Last night, I had the pleasure of being the keynote at the Break the Ice Speed Networking event hosted by the lovely Patrice Peck and Rhonesha Byng of HerAgenda.com at the Brooklyneer in NYC. The event followed the same concept of speed dating with a professional twist and was filled with young, engaging and might I add, stylish, young professionals. There was never a dull moment in the room as people exchanged business cards and ideas. Networking has a lot more in common with dating than many people think and I shared some networking etiquette do’s and don’ts at the event. I'll share some of them with you here. Let’s explore the definition of networking first.
College is the stepping stone for obtaining the learning experiences necessary for future professional opportunities. Education is important and placed at the forefront for Millennials to succeed in life. Although higher education leads to academic advancement, there are many lessons for professional development that are exempt from the classroom curriculum. To launch your career, take notes on these progressive skills that you won’t find in a textbook.
Many young professionals lack the assistance of a mentor and a sponsor while they are in the workforce, which can really affect the success that they achieve. A young professional should always be armed with tools, skills and people that will help them advance their careers and achieve their professional goals. In college, the importance of a mentor is often stressed, and some organizations have created formal mentoring programs to help new hires navigate the corporate landscape. Sponsors, however, are often an unfamiliar concept for young professionals and an untapped resource. What is the difference between a sponsor and a mentor?
It should come as no surprise that tattoos have increased in popularity and become more mainstream in our culture. The question is, does it still have negative effects on our personal branding? In the United States, you’ll find more than 45 million Americans with at least one tattoo. As you decrease in age, the number of tattoos on your body rises with Gen Y accounting for the demographic with the most number of tattoos. With these permanent images of body art that set you apart and the stereotypes associated with them, are job applicants just setting themselves up for failure?
Meet Dan Klamm, a person who knows a thing or two about personal branding. Dan is the current Director of Young Alumni Engagement at Syracuse University and works to support young alumni in the NYC area. Dan loves blogging and social media, and has figured out how to use these platforms not just for personal enjoyment, but also for building credibility around his personal brand. Since graduating college in 2008, Dan has been able to use these tools to develop a strong online presence and his writing has been featured in publications like Mashable, US News and The Syracuse Post Standard. He has also been named a young career professional to watch.
It’s hard to believe that winter is coming to an end already and that spring is here. As the year goes by, those of you who are recent graduates or re-entering the job market, might be frustrated with your job search and wondering what you can do to get closer to getting hired. While you prepare to clean out your closet this spring, it may also benefit you to think about how you can apply some organization and “spring cleaning” to your job hunt. We got our talent acquisitions specialists together and came up with a check list of items that might help you get hired, faster.
Interpersonal communication is a fundamental source of fostering successful and healthy work relationships. Discovering effective interpersonal communication skills and tools can improve the functionality of a company. Without clear communication, your attributes and skills can get lost in the workplace and create career setbacks. Interpersonal communication’s role in the professional atmosphere has its challenges as people are turning to technology and digital platforms to efficiently stay connected. Although the significance of face-to-face communication has become de-emphasized, interpersonal communication is crucial as it helps with daily contact, organizes workflow, and assists when work issues or misunderstandings emerge.
Writing a résumé is by no means an experience of magic. If you spend enough time crafting a professional résumé, and put a considerable amount of effort into it, your résumé will help you in securing a qualified position in your field. Below are some of the tips you should follow when writing a résumé:
• Don’t make it long as can be. A résumé is simple a way to secure an interview with an interested employer. There’s no need to list your whole life story. Limit it to one page.
• Put enough details in your résumé to help your employer understand your previous experience. Do not use short sentences, like ‘Reported Daily’. Instead, expand on each description to fully explain your previous roles. For example, ‘Tracked daily reporting to make sure all management data was precise and KPI’s were completed.
When starting an internship or the first job after graduation, it is important to prove yourself to the employer. As a young professional, you are developing your personal brand and must show that you are able to juggle different tasks. There are many resource and technology that can help you stay productive and manage your time. Time management is about developing good work habits and utilizing time management tools and strategies. Here are some resources every young professional should consider.
