Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success
1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, “I’d get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about.” That’s how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.
See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.
Pan Am, “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” on journalists who travel.
career karma: can you change your fate?
rank the following by level of satisfaction:
a) reaching goals completely on your own.
b) reaching goals with the help of others.
c) watching others reach their goals, with your help.
tangent, but actually completely related to this topic: the one thing I like about watching sports is how the players restrict the competition to the field: they work hard to win until the buzzer hits, and then they sincerely shake hands and congratulate the other for their respectable efforts. they are on opposing teams who fight side-by-side to achieve the same goal, but they are not enemies. no one takes it personally or brings it beyond the boundaries of the game.
that’s how it should be in the real world, in the rat race, in the ring we’re all thrown into after graduation. sure, we’re each other’s competition for the same stock of jobs, but wouldn’t we have more success stories circulating among us if we just stopped looking down at our own career plans for a moment and helped each other out? how many times have you asked for help only to find yourself still lost and rejected? better yet, how many times have you asked for help, received it, and then refused to help someone else—behind you, next to you or ahead of you?
career karma is real, people, and it’s called networking. so pay it forward not solely so you can get some back someday, but because it’s the right thing to do; it feels good, it’s beyond yourself, it’s what you wish someone had done for you. besides, a little bit of potential hiring help from the universe in the future is an offer that even the most egotistical of overachievers can’t refuse.
btw, i ranked until recently. now, a=b=c.
featured on this week's Monster 5!
How are candidates differentiating themselves these days? For some insight into a popular resume-writing strategy that’s gaining some attention, read Ashley Lee’s resume advice on Jobacle.com.
guest post written for Jobacle on behalf of BeKnown scored me a spot on this week’s Monster 5, a link roundup on Monster’s blog for job seekers and company recruiters. woohoo!
College Candy: So You’re a Virtual Intern?
Good news! More companies than ever are investing in virtual internship programs, which means interns can work from home. While still earning class credit. And building your résumé. Possibly without even taking off your make up from the night before and while “glancing” at new episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. If you snagged one this semester, it’s like a college girl’s dream!
…or so you thought. The freedom to “make your own hours” has turned into cramming ten-hours-a-week’s worth of work into the spare minutes between Vegas trips and parties. When you try to work, you can barely even stay awake. And since there’s no intern dress code, you’ve stayed in your pajamas for periods longer than you did during finals week.
However, I warn you: you’re probably receiving very real class credit, so your supervisors deserve very real results. And these little changes will make a big impact on your virtual internship experience:
Stick to a schedule. Set out time each day and each week to get your projects done – online tools like Google Calendar and Toggl help you keep track of your hours – and respect that time. What would your bosses think if they knew you were texting your boyfriend every ten minutes? Would you have a flashing Facebook browser tab open on the company computer? Put your cell phone/TV/distractions on silent, just as you would at a live internship.
Get up and get dressed. It’s often advised that dressing up for phone interviews makes a candidate more confident, but doing so daily for your internship hours is like a ritual that mentally prepares you for your work day. Put on a little day make up and pop in your contacts; ditch the blazer if it’s too hot in your hometown, but seriously – no sweatpants.
Go to work. Just because you don’t need gas or a subway ticket doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still go to work. Carve out space designated for prime productivity: a table at a nearby coffee shop or a makeshift home office (well away from any TV). As long as your “commute” includes leaving your comfy bed, it’s one step closer tofulfilling your intern potential.
Network, network, network! Just because you haven’t (yet) met your company’s team face-to-face doesn’t mean you should forget about networking. BIG intern mistake. Set up weekly video chats with your supervisor to discuss your progress, start a Facebook Group with your fellow virtual interns to trade tips (and the occasional rant!). And be sure to connect with everyone you can on a professional networking tool likeLinkedIn to keep in touch – if you show your dedicated work ethic through this virtual internship, the contacts you make could help you somewhere down your career path.
Hint: Let’s say you have a different virtual commitment – summer school homework, studying for the MCATs/GREs/LSATs/GMATs/future-defining-test-of-some-sort, even keeping up a new workout routine – these tips still contribute to successful results. And if you’re hoping to get a head start on the virtual internship hunt for fall, check out sites like Intern Queen. My favorite: CollegeFashionista hires virtual fashion writers from all over the world.
What’s the best thing about being a virtual intern? And what’s been the most difficult part of your experience?
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finished one virtual opportunity today and finishing another one soon. i always imagined that i’d be dressing up and commuting to a 9-5 after graduation, but there’s something about this flexible freelance life that’s so excitingly enticing. maybe this mobile workforce thing is actually going somewhere? interesting to see how the definition of “work” is changing by the minute.
i find myself wanting to screen cap too many scenes while streaming episodes of mad men. too many good quotes, too many gorgeous outfits, too much jon hamm.
…haha, as if there were such a thing.
spent all of monday with my sister at FIDM, applying for jobs. if anyone (anywhere, hoping to relocate!) is looking for an EA or AE, i’m your girl.
a creative writer typing from LA & SD.
