As part of a class I’ve lovingly dubbed “Life 101,” we are drawing on the experiences of guest speakers to help students find their first steps into the world beyond college.

Karen Schneider, publisher and president of the Winnebago Media Group, served as our first speaker, providing students information about the world of “mom-and-pop” operations, hiring practices, expectations on both sides of the interview and other things along those lines.

(Minor Plug: She is looking for a news reporter and it would be a great starter job for a newly minted grad. She mentioned the papers in the group “launch ’em and land ’em” as their hiring philosophy. They “launch” newbies into the next phase of their careers and “land” people who are looking for something different after corporate life or retirement doesn’t do it for them. You can reach her through her LinkedIn page.)

Here are a few notes and quotes from her presentation that were exceptionally helpful to our students (and me), so I hope they’ll be helpful to you and your kids:

DEALING WITH NO: It’s hard for most of us to separate the rejection of an idea we have or a proposal we make from the rejection of us as a person. This is multiplied by 1,012 when it comes to trying to get a job, as “We had many fine candidates and decided to go another way,” can feel like, “You suck so hard, not even light can escape from you. Enjoy your parents’ basement, loser.”

The first thing Karen said about this situation will be included in every lecture I give on the topic of job-seeking from now on:

“Just because it’s a “no,” it doesn’t mean you’re not qualified.”

She also added this at the end:

“If you get a no, do not (panic). It’s not that you are bad. They just chose differently.”

I have been in that situation more times than I care to count and it never feels good, so to hear someone who actually does the hiring say this really helps put things into perspective. I’ve lost out on jobs where I had friends running the search or sitting on a committee and a large part of me was like, “What the hell? How is this possible?”

What is both reasonably logical and emotionally painful is that they just said, “No. We’re choosing differently.” Knowing that is important. Constantly reminding yourself of it is vital.

 

NETWORKING CAN GET YOU THERE, BUT IT WON’T KEEP YOU THERE: Karen was talking about her first job and how knowing someone who knew someone who knew her helped a lot. She said networking was vital in helping to connect with people who might need you and might provide opportunities you really value.

Her advice was classic:

“You have to network and know who is out there. Tell people what you like to do and don’t like to do.”

<SNIP>

“Become a bartender because they are the most well connected people in the world.”

The more important part, however, was that once you get there, you have to work hard and succeed. As she said, knowing people can get you in, “but you have to earn your place.”

 

IT’S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD:  Karen talked a lot about connections and networking as a way to get ahead, but also that those connections know other connections, so mind your P’s and Q’s.

If the world is connected via “Six Degrees of Separation,” our field is likely going to be only two or three degrees. That means your hard work and attitude can help you get a step up in the field or your lousy reputation can follow you everywhere.

One of the bigger mistakes people make in job interviews, she said, was talking negatively about other places they’ve worked or the competition in the field:

“Don’t talk negatively about competitors. What happens when you leave me? Will you talk negatively about me?”

<SNIP>

“Be mindful of how you apply, leave and decline jobs.”

 

EACH STEP MATTERS: One key reason I wanted Karen to come to class is because she hires a lot of people who are in the position my students find themselves: First-time job-seekers who have little or no experience with the whole “start a career” process. She understands what it’s like to be on the other side of the table during that process and can better help them see both the short game and the long game.

A key theme she touched on was how every job, every opportunity, is a step toward something that’s next and that every step matters. She talked about how the experience students gain and the skills they hone matter more than the major they select and the grades they obtain:

“Just because your major is X, don’t worry that it won’t fit into industry A, B and C. I’ve worked in food manufacturing, consumer sales… It’s about developing and using your skill set.”

The experience a worker gets in that first year is often enough to move on to the next stage, she said. Even if that first or that second job isn’t perfect, it’s helping you get somewhere, she said.

“You may not get the dream job right out of college, but work and behave the way you would as if that’s the job you have and you’ll get there.”