance work is the money you earn is taxed much heavier than working for someone else.

Looking for extra spending money? Conducting independent contracting along with a standard job can provide an ample boost to income. Along with those who are looking to freelance for a living, remember that money earned is heavily taxed.

Unlike those looking for a “career”, never take work that is too stressful or doesn’t provide enough payment to be worth it. Remember, you have a job that provides an income to sustain your lifestyle. You’re either doing this contract work for fun, to have extra money for spending or to invest. Therefore, make sure the work you’re taking on doesn’t add any unneeded stress or pays too little.

Another strategy many people devise when taking on freelance work is to provide leverage for obtaining a position with a business. In this situation it is even more vital to choose clients wisely, as many times your reputation can be hurt depending on the kind of work you take on. Remember, when leveraging for position it’s more about how you look than the money you make. You’re investing in the future, not in the client.

No matter your situation, independent contracting is an option worth exploring. It is vital, however, that you establish what you want from the work, and then execute a sound plan.

If you’re an intern, you’re probably reading this while in your late teens or early 20′s. Life is ahead of you, and the sky is the limit. You might be looking at your summer internship as just something to get past, or simply slap on a resume. Alison Green, of USNews,provides some wonderful tips on how to make your summer internship more than just something to get through.

When you’re going through your last day, be sure and leave thanking everyone you worked with. Establish ties which can later be used in your favor. You never know when planting a seed will help you in the future, so be sure to keep all the work relationships you established healthy upon departure.

Being young, you might think you know everything. However, you have faults and strengths just like everyone else. Talk to your manager, and receive criticism about your time working at your internship. Discovering faults and improving upon them can be one of the greatest blessings you can receive from an internship.

Finally, always be sure to list everything you were responsible for at your internship when writing up a resume. Much of the reason you’re at your internship is to receive real-world experience. Use this experience to your utmost advantage. You never know what a potential employer might see on your resume, that could lead to a potential hire.

For the Bosses/Managers

Grooming, teaching, and even learning from an intern can bring about some benefits you never imagined possible. Of course, there’s just as good a chance some glaring negatives will come about from a summer intern as well. The important thing to remember is keeping an open mind, and being patient. Try and remember these important tips.

Interns are young. Being so, brings about a long list of positives in negatives. Young people are impetuous, gung-ho, impatient, and many times will think outside the box compared to your paid employees. The key for you, as a manager, is to groom your intern by accentuating their positives while rebuking their negatives. This can be a tight rope to walk, as addressing faults with young people can become tumultuous. Just remember – be patient.

Just as the tip listed above for the interns, keep the lines of communication open after an intern’s time is up. Valuable resources can come from all sorts of places in business, and interns can become a part of that equation. You just have to make sure you are able to utilize that resource, and draw upon it in the future.

Whether your an intern yourself, or a boss hiring an intern, be positive about the experience. There might be little to no money being paid out, but that doesn’t mean there’s no investment in the endeavor. Keep an open mind, be patient, and keep communication lines open, and you might just have an awarding experience for years to come.

With a turbulent setting, people’s minds tend to lead them in safer directions. The problem being, what they think is safe might end up hurting them. For instance, in a market of uncertainty, people might assume that searching for a job within a long standing company would be the best course of action. According to this study, these pre-conceived notions might be wrong.

The study is called ‘The Importance of Startups in Job Creation and Job Destruction’. It shows that start-ups are responsible for most of the job creation in this country.

Digging deeper into details, start-ups and newly established companies fare better in a recession market as well. Between 1977-2005, start-up companies created an average of 3 million jobs per year. While established businesses lost 1 million jobs a year.

Taking these numbers into account, what should be your course of action moving forward? First, it would be beneficial to stop looking at established companies solely. The uncertainty of start-ups is what turns most people off from going in that direction. Their instincts aren’t without warrant either, as 95% of start-ups don’t last more than 5 years.

Taking that failure rate of start-ups into account, it would seem as though you might not want to look in that direction, even with all the job creation. However, the best course of action is to determine your own situation and determine if the chance of failure is worth it. For those who are looking at entry level status, start-ups could be the perfect stepping stone. As many entry level jobs rarely last longer than five years anyway. And even if the business fails, you have experience to reference in an application.

Taking all of the data and scenarios of this article into account, the point is to always keep your options open. Don’t be close-minded when job searching. Though your apprehensive mindset might tell you to stay away from start-ups, the data shows the job market is welcoming to these new companies.