Give and You Shall Receive

By Morgan on March 12, 2010

Hey there! This is Morgan Noonan, junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art. Yes, I get asked "So what are you going to do with that?" quite a bit. I plan on becoming a medical illustrator. Booyah!

Ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community. Actually, I recommend that you do both. Volunteering may seem like a wholly selfless act of good will, but it doesn’t have to be. Helping others for selfish reasons is still helping others. And everybody wins! I’m only half kidding when I say this, because really, what college student has the time or even the desire to go out and work for free, expecting absolutely nothing in return?

We are constantly on the hunt for things to put on our resumes. Making connections and gaining experience become all encompassing when you are working towards building up a strong application for Med school, Law school, or whatever school it is that you want to get into. And wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to lie?

The folks over at CollegeBoard have come up with a lovely list of reasons to volunteer:

Gain Valuable Life Experiences and Skills

Meet Interesting People

Get Academic Credit

Send a Signal to Colleges

Then of course there is always: make a difference, feel good about yourself, blah blah blah… (I really hope you don’t all think that I don’t care about people—I’m just trying to be realistic here!)

Another important reason to volunteer that they left out is the free stuff you get! That’s right kids—when you volunteer, sometimes you get things.

I donated my time last year at a Walk-a-Thon for NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness painting childrens' faces. They are a nonprofit organization working to fight stigma, provide support and raise awareness. Honest to goodness, I did this because it was for a great cause, sounded like fun, and is something I’m good at. What I did not expect was to be given a free breakfast the likes of which most college kids would drool over. I’m talking full fruit platter, fresh bagels and fancy cream cheese, mini muffins—the works.

And then there was the free shirt. Ask any of my friends—I am a free shirt ninja. If there are free shirts being given out, then I am there. I once even walked a half an hour, in the rain, to get a free shirt.

In all seriousness, though, volunteering can be pretty awesome. You really do get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside... whether it is because you know that your chances of winning a scholarship or getting into Graduate School are increasing, or because you made a little kid smile.

(images courtesy of Caring-Unlimited & HealthyUrbanKitchen)

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Social Media 101: How to Organize Your Life (And Your Social Media Profiles)

By Monica on March 12, 2010

Hey everyone! My name is Monica Karkhanis and I am currently a sophomore communication major with a focus in public relations at the University of Maryland, College Park. This is my first semester as an intern for Think Talk and I am really excited to blog about social media and how it can help your career. Find me on Twitter and be sure to continue following ThinkTalk!

For the past couple weeks I have discussed how utilizing social media tools to further your career aspirations and development can be essential in your quest for a job. Then I realized, although I have several networking profiles, I have been neglecting some of my accounts. For example, I have had a registered LinkedIn account for almost a year, but I have only made five connections--two of which are college friends--and that according to my profile, I am still currently a sales associate for Pacific Sunwear in Frederick County.

Even though the information on my page was true at one point, letting get out-of-date can be misleading when potential employers and contacts come across your page. Although I am usually quite dedicated to keeping up with my social-networking accounts, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed with managing all of them- yet I’m not willing to let go of any of them!

On my pursuit to successfully clean up my profiles and get them up and running once again, (as a serious and proactive student), I came across a helpful blog to detangle my mess of social media websites, HOW TO: Manage Multiple Social Media Profiles. The author, Ben Parr, created a simple five-step guide to keeping your social networking profiles fresh, consistent and less tedious to manage.

Parr’s first step in refreshing your profiles is to first understand your current position. During this step you must uncover just how many social media profiles you have by checking usernames from websites like Funny or Die to LinkedIn and everywhere in between. Seems time consuming, but with this handy website called Knowem, all you need to do is type in your name and the site does all the work for you to locate long lost profiles. You may be just as surprised as I was when I discovered a link from an online journal I had when I was 13 years old on the blogging site, Xanga (can you say DELETE).

After you sort through the multitude of online social media websites that has your name attached to them, Parr suggests choosing your platforms realistically. He advises recruits to sign up for the most popular social networking sites, “regardless of whether you are going to use them all.” Parr’s theory in doing so is to prevent another individual being mistaken for you, thus protecting your personal brand and your identity on the Internet. Even if you do not plan to use them all, you can fill out your contact information and place links to the profiles you use the most.

Third, organize, organize, ORGANIZE!!! Parr recommends creating a bookmarks folder for the main social media services you use and filtering your e-mails so all of your notifications are sent to individual inboxes. If an e-mail and folder system is not for you, there are several others you can come up with, the most important thing is to find a system that works for you and stick to it.

The fourth step, which is also my favorite, is to automate and combine your profiles. Basically, use Internet tools that can update all of your social media profiles at once by grouping them together. Atomkeep syncs all of your accounts on to one social network to reduce “information redundancy,” making it easier to manage all of your social networking profiles. Atomkeep can be used with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube, Digg, Google, flickr and an abundance of other websites.

Lastly, Keep it fresh. If you plan to use social media to brand yourself, you must continue adding new content – after doing so you can proceed to network! Parr’s article includes several mini tips on maintaining your online networking identity, so be sure to check it out!

"50 Social Media Icons" courtesy Ivan Walsh via Flickr Creative Commons

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

I don’t want a job - I want to start my own business!

By Jane Lovas on March 11, 2010

Guest Blogger Jane Lovas' weekly series called “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Life and Career” runs each Thursday

I know some of you read last week’s blog about getting a job, and you were saying “No way, I don’t want a job. I want to start my own business!” Or maybe you’re still in school and think starting your own business in college would be a good way to make some extra money.

If that’s what you’re thinking, why not go ahead start your own business? But wait – what business are you going to start? And who are you going to sell to?

Starting a business can be exciting and scary at the same time, and the more prepared you are the less scary it will be. Take some time and answer these questions before you get started:

1. What are you going to sell? What problem are you trying to solve? Can you describe it in 15 words or less? (if it takes you a whole paragraph, you’re probably not clear on what you have to offer.) Once you’re clear you can expand on the description.

2. Who are you going to sell it to? Who is your ideal client? The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to find them. Everyone is not an ideal client. Again, can you describe who they are in 15 words or less?

3. Will they want it? It doesn’t really matter if they need it. It is “wants” that make people buy, not just needs. (Do you need Starbucks coffee? Or do you want it?)

4. How will you market it? You have to get the word out somehow: word of mouth, a Web site, social media, mailings or cold calling?

5. How will you fund it? This is a big one! Will you have inventory you have to pay for or other startup costs? Think business cards, Web site, networking functions and finance or legal fees.

Answering these questions will give you the beginnings of a business plan which will help you see what you need to do to launch your business. Also talk to your success team (check out Who’s Got Your Back) to see what thoughts and suggestions they have.

If you’re still in school, this is the perfect time to get out there and test the waters. Have fun- I’d love to hear what type of business you’re thinking about starting.

Have a great week!

"Lemonade Stand" courtesy maubrowncow via Flickr Creative Commons

Jane Lovas is a career specialist who is the creator of the life changing 12 week tele-seminar “Creating the Life of Your Dreams”. She is also our guest blogger, whose column will run every Thursday. If you would like to contact Jane, you can reach her here, here or here.

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Do What You Love and Love What You Do

By mikefox on March 10, 2010

Times are tough. Though it's nearly impossible to deny that there is a recession going on, it is not impossible to find a job. Believe it or not, there are some people that actually find jobs that they like. I don't want to be among those that dread the days that they have to work. I think it's a cop out when someone says that most people don't like their job. There is a lot of fear behind that true statement. If someone says that to you, just ask them what they always wanted to do before settling with their current position. They may tell you something so amazing. If they tell you what they always wanted to be, I think the best thing to say is, "It's never too late." It's also never too early.

Some people are happy working a job they hate because it pays the bills, has benefits, and they may even have enough money to plan a vacation. That lifestyle doesn't suit me because I want to look forward to everyday. I'd love to plan a vacation soon but I'd rather wait until I've got a decent job. To each his own.

When I hear someone talk about how satisfying their job is, I get inspired even if their job isn't related to what I'm looking for. I don't discount the importance of being surrounded by other people trying to get a job or already working in the Film and TV industry. It is of equal importance for me to receive input on my work as it is for me to give others input on what their working on. We build each other up. Several teachers have told us that if we get hired somewhere, we may not be able to be as artistic as we'd like to be. That doesn't discourage me one bit because I'd be happy to be utilizing my skills as an editor. As long as I'm working in this industry, I know that I'll learning something new each day. Being aware that nothing stays the same in this business is enough to get me motivated.

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story Out On DVD

By Zack on March 9, 2010

Last semester we were lucky enough to host a Q & A with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore at George Washington University with the help of the school's College Democrats. Today Moore's film, "Capitalism: A Love Story", releases on DVD, so I thought it would be a good time to revisit our interview with him.

Here's a short synopsis of the film, in case you haven't seen it yet:

In presenting a “fireball of a movie that might change your life” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), Moore “skewers both major political parties” (Claudia Puig, USA Today) for selling out the millions of people devastated by loss of homes and jobs to the interests of fat cat capitalists. Moore has “dug up some astonishing dirt” (Brian D. Johnson, Macleans), stories told in the faces of the foreclosed and evicted, in the food stamps received by hungry airline pilots, and in the courage of fired factory workers who refuse to go quietly. But more than a cry of despair, Moore’s film raises the possibility of hope. Capitalism: A Love Story is “The most American of films since the populist cinema of Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life)” (Dan Siegel, Huffington Post ), “a movie that manages shrewdly, even brilliantly, to capitalize on the populist anger that has been sweeping the nation” (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal ). Capitalism: A Love Story is loaded with over 80 minutes of bonus features and extended scenes, written and directed by Michael Moore!

And here is our Q & A session with the controversial director, in case you missed it the first time (or want to watch it again).

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Much More Than Just a Color

By Morgan on March 8, 2010

Hey there! This is Morgan Noonan, junior at the University of Maryland pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art. Yes, I get asked "So what are you going to do with that?" quite a bit. I plan on becoming a medical illustrator. Booyah!

The word “Green” can be used to mean youthful, inexperienced, new and budding. What a coincidence—these words can all describe college students looking for careers!

Even in this rough economy, there are jobs to be had. President Barack Obama has recently pledged to create over 5 million green-collar jobs over the next ten years. These positions will go to American citizens and will hopefully help to curtail climate change and promote sustainability. And if you have read my note on Facebook, “Going, going, GREEN”, then you already know what some of the best choices for future careers are going to be in our ever greener society.

There are currently 2.3 million people employed in the industry of renewable energy; and this will only continue to grow. The United States is looking to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and become more self sufficient and less vulnerable. American commuters currently consume 2.9 billion gallons of fuel annually (and spend an average of 233 hours going to and from the workplace each year). That is a huge waste of everyone’s time and resources—especially when you take into account the fact that most people who work at home are about 10-15% more productive. If that is not an incentive to cut out the commute, I don’t know what is. Perhaps the reduction of one’s carbon footprint and being able to pocket all of that extra money you would save?

If you do have to commute, then biking, walking, carpooling or busing to your job is just one of the small things that we can all do to make our lives a little greener. You can save money, make friends with coworkers or get some exercise outside as you admire all of the lovely plants and animals that you are helping to protect.

Many of us career minded souls drink coffee. In fact, you can barely throw a nonbiodegradable cup without hitting someone who is hopped on caffeine. Luckily, there are a number of ways to be more environmentally friendly with your daily cup of Joe. Buying organic, local, and fair trade coffee products is a definite way to control the effects of your consumption. This can get pricey, though, so I urge everyone to use reusable mugs when they brew from home. A BPA-free, stainless steel coffee mug looks good, keeps the heat in, and doesn’t harm you or the environment. No Styrofoam is used to make it, and there is no need for a little cardboard sleeve!

Another great tip for a greener workplace is bringing your own lunch. Bringing a reusable Tupperware eliminates the need to go out, thus allowing you to really control what you eat. If you cut out foods that use pesticides and preservatives, then mother nature and your body will thank you. Well, not literally, but I will thank you if you’d like. Also, packing your lunch makes it a whole lot easier to cut out meat—even if it’s just a few times a week. Setting aside even one day a week as a non meat-eating day saves 720 pounds of carbon emissions annually.

These tips all assume that you already have a job. If you college kids out there are still looking, then that means you are likely dragging yourself to countless interviews and handing out resumes left and right. I would like to suggest that you print your resume on recycled paper. It will stand out from the stack of bleached white tree-hater sheets of paper and thus distinguish you from all of the other applicants! Oh, and when you do get the job (let’s think positively, people) you can ask for direct deposit into your checking or savings account to save even more paper! It really does make a difference—signing up for electronic billing saves about 37 pounds of carbon emissions over the course of a year.

So I urge you all to become informed and involved in the green revolution. Taking control and becoming wholly accountable for your actions makes you feel confident and self sufficient, not to mention slightly superior to all those wasteful, unenlightened non-recyclers. Side effects include: feeling healthier and happier, saving money, and making a difference.

(astounding statistics courtesy of Planet Green) (also, thank you to happyemb.com & wikijokia.org for the images)

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Social Media 101: Breaking Down Corporate Hierarchies

By Monica on March 5, 2010

Hey everyone! My name is Monica Karkhanis and I am currently a sophomore communication major with a focus in public relations at the University of Maryland, College Park. This is my first semester as an intern for Think Talk and I am really excited to blog about social media and how it can help your career. Find me on Twitter and be sure to continue following ThinkTalk!

Generation Y (that’s us!) can capitalize on knowledge of social media in jobs and internships—finally all those hours on Facebook and accomplishing staying within the 140-charater tweet limit is paying off. According to a blog written by Sarah Amandolare for Finding Dulcinea, students savvy in social media can benefit from their knowledge in the workplace. Known as a reverse apprenticeship, companies are encouraging and assigning their junior staff members to serve as social media guides to senior employees. These apprenticeships as social media guides can consist of formal programs or informal sit-downs among staff members and employees.

Andrew Robertson, CEO of advertising agency BBDO Worldwide, mentions that people normally think about mentoring programs or internships for younger employees. However, he sees things differently. Robertson says in order for his company to remain competitive he turns to younger employees to mentor the older ones, thus “breaking down the corporate hierarchies” as younger employees begin teaching their seniors about new technologies.

New intern positions are opening up at businesses and organizations in need of social media makeovers. These positions are often called social media interns or experts. For more, check out this video of Andrew Robertson discussing this new trend!

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

How to Find Your Blue Sky Job

By Jane Lovas on March 4, 2010

Guest Blogger Jane Lovas' weekly series called “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Life and Career” runs each Thursday

It’s that time of year – the beginning of job hunting season! If you’re graduating this year then I’m sure you’re looking for more than a "Summer Job" - you want to find a career or at least find the first step on the ladder to success.

Great! So a career… do you know what you want and how you’re going to get it? Do you know what you need to do to be successful?

You are probably going to be told by all sorts of people that you just need to get a job, any job – especially right now with the employment situation looking the way it is. I’m here to tell you that if you play your cards right and do the work, you can have your Blue Sky Job.

The first question is; did you do some informational interviews? (See my ThinkTalk Blog article Interviewing Before You Need to Interview) By talking to people at different companies that interest you, you’ll have a better idea of what your Blue Sky Job is.

Once you’ve done that, spend some time describing your Blue Sky Job. Write down what you’ll be doing, the types of people you’re working with and all the details you can think of. Make sure you are as clear as possible about what you want to do. Realize that as you get more information and experience this is going to change. That’s ok; in fact, more than likely it’s going to be changing for the rest of your life.

Now here is the tricky part: you know what Blue Sky Job you want, so what are you going to provide for your Blue Sky company? Do you know what problem they need solved and how you’ll be able to help solve it? A job is not a just a job – it’s really a problem to be solved.

This is where the contacts you made during your informational interviews and while creating your success team (see Who’s Got Your Back) can be helpful. Ask them if they can share a problem they have and how you might be able to help them with it. Remember, make it clear you’re not asking for a job, only information. Of course it’s always appropriate to let them know you are looking for a job and if they know anyone in need of someone with your qualifications then you would appreciate a referral.

Finally, while you’re attending all the job fairs you can and posting your resume be aware that the best jobs are typically found via personal or professional contacts. Make sure to let everyone know that you’re looking for a job and what type of job you’re looking for. Most importantly, ask if they know anyone that might be hiring and if they can introduce you.

So really the secret to getting your Blue Sky Job isn’t a secret at all. You just need information, perseverance and personal introductions.

Have a great week!

"Blue sky thinking" courtesy kevindooley via Flickr Creative Commons

Jane Lovas is a career specialist who is the creator of the life changing 12 week tele-seminar “Creating the Life of Your Dreams”. She is also our guest blogger, whose column will run every Thursday. If you would like to contact Jane, you can reach her here, here or here.

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

Starting Out as a Filmmaker

By ChristianTintle on March 2, 2010

Hey ThinkTalk fans! This is Christian Tintle. I'm a production intern, a senior Media Studies major at Catholic University and a huge Redskins Fan. When I started college I thought I wanted to be a writer, maybe an investigative journalist. But it didn't take long to figure out that I'd rather be behind the lens of a camera or messing around with editing software. I'm in my last semester of school and have to figure out how to turn my fascination with filmmaking into a career.

As a production intern, I’ve primarily been helping our video editor, Tsekwi, cut our TV shows for distribution using editing softwares like Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop. In addition to getting technical experience, I'm helping with the creative process of developing new video content for thinktalk.com. Stay tuned for the ThinkTalk intern staff’s semester project, How To Lose An Internship in 10 Days. It’s a series of comedic TV spots we are producing that will have you (we hope) rolling with amusement.

Since I began working at ThinkTalk as an intern, I’ve been watching our absoulutely stellar interviews with world-famous filmmakers at the Director’s Cut on thinktalk.com. These people fascinate me, because they’ve been able to accomplish exactly what I’ve dreamed of; they get paid to tell stories on the big screen. I get so much inspiration from people like Danny Boyle, Jared Hess, and F. Gary Gray. Hess is an example of the kind of success that even your earliest and most independent projects can earn you. His short student film, Peluca, was the inspiration for the cult-sensation Napoleon Dynamite.

In this career path I’ve chosen, I get extremely excited at the prospects of realizing my dreams of being a filmmaker. I’m getting to the point where I’m nearly ready to make a daring leap into the world of cinema. My friend’s former classmate was recently was awarded an internship at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch. I believe I have the motivation and the creative vision to achieve something that extraordinary, so I need to seize any opportunity to get filmmaking experience.

That brings us to this past week. I was fortunate to be extended the opportunity to produce and direct a short film for a nationwide student film festival. Every year for the past three years, Campus MovieFest has brought a plethora of filmmaking equipment to Catholic University, lending cameras and laptops to any student team that wants to participate. Each filmmaking team is given a week to shoot and edit their piece. All films must be no longer than five minutes in total runtime. This year, there were over 40 groups that participated at Catholic alone. Winners from the Catholic leg of the festival will advance to a regional round of competition, and the winners of those competitions will be screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The better part of my week was consumed by this project. It was my first attempt at producing a film for a company outside of school. It was laborious and challenging at times, but the finished product is something that my friends and I will be proud of for a long time.

This was, in essence, my first experience on a film set. I’ve produced a couple of projects for my film classes at Catholic over the past couple years, but this project felt far more professional than my previous experiences. My good friend Daniel McMahon and I wrote the script over the course of last weekend. We imagined a story of envy and betrayal, featuring a close-knit group of mobsters, who ended up being played by some friends. Dan and I meticulously planned our shots and designed our set, and felt quite prepared for the big shoot on Monday.

Monday was nothing short of thrilling. Almost every one of our first casting choices agreed to participate. Ryan Bixby, another great friend of mine with whom I’ve worked with in the past, added a depth and believability to the script by delivering a hilarious performance within an otherwise dark film. He also helped to coach the rest of us less experienced actors. My friends Ryan Banks and John Feltz rounded out our motley crew. Not only that, but three other friends of ours, Brian Orzechowski, Tony Feltz, and Bob Schonen, came to help out with the camera and microphone work. The excitement that Dan and I had been feeling during the pre-production process transformed into pure exhilaration during the shoot. We shot a scene in a cemetery, and the weather was damp and dreary; which was exactly how we envisioned the scene looking. The rain held off just enough to allow us to shoot through it. I improvised a rain protector for the camera with some grocery bags. Every single guy nailed his part. My friends were literally cheering me on throughout our whole 12-hour shoot. I truly felt like I was doing what I was meant to do, and it’s one of the most indelible experiences of my college years. I never could have imagined the level of enthusiasm that accompanied our shoot, and I owe a lot to my team for that.

I was able to use a camera that I checked out from my school’s media lab. The Sony HDV-Z5N Camcorder allowed me to shoot on high definition mini-DVR film, which gave the footage a professional cinematic look. It really looks fabulous. I undertook the daunting challenge of cutting 45 minutes worth of footage into a tight, five-minute sequence. I had to cut out some of my favorite footage, and realized some cinematographic errors in the eleventh hour that disappointed me slightly, but all in all, I think we have a very good chance at placing high in Campus MovieFest. We will be competing against a lot of talented filmmakers. The screening is Wednesday, March 3rd. Check out our film at the Chamber Films Ltd. group page!

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own

The Career Chronicles Continue... The Etiquette Dinner

By MollyMathews on March 1, 2010

Hey ThinkTalkers, my name is Molly and I am a senior English Major at CUA. As part of my internship for ThinkTalk, I will be blogging my epic search for a job in the D.C. area, giving you all my take on what has worked, what has failed miserably, and hopefully giving a splinter of insight to those of you who haven’t quite reached job hunting maturation yet in your young adult life.

I was full of energy and hope the first two weeks of my project and started off with many ideas on how to sell myself, but time and results are wearing me down. That’s where I am. My current job stats are: six apps, one reply, one strike out. I just remind myself that the app was good practice. After all it’s only February, and I still have three months till graduation. With each passing week, not getting a response from some employers and grinding out more apps has shown me how much easier contacts can make this process.

I attended my first University networking event, CUA’s Etiquette dinner to take a break from the piles of applications. Most of the topics discussed were things your parents hopefully taught you at the dinner table, but I picked up some very useful hints.

If you are going to attend a meal with a potential employer, it will most likely be for a semi-formal lunch. The picture provided generally represents what that looks like. I personally get confused as to which bread plate and glass is mine. A neat trick to help you remember is, hold up your hand in front of you and make the letter “b” with your left hand and “d” with your right. Remember, “b” for bread and “d” for drink. Hopefully you’ll be discreet with your hand hints while at the interview.

The first thing you do when you sit down for the meal is gently unfold your napkin on your lap. Don’t shake the napkin out of its fold then spread it on your lap. Next, the instructor talked about utensil positions and what they mean. Angling the stem of your knife in the one to two o’clock position of your plate is the rest position. Cutting all your meat or salad at once is not proper etiquette, so cut two or three pieces at a time and then put your knife in the rest position. According to the rules of etiquette, placing your knife and fork parallel in the four o’clock position tells the wait staff you are finished with the meal. I was taught a little differently but, the main idea is, don’t place your utensils on the table cloth and don’t make a mess of your plate.

If you like sugar in your drink, like iced tea or coffee, after empting the package fold it neatly into a small square and place it under the rim of your bread plate. When the courses arrive, even if you know you won’t like it, try it! For instance, we had apricot soup at the dinner. It didn’t sound too appetizing but turned out to be pretty good. The proper way of eating soup is, hold your spoon to the side, as if it were perpendicular to your cheek, and fill the basin of the spoon by gently scooping away from you. Sip; don’t slurp the soup from the side of the basin, not the front.

If you have to leave during the meal, fold the napkin in your lap and place it to the left of your place settings. In case this wasn’t obvious, turn your phone to silent so “Party like a Rock star” doesn’t go off during the interview.

One great suggestion was that you eat a good breakfast or a snack before the lunch. You will be talking for a good portion of the meal and may not be able to finish your plate. Besides, you don’t want a growling stomach or to stuff your face as soon as you’re served.

The instructor had also mentioned that some employers will purposefully not bring up the company during the meal or will talk your ear off. They want to see your social networking skills in action. Ask some questions or mention things that interest you about the company towards the end of the meal if it has not been brought up already. Be aware of your role in the conversation, don’t dominate the conversation but also make sure you are being heard.

The most rewarding part about the dinner, other than the chocolate mousse, was that I felt ahead of the game when talking about my blogging, internship, and use of social media like LinkedIn. Some seniors at the table hadn’t heard of LinkedIn, or understand that twitter can be used as an advertising tool for your network of contacts. Now I have a few a few more twitter followers and additions to my blogging audience. Not bad for a $10 exercise in Etiquette eh?

Read 0 Comments & Post Your Own