Interviews and Agencies

First, I have to apologize for the period between posts.  I'd like to say that I was doing something exciting or at least time consuming, but I was not.  So what have I been doing? Well I had two interviews with two different companies, my sister and her family came to Wisconsin over Memorial Day weekend and I have been filling out job applications like it is my job.

In the two and a half weeks since my last post I have had two interviews, one with Lucky 13 Consulting and the other with Extensions Inc.  

If anyone is interested in these two companies, I am posting their websites below the post segments about them.

Lucky 13 is a marketing firm that seems, from what I understand, to specialize with the door-to-door sales approach.  They get hired by a company to find and bring in new clients to their businesses.  I was excited because it was a job interview, even though the career field is not particularly one I want to be in.  So of course I couldn't go in shorts and a t shirt so I had to go buy new clothes for the interviews, but I'll get into that more in the next post.  Anyway, I went into the interview prepared, confident, and ready.  But the interview did not go the way I thought it would.  In my head, interviews are supposed to be an information gathering technique.  Questions like "What makes you think you can do this job?" or "What are you looking for in a Career?" hell even a "What do you want to do?" would have been nice.  I know the questions that they are going to ask, "What are your strengths/weaknesses?", "What did you study in College?” blah blah blah.  If you wanted to make sure my resume is in correct that's fine.  I must say that the Manager/President of Lucky 13 started off the bat that the first stage of the interview process was only to connect a face to the resume but I felt as if he was just listing off a bunch of questions and taking the first 5 words out of my mouth and reacting to just that.   As rude as I found that, the worst part was when he noticed what I studied in college.  Now to put some background on this, when you look through the company's website they show a video of the guy I interviewed with saying, 'it doesn't matter what you studied in college, we don't look at majors' or something to that effect. Yet, when he got to my education, he said, "Studied English at Lawrence University...interesting," and nothing else.  Not a "What do you think being an English Major does for you in this field?” which is something I would have asked if the roles were reversed.  Now English majors are very versatile people.  We analyze and interpret all the time, anyone can spout off numbers and figures, but when you're trying to sell something, people want bullet points: This is why X is better than Y; the bottom line is this...  But when you scoff at you're preconceived notions of what a major does or can do, I think you really miss out on good people.  All in all, the interview took 10 minutes and I did not get a call back from them.

Lucky 13
http://lucky13consulting.com/landing.aspx?id=113&Page=home

Now my interview with extensions Inc., fit much better with my idea of how interviews were to be conducted.  They were pleasant, explained their process in more than one sentence and asked more of the questions I was expecting. Granted Extensions is not a place where I will work, not unless I get an HR degree.  Extensions is a job agency specializing in south eastern Wisconsin, in very specific job markets.  I was very excited when I got this interview because it is something that Valerie told me that I was going to need to do; using an agency isn't a one stop shop but is definitely going to be a great second source to find me a job. They made this very clear, don't stop looking. 

Extensions Inc.
http://www.extensionrecruiting.com/

I am not the perfect candidate for every job, and I know it.  But I know I could be good at a lot of jobs, I know I could.  

As always tell me what you think, if you or an employer want to hire me that would be great too.  I do ask that you share this with your friends and family members who are getting ready to look for a job.  Thanks for reading everybody.

Who you are vs Who you want to become

Have you ever thought to yourself, what if I am not good enough for this world.  I know I have thought about it.  Since last Friday it has been in the back of my mind a little bit more and a little bit louder.  But its not easy waiting. 

The more I think about it, the more I think about my life and the things people have told me the more I get confused.  All of our parents have told us that "You're perfect just the way you are" and plenty of others have said that "all you can do is be yourself, people will love you or hate you either way" and the point of these is that we cannot change who we are to fit the wants of the people around us.  But is that only true up to a certain point? or is it a lifelong need?

Clearly, we all change.  If we did not change the world could never have become what it is today.  We change, or evolve, as we gain experiences, share ideas, read, talk, and as the world changes around us.  It is our adaptability that makes each one of us as amazing as we are. 

“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” 
― Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Sometimes I like to think that over the years I have changed so much that a me from 10 years ago would not recognize me today.  I am not sure how I should feel about that, seeing that I am not sure if I would even like myself 10 years ago. I mean, I was a high school junior, awkward, unsure, a complete dumb ass. But it was also the year where my life turned around and I feel like I became most of the man I am today. It was in my junior year of High School that I joined the Army and things changed.

Now, I feel like I am being told, subconsciously by the world, that I need to change again.  Be a professional; dedicate yourself to your job. “At any moment being able to sacrifice what you are for what you can become,” in Eric Thomas’s Secrets to Success, he talks about what it takes to be successful at whatever you want to be.  He is talking to students about how their cell phones are holding them back; their wanting to go to a party is keeping them from succeeding.  So am I supposed to sacrifice my personal life for my professional one? Am I supposed to be the guy who is nothing but his job?

Far too often do I see ‘adults’ consumed by their work, as if that is all they are.  And I saw it in school too. People who would be in the library, shut in their rooms, and faces glued to their computers. They were all about their classes when others of us where busy trying to be social, athletic or anything else resembling a life outside of the classroom.  I wondered what their lives would be like, when they finally left for a job, no doubt great workers but how would they deal with office politics? Now I am wondering how they would survive without a job, or dealing with the period of waiting for applications to make their way through the chain and HR people to make it back to you.

 

I know my personal life is going to take a hit until I get on my feet.  I know I have no problem sacrificing my personal life for a short period of time but I will never be able to give up all of my life.  After all, “All work and No Play makes Chris a dull boy."

Things you CAN'T put on a resume

My last day of my summer job was today.  While it was supposed to be job to give me some money before I left for China, when China died, the job really became another adventure and another job that I have gained experience from.  But a job is more than the things we did/do at that job, there are so many intangibles that can't accurately be put on a resume, well not without your resume being thrown out because it looks like it was written by a twelve year old girl.  So the question becomes how to highlight those intangibles before you even get to an interview. 

First: What are the intangibles I am talking about-- Some people may not even know about these because they are so overlooked.  So maybe I should explain. 

When I was in the army, I got to experience a lot of different leadership styles. The aggressive, the teacher, the leader, the boss, etc. and each one of those leadership styles were good and bad for different things.  But while I can credit the army for my leadership experience, isn't it just as important that I have different styles at my disposal and that I have my own style of leadership.

At this last summer job, and my summer job at Camp Unahliya I really learned how adaptable I am especially when dealing with people.  Any one of my friends would tell you that I am a Grade A asshole, but put me with some parents or people I don't know and I’m actually a pretty nice guy. So I have experience working with people in a professional atmosphere.  But so does the jackass that rings you out at Wal-Mart and he can put that on his resume and it has the same value as mine does.

And I know what you’re saying right now. “Well that’s why they call references about you.” Guess what I know this.  But as they say first impressions are the most important thing, because you only get one.  Well your resume is your first impression and I would hope that you are putting your best foot forward.

My mind keeps telling me that there has to be a way to get that message across but I haven’t found a way to write my resume in a way that shows it.

I put out 20 resumes since the last post, and I will be doing more since I am no longer working.  I am not sure that I will ever get a job that I love, but I know I need to get a job so I can move on from my life.  Well… more on that next time. Comments and Shares are much appreciated everyone.

Meeting with Valerie (HR at USM)

I would like to start off by saying how lucky I am to have a mom who is willing to talk to her colleagues to see if they would be willing to help me.  So far I have only talked with Valerie, who is USM's Human Resources Manager, but I have a meeting with Tim, who is the head of communications.  Having meetings with people like Valerie and Tim are so important for someone who doesn't really know where to start, like myself.

As I have written previously, we started out with the maybe not so absurd question of what is your Dream Job? For me, I want to be a writer, so a job that I want to do to start that would be getting involved in the world of publishing either in the publishing house or newspapers/magazines. Valerie had some really good ideas, most of which had never occurred to me.  Like looking for Freelance writing gigs, grant writing, as well as some websites that I can check out to see what is out there.  The best piece of advice from Valerie was actually something that should pop up in everyone's mind, because it's pretty much common sense.  Valerie, as she was looking at a job I would not be qualified for on milwaukeejobs.com, said something to the effect of 'do you know how to do this?' Of course I looked at her and said 'no.' "Well," she said, "that's what I think you should do, as you go looking at what jobs you think you'd like to do, be cognisant of things they are asking applicants to know. A lot of them can be learned on your own, others there are certificate programs or other ways you can learn them.  As you learn more of them, you get to apply to more jobs."

Wow, if that isn't the most common sense thing you've heard today I don't know what is.

As I was writing this down, I was reminded of what my college football coach always told us: "Can't, Won't, Don't Know How!" To me, this phrase has taken on a very simple meaning as far as my career search is concerned.  Know what you Can't do.  Know what you Won't do. Learn what you Don't Know How to do.  So I know I can't be a doctor, I won't go back to fast food, and I need to learn a few more skills.

Right now the job search is continuing, and I have to say that friends in the same situation as I am look to be finding interviews and jobs faster than I am, which I understand is frustrating for people, but for anyone who is in a position like mine just be aware of some common sense things.

1. You and your friend are not the same person.  You have different experiences, skills, strengths, weaknesses and desires.
2. Just because they have an interview doesn't mean they'll get a job.
3. You don't know how much help they are receiving.
4. You don't know how long they have been looking. 

As always I hope to keep you all in the know of what I am learning and doing in my life post college.  Feel Free to share and send this to your friends and family.

What do you want to do?

So, I guess we all start with the obvious question: What do you want to do? Well, isn't that the dumbest question ever.  This might be pessimistic but I don’t think what I want to do is on the table.  Not unless I can find a job that lets me travel the world, eat at the best restaurants, drink all sorts of drinks and write at my leisure.  

Coming from a liberal arts college where the motto is learn everything you want to, not simply learn what this career path needs you to learn, I have no idea what my path is.  I learned so much in college that I still feel like the world is wide open to me.  Furthermore, I feel like I've grown in so many different ways during the four years I was in college that there is no singular thing I want to do. 

Ugh, back to the question at hand. What do I want to do?

Well, my real love is writing. I’d love to be able to write stories, articles, and columns and so on for the rest of my days.  I know it would take some time to work my way up to doing anything substantial, but I think it would be a thrilling way to make a living.

I would also love to read for a living, being an editor or any job where I would be able to make comments on someone else’s work before it goes out to be published would also be ideal.

I know I have many skills that would help me in any career.  I know how to use Microsoft office, Social Media; I like to think I know how to sell ideas to people and how to get people to care about. Everything there seems to point me towards advertising, sales, marketing, or some other office work.

More recently and that is to say after working for YMCA Green Bay’s Camp U-Nah-Li-Ah, I love the idea of working outside, being outside. Working for a non-profit or a job where I get to be outside more seems very appealing. 

Now, because I think this question is ambiguous and downright stupid, I think I should tell you the answer to a much better question for today’s job market situation.  Maybe someday in the past you were able to walk right into a job and say I want to do this and they’d give it to you, but today those looking for a job have to be more practical.  We have to ask ourselves what I am willing to do OR what am I not willing to do to support myself.

I could try to be funny and say I’d sell my body for money, but anyone who knows me knows that wouldn't make me a dime.  So in all honesty, what I won’t do is go back to fast food.  I know I could walk in and be a manager but I refuse to put myself in a position where I’ll hate myself for the rest of my life.  I’ll be a trash man, a mailman, I’ll work retail but I refuse to work in fast food ever again.  I worked at a Culver's restaurant while I was in High School and I was seriously just done with it, the hours sucked, I ate the food all the time, the managers were truly awful people, and I became such an angry person while I worked there.

As I've been writing this, I cannot help but think that I am thinking about this the wrong way. Maybe there isn't such a divide in the two ways of thinking.  The two questions certainly have merit. The former has everything to do with what you aspire to become. While the later has everything to do with how you want to get there.  I hope that you can see some need for these questions as I have.

Please leave a comment, question, or concern for me to answer.  Thanks for reading and I’ll write again soon. 

Introduction

My name, while not as important as my story, is Christopher Schmidt.  I recently graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and until two days ago, was planning to go to China as a part of (Foundation’s name withheld)’s Cultural and Educational Exchange Program.  Well, due to some changes in Chinese Law, that is no longer happening.  So like every college graduate, I am now on the search for the ever elusive job.  Today I set up my LinkedIn profile, which I am told is a good way to get out there… Really seems like a dumbed down Facebook to be honest. 

I guess what I entail to do here is give you, my readers, a view of my life through this time.  My goal is not to get gifts but hopefully show those looking for their first post graduate job that they are not alone.  I am not an expert, a professional comedian, or a perfect human being… I am just me, and this is my story. 

List of characters.  Many of these people are the ones I’ll talk about the most: friends and family. So I’ll just get the broad strokes out now.

Christopher (Chris) Schmidt aka me. - Unemployed, ex-Army Infantry, graduate Lawrence University, Major English.  I would describe myself as Lost. Currently living at home with my parents (none of us are happy about that).  I like to cook, read, talk/watch sports, watch movies, read books, listen to music… and this is starting to sound like a dating profile. 

Janell Schmidt aka Mom.- Employed Accountant at University School of Milwaukee. Graduated from somewhere with Degree in Accounting.  Most commonly gone to for perspective, whether a woman’s perspective or general. She says she likes football, known to watch NASCAR religiously.

Alan Schmidt aka Dad- Employed doing something with Computers for a company called FIS.  I really don’t know much about my parents do I. Used in past for Money Management, physical confrontation, advice, general dad-isms.  Member of Coast Guard Auxiliary, enjoys sailing, biking (road), sports, computers/technology.

Nicole Larson (Schmidt), Sister.  Employed as a Physician’s Assistant in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  Other roles are mother and wife.  Most commonly called for relationship advice and “what should I do about this?” medical advice.  Enjoys sports moderately, operator of a fantasy team, which is more than I can say about my parents.

Andrew Larson, Brother in Law.  Employed, couldn’t tell you what he does, Telecommutes.  I can talk to Andrew about pretty much anything, but we mostly talk video games, sports, relationships, and fantasy football.

Jakob Christopher Larson, Nephew. Unemployed baby.  Doesn’t talk. enjoys naps, spitting up food on me, crying, his water table, being read to, being held by his Daddy (Andrew) and Mommy (Nicole) and being spoiled.

So my adventure begins.  I have hope of finding a job, maybe not the perfect job, maybe not my dream job, but a job none the less.   Also while I am at it, I need to start my writing project.  More on that later. I am not sure how often I’ll write so keep in touch.