These days, coding and computer programming skills can lead to fairly lucrative careers. Computer science experts can be paid roughly $100,000 a year as soon as they’ve earned their degrees, and they're always in high demand. Everyone is looking for someone who can code or program content because of the simple fact that they are difficult and uncommon skills. Even if you don’t plan on attending a four-year school for computer science or a related field, your skills will still be exceptionally marketable if you’ve fostered them in ways that you can give proof of in the future. As long as you can prove that you’ve put the time and effort into your trade, you’ll find that there are many companies and organizations that value proficiency more than an academic degree.

A great way to set yourself up for coding or programming jobs in the future is to begin taking as many online courses as you can. There are lists of free websites that offer a wide variety of content and learning methods. These can include video tutorials, e-book excerpts, step-by-step instruction guides, programs to allow you to practice while you’re learning, and so much more. There are websites that offer courses with stringent curriculums, and if you enroll in these, you are expected to complete all work as if you were attending and being graded in an academic setting. At the end of many of these programs, you may be able to earn a certificate of some sort as proof of your participation and completion. There are others that are more free-formed and depend on you to shape your own experience, but there are still curriculums set up as a sort of road guide for you to follow, skip around, and do or pass on as much as you’d like. With these, course material will be available, but there will be no actual instructor, tests, or deadlines.

Then there are options that have virtually no structure that you can use to learn anything you’d like. If there’s a specific skill that you’d like to expand on it, these websites will allow you to search all content to find specific video tutorials, reading content, step-by-step instructions, and more individualized content. These are often more helpful for coders and programmers with more experience, as you’ll need at least a basic understanding of concepts before you can begin to implement, or even search, for the skills being taught on these websites. It is also very difficult to prove that you have learned from these sources, so it might be best to use them as additives to another learning platform. That way, if you’re ever in a position to talk about your skills, you can say something like, “I’ve spent two years taking coding courses on this curriculum-based learning platform, and I’ve been able to build on those skills by learning how to accomplish more specific tasks on this free-form learning platform.”

The fact that you’ve invested time into your own education and have made the effort to go beyond learning the basics will make you even more marketable because you will have the ability to form a list of skills that others may not have been able or willing to teach themselves. Below are a list of online resources that can be useful at varying levels of your coding and programming education, and they are all structured differently. With so many options available, you can get a coding or programming education in virtually any way you’d like without paying a cent. You’ll be able to build your own list of skills and determine how much you learn in any time frame, but you can also follow curriculums laid out for you. To figure out which resource will work best for you, think about your learning style: are you someone who finds video tutorials useful? Do you comprehend better when you read about a concept? Or are you more hands-on? Whatever your preference, there are options for you, and you should explore them all to find a good fit.

 1.  Code Academy
 2.  Code Avengers
 3.  Code School
 4.  Coursera
 5.  Free Code Camp
 6.  GitHub
 7.  HTML5Rocks
 8.  Khan Academy
 9.  LearnCode.academy - YouTube channel
10. LevelUpTuts - YouTube channel
11. MIT courses
12. Skill Crush
13. Slide Nerd - YouTube channel
14. The Code Player
15. The New Boston - YouTube channel
16. The Odin Project
17. Treehouse - YouTube channel
18. Udacity
19. Udemy.com
20. WebDevMentors - YouTube channel

-Hope Swedeen

How are you working to better your coding skills? How can you make them more marketable?

If you’re interested in teaching dance and have chosen this as your career path, then you’ll need to be prepared for the obstacles that lie ahead. As I said in my previous post, “Gaining Experience: The First Step to Landing Your Dream Job,” working in a creative career field can be exceptionally difficult when you’re starting right out of high school. You’ll find that you need experience before you can even think about applying for many positions that interest you. It won’t matter to employers that you’re the best at what you do – what matters is that you’ve spent time working for someone else to prove that you can use the skills you say you have.

When you first leave high school, you’ll probably have very little, if any, experience in the world of professional dance. Whether you’re self-taught and trained or have attended dance lessons to foster you skills, you still probably haven’t had any experience working in the field of dance. If you’re looking to put your skills to use as a dance instructor, you’ll need to “pay your dues” before you’ll be hired for a paying position.

There are countless opportunities for volunteer instructors that might be open to dancers without instruction experience, and these range in types and levels of dance. The higher the level being taught, the more experience you will probably need. Teaching dance to children, for example, is probably the easiest way for you to break into the dance instructor business, as teaching children requires knowing only the basic skills that you will be teaching and the ability to demonstrate these basic skills effectively. However, “effectively” might mean different things to different employers.

Often times, being able to teach children “effectively” means that you’ve had experience with children in some capacity and know how to communicate on their wavelength. So if you’re thinking that teaching children might be a good way for you to get into teaching dance, do yourself a favor and start getting some experience working with children on any level now. You can do this in any number of ways, but the most common might be to become a camp counselor at a day camp, teach an arts and crafts program, become an assistant coach for a sport or dance team, tutor or oversee a youth study group, help out with an after-school program, or any other volunteer opportunity that involves working with children. I’ve listed some options below that you might consider trying out to get ahead on building that “experience” section on your résumé.

1.     Sign up to be a volunteer with Educational Alliance

This organization is always looking for volunteers to work events that it hosts all year round. If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities that are easy to plan for in advance and that you can decide to join in on at the last minute, this could be a great starting point. There is a list of upcoming events, and dates and times are displayed to make it easy for you to see what you’ll be available to help with. You can also sign up to be a volunteer, and you will be emailed with opportunities. Most of the events require working with children, so this could help you on your road to experience.

2.     Find listings for volunteer positions at VolunteerMatch

You can search for positions that relate to whatever type of volunteer work you’d like to be doing and in what location. You can search for “dance” to find dance positions, or “children” to find huge lists of positions related to your search terms. Again, some of the dance positions may require you to have previous experience, so you might want to consider looking for volunteer opportunities relating to children if you’re not having any luck with the dance listings.

3.     Volunteer through NYC Service

Much like VolunteerMatch, this website allows you to search for volunteer positions using keywords, but you can also add your skills, interests, and the age range of people you’re volunteering to help. If you’re looking for dance opportunities, your best bet is to type “dance” into the keyword box.

4.     Volunteer to work events and programs at All for Good

Search for positions in any location using keywords. Events with specific dates and times will appear, and you can sign up to help for any of them that are a good fit for you. There are also ongoing programs related to dance that are constantly in need of volunteers. The site allows organizations to post volunteer advertisements, so the list of opportunities is updated and replenished frequently.

5.     Work with children through Change for Kids

This organization works explicitly with children, so if you’re trying to gain experience with children first before breaking into dance, this could be a great medium for you to find opportunities. You’ll find a list of events with dates, times, and the role that you can expect to play at the events.

6.     Find local volunteer opportunities at idealist.org

The website operates much like the other sites listed, as it allows you to search using keywords and specific locations. You’ll need to narrow down your location by selecting “local results only” in the “location” box on the left-hand side of the page.

7.     Sign up to volunteer with New York Cares

To volunteer with this organization, you will be required to sign up for an online account and attend an orientation event before you can begin volunteering. However, in the meantime, the website lists several opportunities that are not connected with New York Cares that involve working with young students in Harlem, including helping with after-school activities, tutoring or helping students with homework after school and in class, and helping younger students transition into high school.

-Hope Swedeen

What are some other ways that you can gain experience in teaching dance?

If you’re worried about not being able to make money doing something that you love, you’re not alone. There are students who love to write web coding, paint, dance, play music or utilize countless other creative abilities, but it might not be clear how you can best begin your work within one of these professional fields. Creative industries can be especially difficult to break into, and it can be discouraging at first to look at the potentially limited job opportunities available to you right after graduating from high school. However, if you commit to creating more opportunities for yourself, you can put yourself in the position to one day be paid for doing what you love.

Obtaining any position comes down to the need for experience. If you’re not attending college, it’s still entirely possible, if not more so, to get this experience. When you finish high school, you’ll be debt-free and will probably have very few or no bills to pay, and you’ll therefore be in a much better position than a college graduate with student loans to take on lower-paying or even volunteer positions. If your dream job does require experience, then the best way to reach your goal is to spend time working and building your skills. If you wait to pursue your ideal career because you aren’t qualified right out of high school and get a paying job instead, you run the risk of never being able to spend enough time building a solid experience base to showcase when applying for positions in whatever creative field interests you.

Even if you do need an immediate source of income, you should try your hardest to devote time to both a paying job and positions that offer experience in the field that interests you. There are countless organizations that are looking for individuals willing to “donate” their services and talents, and although you won’t be paid, there will be a much larger payoff in the future once you’re qualified for the positions that you really want. Non-profit organizations or organizations that ask for volunteers are great places to begin building experience and bolstering you résumé for the paying positions you’ll be able to apply for in the near future.

If you’re discouraged by the prospect of not making money doing something that you are passionate about, don’t let yourself feel down. Explore your options. You can look for paying positions related to what you want to ultimately do, but it may be more fruitful to look for volunteer positions instead. The short-term payoff might be less than you’re hoping for, but the long-term gains will exceed your expectations. If you can value gaining experience over earning money, you can better prepare yourself to pursue your dream job much sooner than if you get right into a paying job that offers you no relevant experience. By investing your time into gaining experience, you’ll be investing in yourself and your future rather than short-term financial gains.

Check out our blog posts soon to follow that will offer advice for working toward specific creative careers!

-Hope Swedeen

What’s your dream job? How are you planning to work toward achieving it?

Responsibilities of UPS package handlers, drivers, and mechanics:

UPS has several types of positions that do not require a college education, including Package Handlers, drivers and mechanics. As a driver, you would drive a commercial or deliver truck to pick up and transport packages and positively interact with customers while making deliveries that require signatures. Drivers must also undergo extensive training to understand how every aspect of the UPS system works from collecting signatures to keeping track of packages.

As a package handler, you would be responsible for unloading tractor trailers and loading delivery trucks, and as a mechanic, you would be expected to maintain and repair tractor trailers and delivery trucks.

How much would you earn?

A UPS worker’s income is variable based on location and how long an employee has been with the company, but UPS pays about $10 per hour to package handlers and related positions, and a driver can make between $15 and $30 per hour depending on location and experience within the company.

Requirements of package handlers, drivers, and mechanics:

No college education is required, but UPS often hire from within the company, meaning you will most likely need to get a job as a package handler and work your way up to becoming a mechanic or driver. For both a package handler and a driver position, you will be required to take a drug and physical test to prove that you are drug-free and physically able to lift 70 lbs. regularly.

If you’re pursuing a job as a driver, you may need a special commercial drivers’ license, and you will be required to pass a Department of Transportation exam and be able to drive a manual transmission vehicle, according to the UPS Driver job description.

Mechanics must be at least 18 years old, and it is preferable that they have experience working with fleet and diesel engines. They must also have their own set of tools, pass a drug test and be able to speak and write English well. Look for more information about UPS jobs and their descriptions here.

Opportunities for growth:

There are training programs available for employees interested in advancing their careers, including training for corporate positions or specific skill sets that can help you grow in and outside of the company. UPS spent $565 million on training programs last year to train its employees and support its “promote-from-within culture.”

Work conditions:

All package handlers start out as part-time employees, who usually work 3-5 hours per day Monday through Friday. While some package handlers work from about 3-8 a.m., most begin their day at 4 or 5 a.m. As a driver, you would work about 8-10 hour days per day every day from 8:30 a.m. to 4 or 6 p.m. During the holidays, most employees, especially including package handlers and drivers, work overtime, but UPS tries to limit overtime by hiring seasonal workers.

Benefits:

UPS offers benefits to its full- and part-time employees, and although these health insurance plans vary, benefits offered can include:
Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Program, Life Insurance, Business Travel Accident Insurance, Healthcare Spending Accounts and more. For a complete list, see the UPS benefits page.

UPS offers an Education Assistance Program, which provides employees with up to $25,000, or $5,250 per year, to pay for college tuition. Full- and part-time employees are eligible to participate at any of the available locations in which a UPS partner school is located, including in Springfield Gardens, NY. Employees can begin using their tuition aid as soon as they begin working for UPS. In 2014, UPS provided about 14,000 students with $16 million in tuition aid, and the company has invested more than $200 million in the assistance program since 1999.


Keep an eye out for next week's article, which will include more alternative career options that don't necessarily require more than a high school education. 

-Hope Swedeen

What are some things that interest you about this career path? Are there aspects of this career that you’d like to learn more about? 

It’s become common-place for students and professionals to have and frequently use LinkedIn accounts. LinkedIn has become the mainstream form of professional communication and network-building, and it’s only gaining more traction as it grows and progresses. It’s now become almost a requirement for people to create and constantly update and check LinkedIn accounts, and that means that it’s probably something that will be necessary (or already is necessary) for you to embrace too. Below is a list of reasons why LinkedIn can be invaluable to you as well as some tips to help you create or improve your own profile.

Benefits of using LinkedIn

1.  Large network of professionals at your disposal

Having a large network of professionals to connect with will be beneficial when applying for new jobs. You can contact anyone at any time and build professional relationships that can carry you from one job to the next. Connections can also tip you off when they know of job openings or even offer recommendations to employers on your behalf. Make sure, though, that you send a personalized, rather than generic, connection request, as most people will not know why you want to connect with them if you do not. Once you’ve connected, you can send out emails to say that you’re looking for a job, ask questions, get advice, or request informational interviews to learn more about a company and maybe get one foot in the door.

2.  Groups offer connections among professionals of specific careers

Industry groups offer a wealth of information in addition to a more niche community of connections. If there is a certain career path that you’re interested in pursuing or that you would like to progress in, groups specific to that line of work allow you to contact other members of that profession for advice, information, professional contacts, and news within their own workplace regarding position openings, company or field practices, and more. You’ll not only have a great outlet for finding news, but you’ll also have the opportunity to comment on and discuss postings by other professionals to show off a little of what you can offer companies.

3.  Readily-available résumé

LinkedIn allows you to document everything that you’ve ever done in one place for anyone to see, so your profile is essentially an online, comprehensive résumé that you can look back on at any time. If you need to alter your paper résumé for a new job application, you can easily look through your profile and see what’s worth adding for a particular job. It also allows prospective employers to see everything that you can’t fit on your résumé but may have wanted to include, as your résumé grows with your work experience.

4.  Space to showcase examples of your work

When you send in a copy of a resume to companies, often times that’s all that they ask for and all that you can physically send. Unless they’re taking digital applications via email or some other medium that allows you to send work samples, there’s a chance that they may never get to see your actual work if it’s not something that can be printed and mailed. LinkedIn allows you to upload your work to showcase and market it to employers in a way that is easily accessible.

5.  Ability to search for jobs

LinkedIn’s advanced search tool can be excessively helpful when you’re looking for a job near you or in any area that you choose. It also allows you to search for jobs within the field of work that you’re interested in pursuing at companies of various sizes depending on your preference. If you’ve just graduated and are therefore relatively inexperienced, you might consider using the student jobs portal, which helps you locate entry-level jobs.

6.  Endorsements of your skills

You can list as many skills as you’d like on your profile, and it is also possible for other LinkedIn users to endorse those skills, or to express to anyone who views your profile that they believe in your skills listed. The more endorsements you can get, the better, as these are proof for employers that you’re not the only one who believes in your skills.

7.  Get introduced through a 2nd-degree connection

It can be awkward to reach out to someone who doesn’t know you and has no idea why you’re interested in connecting with them, but LinkedIn makes it possible for you to ask a shared connection to “introduce” you to another member. This way, you can make contacts through someone whom you and the desired contact both know and who can vouch for your professional interest.

Tips for building a strong LinkedIn profile:

1.  Customize your URL

Initially, your profile URL will include numbers and letters at the end that signify nothing but your existence among many other LinkedIn users. By personalizing your URL, you will have an easier-to-remember, more professional-looking link to send employers and potential connections that’s easy for them to remember and also shows that you’ve put effort into crafting your profile for their benefit.

2.  Have a strong headline

Your headline should tell anyone looking at your profile who you are and what type of job you’re looking for. If you already have a job, then it may be a good idea to write your position here.

3.  Add a background and thumbnail photo

Keeping in mind that these should be professional photos, try adding something that corresponds to the company that you currently work for, a cause that you strongly believe in or work to promote, or anything that is professionally important to you as your background image. It can be anything you want, but it has to be professional. As for your thumbnail image, or your profile image, choose something professional-looking that will allow people to find you easily.

4.  Constantly update work samples and profile information

It’s crucial that your information be up-to-date if a prospective employer views your profile. If you have recent achievements or positions that you neglect to add, you’re displaying only part of your overall experience, and you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage because you may amass less employer interest than those who have all of their experience clearly stated and updated for easy viewing.

5.  Rearrange and customize sections

On LinkedIn, less is not more. This is your chance to tell people everything that you’ve ever done without the constraints of one piece of paper. It’s an opportunity for you to list everything you’ve accomplished, and you should fill out as many sections as you can: education, volunteer work, honors and awards, projects, languages spoken, skills, experience, organizations, recommendations, and so many more. Your profile will start out very basic with the same format as every other user’s. However, it’s possible, and encouraged, for you to create a relatively unique profile crafted to your own needs. There are several options of sections that can appear on your profile that you may not know about. If you’re a recent graduate, it’s extremely important to complete the student profile section of your profile. You’ve been in school for a while, and that means that you have to show that you’ve been working toward getting a job while you’ve been doing school work.

-Hope Swedeen

What can high school students with no work experience add to their LinkedIn? How can you market yourself and your experiences in school?

When applying for a job, the first step is typically to send in a résumé and cover letter, and employers have certain criteria that they use to evaluate candidates based solely on their résumés. One of these criteria is that prospective employees demonstrate an understanding of good grammar, and when slimming down a pool of candidates, it’s easy to separate those who use proper grammar from those who do not. As was mentioned in a previous post, “5 Tips on How to Build a Strong Résumé,” a résumé is the first impression an employer will have of an applicant, and, while it may not seem fair, many employers, regardless of the relationship of grammar to your applied-for position, will be more inclined to choose a candidate whose résumé has fewer grammatical errors.

Grammar Matters…

Kyle Wiens, the CEO of the online, global repair manual, iFixit, is one such employer who places grammar at the top of the list of must-have qualities in employees. In an article he wrote to validate the importance of grammar in the work place, he says, “Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have. They are a projection of you in your physical absence. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can’t tell the difference between their, there, and they’re.”

Because of this view, Wiens requires that each potential employee, regardless of his or her prospective department in the company, take a grammar test before being hired. He also states in his article, “If it takes someone more than 20 years to notice how to properly use ‘it’s,’ then that’s not a learning curve I’m comfortable with.” As this CEO points out, good grammar can be indicative of other beneficial attributes of job candidates. It shows that you have the ability to learn something that may be difficult for you. Everyone has a learning curve, and it’s important that employers have faith in yours. However, it does not necessarily follow that poor grammar indicates the lack of necessary or desired skill sets. For some, writing grammatically-correct sentences is simply challenging. It’s accepted in many lines of work that some people aren’t great at math, and it’s often a non-issue for those people; those who suffer through grammar lessons, however, typically aren’t extended the same amount of understanding.

… But it Might Not Matter to Everyone

A New York Times writer, John McWhorter, argues against Wiens’ idea that proper grammar is a necessary attribute in employees of all job descriptions. Though he recognizes the importance of good grammar when it is necessary to do a specific job well, he says in an article, “After we pat ourselves on the back for upholding grammar standards, how many of us can really justify barring someone from a decent job because he or she isn’t always clear on the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re?’”

If you’re on the fence about whether you should pay more attention to grammar, below are some examples of how grammar can help you succeed in the work place no matter what type of work you do:

Maintains Clarity

We aren’t always successful at saying what we’re trying to convey. When reading an email, note, or memo, it’s easy to get caught up on a sentence that isn’t structured properly or that has misused or misplaced words or punctuation. To be sure that the people we’re trying to reach understand what we’re saying, it’s necessary to pay attention to how we say it. If what we write is confusing and difficult to understand, then, often times, the people reading what we have to say will feel as if they’re translating text.

Saves Time

Proper grammar can help ensure messages are delivered and received promptly. Good grammar helps to lessen confusion when an employee decides to file a complaint, send a message to colleague, or voice his or her opinion in a presentation or meeting. Delivering a grammatically-correct message can also reduce time wasted on translation and follow-up, potentially leading to higher productivity.

However, the ability to send a brief, concise message can now be just as valuable as sending one that follows strict grammar rules. As long as a message is clear, the ability to quickly convey meaning using shorthand has become important in the workplace, especially as communication mediums such as Twitter become commonplace forms of professional communication.

Shows a sense of responsibility

Employees who are entrusted with the task of representing a company through any form of the written word are assumed to have a higher level of responsibility and therefore must be what you might call grammatically responsible. A company’s image is crucial to its operations, relationships, and success, and whoever is responsible for taking care of that image must be able to meet the standards required by other organizations in addition to his or her own employer.

Maintains professionalism

Those who utilize proper grammar may be more likely to succeed in the workplace, as the way that they communicate reflects a high level of professionalism that clients, employers and colleagues will notice. Demonstrating strong communication skills could be one of the main factors that leads to a promotion in title or pay in the future.

Attention to detail

Those who pay attention to the details of grammar are expected to pay close attention to and care about details of assigned tasks. While the misuse of grammar does not necessarily indicate that a person does not pay close attention to detail in other instances, using proper grammar is proof that a person is detail-oriented.

Grammar doesn’t always have the final say in whether you land a job or are passed over. It depends entirely on the views of each employer, and it’s up to you to decide whether or not you pay extensive heed to grammar. Though it’s nowhere near the only thing that matters when applying for jobs, it may be safest to take the time to improve or touch up grammar skills, as you can never be sure whether you’re applying at a company that cares about your use of apostrophes and commas or not.

Whether you decide to pay closer attention to grammar or not, I would recommend that everyone know how to correctly use the following, as they are some of the most frequently-made grammatical errors:

It’s = Contraction of “it is” / Its = Possessive

Example: “It’s raining today.” / “The company sold its product.”

Their = Possessive pronoun / There = A place or pronoun / They’re = Contraction of “they are”

Example: “Their phones had no service.” / “There is a coffee shop over there.” / “They’re professional.”

Your = Possessive pronoun / You’re = Contraction of “you are”

Example: “Your car broke down.” / “You’re working on your grammar.”

-Hope Swedeen

What do you think about the use of proper grammar in the workplace? Is it necessary for people in all fields of work to have good grammar?

Christopher Flores is the Manager of Inside Sales at Namely, a platform designed to help companies manage all HR tasks. Mr. Flores strives to achieve success in his career, and he has faced the challenge of finding pursuits that are rewarding to him both financially and personally. He has previously spoken at a 4T’s event, helping to motivate students who are facing similar obstacles to those that he was able to overcome as a student himself. Mr. Flores continues to recognize the importance of education and its capacity to provide students with tools that are necessary if they are to achieve their goals and follow their passions.
Below is an interview with Mr. Flores regarding his experiences in his education and his professional life.

1. Can you provide a brief overview of your career – positions, companies, etc.? What motivated you to pursue this career path? 

I've always had a fascination for money growing up. It's interesting how much we revolve around it, how happy it makes us, and also how scary it is when we don't have it. I was drawn to the idea for owning my own business because I'm competitive and I could make a lot of money. In college, I became a Financial Advisor for a company called Northwestern Mutual. This was a great learning experience, where I set my own schedule, learned sales, and became my own boss. After graduation, I looked for another challenge and became an Account Executive for a company on Wall Street called Frost & Sullivan. Unfortunately there was something missing. Although I was making money and being competitive, I was not passionate about the product I had to sell. Now I'm at Namely, an HR, Payroll, and Benefits company. After my first day on the job, I fell in love with the product and the culture. I knew that was half the battle, and the money would come later. Now my career path has been set in motion, and it's up to me to stay competitive and be successful.

2. Can you provide a brief overview of your education and how it did, or did not, prepare you for your career?  

I graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and did my four years at Boston College right after. I owe a lot to Cardinal Hayes for providing me with the tools needed to start a career. Whether it be how to dress, how to be professional, how to speak to others, how to write, it's amazing how all the little things we learned in school come back to our lives every day. I'm happy I went away to college because I learned about being on your own and the need to leverage friends and teachers to be successful. I learned it's tough to get good grades on your own, and a support system like your family or a mentor is necessary.

3. Could you describe your connection to 4T’s?

The President and Founder, Kayode, reached out to me on LinkedIn. We're both alumni of Cardinal Hayes HS, so it was a matter of time that our paths would cross. I was able to speak at one of the events to current students. It was a rewarding experience because I was able to answer questions I had when I was a student. 

4. Why should someone consider learning more about 4T’s? What else can a student do on their own to benefit their education?

4T's is an organization that is down to earth and really wants to help students. I wish I knew about it in high school because it's an avenue where students can learn from those who already went through what they're doing. Students can ask questions and pick someone else's brain outside the classroom, which is motivating. 

A student can also join an extracurricular activity like a sport or club to benefit their education. I think it's important to stay as busy as possible and figure out what you want to do in the long term.

5. In your own words, why is receiving an education important?

Receiving an education is important because it's a stepping stone to start a career. There are tons of opportunities out there in the job marketplace, however, the bare minimum to qualify for the majority is a Bachelor's degree from a 4 year college. An education will also allow you to have meaningful conversations with others, meet new people, and open your mind to new ideas.

6. What advice would you give to yourself in high school?

Stay competitive, keep shooting to be number one in all you do, and trust in yourself and your friends and family. Also, go online, find Kayode, and attend one of the 4T's events. You won't regret it.

-Samantha Phillips and Hope Swedeen


Please share your reactions to this professional's experiences.

ORGANIZATION

1. Try to fit everything on one page. Although this isn’t a requirement at every company, it is oftentimes the standard, and you don’t want to be ruled out of the running before anyone even takes a look at the content of your résumé. This may mean cutting positions or adjusting the margins.

2. Use consistent formatting. Your font choices and sizes should be the same or match appropriately between sections. Spacing should be the same throughout as well. If you are writing a cover letter or attaching a reference list, make sure the headers on these are the same as on your résumé.  

3. Divide into sections. You should separate your accomplishments into sensible groups, such as Education, Relevant Experience, Honors, Skills, etc. Make sure to include headings that are easily distinguishable and have white space in between them. Even if it means cutting back on content, white space is important to have so that the reader is not overwhelmed by text.

CONTENT

1. Use bullet points to summarize. Bullet points are a great way to organize your content. They’re easy on the eye and are more concise than full sentences. When describing your professional accomplishments, start the bullet point off with a strong, descriptive verb. For current positions, use present tense. For past positions, use past tense. Preferably limit the length of each bulleted point to one line of text.  

Ex. -Generated monetary support for the university using fundraising information and techniques

2. Tailor content to job description. You should adapt your résumé to the job to which you’re applying. Include past jobs that are comparable to the new position and honors that are relevant in the potential industry. Your skills might be relevant in most cases, but if a specific skill is mentioned in the job description, you should make sure to list it on your résumé (as long as you possess it). Gearing your résumé to specific jobs will demonstrate how suited you are for the position, and it will also show the reader that you spent time thoroughly reading the job description.

Your résumé is an essential part of the application process because it is oftentimes the first impression you give an employer. Follow these tips to get on the right track to building a strong résumé. Then, if you have the chance, have your résumé reviewed by someone who has been successful in your field.

-Samantha Phillips

What advice have you been given about résumés? 

You’re only going to get the chance to make one first impression when you go in for an interview, so you want to do everything you can in advance to make sure that it will be a good one. While you have already done a good job on your resume and cover letter in order to be asked in for the interview, there’s still a lot of ways that you can prepare in order to put your best foot forward.

1.      Be professional in all communications

How you present yourself in emails and during phone calls with the hiring manager is important. Your ability to communicate is important to an employer. They want to know that if they hire you, you will project a good image of their company. They want to know that you will be polite and professional when speaking with customers. Therefore, take care when composing your email accepting the interview. Read through it carefully; proofread it. Address the employer as Mr. or Ms. Do not use slang or texting abbreviations. With phone calls, try to anticipate the questions you might be asked, such as your availability, potential start date, or required pay, so that you will have answers at the ready. Be polite and speak clearly.

2.      Dress to impress

The outfit you choose to wear to the interview is another opportunity to prove that you are qualified. Wear attire that is appropriate for the industry. If you’re unsure what this means, overdressing is better than under-dressing. Solid colors, rather than over-the-top patterns, are a safe choice. Try to put together an outfit that you’ll feel comfortable in. You want to be able to focus on the interview, rather than stressing over how you look during it. For women, don’t wear sky high heels, showy jewelry, or heavy makeup. If you choose to wear a skirt or dress, make sure the length is appropriate and consider pairing it with pantyhose. Like women, men should avoid wearing anything that's overly flashy. A simple blazer, a button-down dress shirt, dress slacks, and dress shoes with neutral-colored socks are always safe options. If you're debating whether or not to wear a tie, go for it; you can never go wrong by choosing to wear one. Finally, whatever you decide to wear, make it neat. Match colors, iron your jacket, tie your tie well, etc.

3.      Do your research

Go through the company’s website thoroughly. You should be familiar with the company you might be working for. This will allow you to determine if it will be a good fit for you, while you will also come across as interested and well-informed. Know the company’s mission as well as their current initiatives. Know the job description of the position that you applied for inside and out. Think of examples of past projects that you have done that used the skills the company is looking for; this will help to prove that you are right for the job. Write down questions that come up during your research. Having a list of questions will show that you took the time to think thoroughly about the interview and that you care about learning more about the company. It shows that you are taking initiative.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be on the road to rocking your interview and getting that job!

-Samantha Phillips

What are some of the ways that you prep for an interview?

People want to use their graduation from high school, trade school, or college as a springboard for bigger and better things. They want to take the knowledge that they gained in the classroom and apply it. They plan to land that dream job upon entering the ‘real world’ and find success as soon as possible. But most of the workforce doesn’t come out of the gates and get an ideal position. Rather, you must work your way to the top. A slow climb can actually benefit you in the long run, though, so don’t dread paying your dues. You could actually stand to benefit from busywork. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of your first handful of positions:

Do What No One Else Wants To

Frederic Kerrest, cofounder and COO of Okta, points out that more than likely your first job will mean spending time in Excel, taking meeting notes, scheduling, and answering phones. But once you’re past these menial tasks, you’ll look back and realize how important they are to the company. Kerrest says, “Mastering the humble, small work of your industry may seem mundane at the time, but an understanding of the who, what, when, and how of the business will give you incredibly valuable insight that you can turn into smart recommendations and strategic guidance that will set you apart during the rest of your career.” If you were to skip the beginning work, you wouldn’t fully absorb or appreciate how those staff members fit into the big picture of the company, which they undeniably do.

Know the Industry’s Past and Present to Prepare for Your Future

In addition to understanding the big picture of how the company functions, you should also know how an industry has grown over time and how your company fits within that. Kerrest explains, “If you’re considering a new business venture, be a student of history: know the trends, the highs and lows, and the events that shaped the landscape. When you’re building your skills and setting goals, you can leverage their wins and losses to make smarter decisions along the way.” You wouldn’t be able to steer a company in the right direction if you couldn’t comprehend the trajectory it has been on. The time to learn this information is when you first start off; it will give you a strong advantage when you move into leadership positions.

Once you have a strong awareness of the industry’s past, research the current big players within it. Kerrest counsels, “You’ll learn more starting at the bottom than anywhere else, such as…the power of long-term relationships… Building a network of mentors and investing in your relationships with them for the long term is a necessity in business.” Shadan Deleveaux, director of sales multicultural beauty division at L’Oréal USA, adds, “A mentor can help you even before your career starts. When it comes to business, I think there are generally two ways to learn: through experience and through advice.” Oftentimes, it’s about who you know, and why not learn from the best? Research who has notable achievements in your field and company, and hopefully you will be able to put yourself in a position to gain insight from them, helping you on your journey up the ladder of success.

Have a Plan


Having a plan of where you want to end up in your career could really be a benefit to you. If you have some idea of what you want to be doing in the next five years, you'll be able to be strategic about your busywork. Instead of going in blind purely to have an income, there should be some purpose behind your first position. Making coffee for the people in the positions you want to hold in the future means that you can learn the ropes through observation and make connections (as mentioned before - networking is gold), rather than just making coffee. Starting off in an industry that allows you to use your strengths will make less exciting work worth it in the end, instead of getting stuck in a field that doesn't match up to your passions. While you shouldn't be rigid in your path to get where you want to be, try to follow a general direction towards an end goal that will make you happy. 

Follow these tips to help make your time spent paying your dues worth it. Seemingly trivial work will become a stepping stone for the rest of your career, rather than an obstacle in your path. 

-Samantha Phillips

Have you or someone you know experienced logging hours in this type of entry level position? Did you find that it paid off later in your career?