It's time to get interactive...
What's your first job like, if you have one? How'd you find it and what made you decide to take it?
Leave a message in the comments. I'd like to compile answers in an upcoming post.
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My first job was at a small interactive promotions agency doing Flash and graphic design work. They brought me in on a freelance contract initially, but were really happy with the work I was doing and after about 6 weeks hired me full time. I was really enjoying the work I was doing and was thrilled to be able to stay.
This was back in September and unfortunately I was laid off in March, so now I've moved on to my second job ;)
I'm a 2009 grad and I'm currently working as the editor of two online publications in the student/new grad recruitment industry.
(The student one is http://www.talentegg.ca/incubator)
I was a sales and marketing intern at TalentEgg last summer and I just stayed involved with the company even after my internship ended.
I was working toward a Bachelor of Journalism, so when the president of the company wanted to start up an online resource magazine for students and new grads, she came to me and offered me the job.
I said yes because I love the company and the people who work there, and it's basically exactly what I want to be doing.
I met with everyone and anyone to network, interview or just steal advice from. I JUST got hired after a six month long job hunt, which I hear isn't a long time considering the state of the economy.
I spent my time looking for a full-time job temping, working at a bar, obsessively checking job sites and calling, calling, calling until I got information on open positions. I went on over 30 interviews and almost got 9 jobs, but at the last second the company decided not to fill the position, which was a sign of the economy.
Presently, I'm in the transition of leaving my long-term temp job and starting my full-time job this week.
I started my blog, Making it after all, to chronicle my job hunt. I update every Monday-Friday. Take a look at my journey: http://makingitafterall.blogspot.com
I found my first job like many people my age find their first job, through family and friends. I contracted with a big pharma company on NJ, a company where my Mom had actually worked for over 15 years, so I had a lot of great people looking out for me.
I recommend that entry-levels leverage their personal connections the best that they can. There are tons of ways to build a network for yourself, but family/friend connections are still the most common way that we're going to find employment.
My first job after grad school, that is, my first full-time, open-ended, staff position after completing my education, was at a small startup marketing company. It was terrible.
Long story short, I left after ten torturous months. The decision to leave was a difficult one, facing not only the uncertainty of a freelance lifestyle, but the wound left on my resume by a ten-month role. Even 2+ years on, people still ask me "what happened?" as if something critical went wrong.
Overcoming that experience has been tough, I still find myself thinking about it, and I find it an easy source of blame in my current (and continuing) search for full-time work.
My advice for new grads is this: Think of what you want to gain from your first job.
While everyone likes to make money, there are other forms of currency. You have to ensure that when you leave your first job, whether it's 1, 2, 5, or 10 years later, that you are prepared to get your second job!
Sally Hogshead, in her book Radical Careering, describes the concept of Portable Equity vs. Trapped Equity. In any job, you must build equity to get you though the day — rapport with bosses, clients, co-workers is a classic example. However, you also need to build portable equity that goes with you from job to job. Portfolio pieces and high-profile projects are the most common example, but also your overall reputation, relationships you build, articles you write, etc. are great forms of portable equity.
So, will your first job allow you to build portable equity? Or are you just earning a meager paycheck and getting older?
Last semester I found out about a new website called OneCubicle.com that basically is a job search site for new grads & young professionals. As graduation approached I used the site more & more. I realized how much I liked it, got in contact with its creators, and now I'm an intern here. Who knew? The job search literally lead to an internship.
But I would have to say, OneCubicle.com has legitimate job postings at companies you would actually want to work for. If I hadn't started working at the company itself, the website would still be a huge resource for me!
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