HeatherHuhman.com - Latest Comments

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Will Miceli — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:24:59 -0000

Heather - I think internships are far more valuable than a degree since you get actual experience doing a job instead of theory from school. Its also a low-risk way to find out if a job or industry is a good match for you. But you can't discount a college degree since many employers see it as a base requirement to hire someone who's made it through college, even though what you learned may have nothing to do with your actual job. Going through college is a fun experience and you learn many life skills, but often doesn't teach you the specific skills to do a job. The current job environment shows that a liberal arts education may not cut it anymore.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Grace Boyle — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:59:27 -0000

Internships! And mostly because I did 5 of them. I really learned experience in what I wanted and didn't want, and interacted with so many intelligent people. A few internships turned into full-time employment over the Summers in college and helped set me out from the rest of my peers who typically do ~1 internship in college.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Lindsaybrown203 — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:15:36 -0000

I agree with Brecca. I landed my dream internship because of my undergraduate success. And now because of my internship, I will be published before I graduate, I will have another impressive notch on my resume, and I've started building my own Rolodex of contacts to help me land a job when I do graduate. But you need to be persistent in both.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

StudentEvents.com — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:48:52 -0000

I think a new category next to education and internships deals with student events attended mostly competitions but also hard to get into conferences and business courses) Its almost like a new pillar in the CV and we see many students adding these on. I think these activities give undergrads an edge in their recruitment efforts + actually attending these competitions might actually land them the job.

Full disclosure - I am the founder of StudentEvents.com

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

Jobs — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:04:13 -0000

Great post. I found that being confident and standing your ground will help you get the offer you want.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

LMW — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:20:26 -0000

I only had one internship, but I had quite a few jobs (retail, restaurant, office, temping) over the years before I graduated and entered the job market, which were just as useful in helping prepare for working full time. I might had done another internship if I could have found another paying internship in a field that interested me. I felt lucky to find one. I couldn't afford to do an unpaid internship on top of classes and my workstudy job.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Heather R. Huhman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:36:26 -0000

Brecca,

This is such an excellent comment - thank you! I would never encourage people to forgo higher education, because it's definitely necessary. I'm just trying to get people to expand their views about the opportunities out there...and I think your comment has added a nice layer to the discussion!

Your career is what you make of it.

Heather

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Brecca R Farr — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:27:51 -0000

But if you didn't have your undergraduate education, would you have been considered for some of those past opportunities?

I think it is worth framing the question with the premise that *both* the undergraduate education and the internship are valuable -- and are expected with today's college graduate. The question is then, which can contribute *more* to your career preparation and professional development? The answer, in my opinion, is "It depends on the individual." I can identify just as many students who effectively use their undergraduate educational experiences (e.g., team projects, leadership roles, research work) to promote their career success as I do those with external work-related/professional practice experiences (e.g., internships, co-ops, extensive job shadowing). The common denominator is that they pursued the opportunities that strengthened their abilities, gave them insights into their field of study, and then were able to succinctly articulate that information to others as applicable.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Rachel M. Esterline — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:18:13 -0000

Without my degree, I probably wouldn't have been considered for the internships I received. But, my internships were more valuable, hands-down!

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

Heather R. Huhman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:46:46 -0000

Interesting. And did you only have just the one internship, or did you do others in the field you eventually pursued?

You're right, though -- internships can also have the benefit of teaching you what you DON'T want to do for a career. That can be extremely valuable information.

Re: Which Has More Positively Impacted Your Career: Your Degree or Internships?

LMW — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:43:08 -0000

My internship was useful because it taught me what field I didn't want to go into. My degree, on the other hand, was extremely useful because it was concentrated on critical thinking and becoming a better reader and writer (I'm an editor, currently working in communications). So even with a liberal arts education, I think my degree was more useful than my internship. (Although again, the internship kept me from pursuing a career in PR and Marketing that would have made me miserable.)

Re: Part 1: My 4-Hour Workweek Dreamline

D11513 — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:20:30 -0000

You need to play a bigger game. Tim Ferriss specifically cites that the items to be listed should be big. Bigger than you imagine owning and more adventurous than you care to normally admit to yourself. Note I said yourself, this is between yourself and the limiting beliefs that you have placed on yourself.

A new cellphone plan is certainly not a big enough dream that you would bend over backwards to achieve.

Re: How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup

Gayle Howard — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:05:49 -0000

Great post Heather. Full of commonsense questions for the jobseeker to gain important insights on their job search performance. Well done!

Re: How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup

careersherpa — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:40:02 -0000

Heather,
I always look forward to your posts! You nailed this! I love the questions! It can really help to have an "accountability partner or group" reinforce these questions. Job search is lonely, but doesn't need to be!

Keep up your amazing work! Hope to meet you one day IRL!

Re: How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup

Laurie Berenson — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:26:24 -0000

Heather, these questions are excellent! I especially like how you've broken them out into four categories for a very thorough assessment. Any job seeker who goes through all four sets of questions will end up with a detailed analysis of their search and how it can be improved going forward.

Re: How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup

Megan Fitzgerald — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:28:30 -0000

Great post Heather! Indeed, if we don't know what is working and what is not, we can't make adjustments to start getting different results or accelerate the ones we are getting. Great checklist as well! Thanks for the great job search check up advice! Megan

Re: How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

allen ethan — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:56:31 -0000

hi Heather... your posts are very nice.. it is wonderful the see that you are helping all for searching jobs.even i know a website where somebody can find excellent opportunity on modeling and event jobs.. i want to share that with you...

http://www.marketingrockstar.n...

Re: Upstarts Part 1: Could Your Job Be ‘Entrepreneur’?

Mona Samar — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:54:49 -0000

Heather, the three things stressed upon by you - passion, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are indeed the key to success in landing a meaningful job and career as well as entrepreneurship. Actually these values extended to our everyday life would make each of us a much better person. Your own passion and enthusiasm clearly comes forth and must be a driving force for your clients/students/followers. Thanks.

Re: How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

Nicholas Gronow — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:21:56 -0000

Yes, expand your thinking to helping others so that they in turn see the value you bring to the table. This not only markets you to them at the same time, it reveals more about you and builds trust.

Re: Networking for Job Candidates Who Hate Networking

Jerry — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:55:48 -0000

Heather :
Great
tips on networking. I guess us introverts have to learn to channel our
strengths and use them. I would like to share another good source of
free informational tips from Paul Aaron Travis at The Relationship
Capital Co. http://relationshipcapital.co/...

Re: How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

Upendra Topiwala — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:19:57 -0000

How much time should one spend on your branding cf actual job hunting...? Isn't the latter better...?

Re: Interns: Stop Playing the Victim

James Burge — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:26:47 -0000

Great Post! I am drafting something similar myself for www.coprclub.blogspot.com! I myself have had a number of internships, both paid and unpaid. I feel as though I received the BEST experience from the unpaid + for college credit internships!

Re: How to Use Social Media in Your Job Search

Debra Wheatman, CPRW — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:12:33 -0000

I love your writing style Heather. Great article. Well organized and helpful information for job seekers.

Debra

Re: A College Degree & Internship(s) Aren’t Enough

Daniela Capistrano — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:19:40 -0000

I agree that it takes more than a degree and internships to land an entry level position. I strongly push for every young person I meet to pursue higher education and to complete their degree (you need all the tools in your arsenal that you can leverage!), however my own experience was very different. I landed my first entry level position through a temp agency as a result of my high administrative testing scores (Word, Outlook, wpm, etc.) and personality. I had taught myself how to use those programs at home on my mother's computer.

After joining the temp agency at 17, (had graduated from High School at 16) I worked as an office admin at a special needs school. That position became permanent, and then I moved on to other administrative staff positions at other nonprofit organizations. At 20 I started organizing my own arts & film events and leveraged that experience to gain an internship in NYC after I moved here in 2004 (without being in school -- it does happen!).

From there, I volunteered at film festivals around the city and networked in other ways. I made many mistakes and took many risks. I landed my first paid production assistant position in 2005 and grew professionally through more networking and hard work. I still have not completed my degree but don't regret my choices. I will eventually attain that goal but for now I'm happy being an experienced professional in my field of interest and know that I would not be here if I hadn't completed internships (my own DIY versions of them), independently studied/taught myself marketable skills, networked my butt off, and stayed inform about industry news and opportunities.

I don't think my path would have been successful if I had wanted to be, let's say, a doctor :) but for my own goals my choices did work for me.

There are obvious issues not being addressed in this post tied to race/class that fortunately I didn't have to deal with (being a fair skinned minority), but if you really want something you will rise above any challenge and find people who support your dreams. Racism persists but people of color (and I identity as POC) need to believe in themselves and never give up. Just as important, employers need to cultivate an environment that supports diversity and take an honest look at their own biases. My two cents.

Cheers,

Daniela Capistrano
www.danielacapistrano.com

Re: A College Degree & Internship(s) Aren’t Enough

Deborah Fike — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:32:43 -0000

Very well put, Heather. I had several internships, great grades, and a practical college degree, and it was still a struggle getting a job back in 2003. You have to own your career growth, and that often means searching long before you graduate and preparing for rejection.

That being said, if you're proactive at building a network, it makes things a lot easier. And you can do this as a student, if you're willing to put in time to seek out alumni in related fields and use part of your educational time to research companies and do informational interviews.