I've decided to take a year off and apply to graduate school in the Fall of 2012. My lack of HCI/ UX Design experience. My lack of research experience in the field. All the information recruiters and professionals need to ignore me or just say no. I have contacted several professors in my area about potential research assistant/volunteer opportunities, only to get rejected and I do not know why. I was estimable in my emails. No harsh words. No rudeness. But I was persistent with my responses. Since when has persistence become the new n-word? Take persistence and your drive to succeed out of the equation and what would you have left? Absolutely nothing. All I hear right now is dead silence on the other end of the line.
Also, I think social media is not a good outlet for job hunting. Social networking is good for "finding" pages and pages of job listings, but it limits the way people go about looking for work. Yes, I can tweet or use InMail to track down a employer about a career opportunity or job inquiry, but will that person contact me back?
Ok, I am having a hard time finding a research position. What is the closest thing I can do to get my top schools to look at me as a future M.S. candidate? I'll take an user experience internship for 500 points Alex Trebek. So I paid $30.00 (as an experiment) for the LinkedIn Job Expert account. I read that with this account, unemployed job seekers are placed at the top of the online applicant pool and job search results. So far, fewer people have checked my LinkedIn profile than before the upgrade. My summary and marketing pinch are sweet and concise to the point. I participate in several LinkedIn groups. I even posted this blog's url link and published work. If I could get my money back, I would. What are you recruiters waiting for?! Are you anxiously waiting for the perfect candidate to appear at your online doorstep?
Next stop: online job postings. BIG mistake. No one likes my applications. No one reads my applications. No one wants to interview me. I am just an inexperienced pawn in a recruiter's game of chess. Yet recruiters do not know that I am ten steps (pun attended) ahead of them. Is hope all lost? Not quite. I promise to attend more networking events this summer. Last week, I attended my first job fair; the 2011 Essex County College Job Fair Expo in Newark, NJ. I met future employers and landed some job training and job leads. I plan to attend another job fair next week. Drawbacks? I do not know the names of the employers and companies that will participate beforehand. It must be a Newark thing. Benefits? I pushed my boundaries and got my name and brand out there.
So I am not getting a job anytime soon. How can I or anyone in my situation improve his/her skills? UX Designers are in high demand. So during this summer, I plan to self-teach myself Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, and Illustrator so that by the fall, I am more marketable. I am going to continue reading about HCI and possible look into vlogging and open-source projects to keep me busy and awesome. If I can walk a three mile race for breast cancer without any prior experience, I can do anything ....as long as I am not stopping myself short.
And so my life after Smith College continues... what are your summer plans?
Hi everyone! I know you all missed me.
Ok, so everyone has been buzzing about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg's 100 million donation to the City of Newark. If you have not noticed, I currently live in Newark. I was born and raise in Newark and I am very excited that there are billionaire entrepreneurs out there that are willing to donate their money to the less fortunate. Perhaps Zuckerburg can integrate his social media interface into getting these students to learn and think big. Newark public schools need it, especially in this recession.
However, I fear that Mayor Cory Booker and his administration are going to mishandle that money and use it for their own purposes. So Mark Zuckerberg, if you are out there, make damn sure you have a thorough business plan to implement that money into the Newark public school system the right way. Newark is known for its political corruption. Newark is possibly the only city in the state of New Jersey that does not have a mall. Malls create jobs. They may not create high paying jobs, but given that 43.6 million are living below the poverty line in this country alone, something is better than nothing, and I think even with the new Prudential Arena, more needs to be done. We have the land, we just have stubborn, greedy individuals in power that have used the politics of fear to blind the public of reality for the last forty years. I do not understand why Oprah Winfrey does not see the truth either.
Onto other news, I finally got an interview with Apple Retail. Saturday morning! 10:00am. Upper West Side store! Very excited. I have come a long way to not be nervous. I know what I have to do. Wish me good luck and everyone have a lovely weekend!
Oooo I forgot, this is the picture of the week. I am a fallen soul, an awesome soul, full of passion and dreams.
What do you think about this Facebook announcement? What do you know about Newark politics? What will you do this weekend?
2. Actually study for the Driver's License Test and then take the writing exam in the fall.
3. Walk more, eat healthy.
4. Find a part-time, paying job before September 1st. At this point in my career, I do not care what I get, at least as I start saving money.
5. Be an indispensable worker in my career and as a volunteer worker.
6. Finish reading Seth Godin's "Linchpin, Are You Dispensable" book.
8. Relearn my French skills.
9. Blog at least 2 times per week. Write more engaging blog posts!
As I return from my one-month break, I ask myself, "Do you miss me?, What is the future of this blog?, When will I ever make my mark in the world?". My answer? In all due time.
It has been a month since I last blogged and I miss it and you guys! *Hug*. I came back right in time before the 2010 MTV VMAs! We will hear more about that later, but I have so many announcements. I am just going to shout it out:
1. I am invited to another Apple Retail Career Seminar next week! I submitted my resume on the Apple Career website again and within a week I got an email from an Apple recruiter asking if I can come. If you remember from my last Apple seminar, it did not go so well. Yet, all my cards will work for me instead of against me this time. I know what to expect and I have an lot to offer to the company.
2. Last month, I started the Guest Blog Giveaway and only Jessica contacted me with her article. If I do not get a response from Shannon and Nickelnm by Friday, I am going to look elsewhere. You see I think I have learned a lesson while I was on hiatus. Work smarter, not harder. If people were really interested in guest blogging for me, they would have contacted me weeks ago. I am not going to hunt them down. There was ample time for a connection. I know others who are willingly to guest blog and contact me about it. I have no time to find people.
Overall, good things are coming my way and I just know it. Most twenty-something career-orientated women just want to network and find careers that suit their confidence levels. I am not afraid of challenging traditional ideologies of business and thought. I just want to have fun doing what I love doing best right now: working persistently and reinventing my brand.
I think with the work I am doing with the New Jersey Medical School right now, all I want is to connect with others and master the art of productivity. As Seth Godin would say (yes I am reading his book at the moment!), today is the age of the linchpin and we must acknowledge and embrace the art and creativity inside of us all. It took me over a year of soul-searching and reexamination to understand this, but I am finally learning what it takes to work hard and to value my own art. It's growing and it should.
I think Cyndi Lauper said it best! Welcome back everyone!
Dear Loyal Followers, Subscribers, and Friends:
I apologize for my sudden behavior, but I am going to take another break.
I said I was going to create up to two blog posts each week, but given my volunteer work, stress, and pressure to find a real job and source of income, I am going to need more time to straighten up my personal life.
I apologize for the short notice. I am very busy and I do not have the time or energy to write at this time. I do not know when I will come back, but it will be soon. I need to rediscover what I want out of life and why I am blogging in the first place and I can't do it without a clear mind and direction. My guest blog project will be postponed until further notice. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and have me in the back of your mind. I will return fresh and ready to take on the world. Wish me good luck on this task. Self-discovery, I say. I will keep you posted. Thx.
Love,
Christina Brown
Leave your lovely comments below please. I want to be inspired! Connect with me on Twitter (@iChristina2010). Thx.
I've decided to group July and August together. We are in the middle of the summer and I want to take these last days of intense heat and sun to prepare for my fall plans. Here is what I will do within the next two months:
1. Take 1-2 days out of each week to myself to leave the house and go out and explore and have fun. Life is too short.
2. Actually study for the Driver's License Test and then take the writing exam in the fall.
3. Walk more, eat healthy.
4. Find a part-time, paying job before September 1st. At this point in my career, I do not care what I get, at least as I start saving money.
5. Be an indispensable worker in my career and as a volunteer worker.
6. Finish reading Seth Godin's "Linchpin, Are You Dispensable" book.
7. Build my portfolio and skills so that when I find my dream job down the road, I'll be ready. :)
8. Relearn my French skills.
9. Blog at least 2 times per week. Write more engaging blog posts!
Also, will Shannon and Nickelnm contact me? You showed interest in guest blogging, but have responded back to me. I need to know your plans before Monday, July 12th. Thanks.
Lets review what I accomplished last month.
June Plan
4. Look for a paid, part-time internship.
5. Build my resume and skills with the volunteer opportunity I already have.
6. Build my French and Japanese language skills.
7. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds.
8. Study for Driver's License Test.
Finally, Picture of the Week! I want to wear this one day. The French know how to design!
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The "You are Going Places" Award! Ray J, you should not have! Thanks hun! This award could not have come at a better time. I am a bit of a rut. Last week, I told you about my YouTube Culture and Trends Editor position dilemma. When I heard the job was filled through a Google recruiter, I feel like I am going nothing in my life. You can take a look at my blog to get a glimpse of my bumpy road.
Despite my shortcomings, I always see the positive side at the end of the yellow brick road. Whether you are in circumstances worse and more incomprehensible than my own, if Dorothy got home with her red, glittery shoes, then you can click your heels three times hard enough to achieve your goals.
I appreciate that there are people out there like Ray-J and my social media family that are rooting for me to succeed. I am going places and with my witty charm and determination, there is no point in stopping me.
The main rule of this award was to answer the question: Where I will see myself in ten years?....Such as a vague question to begin a conversation with. What would a random person say?
Random person: Omg, I want to live in a big house out in the country with children and live happily after.
I am one of those people out there that don't have a year or 5 year plan all laid out because life is unpredictable. I do keep a weekly plan, my New Years Resolution, monthly goals, and blogging resolution, but I do not live by them each and every second of my life. Things happen that are out of my control. It is best to work your life around your goals. Have goals, not objectives; goals that are realistic and idealistic with a bit of flexibility thrown in.
So for instance, if you want to be an astronaut, you can be and there is no stopping you, but you have to understand that there are events that will be beyond our control. What if down the road a loved one passes away or a freak accident profoundly impacts the rest of your life and your goals? Did you have that listed on your 5-year plan? Think about it.
Hey everyone. I miss the sound of the keyboard as I stroke the keys to create another amazing blog post. All last week I was busy with my volunteer work and I did not have the time or energy to write more blog posts. I promise that this week I will write up to three blog posts. I have everything planned out there ahead of schedule. I should have written a blog post last week stating that I was on another mini break, but it is too late.
Anyhow, I have some rather bad news. On June 16th, I found this amazing job opportunity, the You Tube Culture and Trends Editor position on Linkedin.com. I was so excited because I love new media and was in the process of completing the online job application. Last night and I will never forget this. I was talking to my mom in the dining room about the job position and she was like "Honey, I hope you get it done. You never know whether or not the job won't be there anymore." I confidently stated that Google/You Tube usually have their jobs posted within a one-month time frame minimum and that I had plenty of time to apply. Turns out, this morning as I was searching Linkedin.com and Google Jobs, I learned that Google/You Tube were no longer accepting job applications...... I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head from that moment on.
So here is my dilemma. I can walk away from the accident or use this opportunity to get things done. I scheduled a Wednesday phone interview with a friend of mine at the Smith College Career Development Office to review my resume and cover letter, but I might instead have him look at my resume, so it can be ready to go when the next job opportunity comes. I will try my very best to connect with a YouTube recruiter on Linkedin so that he or she could look over my job application. I am not backing away from this opportunity. I know what it feels to be unheard and I will not allow this one position slip away from me. God, I sound like someone who is eager to confess her love to her love interest. Hollywood, do not take my idea please! When you are passionate about something, you don't let a good opportunity pass you by. Otherwise, there is nothing in life worth fighting for.
I would like you to answer these questions because I need some guidance!
Were you in a similar situation beforehand? How did you handle this situation? Were there any consequences?
Hey everyone! I know you guys missed me. I was enjoying my Memorial Day Weekend a little bit much. I won't kiss and tell. Anyway, I am here to get back to my current routine. I want to start this month with a question. June 9th is my 23rd birthday and I want to celebrate it the best I can. I want to celebrate it in NYC specially in Times Squares and I hear David and Busters is a cool place. What are your views of the David & Busters in Times Squares and do you know any other interesting things or places I can experience in Times Squares? I picked NYC because NJ is boring.
Here is this month's plan:
June Plan
1. Blog up to two times a week.
2. Write interesting and engaging blog posts.
3. Celebrate my 23rd birthday the best way possible.
4. Look for a paid, part-time internship.
5. Build my resume and skills with the volunteer opportunity I already have.
6. Build my French and Japanese language skills.
7. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds.
8. Study for Driver's License Test.
9. Reconnect with my college and high school friends.
Secondly, lets review with I did last month:
10. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds. (Less fatty foods, more fruits and vegetables and water)
Hello, everyone! This afternoon, I attended the Apple hiring event at the Residence Inn in Times Square. I wore my business suit, walked into the room, filled out a survey, met with several Apple employees and recruiters, and took part in a two-hour seminar. I listened to other candidates' Apple moments with enthusiasm. But during those two hours, something was wrong.
Then as I listened to the young applicants retrospect their previous Apple retail experiences as customers, I felt almost completely left out because I have not been to an Apple Store before. I live in Newark, NJ. If you do not know about the history of this city, google it. There are not any Apple Retail Stores in Newark or in nearby towns.
Luckily, I have learned that I need to do a little more research on Apple, specially about its Mac OS X system. I have no idea if I will receive an individual interview with an Apple representative or not. I tried my best to demonstrate my best personality traits in this recruitment seminar. If I am given another chance, I will do everything in my power to prove that I make a great fit as a part-time, Inventory Control Specialist at one of Apple's Manhattan stores. On one side I think I belong in the Apple subculture but on the other, not so sure. I guess I have to wait and find out.
Hi, everyone. First day of a brand, new month. Lets review what I have done last month:
Make sure I schedule and prepare for my BuzzFeed interview! (Yes, I got an email. Yay for me! ^_^)Blog at least three times a week(4.18.10)and write as concisely as possible. Make sure to create a sense of community and answer comments.Buy a camera so that I can take pictures of the Bamboozie Festival/concert on May 1st. (Finally getting out the house!)Watch the entire third season ofBuffy, the Vampire Slayeron Hulu.com.- Study for the written portion of the Driver's License test. I want to get my permit by the end of the summer.
Practice speaking and reviewing vocabulary and linguistics of the foreign languages that I have started learning in my lifetime: Spanish, French, and Japanese. I will start the reviewing process for 15-30 minutes a day. If it does not work, then 10 minutes each day or every other day. I do not want to feel like I am back at college or high-school.No more homework! I will start with French and Japanese first for now. I want to be fluent in these languages.
10. Lose between 5 to 10 pounds. (Less fatty foods, more fruits and vegetables and water)
Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and Girls. I have an announcement to make. I have an interview....with... *drum roll please*......Apple Retail!!!! Tuesday night, I was checking my Gmail account and I came across this email like it was a Willy Wonka bar. I could not believe my eyes. I will be attending an Apple hiring event at Times Squares next Tuesday afternoon for a possible chance at a retail position at one of Apple's Manhattan stores! Hip, hip, HOORAY!
Until then, I will be preparing non-stop, researching more online and connecting with Apple representatives and insiders about their experiences. I am proud of myself because I am finally getting some recognition by the higher powers that be (Sorry Buffy & Angel). I hope to help others and learn what Apple Inc. is all about. If not, it will be a learning experience to remember. The biggest challenge is how I will balance this out with my recent Buzzfeed interview, but when the times comes, I will weigh the pros and cons and make a decision. That is a part of growing up, right?
By late tomorrow or Saturday, I will post next month's blogging schedule and for the rest of this week and next week, I will be busy so bear with me. Other than this, I am going to do my little dance in my chair *wiggles* and be the busy bumblebee that I am. Woot!
P.S- Post your best wishes and high praises in the comment box below.
Do you know what that means? Less time blogging, more time working, networking, and building my skills outside this damn house FINALLY! Am I nervous? Of course. Will I become the best intern I can be? Of course. I will try my best to fit the most appropriate blogging schedule before I start working.
By this week, I will decide whether or not to transfer this blog to the WordPress platform, after consulting with others on Twitter about it last night. I thought about leaving Blogger, but the new template designer caught my eye and dissolved all previous thoughts about joining WordPress. Now I want to expand my community with other bloggers online. Blogger is not giving me that community leverage and commitment I need and its new FTP changes). I love Google, but I need a change.
I have two important questions to ask you:
1. What advice would you give someone who is reentering the workforce/corporate America after being unemployed for several months?
2. Now that I know that importing my blog to WordPress is a good strategic move to expand my personal brand, if I do leave Blogger, will you follow me onto my new platform? Do you think I am making the right decision?
I have many things that I want to do to improve my life. I have tried the goal planning before and I do not usually make monthly goal plans because life is very unpredictable. But I will make a bigger effort to make a monthly plan every month to help accomplish my goals and priorities. By the end of the month, I will cross out the goals I have completed. Here is what I aim to do for the rest of this month:
- Make sure I schedule and prepare for my BuzzFeed interview! (Yes, I got an email. Yay for me! ^_^)
- Blog at least three times a week (4.18.10) and write as concisely as possible. Make sure to create a sense of community and answer comments.
- Buy a camera so that I can take pictures of the Bamboozie Festival/concert on May 1st. (Finally getting out the house!)
- Watch the entire third season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.com.
- Study for the written portion of the Driver's License test. I want to get my permit by the end of the summer.
- Practice speaking and reviewing vocabulary and linguistics of the foreign languages that I have started learning in my lifetime: Spanish, French, and Japanese. I will start the reviewing process for 15-30 minutes a day. If it does not work, then 10 minutes each day or every other day. I do not want to feel like I am back at college or high-school. No more homework! I will start with French and Japanese first for now. I want to be fluent in these languages.
Wow. A lot has happened this week:
Shoutouts: I want to thank my new followers, Johana, Stacy, Cynthia and Randomista, and to everyone else that has read my blog and posted comments. I greatly appreciated it and keep them coming!
Facebook Page: I just launched this blog's Facebook page. Check it out! :) I want to make it as low-key as possible.
Blog Work: I think I have produced some of my best ideas this week. With my new blog layout, my new blogging resolution, and followers, I think I can conquer the world right now.
Job Hunting: This week, I was lucky enough to apply to two great internships I found on ed2010.com and craiglist.org. The first one is the NYMag.com summer online editorial internship and the other is the BuzzFeed.com summer editorial internship. It would be nice to hear from both companies soon. I submitted some of my innovative blog posts as clips. It would be a dream to work for either organization. They certainly need my talents! Wish me good luck on those opportunities.
What Do You Want to Read?: I am giving you the opportunity to choose which topics that I should write more about for next week. Do you want to read more posts that are geared towards celebrity gossip, music, TV, and movies or towards technology? Want to guest post on my blog? If you are not sure, browse through my old posts and then comment on this blog post your ideas. I truly want to hear with what you have to say. I am always up for new challenges. I will take your ideas and try to balance them out with my own blog ideas. This would be a learning experience worth wild! So comment below and tell me what you think!
Other than that, have a wonderful spring weekend!
3. I am almost done with my Apple Store Leader Program application. This is a retail position. If I get the job, I will collaborating with other smart and passionate people, learning the proper leadership and training to run a Apple Retail Store in my local area!
Within a two-week period, I have been quite busy, working my butt off to make things happen. For all you unemployed and employed job seekers out there, how has your job search turned out within the past six months or so? Do you currently have a job, but in the process or looking for more productive work?
Dear Loyal Followers:
This is a Valentine's Day letter to you. I apologize, but I am going to take a two-week break. I am going to be busy with hard-core job searching and networking because I am still unemployed and I have to straighten out my life right now. Therefore, I am putting my Valentine's Day story on hold. I will finish it but not right now. I know this has never happened to me, but I have to.
I need to rearrange my life and also re-prioritize the way the future of my blog. This is a personal journey. For the past six months, I have shared my hopes and dreams with you guys. Now is time to get off my ass and really make them happen. For the past couple of days, I feel like my life is going nowhere and I need to act on it or I will feel out of place. It has been almost eight months since I graduated from Smith College and some progress has been made, but I think I could have done a better job. I hope you understand. Do not worry, when I come back, I will be better than ever. Thank you for all your love and support.
Love,
Christina
P.S- I will be on Twitter for most of my break. Find me at (@christbrown2009). Follow me if you want.
Hi everyone. This week, I have taken a mini break from blogging to pursue more job searching online and in person. As you may not know, I did not get the Wired News internship, the interview itself was a learning experience nonetheless. As I mentioned in my Declaration of Independence post, I have to find a job as soon as possible. I want the feeling of being financially independent and responsible for my own life. It's maddening when I cannot. I may have a career venture in the horizon from some personal connections of mine so wish me good luck!
He is the marketing guru at Wired.com. When my awesome aura activated, I knew I was ready to go. I answered his answers to the best of my abilities. He answered my questions to the best of his abilities. I think I am one of the most qualified candidates out of the 75 people who applied to the position, which is a shock to me because I know that there are more candidates with more marketing and graphic design experience than I do but hey, I guess I have that extra something. God, I am awesome. :D. Anyway, whether or not I do not get the internship, I am still thankful for this experience because I demonstrated my interview skills and I now know the little minor things I did wrong and other skills I need to work on. Anyway, I am working on a decent blogging schedule this week. I hope you like it. Salut!
