6 Job Tips for Recent Graduates

You have a few months to go before you say Sayonara to school and officially become a working professional. You might have taken Psych 101 but chances are you never took a class on how to get a job or what to do when you scored your dream gig.

What if you're applying for your first job...ever: If you've recently graduated from a Masters, MBA or undergraduate program your first thought will most likely be...I have NOTHING to put on my resume. I have never worked! Except, that isn't exactly true. List your hobbies, clubs, conferences, volunteer experiences and activities you are a part of. Have you ever had a leadership role (class president, yearbook editor, captain of JV Field hockey) list it! You should also include what you learned from your school courses; business, teamwork, computer programs, marketing skills, public speaking, etc. All of these items should be a part of your resume. You'll see how quickly your resume fills up after some analysis.

Conquering a job interview: Be prepared. You would never show up to class without reading an assignment and same goes for a good interview. Come armed with information about the company, your boss, and your role. Sign onto LinkedIn and study the Company Page and the career trajectory of your hiring manager.

Be wary of pushy parents: Your parents will always want the best for you but there is a professional line they should never cross. Under no circumstance should your mom and dad be at the interview with you or apply for you. Think I'm kidding? A parent at my firm did just that. He didn't see anything odd about asking me to hire his daughter to be an intern and tell me how great she would be, how he'd be involved and how much he'd be "checking in."

Your parents would never take a test for you or sit in your Spanish class...I hope... same rules apply for the office. You should ask your parents to reach out to their network of co-workers, clients, and friends to see if someone might know of a job opening up. After that, YOU need to be the first point of contact -- not your mom. You could also ask your parents to review your resume or help you with a mock interview. After that, though, you are on your own.

When the new boss is always M.I.A.: If you only have a  ask your questions the first few minutes of the day. Let them know you are interested in the business and want to be the best employee for them. Have an idea? Let them know that moving the straws next to the soda cups creates efficiency.

When the office is cliquey: High school cliques annoyingly also exist off campus. Often times these mean girls will at first see you as a threat. Be as friendly as you can to them and try to learn. Make them feel like they are the BMOC. However, if they are still icy – do your best to ignore them. Don't let it get to you and focus on the job at hand.

Ready for a promotion? Before you ask, make sure you deserve it. Here's a list of 4 questions you need to ask yourself:

• Are you helping the company's bottom line?
• Are you punctual and working overtime if you have last-minute client requests?
• Have you been there longer than six months?
• Have you felt that you've made your boss' life easier and are taking on more responsibilities?

If so -- go in for the ask. If not, be the best employee you can be and ask for a promotion 30 days down the line. If you are asking, make sure you come prepared with reasons why you have earned this. Have sales increased since you started? Are you able to get through your work much faster than other employers? Have you created a business website or helped with the social media strategy? Are you volunteering for projects outside your typical responsibilities?

Making a grand & graceful exit: Your employer knows that you won't be at their firm forever. Set up a meeting to chat privately. Start off the conversation by letting them know how amazing it has been to work there (even if it wasn't) and how much you have learned from them as a boss. Then let them know you'll be leaving and will give 2 weeks' notice so they have time to find someone to replace you.

Always end on good terms with a boss – you never know if you'll want the job again down the line or which business owners your boss is friends with in town. You'll also want to count on them for a reference.

4 Dos and Don't for Your Office Holiday Party

Office holiday parties are a great place to mix and mingle with your co-workers, clients, and bosses. They're not a great time to slug down shots, make out with a coworker, or wear an embarrassing outfit. Yet for many, these things happen every year. Here's how you can avoid the office holiday trap and have a great time.

When the boss behaves badly... Oftentimes people think the partygoers who act the most disastrously are the employees. But what happens when it's your boss? In a previous job, I directed charity events and enlisted friends to help out during the event. Towards the end of the night, after many tequila shots, one of my superiors started getting chummy with one of my friends. He asked me across the bar if he "had my blessing."

He was twice her age, she was tipsy...he didn't, but what could I say? They stumbled out together shortly thereafter, with most of the company watching. Fast-forward to the next morning, when my friend gives me the play by play before having a chat with my boss. He apologized for his actions and came clean as soon as he saw me. I admire him, but it gave me an impactful lesson that when you are a boss, you need to set a different set of standards – including during the company party. You don't need your firm seeing you in a negative light.

Set a two-drink max. We've all been there. The top shelf open bar and tiny apps = danger zone. Before any holiday party, make sure you have a hardy lunch/snack, because chances are that the tuna tartar and caviar are going to enhance any alcohol you might consume. It's fine to drink amongst co-workers, but give yourself a limit of two drinks and switch to seltzer after that. I'll never forget seeing a much older co-worker who got so drunk she stumbled down a flight of stairs and needed to be escorted home, or the co-worker who tripped and blew out the whole sound system for an event. Don't be that person.

Don't be a Christmas tree. It's fine to dress up in the holiday spirit, but keep it tasteful. This is your time to shine and rub elbows with people you don't always come in contact with, i.e. the big boss and clients. Don't wear a hilarious ugly Christmas sweater and reindeer ears – save that for a family party.

On that note, don't wear too many sequins or a low cut dress – you want to wear something that gets you noticed but not glared at. A former intern of mine literally wore a Christmas tree one year. Sure, it was hysterical--but wrong place, wrong time.

Avoid being a wallflower. Holiday parties are often the best place to get in touch with people with whom you're ordinarily unable to chat. Are you interested in working with the marketing department? Get to know the team and ask them about their projects.

And be sure you make time to chat with your boss. Need some conversation inspiration? Log into LinkedIn and check out what's been going on in your industry. Recent product launches or acquisitions by your competitors? Pick his or her brain and add your two cents on the topic.

While the rest of your co-workers are indulging in the open bar, try and chat with at least five people with whom you're not as close. I've seen many opportunities arise from holiday parties: freelancing gigs, promotions, raises, projects. This isn't the time to chat with your cube mates--it's the time to learn about your company and see how you can add more value to it.

The Demise of the 9-5 Work Day

When does work stop? In truth, it doesn't. Email and smartphones have completely transformed the traditional 9-5 work model. Millennials entered the work world during this transition.

I'm not surprised that according to a recent survey by Bentley's PreparedU Project, 77 percent of millennials prefer a flex-work schedule. With Wi-Fi virtually everywhere, you can literally be online and 'accessible' anywhere. We've been able to flex-work during college, vacations, internships, and train with virtual classrooms. Email and internal instant messaging have greatly changed the typical workday.

Working 24/7 isn't the answer. There is a gray area when it comes to flexible work schedules. I believe that employees need to create an open dialogue with their bosses about their schedule. Be honest about what the hours are and what hours would work best for you. Would they mind if you started your day a bit later to hit a yoga class or left early to attend a networking event? The problem many managers face is knowing if they can trust their employee.

As for me, I put in the long hours, the face time, and my work shined. My boss completely trusts my instinct. She also works from her home and wouldn't easily be able to check in on my whereabouts without connecting with the internal office staff. My work, my work ethic, and my accountability are what allow me to have a flex-work schedule.

Understanding work needs. If you have a client on the West Coast, or worse, in Asia, you could be clocking in double or triple the hours of your coworkers. Arranging conference calls at 3:00 in the morning or constantly working on projects in the middle of the night can take a toll on anyone. If you become overworked and sleep deprived, you'll be more likely to start looking for positions elsewhere.

Speak up to your boss. Come up with a plan to ensure the work gets done, and you don't come into the office the next day looking like a zombie. Don't assume that your boss has thought of these alternative options already. Most likely, they are worried about so many things that, unfortunately, they aren't always thinking about you.

Millennials are always on. Millennials often get pegged as the generation with a terrible work ethic, but in fact, 89 percent of millennials regularly check work email after their regularly scheduled work hours, and 37 percent say they always check work email. Smartphones have truly changed the work landscape. As a community, we have a Pavlovian response when it comes to email. We see the blinking light, hear the ding of a bell and immediately need to check our messages – personal or professional. Time of day does not hinder this need to be "on."

The truth is, millennials work differently  than our older counterparts, as each generation did before them; Generation X worked differently than the Boomers. Technology and awareness played a big role in that. Millennials don't have a poor work ethic- it's simply a different approach to work.

Why It's Great To Get A Bad Review

You might be wondering how, in fact, a bad review could be a blessing. Well, hear me out. Let's face it: absolutely no one looks forward to performance reviews, which typically occur right before the new year. It's even more frightening to hear your boss mid-year say, "We need you to improve your performance," regardless of the industry. So why is this a good thing?

 

Invested in you. If your boss really didn't care about your value, they would say nothing and start looking for your replacement. Plenty of superiors will keep quiet and let your poor work slide, either saying they are too busy to train you or praying someone else will. An employer's constructive critique of your performance indicates that they are invested in you. If they didn't think you have a future at the firm or actually have the potential to improve, they would keep their mouths shut.

Fear silence. If you can hear a pin drop every time your boss is around you, that's when you should be scared. If your boss is silent towards you but complimentary (or course-correcting) toward the rest of the team, you have a big problem. If your boss is quiet towards everyone, though, then that's okay – if it's her personality. Perk up your ears to hear what she is telling everyone else and how often – daily, weekly, monthly. For the most part, you want to hear praise from your boss every few months. She'll do this to reinforce your behavior. If your performance is slipping, and she sees potential in you, she'll speak up. If your performance is taking a tumble and she's quiet – be worried.

Drowning in work. You might immediately think that you are in the dog house if your boss is dumping on the work all of sudden. It just depends on the type of work. Is it mainly clerical, last-minute and ultimately not desirable? These are all negative signs. If it's working on an important presentation (because someone else was under performing) it can be a good sign. If you seem to always be getting the grunt work while the rest of the team is off to a happy hour around 4:00, you are no longer in your boss's good graces. It would be a good idea to reevaluate your position. Are you happy? Are you doing the best you can do? If you want to stay, seek your boss and ask for constructive criticism. If she's still quiet and your situation hasn't improved, it's time to look for work elsewhere.

Outrageous Boss Requests: Where Do You Draw The Line

 

File papers: check. Create work flow chart: check. Develop a marketing plan: check. Pick up dog from groomers, get baby from doctor and drop off prescription medication at pharmacy...check? Everyone needs additional help from time to time, including your boss. But how much is too much when it comes to asking a favor from an employee?

"Everyone's bound to get an unusual work request now and then. In general, it's best to try to be helpful rather than saying something's not in your job description. However, you should avoid doing something if it's clearly illegal or unethical," says Robert Hosking, Executive Director of OfficeTeam.

But what if your boss doesn't stop asking you for tasks outside of your workflow? "If you find that you continually receive wacky requests that are outside of your job description, it may be worth discussing it with your boss," says Hosking. "It's important to be clear about expectations and priorities. You might consider revisiting your job description with your manager to ensure your responsibilities are up-to-date and you'll be evaluated fairly against that description when it's review time."

When in doubt, connect with HR. They'll act as a mediator and help to resolve any issue--like these particularly unusual ones.

Breaking a Sweat: "I had a boss who made me play racquetball with him. I didn't mind the exercise, but he would make me go towards the end of the day. I would still have a bunch of work to do, he would go home and I would have to go back to the office. So on those days, instead of leaving at 7:30, I would leave it 9:30, because the two-hour break to play caused me to fall behind on work that needed to be finished," says Aron Susman, Co-Founder of TheSquareFoot.

Hustling for Beiber: "I was interning for Island Def Jam during college, in the International Marketing department. Justin Beiber was in the office, and my boss asked me to go to Pinkberry to pick up a frozen yogurt in December," says Alex Marshall of TheSquareFoot.

Facing the music: "About a year ago, our former VP found out that I play in a band and she asked if she could sing for us. I realized she was serious when she sent an email to my personal account, asking when we could 'jam.' I avoided her email for several days and when she finally confronted me about it in person, I said that it must have gone to my junk folder. Luckily, she left the company before I ever had to give her a solid answer," says Brandon Seymour of Beymour Consulting.

All the right moves: "I worked for a very large multinational company and we were at a trade show and had a hospitality suite. This was when the Wii game system was just coming out and my job was to teach all of these company [employees](mostly men) we were trying to schmooze how to play the Wii games like baseball and tennis. I had to demonstrate but not only did I have to demonstrate I had to basically play cheerleader for these guys and clap and cheer for them (also requested) to make them feel good. It was quite a scene. I didn't even get to eat. I have an MBA and was a marketing person so this to me was over the top (not to mention pretty sexist)," says Margo Schlossberg.

Do you want fries with that?: "Each year we had a press preview event, at which I played a critical role in organizing handling the media invites, setting up the event and more. The night of the event the director of this event came up to me and told me to go to the food concession and to work there - cooking chicken fingers. That was 15 years ago - I will NEVER forget the feeling of doing all the work and then being hidden away cooking food all night for the media I'd invited at the event I'd organized, but I sucked it up. Needless to say, it was a long summer and when it was done I was more than happy to take on a corporate job where there wouldn't be any need to cook 1000s of chicken fingers," says Maggie Patterson, Communications Strategist for MaggiePatterson.com.

Do you hear spirits?: About 7 years ago I was working in a small Criminal Law Office in Queens, NY. My boss was a partner and I was a junior associate. On the day we were going to court to file our motion my boss insisted we drive to Jamaica, Queens, to see a Haitian voodoo priest perform a ritual and bless our case. I totally refused to go but he insisted. When we arrived I waited in the car while he actually went in. I do not know, nor do I ever want to know, what happened inside that day but the ruling that came down was in our favor. So glad I never went in as I believe in Karma and do not like meddling with the forces of nature," Matthew Reischer, CEO of LawyerReviews.com.

Orange is the new black: As part of a pitch for winning the advertising budget of a new client, a holiday travel brand, our boss made us put on lots and lots of fake tan, and believe me, we all looked horrible! But, we won the client in the end as they loved our crazy dedication," says Nathalie Gaveau CEO of Shopcade.

Lastly, here are some pointers from Roy Cohen, esteemed career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide:

"When you refuse to go above and beyond or outside to get the job done, someone else most likely will. Although it is impossible to always be available, when you never demonstrate your flexibility and availability you become less relevant regardless as to how outlandish the request may be. A word to the inflexible: Being on the job doesn't necessarily mean being at work. A lot can be accomplished from home and before and after hours."

Don't just say no: According to Roy, "If you really cannot honor a request, there are many less adversarial responses than just saying no outright. But at the end of the day, if you are feeling constantly put upon, maybe this is a sign that you are on the wrong career path. Here are two responses, both of which demonstrate a willingness to compromise and should be conveyed with good humor:

• "I am just now finishing up a project on deadline. If this request is urgent, I can set the project aside. I am happy to do so. Please advise."
• "I need to leave the office by 6 today due to a previous commitment. If I could get out of this commitment, you have my word that I would do so in a heart beat. Is it possible to come in early tomorrow morning? I am happy to come in as early as you need me."

Always set up boundaries: "Boundaries are critical to ensure that you don't establish a reputation for being indiscriminate in where and how you invest your time, energy, and support," says Roy. "When you say yes to every request, you potentially end up getting dumped on--and not for the right reasons. Your boss and your colleagues will see you as a patsy, not having enough backbone to say no when appropriate."

 

Drinking with Co-workers

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeep. You reach over and flail your hand around until you locate the snooze button and silence your ear piercing alarm clock. It takes all of your energy to lift your pounding, hungover head and peer at what ungodly hour it must be. Not only do you realize that you have exactly six minutes to get to work, but you’re hit with a startling wave of panic. Last evening’s “Let’s have a drink” happy hour with your work crew turned into a blurry, all night booze-a-thon. The last thing you remember is blabbing to your cab driver about how delicious your late night pizza was and then trying to unlock the door to your neighbor’s apartment. To avoid a morning after freakout session, try these dos and don’ts for drinking with co-workers.

DO: know your limit and stick to it. Binge drinking with Bob from Accounting rarely ends well.

DO: order something to eat! The last meal you had was lunch, so it’s crucial to fill up on chicken fingers, sliders, pizza, wings and fries (to share with co-workers, of course). Gotta love a good happy hour menu. (PS: Be sure to take a cab home, get a ride or leave your car parked at work if you’re feeling tipsy.)

DON’T: talk about people that report to you. If you’re a manager, make sure to keep confidential information to yourself. Don’t reveal employees salaries, whether they’re up for a promotion, or if they royally messed up a huge project and are about to get canned. If you can’t keep these things private after a few margaritas, you shouldn’t be a manager.

DO: lighten up! Getting together with work buds after office hours is a great way to show them your fun, laid back side. Keep your deepest, darkest secrets to yourself (awkward, much?), and avoid talking badly about co-workers. But definitely kick back, relax, and freely discuss your favorite reality shows without worrying that the boss will walk by.

DON’T: make-out, hook-up or sleep with a co-worker … or worse, your boss! This sounds like a no-brainer, but it happens all the time after a few too many cocktails. On one hand, tons of great couples meet at work, fall in love and live happily ever after. But that’s typically when both are unattached, have taken into account the numerous risks involved, and make a conscious decision to take a working relationship to the next level. Know the facts. Does your company have a policy you should be aware of if things get serious? On the flip side, could you handle seeing this guy everyday if things go South? Unless you both can laugh about it, in most cases, a drunk smooch leads to awkwardness, avoidance and regret.

DON’T: talk shit about co-workers (including your boss) that aren’t there. Just because you’re in a bar doesn’t mean it’s “no holds barred”! You never know how it could get back to them. If they find out, it could cause a very bad working relationship and/or really bad career consequences. Plus, you don’t want the reputation of “office gossip queen.”

DO: pick up an egg sandwich, a large bottle of water, Gatorade, Advil, and coffee on your way to the office to help cure your hangover. Text your equally hurting work friends and take orders while you’re at the deli. Then, before the boss walks by barking orders, do a brief re-cap of the night to reassure each other that all is good and no one needs to resign.