“The college student interviews for a job as a knowledge worker, and finds that the corporate recruiter never asks him about his grades and doesn’t care what he majored in. He senses that what is demanded of him is not knowledge, but rather that he project a certain kind of personality, an affable complaisance. Is all his hard work in school somehow just for show – his ticket to a Potemkin meritocracy? There seems to be a mismatch between form and content, and a growing sense that the official story we’ve been telling ourselves about work is somehow false…..The question of what a good job looks like – of what sort of work is both secure and worthy of being honored – is more open now than it has been for a long time.”

With this quote from  the NY Times bestseller, ‘Shop Class as Soulcraft, An Inquiry Into the Value of Work’, author and Ph.D. in Philosophy Matthew Crawford challenges us to rethink our perceptions of work and gives us permission to explore the manual trades as a life worth choosing.

This is required reading for every college student who will sit down to Thanksgiving dinner and be grilled by relatives in the annual competition to demonstrate how your college degree will gain you the job envied by all your cousins.

If there is one lesson of the economic downturn it is to take ownership of our decisions. There are things we can control and those we cannot. Our career choice falls into the first category. And it is our choice. But sometimes the expectations of others get in the way.

What does a ‘good job’ look like to you? If you have been on the interview circuit or are a serial intern, perhaps you have not found your connection. Could it be that you have unsuccessfully tried to separate thinking from doing? Time to revise your ‘good job’ definition. And don’t worry about what other people think. At some point they will notice how happy you are and wonder at your secret.

The book is also the perfect holiday gift for your parents.

If you are a student athlete, how do you find time between academics and sport to find an internship or a full time job?

Most student athletes commit 20 hours each week to their sport and an additional 18 to 24 hours to their academic course load. In a number of sports the competition continues year round. While competing in a sport can provide you with the team and problem solving skills sought by employers, how do you find time to learn about options and make the necessary connections?

Start close to home. Use any opportunity to ask people about what they do and how they got there. Next, get out of the athletic facilities. Your campus has a lot to offer and the students, faculty, staff and alumni are a valuable resource as you go through the career exploration process. Stay after class and talk to your professor. Register with your career center. Meet with a career advisor to develop a resume. Attend career panels. If you miss them, listen to the podcasts. Take the opportunity to use a course assignment as a way to interview professionals in a career field of interest. Offer to help a professor with their research.

Great ideas but you are going to compete professionally in your sport? Why be distracted by activities beyond the classroom and field? Because one day it will be your first day on the job and if you are 29 and have never had a job, it is not going to be a good day. And, all the 21 year olds who are starting the same day will blow you away. Not a good situation if you are a competitive person.

Look at your calendar. Is there a time of year when you could devote 8 -10 hours a week for 8 weeks to an internship? Carve out some time and start looking for your first internship. Once you have some experience on your resume you will develop a level of confidence that will help you compete with all the non-athletes in a tight job market.

Are all your friends athletes? Are the majority of adults you interact with on a daily basis affiliated with the athletic department? If yes, it is time to venture into the broader world of your campus. It is time to check out your opponents in this competitive job market.

Is there a relationship in the number of resumes sent to the number of interviews scheduled to the number of offers extended?

Many students believe that casting a broad net will result in multiple offers. In reality, in a competitive job market the more targeted your search the better. Why? Because when your resume results in an invite to interview, it will only take a couple of minutes for a good recruiter to determine if this is a serious career choice or a fishing expedition. No employer wants to be the default.

How should you go about your search? Start with what you want to do. Research the field and the leading employers. This is not a five minute exercise. This is a project with a time commitment similar to what you would spend on your final college thesis. You need a lot of detail about each employer, their competitors, their customers and where they generate revenue. This applies to non profit and government agencies as well as Fortune 500 companies. If the non profit is losing funding because dollars are going to a different agency, this is not a good sign for the future.

Next you have to figure out what you would like to do with that employer. Most employers have human resources, finance, product development, manufacturing and marketing departments. If you are interested in marketing, what do you want to sell? And who do you want to sell to?  Again, don’t think the non profit is immune to sales. What is the story you have to tell to obtain a grant over others?

Where are the jobs you are looking for? Many job seekers narrow their search to a 10 square mile radius. As a new college grad, try not to limit your options. You can live anywhere for a couple of years to gain the skill set to return to your ideal location.

Don’t focus on the negatives. Consider your strengths. What can you bring to an employer that will help them be successful?

Now develop your story. Where do you want to work? What do you want to do? Are you willing to relocate? How will you add value to the employer’s exiting team?

Tell everyone you know what you are looking for. The more precise your description, the easier it will be for people to help.

It does not matter how many interviews you have. It matters that you get the one you want. And it matters that the conversation results in an offer.

What will you wear to work? It is that time of year when we choose an alternate identity to celebrate Halloween. It reminds us that when we choose a career, we also choose a daily ‘costume’, identifying us as a working member of an organization.

Often we focus on what to wear to the interview. But have you thought about what you will wear everyday? And does that fit with your personality and image?

In preparing for an interview, you want to convey a level of professionalism. For most employers this translates into a suit. As you walk across campus you can easily identify the seniors heading to an interview, riding bikes and skateboards clad in black suits with backpacks. Ask for feedback on your interview outfit and avoid short skirts with high slits, outrageous ties and plunging necklines. And guys, don’t wear your roommate’s shirt unless you are a perfect size match.

Once you have been hired, do your research as you plan your working wardrobe. In most major metropolitan areas you will be more formally dressed at work. In the entertainment industry it will vary. If you are teaching, depending on the school you could be casual or formal. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. And if you are leaving Southern California, you will probably need a coat, gloves and boots. Why is this important to think about in advance? Because your professional reputation starts to develop with the first impression you make on your work colleagues. And, you need to budget. A new wardrobe can challenge the wallet as you transition from student to full time career.

Use any opportunity to observe professionals in your field. Take your cues from both entry level employees and senior executives. There are some who believe you should dress for your next level. The main thing is to enhance your image, not cause a distraction. You want your managers to value your opinions and ideas, not be distracted by your ‘costume’.

And, if you are uncomfortable in the ‘costume’ of your employer, other things may not be fitting as well. It may be a small signal that it is time to change.

Starting today parents will be arriving on campus for the annual Parents Weekend festivities. Most students indicate that their parents strongly influence their career choice. What is the best way to involve  your parents in your decision?

Ask for advice. Don’t ask them to make the calls. Ask for contacts. Don’t turn over your networking to mom and dad. This is your career and while your parents can provide perspective, you are the decision maker and you are the one closest to the information.

In the past two years we have heard from employers about parents who actually call to negotiate offers. If you look at our parents survey on this site, you will see a number of parents conduct the job search and negotiation for their student. If this is the process you are considering, why would you hand off the relationship development and management aspect of your job search to a third party? In this economy the employer wants to hear from you, not your agent.

Your four years at college provides an opportunity to explore options that did not exist when your parents went through the process of finding their first job. It is rare to find the parent outside of engineering who had an internship as part of their undergraduate curriculum. Today, internships are not an option and most students have at least one on the resume prior to graduation. You have the first hand experience to make your decision. Your parents can be a great sounding board as you evaluate the pros and cons of your decision.

The media has done a great job this year of frightening all of us into thinking there are no jobs out there. For now, this is a better story than the one about college students receiving offers from internship employers. You feel the pressure and your parents are worrying that you will be moving back home after investing in a four year degree.

Ask their advice and keep them posted on what you are doing. There will be less concern if you talk about what you are doing to explore your options. If you have a plan, it will be clear where you need help and how they can be involved.

Your parents know you the best. They know your strengths as well as your weak points. Involve them in the conversation and then make your decision. Rephrase the question. Instead of ‘mom, what should I do with my life?’; ask mom, I am considering three options, where do you see the best opportunity for me to utilize my strengths and develop as a professional?

Have you been doing an internship since the beginning of the semester? Now might be a good time to assess your progress and think about what you still want to accomplish before the semester ends.

Have you had the opportunity to meet the key people in your internship organization? Are you receiving feedback on your performance? Have you acquired some new skills as a result of your work assignments? Do you understand the ‘big picture’ of your organization?

Your answers may vary. However, this would be a good time to set a formal meeting with your supervisor for both feedback on the first weeks and goal setting for the remainder of your internship. What do you still want to do? Who do you want to meet? If the informal daily interactions are not meeting your expectations, develop a formal agenda for the rest of your term.

The mid term exam period is also a good time to check in with your employer on your mid term internship progress.

Schedule time with the people you still want to meet. Ask for 15 minutes on their calendar. Have a list of questions and make the most of your ‘face time’. Your pre-meeting organization and good interview skills might impress and lead to a new opportunity. And don’t forget to take notes.

If you have not already negotiated time off for Thanksgiving and set a date for your last day at work, now is the time. If you have been interning in finance and find the people in marketing more of a ‘fit’ with your personality, set an appointment with the hiring manager for marketing and ask about spring internships. If you have decided a large company is too fragmented, ask your colleagues to recommend some smaller organizations in your field. Not only is this a good time to plan for the rest of the semester, it is also a time to plant some seeds for spring.

The second half of the semester is always ‘academic crunch time’. Take a look at your calendar and plan your time to balance your internship commitments with your academic requirements. If there are conflicts, meet with your internship supervisor to address any issues. Planning ahead and communicating with your employer will further establish your professional reputation.

Check in, plan and communicate. Not only will your current internship be successful, but you will have positioned yourself for your next career move.

It is internship week, the biannual conversation between students and employers about testing out career interests in the workplace. Over the next four days employers representing a variety of fields will visit campus to discuss their opportunities and selection process. Students attending the panel discussion can bring their resumes and talk to the employers after each presentation.

Why do an internship? Over that past five years there has been a dramatic change in how employers select college hires. In the past a great GPA, leadership of an organization and participation in a community service project guaranteed a first interview. Today, employers value work experience more than GPA. And, for the student who has decided to explore a career field outside of their major, an internship adds instant credibility to a resume. The answer to ‘why?’ is ‘why not?’

How do you define an internship? Let’s say you have been working at a part time job, is there a difference? Here are a couple of things you should consider. Are you acquiring skills that will apply to your career field? Have you been given responsibility to manage a project? Does your supervisor provide you with developmental feedback? At the end of each work day, do you find you are closer to your career goal through the work you have accomplished or the people you have met? If the answers are all positive, the label doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you take the time to understand your options. Sitting in your room by yourself does not get you closer to this understanding. You may find a lot of information on the internet, but you need the personal connection to evaluate if you can be successful in your field.

Take some time this week to visit the CPPC in the Student Union and attend one or more of the panel discussions. You don’t need to go buy a suit, just come as you are. If you miss one of the panels, go to the podcasts. It is not too late to start planning for your spring internship.

How many books out there promise how to ‘ace the interview’ or guarantee a job offer with a few well crafted phrases? Maybe you have a couple of these titles on your bookshelf or Kindle. There is an industry that thrives in times of high unemployment, publishing books that promise success with little effort. Unfortunately, as the job opportunities become more competitive a candidate needs to put more effort into the process. There are no shortcuts.

Some of these books provide answers to commonly asked interview questions. Others suggest you develop a ’script’ to sell you talents. At what point does your personality disappear as you prepare for an interview? Remember, the employer is seeking a potential colleague who will join a team and be productive. Throughout the selection process a recruiter is trying to get an accurate assessment of who you are and what you will contribute – in your own words.

I have encountered candidates who have memorized answers to questions and cruise through the first five minutes of an interview only to impressively implode on the unexpected. Here’s the thing; we are human, both interviewer and interviewee. We will act in unpredictable ways. The interview is not an exception. You need to expect the unexpected and not panic.

A recruiter may be working from a script of questions to ensure there is consistency in the interview process. As the candidate, you need to customize your points to the needs of each individual employer. Do your research, look at your resume and think about what you want to highlight to this particular employer, but don’t get so tied up in what you want to say that you totally miss what the employer is asking.

The most important thing to do in an interview? Listen. Observe. What is the employer relating about their organization in both questions and non verbal behavior? Use these cues in your responses. And be yourself, in a professional way.

Acting through an interview may get you to the next step in the audition, but rarely will you get the lead.

Does a particular major give you an advantage in today’s job market? If you were to look to the enrollments in professional school programs around the country you might come to the conclusion that there is a benefit to these programs.

Before you enroll you should ask a few questions. First, do you want to be an accountant or an engineer? Do I need an undergraduate business degree to find a job in business? If I want to be a film maker and I did not get into a film program is my career over?

If you are not planning to be an accountant or an engineer, it really does not matter what you choose as an undergraduate major. What is important is that you choose a major that you enjoy. If you are actively engaged in your studies, you will do well and it will be reflected in your GPA. And you should seek out a couple of internships that will give you an opportunity to demonstrate the practical application of your education.

As I write this I know there are many of you who are doubters. But let’s look at your competition. With the exception of the University of Pennsylvania, none of the Ivy League schools have an undergraduate business major. Employers hiring at those schools are looking at traditional liberal arts majors.

Check out the bios of the folks who are leaders in your particular field. You may be surprised to see how many theater, philosophy and history majors are leading Fortune 500 organizations. And those filmmakers? How many of them have succeeded because they know how to tell a story and select a score to create the perfect visual image without knowing all the technical aspects of film?

The message here is to look at your undergraduate education as a time for intellectual exploration. There are so many career options, even in an economic downturn. It just does not make sense to narrow your choices prematurely. Take electives, get out of your comfort zone. Don’t go for the easy classes, take the ones that challenge you to think and stretch your capabilities. This is what will prepare you for the workplace after graduation.

What can Mark Sanchez teach us about being successful in our rookie year in the workplace? (For those of you who are freshmen, Mark was the USC quarterback and graduated in May. He is the starting quarterback for the NY Jets.)

First, you have to be willing to relocate. For many of you native Californians, the idea of working in a place where the temperature goes below 60 degrees is not tempting. However, if it puts you in the major business center of your field, why wouldn’t you move?

In order to achieve success, you need to be willing to fail. Being the first rookie quarterback of the NY Jets in many years is placing yourself out there among some of the most knowledgeable and critical football fans in the country. If you make a mistake, recover quickly. Visualize the sacked quarterback getting up and calling the next play. It hurts, but you don’t have time to dwell on it, just learn and move on.

Don’t always listen to other’s opinions of your career choice. It’s your decision. Seek advice and counsel from those your respect, but in the end what you choose to do is what you choose to do.

Study and work hard. Just because you have left an academic environment doesn’t mean you don’t have lots to learn. In today’s NY Times sportswriter Greg Bishop describes the process Mark has used to learn the Jet’s playbook. Once you know the strategy of your employer you understand what part you play in the success of an organization.

Ask lots of questions. In the article, Bishop describes Mark reviewing the game plan and filling a notebook with questions for the offensive coordinator. If you don’t ask questions, you don’t learn. If you are discouraged from asking questions, perhaps you need to find another job.

In any new position you are trying to master a set of skills that will help you succeed and be comfortable in your workplace. Take a look at the picture at the beginning of the NY TImes article. Is that one happy rookie? Wouldn’t you love to be that confident and happy in your new job?