Having lived this dilemma myself, I was happy to help.  By offering them temporary positions to make ends meet, I became an integral part in helping them pursue their dreams.  In addition to helping them pay their rent, I served as a cheerleader when they landed a part in a show…and yes, on occasion, I even attended a performance or two.  This to me is really the cornerstone of why I got into the business of recruiting in the first place, the relationships we build with our Associates here at Atrium go beyond just filling an open job.  As you navigate the road ahead of you, the road soon to become known as your professional career, I hope you’ll consider reaching out to an Atrium recruiter and that you’ll build a relationship.  Brendan Bradley, I hope you’re happy in LA.  I’m looking for your name when the credits roll!

Henry Fonda, The Grapes of Wrath

Everyone gets nervous, everyone. Even the most skilled performers still get the butterflies before the curtain goes up. At age 75, Henry Fonda still used to throw up each night before a stage performance! But once the first step on stage was taken, the nerves seemed to disappear.

There are two things that will take nerves away before an interview… well maybe three… 1) being prepared 2) relaxation techniques 3) practice.

BEING PREPARED:

We’ve all had that dream where we’re preparing for the final exam and haven’t studied. It’s a terrible feeling — so is going to an interview where you know little about the company, the industry and the position itself. The more informed and prepared you are the less nervous you will be.

Practical Tip # 1:

Before any interview you need to do your research on the company. Look at their website for starters, then research their competitors, Google them to see what’s been written about them in the press. Then learn as much as you can about the position, especially if it’s a new type of position for you. The more prepared you are the less nervous you should be.

Practical Tip # 2:

If you don’t understand something, don’t allow that to cause you unnecessary stress in the interview. Go ahead and ask a question! ”I came across this on your website, and I wasn’t quite sure how that worked. Could you explain it in more detail?” It’s perfectly fine to ask questions. Actually, interviewers prefer it. It shows that you’ve done your homework, and that you’re actively engaged, not only in the interview, but also in pursuing their open position.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES:

Actors learn to neutralize and relax their bodies so that they can get rid of their own tensions and personal physical idiosyncrasies in order to authentically create a character from a blank slate. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it will become. Since nerves are a big thing to overcome, you may want to try to incorporate a relaxation practice into your daily routine. The benefits will surely be seen in and out of the interview room.

Practical Tip # 3:

Here is some helpful information on various methods of relaxation from meditation to yoga as well as the progressive muscle relaxation used in the beginning of many acting classes.

PRACTICE:

Again, the more you do anything, the better you become at it! The same is true for interviewing. The more job interviews you go on, the more you learn from the behavioral cues the interviewer offers in response to your answers. Did they seem to get uncomfortable when you said something negative about your former employer? Did they have a hard time staying focused on your answers because your responses were too long and tangential?

Practical Tip # 4:

It may be difficult in this economy to gain the experience of multiple interviews in a short amount of time, but you should rehearse your answers as much as possible. I don’t mean word for word but in regards to the overall content. You must be able to speak effectively and concisely about each position you held and what your achievements were.

Practical Tip # 5:

Have a friend interview you for practice. Find different ways of phrasing your answers and get their feedback. Even if it’s not a “real” interview situation, the simple repetition of answering questions about your resume will build something similar to muscle memory — the way actors remember lines to a play. That way you are not only well versed about the company you’re interviewing with but about yourself, your experiences and accomplishments. You’ll be able to answer questions more quickly, with greater ease, and with more confidence!

STOP PRESSURING YOURSELF!

Now… getting back to Henry Fonda, there are a few more parallels we can draw on from our actor friends.

First, actors often report booking the job when they really didn’t want to go to the audition or care if they got the job in the first place. Why? Because they didn’t put pressure on themselves and overhype the situation before they even walked in the room.

Casting directors sense the desperation in actors, and those actors, as talented as they may be, will never book the job. They’re so worried about getting the job and have put so much pressure on themselves that their audition is forced and unnatural- the very thing you cannot be as an actor. Put another way, the actors that book don’t psyche themselves out, which we all know is very easy to do. Remember, hiring managers, like casting directors, want you to be right for the job. They want to have found “the one” so they can stop their search. Trust yourself! If you feel nervous walking in the room, give yourself the most common adjustment a casting director gives an actor after a first read, “OK, now just have a conversation.”

And finally, once the audition is over, you must let it go! Actors always beat themselves up for not having said a line a certain way, not hitting the laugh line or for not having worn that sexier shirt. But once it’s over, it’s over and no amount of wishing and self-deprecation will change what happened in that room. As hard as it is, you must train yourself to let it go. The same holds true of interviewing. The more you beat yourself up for something you said or didn’t say in the interview room and obsess about it, the more it will become a point of stress and pressure in the next interview situation, and the more nervous you’ll become about not performing well in the room. So, learn from the mistake, evaluate your performance, and take note of how you could have done better! But then, forget about it and move on to the next. Just like auditions, there’s always another one!

At this point you have probably taken a month off to bask in your recent accomplishment and are finally ready to hit the pavement and begin looking for your first full time job and become part of the “real world.”  At this point you think this is going to be easy because you have taken care of everything – your resume is updated, you know your dream job is to be a marketing executive in a name brand company, you’ve done countless activities in college, interned for two summers, followed all the guidelines of your college career center, but you find yourself sitting at a computer searching the job boards with no clue how to actually FIND your dream job.  Welcome back to kindergarten – this time of the job world…

The good news is that there are jobs out there for recent graduates.  In this current economic climate we are finding that companies are trending with hiring entry level employees with college degrees to be taught from the ground up, learn the company inside and out and develop great working habits as seen by this company. The hope is that this will result in a longer tenure and loyalty of employees as these entry level employees grow into higher level positions within the organization.  The bad news is that you may really not know where to start.

These job hunting tips for recent college graduates should help get the ball rolling:

• RESUME!!!! – Your resume is your first impression to employers – make sure it is one page, that your education is on top, avoid general and trite objectives, that it is formatted consistently, that there are no typos, highlight all your computer and other skills in a skills section and MOST OF ALL – make sure that it is targeting the jobs you are looking for.

• REQUIREMENTS – Companies list job requirements and are looking to hire someone who meets almost all of them.  If you are applying to jobs and not getting responses it is probably because you are not meeting their requirements…when you are the right fit for the opportunity you will hear back – QUICKLY

• JOB BOARDS – You will get out of job boards what you put into them.  If you post your resume and think you’ve done it all – the majority of responses you will get will be from staffing agencies.  Trust me — staffing agencies can help, but you need to put forth your own efforts as well.  Search jobs that are posted and apply to ones that a) you meet the requirements for and b) your resume represents you for properly.

• YOUR NETWORK – Everything that you have done in your life up to this point is what will start your personal network.  Friends, classmates, past bosses, family members, past colleagues, members of organizations that you are a part of, alumni from your high school or college, etc. are the people you should start reaching out to for help.  You should already have great relationships with the members of your network so see who they know…and how they can help score you an interview.

• LINKED IN – If you do not already have one – create a linked in profile and start to build your network of contacts.  This is an easy way to professionally connect with all the people in your network and the people they know also.  ***Linked In also has job postings and companies are trending to post and hire from here more and more.

• TARGET COMPANIES – Make a list of companies that you would like to work for within the industry you are interested in working in.  Visit the company websites, understand what they do and who their competitors are, see if they have internal postings, before you apply to postings see if anyone in your network works here and can give you insight into how to get your resume in front of the right person.  If you don’t know anyone apply through the website…and if you get an interview or end up speaking to someone about the company they will be impressed that you are knowledgeable on the company.

• RECRUITERS AND TEMP WORK – recent grads can gain some great experience through staffing agencies.  Agencies like Atrium share our network of clients with candidates and can help get your foot in the door to companies that you may not be able to get in yourselves.  Additionally, temporary work is a great way to try out different positions, make money, sharpen your skills, gain experience and can almost be thought of as paid internships that in some cases can lead to full time employment.

• BE OPEN MINDED – You are just starting out your career – odds are that the marketing executive position that you want is something that you have to build your experience to get to and there are many paths that lead there…gaining experience is the most important thing.  Try not to say no to even short term jobs, i.e. temporary work, you never know who you will meet along the way and who will be able help you out later in your career.

You might be thinking, “that sounds so fancy and high-tech, but why do I need to change that URL?”  The answer is simple; having a customized profile link on LI makes you look more tech-savvy and it is great personal branding.  The cleaner link is easier to remember and looks much better in your email signature or on a business card.  Oh, and it take about 2 minutes to fix.  Now, let’s get to it!

1.   Log in to your LinkedIn account and click “edit profile”

2.   Click the “edit” button next to your current public profile URL *note the bad license plate appearance

3.   Click the “customize your public profile URL” button.  This will launch a pop-up window that will ask you to type in your desired vanity URL and click “set custom URL.” *note if there is already another user who has chosen the same desired URL, LinkedIn will offer alternate suggestions

4.   Viola! Your custom URL is now set and you can start directing people to your LinkedIn profile immediately!

- Allie Basilica, Social Media Manager

Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful

Although most New Yorkers flee the city in the summer for any bit of heat relief, there are some people who do choose to stay. These lucky locals are able to take advantage of New York City’s greatest attractions. Some even go as far as to label this as their “staycation.” It’s tough to plan a day full of activities on a budget though. Between transportation and entry fees, this “staycation” can end up costing more than a true vacation.  Below is a list of 5 summer activities that are unique to New York City and won’t burden your budget!

Go to the Beach – Beach in NYC…what?! That’s right, Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk is only a subway ride away, as it is located in Queens. Whether you want to soak up the sun, ride the waves, or bike on the boardwalk, Rockaway Beach has activities for everyone. On top of that, the Boardwalk has a great lineup of food shacks and a bar! How to get there: A to Broad Channel, transfer to the S to Rockaway Park-Beach 116th St. For a complete guide to beaches for New Yorkers, check out this NYMag post.

Broadway in Bryant Park – Looking for something to do on your lunch break? Every Thursday from July 12 through August 16, Bryant Park hosts Broadway performances in the park. Cast members from a variety of popular shows perform while people enjoy the sun and munch on their lunch. It’s a great way to see a sneak peak of a Broadway show. Pack your lunch, meet a friend, and enjoy! How to get there: Take the 7, B, D, F or M to 42^nd St/5^th Ave – Bryant Park

Rooftop Films – One thing stands true of NYC residents…they love their rooftops. Rooftop restaurants and bars have become the “it” place to dine and hang out. Now we can all add one more rooftop to the list: Rooftop Films! Who wouldn’t want to watch a movie on a large projection screen with the NYC skyline in the background?! With venues all throughout NY, Rooftop Films will be showcasing 47 events, bringing over 200 films to a screen near you this summer.  Check out the schedule

Summer Stage – The ever-so-popular SummerStage is back again! From June 5^th through August 30^th, Summer Stage provides on-stage performances in Central Park located at Rumsey Playfield. Most of these events are free; however, some of them require advance tickets. There’s a whole variety of shows for all types of music listeners and all age groups. It’s very surreal to be isolated from the chaos of the city and be able to enjoy a concert in the quaint nature of Central Park. It’s a New York City experience you truly don’t want to miss. Get tickets and schedule info

Street Fairs – Last, but not least; my favorite NYC adventure consists of walking through the street fairs. For some reason, I find the craziness of the street fairs to be somewhat calming. The combination of the carnival-like food stands and the random mini shops provides an afternoon of entertainment for natives and tourists alike. Find a street fair near you

- Jana E., Staffing Consultant