With my things all packed up in storage for the summer, I left for the airport feeling lighter and slightly euphoric, instantly forgetting everything about my rotten roommates.  Fast forward 4 months and I was in a car with my parents, making the 3000 km trek back to Ottawa to set up my new one bedroom apartment!

On my own – for real…

There is something so sweet about having your own space. Not just a bedroom, but a whole place to call your own.   As monthly rent continues to increase, I realize this option is becoming less and less realistic for students, but a few reasonable options may still exist. I was fortunate that a friend happened to find a steal of a place for me, less than 10 minutes away from campus.

I didn’t know what it meant to truly be on my own until I moved in to this apartment.  It was hands down the best part of my university experience. As an only child, I wasn’t worried about feeling lonely or isolated.  I was thrilled to be 100% independent!  It also helped knowing that my apartment was situated only steps away from where a lot of my friends lived. This is pretty common if you are looking at apartments close to your university campus as student housing takes up most of those prime areas.

Doing what I want, when I want…

Despite a temperamental elevator that required a serious warning of caution to first time visitors, my apartment was a perfect little oasis.  It was the ideal place to come between classes for a much needed nap, a nice option for group work get togethers, and of course one of the go-to places for my friends to gather before a night out downtown in the market.  Not having roommates meant I could make all these decisions on a whim, by myself, without the need to check in with anyone else.

The (new) Roommate Debate…

I’ll be honest. I did spend a lot of time considering moving into an apartment with 3 of my closest friends.  I was excited to experience what it would be like to actually enjoy living with other people and I knew it would have been a blast. But in the end, I made the decision to go on my own. 

At the start of the year, there were moments I felt a little left out of my friends’ roommate camaraderie.  But I quickly realized that all I had to do was get up and walk the *gasp* 4 block distance and I would be right there as an honorary roommate.  Between seeing friends in classes, working on group projects, getting involved with university activities, partying and general hanging out – I wasn’t lonely for social contact at all. It was a ‘best of both worlds’ situation: plenty of social contact when I wanted it and complete privacy to come back to when I needed it.

Like any student who is moving away for the first time, it’s all about the effort you put in to meeting people and keeping a busy schedule (social and otherwise). I actually met more people and went out more that second year than when I lived in residence.

So you’re looking for an apartment…

Kijiji and Craigslist are both great resources when you’re starting to look for an apartment off campus. Notices are typically posted about 2 months before a possible move in date, so start looking around June to scope out what’s available September 1. That being said, it certainly doesn’t hurt to start your hunt a bit earlier. Student housing around campus goes really fast, so it pays to keep your eyes wide open and make yourself aware of everything that is available. You never know when something great will pop up and if you’re able to start a lease July 1 or August 1 you can beat the back the school rush.

Don’t forget to utilize your people resources. Like I mentioned, it was a friend who found my apartment for me. She was simply walking around the neighbourhood and came across a ‘for rent’ sign.  It is always a good idea to let people know you are looking for a place. The best referrals will likely come from someone you know or someone a friend knows.

Good to know….

Let’s face it – there is a lot of crummy student housing out there.  When you’re looking for a place, you need to protect yourself. Come armed with questions about ‘extras’ like water, heat, hydro, parking and laundry facilities. Know that your rent can increase after a one year lease and budget for it.  If a landlord is showing you a place, try to contact the current tenant to ask about neighbours, noise, general up-keep of the building and how helpful the landlord is.

You can easily look beyond some clutter and an ugly paint colour (most landlords will either paint the place back to white before you move in or let you paint a place your own colour choice) but red flags to watch out for are bugs, windows that don’t open or close properly for safety, serious grime and dirt that could suggest worse problems like mould, as well as any offensive smells.  Don’t assume that a little Febreeze will get rid of that smell. Walls and carpet can hold a smell surprisingly well.

Don’t forget about the perks…

Once you’ve found an apartment you are happy with, it’s time to bask in the glory of your own space (with or without roommates). Enjoy the process of making it your own with personalized décor, feel strangely satisfied with eating chocolate cake and ice cream for supper, and smile knowing that you will always walk into your place with it looking exactly like how you left it.

Written By: Amanda Gorchinski

Ready than ever to be on my own…

Five years ago, I was one of those eager first years, fresh out of high school with bright eyes full of wonder and awe at my new university and city.  I had new sheets, towels, toiletries and tons of Ikea storage solutions to make my tiny room in residence ‘my own’.  I was moving 3000 km away from my family, friends, boyfriend, and 18 years of familiarity and comfort. I was ecstatic and, like good ol’ Ernest from Halloween; scared stupid.

Despite the apprehension, I remember feeling completely ready to be on my own and independent from my parents. I was excited to move away to a new city and take advantage of my new-found freedom.  Just the thought of getting my own groceries was enough to keep a permanent smile on my face! Admittedly, I was nervous about meeting new people and worried sick about how much I was going to miss my boyfriend. But with my naiveté still in check, I was feeling ready to attack my first year on my own with a vengeance.

And it all comes crashing down…

First, let me say that I think that each first year university student who moves away has his or her own set of unique problems to struggle with. For some, it may be the inevitable bout of homesickness that proves to be a bit of challenge. Or maybe the initial fear of meeting people and making new friends is particularly stressful. For others, the combination of serious responsibility in and outside of school (Hello monthly bills and anxiety-attack inducing group work!) may be super overwhelming.  And while every student who moves away feels a little of all these things (myself included), there’s usually one or two issues that stick out a little further as that extra pain in your side.

The thorn, or should I say thornS, in my first year experience were the 3 people I was assigned to live with in residence. After the initial week of nicey nice ‘best behaviour’, I quickly found out that I was going to be living a Rocky Horror Roommate Show.

My roommates were a perfectly horrific storm of Mr. Bully, Ms. Drug User and Mr. Dead Beat.  And those three were just my official roommates. We also had squatters; friends of my roommates who crashed on our couches and contributed to the indescribable garbage dump that was our kitchen.  And while I could easily spend the next 10 minutes detailing all their flaws and disrespectful actions over that first year, I am going to instead point out my fatal flaw in that situation: Not taking better action.

For the first couple months, I didn’t want to create any major conflict with my roommates, and so I only half-heartedly expressed my concerns- or sometimes not at all. That was mistake #1. By letting things slide in the beginning, I was setting myself up for even bigger problems down the road.  Later on, I did try to stand up to my roommates, but by then they had no desire to change their ways. It always came down to 3 against 1 – odds I just couldn’t win.

As an inexperienced first year, I began to reason that ‘everybody has roommate issues’ and that this was just part of university and living in residence. That was mistake #2.  While my friends  were dealing with roommates who left dirty dishes in the sink for a couple of days, I was dealing with roommates who began to pile dirty dishes INSIDE the oven because there was not a single surface left in the kitchen that wasn’t already piled high with disgusting dishes. I was waking up to remnants of cocaine lines on our kitchen table, becoming more and more nervous around Mr. Bully, and hated every moment spent in residence.

Hindsight is 20/20…

Reflecting on that first year, I am so frustrated at myself for not getting out of that situation. I didn’t even tell my parents how bad it was; I simply fought a never ending fight, put up with it, and suffered.  But there was no need for that!  I sometimes wonder if things would have been different had I stood up to my roommates right from the start. But even if that hadn’t worked, I could have moved out. I could have brought my issues to my university’s housing services and they could have facilitated a move to a different room.  I vaguely knew this option existed but I just never took advantage of it.

Housing services have specific guidelines in place to help students out of extreme situations.  Typically a residence advisor will first attempt to mediate the problem, and then recommend a room change. A room change must be approved by a housing services manager and is subject to room availability, but once a serious issue is brought forward, the university will do its best to find an appropriate solution.

Lesson Learned…

Because of my inaction, I missed out on many positive residence experiences and only remember the negative. Roommate matchups are pretty random if you’re moving all by yourself to a new university and the personality questionnaire you fill out when applying for residence doesn’t guarantee a blissful roommate experience. That being said, I know many people who had fantastic roommates and likely forged lifelong friendships.  The key is to remember that, even as a first year student, you have a right to a comfortable, safe, and enjoyable living situation.

No matter what, there is always a way out of a bad situation. Sometimes it is about standing your ground (or compromising) with a slightly frustrating but mentally stable roommate, and other times it is about cutting your losses and getting the hell out of there!

As for the 3 stooges, I’m not entirely certain what happened to them after we parted ways. Ms. Drug User dropped out of university before the year end and I heard that Mr. Dead Beat failed his first year. I never saw Mr. Bully again.

I’m happy to say that my living experience in second year improved exponentially with my moving to an apartment off campus. Stay tuned for Part 2 of ‘Making the Move’.

Written By: Amanda Gorchinski

I have my regular subscriptions that I watch daily, but once in a while I’ll find something interesting to click on. This weekend I ventured around and clicked on “The Vlog Brothers”.

Their most recent post was called College Advice From an Expert. John Green qualifies himself as an expert as he has both “attended college and watched Animal House” of which I have both done. Plus I write for an undergrad blog so take that!

The vlog breaks down the college (I don’t know why Americans call university college; it’s not like Harvard is a community college!) into 5 different experiences which I thought were pretty darn accurate and which I will put my own spin on.

Academic

I know so many students are worried whether or not they will be able to make it through university and get their diploma. To be 100% honest, maybe you won’t. Two of my closest friends didn’t make it past 1^st year but then honestly went on to find bigger and better things because Business really wasn’t meant for them.

At the same time so many idiots are able to graduate. They ride coat-tails, cheat, and scheme or are just really lucky and manage to graduate. I was stunned to see just how many of them graduate.

The good news is, if you’re worrying about if you will graduate, you most likely will. You have values and goals to achieve. Personally, I can’t spend 4 years and $30k, and not learn anything! I had some tough times – really tough times, but I pulled through and did really well in university. When you start to hit the hard times, make sure you use all your resources that the university makes available to you and create your own resources along the way.

Interpersonal Relationships

Your entire university experience revolves around your interpersonal relationships, whether it’s with other students, Teaching Assistants or professors and you should try to make the most of them. You’re not only building friendships, but you’re also building your network.

For example, I wasn’t big on visiting professors, but for my Market Research class I went in maybe twice to get help. I ended up making a connection with my professor and killed the class. She then asked me to become a TA.  I eventually became a consultant, which looks fabulous on my resume and I made some great extra cash in the process!

One thing I highly recommend doing is joining a school club. I always thought these people were so lame and clique-y. Sometimes they are, and they alienate a lot of potential club joiners, I beg you not to become one of them. I joined the Accounting Club (I know, I’m SUPER cool) out of pity for a friend who needed a VP Marketing. That club opened up so many doors! I got to meet a lot of top Partners at Canada’s largest accounting firms (Phew, they know how to party!). I also met an amazing bunch of students from other universities, and I got some practical marketing experience making my own ads and marketing packages.

I can never truly express how much value a club provides to your personal and professional relationships, and I strongly urge you to join a club starting first year. You may not get a job first year, but that’s when people get to know you and you will increase your odds of getting your desired job.

Binge Drinking

This is pretty much an inevitable part of university. It starts with frosh…and ends with you praying to the porcelain gods.

You’ll find people are pretty passionate about this: they are either huge binge drinkers or don’t do it at all. Don’t let anybody else influence your opinion because in the end it’s you that has to live with this decision. Sure, throwing alcohol in the mix can make things more fun but if your having a good time revolves around drinking…that’s just sad and I know a lot of people who feel like that. Though you will have some wild drinking nights, you usually end up forgetting them as that is a side effect of boozing…oh and MASSIVE hangovers.

Try and find a happy medium. Even if you don’t drink, people are pretty accepting of it. As long as you put yourself out there and have a good time, people won’t judge you. University is about learning and having fun!!

Road trips

Unfortunately I didn’t do too many of these but the few I did were amazing. You kind of start small when you’re in high school but once you hit university, hold onto your hats! I remember I used to do these with my wild friend, Shelly. We even had a road trip song which we would yell at the top of our lungs while sticking our heads out the window.

I suppose you could group road trips into binge drinking because that’s what usually happens, but the best part is the drive itself. You have nothing to do but talk and get to know each other better…and sing/scream your favourite tunes. As for tunes, I might recommend Kelly Clarkson or Spice Girls (guilty pleasure – you ladies know what I’m talking about), any great 80’s bands like Queen and Styx and I can’t forget The Beatles. Justine Bieber does not qualify. Make sure you burn yourself a CD with all your favourite jams because radio stations between major cities in Canada suck.

The best road trips are the ones which are just a spur of the moment because anything can happen. You’re only young once so go on and enjoy it! Paper due tomorrow? Hmmm… how much of your final grade is it worth, and how much is it worth to go skinny dipping in Lake Huron?

My favourite road trips include the trips to The Big Apple (no, not NYC, an actual BIG apple) to feed the llamas, trips to Montreal to visit a wild *ahem* ‘ladies club’ and hookah bar, and a trip to Quebec City to visit my favourite pub with over 200 beers. Oh, and Peterborough – Trent University knows how to party.

Living on Your Own

I personally have not experienced this yet and am very jealous of all those who have. Living on your own just makes the university experience that much better. Instead of talking out my rear, I have invited a guest to tell us about her experience about getting ready to move into res for the new school year – Stay tuned!

Welcome back, loyal readers! I’ve had pretty good feedback from my last post, so thank you very much for the kind words!

My dad read it and ran into my room yelling, “See! Aren’t you glad I taught you to set the table?!” and then proceeded to walk away laughing hysterically.

Oye, what have I started? My apologies if your parents now force you scrub the toilet and claim it will help you become a billionaire CEO.

So, I promised you some more tips on how to transform your summer job into a career. To recap, Monday’s tips were:

• Help out wherever you can; this can help prove your value as well as the fact that you can handle a higher position in your organization.
• Go the extra mile: for example, offer to grab other people drinks or set up the boardroom neatly for meetings. It impresses both clients and coworkers.
• Transition your summer job into a part-time job during the school year. You can work the full year, gain experience (maybe earn some extra cash) and you’ll be there for the next summer. Make sure to tell your boss you want to stay!

Those seem like some pretty easy tasks that you can do in your last summer weeks. Since you have 2-3 weeks left, you should still have enough time to implement the next 3 ideas if not, you can use them next summer and knock ‘em dead!

Contribute Socially

I got this idea when I was researching how to write a reference letter for our dear Nicole. I instantly thought how genius it was! What a great way to show initiative and leadership – plus it’s fun.

There are plenty of options of how to contribute. You can start a green committee to make your office environmentally friendly or maybe a social committee to create a strong and tightly knit team. Some social ideas I’ve come up with are:

• Potluck;
• Wine tasting;
• Wii tournaments (I love working at a marketing firm: lounge, big screen TV and a wii!);
• Lotto Pools; or
• Sports teams.

This is a great way to have people get to know each other and improve morale. A friend of mine participates in a local volleyball league with all the local businesses and despite saying her team is the absolute worst, she says they have the most fun because they’re all friends just having fun and laughing!

Be careful about how you approach this. Talk to your coworkers and see how they feel about your ideas. You don’t want start an event that most people won’t want to participate in and make them feel excluded. Also you have to get approval from management and HR. Try to keep the costs to a minimum; otherwise your organization really won’t be into it.

Make your company money$$:

Let’s be honest here, to a company it’s ‘all about the Benjamins’ – or the Bordens for us colourful Canadians.

No matter how much your company loves you or how much loyalty you have, if they can’t afford you – you’re out. It’s cold and harsh, but that’s how business is! Just like the body, it has to protect all the vital organs to stay alive; a business will keep all the people they feel are absolutely vital.  Interns really are just an excess cost (that’s why I previously suggested volunteering for free during the year).

I remember my boss told me on my first week that businesses saw me as just another cost. A person is only of real value if they make the company money. It’s a cold and callous truth, but also very motivating.

If you can put yourself out there and make the company some money, you suddenly become a valuable asset to the company. Again, be careful with this. I wasn’t even allowed to contact anybody when I was researching because I “sound like a junior”. Don’t start until you’ve been working at your job for a month or so, and make sure you tell your superior before you approach a prospective client.

If you’re really good, you can always ask for commission! Okay, that’s just a dream, but you could get asked to become a sales representative.

Connect with Clients

I never limited “turning your internship into a career” to staying with the same company. Remember, every single person that walks through that door is a potential employer. Make sure you are aware of your own interests and follow your career goals.

Another benefit to connecting with clients is that it creates a relationship which will increase their loyalty to both you and the organization which will generate more business for your company (remember, it’s all about the Bordens!)

These new contacts will also increase your network for any future plans you may have; they can help you find another job or become loyal to you alone and follow you wherever you may go!

Now, you’ve got 3 short weeks left until summer-fun times end. You have to make a lasting impression with your boss if you want to return for next summer to kickstart your career.

But in the mean time…

Get out there and enjoy the last rays of summer!!

Well it time has come, ladies and gentlemen. There are about 3 weeks left until your triumphant return to classes. Last Thursday, my intern had her last day so now I return to double the workload. Nicole, if you ever want to come back, you are more than welcome! You know I’m a cool boss setting an unreasonable expectation for all future bosses. Also, I’ll forgive you for leaving if you bring me Starbucks!

Anyways, don’t feel so bad about starting school. Just think, in the real work world, there are no semesters and there is no summer break. The rest of us are stuck working 9 to 5, 52 weeks a year, with only 2-3 weeks’ vacation. Consider yourself lucky!

As summer ends, so do your summer jobs/internships. Here’s a little tidbit for you to keep in mind for next summer: the youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) is at an all time high of 15.1% and experts say we’re all basically screwed for the next 2 years…well they didn’t use those exact words, but that’s pretty much all I heard.

So how can you beat this gloomy statistic? Well, you have 2-3 weeks left on the job and what better place to find a job than right under your nose! Sure, you may be an intern but if you impressed your bosses during your work term, they might keep you on or offer you a position for next summer.

Now as everybody knows, the #1 thing to do is to work hard and I’m sure all the interns at your workplace do. You need to wow the bosses and really show what an asset you are to your workplace. Here are a couple of things you can do to give yourself an edge:

Help Out

During the summer a lot of people go on vacation so somebody else has to fill their spot. If you’re like me, you really can’t fill any of those spots. Another person at work has to fill it which will make them a lot busier and that’s where you can pop in. Offer your services in any possible way.

Coworkers really take notice of this and are always grateful when you can provide any help, whether it’s making a phone call or helping them prep for a meeting. Your coworkers will then become your allies when you’re going to ask for a job and provide helpful references for you.

Another benefit to this is that you are getting training for another potential job for yourself and proving that you can handle that job.

Go the extra mile

To me, this isn’t really something that you need to think about. Whatever you do, do it well and take pride in your work.

My job has recently required me to take on more of a support role. Whenever we have a meeting, I am the one to prep the boardroom. I wipe down the table and whiteboard, clear old papers and fix up chairs; then I prepare coffee and set out cups.

Now maybe it’s the waitress in me, or because I set the table at home, I always like to present the cups and coffee neatly in a row. It’s just common sense trying to “Wow” the clients, even if it’s something as small as arranging cups. (Seriously, impressing clients and coworkers is that ↓ easy!)

I’ve recently been getting many comments from coworkers and clients on how elegant everything looks. To me it just seems like common sense not to just throw cups on a table and leave.  It’s just a bonus to get recognition for it.

Another thing I do is once the meeting is over and I clean up, I take the coffee I made fresh for the meeting and go around the office asking who needs their cup topped up. Again, to me it just seems wasteful to throw it out but my coworkers love my “Flight Stewardess Service”.

A few other things I do include helping out with office chores and asking who may want some more water or tea if I’m heading down to top up my own. It’s the little things that can make a big impact.

Transition your summer job into a part-time job

Back in 2^nd year I started working full-time at a bank. When school started up again, I decided to keep working at the bank for the extra cash and to help the staff out. I’d wake up, go to work, run to class and then run back to work. Because I kept working, I was easily offered a job there the following summer.

Just because summer is over doesn’t mean your job has to end.

Make yourself available for a part-time job. You can even offer to come in 5 hours a week to do some work (if you’re super nice, you can offer to work for free). That way you can transition your internship to a part-time job which will lead you into the next summer.

Make sure your company knows you want to stay! Put yourself out there and make the offers to stay. If you don’t, your boss will never know to offer you a job.

I’ve decided to break this blog post into 2. I’ll be posting the 2^nd part on Thursday. The last few points of this blog are actually things that I’m hoping to implement right here at my work! If they don’t get me a permanent job, they’ll at least look really good on my resume!

So don’t forget to come back on Thursday to get the last part of this post, and what I think are the  most influential things you can do to really impress your boss!

We’re all women who have practiced or are practicing in the stereotypically male-dominated fields, science and engineering.

Anecdotally, I think a lot has changed in the past generation.

Looking back through my mom’s high school yearbooks (oh man, talk about bad hair!), most of the female students list their aspirations as nurse, teacher or homemaker- all considered stereotypically female careers. My mom appears to be the exception as she lists journalism as her dream job. Mom can’t recall a single female student saying “I want to be a doctor” or “I want to be a civil engineer”. Looking through my high school yearbooks (yikes! still lots of bad hair), more female students list doctor, researcher, or biologist as their career aspirations.

And I really do think it is within the past generation that things have started to change.

During my Bachelor’s, I had a course wherein there were more students named Stephanie than there were male students. At my very first academic conference I attended, I noticed that most of the professional and board members were old, white guys, whereas the younger attendees were more likely to be female and/or not-white (racial/ethnic diversity is a totally different blog topic for a later day).

Most of my classes (both during my Bachelor’s in Canada and my Master’s in the Netherlands) were taught by male instructors and professors, while my TAs were more or less 50-50 male-female. In my current job, it’s still the most senior positions that are held by males, but now we jokingly complain at the lunch table about the number of women in our department (also the number of pregnant women in our institute- it was a very cold winter in NL, wink wink).

Historically speaking…

I’m not sure when or by whom it was decided that women weren’t cut out to be scientists, but it seems to go way back. Maybe we were too busy having babies and raising children, cooking and cleaning, or maybe we weren’t considered smart enough to play in the lab with the men, but whatever arguments you use, they quite frankly don’t stand up any more.

But still

Recent studies by the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine in the US show that women become professors less frequently than their male counterparts. And those that do are less likely to be tenured. The authors argue that this may be due to lower productivity of female researchers because they are given fewer resources by their institutes and universities or that the female researchers are less positively judged than their male peers.

While more females are working and studying in the biological sciences, the number of women studying or working in the fields of mathematics, engineering, computer sciences and the physical sciences (chemistry, earth sciences and physics) seems to remain low (Statistics Canada, 2001). Similar results have been found in Europe by the European Commission- Women and Science Unit

So, while it seems that girls and women do appear to be increasing, we’ve still got a way to go.

Mentoring

I think one of the easiest ways to get girls interested in science is to show them what they’ve got to look forward to. Mentoring programs for elementary school kids are great, (but shouldn’t focus on just girls- everyone should love science!) But it shouldn’t stop there. I was lucky to have a series of absolutely amazing high school science teachers (shout-out to Bell High School!) that sparked my interest and held it. I can honestly say that it was Mr. Ruttan’s biology lessons on DNA (thymus in a blender anyone?) that started my passion for all things genetic.

It was at U of T that I noticed the large number of girls in my program and science courses in general. However, most of my professors were male, and on those days when I wondered if I really did want to continue on with this science-thing, it was kind of disappointing to see and the lack of role models did upset me.  To quote Pamela Bjorkman, a 2010 UNESCO-L’Oreal laureate, “It can be discouraging for a young person today who’s trying to enter science if she doesn’t see anyone who looks like her doing science.”

It was similar for my Master’s but luckily my program director was an outstanding (female) cardiologist. And through my internships, I’ve found not one, but two great mentors. Miriam, my supervisor from Argentina, who does amazing science with so little and who always said I should go for what I wanted. And Emily, my thesis supervisor who has travelled the world, published extensively, consulted for the WHO, sits on international committees and has encouraged me to publish, train and go for my PhD.

Interested students can check out WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) for more information (and scholarship opportunities!), but a mentor doesn’t need to be a formal thing. If you’ve met a great professor, researcher or even a TA, ask her as many questions as you can (trust me, we love talking about ourselves and our research) and find out how she got to where she is.

For an interesting look at the under-representation of women in the sciences, check out “Under-representation or Mis-representation” by Doreen Kimura in:

S.J. Ceci & W. Williams (Eds) Why aren’t more women in Science? APA Books, 2007, 39-46 or online at http://www.sfu.ca/~dkimura/articles/Ceci%20Essay.htm

________

*Rosalind Franklin is a personal hero of mine. If it weren’t for her X-ray diffraction photos of DNA, Watson and Crick would have never come up with their double helix. And she gets barely any credit for it. She died of ovarian cancer at the age of 37, to which her exposure to x-rays may have been a contributing factor.

But a bit of background first. I did my Bachelor’s at the University of Toronto in Forensic Biology. It’s one of their more intense programs, with a fairly strict scheduling of courses and prerequisites. So much so that a semester abroad usually means losing a year of credits and, as some courses were offered only during alternating years, sometimes even two years. Long story short- I never got to do the much ballyhooed (that means sensationalized) semester abroad.

That’s why, when I decided to go back to school for my Masters, I decided to go to Europe (Utrecht, in the Netherlands to be precise, for their superb training in medical sciences as well as our family ties to the land of bicycles and orange). As part of my program in NL, I also got the chance to go to Argentina for a research project in tropical medicine in Buenos Aires. Abroad while abroad? Sign me up!

Research

Do it. Do lots of it. Find out all you can about the countries you’re interested in, the cities, schools and programs. Find out if the school is particularly known for a field of study. Find out if there already exists an exchange program or at least relations between your school and the ones you’re interested in (trust me, it makes everything a lot easier). Find out what the visa requirements are and if you need vaccinations. Most schools will have an International Student Office full of lovely, well-informed people who are getting paid to answer your questions. Also ask if they have student representatives – young people who have already done what you’re about to do and will give you the totally honest answer. Also, ask your friends if they know anyone who lives there or has lived there. Knowing what someone else has gone through will make you so much more prepared for your stay. They can check out housing options, make sure you don’t get stuck in a dodgy neighbourhood, recommend all sorts of things and basically guide you through the process.

Passport/Visas

Obviously the most important part of going abroad. And yes, your photo will most likely make you look like a terrorist or drug dealer. Ask me about getting stopped in Atlanta while connecting from Bogota on my way to Amsterdam. No fun.

The Canadian passport is well-recognized and well-respected, but don’t think it’s your get-out-of-jail-free card. Know what you need to provide to get into the country. Universities are usually quite good at helping you with the student visa application process, but you’ve got to do most of the leg work. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to provide your long-form birth certificate, a criminal record check, 2 to 4 passport photos, proof of financial good–standing (sometimes your parents can back you up on this), a letter of acceptance from the school, etc. etc.

Credits

Remember, you are going abroad as part of your education, so you should get credit for your 6 months abroad. Most of Europe is on the ‘ects’ program, an EU-wide credit system that makes transferring credits really easy between educational institutes in Europe. Unfortunately, Canada is not a part of this system, which means that your law credits from England or biology courses from Germany might not have equivalents in Waterloo or Victoria. If you’re lucky, and with tons of documentation, you might convince the registrar’s office to accept them as equivalencies. If you’re less lucky, they might be considered as electives. Worst case – they don’t count for anything and you’re sans credit for that semester.

This is where it pays to have done your research, and to have picked a school that has already established a link with your school. That being said, don’t let that limit you. If you have your heart set on studying Viking ruins in Denmark, go for it! Accept the fact that you might not get your credits, but it’s still an amazing learning opportunity. And bring back as much official documentation with you, letters from professors, course descriptions, etc. and put on your puppy-dog eyes and visit with the registrar’s office. Better yet, try to set something up before you leave.

Money

It costs money to go abroad. At the moment, the Canadian dollar is fairly strong, but unless you’re going to Eastern Europe or South America, count on everything costing more. Plus your airfare, visas, vaccinations, international calling (hello, Skype!), etc., etc. Check for scholarships, both at your school as well as the school you’d like to go to.

Some countries even have whole organizations dedicated to scholarships for foreign students. Check out Canadian-based organizations for the country you’re interested in; I have a friend who spent a year in Leipzig, Germany at almost no personal cost- most of her expenses were covered by a scholarship from Carleton, one from the university in Leipzig, and a scholarship from a German organization in Ottawa. Check any decent scholarship database or Google terms like “study abroad scholarships” or “Country X scholarships”. Ask at your school’s financial office or even the embassy of Country X might have links or be able to suggest something (I would recommend calling the embassy. This is one of those times when it’s better to actually talk to someone rather than email)

Don’t forget to set aside extra money for emergencies. Even the most ardent budget-makers I know have blown it after a weekend of partying or one too many RyanAir flights. It’s not always easy to have your parents send money overseas, so figure out how to do it before you leave. If you can, set up a credit card for emergencies purposes only and know how to withdraw money from it. Check your health insurance to see if it covers you while you’re abroad, or if you’re covered under your parents’ policies or on credit cards. Most countries don’t have as great a public health system as we do in Canada, so you’ll likely have to pay out-of-pocket, and then be reimbursed.

Culture shock and homesickness

The first few weeks you’re abroad, you’ll be so busy with partying, meeting new people, finding your classes and adjusting, you’ll feel like life is one big crazy, fun, whirlwind. But then, you’ll get homesick. You won’t know how to pronounce the names of streets. You won’t be able to find skim milk, ginger or baking powder at the grocery store. The time difference will mean it’s harder to call home. You’ll blow your budget on Oktoberfest; you won’t be able to figure out the washing machine; you’ll get lost, have your bicycle stolen, have to walk home, you’ll cry, you’ll hate it and want to take the next flight back home. It happens to every single person who goes abroad (I did an informal survey) and while it’s inevitable, it’s also inevitable that you’ll have a good cry/scream/run and get over it.

Acknowledging that culture shock will happen makes it a bit easier to deal with. Set up regularly-scheduled Skype dates with your friends and family back home. Write letters and send postcards back home and ask your friends to do the same. Have your parents send a care package full of goodies and reminders of home (I’m 26, have lived away from home for 7 years, abroad for 3 and my parents still send me care packages. Thanks Mom and Dad!). Get yourself invited to dinner at a local friend’s house for dinner and bask in the affection from their parents. Mom-hugs are a universal cure for homesickness. No Mom-substitute available at that moment? Call a friend: even better if they’re also on exchange, because they’re likely feeling the same. Go for coffee, a walk, shopping, a movie, whatever.

Get to know the locals

Please, please, please don’t be one of those exchange students who only meets other exchange students and the local students that run the exchange/international student program. If you really want to experience somewhere, you’ve got to meet locals doing their everyday-thing: Taking the train, shopping at the market, playing sports, working out at the gym, going to the movies. The school I studied at had an especially strong exchange program with Australian law departments. I saw so many Aussie students who only hung out with each other. You can hang out with other Canadians in Canada- use your time abroad to meet people you’re unlikely to meet in Canada. You’ll find that you pick up the language much faster, you get invited to really cool parties and events, and you can avoid tourists. Plus, you might score the much coveted dinner-invite for Mom-hugs.

Make the most of it

Ah, this is the paragraph that Andrea will make fun of me for, sounding all “big sister imparting wisdom”. And that’s exactly what I am going to do.

You’ve decided to take an adventure, so don’t sit around in your dorm room. Adventures never happen while studying calculus. I mean, do study calculus or biology or conflict resolution or whatever it is you’re there to do, but remember that this might be your only chance to live in Singapore or Prague or Melbourne, so make the most of it. Put yourself out there and meet new people. Learn the language, even if it’s just the basics like “Hello, my name is…”, “Where’s the washroom?” and “Two beers, please”. (Side note- always learn to say “please”,  “thank you” and “Do you speak English?” in the local language. It’s just polite and people will be much more willing to help). Go on random weekends to the countryside, visit small villages, take pictures, eat the local cuisine (Pigeon? Check. Llama? Check. Guinea pig? No, and I do regret it). Stay out late on a school night every now and then. Have fun!

I know each and every one of us have missed at least one deadline at some time or another in our life. That doesn’t make it any more acceptable. I find missing a deadline completely embarrassing, almost like it decreases someone’s perception of you…like being caught with your pants down.

University is the WORST for deadlines. I remember in second year we had the notorious presentations course: Monday we submitted a 5 page report and Thursday we did a 5 minute presentation. At the same time I was taking finance, accounting and statistics which means I had at least 3 things due each week. On top of that, we were never allowed to submit 5 minutes late otherwise we’d get zero. Weird because I don’t think any of our professors ever started on time unless something was due.

One of the most important qualities you need to develop is punctuality. You can never submit a report late or else you get fired. Same goes if you show up late for a first date, you can bet your behind you’re getting dumped. When you do show up on time or even better, early, people always take notice.

To help with your punctuality here are some tips I used in school. Tried, tested, and true! I never ever submitted a report late!

Map it out on a Calendar: I didn’t start doing this until 2^nd year when I discovered our university gave away free 1-year calendars. I can see all 8 school months at one glance. At the beginning of the year I’d print out my course outlines and write them in. This way you can map in your mind when you need to do work. You also avoid nasty surprises when your friend says to you “I finished my calculus assignment; did you get #563?” Nothing like doing integrals at 2 am. The least you can do is use the free agenda provided. Chicks totally dig organization too.

Break large tasks into bite size tasks: “All-righty folks, I want a 50-page report on International Accounting Standards on my desk next Wednesday.” Wow, Commerce is seriously boring. How did I get through it? Best way to look at this giant task is to think how you can break those pages down into the different sections needed, assign them how many pages you think they require and budget yourself time they require. If you just plop down and work on it all at once, it just gets messy and you’ll end up with an F. Best part about this method leads to my 3^rd point…

Reward yourself! This is how I used to study. Finish a chapter, get a coffee. Finish the questions, get a cookie. Seems so juvenile, but there’s a reason your parents did it; because it totally works! Nothing pushes me to finish a report like the thought of a nice ice cold frappuccino. This forces you to finish an assigned task without wandering around and distracting yourself every time you get tired/bored/want to strangle something. Use this method wisely; don’t rush to finish! You need to set reasonable goals for yourself otherwise you’ll just find yourself trying to eat your pencil thinking it’s an Oh Henry!

Prioritize: This isn’t just for reports, this also applies to *gulp* exams. You have 5 courses, 5 exams, and 2 weeks to write them all. You can’t learn 5 full courses in 2 weeks. Instead, you have to evaluate each exam and course on its own. How much is it worth of the final grade? What is my grade right now and how will this affect me? Can I make it up elsewhere? Is it realistic to expect an A? Use these types of questions to evaluate which courses/projects should be getting your focus. Eventually something will have to give in these situations so try to decrease the onslaught of horror.

Don’t start too early: I know that sounds weird to advise people not to start early but I found that it’s almost as bad as doing it last minute. I’m not 100% sure why but it’s true! In 4^th year, I took a ‘personal selling’ class and I would do my work 2 weeks early where my friends did it the night before. What really ticked me off is they did a full grade letter better than me! I think it’s because:

1)      You don’t have all the information required to complete the project yet.

2)      You need a little bit of pressure. I find everybody works better with some level of pressure.

Most importantly, the worst thing you can do is save it for the last minute. You “half-bum” it and cut corners that cost you dearly in the end. Professors can always tell when you cheap out on your work and the really funny profs usually end up calling you out on it, especially if you do it over and over. Sorry guys, but nothing is funnier than watching a slacker classmate finally get caught with his pants down.

So, I’ve been at work for about 3-4 months now and I’ve submitted my fair share of reports and research. I remember I submitted a research report and my boss loved it. Next came the market plan and boy did that one bomb with the boss! He asked me if I had ever written a marketing plan before.

Ouch. As a marketing graduate, I have written a marketing plan for almost every single class I have ever taken and I have never received any grade below an A on all of them!

My boss and I started talking about, well, how useless university really is. He told me exactly what he didn’t like about my reports and almost every point was something I was taught to do in my classes. So I spent $30 000 on education that sets me back in my career… Go figure.

To help you along in your education and your career, I’ve composed a little list of things they never taught us at university.

•     Co-op is a bigger deal than they lead on. Co-op at my university is just an option. Very few people take it. When I looked at the co-op option, I just saw it as a waste of time because I’d have to spend an extra semester in school – my worst nightmare! Looking back, most people agree that not doing co-op was a BIG mistake. What better education could you possibly receive than real world experience? You can read as many textbooks as you want, and learn a million theories but nothing will prepare you better for the work world than real life experience.

•     The majority of things you learn will be completely irrelevant by the time you graduate. I remember reading in a newspaper that everything computer science students learn in first year is no longer relevant by the time they graduate. Looking at Thomas Moore’s law, it states that every year technology doubles and prices are cut in half. That’s why DVD players originally sold for $200 and are now $30 (Stupid DVDs made my Little Mermaid VHS useless!) This happens to almost all university degrees. Make sure you stay up-to-date on everything you learn and try to stay ahead of the curve.

•     Networking is what keeps you alive. As a commerce student, networking is talked about a lot but I don’t think anybody really understands the importance. Over 80% of jobs are never posted anywhere; they’re merely filled by using connections. I was lucky, and that’s how I got this job. My lunch buddy, Jay, worked at a brokerage firm at the age of 16. He then worked his way up through the bank and kept ties with his old manager. Because of Jay’s networking, his manager has offered him a job, and he will be returning to be a broker (cha-ching $$) in a few years. Make sure you look at every single opportunity as a chance to network and build future contacts.

•     There’s nothing wrong with ego! I’ve always taken pride in my own work and I expect other people to notice. Do you have any idea how much crud gets thrown on your boss’s desk? On my second week, my boss taught me to put my name, date, and title on everything I ever submitted to make sure he’ll know who submitted the good work.

In the real work world, nobody really notices these things. I remember when I went to a spa and the pedicurist said to me:

“Nobody is going to toot your horn for you, so toot your own damn horn!”

It’s true! If you did a good job, take credit for it but remember to give credit where credit is due. So, remember to take pride in your work, but to keep your ego in check.

•     Professors aren’t tough, bosses are. When you fail in school, you can always re-take something or beg for mercy. You fail at work, you’re fired (make sure you read that with the Donald Trump voice in your head). Also, never blame your failure on somebody else, especially your parents. It’s your own fault and nobody else’s. Sorry.

•     Set your own goals and expectations. I remember a study  done quite a while ago by an Ivy League school which showed that students who set goals and wrote them down were more likely to achieve them. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure your goals are realistic. When you graduate, I doubt you’ll get the exact job you want, and you will make under $50k. Goals take time! Life isn’t like TV. People do eventually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work. Hmm… maybe I should become a restaurant critic. Then I could stay there all day!!

•     There really is no way around group work. I thought everybody knew this but apparently it was only my department that forces us to do 90% of our work in groups. Everything you do in the office will rely on other people. Group work teaches you some great skills and brings out your natural talents; I’ve discovered I’m a great leader! Maybe you’re a good researcher or an amazing writer. Any of those qualities are great to list on your resume. Just make sure never to be the slacking mooch of the group.

•     NEVER break the printer! And if you do, don’t try to fix it yourself. Seriously. We have one printer for 11 people on my floor. Someone breaks it, we’re all screwed. Plus, I’m pretty sure somebody might attempt to break you in return.

You may think school has separated the winners from losers, but life hasn’t. Make sure you set yourself apart from the pack.

Next week my intern, Nicole, and I will be doing a collaborative blog where she asks me questions about university. If you have any questions you would like to ask or are a university student and have some wisdom you would like to impart, post a message below or email me at andrea@careeroptionsmagazine.com.

What a beautiful summer weekend! Did my shopping for some of the summer essentials; smelling all those sunscreens really brought back memories of summer camp. Oh to go back to the careless days of grade school…

This month, my boss has entrusted me to be the boss of two summer students. At first I had his daughter who is 14. Now that was nerve racking. This week I actually have a client’s daughter – also very nerve racking. Nicole is 16 and has been helping me out with some of my work while we wait for some people to come back from vacation.

I had to put Nicole through some grueling work and trivial tasks which had to be done (I’m really sorry Nicole! Can I still be a cool boss?) I thought as an interesting exercise I could test out her creativity skills. I asked her to write two articles for our next issue of Career Options Magazine High School Edition coming out in September. I read them and I absolutely loved them!

We talked about them for a bit and Nicole reminds me a lot of myself at 16 – which made me feel even worse for making her do trivial labor. I told her she has great style of writing which both our high school teachers constantly bashed us for. Nicole, fear not! Life gets way better after high school. Of course there’s the unbelievable stress of university, new responsibilities and expenses, then you have to look for a career, but I promise life does get better in there…somewhere. As corny as it sounds, university and college really are places for finding yourself!

Without further ado, I present to your our brilliant little writer, Nicole, writing about the stresses of having parents forcing you into a career path.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

I’m sure everybody knows that one person, that one kid who always gets A’s and never ever gets stuck in detention. You know who I’m talking about. The person who is always done projects before you’ve even started! I’ve always been jealous of that person, I mean, how do they do it?

One day, I thought: maybe it’s not their fault. Could it be possible that the grades are the results of some other force? Parents are a big factor when it comes to academic success, it can’t be denied. They are the ones who help you develop your working habits you still use today, like making you to write cursive letters over and over again back in grade 2.

My parents, thank goodness, aren’t the type of people to push too hard about anything. They will, however, tell me their opinion, make suggestions and give advice. Once, this year actually, I had to choose whether to continue in this academic program at my school next year or to switch to a more artistic one, a big decision. Both my parents thought it would be better for me to stay where I was and finish high school in the same program, as it would give me an advantage getting in to university. At first, so did I. Then I talked to a few graduating students and did some reading. I informed my parents of my choice and they were fine with it, especially because I had thought long and hard about my decision.

I’m very lucky. My parents understood when I didn’t want to follow in their footsteps. I’m definitely not a scientific type, that’s for sure (just look at my science grade). They got that this was my life, and I had to make some of the choices.

One of my best friends, Marika, lives an opposite situation. She’s a great person, very responsible, organized, focused and always on top of every situation. I love going over to her house. Her family is funny and they love to play soccer (so of course, I love THEM as I looove soccer). But when it comes to school, Marika is ALWAYS working, and I mean just about every moment of every day.

Example: the last book report.

The due date: 5 weeks away.

Predictably, most of the class (yours truly included) waited until the last week before even starting the book (we all had a few late nights that week). Marika, on the other hand, worked long and hard everyday, had it corrected 3 or 4 times and just spent way too much time on this project.

Parents always want their children to live a better life than they had, as is normal. Although, sometimes parents take it a little too far.

The result: a lot of pressure.

Like my friend Marika, some kids are pressured into working way too hard and going in a career direction they might not necessarily want to go. I made my choice of school program knowing that it is harder to get a job in that field and that those jobs may not have the best pay, but it is something I’m passionate about. Marika, however, has no choice. She must take every science class and become a doctor. No ifs, ands or buts about it. That would be fine, if she wanted to be a doctor. I know for a fact that she wants to go into a different field of work, but because of her parent’s pressure, that probably won’t happen.

I can see where her parents could be right. She will without a doubt go to Harvard, Yale, or some other fancy school and if she stays on this track, Marika will be the best doctor and knowing her, cure the world of every disease. Sure, she’ll have a big house and money to spend, but she’ll always wonder: what if?

If you think you live a similar situation to that of Marika, talk to your parents about it. Remember that they have gone through some of the same things you are, so they want to help you make the least amount of mistakes possible, although a “mistake” for them my not be a mistake for you. Tell them how you feel and let them explain their actions. Let them know that you want to make your own decisions and need to explore your independence. Maybe you can reach some middle ground with them. If you’re like me, remember to thank your parents (thanks mom and dad!).

Don’t forget, a lot of choices are reversible. You could always graduate late, or take summer school.

As I mentioned before, I worked in a family restaurant for over two years. In those two years I went through five different managers! FIVE in TWO years! Utterly ridiculous. I’ve had some pretty awful bosses in my time. Hearing others’ stories about their bosses from Hell can be a hilarious type of therapy.

After visiting some hilarious websites and reading your terrifying stories, I’ve broken down some seriously disturbing bosses from hell into three main categories:

1. The Bully: I’m sure you’ve all experienced this power-tripping ego-maniacal psycho. They scream out those cliché lines like, “I WANT THIS DONE YESTERDAY”, that make your eyes roll so far back into your head, they roll right back to the front.

They take your short-comings and laugh at you, and they work you WAY harder than need be. I had a friend tell me their coffee machine broke down before a big meeting, so she ran down to get some coffee at a shop, and it took a few extra minutes. She returned to inform her boss of the delay and in front of board members, chairpersons and directors she clapped, “Well then, Run! Run! Run!” How jaw droopingly degrading is that?! I realize as the new grads we kind of get the grunt work nobody wants to do but there is such a thing as too much.

The other day a partner at my firm asked me to take care of getting some papers signed. I agreed  (because he’s the boss, am I going to say no?) Just as I was about to leave, he said:

“Andrea, is this too degrading for you? I mean, is this below you?”

That was the first time anybody had ever said anything like that to me. It was honestly so touching and kind I couldn’t believe it! I told some friends and they were just as shocked and touched by it as I was. They wish they had him as a boss! If you preface any ridiculous task by such a kind gesture, I’ll do any scanning, photocopying or stapling job you require.

Even a simple “thanks” is nice. But that’s in an ideal world.

2. The Inept Tool: These bosses fall into 2 categories. They either don’t care or don’t know. They typically get their job through favouritism, brown-nosing or nepotism. There are way too many of these out there in the world. If your boss is too brain-dead to do their own task, it usually falls on you, making your job twice as stressful. Worse, you get paid the same amount, and they usually skip paying you the overtime.

I see this occur way too often in the accounting field. Tax season hits hard in April and June, and juniors are forced to work 60 hour weeks (legal limit is 44) without any compensation. And I dare you to try and ask for a sick day.

3. The Sketchy Boss: This is daaaangerous territory because this is where you can be forced to enter the legal arena. Sketchy bosses tend to be those who sexually harass employees, steal from the company and cut corners on products making them unsafe. These are not issues to be taken lightly because somebody is put at risk in these situations. Luckily these are some of the easiest to deal with as there are legal avenues for you to pursue. You can talk to the head of the organization or contact authorities. Never EVER let these situations sit and simmer!

Back at my old job, the manager who stayed the longest actually got caught and fired for stealing over $25,000! I did return there for lunch one day and found out that pretty much every new manager has been caught stealing. Another friend of mine was constantly sexually harassed at work. Not just by other employees but by partners! Luckily we both worked for large organizations with an HR department so you know exactly who to talk to. For those who work in small organization, talk to authorities, a lawyer, or just leave!! Is your happiness at work really worth getting filthy comments every day?

The big problem with this whole Boss from Hell situation is that right now with the terrible economy, it’s hard to find another job to get you out of that situation. Don’t use that as an excuse to take the abuse any longer though. Speak up! Confront your boss, talk to HR or talk to their superior. You really don’t deserve to be treated like that! At the same time, I implore you to sit back and look at the situation from their point of view. Maybe you’re not the greatest employee; maybe they’re forgetful. Give them
the benefit of the doubt.

One more piece of advice from high school employment experience; never EVER sign a contract if it lists all your specific job responsibilities and then at the bottom says:

“…and whatever management asks you to do”.

That one line opens up a flood gate of never-ending demeaning tasks. My tasks included emptying out the outdoor ashtrays and plunging toilets at least once a day. Try doing that on a Hillary Duff (The 1990’s Miley Cyrus) concert night. Never. Again.

I find that a common mistake made by people trying to offer a service is that they think they know what their audience wants. I have been guilty of this many times and I’m now taking the steps to listen to my audience first. Same thing applies to student councils and groups, you may have a good idea what your members want, but you should ask them to know for sure.

Since people don’t always want to fill out a survey, there are many other creative ways of getting them to tell you what they want. With Facebook and Twitter it can be as simple as asking a question in your status update, “At this year’s business dinner, would you prefer chicken or fish?” If you have been engaging your network properly you should see many responses. As well, Facebook allows you to create simple polls for voting which you can embed into your fanpage to get most measurable feedback.

One creative way involves a little guerrilla marketing. Say you want to know which event to run – a pub night or a hockey night; just ask your followers. Create a fan page for the pub night and the hockey night, then ask you followers to “Like” whichever page they prefer. The page with the most “Likes” is the event you should run.

Lastly, Google has created a few simple tools to help people listen to the world around them. These tools are Google Reader and Google Alerts. With Google Reader, you can aggregate relevant blogs and articles into one place for efficient reading, while Google Alerts allows you to monitor keys words that are flying around the inter web. Google Alerts will send you an email with a summary of where your key words appear in blogs, news articles, and more. These tools will help you stay abreast of current events so you can deliver the most relevant content to your followers.

Putting it all Together – Your Website

This is where you can get creative and bring all of your social web tools together in one place; your website. One thing I like to tell people is to not try and create their own portal because, believe it or not, they’ll be in direct competition with Facebook, Twitter, and more. What I tell people to do instead is integrate all of these tools into their website so that it’s easy for people to interact with them on any social channel.

Common steps involve, embedding your Facebook page into your website to encourage students to connect with you on Facebook. As well, posting your Twitter feed on your website allows you to update your website and deliver short messages to your followers with little to no effort. You can also embed polls, surveys, and other tools to gain feedback from your followers. Doing this allows for your followers to receive all of your updates whether it’s on your website, Facebook, Twitter, or any other portal you choose.

This brings me to my new favourite tool, the Facebook “Like” button. This button can be embedded on pretty much anything and it takes only 5 minutes to set up. By embedding a “Like” button in the content on your website, you create multiple links between your site and Facebook. This creates an easy way to share content from your website on Facebook

Last point, share everything! Everything you post on your website should be shared through all of your social networks. The more content the better, as long as the quality is there.

Conclusion

After reviewing all of the steps outlined in this post your next move is to create communication strategy that involves all of your social networks. But before you begin, you should ask yourself these three questions,

1. What message do you want to communicate to your followers?
2. Who will be in charge of these communication channels?
3. What ways can you promote and grow your network?

Once you have discovered the answers to these questions you’ll have a base for creating an effective communication strategy. Remember that it doesn’t cost anything to have someone in your network so connect with as many relevant people as you can. The more people you have in your network, the larger your reach, and more students you can get involved.

Last word

Get on these channels and play around. You’ll find that trial and error is an effective way to learn how to use these channels. So spend some time on the social web and find out what works for you. Last, but not least, don’t forget to have fun.

- Cbeau

Using the Tools:

It is very important to utilize social web tools when promoting your council or group. One principle in marketing is that you have to go where the people are. With students, their main hangouts online are Facebook and Twitter. With the right tools and communication strategy, your website can become one of these hangouts too.

Facebook

The first thing I showed the group was this slide:

 I showed this because many students are still not aware of the potential that Facebook has for utilizing their already existing networks. But there are rules. Using Facebook as a promotion platform can be a tricky thing. You shouldn’t just start inviting everyone you know to your Facebook page and send them updates if it’s not relevant to them. You have to be careful and find your target market; is the content relevant to them, or is it just another way to get your crops fertilized, if you know what I mean.

After you have established your target market, the next step is to grow your network.  Luckily there are many ways to   do this. One method that I have found to be very effective is giving stuff away. You can turn your communication strategy into experiential marketing by giving away your product or service. Let people try out what you’re selling and let them talk about you.

A creative way to get traffic on your Facebook page is to tell people to upload their best pictures from the last event you hosted and then share them with their friends. The picture that receives the most “Likes” will be deemed the winner and will receive a prize. This will encourage engagement on your page and will show you the best pictures to post on your website.

Last thing to remember with Facebook is to communicate with your members on a consistent basis. Marketing is no longer a one way conversation; members of your network will engage you in conversation if you let them.

Twitter

 Similar to the first section, I introduced Twitter with this slide:

Twitter is not only people talking about irrelevant events that occur throughout the day, it is also filled with experts and interesting people that love to share entertaining and valuable content. Even though Twitter does not have the adoption rate among students that Facebook has, it can still be an effective tool for providing your members with quick, efficient updates. It’s a great tool for connecting with potential partners for your council or club.

Another benefit of using Twitter is the knowledge you can gain by following the right people. By mining the right conversations and listening to influential people you can aggregate valuable information and pass it on to your followers. By sharing this information you are providing valuable content to your followers, which encourages them to stick around and listen to what you have to say.

*Come back to catch Part 2 tomorrow!

 -Cbeau

I came back to an email from Jenna (my friend who did push-ups under her desk). She emailed me saying she 1) needs to get back to those push-ups and 2) she feels SO New York because her best friend is a blogger. My friends are actually jealous that part of my job is to blog.

I told them that the next topic was “Bosses from Hell” and they laughed. I told my boss and I thought he might fall over laughing. However, my lovely co-worker had a request for this week’s blog.

Coming out in the fall issue of Career Options High School Edition is a list of questions from high school students to university students on one of the most frustrating and crucial questions all high school students will ask themselves:

Should I go away to university or should I stay at home?

The questions are answered by two students at Dalhousie University who both moved away from home to go to university. I have lived in Ottawa my whole life. I applied to three other schools but chose to stay and attend the University of Ottawa for my Honours Bachelor of Commerce, and I graduated last year.

I really can’t give you an exact tell-all about what it’s like to move away, but I can tell you how it feels to stay at home and go through the benefits and pitfalls. Just for you, I’ve composed a list of pros and cons to staying at home for university.

Pros:

Saving Money: If you look at the grand scheme of things, university is kind of your last chance to save up your money. Afterwards you’re going out and getting a job to move out on your own.  School costs $25-$30 thousand total. Say $5000 tuition; residence runs up to $10 000 per year. Don’t forget laptop, textbooks, socializing, clothing and your biggest expense will be food. That’s over $16 000 for 1 year out of 4! Don‘t forget the cost of travelling back home. Welcome to the wonderful life of student loans!

Support System: Sounds childish but it’s really nice having your family right there to support you. Lose an essay? Fail a midterm – or entire course? You can run home and have your parents right there to listen to or have a fresh batch of homemade cookies when you‘re studying. Studies show first year students living at home have significantly higher mental health scores. Having never been in university, you may not understand, but you really do need your cheering team to help you out of the rough patch.

Freshman 15: Nobody thinks it’ll happen to them but then BAM! A month later there it is! All that junk food and excessive drinking catches up with you. A study has shown that 70% of students gain excessive weight. On top of that you’ll have to spend more on new clothing. Being at home is great because you have access to healthy food and any food you want.

Side note: Thanks to my parents and all the parents out there! Thanks for putting a roof over our heads, feeding us, and dealing with our exam psychotics. You’ll never know how much we appreciate it!

Cons:

Social life: This really depends on you and your situation. My house is a 1 hour bus drive (20 minutes by car) away from school. It’s not easy waking up at 6:00 am for your 8:30 am class. It’s also not easy to go out and party every night when you’re 1 hour away. I really felt like I missed out on a lot of opportunities. I think this is every prospective student’s #1 fear. You really can’t help it, it will happen but remember, it’s really not the end of the world!! So what, you missed a mixer – everybody misses something and no matter what you do, you won’t be in on every single inside joke that happens. A lot of my friends who live at home around me are still the centre of attention at school. They’re even presidents of school clubs, have top grades and end up becoming highly recognized amongst professors and peers. Being at home means you just have to try harder. Yes, you will have to bus! Make a lot of friends and go crash at their place. Just make sure you put yourself out there!

Convenience: As I mentioned, waking up almost 2 hours before class to get there on time isn’t fun. I wish I could just roll out of bed 30 minutes early. Last year we had a bus strike and a lot of students couldn’t make it to class and had do graduate a semester later. At the same time, how many disgusting slobs have I seen come to class in pajamas without even brushing their teeth? Please, promise me you won’t do that! Also, remember you have the convenience of many parents who will do the groceries, do your laundry, cook your meals as well as any little task you may need.

The single most important thing to keep in mind is: what university is best for you? Take out the location and take a serious look at each university. After all my education I can tell you these two things:

If there were two identical universities: 1 in my city and the other in, say, British Columbia, I would go the British Columbia!

However, if all the universities I wanted to attend were right next door to me, I’d still pick University of Ottawa.

I did my research and I knew what I wanted in my education and in the university that provided it. In the end, it was Ottawa. No matter where you go, there will always be positive and negatives just make sure you make the choice that’s right for you!

Let me know what you think! For university students: tell me about your experience. For high school students: what are your fears and give me some questions to incorporate into the article for the fall issue.

Also, tell me stories about your “Boss from Hell” and how you dealt with them. Leave a comment below or email me at andrea@careeroptionsmagazine.com.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is temporarily out of service. Please check back later.”

Though I’m not in accounting, I’m really feeling the same slump. I started working at 16 in a family restaurant. I’d work 13 hour shifts no problem because I was constantly moving. I started “grown-up” work at 18 as a teller in a bank. Wow. Sucked. I could barely make it 2 hours in without being completely exhausted.

You never think an office job is exhausting because you really don’t do anything but sit on your behind all day. Motionless. Trust me; I’d almost rather go back to cleaning up after screaming babies at the restaurant…almost.

Having been working for 8 years, I’ve picked up a little bit of wisdom from co-workers and friends on how to survive a 9 to 5 job because you really can’t impress your boss when you’re so tired you look hung over.

1. Get off your behind and MOVE!!! Studies came out this week showing that after 7 hours of sitting your body will lower your metabolism, raise your blood pressure and cholesterol, and increase your risk of osteoporosis¹. I know you’re WAY under the age of 50, but this study was actually done by a children‘s hospital.  Easy things to do are to go for walks at lunch, run up and down some office stairs, or do some simple stretches like these. A good friend of mine used to do push-ups under her desk. You don’t need to look like an idiot like that (Hi Jenna!), but doctors say just simple standing for a few minutes does the trick.

2. Take your lunch break guilt-free. When I first started at this job, I ate at my desk trying to get my work done to look like a huge keener. My dad worked down the street and he was retiring very soon so I started taking my lunch with him. WOW. Total difference in my work and morale. Before, found my days would drag on and I just wanted to get out. Afternoons were slow and unproductive because I would stare at my clock. Just doing 30 minutes to 1 hour with my dad completely changed even my quality of work. On top of that we got to do some good ole bonding. Even though he’s gone now, I still go for my walks (refer back to #1) and come back in a much better mood and work the afternoon away. You’re given a time slot for a reason; now go take the full thing!

3. Make a friend/Work Spouse. Once my dad retired I was all alone again. Single tear L. I would get frustrated with work and just bottle it up – not good for morale or work. An old friend of mine actually transferred to my dad’s work so now I do lunch with him. I think I would’ve lost my sanity long ago without him. When you have a work friend you can laugh your lunches away, complain and gossip about work and somebody to buy you lunch (Thanks, Jay!). There is a new term out there called a work spouse. In short, it’s a platonic couple who do all their boring meetings and lunches together and the relationship gets to the point that you’re like an old married couple. Having a friend at work, or near work in my case, makes your day that much brighter because they can make you laugh and understand what you’re talking about when your boss is getting you frustrated. Also, I really don’t think your significant other understands nor wants to hear you regale them with tales of finance.

4. Go to bed early: I realize I sound like your mom, but really, GO TO BED! You have to do a reality check. You have a 9 to 5 job. You really can’t be pulling “all-nighter” style of sleeping hours. I wake up at 6:30 to bus to work every day. I really don’t think I should be doing my usual 2:30 am antics. I set myself a 10:30 bedtime (Yes, I just turned 23, not 83) though I usually make it for 11:30. You can’t do a good job at work with 4 hours of sleep 5 days in a row. So just go to bed already! An additional tip to this: wake up with your alarm! Setting it for 7 and waking up for 8 is a huge waste of your time and sleep. Tons of research shows how detrimental that is for your sleeping patterns. If its set for 7, wake up at 7!

5. Coffee: Seriously. Just coffee. Easy as that. Studies show a few cups a day curbs memory loss, increases metabolism, lowers your risk of diabetes, contains antioxidants, and decreases the risk of gout for men ⁴. So next time somebody tries to nag you, just show them this study.

Try and use some of this advice in your summer jobs and make them habits for the future. You’ve probably been on the job for over a month now: any tips from your own personal experience? I could really use them myself.

Next weekend I’ll be too busy celebrating to learn any life lessons so let’s talk about the “boss from hell”. I know you’ve all had at least one, so let’s hear all about them!

Login below or email me at andrea@careeroptionsmagazine.com

I also attended my cousin’s wedding on Saturday in London, Ontario. There really is nothing to do in London except drink, drink, and drink some more and other inappropriate activities not suitable for blogging. We went to a little dinner gathering at the groom’s house and I started talking to my cousin’s beautiful wife.

We talked about what I’ve been up to and I told her about my new job and she told me how lucky I was. I’ll be 23 next Saturday, university degree, fresh on the job in my field of study. I laughed and told her it’s really nothing special. I sit at a desk and write reports. My dream is to be creative… not pound away at a keyboard. Excel spreadsheets; every kid’s fantasy!

“That’s the beauty of being young and free” she said “you can do anything you set your mind to!”

I can just hear your eyes roll all the way through the computer. Ugh. The stupid cliché line. Please, I’ve heard it a million times and I know you have too. But when I heard it this time, it really hit me.

She was speaking an absolute truth. She told me how as she gets older she learns about life (yes, another corny line). She is only 30, has two amazing kids and 7 years of marriage. She was married at my age! AH! One of her deepest wishes is to go back and get more education.

“You want something. You work your butt off to get it!” That’s what she tells her daughter, as I’m sure you were told. And that’s what I’ve been doing.

Does having an education really set me apart? Our generation is the most educated yet, having the highest number of university graduates. Everything I learned has been forgotten or tossed out the window. All I got was a $30 000 piece of paper. I suppose it gave me a renewed work ethic to be able to stay up until 3am working on an essay.

That framed piece of 20 cent paper may seem like nothing but it really does open up doors of possibility. You can’t get a good job without that paper. Actually right now, you’re lucky to get any job.

We really are able to do whatever we want to do! I passed out on a ferris wheel, so I suppose being a pilot is out of the question, aside from that, I can do whatever I set my mind to.

If I want to be a creative director, or a chief marketing officer, I can be! Only YOU set your own limits. I have to be willing to spend another few years in school for a diploma or MBA and I have to work my butt off!

As a new graduate you may be thinking to yourself that you’re set. You’re finally done your 18 years of schooling and you’re ready for your job! I’m sorry, you’re not. It sucks. REALLY sucks. You’re just a baby to others and they may laugh at your ideas. Does that mean you should stop and give up?

No way! You push and push and push. You’ve set a goal for yourself. I want to be a CMO, and maybe you want rub your mansion in the face of all your high school friends. Whatever it is, you set that goal and do whatever it takes to achieve it.

If you decide that’s too hard, do you really think you deserve to reach that goal?

As a new graduate, now is the time to do everything you ever wanted to do. Don’t let anything hold you back.

As my favourite kid’s show character, Miss Frizzle from the Magic School Bus said: “it’s time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”

From its inception in the Dean’s office at the Ted Rogers School of Management to the first day of competition, the JDC competition has been one experience that I will never forget. I am honoured to have been a part of the amazing JDC legacy that has spanned 21 years through JDC, JDC West and now JDC Central.

Our premier sponsor, Scotia Bank, provided gear that all the delegates still wear to this day. The whole weekend was filled with cheers like, “You’re richer than you think” and songs like “Happy Birthday,” which we sang to the Ryerson University president in the middle of Yonge-Dundas Square. With a combination of loud cheers, dance parties, and school spirit, we let all of Toronto know who we were.

I was thrilled to have the delegates participate in a fun-filled weekend of academic cases, athletic challenges, social competition and “Groovin’ for Charity.” The delegates experienced the best of what Toronto has to offer with events hosted at Yonge-Dundas Square, themed party nights at Berkeley Church and Atlantis Pavilions, and the competition gala hosted at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel.

The theme of the conference was “Learning from the past, Changing for today, Growing for tomorrow,” and as part of the organizing committee I was able to experience that too. From the trips to Jeux du Commerce in Montreal and to JDC West I was able to gather knowledge and expertise and apply it to improve JDC for the central schools. Moving forward, I believe that this competition is ready to continue to take on new growth, as it will with JDC Central 2011 being hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life; I’ll never forget it.

Here is the sponsored video from JDC Central 2010.

By Andrea Parry

Later on that afternoon he brought me back with a co-worker:

“Andrea wants to try blogging.”

I’m sorry, boss? Did you not get me this morning? We both agreed blogs are ridiculous. This is where I shut my mouth. As a new employee (and a temporary one at that) you take any job you can get.

I got some more information. I slowly realized, that this was actually perfect. What am I an expert on? Ladies and Gentlemen, I am an expert on being a new grad in the worst job market ever. I am an expert on having the most un-wanted degree in the market right now. I am an absolute expert on being unemployed…for afull year.

I’m nothing special. I didn’t even get a scholarship. Don’t get me wrong, I was a good student…but I was never on the +90% Deans list. I’m the average new grad. I wasn’t scooped up like I thought I would be in second year. I spent a full year being jobless and reading anything I could get to help me find a job, fine tune my resume and network. I’m sure you’re doing the same…or fearing getting to that part.

A lot of what you read you’ll think is absolute junk. It’s from experts who are overly optimistic and you really don’t think it applies to you. In one ear, out the other. I picked up my first Career Options Magazine, and honest, absolute truth, not a word of a lie: I was awestruck. They got it. They had the articles of looking at all those things I would lay awake at night thinking about. I flipped through and saw a picture of a student under an umbrella that read “Commerce Students: Dreams in the Downturn”. I showed it to my dad and said:

“SEE! SEE! It’s not that easy!! I’m not the only one.”

Trust me, You are not the only one. The unemployment rate is at 8.1%[i] but don’t use that as an excuse to not try. There are a lot of resources out there to help you. For me, I was able to use my network. I’ve been here for a month now and I’ve learned so much in the first month of work and that one year of unemployment than university could ever hope to teach me.

Hopefully, sharing my experience may help you. I hope to share with you some real world tips, not sugar coated; for the average person who wasn’t their class president, on every single committee in existence, minted with medals and winner of the debate team.

So let’s hear from you! What would you like to hear about? Where are you in your “career” or lack thereof? What are your goals?

The other day a friend invited me to a networking event hosted by The Ottawa Network. I thought it would be a great opportunity to promote my student council and so decided to attend. At the event, I met a man named Luke Clare who is in charge of business development at Gowlings, a major law firm. After talking with him for a few minutes I learned that Gowlings was a sponsor of The Ottawa Network, and that they were in charge of hosting and promoting these events. Luke then confided in me that he wished he could improve the events using the social media tools available online. I told him that I worked with a digital media company called Netgen and that I could send him some ideas that I had on how to promote and run events using the Internet, and we exchanged cards. So here are some ways I came up with to promote events online, which fall into three categories: Promotion, Engagement and Continuity.

Promotion

Before the emergence of the social web, events were promoted with written invitations and advertising as well as by word of mouth. Today, there are easy-to-use online tools for event communications, promotion and registration.

Quick Tip: Start listening before an event to stay at the hub of information in your industry. Use tools like Twitter Search, Google Reader, Google Trends and Google Alerts.

Establish Communication Platforms

This means creating dedicated spaces online where people can learn about your event, get details and share their opinions. Platforms like Facebook fan pages, Twitter feeds and LinkedIn groups are great for communicating with and attracting potential attendees, creating a virtual community around the event. These platforms should be updated continuously to interact with followers and generate buzz.

Communicate Events

All of the platforms mentioned above are great tools for establishing a following. Once you’ve attracted your audience, it’s time to promote your event. Use your platforms to communicate with your followers and drive interest in upcoming events. As well, you could start an event blog to inform people about event features or to recap highlights from the last event.

Create a Way to Register

One of the most convenient features of integrating the social web into your event promotions is the ability to register people online, which will give you a general idea of attendance. The simplest way to do this is to create an event fan page on Facebook. But a better way is to use an online event service like eventbrite. With this tool, you can create an event, register attendees, create online promotions and much more. The best part about eventbrite is that unless you are processing payments, it’s completely free.

*Remember to consider your audience before you use any of these promotional strategies. Your strategy should align with the goals and objectives of the event.

Engagement

Integrating the social web into your event promotions allows for audience engagement far before the actual event date. Attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to the event by sharing their opinions and communicating with other attendees in the lead-up to the event.

Generate Pre-Event Engagement

There are many tools you can use can use to engage your audience prior to your event. You should focus on three things: getting their input, providing a way to network before the event, and giving them a way to promote the event themselves to other potential attendees.

Quick Tip: Pre-event engagement will allow people to meet other attendees before the event. This can help turn wallflowers into networkers, which will help make your event even more successful.

Get Their Input

The easiest way get attendees’ input on an event is to conduct a poll. Ask them what they want to talk about at the event, or what they would like to see covered. There are many free polling/survey tools online, such as Survey Monkey and Google Docs. And once you ask what they want, give them what they want—feedback from polls and surveys allows you to tailor your event to their expectations.

Provide a Way to Network Before the Event

This can be accomplished by sparking conversation on any or all of the online platforms mentioned previously. Asking a question and encouraging responses from your followers will initiate conversations between attendees and start the networking process.

A Twitter hashtag is a great way to get people talking about an event before it happens. The hashtag should be promoted as much as the event name so that Twitter users can connect with other users attending the event. A hashtag provides a dedicated platform for communication about the event—before, during and after.

Provide a Way to Promote the Event

This can be done in a number of ways using social media tools, the most effective ways being a Twitter hashtag and a Facebook event. Twitter hashtags allow Twitter users to promote the event themselves, while Facebook enables attendees to easily invite their friends.

Event Engagement

There are many tools that can be used to encourage engagement at the event. From asking questions to checking in, social media tools allow for a more interactive experience.

Door Prize 2.0

Forget dropping business cards into a fishbowl to win a door prize—social tools allow for more creative ways for audiences to check into the event.

• Checking in with Foursquare: Create a location for the event on Foursquare and ask people to check in when they arrive at the event.
• Subscribe to a LinkedIn group: Have a laptop at the door and ask members to subscribe to a LinkedIn group when they arrive at the event.
• Follow the event on Twitter: Have a laptop at the door and ask people to follow you on Twitter; all new followers are entered into a draw.

These are just a few ways to integrate social tools into the check-in process. Just make sure you consider your audience and believe that they will be receptive to this type of activity.

Asking Questions 2.0

No longer do audience members have to raise their hands to ask a question—using Twitter, they can submit a question with a hashtag that will appear at the front of the room on a screen. Twitzu is a tool that you can use to create Twitter feeds for your events. You can create your own custom feed with little effort.

Share Your Event 2.0

With video becoming easier and easier to create and upload, you can record your event and share it online. A great tool for this is the Flip: this digital video recorder is small, inexpensive and easy to use, and shoots in high-quality HD.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget about the Newbies. Educating attendees on how to make the most of the social web tools available to them helps increase participation and engagement.

Continuity

Events no longer have to end when people leave the venue—with social media, participation can continue online. The first step is to encourage people to follow the event (again, on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). As well, you should encourage attendees to take pictures, notes, videos—basically anything they can share online afterward. Sharing the experience will drive people online to interact with others and relive the event together.

Share Everything!

Make sure that you capture a lot of content from the event to share with attendees afterwards. This will be great content for your social media accounts and your event blog. Upload everything you can to these sites and encourage others to do the same.

Another great way to share content is to create a Flickr account for the event so that people can upload all of their photos to one platform. This is the best way to put a face to a name after an event.

Lastly, do your events use PowerPoint presentations? If so, create a Slideshare account so that you can share the PowerPoints from the event online.

Keep the Discussion Going

Ever wish you could ask an event presenter just one more question? Or you had a great question, but couldn’t remember it when your time came? Now attendees can ask those follow-up questions after the fact with social media. Keep the discussion going by asking the presenter(s) to follow a hashtag on Twitter and respond to any questions after the event. A similar system can also be set up on an event blog if your audience is not on Twitter.

Conclusion

The social web has changed the way we can interact with others online and in person. Social media are becoming more popular every day as people discover the many advantages of these channels of communication. In order to run a successful event today, you would do well to take into consideration these tools and integrate them wherever possible. Just remember to ask yourself these three questions before you get started:

• Do you have a communication platform?
• Who is your audience and what tools are they using?
• Are you asking your audience what they want and giving it to them?

Once you answer these questions, you will know where you need to start in improving your events. Just remember that we now live in a social world where everybody wants to get engaged. Give them a voice and they will make themselves heard.

This week was the last week of classes for me and my students. They are off on field placement now for the next 6 weeks, then they graduate. For me, it’s the end of the school year, which means seeing off a group of students that I’ve been with for the past 2 years.

Back in 2008, when this group started, they were new, green and wide-eyed. Some were just out of high school, and trying to navigate the new terrain of college life. Others were on their second pass of college, having tried other programs before landing on the one that was the best fit. Still others were more like me: having worked for a number of years in various fields, now taking a chance and changing paths midstream. For all of them, it was a bit scary and new. There was so much to learn, so far to go; so many sleepless nights ahead of them. I know, because I went through the program too. You don’t sleep much.

Flash forward to present day. They’ve spent two years learning, refining their skills, and working really, really hard. The achievement is significant… they are now ready to be web developers, designers, writers, video makers and project managers. Some will specialize, and others will take it all, mould it to the best fit for them, and go forward. Some will go to work for companies and excel there. Others will turn their passion into their own business, and succeed.

I wanted to write this post for my class, to share with them a couple of things that I may not have articulated well enough in class. They are things I wish I’d been told when I graduated college, but wasn’t. If you are my student, and you read this and get something out of it, then great. If not, no worries, I appreciate you taking the time to read it. If you’re not my student, and you get something out of it too, then fantastic.

The learning doesn’t stop here. It begins. Yep, you’ve just gone through two years of learning, learning, learning, and yep, it’s finally over. But actually, it’s not—not even a little bit. This is where it starts. I graduated college twice, and each time I walked out the door thinking I knew everything I needed to know. But boy, what a harsh realization it was when I discovered that I did not, in fact, know it all. You don’t need to worry about this, though. You have come SO FAR. You DO know a lot! But what will make the difference between success and failure in your first few jobs (and the rest of them, for that matter) is knowing that you don’t know everything, and that it’s okay not to have all the answers. What is most important is your willingness to keep learning and keep searching for the answers, and not being afraid to keep asking questions. As long as you are still learning, you’re still moving forward.

80% of the game is just showing up. OK, so you’ve got all these new skills, and you’re ready to get out there and take on the world. But the phone is not ringing, and the offers are not piling up like you thought they’d be. Damn—what now? Get a job in retail to pay the rent? Go back to school next year and take Advertising? Ultimately, that decision is up to you. But if you want that phone to start ringing, you HAVE to get out there and start meeting people. Sending out résumés is not going to get you a job—creating a solid presence online, and getting out there and meeting people (virtually or in person) will. Seek out the people who are doing what you want to be doing. Start conversations. Find events to go to, like Third Tuesday meetups and GenYOttawa and Podcasters Across Borders (if you live in Ottawa, but there are probably similar events in your town if you don’t). Get out there and go to them. Meet people. Not sure where to start? Read this blog post from Chris Brogan. Shy (like me)? Then read this one by yours truly. Then go do it. Just show up, and have a fantastic attitude. Be confident with what you have to offer the world. The rest will fall into place.

You’re in charge of your career, not your boss. I worked for many years at jobs where I felt uninspired, under-challenged and over-stressed. I did it because I thought I had to. Then one day I realized that, while it’s all fine and well to be responsible and have a job that pays the bills, there’s more to life than that. That maybe, just maybe, if I spent some time figuring out what my goals were, I’d be able to eventually find the kind of job where I could do what I love AND pay the bills. So, yes, get a job that pays the bills. But if it’s not exactly what you want to be doing, don’t settle. In the off-hours, spend time on defining and revisiting your goals. Come up with an action plan on how you’re going to achieve them. Then put that plan into action. Work really, really, REALLY hard at it. You will get there. Respect your bosses, for sure. You can learn a lot from them. But remember, you’re the only one who can make the decisions about where you want to go in life. You have ultimate control, at all times.

Well, that’s it. I wish I’d been told these things in college. It may have saved me some time and some grief. But, at the same time, I had to walk my own path, just as you now have to walk yours. I wish you all oodles and oodles of success beyond your wildest dreams

Welcome to the whole world.

This blog was originally posted on Mar 19th 2010 by Suze at http://www.suzemuse.com/2010/03/three-things-i-wish-id-been-told-in-college/