TRENDS Graduate Edition

T E X A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y C A R E E R S E R V I C E S

G R A D U A T I O N

E D I T I O N

Table of Contents Breaking into the Nonprofit Sector: A Guide for Recent Graduates

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Shift Your Career Into High Gear

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Career Planning 101: Map Your Professional Pathway Today!

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Salary Tips

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5 Things Every College Grad Should Know

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Breaking into the Nonprofit Sector: A Guide for Recent Graduates

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Know What Moves You

So it’s your senior year and campus is buzzing.

Everywhere you turn there’s a career fair. Recruiters have blown into town and they’re interviewing everyone in their path. Your roommates are mulling over offers from Fortune 500 companies and even friends in your community service club are comparing sign-on bonuses. You, however, have never pictured yourself working for a paycheck in a huge corporation. You envision a career spent working towards a bottom line measured by social gains. The nonprofit sector is calling you. The pressure is on to get a job. Graduation is around the corner, student loan bills are on their way, and the last thing you want to do is move back home with your parents.

If this sounds familiar, then welcome to the crossroads of your real world responsibilities and your “change the world” sensibilities. Though the challenge seems daunting, you can land an amazing job in the nonprofit sector with the right strategy and techniques.

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A good place to start is to focus on the social cause or mission that excites you. What issues do you feel strongly about? Whether it’s the environment, immigrant rights, or education reform, it may take some digging to find the roots of your social consciousness, but this effort is essential before diving into your job search.

Next, think about the characteristics of your dream job. Ask yourself about your ideal organizational culture (e.g. collaborative, entrepreneurial, or resultsoriented.) Picture your day-to-day responsibilities.

Do you want to be out in the community running programs? Or do you prefer to work behind-thescenes in an office? Through this exercise, you will develop a detailed understanding of yourself and what you want. This will best prepare you to target the right organizations and opportunities.

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Get to work!

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Know What’s Out There

Unlike corporations that may plan well ahead of their hiring needs and have the resources to recruit on campus, nonprofits recruit when staffing needs arise. Breaking into the nonprofit sector, you most likely will not have the luxury of setting up on-campus interviews or landing that dream job without stepping foot off campus. You’ll need to be proactive to find what opportunities are out there.

Begin by putting those research skills to work! Find the organizations that inspire you. A great launch pad is idealist.org, a web site with information about over 75,000 nonprofits. Also, Guidestar provides more in-depth organizational information, such as budgets, staff, and funders. Finally, familiarize yourself with the issues impacting the sector; publications like Stanford Social Innovation Review, Nonprofit Times, Philanthropy News Digest, and Fast Company’s Social Capitalist Award offer a window into what’s buzzworthy in the sector.

Based on this research, create a target list of 5-10 organizations that interest you. Scour their web sites and find the job descriptions for their entrylevel positions. This way, you can determine exactly what they’re looking for in these positions and tailor your application accordingly.

Now that you’ve done your homework on yourself and the sector, it’s time to figure out how to put this knowledge. There are a number of nonprofit roles for recent graduates. Some examples of titles that may be good matches include: •Program Associate or Coordinator •Project Coordinator •Special Projects Assistant •Executive Assistant •Business or Program Analyst In addition to entry-level positions, there are a number of other ways to gain tremendous experience in the nonprofit sector, including: •Service Programs – Public service programs offer amazing (and often paid!) opportunities to get your feet wet and gain incredible experience in your field of interest. Some of the nation’s largest service programs include Americorps, Teach For America, CityYear, and AVODAH. •Fellowships – Similar to service programs, fellowships provide recent graduates with the opportunities to gain experience over a relative short amount of time, typically a year or less. Some popular fellowships are offered by Youth Service Oppportunities Program, American Jewish World Service, CORO, and New Sector Alliance.

•Volunteering – Volunteering is a tried and true way to get your foot in the door, as well as network with nonprofit staff and hiring managers. From your list of 5-10 target organizations, research what volunteer opportunities they offer and sign up.

Also, scour the idealist.org, Hands On Network, and Volunteer Match for interesting fundraising event volunteer opportunities.

Though challenging, making the jump from school to the nonprofit sector may be easier than you think. A strategy based in defining your interests, researching organizations, and pursuing the right opportunities can result in a promising start to a fulfilling career in the nonprofit sector. You may not be changing the world tomorrow, but you’ll be on your way to making a big impact, one footprint at a time.

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Shift Your

CAREER Into

HIGH GEAR BY: ANDY ROBINSON

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Texas State Career Services—GRADUATION EDITION

Whether you work for a global corporation, a small business, or for yourself, it is absolutely essential that you THINK and ACT like an “owner” – “own” your job, own your role as a leader or manager, own your roles and responsibilities — put yourself in the shoes of a business owner, and think and behave as any owner would do.

This is not new advice; many of us have heard this before, and many of us have probably given this advice to others. But what does it actually MEAN to “think and act like a business owner?” Standing in the shoes of a business owner is a mindset shift and in my opinion includes fully embracing the following as part of HOW you DO your job and how you THINK about your job: Show Passion and Enthusiasm.

Both your head and your heart need to be “in the game.” Your clients and customers need to see and “feel” your enthusiasm for what you do. Your colleagues, team mates and direct reports need to sense your passion for what you do. Passion and enthusiasm are the fuel for the energy that flows into your job. Others are drawn to you and inspired by you in direct correlation to level of sincere passion and enthusiasm you exhibit. Think about it, can any business survive, long-term, if the owner is NOT truly passionate and enthusiastic about what he or she does?

Treat Your Customers and Clients Like Gold.

Customers are the lifeblood of ANY business. Your customers make be external individuals or businesses or your “customers” may be those at your company that you serve with respect to what you do. Customer satisfaction and enthusiasm will drive the success of your job and your business. Treat your customers like gold; create “raving fans” — make customer and client enthusiasm a number one priority.

Take Care of Your People.

As a business owner, your number one asset is your people — your colleagues and team members. Lead them, serve them, inspire them, appreciate them, recognize them, develop them …. show them — every day — that you care for them. Surround yourself with exceptional talent and nurture and develop that talent as best as you can.

Get to know your work associates on a personal level; understand their personal and their professional goals. Embrace your team and treat them like your family …. YOUR success depends on THEM. Deliver More Than Expected.

A key to building trust and building a positive and memorable reputation is to deliver more than expected. Underpromise and over deliver. Go the extra mile, take the extra step, drop the 13th donut into the box. You’ve got to give first and give more to get more. Make this your personal mantra.

“Roll Up Your Sleeves” Whenever Necessary.

A business owner is always willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Delegate when possible and avoid “stepping on the toes” of your colleagues, but when something needs to get done, and there’s no one to do it — no task is too small for the business owner. Just get it done, and do it with a smile. Lead by example when it comes to being resourceful and getting things done in a timely manner. Coffee need making? Do it. Photocopies need to be made right now? Do it.

Get Better and Better— Continuously Improve.

A growing, thriving business MUST continue to improve and get better — upping the ante, staying ahead of the competition, proactively responding to an evolving market, improving processes, reducing costs and improving performance. YOU, as an employee, must maintain the same mindset. Read, learn

new things, set self-improvement and professional development goals. Being the best you can be requires getting better and constantly looking for ways to improve yourself.

“Systematize” Things.

Running a business involves replicating a variety of tasks and processes; the same holds true for your job. Great business owners look for ways to add structure, consistency and quality to what they do by developing standard WAYS of doing things. Stay alert for developing tools to help you work “ON” the job you do — separate from the things you do to work “IN” your job. Working “ON” your job means looking for ways to standardize and systematize the things you do — developing processes, flowcharts, checklists, reference material, etc. Systems and structure improve your productivity and the quality of the work you do. THINK systems and processes.

Stay Focused on Cash Flow and Spend Like It’s YOUR Money.

Cost-consciousness and “bottom line” focus are always on the mind of a business owner. Put yourself into the shoes of a business owner and look for ways to do things cheaper without compromising quality. Look for new revenue opportunities. Carefully evaluate capital expenditures; compare prices; look for “deals.” Maintain a bottom line focus in the conduct of your work.

Think Ahead; See the “Big Picture.”

Great business owners stay one, two, three or more moves ahead of their best competitors. Owners anticipate and think about the bigger picture. Move outside your “box” and think about the interrelationship between what you do and everything else in your organization. Step forward and then look back to see how to get there. Know your own personal vision and mission and orchestrate your activities consistent with both.

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When it comes to your career, where are you today? What has it taken for you to make it to this point? Where would you like to be next year?

What will your dream job look like 20 years down the road?

Career

It may seem premature to start thinking in the long-term about your career, especially if you’re just getting started on your professional path. But many leading career experts agree that the best way to ensure success in your chosen field is to sketch out a basic map of what you want to achieve throughout the entire course of your professional life -- even if you haven’t even landed your first job yet!

Planning

This process is called career planning, and it’s a simple step that many professionals seem to skip these days. In the rush from opportunity to opportunity, the big picture tends to get overlooked sometimes. But experts caution that by focusing exclusively on the here-and-now, some workers may be shortchanging themselves -and limiting their long-term success.

Ready to plan? Roll up your sleeves, grab a pencil, and let’s get started.

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Get to Know Yourself.

If you’re still not sure about what field or specialty you’re interested in, spend some time listing your interests, hobbies, and passions.

What makes you happy? Which activities can you completely lose yourself in? Keep track of your likes and dislikes and try to find a field that closely parallels your interests.

Map Your

Get Thee to the Library.

Or the local bookstore, or your favorite search engine. Once you’ve hit on a few fields, jobs, or areas of specialization that appeal to you, research, research, research. Find out what the educational requirements are, what the average pay is, and where the hot jobs in your chosen field are concentrated. The more you find out, the more accurate your career plan will be.

Professional Pathway Today!

BY: ANDY ROBINSON

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Seek Out a Mentor.

After you’ve done enough research to have a good basic understanding of your ideal career, try to connect with a few people who have already found success in the field. All the research in the world can’t tell you how it feels to pull a 12-hour shift in a kitchen.

Ask them about the progression of their career, and the steps they took to get where they are today.

Map a Career Path.

Next, it’s time to compile all of the information you’ve gathered into a personalized plan. Take into consideration both the standard requirements of the field (cooking school, apprenticeships, job experience, MBA) and the circumstances and reality of your current situation. A general pathway for advancement, development, and progression, rather than strict deadlines or timelines, tends to be the most effective motivation.

Keep an Eraser Handy!

Remember, your career map isn’t set in stone -- it’s just a guide that will help you focus your efforts and balance your short-term and long-term goals. Life has a funny way of throwing curveballs in the path of the best-laid plans, so take a flexible approach to career planning. If your circumstances change or your goals and interests shift over time, feel free to revise it as necessary. In the end, the only thing that really matters is whether your career path leads you to personal fulfillment.

$ALARY TIPS

BY: THE JOB INTERVIEW Even as a recent college graduate—even if you’ve just been offered your very first job—you have the right to negotiate on your compensation package. The fact that you’re a new graduate with limited work experience doesn’t mean you should forgo the right to be paid what you’re worth.

your geographical location (pinning down a location is important, as most employers will factor in cost-of-living expenses when offering a compensation package). To negotiate successfully, you must be able to show that your market value is higher than the salary that has been offered.

Know when to Negotiate

Know your Strengths

The first rule of negotiating is knowing when to negotiate. There are two parts to this rule. First, know that you should negotiate only when you feel that you are not being offered what you and the job are worth. Never negotiate just for the sake of it. Second, don’t negotiate salary—don’t even bring the subject of salary up—until you receive a job offer and until you’ve researched the market and know what salary you should expect to receive. Quantifying the salary you expect before being offered the job is pointless, and might even work against you—if you ask for too high a salary when there are still several candidates under consideration, you might find yourself out of the running.

Third, you must be able to negotiate from a position of strength. Most recent college graduates will not have the work experience or the technical expertise that warrants a higher salary. There are some exceptions, however:

Know what You’re Worth The second crucial factor is knowing what you’re worth before you start negotiating. This means using tools such as salary calculators or other types of market research to determine what your position is worth in

You have relevant work experience (such as an internship or summer job) You have technical expertise that is highly sought-after You have a graduate degree in a specific area of expertise You have a written job offer from another employer that offers a higher salary Know what You Want Your salary is not always the only item under negotiation.

Negotiable elements of a compensation package might include vacation time, a signing bonus, performance bonus, retirement plan, medical insurance and other items. Evaluate each item on the table and decide where you’re willing to compromise before starting negotiations.

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Things Every College Grad Should Know BY: BRIAN KIM

A Degree Does NOT Entitle You to a Job

I should’ve put this at the very top, but I wanted to address the biggest issue facing recent college grads first (job entitlement).

Let’s look at the typical path of a college graduate who has not found what they love to do. Graduated from college -> can’t find job -> get’s low paying “temporary” job just to pay the bills -> starts to become complacent and falls into routine -> struggles to get out of routine but can’t because of accumulation of debt to finance lifestyle of escaping reality and impressing people with material possessions -> effectively becomes a slave to the job as it is needed to pay the bills-> looks forward to weekend to complain about job but does nothing and gets wasted to forget troubles-> gets depressed -> struggles to find meaning in life -> maybe gets a small promotion at temporary job by employer as an incentive not to quit -> hates waking up in the morning everyday but does it anyway to pay the bills -> makes other people’s lives miserable because his is -> rinse and repeat for 40 years -> lies on deathbed regretting life, wishing he could go back and change it all, and dies knowing that he can’t.

The time you have after college is THE TIME to find what you love to do. You’re not burdened (I assume for the most part) with the heavy responsibilities of a mortgage, family, or dependents. You’ll most likely move back home or room with a buddy. Use that time to find what you love to do. Don’t put it off. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of getting a job just to get by and falling into a routine. I’m not saying it’s bad to get a job just to get by, but if that’s all you’re doing, and if you don’t have a goal, plan, or passion, to shoot for, the future looks very bleak for you.

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It’s amazing to hear recent college graduates get so worked up about not being able to find a job. Here’s their typical rant:

same lie in high school. Get into a prestigious university, get a degree, and your magic high paying job will fall squarely into your lap.

“I’ve worked my butt off at college. I The smart people are the ones who studied every night. I got good grades. have figured out this lie early on in I graduated Magna Cum Laude. Why college, and made sure the time they are there no jobs out there? This is spent in school would separate them a travesty! I worked my butt off and from the students who were still for what? So I can input data into “asleep”. You know exactly who these spreadsheets at Initech? Nobody told smart people are. They’re the ones me it would be like this. Everyone told who took the internships, the unpaid me that if you have a degree, you’re jobs, who made network contacts, set. What the %*%# is going on? and spent their days and nights Arrrgghhh!!!!” gaining valuable working experience and marketable skills.

First off, let me sincerely congratulate you for sticking to a major Think back to your graduation. commitment and following through on Remember your fellow classmates it. I’m not trying to be sarcastic here. I graduating with you? They too got sincerely congratulate you. I know it’s degrees. Now, think of the thousand hard work and I feel for you because I other graduations across the nation know exactly what you went through. that occurred in the same month.

Now here comes the tough love that They got degrees too. What’s going you know is coming. Just because you to separate you from them? Why got a degree, it doesn’t entitle you to a should employers hire you instead of six figure job, with full benefits, a one all the other clones? You must learn month paid vacation to a company to differentiate yourself. What can retreat, 20 floating holidays, a corner you offer that these other people office, and a parking spot in front of can’t? It’s not enough to put your the doors with your name on it. future in the hands of an educational institution. It’s time to stop blaming It’s time to get your head out of the the world. It’s time to take personal sand. The days where all you needed responsibility and to have the courage was a college degree to get a job are to shape your future with your own LONG GONE. Deep down inside, you hands. know it’s true. We were all told the

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Find What You Love to Do

Learning how to interact with people is probably one of the most valuable skills you can have in your belt. This is a “street smart” skill. Sure there are books on this, but the only way you can develop this skill is by putting it into practice constantly until it becomes second nature. This skill will come into play when you get your first job.

Learn to make a habit of greeting people with a smile. Say “thank you, please, and I appreciate it” whenever you have the chance. These small things make a huge difference. Don’t

Learn How to Interact With People

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be so quick to dismiss the power of appreciation and courtesy. Make small talk, get to know your co-workers, help them when they have a problem. Eat lunch with them. Talk about the TV shows you watch when you’re at the water cooler or about the cool blogs you visit on the net. Learn to be positive.

Make people smile when they see you coming your way. You’ll find that the skill of comfortably interacting with people will help you when it comes time to promotion. This will also protect you from the next subject.

Office politics – yes, everything you’ve heard is true. Office politics DOES exist and it is NOT pretty. When it comes to downsizing, I’ve seen employees turn on the quiet employee in the corner like a pack of wolves and whisper to the managers that he/she must go.

It’s far easier to fire the loner than to fire one of the gang. That’s why you should learn how to interact with people.

When it comes to promotion with competition, work sabotage and trash talking behind the back are rampant and pretty much expected. When it comes to personal differences between employees and managers,

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Build and Maintain A New Social Network

managers will look for the smallest excuse to fire their employees. But even if you are the most charming employee ever, you should still CYA. Keep ALL emails. Back them up. Have everything in writing. If a potential problem or situation comes up, document it as fully as you can. Don’t trust your memory. If someone accuses you of something so bad that it could cost you your job (I’ve seen it happen), then you can calmly pull out all the information you saved and effectively CYA. Not to mention, make the accuser look like a total idiot (I’ve seen that happen too and it is SWEET!)

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When you graduate, you’re not going to be surrounded by your classmates and dorm buddies 24/7. You’ll most likely be living with a roommate or living with your parents and the majority of your social contact will be at work, and I don’t think your workplace is going to be filled with 22 year olds. The only people you’ll probably keep in touch with are your roommates and your frat buddies or any other close friends you made, but they will all be doing their own respective things in different places.

Building a social network is crucial. Studies have shown that having a strong social network leads to positive mental and physical health over the course of one’s life. So start building your social network. Don’t just stay at home and play video games and expect friends to magically show up at your doorstep.

Go join Toastmasters. Go to the parties, bars, bookstores, and lounges but one quick point though. Don’t just go to these places just for the sake of making friends. Make sure you have a genuine interest in the subject of the place you’re going to.

For example, if you have no intention of learning how to give speeches, don’t go to Toastmasters just to make friends. You won’t have anything in common with them because the people there want to give speeches. Go to places where you have a genuine interest and you’ll meet similar people there who share your interests, which is perfect fodder for friendships. If you go to places where there are regular meetings, it’s even easier to make friends because you see the same people who hold the same interest as you on a continual basis. Ever wonder why it was easy to make friends at school? That’s why.

Practice CYA (You Know, Cover Your - - -)

If you’re apprehensive about making friends with complete strangers, let me let you in on a little secret when it comes to people and their friends.

Most people are sick and tired of their friends.

We’re creatures of habit. We hang out with the same people all the time, listen to the same stories, laugh at the same jokes, and complain about the same things. Most people are bored out of their mind when it comes to their friends and they’ll welcome any type of change. That’s where you come in. So don’t have any fear of making friends.

Save people from boredom and complacency by inserting yourself into their lives.

The biggest misconception is that everybody has all the friends they need and that they don’t need anymore. People will always need friends.

So go make friends at work. Play social sports like basketball or tennis or softball afterwards. You’ll find that people don’t have many opportunities to make friends after school, especially if they work 9-5. That ‘s why you see so many friendships made at work. After all, you are spending a whole lot of time there.

There will come a time when your social network will help you get through tough times and you’ll be extremely thankful that you spent the time to make it. I’m sure there are other things that every college grad should know, but I feel that the 5 discussed here are some of the more important ones that should be made known. So college grads: Take personal responsibility, find what you love to do, learn how to positively interact with people, always CYA, and build a strong social network. By doing these things, you’ll find it to be extremely beneficial and a worthwhile investment on your part when making your brand new start.

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