Disclosure: This post is an entry in the “Present the Best You” Contest sponsored by Monster.com and their BeKnown app. I was provided with a participant gift that included a makeup kit and professional business card holder, but was not otherwise compensated.
In the summer of 2010, I lost my job unexpectedly. The next few months of unemployment were stressful and overwhelming. After some frustrating weeks of many more applications than interviews, I decided to seek the assistance of a recruiting agency. Although agencies can be a great help to people looking for jobs in certain fields, in retrospect, it wasn’t the best idea for me. I went on a couple of interviews because I was happy to have them. Even though many people say that you should take every opportunity you get during the job search process, I have to disagree. Sure, you can chalk anything up to experience, but make sure you’re not wasting your time or anyone else’s.
One particular interview the firm sent me on was a very interesting experience. It was a research position at a magazine that focused mostly on economics, and I’m guessing they sent me because of my background in the journalism. I prepared the best that I could, but I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Economics was one of my least favorite subjects in school, and I was overjoyed when I finished the requirement in college. When I got to the magazine, I met with an HR rep and went through the basics. Then my potential supervisor came into the room. The next half an hour was one of the most uncomfortable times in my life. My interviewer never cracked a smile, all business and a little cocky. The worst part was that he totally knew that I wasn’t a good fit for the job and he pretty much called me out on why I was at the interview in the first place. It was awful…but he was right.
Going to that interview taught me something, but it honestly wasn’t worth it. I had no interest in researching economics for a living, and it showed. I got caught up in the excitement of having an interview, even though I probably wouldn’t have taken the job if they had (crazily) offered it to me. Doing so would have been a disservice to me, my skills, experience and interests, and less than the magazine deserved. So, my advice is to take as many opportunities as you can to learn about the industries and companies you’re interested in. Informational interviews and networking receptions are great and shouldn’t be passed up. But, make sure you’re pursuing something because you actually want it, not just because it’s out there. No matter how long you’re unemployed, it will be difficult, and you’ll probably feel desperate. That doesn’t mean that you should undervalue yourself, your skills, time, experience or your dreams.
Some info about Monster and BeKnown:
Monster.com recently launched BeKnown, a professional networking app for Facebook. BeKnown allows you to set up a professional profile directly on Facebook that is completely separate from your personal Facebook page. One of the apps newest features, College Pages, even provides a way for alumni to network professionally on Facebook and view job postings from their fellow graduates!
With BeKnown College Pages:
- Any jobs posted by alumni on BeKnown are added to the College/University profile page and Alumni with job opportunities can post jobs to students and recent alums for free
- Students can follow their school and build relationships/connections with alumni working at top companies & discover alumni jobs
In addition to College Pages, BeKnown also lets you conduct a job search of Monster’s database of jobs without ever leaving BeKnown or Facebook. By tapping into the networks of their Facebook friends, young professionals can easily connect, send messages, and see who among their existing contacts is connected to a company or job opportunity they are interested in.
“As soon-to-be college graduates start to think about their entry into the workforce, their first step should be building out their professional networks using the invaluable connections they have right in front of them,” said Tom Chevalier, Global Product Manager for Monster Worldwide. “Alumni networks are a key source for career opportunities for college graduates, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to connect and engage right from BeKnown.”
