First job

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If you're a recent college graduate and you're unemployed, you might have an idea of what we're about to talk about.

You've spent four years of your life hitting the books, getting good grades, participating in relevant extra-curricular activities, and maybe even juggling a part-time job in between. You've worked really hard for your degree and you've been told time and time again that a degree is essential to finding employment in today's competitive job market.

So, why are you not getting hired?

First of all, you're not alone. Though the unemployment rate has slowly declined for bachelor's degree owners, it's still lagging. For that reason, the competition is fiercer than ever. This means you really have to re-evaluate your job search strategy.

Here are some reasons why you might not be getting hired as a recent college graduate:

Your Resume Isn't Job-Specific


While it's good to have a strong resume with all of your professional skill sets, your resume can become generic when all you do is send the same resume to every open position you find.

Take the time to rewrite your resume on multiple occasions and use specific keywords that are in the job description.

According to an article on the Job Center of Wisconsin website, gathering information specific to the job you are applying for and matching it with your experience on your resume is what makes a good resume. You have to "think like an employer," the article states, and "do not give unrelated or negative information."

You're Not Applying For Jobs That Are Specific To Your Skills


Stressed young professional/recent college grad on laptop tries to find a job while unemployed

You have every reason to apply for every job in sight. However, it doesn't do you any favors when you apply for every single job you see and send the same resume to each one.

Apply for the jobs you want and are qualified for. After all, it's what you studied for.

Try to make a list of potential places you'd like to work for (your interview bucket list) and target those companies any way you can. Use social media sites like LinkedIn to find people you can network with, and keep an eye out for any open positions. You have a better chance of getting hired at a job where your skills are relevant than at a job you're 100% unqualified for.

You Don't Take Your Social Media Profiles Seriously


Happy young woman looking at her social media profiles on her phone

According to an article on the Undercover Recruiter, a survey of 300 professionals by Reppler found that "hirers are using social networks to screen job applicants." This means you should clean up your Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok profiles to present a more positive, but more importantly, professional image of yourself.

It might be in your best interest not to post that picture of you doing a keg stand as your default, or post about how you hate looking for jobs because you'd rather be partying with your friends.

We understand how difficult it is for recent college grads and young professionals to find a job right now. By following these tips, you'll shorten your job search and get hired quicker than your peers.

Need more help with your job search?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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3 Ways Young Professionals Can Boost Their Confidence At Work



You're in a meeting at work and would like to suggest an idea, but feel you are too new to the working world or too young to add value at this point. You choose to say nothing and regret it later.

How do you handle this situation in the future? How can you gain confidence at work?

Learning to add your insights and value to the work environment is a process. You are learning the nuances of each situation you are in. Remember, your schooling only allowed you to learn the material within your major. It did not fully prepare you for workplace situations like this. You may have never been in these situations before and you will be constantly learning how to handle and approach them.

It will take time, but you will be able to recognize patterns in your company culture: how meetings are managed, when to speak up, when to be silent, and how to approach your manager, mentor, or senior manager. It will get easier.

In the meantime, here are some suggestions to help you gain confidence at work and make the transition smoother for you:

Gain Emotional Intelligence


Recent college grad/ young professional talks to a coworker

Emotional intelligence (or EQ) is becoming more and more important to professionals everywhere. Why? Understanding the emotional side of life is just as important as understanding the technical/task side of life.

This is EQ as defined by Daniel Goleman, one of the leaders in this area, on his blog:

"Emotional intelligence (of EI) includes self mastery (self-awareness and self-regulation), plus social intelligence (empathy and social skill). Both are essential: you have to lead yourself before you can lead others. There are sets of leadership competencies that set the best-performers apart from average, that build on these basics—e.g., self-regulation is the basis for the discipline to achieve goals, to be adaptable, and to remain calm and clear under pressure. These leadership competencies are learned—and learnable."

In other words, you need to be able to understand yourself emotionally in order to understand and work well with others. Once you do this, you will begin to thrive in your work with others.

Build Relationships


Group of young professionals building relationships with one another and gaining confidence during a work meeting

To be truly successful in the working environment, you must take your EQ and use it to build solid, compatible, and trusting working relationships. Those relationships will be with your manager, co-workers, and colleagues from across the organization. This is essential in building your "currency" among your colleagues.

As you are seen as a trusted and effective co-worker, you will gain more and more opportunities to shine. One of the most important relationships you can foster is with your direct manager and a mentor. Yes, find yourself a mentor either inside the organization or outside. Finding both is ideal, actually. An inside mentor will help you navigate your company's culture. An outside mentor will be objective and not influenced by the company or their position in the company.

This is one area as a young professional I wished I had latched onto and never let go of. Professional mentors are priceless. Again, it will take time to build strong colleague relationships. Be patient and be authentic—it will pay off in more ways than you can imagine years from now.

Take Risks


Young professional woman taking a risk by taking on a new project at work and gaining confidence because of it

Don't go on a political rant or go to the CEO's office to voice a concern. The risk I suggest early in your career is the risk of trying new projects or assignments. Be intentional about the projects you would like to work on. If you see an opportunity to extend your reach, do it, even if it feels uncomfortable; discomfort is a sign you'll learn and grow from the experience.

Be bold enough, especially after you have a feel for the way your organization functions, to ask to take on what you see as an issue and fix it. Take initiative and step up. And when you fail (because at some point we all do), so what? Learn from it and move on. Don't get bitter or curl up and nurse your wounds, and never accuse someone else for your mistakes. Your "currency" within the organization will be lost.

However, if you are bold enough to try something new and it doesn't work out the way you planned, but you hold your head high and learn from the mistake, your stature in the organization will elevate. Your co-workers will take notice and some may even compliment you on your initiative.

As you develop your EQ, use it in building relationships, and become more intentional in your work activity and direction, your confidence as a young professional will skyrocket.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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3 Ways Young Professionals Can Boost Their …



Landing your first job right out of school can be tricky. What if you can't find something that you think you would enjoy and is in alignment with your degree? What if time starts to run out and you need a job, like right now?

Often, new graduates will settle for something that is outside of their field of study or something that doesn't even require their level of education because they are just looking for a job…and at some point in the search, any job starts to look pretty good.

My caution, however, is to stay true to what it is you truly want to do instead of defaulting too quickly to whatever is available. Life has a funny way of leading you in a certain direction based on the seemingly innocuous decisions you make on any given day or at any point in time.

The decisions you make right after graduating college, however, can set you on a course that will either serve you in unexpectedly delightful ways or will set you on a course that will not serve you in the long run at all.

Why Your First Job Matters


Young professional shakes hands with the hiring manager after accepting his first job offer at the end of an interview

Recently, I spoke with a young woman who is 25 years old. She has a degree in communications and PR, but she said that while she was still in school, she had decided that she hated everything about PR.

It was "too late to change [her] major," she said, so she stuck with it. Now, as a relatively recent graduate, she has a degree that is useless to her because she hates what the degree says she can do.

Between the time she graduated and now, she has been working as an administrative assistant, and she didn't like that either, so she quit.

When I asked her what she was going to do next, she indicated that she was thinking of getting her license as a realtor. In the meantime, she would be taking over some extra shift work at her second job, and she would probably do some odd jobs to pay the rent and her other expenses until she settles on something.

I didn't get the impression that this smart young woman had any real idea of what she wanted to do. She did say she wanted to do something "meaningful," and I don't know where getting her realtor's license fits in with that, but perhaps she truly has a passion for helping people buy homes that wasn't readily apparent during our conversation.

The thing that was apparent to me is that she is adrift with no real sense of direction or purpose, and the more odd jobs and temporary gigs she takes, the more difficult it will be for a future employer to take her seriously as a candidate.

Even if she were to figure out tomorrow what she wants to do for the next few years, she would have a challenging time of it working up a resume that would get her the job unless she knew someone who was able to give her a fantastic recommendation.

The point of all of this is that you need to have some sort of plan, and you need to keep the following five things in mind before accepting your first job unless you want to be derailed before you have even gotten started.

1. Create A 5-Year Plan


Young woman writes down her five-year plan / career goals

Everyone at every stage of life should have a five-year plan. You don't have to expect that everything on the plan will pan out exactly as planned but, as with anything in life, if you don't have a plan, you are going to wind up spinning your wheels.

Benjamin Franklin said, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." So even if you aren't sure you will be able to follow through on everything in your plan, at least create one.

Having a sense of where you want to be in five years will simplify some of the decisions you have to make now.

For example, ask yourself: "If I take this job now, will it set me on the course I need and want to be on if I stick with my five-year plan?" If the answer is "yes," then you continue to consider taking the job. If the answer is "no," unless there are other extenuating circumstances, you should probably turn the job down.

2. Consider The Long-Term Trajectory Starting With Your First Job


Young man/professional thinks about accepting his first job

This consideration is an extension of the first one. Whatever decisions you make now concerning your career will likely have an impact on what happens to you moving forward.

My first job, for example, was one I took out of a sense of desperation. I felt tremendous pressure from my parents who wanted me to be gainfully employed so I could have health insurance. Back in those days, you had 60 days to find something or you were kicked off your parents' plan, and you were out of luck.

This was hammered into me by my mother who worked for the state and carried the insurance plan for the family. She was determined that I would not go one day without insurance, and back then there were fewer options available than there are today. You were either insured by your employer, or you didn't have insurance unless you had money to pay for a single-payer policy.

So, I took the first job that was offered to me even though it wasn't with the district I wanted, and it required a 40-mile commute one way. I was lucky in that I was able to get a job with the district I wanted to work for a year later, but if that hadn't happened, I might still be living in a rural area not far from where I grew up. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that wasn't what I wanted.

Know what you want and consider the consequences of settling for something less before you make a decision out of desperation.

3. Create A List Of The Pros And Cons Of Taking This Particular Job As Your First Job


Young woman / recent college grad on laptop writes tries to decide whether she should accept her first job offer

I recommend that you list the reasons for taking the job, and then list the reasons not to take the job. Which list is longer? How bad are the cons? How good are the pros?

Weigh that list carefully, and let it guide you toward making the right decision.

4. Remember That It Is Your Life…And Your Decision


Happy young man feels a sense of fulfillment at work after accepting his first job offer

Your parents, friends, and other relatives love you, and they want to see you happy and settled. Resist their efforts to rush you into making a decision, however. If you let them pressure you, and you wind up making a mistake, you will be the one who pays for it in the long run.

Resist their good intentions and listen to your own counsel—your gut or your intuition—in making a decision about whether this job is right for you or not.

5. Ask The Right Questions Before You Take Any Job


When you are offered a job, that is not the end of the conversation; it is only the beginning.

Be prepared to ask a lot of questions before saying "yes." You are making a momentous decision, and you can't afford to take it lightly.

Craft a list of questions about the expectations of your employer and ask about benefits and perks. Make sure the salary is one you can live on and don't be afraid to ask if you can negotiate some details before you say "yes." You will appear to be less desperate and more professional to the people who are hiring you. To the extent that you can, know what you are getting into, and know that you can deal with it before accepting the offer. Also, get as much of the terms of your employment in writing as you can.

Accepting your first job right out of college is a big deal and it can make the difference between setting you on the career path you want for yourself or creating a detour from which you may never fully recover. Know as much as you can about the job before saying "yes." You will be glad you did.

If you consider these five things before getting your first job, you'll start your career off on the right foot—and set yourself up for professional success in the career that you want. Be strategic...and don't settle!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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5 Factors To Consider Before Accepting Your …

Gen Z Job Search: The Years Of Experience Myth



I've heard many of my Gen Z members and followers talk about how difficult it is to apply for jobs when every company seems to require two or more years of experience for entry-level positions, the types of jobs Gen Z, the youngest demographic in the workforce, shouldn't have any problems getting.

The idea that you can't apply for a job that requires "years of experience" because you're a new grad is a myth, and I'm going to tell you exactly what to do instead.

You Don't Necessarily Need Years Of Experience, But You Do Need A Connection Story. 


@j.t.odonnell Replying to @millers0620 Gen Z Job Search Episode 1: The Years Of Experience MYTH #genzjobsearch ##genzjobs #genz #jobsearchtips #jobs #job #jobsearch ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

First, I want you to understand the reason they say a job requires "two years of experience" is that they want to make sure you've worked at some point in your life. Hopefully, you've had an internship, maybe in college or while you were in grad school, but you do have some sort of work experience.

The second thing you need to know is that you have a secret weapon, and it's called your connection story. What you lack in experience you can make up for with enthusiasm and by sharing how you feel motivated to work for a company.

So, how do you write a connection story?

Step 1: Ask yourself, "Why do I respect and admire this company?" and "What taught me that they were worthy of this respect and admiration?"

Step 2: Think about your own life. What's making you feel connected to them as an employer?

Step 3: Put your connection story together in a disruptive cover letter. Unlike a traditional cover letter, a disruptive cover letter is a storytelling cover letter.

Step 4: Once you've written your disruptive cover letter, reach out to the recruiter, hiring manager, and/or people who work at the company and say...

"Hey, enclosed is the story of why I feel so connected to your company. I'd love to learn what it might take to earn the opportunity to interview or be considered for the XYZ position."

When you say there's a story, that piques their interest. And when you say you want to earn the opportunity, you don't have to point out that you don't have the exact experience. What you're trying to do is to get them to see that you have the intrinsic motivation to do the job.

They can teach you the experience. What they need is somebody who understands why they want to work there. That's what they're looking for, and that's what you need to share with them.

I see this every single day. In fact, I'll tell you a story.

I worked with a young man named Seth. He was a senior in college. He wanted to get a job in recruiting. It required five years of experience. But with this technique, he shared his connection story with the recruiters that were recruiting for the position. And he got the job. He beat out people who had 10 years of experience. And the reason he won the job is because of that connection story. They clearly understood that he wanted to be a recruiter and he was able to say, "Look, I have no bad habits. You can mold me, you can train me, and I'm passionate about this."

You can do the same thing. But it starts with understanding what your connection story is and then sharing it with those employers.

If you want more information or if you want to be coached on this, we can help you.

Check out our free daily newsletter or become a member and get access to affordable, on-demand career coaching.

Good luck, and go get 'em.

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Gen Z Job Search: The Years Of …

11 Job Search Commandments For College Grads



I love working with recent grads in their job search. After 12 years in school, they are experts at learning—which makes teaching them easier. They're like sponges. They learn and do. They have no bad job search habits, so teaching them is fun because I get to see their reaction when they get positive results for the first time.

The difficult part? Job search for college grads stinks right now.

I already knew things were bad. I deal with it on a regular basis when helping new grads find jobs. In fact, I can read their minds. That's because, after graduation, there are four things that make graduates really, really mad. My job is to help them get past the anger and get hired.

If you know a recent college grad, please pass these 11 job search commandments on to them. If you are a recent college grad, take notes. These commandments are laws to live by in the next six months as you embark on your next big challenge: landing a job.

1. I Will Not Compare Myself To My Friends


Young professional at his first job out of college

No two graduates are the same. Each has different skills, abilities, needs, and wants. Just because your friend gets a new job doesn't mean he or she is better than you. Keep the blinders on and focus on your job search, not theirs.

Jealousy is a useless emotion that derails a job search. Besides, your friend might be able to help you get a job. It's in your best interest to be genuinely happy for them!

2. I Will Not Take The Summer Off


Young woman on phone conducts a job search in the summer after college

Don't delay your job search. Employers see it as acting entitled and lazy. Get in gear—right now! Trust me, you aren't going to find a job in the next two weeks. And job search isn't a full-time gig.

Carve out time every day to work on your job search and you'll still have plenty of time to enjoy the summer. Before the temperature cools down, turn your job search success up! It's about working smarter, not harder.

3. I Will Not Spend Weeks Designing My Resume


College student / young professional on laptop stresses about writing his resume

Your resume isn't going to get you the job. Networking is.

Don't waste time trying to make your resume perfect. At this stage in your career, there just isn't that much you can put on it to impress employers. The "wow" factor will come from you being smart, articulate, and engaging—which doesn't come through on paper. You have to meet people to make that happen.

4. I Will Learn To Network...Fast!


Group of interns / young professionals networking/meeting at work

Networking is the most powerful way to get hired. Yet most recent grads assume because they've never worked they have no one to network with. Wrong!

People love helping recent grads. Learn to "informational interview" and set up as many as you can. The sooner you learn to network, the sooner you get hired.

5. I Will Not Expect Too Much Of My First Job


Recent college grad on her first day at a new job

Most recent college grads feel they're overqualified for many of the entry-level jobs posted. However, most employers feel you're not, and may even have unrealistic expectations for an entry-level position.

The hard reality is you don't have the work experience for anything but entry-level jobs. The sooner you take an entry-level job and work at it for six months, the sooner you can start applying to the more exciting jobs that are currently out of your reach.

6. I Will Remember That EVERY Job Is Temporary


Young professional thinks about the job search after college

While the entry-level job you take will not be your dream job, that's okay because you won't be there very long. You'll either excel in the job and get promoted or get experience and be able to apply for a better job.

"Every job is temporary," is one of our mantras at Work It DAILY, which is why you always have to improve and work on your career every day. Whether you're looking for your first job or a new one, you need to keep that mindset. It will pay off, we promise.

7. I Will Study Up On Workplace Professionalism As Much As I Can


Recent college grad goes in for a job interview and shakes hands with the hiring manager

The number one complaint corporate America has about recent grads is their perceived lack of professionalism. Read up on attire, attitude, verbal communication style, and so on. The more prepared you are, the better the first impression you'll make.

8. I Will Be Very Careful In My Written Communication Style


Recent college grad applies for jobs online

The number two complaint corporate America has about recent grads is their poor written communication skills. Spelling, grammar, and so on.

Be very careful when writing cover letters, emails, and any other written communication related to your job search. One typo can get you disqualified!

9. I Will Expect Rejection (A Lot Of It)


Recent college grad gets a job rejection and is stressed about her job search

You'll apply to dozens of jobs and have as many as 10 interviews before getting an offer. There is a learning curve to getting hired, and it happens with practice.

Expect to get passed over for jobs and learn to cope with the rejection. The sooner you can pick yourself up and get back to the job search, the sooner you'll get another interview and eventually an offer.

10. I Will Become A “Professional" User Of Social Media


Group of college students on their phones looking at social media

For the last four years, social media has been used for your enjoyment. Now, it's time to use it for the job search.

Clean up the Facebook page and Instagram account, get yourself set up on LinkedIn, and study how people are using Twitter and TikTok to meet hiring managers. Use social media to build an online presence that when searched by a recruiter (and trust us, they will look you up online), what they'll find is a recent grad who's clearly ready to enter the workforce.

A strong social media presence can literally land you a job interview. Engage in best practices for social media to advance your career.

11. I Will Not Brag About My New Job When I Finally Get It


Young professional on phone and laptop finds out she got a job after college

Getting your first job will be thrilling. I mean over-the-top incredible. That being said, refrain from posting the good news all over the internet and making it your first topic of conversation with friends. Why? Go back to commandment number one.

Remember: you'll be surrounded by people who haven't gotten their first job and will be jealous. Be the bigger person and keep a low profile on the new gig. Of course, if asked, you can share the good news, but do your best to redirect the conversation after that.

Show how humble you are. You just never know at some future date that person could remember your gracious attitude and be willing to help you get your next job because of it. The friends you make now will be the colleagues you network with in the future. Treat them kindly and it will pay off in the long run.

Follow the commandments above and your job search will be less painful and more effective. And keep this list handy as a reminder you will make it through. You can do this!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.


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11 Job Search Commandments For College Grads



When times are tough, mass layoffs happen in almost every industry. But what do you do if you're a recent college graduate looking for your first job? How can you find a job when those around you are getting laid off?

Your first job search after college is hard enough without dealing with bad economic conditions. You need to prove your value to an employer with limited to no experience under your belt. Even before that, though, it can be incredibly challenging trying to get your resume past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager.

If you recently graduated from college and don't know where or how to start your job search in these trying times, we have some simple but effective tips guaranteed to help you land your first job.

Here are three things recent college graduates should do to find a job despite mass layoffs:

1. Be Intentional With Your Networking


Happy recent college graduate on laptop networks his way into a job

At Work It DAILY, we firmly believe your network is your net worth. Approximately 30-50% of all jobs today are gotten via referral. Utilize the connections you've made in college or in past summer internships to get your foot in the door somewhere. It's always easier to get a job when you've been referred internally by someone who already works at the company.

It's not enough to simply ask your connections about any employment opportunities they know about, though. You need to be intentional with your networking, or your job search will feel aimless.

Build a list of companies you'd like to work for so you can focus your efforts in those areas. This is your interview bucket list—all the companies you would love to work for that hire for your skill sets.

Creating this list is going to help focus your job search in terms of who you need to network with, reach out to, and start to connect with in order to find the job opportunities you want.

Remember: You're not asking them for a job—you're asking them for information that could help you land an interview.

2. Write A Disruptive Cover Letter


Recent college grad on laptop writes a disruptive cover letter

The cover letter is the "voice" to your resume. If you want to land yourself an interview while layoffs are happening left and right, the key is to write a disruptive cover letter.

If you're not writing disruptive cover letters in your job search, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to stand out to employers. The ultimate goal of a disruptive cover letter is to tell a story so compelling about why you feel connected to the company that they'll want to pick up the phone and get to know you a bit more.

What you lack in experience you can make up for with enthusiasm and a great connection story.

3. Consider An Unpaid Internship


Recent college graduate works at his internship / talks during a meeting

Even when there aren't mass layoffs going on, getting an internship after you graduate from college can be a very strategic move for your career.

If you're struggling to find a job right out of college, consider applying for an internship position. Preferably, you'd want a paid internship, but if a lot of companies are laying off employees, ask if they have an unpaid opportunity available. You won't get paid, but you will gain a lot of experience. And if the internship goes well, they may offer you a full-time position after a few months of hard work and proving yourself as a valuable employee.

At the end of the day, experience is what will set you apart in the current job market, because it gives you the ability to develop your skills and show how you made or saved a company money—something every employer will want to hear when you interview with them.

School teaches you everything except how to get a job. No matter how competitive or disrupted the job market may be, recent college grads can stand out to employers with these three tips, and find a good job soon after graduation.

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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How Recent College Grads Can Find A …

Why Contact Centers Are A Good Way To Start Your Career



“Do you really want to work in a contact center?”

Let’s be honest: five-year-olds don’t dream about working in a contact center when they grow up. Proud parents never boast about their children working in contact centers. Teachers at private schools never recommend students to work in contact centers.

People see contact centers as cubicle farms with hundreds of people on the phones selling non-existent products and services.

I’m going to tell you something different.

Contact centers are a great way for a person to start their career.

The Size Of The Industry


Call center employees help a customer

About 2.79 million Americans and U.S. residents, slightly more than 2% of the working population, work in contact centers.

The real figure may be higher. Many companies may call their contact centers “service centers,” “customer service centers," or “help desks.”

A contact center agent’s average tenure is three years. All 2.79 million agents change their jobs every three years. The industry will have 930,000 vacancies every year, which equates to approximately 77,000 vacancies a month.

If you’re leaving university with a student loan to pay off, there’s no shortage of vacancies.

Getting In On The Ground Floor


Portrait of a call center employee

​It’s tough for newcomers to the workforce. Everyone wants previous experience. Contact centers are less likely to demand that. Joining a contact center attached to a specific industry can get you a grounding in that industry.

The companies serving consumers run contact centers. They include banks, debt collection agencies, the government (both local and national), insurance, healthcare, information technology, telecommunications, travel and tourism, and utilities. If you want to get experience in one of these industries, there’s a contact center for you to get your foot in the door.

As well as industry experience, you will also develop your people skills. That’s more than you’ll get from an MBA course. As a contact center agent, you’ll deal with up to 100 people per day. You’ll learn how to build rapport with complete strangers, explain things to emotional people, and stay calm under pressure or in the face of insults. Some people call these “soft skills.” These “soft skills” make people want to do business with you, hire you, or maybe even marry you!

Contact centers are a tech-heavy environment. You will learn to work with various programs and applications from day one. This will improve your technical skills and, more importantly, develop your ability to learn how to use technology. Technology changes all the time, but it will always be with us.

Contact centers give you the opportunity to work on yourself. Contact center work can be monotonous and repetitive. So is unemployment. This is your opportunity to develop your resilience and determination. Most contact centers provide you with regular coaching to improve your performance. Responding positively to coaching is a key element of being employable in today’s workforce. Contact center agents learn how to work in teams where success is not one person getting good exam results, but a customer having their requests fulfilled as quickly and effectively as possible.

You can learn all this in your first job!

Going Up!


Man working at a call center

What can contact centers offer people who stay longer than three years?

In the U.S., the average contact center employs 54 agents. That means one manager for every 54 agents, and on average, there is one supervisor for every 8.6 agents.

The contact centers industry is unusually “democratic.” Over the past 12 years, I have worked with more than 200 contact centers on three continents. In most cases, the managers started their careers as agents.

The industry also needs data analysts, IT specialists, developers, trainers, and coaches. Many of them started their careers as agents.

A Growth Industry


Call center employees

​Two factors have had a major impact:

The pandemic forced many companies to abandon face-to-face operations, relying on their contact centers to communicate with customers. Customers got used to doing business online. Now, many customers don’t want to go back to physically visiting a branch. Companies also welcome the change. Offices and shops are expensive to run in relation to the number of customers they serve. Companies are looking to expand their contact center operations as part of their strategy to go digital.

Legislation in many Western countries makes changing bank accounts, insurance, telecommunications, or utilities providers easier. Customer service is now the competitive battleground of the 21st century. Contact centers are expected to hold that ground and win.

A Changing World


Call center employees help customers over the phone

The shift to cloud technology is revolutionizing the industry, making access to transformational technologies less expensive and more available.

Companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots to handle simple interactions. This increases capacity without increasing headcount and frees up humans to handle more challenging interactions.

As automated systems handle simple tasks, human agents will handle more complex requests or help out customers who having trouble dealing with the bots. Human agents will need to be better trained both in terms of product and service knowledge and also in terms of emotional intelligence and communication skills.

Supervisors are likely to become more human-centered as automation will handle the numerical tasks. Supervisors will concentrate on coaching and motivating human agents or assisting in solving the most complicated customer issues and requests.

The wrap-up

The contact center industry has much to offer anyone looking for a job, regardless of experience. If you’d like to talk to an industry veteran, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.

Further reading...

Here are some more articles about the contact center industry:

Creating Quality Standards For Contact Centers

Using Quality Management To Improve KPIs

How To Reduce Average Handling Time (AHT) In Contact Centers

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Why Contact Centers Are A Good Way …

Job Interview Tips For Fresh Graduates



When in college, you’re used to competition. From scholarships to internships, you compete at every step with other students. Although you may think applying for internships and scholarships is just a lesser version of a job hunt, the world of employment is a much more competitive landscape.

Cleaning out your dorm, ridding school supplies with a textbook buy and sell back service, shopping for business attire, and getting student loan bills should be the signs that the party is over and it's time to pay the tab. One thing that might not dawn on you is thousands of other kids your age are in the same boat and there are a lot fewer dream jobs than dream seekers.

Landing an interview is never enough. You need to go beyond the usual to impress your potential employer and get the job. Here are a few job interview tips to help you improve your chances of success as a recent college graduate looking for your first real job out of school:

Prepare To The Core


We all know preparation is the key to succeeding in an interview. But most recent college graduates don’t prepare enough, which is why they fail. If you want to get the job, then you need to prove that you’ve done your homework. Preparation doesn’t simply mean skimming through the company’s Wikipedia page and website. You need to go out of your way to find out as much as you can about the company—about its culture, the industry trends, and so on. That's how you demonstrate your worth to the interviewer.

Draft Stories


Recent college grad attends a job interview

Your interviewer wants to see how your current skills complement the requirements of the job. The best way to prove them is to draft stories about your previous achievements. Why? Because stories are more convincing than factual data (in the job interview, not on your resume). Make sure your stories are interesting and to the point. Have a good opening line and see to it that you’ve learned them by heart. Be clear and avoid sounding like a robot. To keep your stories concise, use the "Experience + Learn = Grow" model to answer behavioral interview questions.

Avoid Overselling Yourself


Recent college grad listens to an interview question

You know how they say that you should “be yourself” to make the best impression? It’s advice that you should stay away from when being interviewed. While it’s good to be enthusiastic, energetic, and positive during your interview, don’t oversell yourself. The simple reason for this is that employers know that there’s a lot of talent in the market. And candidates can go to any extent to get the job—even exaggerate their skills and experience. So if you’re going to say something, you better back it with solid proof (aka quantify your accomplishments).

Focus On Your Potential


Recent college grad shakes hands with the hiring manager after a job interview

Like any other candidate, you too are not perfect, which is why you shouldn’t give the interviewer a chance to talk about where you lack. Instead, lay more emphasis on your potential, which clearly shows that you have what it takes to succeed at the job. If you don’t have real-world experience to boast of or if your past achievements aren’t relevant to the job, then you should talk about your quick learning and adapting abilities. If they ask about your weaknesses, mention them, and then talk about what you're doing to improve. It helps you win the confidence of your interviewer to a great extent.

Remember, as a recent college graduate, you might not have highly specialized skills and years of experience under your belt, but you do have something unique to offer. That’s the uniqueness that you need to use to make an impact on your interviewer.

Here at Work It Daily, we understand how difficult it is to find a job and grow your career as a recent college grad. If you're struggling to find a job that's right for you, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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Job Interview Tips For Fresh Graduates

12 Best Tips For Entry-Level Job Seekers



As a recent college graduate, it is always intimidating looking for your first job. At this point, you are more interested in getting into the corporate world rather than getting that dream job.

Have you ever thought about what leads you to that “dream job”? Precision, positivity, and a good attitude are the keys to not only getting an entry-level job but succeeding in it. And when you start your career on the right foot in an entry-level job, you'll quickly position yourself for a raise and/or promotion, and you'll be well on your way to getting that dream job.

Here are a few tips for entry-level job seekers looking to land their first job out of college:

12 Tips For Entry-Level Job Seekers


1. Get Noticed with Your Cover Letter

For a job opening, it's common for the hiring manager to get a thousand applications. What's so great about you? Why should you get an interview? Give it your best shot by providing a precise, interesting, and effective cover letter. The right disruptive cover letter encourages the recruiter to go through your resume.

2. Refrain from Long Stories

First off, your cover letter should only be about a page long. Similarly, your resume should only include quantifiable work experience—no long-winded descriptions of duties and tasks you were responsible for at a previous employer.

3. Don't Get Overly Formal

Be simple yet effective. On your resume and cover letter, do not use bold phrases, clichés, or idioms to create an impression.

4. Have Faith in Yourself

Confidence is essential to your career. There is no place for “good” in the corporate world. Competition is fierce and companies want someone who believes in themselves and knows their value. If you don't know your value as a business-of-one, how can you expect to prove your value to employers?

5. Know About the Organization

It's important to research the company before going in for a job interview. Make sure you know each bit of the organization you are applying to—the latest happenings, the past issues, the website, and the company culture. You should aim to know at least 80% of what a current employee knows.

6. Sell Yourself Logically

One of the most important questions to answer is, “How beneficial can you be for the organization?” Employers want to know if you can solve whatever problem they're facing because they're not hiring someone just for the heck of it. Talk in terms of what you can do to make the organization better. If you have sales experience, you can say something like, “With my knowledge and experience in sales, I can make sure I sell at least XYZ amount of products each month by working on XYZ aspects.” Use the STAR method or "Experience + Learn = Grow" method to ace those tricky behavioral interview questions.

7. Act Mature

Be polite and take your job interviews seriously. Talk in terms of how your abilities can help in the betterment of the organization. No one wants to know what you learned from your childhood.

8. Relate Your Abilities to the Job

Focus on talking about those trainings, subjects, certifications, and specializations that have something to do with the job you're applying for. What makes you qualified for the position?

9. Never Boast About Your GPA

You might be a brilliant student, but if you fail to impress the interviewer, your GPA will not save you. Do not rely on your GPA to make a good impression and prove you're smart and hardworking. Focus on your experience and accomplishments instead.

10. Don't Exaggerate

Don't lie or exaggerate on your resume or in a job interview. Even a single white lie can outshine your abilities and competencies.

11. Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare

Always prepare before walk into an interview well-prepared. This includes everything from your appearance to knowledge about the organization. get information about the interviewer, too.

12. Leave like a Lady/Gentleman

Always leave by paying good regards to the interviewer and showing your interest in working in the organization. And don't forget to send a thank-you note!

As an entry-level job seeker, remember these 12 tips as you look for your first job out of college. You'll be sure to stand out from the competition!

If you're struggling to find a job as a recent college grad, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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12 Best Tips For Entry-Level Job Seekers

8 Things Graduates Should Know Before Joining The Workforce



The following career advice is what I believe to be the top eight things recent college graduates should know before joining the workforce. I am sure there are additional tips you can bring into the workforce but these are a great start to ensure you begin on the right foot.

1. Get Better At Time Management


Recent college grad looks for a job

Time is finite. Once it is gone you cannot get it back. Once a deadline is missed there is no turning back. If you missed an assignment, you risk a lower grade. But in the working world, it can mean losing a job project and the company having to incur financial losses. Learn time management skills and you end up being more productive, effective, and efficient.

2. Do More, Talk Less


Recent college grad talks during a work meeting

It’s far too easy to be convinced by those who say you can talk to impress people. And I do not deny that, but eventually, your work has to be the proof that you are a good worker and you are dependable. You need to decide if you will do more and talk less or do less and talk more.

3. Be Present


Recent college graduate meets a coworker

Being present means two things to me. Firstly, it means to be on time every time. This ranges from a small internal meeting to meeting your deadlines. It means being there when you are needed. Golden opportunities present themselves when you are present. Secondly, being present means focusing on the work that needs to be completed. It also means being mindful and fully aware of your surroundings.

4. Give Your Work A Routine


Recent college graduate looks for a job

Develop some form of routine and be disciplined to stick to that routine. This is related to time management but goes beyond the time management that you do in the office. Have a routine for your life. Give yourself time. Block off time for yourself to read or even do the chores like laundry, etc. Start to be more organized than you were in college. Stick to this career advice even though it does not relate to career building. You will soon see the wisdom of it.

5. Be Nice


Recent college graduate happy at work

Learn to be authentic and avoid politics. Of course, sometimes it is tough not to get involved at all. But you can learn to avoid it and be real and authentic. Stay true to your values. These are the anchors that hold you when people change and agendas change. Be nice to people regardless of rank and designation. Smile often. Say “please” and “thank you.”

6. Compete With Yourself


College students look at their phones

Compete with no one else. Of course, no matter what is said and done, you will always be peeping at the next guy to see how he is doing in his career. Sure, peep. But don’t be overly affected by competition that you forget to look at yourself. Be the best you can be in this long cross-country marathon; it is filled with detours and stops. When you focus too much on your competitors you may get lost. It’s one of those career tips for recent college graduates you need to experience to know what it truly means.

7. Create, Don't Just Discover


Recent college grad works from home

Life is as much about creating as it is discovering. I hear far too often recent college graduates saying, “I need to discover myself.” But is life all about discovering yourself? It is and it is also not. Life is as much as creating the "you" you want to be as it is in discovering the "you" that you are. The truth is somewhere in between. So, when you get a job that is less than satisfactory for you, use it as a pedagogue to discover yourself. More importantly, use it to give you hints at creating the self you want to be.

8. Realize There Is Fun In Learning


Recent college grad shakes hands with the hiring manager

There is a lot of fun in learning. If you understand being present in my earlier advice, then you will know work-life presents so much you can learn and be paid for it. Learn to love what you do and learn to love learning. Because the chance to do what you love may be far and in between. When you find fun in learning then you will be constantly improving yourself. Learn to love books and all sorts of books. There is no need to stick to books in your own industry.

These are the eight things I consider solid career advice for any recent college graduate. A new phase of life has just begun. It’s a long road of work from now on. There is no need to rush your career progression. Take time and enjoy life while honing your skills as you move along.

Here at Work It Daily, we understand how difficult it is to find a job and grow your career as a recent college grad. If you're struggling to find a job that's right for you, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.


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How To Stand Out In An Entry-Level Job As A Recent College Grad​



For recent college grads, it's incredibly difficult in today's labor market to land a job interview for an entry-level job, and it's even more challenging to move on in the process and get a job offer. But let's say you did finally get an interview—and the job offer—after a long and tedious job search. And you accept, excited to start your first real job out of college. Although you're relieved that you found employment, there's one question that keeps popping up in your head: Now what?

You've been so focused on finding a job that you haven't thought about what you'll do once get one. Naturally, you know you'll do your job to the best of your ability. You'll work hard and complete your tasks and assignments in a timely manner. You want to make a good first impression, after all. But this is an entry-level job; you won't work, and certainly don't want to work, this job forever. So how can you ensure you'll be successful in your new job so you get promoted? How can you stand out and impress your manager? How do you prove your value as a young employee?

Here are some tips all recent college grads should follow if they want to stand out in an entry-level job:

Prioritize Skill Development


Recent college grad stands out at work

When you're fresh out of college, you have limited work experience. You probably have a handful of skills you've developed from part-time jobs, internships, and volunteer work. Whatever the case, you were valuable enough to hire. The company thought you had the potential to make or save them money. It's your job to prove them right. But it's not just enough to do your job and do it well. In order to stand out and grow your career and get that promotion, you need to continue to prove your value. You need to focus on developing your skills.

One of the best things you can do as a recent college grad in an entry-level job is prioritize skill development. Take online courses, volunteer to help on projects, and look for ways to challenge yourself. Be proactive and take initiative. Try to get as much experience as you can on the job. Developing your skills and proving how valuable you are to your employer will help you stand out and get promoted over your peers, even if you're the newest member on the team.

Under Promise & Over Deliver


Recent college grad works an entry-level job

As a recent college grad looking to stand out in an entry-level job, sometimes it takes a little finessing to get the results you want. Our second tip is to find ways to under promise and over deliver on every assignment that's given to you. It's actually the best advice J.T. O'Donnell, Work It Daily's founder and CEO, was given when she was a recent college grad. "When I regularly exceeded expectations it helped me to stand out and get promoted faster," she says.

Whatever you do, don't be too eager in your new job when it comes to promising a certain level of productivity. You don't want to over promise and under deliver. You want to manage your boss's expectations, and then exceed them whenever you can.

Keep Track Of Your Accomplishments


Recent college grad talks to his boss at an entry-level job

When it comes time for your performance review, or when you decide to ask your boss for a raise or promotion, you'll want to have hard evidence of your value as an employee. This is why you should keep track of your accomplishments.

Keeping track of your accomplishments will help you stand out because you'll be able to prove to your manager just how valuable you really are as an employee. And the best way to document your value as a business-of-one is to quantify your work experience and accomplishments, specifically on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile every month with quantified bullet points so you don't forget any important information. This way, when it comes time for your performance review, you'll be able to show your boss how you made or saved the company money and, therefore, justify a raise or promotion.

As a recent college grad looking for a job, what you lack in experience, you can make up for with enthusiasm. But once you land your first job out of school, that won't be enough to stand out at work. If you want to stand out in an entry-level job as a recent college grad, follow these three tips.

Good luck! We're here for you if you need any more help navigating the post-grad work life.

In fact, we'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

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7-Point Checklist To Landing Your First Job In The Music Industry



When I began my music career in Atlanta and the girl group that I had a stake in decided to break up (like all girl groups do), I was left to find my own way in the music industry and failure was not an option.

According to Music Times online magazine article on music artists breaking into the industry, only 0.2 percent of artists become "mega" stars, 0.9 percent are mainstream artists, 1.4 percent are mid-sized artists, 6.8 percent are "developing," and the remaining 90.7 percent do not make the cut.

It’s difficult to break into the industry as a business executive also, and if you do not have a strategic roadmap and an incredible amount of determination including resilience, you may find it a tough industry to become established in.

To break into the music industry, you will need to utilize the right tools. Let me give you examples of what you're going to need to do to get in and why.

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Page


LinkedIn on sticky note

LinkedIn statistics have proven that utilizing the LinkedIn platform for leveraging job opportunities and building your professional profile has helped millions of new job seekers.

  • Highlight any music-related job experience and expand on the skills that you learned.
  • Once you have those skills in place, highlight this on your LinkedIn page to leverage for broader use, such as messaging music executives from your LinkedIn page.
  • Before you graduate, use your .edu email address to reach out to every music executive on LinkedIn that you can and request a career interview. Once you secure the interview, try to ask them to accept your request to connect on LinkedIn.

2. Develop Your Business-Of-One By Creating A Brand


Most music teams start from humble beginnings gigging as entrepreneurs to see if their music will resonate with fans and so should you.

  • Start a blog, website, IG page, or photography company that specializes in music artist images.
  • Contact artist management teams (you can find this email usually on the YouTube page of the artist in the about section or on Instagram they normally post their management email) to request a press pass. When an artist is coming into your town at your nearby venue, requesting a press pass is often a way to connect with local fans. All teams set aside press passes for exposure of the event with local news as well as for bloggers, etc.
  • In your email to the management teams, you could attach examples of previous concert images to grab their attention. To get started, you could attend a paid ticket show and take images to kick off your blog. Honing your skills and learning to take really great images will always be valuable for content.
  • Attach the images to the management email requesting access. Use your phone or camera to go to concerts under press status and take tons of content for the artist team. Build up your portfolio and reach out to 15 teams a month.

3. Get Into A Recording Studio


The struggle is real. Understanding the mechanics of music will resonate with fans, and learning by experiencing the insane obstacles is key.

  • To understand the music challenges for artists, it’s important to embrace the business from a professional level.
  • This is a requirement. Save your side hustle work money, Christmas money, etc. and rent out a studio, hire an engineer, find a singer, and record a cover or an original song.
  • Get used to the environment, understand the rules, engage with the teams—including janitorial staff and interns—and respect the studio. It’s a privilege to be there.

4. The Proximity Clause


If possible move to a city that has the headquarters for music labels and third-party music distributors, etc. As of this date, that would be Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Miami, or Atlanta.

5. Put The Work In


Work Work Work Singing GIFfrom Work Work Work GIFs

Volunteer in any position at festivals, venues, stadiums.

  • Volunteer to work for free to allow use of logo on LinkedIn page to show experience for the day of event help.
  • Cleanup crews, security, janitorial services, food sales, etc. Nothing is off-limits. There is no room for ego at this point. Get a major music venue logo on your LinkedIn page as soon as possible.

6. Marketing And Street Teams


Reach out to artist teams on tour by messaging their teams.

  • Instagram, Twitter messaging, or email may work best to contact touring bands and let them know you want to distribute flyers in your town to promote the show.
  • Print the flyers yourself, post them up around town, and send a picture to the management team if needed. Assign your title as “ Street Team for Music Artist XXXXXXXX.”

7. Take Certification Courses & Attend Conferences


​There are a number of things that can be done over the summer to enhance your LinkedIn profile.

  • None more valuable than certifications. For example Google AdWords, Asana, LinkedIn Digital Marketing, Advanced Excel, etc.
  • Attend music conferences, online seminars, music legal classes, and industry executive presentations on music.

The efforts to secure these experiences will serve you well in the music industry and provide copy for your LinkedIn page to get the conversation started. Legend has it that it takes 9 years in the music industry to end up in the Capitol Records Tower. With these starter tips, nothing is impossible. Leveraging your LinkedIn page, working at venues, studio time, connecting with music executives and attending conferences, and gaining certifications will increase your chances of breaking into the music industry.

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7-Point Checklist To Landing Your First Job …