Trends Magazine Alumni

CAREER TRENDS

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES

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Table of Contents 2

Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

How Fear of Failure can Destroy Success

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5 Easy Steps to Ruin your Career

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Top 6 Industries Hiring in 2011

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9 Strategies to Make your Ideas more Successful

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Do you have what it takes?

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11 Steps to Career Transition

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How to Network Effectively

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HOW

FEAR

FAILURE DESTROY SUCCESS OF

CAN

Trial and error are usually the prime means of solving life’s problems. Yet many people are afraid to undertake the trial because they’re too afraid of experiencing the error. They make the mistake of believing that all error is wrong and harmful, when most of it is both helpful and necessary.

Error provides the feedback that points the way to success. Only error pushes people to put together a new and better trial, leading through yet more errors and trials until they can ultimately find a viable and creative solution. To meet with an error is not to fail, but to take one more step on the path to final success. No errors means no successes either.

In fact, one of the greatest misfortunes you can meet early in a project is premature—yet inevitably still partial—success. When that happens, the temptation is to fix on what seemed to work so quickly and easily and look no further. Later, maybe, a competitor will come along and continue the exploration process that you aborted, pushing on to find a much better solution that will quickly push your partial one aside.

Clinging to the past If some people fail to reach a complete answer because of the lure of some early success, many more fail because of their egodriven commitment to what worked in the past. You often see this with senior people, especially those who made their names by introducing some critical change years ago. They shy away from further innovation, afraid that this time they might fail, diminishing the luster they try to keep around their names from past triumph. Besides, they reason, the success of something new might even prove that those achievements they made in the past weren’t so great after all. Why take the risk when you can hang on to your reputation by doing nothing?

Such people are so deeply invested in their egos and the glories of their past that they prefer to set aside opportunities for future glory rather than risk even the possibility of failure.

Why high achievers fail Every strength can become a weakness. Every talent contains an opposite that sometimes makes it into a handicap. Successful people like to win and achieve high standards.

Cultures of perfection Too many organizations today This can make them so terrified of failure it ruins their lives. When a positive trait, like achievement, have cultures of perfection: a set of organizational becomes too strong in someone’s life, it’s on the beliefs that any failure is unacceptable. Only pure, untainted success will do. To retain your reputation way to becoming a major handicap. as an achiever, you must reach every goal and Achievement is a powerful value for many never, ever make a mistake that you can’t hide or successful people. They’ve built their lives on blame on someone else. it. They achieve at everything they do: school, college, sports, the arts, hobbies, work. Each fresh Imagine the stress and terror in an organization achievement adds to the power of the value in like that. The constant covering up of the smallest their lives. blemishes. The wild finger-pointing as everyone tries to shift the blame for the inevitable cock-ups and messes onto someone else. The rapid turnover Gradually, failure becomes unthinkable. Maybe they’ve never failed yet in anything that they’ve as people rise high, then fall abruptly from grace.

The lying, cheating, falsification of data, and hiding done, so have no experience of rising above it. Failure becomes the supreme nightmare: a of problems—until they become crises that defy frightful horror they must avoid at any cost. The being hidden any longer. simplest way to do this is never to take a risk. Stick 4

Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

rigidly to what you know you can do. Protect your butt. Work the longest hours. Double and triple check everything. Be the most conscientious and conservative person in the universe.

And if constant hard work, diligence, brutal working schedules, and harrying subordinates won’t ward off the possibility of failing, use every other possible means to to keep it away. Falsify numbers, hide anything negative, conceal errors, avoid customer feedback, constantly shift the blame for errors onto anyone too weak to fight back. The problems with ethical standards in major US corporations has, I believe, more to do with fear of failure among longterm high achievers than any criminal intent. Many of those guys at Enron and Arthur Andersen were supreme high-fliers, basking in the flattery of the media. Failure was an impossible prospect, worth doing just about anything to avoid.

Why balance is essential Beware of unbalanced values in your life. Beware when any one value— however benign in itself—becomes too powerful.

Over-achievers destroy their own peace of mind and the lives of those who work for them. People too attached to “goodness” and morality become selfrighteous bigots. Those whose values for building close relationships become unbalanced slide into smothering their friends and family with constant expressions of affection and demands for love in return.

Everyone likes to succeed. The problem comes when fear of failure is dominant. When you can no longer accept the inevitability of making mistakes, nor recognize the importance of trial and error in finding the best and most creative solution. The more creative you are, the more errors you are going to make. Get used to it. Deciding to avoid the errors will destroy your creativity too.

Balance counts more than you think. Some tartness must season the sweetest dish. A little selfishness is valuable even in the most caring person. And a little failure is essential to preserve everyone’s perspective on success.

We hear a lot about being positive. Maybe we also need to recognize that the negative parts of our lives and experience have just as important a role to play in finding success, in work and in life.

Adrian Savage is a writer, an Englishman, and a retired business executive, in that order. He lives in Tucson, Arizona. You can read his other articles at Slow Leadership, the site for everyone who wants to build a civilized place to work and bring back the taste, zest and satisfaction to leadership and life, The Creativity Class: a place to discover the best ideas on having the best ideas, and Working Potential, where you’ll learn about great ideas for self-development. His latest book, Slow Leadership: Civilizing The Organization, is now available at all good bookstores.

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Unless you’re doing research for a book entitled “How to Lose Your Job in Ten Days.”

If you are some of the following may be some great information gathering techniques.

1. Be oblivious to expectations. Most operations don’t want a yes man. But, if you don’t understand the organization in which you work, you’re writing your ticket out the door.

2. Make it all about the money. Be a clock watcher and you’ll be sure to destroy any chance of advancement.

3. Pass the scuttle butt. Engage in endless chitchat and gossip. The boss will definitely notice all your time off task.

4. Blow off deadlines. You are part of a larger operation. When you drop the ball the whole team loses yardage.

5. Vacation on the job. Privacy at work is a myth. Engage in long personal calls.

Spend lots of time in chat rooms. Work on your blog at the office. Any of these should get you on the short-timers list and quick.

You got the job because the boss thought you could contribute.

Translation, you potentially have a mutually profitable future. Be passionate about your job and take pride in doing it well.

Reg Adkins writes on behavior and the human experience at (elementaltruths.blogspot.com).

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Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Health care There’s never been a recession in this sector, says Shatkin, and demand will continue to be strong next year.

Jobs in demand include home health care aides and registered nurses ($61,148).

Hot specialties within nursing include nurse anesthetists ($144,821), nurse practitioners ($86,774) and psychiatric nurses ($55,155).

6 by: Carol Tice

If you’ve had six different jobs in the last 18 months and the only thing that is the same at each job is you, there may be a problem.

INDUSTRIES HIRINGIN 2011

TO RUIN YOUR CAREER

To find out where there’s high job demand, we talked to two employment experts: Career expert Robin Ryan, author of ‘60 Seconds and You’re Hired,’ and Laurence Shatkin, author of ‘2011 Career Plan.’ Here’s their advice on the industries and jobs that’ll be in demand next year.

TOP

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EASY STEPS

Which industries will be the hottest in 2011? Though the economy is still sleepy, some industries are moving again, while others struggle.

Many nurses begin with just a two-year associate’s degree or acquire their skills during military service, Shatkin notes.

Advanced nursing specialties may require a master’s degree.

“Health care is the industry where almost none of the work can be outsourced overseas,” he says. “Most of it has to be done hands-on with patients.”

Health care opportunities aren’t all where you might think, says Ryan.

“It’s not just doctor’s offices and hospitals,” she says.

“It’s with pharmaceutical companies, insurers, suppliers -- any company that provides services to keep medical facilities in operation.”

Federal government While local and state governments have seen their budgets slashed, there’s no recession at the federal level.

Between new government programs and a wave of babyboomer civil servants who are retiring, hiring will be huge in government for the next couple of years. It’s forecast that 600,000 need to be hired by 2013.

There are many administrative positions such as accountants ($55,188) and auditors ($104,762), says Shatkin.

Human resources As companies begin to hire, Ryan notes, they first need human resource professionals to help manage that process.

Jobs in demand at larger companies include humanresource manager ($56,227) and human-resource specialist ($45,267), while smaller companies usually seek a human resources generalist ($50,950).

Manufacturing This one may surprise you, but because manufacturing went down so sharply in the downturn, it’s now one of the industries doing substantial hiring as production expands again, says Shatkin. Unlike in decades past, many manufacturing jobs today are highly skilled, he notes. One in high demand is a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) programmer ($50,466), who runs a tool-and-die computer that creates tools for manufacturing processes.

“In some places there are shortages of workers with these skills,” he notes, “because of the prejudice people have against blue-collar jobs.”

Energy Thanks to federal stimulus funding, green jobs have grown. One in demand is energy auditor ($48,098), says Shatkin, along with windturbine technicians ($48,990) and solar-energy system installers ($47,658).

Traditional energy is thriving too, he notes, with strong need for petroleum engineers ($121,214). One engineering role in energy that requires less training is engineering technician ($47,918), who assist senior engineers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports many engineering technicians specialize in electricity or electronics. A two-year degree at a technical institute or community college can get you started in this career.

Education While many districts have laid off teachers, opportunity remains in inner cities, says Ryan. Cities such as Memphis are hiring teachers ($45,914) with just a six-week bootcamp training. You need a bachelor’s degree to qualify for such programs, she notes.

“You used to need to get a teaching certificate in most states,” she says. “Now, you can find a teaching job without one.”

Business writer Carol Tice is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times and other major publications.

Source: All salary data is from PayScale.com. The salaries listed are median, annual salaries for full-time workers with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.

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STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR IDEAS MORE SUCCESSFUL

5) Make Your Idea Easier to Support

There are, however, a number of common strategies you can consider. Your best course of action is to be adept at using a variety of approaches to make your ideas more powerful and compelling. These nine strategies are a strong start to include in your idea-selling toolkit:

Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Based on whatever is appropriate, create an early mock up Make sure you build fact-based, of what you’re trying to accomplish. It logical support as the underpinning for could be a picture, a storyboard, a video, or your idea. If the facts aren’t readily available, an actual prototype, among other things. look for new or nontraditional information Help others buy-in to your idea by sources. Assemble the information you 2) Link Emotions to the making it easy to interact with an need to develop a fact-based case Facts Supporting Your Idea early version of the end result for why your idea will deliver you’re attempting to deliver.

Think about the world’s great stories. results the organization needs.

Very few are made up solely of facts.

They all are strongly rooted in characters and emotions. Develop the most compelling storyline which makes sense with 4) Create a Clear your idea and creates emotional Implementation Roadmap connections to it among potential supporters.

A frequent question from people in all career phases is what a person can do to better sell a new idea, whether to a customer or inside an organization. As much as it would be nice to have a standard formula that always works, success really depends on the particulars of your situation.

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3) Depict Your Idea

1) Get the Facts in Place behind Your Idea

If there aren’t obvious steps for how an idea can become reality, it may be dead on arrival in an organization. Break down the “how-to’s” behind your idea so key stakeholders can clearly see the effort and investment necessary to bring an idea to fruition.

Do the groundwork to make choosing your idea easy for decision makers by removing as many obstacles as possible. Think about whether it makes sense to break your idea up into easier to digest (i.e., support, fund, implement) pieces. Maybe you can better sell your idea by 6) Quietly Build Your going the Goldilocks route, with “too much” Support One-by-One and “too little” versions surrounding the option you want. Push for the BIG idea, Rather than waiting for a big meeting but be happy to settle for the “just to introduce your idea and see how right” option in between. things go, build your support person-byperson ahead of time. Talk to individuals in advance, share where you’re headed, and solicit both input and support. If someone is supportive individually but becomes antagonistic or 8) Secure Visible Thirdnoncommittal in a later “big meeting,” Party Validation for Your Idea you can always tactfully refresh It always helps to have an influential their memory about an earlier spokesperson backing your idea. Inside favorable position. an organization, your third-party validation may not be from a TV star; it’s likely to come 9) Pick a Different from senior leaders willing to expend their Salesperson political capital to support good things for 7) Be Ready for the Right It could be someone else can run the organization. Identify who the key Moment with your idea more effectively than influencers are and start building you.

If you think that’s the case, consider Some ideas will be ahead of their their interest and support for recruiting THAT person to be the salesperson. time when you’re working on them. Keep your idea.

Or maybe even give the idea away to someone who going. Perform all the preparation, get your can nurture and develop it better than you can. If you’re assumptions and ideas challenged by others, really interested in bettering the organization first and make refinements. Then read the and foremost, seeing the idea pushed forward organizational or market tea leaves and implemented by someone else should as best you can so you’re ready be more important than retaining to introduce the idea when it’s ownership of a great idea which 9 TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION really the right time. never sees the light of day.

YOUTAKES? have

Do

what it

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2011 Fall Preview reports that “with more applicants than job openings, it is not surprising that more employers are using GPA to screen candidates.”

More than three out of four respondents said they will screen Class of 2011 job candidates by GPA—an all-time high. The most popular GPA cut-off is 3.0, cited by 64 percent of those who reported their cutoff and consistent with results of surveys stretching back to 2003. The use of GPA as a screening tool is consistent across industries, as is the 3.0 cut-off. In fact, only construction firms cited a lower GPA cut-off.

With a high GPA being the starting point for employers in screening their job applicants,what else factors into their decision, especially when two candidates areequally qualified? The student’s major and leadership experience continue to be key factors, but, overall, employers seem to be weighing a wide variety of attributes more heavily this year than last.

Employers that screen candidates

by GPA, by industry and the GPA Cut-off (reported median) in each: Accounting Services 100.0% & 3.00 Oil & Gas Extraction 100.0% & 3.00 Utilities 100.0% & 3.00 Management Consulting 100.0% & 3.00 Computer & Electronics Mfg. 100.0% & 3.00 Misc. Mfg. 83.3% & 2.95 Misc. Professional Services 81.8% & 3.00 Food & Beverage Mfg. 80.0% & 2.90 Information 80.0% & 3.00 Government 75.0% & 2.95 Chemical (Pharmaceutical) Mfg. 73.7% & 3.00 Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 65.0% & 3.00 Retail Trade 62.5% & 3.00 Wholesale Trade 60.0% & 3.00 Engineering Services 50.0% & 3.00 Construction 14.3% & 3.00 10

The importance of internships is illustrated: Relevant work experience is a key factor in an employer’s hiring preferences, and the majority of employers view internships and co-ops as the way for college graduate candidates to acquire that experience.

Each year, NACE asks employers to rate the importance of certain skills/qualities when hiring possible job candidates.

Each year, without fail, strong communication skills come out on top. In this year’s survey, employers were asked to distinguish between verbal and written communication skills, and results indicate that employers place far more emphasis on verbal communication skills than on written communication abilities and all other skills. (Interestingly, NACE’s 2010 Student Survey found that, overall, students who used the career center’s

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practice interviewing program— where the focus is on verbal communication—fared better in the job market than their peers who didn’t bother to polish their skills this way.)

Computer Skills 4.29 Teamwork skills (works well with others) 4.10 Analytical Skills 4.06 Technical skills 4.03 Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) 3.93 Friendly/outgoing personality 3.89

Problem-solving skills 3.86 Communication skills (verbal) 3.86 Initiative 3.76 Organizational skills 3.75 Self-confidence 3.75 Strong work ethic 3.74 Leadership skills 3.70 Communication skills (written)

In general, however, it appears that new college graduates fall somewhat short in delivering on the skills employers prize most highly. When asked about those skills/qualities in connection with their new college hires, responding employers reported satisfaction ratings that largely hovered in the lower end of the “somewhat to very satisfied” realm. In addition, in comparing top five skills prized against the top five skills in terms of satisfaction, only teamwork and analytical skills make both lists.

Where is the biggest gap between what employers value and what their new college recruits bring to the workplace? Number one this year is the work ethic of their new recruits. Employers rate this attribute as very important, but their satisfaction with the recruits’ work ethic is only middling. This concern over new recruit attitudes toward the job may in fact be related to a real drop in the commitment to the job recent graduates have displayed since the recession in college hiring.

NACE’s 2010 Student Survey found that the percent of seniors who are willing to put in more

3.66 Detail-oriented 3.66 Creativity 3.60 Sense of humor 3.58 Flexibility/adaptability 3.57 Tactfulness 3.55 Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker 3.41 Strategic planning skills 3.37

than 40 hours per week on the job has declined along with the decline in average starting salary.

Beyond work ethic, the greatest gaps appear with the softer skills that are difficult to identify in the more high-tech recruiting process that has developed in college recruiting. Communication skills, particularly writing ability, top the list.

Concern over communication skills has been a consistent theme in this portion of the Job Outlook report for a number of years and implies that many students are graduating with a limited set of skills that are highly valued in the job market.

Interestingly, the attributes that can be relatively easily identified by employers through a relatively high-tech process that relies on a structured review of resumes and emphasizes selecting candidates based on majors and measured skill sets, such as technical and computer skills, fall near the bottom in terms relative to dissatisfaction.

These are skills that are generally well met by the new college recruits.

Using a weighted average calculation this year, a strong work ethic, teamwork skills and analytical skills also topped the list, having ratings above 4.5, indicating they are highly prized in candidates by employers.

Although employers are provided with a list, they also have the opportunity to add other skills/ qualities. NACE reviews the “others” each year and adds them to the list as warranted.

Here are the results based on a 5-point scale, where 1=Not at all satisfied; 2=Not very satisfied; 3=Somewhatsatisfied; 4=Very satisfied; and 5=Extremely satisfied.

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Steps to

CAREER TRANSITION 12

Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

If you’re in the job market, you may want a job quickly. Few job seekers—even high-level managers—can sustain a job search for more than three or four months without suffering.

There’s something inside us that says, “I have to be working . . . and I have to be working now.”

Job hunting can be a tough road. The job search has been described as “the highest highs” and “the lowest lows.” From beginning to end, it’s often an emotional roller coaster.

The market is highly competitive.

There are usually more applicants than jobs, and supply exceeds demand. It’s often lonely, because everyone else is working, and you have way too much free time.

In addition, job hunting is sales, and you’re probably not a salesperson. More than likely, you’re an accountant, a factory worker, a technical specialist, or a manager. Sales is unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory. Without help, you might make costly, time-consuming mistakes and stay unemployed longer than necessary. Why take a risk?

Every job search is different. It’s possible to talk to a recruiter or hiring manager, take a short interview, and be hired on the spot. But that’s rare. It’s more normal to agonize, to have ups and downs, to suffer rejection and disappointment, and to confront realities you don’t like, either in yourself or in the world at large. Although every job hunt is different, a typical transition is somewhat predictable, and these are the eleven steps along the way:

Job Loss

Networking

Sometimes change is forced: you’re fired outright or lose your job in a corporate reorganization.

Other times, change is selfinitiated: you lose faith in the boss, the company, your skills, or your career future—and you decide it’s time to move on. Whether your change is forced or self-initiated, it’s still difficult, because change itself is difficult.

Calling to ask for appointments is somewhat frightening. You feel like you’re begging and “using your friends,” but once you get the hang of it, it’s great fun! You discover that others do want to help. However, you lose patience quickly, because informational meetings aren’t “real interviews.”

Focus

You’re now Vice President of Sales and Marketing for your own company, “Me, Inc.” Hustle is the name of the game. You attend organizational meetings, write to companies, take friends to lunch, and do anything and everything possible to develop job leads.

You know you need a job, but you’re not sure what to do. Should you continue on your current path or try something new? You’re confused and need direction.

You talk to friends, read career books, and seek advice. You want to choose the right course, and you’re afraid to make a mistake.

Resume Trying to get all your life experience onto one or two pages is frustrating, even angering. As you “waste time on the resume,” you note a sense of urgency and begin to feel you’re not getting anywhere.

Cover Letters You prepare letters to friends and begin answering want ads.

Once your letters are in the mail, there’s a lag time before the phone starts ringing. You’re increasingly impatient.

Job Search

Interviewing The phone rings and you’re invited to an actual job interview. You’re scared and nervous. This could be the big one, and you could mess it up. You read books on interviewing, role-play difficult questions, and touch up your wardrobe. If the meeting goes well, you’re high; if not, you’re low. Either way, you’re often kept waiting, and waiting is painful.

Disappointment Midway in the process you “hit the wall.” Although you’ve tried your best, you don’t feel you’ve gotten anywhere. Nothing seems to be working. You get discouraged and feel you haven’t done anything right. You get angry, irritable, and want to quit. Perhaps you can’t get interviews; or if you can, no offer is forthcoming. Sometimes

the perfect job you’ve been counting on falls through and you have to start over. Regardless of the reasons, you fight frustration, confusion, self-doubt, anger—and especially impatience. In such situations, these inspirational ideas might help you.

Job Offer Finally, you receive a specific job offer. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth discussing. This lifts your spirits.

You get on the phone and fan the flames of other warm leads.

If you’re lucky, this produces a second or third offer.

Salary Negotiations Most companies have fixed salary structures, and there isn’t much room to negotiate. You negotiate within the limits. Usually, if you like the company and they like you, salary isn’t a deal killer. You reach quick agreement.

New Beginnings Once you accept an offer, you feel a tremendous sense of relief—and so do your family and friends. Now you can go back to being a human being. You feel good about life and look forward to your future.

You send thank yous to everyone who’s helped. “Next time,” you say, “this whole process will be much, much easier. And I hope there is no next time.”

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suggestions. If someone provides a lead—an idea or referral name—follow up on it, especially if the person has agreed to “pave the way” for you by making an introductory call.

You aren’t obligated to accept a position from a referral, but you are expected to follow up. You’re also expected to report back to your original contact to say thanks. During that call, you can recount your progress and ask for additional leads.

HOW TO

NETWORK SUCCESSFULLY Treat networking like a game.

Networking is a time-honored tradition that most people apply every day without knowing it.

View it as making contacts, creating relationships, finding out about essentials, even as making friends. Networking is based on the premise that we’re all humans and need each other. This is as true in business as it is in other areas of your life. You may need to ask me for ideas or referrals about getting a job, but I’ll gladly reciprocate because I know that at some point, I may need to call on you for something. At that point, whether the help is for me or someone else, I’ll expect you to reciprocate. It’s that simple.

You lob the ball over the net, and it comes back to you.

Networking for a job can be fun.

Consider it today’s answer to the lost art of conversation and its cousin, letter writing. It’s all about communicating—making phone calls, conducting information interviews in person or writing 14

letters—to learn if your contacts can refer you to anyone who might want to hire someone with your skills.

The first step is to know what you want to do. Before you pick up the phone to begin networking, take a moment to collect your thoughts. Ask yourself, what do I want? If it’s help, be specific.

Do you need ideas, names or introductions? Make a list of the items that will help you stay focused during your conversation.

Most people really want to help you, a new graduate, with your job search, but first, they must understand what you want. Then they can determine how best to help you.

Realize that you, too, have something to offer.

When you’re just starting out in a career, it’s easy to be intimidated by the concept of networking.

After all, you’re a new graduate and your knowledge of business may be limited, and your

Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

contacts are likely to be already established professionally. What do you have to offer that they might value and why would they make time for you?

It’s simple. Most seasoned business people understand the concept of networking. They know that what goes around comes around. Everyone has had to start somewhere. We all remember the folks who took time to counsel, guide and direct us on our first forays into the business world. It’s a debt that’s never really repaid, unless it’s through helping someone else just starting a career.

Honor the networking code.

Another way to say this is “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If you want to have your phone calls returned, return phone calls. If you want help with your career, you must be willing to help others.

To be a successful networker, you also must take contacts’

about a profession or company.

Your contact gives you the names of several referrals. Before you leave, ask permission to use your Don’t wait until you’re contact’s name as the original desperate to network. source.He or she may want to contact the referrals first, which Networking is a lot like flossing will make your calls proceed more your teeth. For it to do you any good, you have to do it regularly. smoothly. But the main reason for asking permission is courtesy.

Keep your network alive and When you mention names, you’re well so that if and when there’s capitalizing on your contact’s a change in the wind, you’re rank and reputation within the ready for it. It takes time to rev business world, so you want to up your network’s engine if it’s been cold or idle for too long. You make sure you have his or her knowledge and approval. want to keep it humming so you Make networking a priority. can quickly shift into high gear.

If you’re in the throes of a job Today’s job market is volatile and Never underestimate the search, your first priority should employees are changing jobs power of a thank-you note. be networking. Create a list of often; one of them could be your people you know and ask them boss. You may need your network If a busy executive takes time to for ideas, referrals and contacts. sooner rather than later. meet you and assist with your Generate a buzz about your job quest, acknowledge the help abilities and your job search, and Look for opportunities others you receive with a handwritten before you know it, people will be might miss. note. This lets him or her calling you for networking ideas. know that you understand and Networking isn’t just about finding appreciate the his or her effort After you’ve accepted a job, it’s people who can help you locate a and contribution. It also allows easy to heave a sigh of relief and job. Sometimes the most valuable you to provide a short progress assume your networking days report and feedback about the networking you can do is within are over—at least until your next referrals. Last but not least, it your company. Perhaps your job search. Think again. Every paves the way for future contact. employer sponsors a charity ball. contact you make while working Other employees might consider is a potential jewel in your this a real groaner, but it’s a Remember that you’re never networking crown. great opportunity to meet senior too old or successful to managers and their spouses and network.

Keep track of your contacts— to support a cause the company and keep up with them. considers worthy. Or perhaps a Don’t think that executives or senior executive from your firm others in authority positions are That means if you landed the job is giving a luncheon speech to a uninterested or unreachable. of your dreams, let networking local organization. Not only can Many senior executives are contacts know that your search you learn from this presentation, delighted to be contacted and has ended and where you’re but you’ll be providing him or her want to share the knowledge working, and thank them for their with support and building a bond they’ve acquired over the years. assistance. Add their names to for the future. You’ll also be adding Because of their seniority, they your business holiday card list. new contacts to your network. may be isolated and appreciate Call contacts occasionally to see the chance to impart wisdom how they’re doing with no agenda Ask permission to use a name. or learn something new from a other than keeping in touch. Let prospective graduate. And when them know what you’re up to you reach a pinnacle of your own Suppose you visited a contact and do a little self-promotion. career, remember to keep your to conduct an information This isn’t the time to complain or network fresh and alive. It’s fun, interview—a short, friendly gossip. Maybe there’s something plus you never know when it may question-and-answer session they need that you can help them come in handy. designed to help you learn more with. Visualize yourself building a large bank of networking good will and making regular deposits.

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY Career Trends Magazine ALUMNI EDITION

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EXPERIENCE ALUMNI

Knock on the door of opportunities.

Texas State Career Services is here to serve you. Our office is eager to serve alumni who seek help you find the career that is right to you.

Various programs and workshops are offered each semester to assist alumni who are trying to relate their education experience to employmentn opportunities..

For details on special events, presentations and other services, come by our office in the LBJ Student Center, Suite 5-7.1, call us at 512.245.2645 or visit our website at www.careerservices.txstate.edu.