culpwrit

Tweet The above headline and artwork caught my eye as I was reading today’s Wall Street Journal.  Author William Poundstone poses some of the actual questions raised during coveted Google interviews.  It’s now clear why one in 14 high school students applying to Harvard is accepted while only about one in 130 applicants lands a job at Google. During one of my [...]

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Tweet A quick, unofficial check of friends at several agencies confirms a PR Week headline proclaiming a hiring boom in public relations.  I’ve heard this before, but there appears to be more year-end optimism than in recent years.  Most agencies indicate they are actively searching for talent, but many of the openings require a few [...]

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Tweet What people say about you can make or kill a job offer, yet many job seekers don’t invest the time to ensure effective references.  Some blow it entirely. Case in point:  I was surprised to receive a call last week from a company seeking a reference for a former co-worker.  The applicant had not advised [...]

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TweetQ.  It’s been over a month since I interviewed for a job.  While they appeared extremely encouraging at first, I’ve heard nothing since a positive email exchange a week after the interview.  After two weeks, I called several times but only got voice mail and no response.  Suggestions?  -CA A.  Other than making too many phone calls, [...]

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Tweet Q.  I’m a May 2010 PR grad and am still looking for permanent employment.  I’m finishing up an internship now (this will make three, one with a large agency), have been volunteering on a PRSA committee for almost a year now, and have had some discussions with various firms regarding entry-level slots over the [...]

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Tweet When I was a teenager, I was intrigued with the merit badges proudly worn by my friends who were in the Scouts.  (I never became a Boy Scout because the pressure was too great–my older brother had already won every badge possible…and my father was the Scout leader).  While I have been hearing about the McArthur Foundation’s [...]

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TweetI recently transitioned from intern to full-time hire at Ketchum. This did not come easily. But the best things in life never come easy, do they?  There have been various posts on the Culpwrit on how to make the leap from intern to full-time hire, but I want to share some of the things I [...]

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Tweet Job prospects were on the minds of students last night at Northern Illinois University where I was honored to deliver the annual Albert Walker Lecture.  Titled “Career Realities in a Flash Mob World,” my remarks focused on five ways college graduates can differentiate themselves from the mobs of candidates applying for most job openings.  Here’s a synopsis of of the [...]

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Tweet Bleak job numbers generate depressing headlines every week, but the jobless rate among most college graduates isn’t as bad as the rest of the economy, according to a number of stories in today’s Wall Street Journal.  Some college majors (mostly in the sciences)  have higher demand for talent than available candidates.  The unemployment rate for [...]

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Tweet  Effectively managing your career in the economy of 2011 is a vastly different world than it was just a few short years ago.  No longer does it suffice to have just a resume of qualifications and access to job boards and a few connections to executive search firms.  Managing a career in the public [...]

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