"Summer days driftin' away…."

Earlier in the year I told myself that this summer would be one that I actually do something.  I would better myself by working out and being outdoors as much as possible, I would date more, and I would definitely further my knowledge in social networking/online reputation.  Well….I think this summer will definitely be one for the books.

I'm taking 12 hours of summer classes at UTD:  

• Business Finance
• International Business
• Managerial Methods
• Operations Management

I've decided to take on some new outdoor activities:

• Rowing.  Yeah, on the water and in a boat rowing out at Bachman Lake through the Dallas Row Club.  Sculling to be exact actually.  I've been wanting to do this for a while now (I use the stationary row machines weekly and LOVE the workout) but didn't want to go alone…so, with my best friends birthday in early June, I figured its the best gift I can give!!!!  Don't worry, she knows and agreed to the gift bc she's AWESOME like that.
• Pole Dancing.  Yup, another workout class at Poleiticians…not really outdoors but its a new physical activity.  A great Groupon purchase with the bestie again.  She's my partner in crime when it comes to testing out new outings.
• Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and SUP Yoga out at DFW Surf in Grapevine... if I have time and energy.  It sounds really serene to be honest and come on…how many people do you know that do this?  It'll be a great conversation starter!!!  

AND on top of all of that…READING!  Okay, this really isn't that big of a problem.  I'm a HUGE book nerd and LOVE LOVE LOVE to read.  I don't stick to any one genre or author.  I like to keep my brain working and change it up.  Here's a snapshot as to what I've purchased over the past few days to start my reading marathon for the month.  

• http://instagr.am/p/KvBV2FuAPX/ 

I'll be giving my reviews on each book as I finish them on Amazon (as I do everything basically) and will probably blog about certain ones that I find outstanding.  If you're interested in a full reading list…let me know, I'll get it to you.  Warning though…the list runs about 45 deep at the moment.  

I'm just hoping that some some my summer days will lead to some summer love now….lol.

Dallas Row Club: http://www.dallasrowingclub.org/cms/

Poleiticians: http://poleiticians.com/

DFW Surf: http://www.dfwsurf.com/index.html

Float On Yoga: http://www.floatonyoga.com/

It's time to find a job … The Final Step.

You've revised your resume, networked your butt off (with your inner circle and via social networks) … now its time to get that job.

THE FINAL STEP!!!!

To be honest…this step is different for every person, in my opinion.  I'll give you 2 scenarios.

Scenario 1: 
You're über focused on the job hunt and ready to dive right in.  Yay for you!!  Okay…so now its time to start applying.  Job boards, applying in person, and company websites are just a few of the mediums you can use to apply.  Which is the best?  In my opinion, focus on company websites.

• Company websites will give you the most up-to-date job availability.  While on the website, look for information about the Director/Supervisor/Manager of the department you're looking to apply for and then try to find out who their administrative assistant is.  The assistant is key…believe me.  I was an assistant to the VP of a Business Unit for 4 years AND basically managed the Dallas office employees...I was like the lock/key to get to any of them but mainly my VP.  I monitored his phone calls/messages and would get calls transferred to me from our HQ receptionists when they received calls asking to speak with him.  The amount of info I gave depended on how the caller treated me on the phone.  Be rude and demanding, you're getting nothing BUT be polite and engage me…well, I'm more likely to give you helpful info.  

Don't forget to utilize your newly found contacts from all your networking!  Send a follow-up email, phone call, text (depending on how well you know them) and ask to meet for coffee/lunch so that you can learn more about them and get advice.

• At the meeting, don't start off right away with "I'm job hunting, do you know of jobs that I can apply for?"…..this will have your contact tune you out for the rest of the time and ready to leave as soon as possible.  Instead, engage them.  Ask them about what they do, how they got to that position, their best advice for up-and-comers, etc.  People LOVE to be asked about themselves….you know its true.  Use this!  Engage them into conversation to build a repertoire.  After you've engaged them, they'll be more apt to start asking about YOU.  This is where you can start your "pitch".  You'll get more info at this point and probably (hopefully) the request that you schedule to come in for an interview with them or to meet their boss.  

Scenario 2:
You're beat.  You've revised the resume, networked your butt off, and now…well now you just want to rest and have time to gather your thoughts and take a breather.  What I say to this…eh.  You've done all this hard work to just give up now?  WHY????  Get off your butt and don't start to get lazy now.  BUT…do take a deep breath.  Relax.  Don't let yourself get overwhelmed because that will just make you more anxious.  I've been here, done that, gotten through it and had some regrets.  I'm not telling you this because I read it somewhere…I'm telling you this because I've been there personally.  It's hard, the job search.  You've done it all, now you're doing it again and you're just constantly thinking…"what will make this time different?".
Well, its the way you go about the entire situation that will make this time different.  Don't get worked up, enjoy the search.  Research different companies, find the career that you actually want, and apply to a place that can give you both.  This is your time to make the change.  I fell into this scenario after I was laid off in June 2011 and here I am now.  I took the time after I revised and networked to figure out exactly what I wanted to do.  I always had a notion of the field I wanted to get into, but never thought out specifics.  Taking the time to do this helped me realize what I wanted to do.  I went back to school full-time to finish my last few hours towards my Marketing degree.

So…..
Things happen differently in this step for a lot of people, like I said.  You never know how the final step will go for you.  You could land a job/any job right away, you could realize a speciality that you want to focus in on, or your plans could change entirely.  The final step is where you're able to find yourself.  Realize which way you want your path to go.  Don't be scared to take this step either…there are TONS of possibilities.

I'm 28, a full-time student at UTD, and I've decided to start my own consulting business (on top of a Mary Kay business too….yup, just loading it all on bc I like challenges).  I NEVER thought I'd be here, blogging or even consulting with individuals/businesses but it's where I landed and I've got to say….being thrown into the job search bc of a layoff has been one of the BEST things that has happened to me and it can only get better!!!!!!  Happy Job Hunting!!!

Online Dating … Are you there Mr. Right?

Dating is just awful if you're in your late 20's.  There, I said it and I stand by my assessment.

You're no longer in school (or if you're like me and started school late, then all the guys are 8-10yrs younger than you), so no more fishing from that pond.  Bars are just not the place to "pick-up" or be "picked-up" unless you're just looking for that one-night stand.   And the blind-dates...oh just STOP!  No, I don't want to meet your friends brothers best friend ... I think we met before, he was a douche.

So now where do you turn?  Online dating?  Sure, why not.

I've been an avid online dater since it before it was "the thing" to do.  I can remember being in High School and getting chatted up in an AOL chat room….either I was naïve about the dangers or there really weren't any back then since it was a fairly new medium….and then me and my friends meeting up with the guys we chatted with at the movies or the mall.  It was always fun and a great way to meet guys from other schools, just to see what else was out there.  Even now, I'm on a few dating websites and it's just as fun to meet some guys at times to see what else is out there…lol.  BUT … is it actually going to help me find Mr. Right or even Mr. Right Now?

See, the thing with online dating that I've noticed is that it just seems to be a way for a person to inflate their personal resumé/bio and showcase pictures of themselves from years ago.  It's such a disappointment when you meet a person in real life and realize that the picture they had as their profile pic had to of been from at least 5 years ago.

I've been on several different sites over the past few years:

• Match
• PlentyofFish
• eHarmony
• ChristianSingle
• okCupid

…just to name a few, and I seem to encounter the same issue at every one….a profile that highlights all of their greatness and pictures that don't resemble them anymore.  Can we call this false advertising??  I think that there has to be a solution to this problem.  A simple one, too.

Enter in….Video bios.  Seriously.  No joke.  Why not make a 2 min video highlighting who you are, or even better…have it as a compilation of your friends assessments on you.  Who better to try to help you find that special someone then your closest friends and family.  They know you better than you know yourself even, most likely.  I don't know…I just think this would be something to look into.  Do they offer this anywhere already??

I'm just tired of it all….dating in general sucks sometimes.  Maybe I'm just being bitter but I just wish that there was a site that would stand out and revolutionize online dating.  Now, don't get me wrong….I'll continue using these sites but Mr. Right….are you there???

It's time to find a job … Part 3

Let's get straight to the good stuff.  You've got your newly edited resume, you've reached out to your inner circle for referrals, now what do you do…??  Network some more of course!

Step 3:  Live/Breathe/Love SOCIAL NETWORKING!!!
Oh yes.  We're expanding the networking step.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 10-15 years, you've heard about MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, BranchOut, G+, Twitter, and so on and so forth.  You're even probably on one or more of these sites, I'm on quite a few myself (follow me by clicking the icon on the right sidebar).  

Now you're probably thinking how these sites can help you find a job.  You keep saying, "my friends on Facebook already know I'm looking for a job and they're no help" or "I'm already on LinkedIn but still haven't found a job".  My response…rethink your approach and try again.  There's a reason these sites are called social NETWORKING sites and not social "stalking/sheep throwing/here's my 12th status update of the day/I'll join and do nothing" sites.  You have to utilize your resources to work for you.  Here's what I  did to make each site work for me during my job hunt.

Facebook/G+:  I didn't realize how many of my friends were willing to share info on available jobs at their company, introduce me to people they know, or even just give me advice on places I should look into.  Literally, after a few seconds of putting up a post asking my Facebook friends about leads, I had so many comment posts that I couldn't keep up!!!

What most people do wrong in this step is just put up a status update telling people that they lost their job or about how they should get a job soon.  Stop telling people these things, their response is to be sympathetic; rather, ask for job openings that your friends may know of and they'll respond with useful information that you can use.

LinkedIn/BranchOut: This is a MUST HAVE RESOURCE.  If you're not already on either or both, sign up NOW.  I'll be honest and say that I haven't played around too much on BranchOut but LinkedIn has proven to be a great networking site for me and I've actually learned a lot in the process of job hunting.

LinkedIn not only lets you post your printed resume on its site, but it also integrates it into a virtual resume.  Your profile page lets you add more content to the virtual resume, which is helpful because it gives you examples to use.

One of my favorite parts of LinkedIn is the recommendations section!!!!  If you've ever needed a good reference, you'll understand my absolute adoration for this part.  You can request your former boss/coworker/professor for a recommendation post on your profile page/virtual resume and it will post for anyone who views your page to read!  Such a great way for potential employers to read all your accolades and get a sense of who you are.

I actually had a few interviews due to my LinkedIn profile; specifically due to the recruiter reading the recommendations posted from former coworkers and boss.  These interviews proved a great learning experience for myself too.  It helped me form a great "elevator pitch", realize where I needed to practice my approach, and experience new interview mediums like being interviewed via Skype!


Utilizing your social networks the correct way allows you to have a wider reach than one has had in the past when job hunting.  Don't just think of these sites as a place to reconnect with old friends and share pictures with family…instead use these sites to benefit you in the best possible way.

Reach out to people you normally wouldn't have.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  And remember…social networking sites are there to help you, not hinder you!!!