Lindsey Pollak Blog

Young Money magazine names best career advice books for grads (mine included!)

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Check out this article by Susan Johnston in the current issue of Young Money magazine, "Best Career Advice Books for Grads."

The featured books include Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist, Peter Vogt's Career Wisdom for College Students and my book, Getting From College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World.

Here is an excerpt of the article:

According to "Getting from College to Career," the interview stage is the time to "research and assess an organization's culture" in terms of work-life fit. If you anticipate needing time off to train for a marathon or want the flexibility to work from home on occasion, you should look for clues that the company values work-life balance during your interview. Trunk writes in "Brazen Careerist" that "if you get through a full interview and the hiring manager never reveals that she has a life outside of work, there's no need to ask: she doesn't."

Another important aspect to interviewing is choosing the right outfit. In "Getting from College to Career," Pollak tells job candidates to "always err on the side of formality and wear a dark suit." Trunk also suggests that you find out how others at the company dress, because "people like to hire people who look like them, and clothing is the easiest way to make this impression." You can hide out in the lobby and observe employees coming and going or call human resources to find out what the dress code is.

I'm in today's New York Times (totally unrelated to writing, blogging or career advice!)

2011-02-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

Exciting Friday news! My fiance Evan and I are featured in the article "Home Sweet...Yikes!" in today's New York Times, on the front page of the "Escapes" section.

Thanks to reporter Dan Levin for interviewing us (and calling us "urban sophisticates!").

Check out the article: "Home Sweet...Yikes!"

3 comments:

Greg said...: Great stuff and congrats on the house.; October 26, 2007 10:32 AM
Tammy said...: so cool! especially because you and Evan are the lede!!; October 26, 2007 10:59 PM
Bill said...: Lindsey & Evan,Allow me to add my congratulations on your purchase of a new suburban home. You both can begin a concurrent career in "Hammock Testing".Best of luck to you both.Bill PockelsHunter College Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Student

BusinessWeek names best places to launch a career

2011-02-01T13:17:00.001-08:00

Don't miss this week's cover story in BusinessWeek - "Going Up: The Best Places to Launch a Career." If you're not sure what career you want to pursue, add one (or many!) of these companies to your prospect list. Why not start your career with a company that wants to make sure your entry-level experience is great?

Image (c) Chris Buck, BusinessWeek

Business cards with Facebook links

2011-02-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

Check out this nugget from an article on Entrepreneur.com about trends in business cards:

"Rob Schlacter [VP of business services for Staples, Inc.] says high-school age teens venture into Staples to create social networking cards that include information like Facebook and MySpace links. If your business uses social networking as a marketing tool, consider displaying that information on your cards."

Would you include a social networking link on your business card? Weigh in with your thoughts on this topic!

p.s. Thanks to Rebecca Thorman of Modite for pointing out YoungGoGetter.com's business card contest!

7 comments:

Andy Drish said...: Hey Lindsey! Along the same line, I'm going to get some "social cards" for traveling through Europe... Nothing related to business; just a simple way to keep in touch with all the other travelers.; October 3, 2007 9:09 PM
Meredith said...: I think these social cards are a great idea!!I have found a website that allows you to design your own cards, and has templates for blogger cards (great for your blog, or facebook, myspace or Ziki ID)!!They also have some cute square cards, and even FREE business cards with more creative designs.http://www.ooprint.com; October 4, 2007 10:57 AM
Rebecca Thorman said...: You should link back to this post: http://www.younggogetter.com/2007/10/01/win-5000-business-cards-from-ygg-and-orange32-400-value/in your post so that you can win business cards. :); October 4, 2007 10:34 PM
Xavier said...: Fabulous idea! Love it.; October 5, 2007 1:57 AM
Kate said...: I don't know about listing a facebook link, but I recently ordered some basic cards with my personal contact info, to hand out to non-work contacts instead of my business card. They do include my blog URL though.; October 5, 2007 8:23 AM
Lindsey Pollak said...: @ Rebecca - thanks for sharing the YoungGoGetter.com contest -- added the link!; October 5, 2007 5:56 PM
April said...: I work with people all over the world and was surprised a few days ago to have a major contact 'facebook me.' For me, facebook is for friends ... not for professional contacts half way around the world whom I have actually never met in person!

Recommended event: Forté Foundation MBA Forums

2011-02-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I included the Forté Foundation in my list of recommended career resources. I wanted to share an announcement about Forte's upcoming events in several cities -- I highly recommend their MBA Forums if you're a woman considering business school. Here is the event info, direct from Forté:

Why get your MBA? Because you’re worth it!

Attend a Forté Forum in the city nearest you and learn about exciting careers in business, network with successful women business leaders, and meet with admissions representatives from top business schools. Find out how an MBA can open doors and present career opportunities you never knew existed.

Forté Forum Event Schedule:

September 17: Boston
September 18: Washington, D.C.
September 19: Chicago
September 20: New York
September 24: Atlanta
September 25: Houston
September 26: San Francisco
September 27: Los Angeles
October 1: New York
October 9: London

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: All women interested in learning more about business school and the value of an MBA.

COST: Complimentary Admission. The Forté Forum events are hosted and paid for by our sponsors.

The W (and M) List

2011-02-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to blogger Rebecca Thorman for adding me to the growing W list of "quality women (and men) bloggers." Check out her blog, Modite, which "gives advice to navigate beyond the line of work and play, based on real experiences. It’s engagement for the next generation, and the young at heart, like you."

I was glad to see some of my other favorite bloggers on the list, including Alexandra Levit, Marci Alboher, Andrea Learned and Penelope Trunk.

To add my two cents to the growing list, I'd add:

The Women's DISH
Christine Hassler

Plus all the other great blogs listed in my blogroll. Thank you again, Rebecca!
Check out the W (and M) list here. It's an interactive list, so add your favorites as well!

3 comments:

Rebecca Thorman said...: Thank you for spreading the word, Lindsey! I look forward to your future posts.; August 12, 2007 3:44 PM
Tiffany said...: Lindsey, Thanks for the comment. I found your blog through Rebecca's version of this list, so glad you found me through it as well! I was actually thinking about your previous post the other day because one of my friends told me she sends 5,000-6,000 text messages each month, while I send 5-6. Maybe. So I'm not into all the short speak either! Anyway, I look forward to getting to know you more and continuing to read your blog. Thanks again!; August 12, 2007 5:19 PM
Gail McDaniel said...: Lindsay - Thanks for your blogging inspiration. Because of you, I started my own blog: http://mcdanielcoaching.blogspot.com/ Oh no, now I have to do this on a regular basis. One question, do you know a good way to put yourself in Google? We have been trying with varying results. Writing a review of a book in Amazon works for some, but did not work for me. I appreciate any help you can give. Keep up your great blogging. Gail

Financial tips for recent grads

2011-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

How do you handle competing demands on your money when you are just starting out your career? In the terrific new book On My Own Two Feet, coauthors Manisha Thakor & Sharon Kedar lay out a simple 7-step plan to land you firmly on your financial feet in no time. (p.s. The book is targeted to women, but guys can learn a lot from the book too!)

Step #1: Make the minimum required debt payments on all of your outstanding debt. This is absolutely vital to protecting your credit score.

Step #2: Save $2,000 as a “starter” emergency fund. According to a study by The Consumer Federation of America, this is the average amount of “unexpected” expenses an individual faces in a given year.

Step #3: Contribute to your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan (usually a 401(k)) up to the maximum point of your employer’s match. This is literally free money, so do all you can to take advantage of it.

Step #4: Build up your emergency fund (the one you started in Step #2) to cover three to six months of your foundation expenses. The one thing in life you can expect is the unexpected; this fund will give you the financial flexibility to roll with the punches.

Step #5: If you have any credit card debt, pay more than your monthly minimum payment. Paying off credit card debt is one of the BEST investments you can make in your financial future. Increasing your monthly payments will dramatically reduce the time it takes to rid yourself of your debt. Note: Your additional credit card debt payment EVERY month should be AT LEAST $50 to 150. Pay this extra amount on your debt with the highest interest rate first.

Step #6: If you are ready to buy a home, it’s time to save for a down payment. Your home down payment is one of the largest “big-ticket” items you’ll ever make, so you’ll need to make it a savings priority.

Step #7: If Step #6 isn’t relevant because you aren’t ready, don’t want or have already bought a home, then keep saving for your retirement. Remember that the dollars you save early on for your retirement are the most powerful as they have the most time to grow for you.

Thanks to Manisha and Sharon for these simple, savvy and super-important financial tips. I highly recommend their book!