Confidence to Follow Legends

I love my job. I know that's kind of a big deal and I'm so grateful to God for him allowing me to be in the field I want to be in, doing what I want to do, supported by an incredible staff, doing amazing things just 4 months after graduating college.

But nothing is perfect. That's the problem of living in a fallen world. Whether you work in an amazing place or not, you will run into problems. One in particular that I have experienced is walking into a new position that was previously held by an all-star. People who have come before you and cast a long shadow can be very intimidating. Whether they are still employed there and in a different position or have moved on completely, you have to compensate for the loss.

The few times this has happened to me my initial reaction was to learn what they did and do it exactly the same therefore, the team would get the same results. The problem with this approach is that it only takes into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the other person. Not only will the team lose out on the potential you have to build and grow in your position, but also there's a good chance you'll fall short of filling the legendary shoes of those before you.

If there's anything I've learned from following legends is that I need to have the confidence to be myself and cast my own shadow. You do too! If you don't know your strengths and weaknesses by your first entry-level job, 1) your college didn't do much for you did it? and 2) you have to make that a priority. Take a test! There are a billion free strength tests online. When you learn the tools you are equipped with by God because of who you are, you will be able to reach your potential.

Once you know your strengths and weaknesses, be confident you can use them. Own your position and the tasks you are asked to do. Do them to the best of YOUR ability. The best thing you can do is become incomparable to the person who was in your position, not necessarily because you are better, but because you are yourself - a unique human being created by God.

Have a great week!

Weekend Warriors

I'm THE worst at keeping up with this blog. I'll blame it on summer and all the recent traveling I've been doing, but honestly I've never been good at keeping up with a blog. BUT I do have 9 posts under my belt and that's worth keeping up so I won't be throwing in the towel anytime soon.

Speaking of my travels, I consider myself a weekend warrior. I have no idea where I learned that term but I like it and I like living it out. As an entry-leveler you may not have very many obligations and therefore you may have an awful lot of time after work and on weekends. My suggestion - use it! It's great to have a restful weekend here or there, but don't forget you are starting out at a new job and you're in the midst of change so use it to your advantage. Try new things, go new places, meet new people. You're already doing that at your new job, so why not take it elsewhere and build your entry-level network.

Get your Yelp app out and try a new restaurant or bar. Go to museums, take a road trip, start hiking. I'm blessed because I strategically placed myself in California - a state full of things to do at any time of day, any day of the week. Some places may require some work. Try local or community events.

For those of you that are unemployed your weekends are just as much your weekdays, but since you have so much free time don't forget that its okay to have fun and take a break from your full time job of being unemployed. Plus, it's another chance for you to network and possibly find a new job. The last thing you want is to burn out from weeks of applications. Your best friend is Google and the search phrase "Free things to do in ____________."

The more active you are in trying new things, the better you'll be able to take on change. It's adaptability and agility. That's applicable to any area of life. So join me in becoming a fellow weekend warrior and fight the good fight of living up your weekend. Take advantage of the 30+ hours you have not sitting at a desk doing entry-level things.

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

Batman and Other Things

I'm back! I know it has been a while but life gets busy when you're employed and happen to be a professional weekend warrior (if you don't know what that is then you're not enjoying your weekends enough).

For those of you who caught my blog early on you may have noticed some changes to previous posts. Let me tell you - you never stop learning. Those changes were made because an important realization in my life based on some unforeseen circumstances.

I've done you all the injustice of being a hypocrite. I've talked about rising above and kindness, when in reality I have not done so with previous posts. As a Christian believer I know I am not the one to serve justice where justice is due or even judge where justice is due. 

This past weekend I was watching Batman Begins, when the character Rachel spoke to Bruce about justice verses revenge and profoundly said, "No, they're never the same, Bruce. Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about you making yourself feel better." I do not consider my most recent posts as my go at revenge and I want the emphasis to be on the lessons learned, but I do realize the things I have been saying have not been Christ-like and in no way has it been an example of rising above. Harmony was not accomplished in any way.

So from here on out I plan on keeping it classy. My focus has always been and always will be on the life lessons I've learned while being an entry-leveler. I look forward to writing more about my personal experiences, the things that have worked, and the stuff that hasn't. Life is tough enough as it is - no need for all of us to go through the hard stuff when we can learn from one another. 

I'm sincerely appreciative to all those who read my blog and struggle everyday with life. Keep up the entry-level sub-par work.

The Other Woman

Welcome back! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and as always I hope you get a little something out of it. 

Competition in the workplace can be a good thing, but it can also be a really really bad thing. I was hired for a position that was also filled by someone else... awkward! Let me tell ya - pay means nothing if you're living in fear of losing it.

When the woman arrived to work I already had a bad taste in my mouth. To make things worse she was 20 years (give or take) older than me and had been working in the industry for about the same amount of time.

Over the next three months the other woman and I lived in a constant state of competition. Whether it was all in my head or not she was the enemy.

Competition can be good and bad for a company. In this case it was bad, but I did my best to manage it with grace. If you ever find yourself in the position of fighting for your place be sure to constantly scan your moral compass. When I compromised my values for the sake of safety in my job or winning the task at hand I took away from the opportunity to build up instead of tear down.

Later on the other woman and myself had a chance to talk about what had all happened and we both realized had we let the competitiveness go we could have built an empire between our two sets of skills. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it was sad to know that I had let three months of opportunities go because I was afraid to lose the job I ended up leaving anyways.

God was so good to mend that relationship before I left, but it won't always work like that if collaboration and kindness can't break through harmful competition.

See you next week. It's going to be a good one.

Boss Does Not Always = Leader

I'm so blessed to have the job that I have now and be surrounded by leaders. My bosses value me as an employee and a person. It's sad to think that anyone else would have to deal with anything less, but so many employees around the world have upper management who may not even care who they are or what they do as long as they make them money.

From previous personal experience and that of others I've come to learn to watch for some red flags that maybe your boss might not be a leader. Starting with the interview, how often do they talk verses you? It should be a conversation so if you walk away feeling like they couldn't have gotten to know you with the amount of talking they did that typically demonstrates how they feel about themselves and their subordinates. At one of my jobs, my first day there was a shouting match which I could hear down the hallway. The hallway had a desk that just so happened to be mine and shared the same space as the bathrooms... Believe me, where you work matters! If employers want you at their company they won't freak out if you ask to see where you'll be working or spend time with the staff.

During the first few weeks, watch your bosses schedule and the time they invest in you. Great leaders give their time to developing other great leaders. Bad bosses will be absent and uninterested in your work.

If I could offer up one piece of advice when encountering bad bosses is that their bad behavior is no excuse for you to be a bad employee. Constantly be identifying ways in which you can rise above. If I decided to react to negativity with negativity, I would start to build bad workplace habits. I would not have the job I have now had I mirrored poor leadership. You know the saying "Dress for the job you want?" In the exact same way, act like the employee you want to be for the job you want.

Even today I struggle with the habits I built in the past. However, being surrounded by good leaders has made me a better person and I'm so grateful to them and God for giving me that chance.

Good luck entry-levelers and call on God because his regular business hours are all day, every day.

This First is the Worst

To all the dads out there - Happy Father's Day! One in particular, my dad, has been a huge support to me especially during this huge transition. My parents are usually the first phone call I make after a hard day at work.

After all the applications, waiting time, and interviews, I took a marketing job with a small business. I lasted 3 months almost to the date. What caused my quick exit was combination of things, but ultimately I knew I was not going in the direction I wanted to.

A huge inspiration for the creation of this blog was derived from the lessons learned at my first job out of college.

I'm still grateful all things considered. Had it not been for those three months I wouldn't be in the job I have now, understand the position many professionals are in as we speak, or be able to write this blog--and keep it up!

God really does work all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

This blog post is solely to prepare you for the upcoming posts so I'm sorry if its scant in details. I appreciate you taking the time to read and I hope you're able to take something away from my life. As always, feel free to comment or sent me questions, stories, whatever! I love to hear from you.

Death of a Fish

Today, my beta fish of six months, Wilbur, died a tragic death due to soap residue in his fish bowl... that's right - it was my fault. We didn't always have the best relationship, but I promise I didn't kill him on purpose. He was quite delightful in the end, and I felt horrible for his death. So, I dedicate this post to him.

The most important thing while job searching, interviewing, and pursuing your career are relationships. Many people will be able to relate to your situation, many will not, and some will just be down right irritating. Always keep in mind that most people are looking out for your best interest. My secret weapon was gratitude. No matter how irritating the billions of suggestions people send your way are just say thank you.

Whenever I was job searching I always had a handful of people sending me emails with a link to a company or a job search site and every time my knee jerk reactions went something like, "REALLY? Thank you soooo much for sending me this link because I was just looking at my computer screen doing nothing and wallowing in self pity when magically you sent me this link that will lead to the land of opportunities - NOT!"

Sounds harsh and it is. Luckily, none of my well-intentioned friends and family felt the wrath of my sarcasm. I always tried to respond humbly and with a sense of gratitude. If all else in this world failed I would have an awesome support system to fall back on. Get your support system in place when you start applying. Call your friends, family, and even acquaintances and let them know you are unemployed. Even if they can't connect you to the fairy HR godmother or your dream job, at least you know you have someone to call when all else fails.

Thank you parents, siblings, aunts & uncles, cousins, and friends. Without you, my job search would have been painful and slow. Instead, I enjoyed 5 weeks of encouragement, support, and love followed by a lifetime of the same. God will give you the tools you need to follow his will - just call on him.

R.I.P. Wilbur
Beloved Pet & Friend

Interviews for Beggars

After 3 weeks of hearing nothing I finally started getting calls. Not one call came in for the magical dream job I had always hoped for, but they were calls none the less and I was grateful for them. I took every single interview opportunity (with the exception of the Macy's cosmetic counter as previously mentioned). People might say I wasted time, gas money, lowered my standards, gave up on my dream job, but those people didn't owe two months worth of rent.

Beyond just needing money, taking every single interview was an opportunity to work and a chance to practice in case the dream job interview finally did come along. The reason for the title "Interviews for Beggars" is because when you start looking for a job your mindset should reflect that of a beggar, not a chooser. If you decide to be a chooser you might end up at your dream job, but you might also end up living with your parents well into your late twenties. There's nothing wrong with that, but I love working and I would not be okay with sitting at home for more than a month knowing there are opportunities out there to be taken. 

Take as many interviews as you can. Practice, practice, practice. Learn the commonly asked questions and refine your answers. Then, in a few weeks when you've been through your X amount of interviews and you have Y amount of offers on the table you become the chooser without having to wait 6 months. 

God is faithful so hang in there and don't give up. Always be trying new approaches and eventually something will work out. 

I have so much more to say so tune in because its about to get interesting... you have no idea! Feel free to comment, send me questions, or even your own post-grad/entry-level stories. Don't forget to check out my new resources tab!

Full-time Unemployment

Being unemployed is difficult. To all of you still in school--do whatever you can to get the job offer before you leave school. I love working, contributing, and being busy all the time, so five weeks of unemployment almost killed me. It brought things out of me that I had never seen before. Beyond the emotional toll it took on me, the work it takes to find a job is mentally and physically exhausting. But the saying is really true: what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

Since no one was planning on hiring until after the 1st of the year and I graduated on the 15th of December, I had plenty of time to apply for jobs. Not hearing anything for so long was very discouraging. You start to question who you are as a person and that is the best and worst thing a person can go through. I suggest a healthy balance of humility and confident self-talk to get you through.

I loved my time at Azusa Pacific, but my last semester I had grown to believe that I was awesome, deserved awesomeness, and would ultimately end up with an awesome job. Professors and speakers try their best to keep things in perspective, but everyone enjoys success stories far above those of unemployment and failure.   The three weeks following graduation I had to deflate my big head and realize I needed a job first, a career second. I started to sprinkle in some part-time jobs, retail positions, and temp work applications into my plethora of full time applications. The first call I received for an interview came three weeks after graduation and it came from the Macy's cosmetic counter. I had never been more excited about a part time job in my entire life.

The other side of the coin is confident self-talk. Too much humility might cause an unreasonable amount of deflation in confidence, something you'll need in an interview to get you the job you want. Every time I felt myself questioning my capabilities as a worker or even as a person I would read through my resume and remind myself of the things I had accomplished. Talk to some of the people you've worked with in the past and let them know where you are in your search. Encouragement by people who know what you're capable of can help boost your confidence.

I ended up canceling the Macy's interview because I received 3 more calls shortly after for full-time interviews on the same day. I may not have had to take a part time job in the end, but I knew I had the strength to do what it took to make my dreams happen. God is faithful when you put your trust in him.

Pre-Entry-Level

Once upon a time I was a normal college student headed down an unknown path to an unknown destination. I spent three and a half glorious years at Azusa Pacific University. I joyfully pursued my degree in Marketing, the prefect mix of business and creativity. I spent the bulk of my spare time in Scholar's for Business Achievement, a fancy way of saying the event planning team for the School of Business and Management. My summers were filled with fantastic internships at an online company and with the AT&T Premier Client Group on the most fantastic sales team I've ever encountered.

All this added up to a very big assumption that I deserved and was owed a job. I did all the right things and got all the right grades. Then, quite suddenly I was facing graduation day with no job, no prospects, and no idea what I was going to do next. I knew people, I had applied to some jobs, but nothing was going my way in the form of a job offer. Somehow I still made it through my last few weeks taking in all the joys of college life without being bothered by my looming fate. Most of my friends called it denial.

Luckily, I had enough savings to make it two months in California otherwise I would have to go home to freezing cold Wisconsin. Talk about motivation. So between December 14th and January 22nd I searched. I passed up Christmas and New Years with family to focus on my job search and save some money. Those five weeks changed me and opened my eyes to who I was, both good and bad. It showed me the power of hope and the pain of failure.

In the next few weeks I'll unwrap what it means to really look for a job and some of the things I learned professionally and personally along the way.

Welcome!

This is it! This is the one! This is the blog I've been waiting to write. I hope I can keep it up, but with all the stories I have to tell I'm sure I have enough content for a few months at least. I created this blog for a multitude of reasons including telling my crazy stories but also sharing some lessons learned from the first few months of post-college life. Everyone has their own path, but life lessons transcend individuals. I hope you can take something away from this, and if not at least you might have a laugh or two along the way. Get ready because you're about to read the insane details of my entry-level life.