5 Things Nobody Tells You about the Working World

5 Things Nobody Tells You about the Working World5 Things Nobody Tells You about the Work World5 Things Nobody Tells You about the Working WorldKristen Fischer (pictured) is a copywriter and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is the author ofRamen Noodles, Rent and Resumes An After-College Guide to Life. You can find out more about her at www.kristenfischer.com.If youre about to graduate from college, or recently got your degree, youre likely about to enter the working world. And there are lessons you can only learn when you get your first job and transition into your career.But knowing what to expect about the professional arena can help you prepare for the changes youll soon experience. Here are five things to keep in mind as you enter the working world.Your first job will likely have nothing to do with what you want to do, but that doesnt mean it isnt valuable. Many graduates enter the working world thinking their days of picking up Starbucks and answering phones are over. But the truth is, your first job may be full of menial tasks. A first job doesnt mean you take the job of your dreams. Instead, it means you take a job that will help you build your skill set for the job you really want. So, if your goal is to be a journalist, you may have to start out working as a receptionist at a newspaper. So what? Youll likely be able to get a solid entry-level salary, benefits, and fruchtwein importantly, the chance to make valuable connections and a name for yourself.Benefits are hugely valuabletake them. My mother always used to talk about my getting a job with benefits before I graduated from college. I didnt understand it. It was like she cared more about health insurance than my happiness. But, as usual, my mother was right. I got to start a 401(k) and saved so much money by having health insurance. Check into the various benefits you may be able to getand take advantage of themYou have to work harder to maintain a social life. I didnt realize how difficult it was to meet new people. Even though its easy to meet new coworkers who can become friends, maintaining your existing relationships can be tough. While youre meeting new people and getting used to balancing a full-time job, your college friendships may be challenged by distance or the changes that come with working full-time. Instead of coming home and going out, you might be tired or need to prepare for the next workday. Your lifestyle may change a little, but its a normal part of growing up. You might have to make more of an effort to keep your relationships going, but put in the effort for those you deem worth it.The connections you make are extremely valuable. Even if youre working as a receptionist (we know, you didnt go to school to become a receptionist), you can mucksmuschenstill meet key players for the future. Even if you dont plan to stay with the company, you can make valuable industry connections. Foster professional relationships because you never know when they may come in handy. And take advantage of LinkedIn by adding contacts when you meet them. Many professionals say that a colleague from a past job helped them in their future. You never know, so cultivate those relationships no matter where you are in your career.You need to stay in your first job at least one year. Its easy to want to fly the coop because you wind up detesting your job. But you have to find the positives in it, even if you cant feel them right away. Staying in that position for at least one year will show you have loyalty and dont job hop. Its important to keep a solid work record because it will be part of your resume. No first job is perfect in fact, most are far from it. Stick with it and find the positives. When its time to move on, you will.Like I said, you may not like your first job. Entering the professional world can seem boring. Your entire world will change, and those carefree college days can feel so far away at times. But if you stick with things f or a while and get the most out of your first job, it can be a valuable catalyst for future success.If youre a college senior, how are you preparing for the transition into the workforce? If its been a while since you graduated from college. What advice do you have for recent graduates or soon-to-be graduates? Tell us in a comment below.

Customize this Outstanding Petroleum Engineer Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Petroleum Engineer Resume TemplateCustomize this Outstanding Petroleum Engineer Resume TemplateWriting the Petroleum Engineer Resume TemplateCreate Resume Writing an excellent resume is something that many people struggle with. The way to get an employers attention through a resume is to highlight skills and responsibilities that are essential to the job in an organized and well-formatted manner. The following resume template is a good example of one for a Petroleum Engineer applicant. Crystal James Professional SummaryPetroleum Engineer experienced with being involved with nearly all stages of oil and gas development and production. Perform oil and gas field evaluation with the goal of maximizing hydrocarbon recovery at minimum cost. Maintain a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact.Core Qualifications Oil production optimization Hydrocarbon analysis Substructure surface evaluation Risk identification Forecast reservoir profil Technical managem entExperiencePetroleum Engineer, April 2013 PresentCunninghams Engineering Services Los Angeles, CA Use geological and geophysical methods to analyze subsurface structures and find hydrocarbons. Work to optimize the production of oil and gas through the proper placement, enhancement and production of oil recovery techniques. Generate computer simulations to assist in the identification of risks and make forecasts on the potential of reservoirs. Manage the interface between the well and the reservoir by performing tasks like sand control, artificial lifting and perforations. Choose the surface equipment that is to be used to separate the fluids produced in the engineering process. Oversee the management of the technical aspects of drilling injection and production wells and work in multidisciplinary teams as necessary.Engineering Technician, August 2012 May 2013California Customer Connections Department Monterey, CA Conducted research and development studies needed to undertake new engineering tasks. Assisted petroleum engineer with ensuring that all equipment was in proper operational order prior to excavations and other engineering processes.Education2012 Bachelor of Science, EngineeringUniversity of California Los Angeles, CACustomize Resume

The Company Men Is All Too Real

The Company Men Is All Too RealThe Company Men Is All Too RealMany moviegoers will see themselves, and their stress, in the characters of The Company Men, a movie about unemployed executives starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones.During the Great Depression (as opposed to the one we just narrowly avoided), the movies offered brief escape from troubles and woes. Watching Fred and Ginger glide across the screen was enough to put a smile on world-weary faces, if only for a little while.The Company Men, which stars Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones, not only wont put you in a better mood, it will zap you into the reality of the still-sluggish economy and the instability of the job market. Said one commenter on The Company Men page at IMDB.com, Why would I want to go to the movies just to see whats happening in real life around me? You go to the movies to escape real life and the stress that goes along with it.Indeed, many moviegoers will see themselves, and th eir stress, in characters whose work and lives have been pulled out from under them. Based on interviews TheLadders has done with career, psychology and family therapy experts, the characters varying responses are realistic and provide lessons in what to do - and not to do - when you are out of work and facing a possibly prolonged job search.The Company Men follows a year in the lives of three men who are laid off due to downsizing at a major company. The movie examines how being out of work affects the men, their families and their communities.This movie illustrates the increasing anxiety many job seekers feel as they struggle to first accept their situation and then proceed with what is often a grueling job search amid family and financial pressures. Experts say the gravity of this experience should not be underestimated.Its a big challenge to your capacity to adapt, just like a prolonged illness is a challenge or going through war is a challenge, said Michael Jolkovski, who has a doctorate in psychology and works as a psychologist and psychoanalyst in Falls Church, Va., and is a principal at Working Through, a consultancy focused on helping creative teams work effectively together.Indeed, as a job seeker faces rejection after rejection, anxiety can turn into depression.We all feel stress, but the shift to anxiety or depression typically comes when you start to experience feelings of hopelessness, and some of the things you used to enjoy you no longer enjoy, said Kevin Skinner, who has a doctorate in marriage and family therapy and is an author and radio-show host. And so you shift gears from, Im going to make it through this - I dont know the answer, but Im going to make it through this, to, I dont know if were going to make it. One of the big mistakes the characters in The Company Men make is to deny - or even hide - the problem from the people closest to them. This can increase anxiety, say experts, because family members know there is something wro ng but cant help.Job seekers should talk to their families about the realities of todays economy and about how a job search can sometimes take a long time. It may be difficult for them to realize that you may not be able to get a job tomorrow and that it may take prolonged effort over an extended period of time to get the right job for you, said Sharon Reed Abboud, author of the book, All Moms Work Short-Term Career Strategies for Long-Range Success.Creative ThinkingAs with the characters in The Company Men, it can be very difficult to unwind from such a negative spiral. Experts say its important to take care of yourself, especially to eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. They also say it can be helpful to adopt an entrepreneurs mentality and to do some creative thinking.The mind has to change to the concept of, Its going to take me a while to find a job, said Skinner. Think, Its not a matter of if, but a matter of when I get that new job. And until then, Im going to be hittin g up against a lot of rejection. Jolkovski agreed Its sort of like the entrepreneurs mentality, where people are doing something and the success is uncertain, he said. Just like certain salespeople - if they get a 1 percent response rate, then theyre doing well. They have to have the mentality to make 99 calls and say, Well, theres one more down, instead of saying, Oh, Ive been rejected 99 times. In addition, in todays market, your next job might not be the same as the one from which you were let go. Its important for job seekers to think creatively and be flexible.Try and flip it around as an opportunity, said Elizabeth Friedman, a clinical psychologist in New York. For people who are very successful, change is usually a very positive challenge and, potentially, a very exciting thing. To do a job thats a tiny bit different or even a lot different, but within your skill set in any case, thats kind of nice.The Company Men, which was directed by John Wells, is set for wide release in the United States in January 2011.