3 Things to do to Better My Chances

Starting right now, I need to actually focus more so on my school work and raising my GPA rather than looking for a job. Money is indeed a necessity, but to achieve the salary I want, better grades are needed. Secondly, I will have to go to the RCC and recreate my resume. It has been a while since I've asked for my mother's help so I only see it as just to update my resume. I might also brush up on my interviewing skills, since it has been almost a year since my last one. And thirdly, I'll go full force into looking for the correct job for my lifestyle. I understand that nothing is perfect and we have to sacrifice one thing for another. Honestly, I have to get as close to perfect as possible. My lifestyle is complicated, to say the least, but it's necessary for me to make a list of aspects for my next job and to score the best available opportunity, which will ultimately be what I need in order to advance in my career.

Getting Ahead

As of right now, my gmail account is filled with emails from the likes of CareerBuilder to offers forwarded from my family. I have found a handle full of job opportunities in the past year, but none of which coincide with my schooling schedule. In order to find a job that can appreciate hiring a student, I will definitely be turning to the RCC, and hope that my job search after completing the setup of my account will lead to a great job that's oriented with my career and works with my schedule. The Career Management Center provides online resources under "Job Search Management." Anyone of the five given options should help with my job search. It is my hope that one of the above may serve as a way to get me closer to my dream job with the corner office.

Progression

As stated in my last post, I went from being a sales rep at a clothing store to an account specialist at Safeguard Business Solutions. If you're wondering how I got to this point, it was through a friend of the family who needed a translator. Upon writing my first resume, I wasn't aware of all that was needed, so I didn't know to put of my second language until my darling mother gave me her assistance.
I began as a translator for a certain project last May right after the semester ended. After a couple of months, I had become accustomed to more works that the company provided (i.e. accounting services, setting up corps., providing merchant accounts and processing services). My supervisor and boss called me in for a meeting, and at the time I was much more than a translator. I pulled in quite a few accounts and assisted coworkers with their projects. With that being said, my overseers saw the potential in me, despite my young age, to become an account specialist. I was comfortable with this title because I wasn't taking on full projects alone, but assisted our clients with any questions or concerns, as well as my coworkers. There was still time for me to learn as well as do my job.
The best part is that this overall experience can be added to my resume and I can sit back and witness how much I've grown. It only makes me more excited for the future.

The Never Perfect Resume

I started working, volunteering, and joining clubs all around the age of 16. My first job was at Hollister Co., a clothing store that is always in need of workers and hired me on the spot. After working there on and off for some years, I knew I didn't want to take the MIT (Manager In Training) position they offered. I wanted to focus on an "office job" that applied more to my career.
I had to create my very first resume. Though I knew of the RCC and how they aided students in creating a resume, I was on a short time limit to apply for the job I'm at as of now. Thankfully, my mother has aided many people with creating their resumes. She told me to use what I'd learned from high school to create a rough draft, so I did. I recall her snickering at the lack of content. I only thought Hollister Co., my only employer, was the only thing necessary outside of my name, address, and contact info. She was the one to inform me that my other activities, achievements, and skills was something that interested employers as well. Had it not have been for her, my boss at Safeguard may not have been so impressed with a simple sales rep wanting to work for his expanding company.

What 3 IT Skills Might I Need?

Working for Safeguard Business Solutions, I've learned quite a bit of what IT skills I need to know for my future career:

• Project Managing - To me this entails planning, scheduling, budgeting, and exactly what it says, managing a project. How does IT get involved? Well, from my experience such planning, scheduling, etc. would take place on Microsoft Excel and/or a new software we recently installed to have all the information under one file. It's much more efficient to have all the data for a project all together so that collaborating with other coworkers, and even clients, is a breeze.
• Networking - With certain projects, everyone's assigned a task. Once that task is done, efforts to bring all the work together in a timely matter is always a hassle. For this reason, proper communication and networking between individuals is needed. I have experienced first hand, that important accounts can be lost due to failure to connect and collaborate.
• Databases - Being part of a growing company with growing accounts, comes with more and more data. Storing this data in a secure location and also being able to add on to the already extensive amount will need to take place. That's why familiarizing one's self with their companies database is of the utmost importance. Safeguard has a database where each worker can log into their own account, see the accounts of their clients, and witness minute by minute how the client's money/assets/etc is being affected. 

As you may see these skills intertwine with one another and are undoubtedly required. It's impossible to use one without the other.

3 Interesting Job Positions

I've been researching this topic for quite some time and even have seen plenty of job offers for these 3 positions:

• Sales Manager
• Accountant
• Management Analyst/Consultant

These positions are some that I'm quite familiar with. I've had many years of experience with sales, handling and setting up various accounts, including specialized accounts. Also, being apart of many clubs growing up, I've learned many strategies to help better a plan/project/etc. Each one of these pieces of experience are key to these positions. I do understand that the scope of these positions may be much larger than what I've dealt with, but I see it as once you put the pieces of the puzzle (everything you've learned/experienced) together, you've completed what you thought was a hard task and move on to the next. In short, I know either position is the one for me.

RCC - Robinson Career Connection

I've heard about GSU's RCC once or twice since becoming a student three years ago. The concept sounded phenomenal, especially in today's society where jobs are becoming more and more competitive. The lack of training could easily hinder someone from receiving the job of their dreams. I knew at the RCC, Counselors are available to help prepare students with their resumes and other things of that nature.
Something I wasn't aware of is that the RCC allows students (both undergrad and grad) to take part in mock interviews. Had I have taken the time to find this out, I would've certainly been more prepared for my previous interviews. Though I did get an amazing job without the help of the RCC, I feel that prior knowledge and use of the center would've given me a better understanding of the overall process.
Another piece of info that caught my eye was the "Salary Data." I'm always scouring the internet to see what my bachelor's degree would get me in today's world. Also, what a M.B.A. would raise that annual pay to. Once I saw that the RCC had this data, I realized many of the answers I repeatedly googled was so close to home. The "Salary Data" helped me confirm that I do want a professional M.B.A. and that my overall outlook for my career is on track.