Can't live with em, can't live without...

I made the plunge. I have had really conflicted feelings about rain boots (being from Seattle, already looking a bit like a 12 year old in normal circumstances...) but I did it. After an honest chat with the salesgirl and her detest for them, I felt a bit more motivated to buy. weird. I'll show her, I think these will be successfully rocked through the winter here. Plus, they were on sale and I was on my first shopping binge since hopping from one start up to another. So all I have to say is, Nine West black boots = grand. They will be shown with the skinny jeans and the slightly granola-poncho-esque jcrew sweater. That shounds ugly. It's great, like a bell jacket but a sweater. black. you can't go wrong.

Also, best thing that has made my day in a while: blue wife beaters. (What? oh yes,i'm sorry, men's undershirts.) KMart. Cheap. Amazing. It's sick how many of those I own wear. And now I have them in three shades of blue.

Hello Kitty, Wha?

This was too random not to share. Thai police sporting Hello Kitty as a punishment...

What a way to come back after being gone for a month.

World traveler...

I'm sitting here melting in Boston (96 degrees on the 4th floor apartment...yikes) geting ready to head to Africa. I have a month off work and I've already been to some random places...Palm Springs, CA, Northampton, Worcester, Boston, MA and now off to London and Lusaka. I'll be back in three weeks...and i'll make some amazing dress rad mental notes and take some grand pictures. I already have a few gems.
Until then....

The new black...volunteering.

In a week and a half I will be in Africa visiting my best friend from college who is serving the Peace Corps in Zambia. I'm going for her wedding...crazy. Anyway. In honor of my trip to Africa next week (!!!) I thought I would post this article. USA Today discusses how more grads are opting to volunteer for a year or two after college. I'm so glad to see enrollment rising for all of these programs. I still feel like there should be a bigger push in America for students to have a gap year and volunteer. Though not mandated, at least this is in fashion.
I was talking about this with the guy in REI yesterday who was helping me find a headlamp and he was right. It's pretty amazing that Peace Corps, a programs started in the 60's in the Kennedy Administration is still going strong. And is still a respected, amazing choice for people of all ages looking to give back.
I'm so excited to go and be a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) groupie for the next few weeks...

Water Blogged

Man, I've been a blogging machine lately. I posted about the fancy new changes on the Career Center on the Jobster blog, and I have lots o' little tidbits of the jobseeker blog. And then I came up with a really bad pun for the title of this, so I HAD to post.

Bacon Salt: A little moonlighting on the side

I've been known to confuse a few people with my alternate position of SVP of Marketing with Bacon Salt. Well, this amazing product finally launched it's website today, so if you have a hankering for bacon...check it out. It's amazing. I'm vegan and I think it's amazing. And I too, would just love to hug the owners. By reading this, you can say you knew about Bacon Salt from the day of its launch. I recommend the pepper flavor...and I really can't wait to try it in a Bloody Mary.

Tak for Sidst

I realized today that I'm rude. Ok, maybe not rude but I'm lacking etiquette. It's not just me...is it my digital generation? Or Seattle (well, the casual atmosphere doesn't help) or is it just everywhere? Anyway, it came up today at lunch. I was with my cousin, aunt and mom and my aunt was telling me about a friend of hers who threw a grand, martha stewert-esque sit down dinner party for 15 guests: great wine, all home-made food, the works. And after the event he was surprised when he didn't receive one thank-you note, not one call or thank you email.

This is when I thought back my time in Copenhagen. One of the things I loved about the Danes is their etiquette. You always respond promptly to an invite, and once you commit, that is your evening. You don't plan anything for the rest of the evening...(the Danes have a word for this type of gathering -hygge- we don't have an English equivalent but read about it, it's beautiful.) Ok, but the best part, after any type of social gathering, no matter how big or small, you always call the next day to tell the host "tak for sidst" (thanks for the last). How could I have forgotten about this great tradition! I need to step that up again. It was always so wonderful to have a friend call after an evening and thank my roommates and I for hosting.

This made me think: I'm sure I am slipping in work etiquette...especially because I work in such a relaxed, open work environment (a start-up in seattle? I'm sure I could come in my pajamas and no one would say anything.) I started looking around...here's an etiquette quiz for work. I am happy to say that I knew most of these (yes, some are really obvious and make me worry if people don't know these things..but there were a few good reminders.) Example: drinking is so much more relaxed in a work environment. And though this quiz is for an interview, I definitely have some work examples of people hitting the sauce a wee bit too hard in front of colleagues.

Manners really should be brought back. I should start a list. Maybe I will. But my main goal for now: bring back "tak for sidst" Maybe I'll even invest in some good old fashioned thank you cards.

On a random (but yet oh so pop culture) note: What am I listening to? This npr podcast: Is Hooking Up the new Dating? Thanks roommates...

My Quarter Life Crisis

Ah Brazen Careerist. You are great. This post on a braided career sums up my quarter life crisis of last year.
First off, I haven't really heard many other people even speak of a quarter life crisis..but that's definitely what I went through last year. While many of my Smith friends were off in Zambia, the U.K., Scotland, I came home. I was broke, and didn't want to settle for a crappy job in New York and live in a cardboard box. I, unlike so many, totally lucked out landing at Jobster and loving my job...keeping me in Seattle way longer than I originally intended. But a nod towards the quarter life crisis made me happy for a few reasons:
I have resisted so much in my life because it's 'impractical.' By no means did it leave me stuck anywhere, depressed about my decisions, but I have always been driven to get to the right school, the right internships, the right job. Now is the first time in my life I feel like I can make decisions without letting family/friends down. Wow, and that only took 24 years. I digress. So, this is great to push people to follow your loved ones. The braided career is really our generation: few of my friends will settle for a soulless job where they will lose out on life and adventure. The companies that know this get the best talent. for. sure.
Also, those decisions really create a track. My craziest decisions (Smith, Copenhagen, etc) have been my best life choices. I have met people and experienced things that I was open to because I was out looking for adventure, and not just studying at college or staying close to home.
I would also like to think the braided career gives a not to more equal relationships. It's a braided career with loved ones, not just one person following but both of you making your lives out of what was given. Did I explain that right? Let's just say the feminist movement isn't over but this is a nice nudge towards a more equal discourse of relationships. Can I write without some pop culture analysis? I've been ruined for life... :)

Magazines are sooo 2005...

I had to flag this article on NYtimes today: "Doll Web Sites Drive Girls to Stay Home and Play". It's everything I've studied all rolled into one: pop culture, social networking, and how it effects women in our society.
First, my final seminar paper at Smith was analyzing Seventeen Magazine, it's content and how that persuades and challenges the images tweens and teens have of themselves. It look a lot at advertising content, the models used and how often girls turned to this medium, etc.
So this is what is so interesting about this article: I wrote that paper not long ago...in 2005, and these types of social networking sites weren't really on the radar (I'd have to check my sources, but magazines were the #1 medium that reached out to girls..social networking sites weren't yet listed).
Maybe it's time for a new paper..i'll have to go and poke around on the site. I'm just so interested on how this effects girls: most are free (to start) to pick out clothes and such, which really breaks down economic barriers while girls are interacting online. Yet, at the same time, consumerism is perpetuated by the actions of these sites: consuming, buying and consuming more. I am sure there is little to go beyond dressing and changing the looks of the virtual dolls..forever enforcing the objectification of women and their rolls in our society.
As I said, i need to go look before I really start preaching. I think I'm missing my debates at Smith since I'm getting all riled up about this... :)

Kara Mail(b)

So...I sent the largest email I have ever sent today (25000 job seekers)...the first Kara Mail...or Mailb. Yeah...that didn't come out right. no comment. But the content is grand! It's just an introduction to Jobster, and all of the amazing changes that our team has put into our site. It's all really easy to use. I am still going on and finding little features and upgrades that I love (like when you put in a work experience, but it's really education, just click a button and it changes it all for you so you don't have to reenter. yes..the little things in life)

So. If you get my mail and you happened upon my blog from looking around, hope you are enjoying Jobster! It's been fun to work on a site to connect people with their dream job. Man, I'm such a walking advertisement.

The BEST job advice from your 12 year old neighbor..

This link to free interview tips was left on the career center. It was too good not to repost. I especially like #25. I will always remember that is a no-no in an interview. The spelling is grand too. Very professional.

Ask Kara: hot from the Career Center

This is a post from Jobster's Career Center on Facebook today. Everyone says the digigen just wants everything handed to us. This is more typical of our generation. It's not that we want everything handed to us but that we want to be unique and we want to make a difference:
digi-gen looking for a job:
Well, I have a problem that others may have as well. Unfortunately I will not work for some company where all I would be doing is what everybody else does. I'm not that type of person, I need to use my brain. I'm an innovator, both physically and theoretically. I can not do the monkey jobs. So this posses a problem: how to find a company that fits me?
Here is what I would do:
First I am a software engineer so I could do something with this in excess to what I really do.
I'm a problem solver, not just for coding, for everything. I'm an inventor. These are the two things I do and they go well together.
The problem being, I don't know who to work for or where to find them, but I know they are out there.
So, if somebody needs a person that thinks outside the box, perhaps so far out side the box you never even realize there IS a box, and one that solves problems for FUN; that's me. Just to give you an idea I easily scored with no preparation in the top 4% of millions on the GMAT exam for graduate school.

My answer from the CC:
My initial reaction to your question is that I am surprised you are even looking to work for a company....it sounds like you would be really happy starting something on your own...

or if not, you should try a start-up of sorts. With those types of companies, you find your own projects, have innovation periods, and work your own hours. You are working with a team on a project but you have a lot more flexibility than in a traditional, corporate environment. And this might give you inspiration for what projects/companies you want to create.

Working at a start-up is all about networking. Here in Seattle, everyone in the start-ups knows everyone else. This is great when you are in the loop, you are the first to hear about opportunities at other small start-ups. I'd suggest talking to some software engineers in smaller companies and see what you think.

Though I'm not a software engineer, I love working at a small company. I create my own hours, manage my own projects, feel like I'm making a difference, and I definitely don't have an ordinary job.

I love the questions from the Career Center, and will definitely keep posting the best ones. I would like to shout out to the 'intelligence drop' of the test score...man that never gets old, huh?

More Bang for your Buck

Ahh this post struck a cord with me, and someone that works with a tiny marketing budget. It's amazing how well these things work. It's a bit long...but an amazing reference. Nice work, Ashko.

Pop Culture and you (r job)

There are so many random recruiting stories I stumbled upon today:

First and foremost, the gem comparing American Idol to your interview. It's all about branding, baby. And if you didn't know it, you better learn it. Being a pop-culture major (liberal arts hee-eey) I get excited at any chance to link pop culture to meaningful things. It's amazing how much the digi-gen knows about branding, just by watching and supporting a tv personality/singer. It's all about confidence, knowing who you are (strengths and weaknesses) and making an impression.

Speaking of branding, this article was a good brand building 101 for the digi-gen. Some good arguments and guidelines while building your SEO empire.

And in honor of my pop culture background and work on Jobster's Career Center, how could I resist an article on celebrity's first jobs? This should be posted just so frustrated college graduates can see that people don't always find the perfect career first.

Talk about the future of recruiting…

A cool recruiting tactic worth noting: an HP advertisement on Jobster's Career Center. It was an invitation to come interview with HP on Second Life between May 15-17^th. I am sure there is a pre-screening, but it seems like if you are accepted you go (Fly? Walk? Boat?) to TMP’s virtual island for your interview.

What is Second life, some of you may ask? Second Life is a 3-D world where you can design an avatar, and, well, live a second life. You can buy anything you could in your first life (real money is converted to the Linden for transactional purposes.) You can travel the world; go clubbing, start a business, whatever you want.

I’ve been following Second Life more because of the marketing tactics: it is an interesting way to conduct low cost product research and interact with your customers. And from a recruiting standpoint…well, it’s a great way to connect with people.

Is this the newest recruiting wave? I can’t wait to see how HP’s event unfolds. Maybe I should inquire, get an avatar, dress her in her best virtual business suit, and go check it out. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about sweaty palms…

Work the Nepotism

I’ve been posting networking articles on the Career Center and I’ve noticed that one critical piece is missing: don’t feel guilty about using parents/contacts to get a job! At least 60% of the jobs filled these days are though networking and internal referrals. Your social network should be the foundation of your professional network and the digi-gen can’t feel guilty about tapping that resource.
I’ve read many articles about my generation and how we expect jobs and careers to be waiting for us when we finish college. Yet when I look at my friends, I see a constant rejection of all social and professional connections; most detest seeking networking help from their parents and family friends that are well established in the business world. We are starting from scratch, instead of using the social foundation that our parents have built. How have we been networking practically our whole life and still feel a bit queasy when it comes to networking for something so important?
I understand my friends desires to accomplish their career goals without help, but as I’ve always said: networking is just business. Now my only credentials on the networking subject would be that I’ve had internet/social networking profiles since I was nine (that’s right, AOL on my 14lb Macintosh ‘luggable’ laptop). I also went to Smith College, where contacts and the alumna association are an integral part of our education (yes practically mandatory networking workshops). So what have I learned from these years that I say time and time again to friends struggling to find a job in the field they love? Use all of your contacts to their fullest potential. Stop worrying about nepotism and start worrying about how you are getting your foot in the door. Do you think that Donald Trumps kids would ignore or abandon their most valuable asset—their network—when finding a job? Don’t think so!
Put your misconceptions aside and get your foot in the door! It’s not always the most qualified person that gets the job; it’s the person that leverages their network most strategically.