There From Here Has Moved!

Until I can get a re-direct working, please note that I have moved to my own domain at http://www.officialtherefromhere.com/blog

Help! I’m under-qualified for an internship!

Do a search for jobs in your area, look up the internships, and this is what you will see:  “Are you a student or recent graduate looking to…?”; “…COLLEGE GRADUATES ONLY!”

This is not a new issue, but it is one that deserves increased attention. A college dropout is someone who leaves their place of higher education before obtaining a degree. Today, there are marginalized sectors of people who are no longer in school, but cannot be labeled college dropouts because they did not leave of their own volition. With college affordability becoming increasing difficult, many former students are now stuck in the one of the worst Catch 22 scenarios imaginable. They want to finish their education but they cannot afford to do so. They look for a job to pay down their debt but can only get hourly, part-time jobs that barely cover the cost to commute to work. Hoping for something better, something more in line with their passions, they look for internships in their field. Confronted by the afore-mentioned requirements, they realize they’re under-qualified…for an internship.

For someone who knows exactly what they want their career to be, but they are no longer in school, and did not obtain a degree, this is just plain tiring. All of the advice out there suggests keeping pushing, or to make your own way. Sure, that makes sense. Some of the greatest inventions have come out of a need for something better and more efficient. The question becomes, why should people in this sector have to struggle with something as inefficient as job searching when there could be a better way?

So, what are you trying to achieve? What is your passion? Do you know how to get there…from here?

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#GenYChat with Josip Petrusa

On Wednesday June 9, 2010 #GenYChat will have a guest moderator: Josip Petrusa!

To participate in the discussion, click this link. http://tweetchat.com/room/genychat

We will be discussing the GenY Catch 22: Getting experience without having experience and dealing with the consequences.

For transcripts from previous chats, please click here

RTOD: Domain Name Pain

I‘ve been going back and forth with myself for a little while now regarding the purchase of a domain name. I started this blog a year ago to give myself the opportunity to finally get serious about what I wanted to do with my life. I feel that I’ve done a consistent job with this but would love to do more. I want to get into podcasts, more marketing, and, especially, blog designing. Having a blog with a registered domain name would afford me those opportunities. I strive to grow and educate myself by learning the things I wasn’t able to learn in school.

What say you, readers? Do you own your own domain name? What made you make the decision? Any tips to share?

Gen Y: How Do You Handle Promotions?

The situation: You have experience at a certain level of authority within a company. You are being offered a promotion by a different company that is in the same industry but has different products.

The question: If you’ve never worked with the products, how do you convince yourself, and, thus, the company offering the promotion, that you are worthy of the promotion?

Please discuss answers in the comments!

Guest Post: Hey, Gen Y, Are You Afraid To Network?

I’m a Gen Y job seeker. Unemployment data tells me I’m not the only one. A recent Pew study shows that 37% of 18-29 year olds are out of work! But the career and networking events I go to tell a different story.

Networking, networking, networking. We’ve all heard endless times how it’s the best way to get a job.

So I get out there. I go to mixers, seminars, and job search support groups. And no matter the venue, I notice one thing in common among all these events.  With the exception of events targeted to young professionals, I’m often the youngest person in the room.

I know I can’t be the only twenty-something out of work in my area. So where is everyone?

I admit the first time I went to one of those events, it was intimidating. Like attracts like. I’m immediately drawn to others who are young like me, assuming that our common age will give us other interests in common. How can people from a different generation understand me and my job search?

Being the only Gen Y in a situation makes me stand out and that’s OK.

My confidence and conversation skills have skyrocketed during this job-search process. I don’t have time to worry, “Will they like me? What do I have to say?” Instead, I walk up to strangers 10, 20, or even 30 years older than myself and say, “Hi, I’m Danielle. How are you?”

That’s the thing about a crappy economy. It puts Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, and everyone in between on equal footing. There’s no hierarchy of age. It’s all about knowledge and contacts.

Just because I’m young doesn’t mean that I haven’t gathered a large database of contacts that I’d be willing to share. And just because someone is older doesn’t mean they don’t have their finger on the pulse of my generation.

Sometimes there’s more value in talking to people who aren’t like you.  Expanding your circle to include people with different careers, of different ages and backgrounds, can yield unexpected results. Some of the older workers I’ve met now serve as mentors for my job-search journey.

Danielle Bullen

If my presence at career events has done anything to reduce the negative stereotype that Gen Y workers expect everything to be handed to them, then I’m grateful.  It takes hard work to find a new job.  I know I’m not the only person my age willing to put in the effort expanding our networks.  So, I ask again: Where is everyone?

Danielle Bullen is a marketing professional and writer from the greater Philadelphia area. You can read her writing, connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter @daniellewriter.