Let Me Interview You About Your Interesting Career

Do you do work that you find deeply engaging? Are you proud of what you do and want to share it with others?

Recently a career industry colleague who works with Millenials asked me a question very relevant to our times. She asked, “How do you get college graduates to think not in terms of finding a job, but finding a career?”

Changing Course, Moving Up, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonSeptember 4, 2012Career Development, Career Management, Colby College, College Debt, College Loans, College to Career, Internships, Interviewing, millennial careers, Networking, Roger Woolsey, Work-Life, Career PlanningComment

Look Ahead in Your Job Hunt, Not Behind You

In a tough economy, I often hear job-seekers worry about “the competition” – with so many people looking for jobs, it’s harder to be the chosen one. I believe that your biggest competition is yourself—the fear that goes on inside your head, the lack of confidence that stops you from doing your best work — promoting yourself for the qualities you bring to the table.

Yes, Your Grammar Matters to Your Career

I loved the recent blog post by a tech CEO who says he won’t hire people who have bad grammar. As they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression, and those impressions are what count when you’re hunting for a job.

Moving Up, Changing Course, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonAugust 28, 2012Back to Work, Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, grammar, Internships, Interviewing, millennial careers, Work-Life, writing, Business Writing, Career PlanningComment

Internships Really Do Lead to Full-Time Jobs: One Intern’s Story

Everyone knows how valuable internships are to long-term career planning and ideation. Employers are reluctant to hire college grads who haven’t had work experience because by graduation time, the majority of students have had at least one internship.

Starting OutAllison ChestonAugust 1, 2012Boston University, Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, Internships, Interviewing, millennial careers, Negotiation, Networking, Northeastern, Social Media Management, Work-Life, Career PlanningComment

Why Hire A Millenial?

So you’re a hiring manager faced with the task of motivating millenials while enhancing the work experience of other generations—all while improving the profitability of the company. Not an easy task, but not impossible either.

Changing Course, Moving Up, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonJuly 16, 2012Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, Executive Careers, Hiring Gen Y's, Hiring Millenials, Internships, millennial careers, Social Media Management, Work-Life, Career PlanningComment

Don’t Squander Your Summer Job!

So it’s summertime and you’re heading back to camp–the same camp you’ve always attended, right? But you’re a counselor so you’re getting paid, you can hang out with your old friends…seems like a real coup, right?

Starting OutAllison ChestonJune 6, 2012Career Development, College to Career, Internships, millennial careers, Networking, Summer jobs., Career PlanningComment

The False Start

It used to be that, just five or six years ago, you could graduate from college pretty much assured you’d have a job. Of course all that has changed since 2008 and the recession, with close to half of new college grads unable to find a job.

Starting OutAllison ChestonMay 2, 2012Career Development, Career Management, College Debt, College to Career, millennial careers, Networking, new college grads, Work-Life, Career Discovery, Career Planning, College Grad UnemploymentComment

Getting That Great Summer Internship

This is the year to get a great internship, but you need to start right away. There is good news: According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), intern hiring is up 8.5% this year. There is tons of information out there about internships, but what are the key steps a student or new grad needs to know? To help, I’ve distilled them into 5 simple actions.

Starting OutAllison ChestonMarch 8, 2012Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, Internships, millennial careers, Networking, Career PlanningComment

For Parents: What’s Your Mindset?

Do you have a “fixed” or a “growth mindset”? Does your mindset change depending on the situation? According to psychologist Carol Dweck, those with a fixed mindset see intelligence as something that doesn’t change as opposed to those with a growth mindset who assume one is always learning and growing, thereby increasing intelligence. This can also be viewed in terms of attributes like athleticism, and facility with numbers or the written word.

Starting OutAllison ChestonFebruary 8, 2012Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, Effort, Mindset, Parenting, Positive Psychology, Potential, Work-Life., Career PlanningComment

You’re 90% There

Career paths are long and confidence is an ephemeral thing. And in my experience, women need their confidence replenished more than men.

Changing Course, Moving Up, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonNovember 29, 2011Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, Executive Careers, Interviewing, millennial careers, Negotiation, Networking, Social Media Management, Work-Life., Career PlanningComment

Networking Oblivion

Are you a good networker, even a great one? Do you invest plenty of time in LinkedIn, steadily building your contacts and sharing posts and other information with the group? Are you a faithful tweeter? Do you tend to see the possibilities in people, wanting to meet them instead of worrying about wasting your time?

Allison ChestonOctober 26, 2011tagged Back to Work, Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, College to Career, Executive Careers, Internships, Interviewing, millennial careers, Networking, Social Media Management, Work-Life, Career PlanningComment

How To Not Be a Boring Speaker

I have a number of presentations and workshops coming up this fall, and I’ve been thinking about how to structure my talks for maximum value and interest. In my research, I found a Tim Sanders blog post with a phrase that particularly bears repeating: “Do your research about the audience, where they need to be moved to, and how that intersects with your expertise or experiences.”

Changing Course, Moving Up, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonOctober 19, 2011Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, Executive Careers, Interviewing, millennial careers, Networking, Presentations, Social Media Management, Career PlanningComment

What Do You Do and How’d You Get Your Start?

Upon meeting someone new, virtually my first question is always: “What kind of work do you do?” Typically followed by “How did you get your start?”

Starting OutAllison ChestonOctober 5, 2011Career Change, Career Development, Career Management, Interviewing, millennial careers, Networking, organization, Social Media Management, Career, Career PlanningComment

LinkedIn Lessons: How to Stand Out and Level the Playing Field

This is a guest post by HR consultant Judy Lindenberger on one of my favorite topics: standing out on LinkedIn.

I love LinkedIn. It’s one of the best networking tools out there to help you expand your reach. It’s “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” for the business world. But it can be a big, foreign maze. To stand out in the LinkedIn crowd, here are ten quick tips:

Changing Course, Moving Up, Starting Out, Telling Your StoryAllison ChestonSeptember 13, 2011Back to Work, Career Development, Career Management, Interviewing, millennial careers, Networking, Social Media Management, Career PlanningComment

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