Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely agree with everything Donna, aka @AvidCareerist, had to say. Job seekers commonly assume that the only thing corporate recruiters have to do is, well, recruit candidates. So not the case.

That said, recruiters, job seekers, alumni, students, faculty, if you have ever wondered why I didn’t return your phone call within an hour, it may be because I am:

1. Providing career counseling or job search assistance to between 8-20 students per week, depending on the time of year.

2. Assisting students during drop-in hours which consumes 6 of the 40 hours I work each week in the office.

3. Overseeing my institution’s post-graduation survey which involves collecting data from approximately 4,400 recently graduated alumni each May.

4. Managing my department’s social media presence as best I can.

5. Demonstrating LinkedIN to a group of students to enhance their networking skills.

6. Running resume search requests for recruiters.

7. Sitting in a meeting. (Trust me, I’d rather be returning your phone call.)

8. Overseeing and mentoring 2 interns and 17 student ambassadors that work for our office.

9. Writing content for my department’s website.

10.  Requesting reports from multiple departments, colleges, and offices to collate the data you requested on your uber-long voicemail about the number of women in the computer science program and the percentage of under-represented minority students in the nine engineering programs.

11. Speaking to a class about the importance of managing your online presence or how to network effectively at a career fair or rocking the on-site interview or any other number of topics.

12. Assisting recruiters on their on-campus interview day or at any of the 36 career fairs held during the academic year.

13. Eating lunch…at my desk…while responding to emails and trying to reach inbox zero!

14. Aggregating, cleaning, and analyzing data to precisely track the number of student interviews held by college, by major as well as the exact number of unique employers that visit campus each academic year.

15. Planning any of the multiple programs that are in constant development to serve our student population.

However, the main reason I have not returned your phone call is because you left me a voicemail while I was doing any of the fifteen (or more) activities listed above. If you desire a quick response, simply email me.

We should all keep in mind that our jobs are multi-dimensional. While it may seem recruiters exist to serve job seekers, they have multiple other roles as do most of us. Take that in to consideration the next time you lament about how unavailable recruiters are. Think outside the box, take some initiative, and instead of wasting your time complaining that you can’t get a recruiter to take your phone call, use that time to be productive in your job search.

Then I had the following correspondence with @JeffPulver:

“Hmm…”, I thought, “That’s an interesting response.” And on I tweeted.

A few minutes later, I received a direct message from Jeff Pulver:

Immediately, my heart, and perhaps my stomach, did flip flops. For those of you not on twitter – which is probably the majority of you – let me try to explain the novelty of this conference. The conference’s official name is the “140 Characters Conference: Exploring the State on Now” and explores how the real-time web has changed our lives – for the better;)

If you don’t think it has changed for the better, stop reading now.

Amazing people that I absolutely adore will be speaking at this conference. Ann Curry, Cory Booker, and Deepak Chopra are some of the names you might recognize. If you don’t, you might want to take a peek. They are changing the world for the better every day. But there are a ton of other speakers who are also changing the world who will be there.

There is Andy Dixon, “an ex-con with convictions”, who founded YouthTurns, an organization that works with high-risk children of parents in prison to break the cycle of generational incarceration.

Mark Horvath, a blogger, founder of invisiblepeople.tv and overall advocate for the homeless, will be there.

My son’s favorite designer, Marc Ecko, is attending and speaking. (No, I have not mentioned that to him…yet.)

Even cooler, there is a panel entitled The Lupus Ladies of Twitter which will be moderated by Amanda Greene, aka @LAlupuslady. For me, this is perhaps the  most interesting session because my best friend, Michelle Campbell Golladay, initially used twitter as a support system when her son, Mason, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes AND because my other best friend, Veronica Rahim, was recently diagnosed with lupus – and I think she could use twitter as a support system and resource.

The entire conference is jam packed with creative, energetic, full of life people. As extraverted as I am, I have a feeling I am going to be exhausted after two days with these amazing people.

Back to my story…

Our twitter conversation continues (read from the bottom to the top):

To make a long story short, I registered for the conference and Jeff Pulver booked my airfare! Next Tuesday, I will have the incredible opportunity to meet him and participate in the #140confNYC2011!

Now kids…this may seem like it “just happened” but I prefer to think that things happen for a reason. Stay tuned for more!

Although there are glimmering signs of life in the economy, the job market is still tight. Tight translates to competitive. If you spent the last four (or five or so) years of your college experience attending class and not much else, you are at a distinct disadvantage compared to your peers that worked their way through college, sought out internships, held leadership positions in student organizations, or sought out other ways to build their skills.

While you cannot change the past, you certainly can take charge of your future. Here are some examples of ways to be remarkable:

(1) Volunteer. Seems obvious and simple, right? Not really. Being a valuable volunteer consists of much more than showing up once or twice at a homeless shelter to dish out mashed potatoes. To enhance your résumé and develop skills, seek out a volunteer opportunity that consists of an ongoing commitment. Become a Big Brother/Big Sister, educate young people on business with Junior Achievement, or be a Special Olympics coach. The possibilities to get involved in your community are endless. Making a commitment to be a volunteer on an ongoing basis will hold more weight with potential employers as well as give you experiences to highlight your skills during interviews.

(2) Join an organization  – and get involved. Joining an organization just because it is related to your major or degree doesn’t make much sense if opportunities to get involved, gain experience and network don’t exist. Be intentional with your involvement. Need to develop public speaking skills? Join Toastmasters. Want to gain event planning experience? Research local non-profit organizations to identify if they hold a yearly event. Contact the committee chair to offer to help. While you may only play a small role, you will gain knowledge, experience, and contacts.

(3) Pay it forward. Join AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a national service program designed to specifically to fightpoverty. While serving, members receive a living stipend, health coverage, student loan forebearance, and other benefits. After successfully completing a year of service, participants also receive an educational award to pay off student loans or to finance graduate school. A related service opportunity with similar benefits is City Year. New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Miami are just some of the exciting cities you can make a difference in, as well as earn valuable leadership and interpersonal skills.

(4) Start a charity or non-profit. Is there a need in your community that you would like to see filled and are passionate about? Go for it! Starting a non-profit will develop numerous skills: fund-raising, communication, leadership, project managment, not to mention the networking opportunities. Many non-profit organizations allow individuals to start a local chapter and provide support and training.

There are several other ways to be remarkable: volunteer for a political campaign, join the national guard, teach English in a foreign country, start your own company. The key is that it takes time and dedication. You must be willing to invest in your future to be remarkable.

Not sure how to be remarkable in your community? Feel free to contact me through twitter, LinkedIn, or by leaving a comment below, and I will provide feedback on ways you can be remarkable.

In recent years, however, both employers and students have thrown ethics out the window. With the economic downturn, some employers have rescinded offers and students, looking for the best opportunity, have reneged on job offers. While in some instances, extenuating circumstances cause these situations to be unavoidable, I’d like to address the ethical conduct of a professional job search.

At some point in your job search, particularly if you have had multiple interviews, you will find yourself in a situation similar to this:

You interviewed at Company So-So last week and now they have made you a decent offer. They have given you two weeks to decide. However, you have an interview later this week, on Friday, with Ultimate Choice Company. To complicate things, Not So Much has also made you an offer, which is way better than you could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, they want to know by Wednesday, two days before the interview with Ultimate Choice.

What do you do?

In an ethical and professional job search, once you accept an offer of employment, you should not only no longer interview, you should also withdraw from the interviewing process with all other employers and no longer pursue positions with other employers.

Let me be perfectly clear. If you should choose to accept either offer, from Company Not So Much or Company So-So, not only should you not interview with Ultimate Choice Company, you should stop looking for a job. You have effectively taken yourself off the market.

In this scenario, you have options. If you want to interview at Ultimate Choice Company, do not accept either of the other offers. Instead, ask Company Not So Much for an extension of their offer. The worst they can say is no. If they say no, you are forced to make a decision – one that you will have to stick to.

It is also likely that you will not get an offer from Ultimate Choice Company prior to the deadline for your decision with Company So-So. Again, you can ask for an extension of the offer. When doing so, it is best to be honest without providing too much detail. Simply state that you have received multiple offers and need more time to weigh each opportunity fairly. While they might deny your request, they will probably grant you some more time.

The job search is rarely a perfect place where everything happens neatly and easily. You will face tough decisions and might have to pass on your top choice employer due to the time constraints of the hiring process. In the end, you should consider the importance of professional conduct and ethics in not only the job search, but in your upcoming career. There are always consequences and rewards for the choices we make. Choosing to act ethically and professionally is the best choice.

Regardless of their major or past experience, nearly every student responds, “I just want a job, any job.”

A great majority of soon-to-be graduates at Purdue secure employment well before graduation, therefore, I understand the anxiety about not having a job yet. However, appearing desperate is certainly not the way to get a job.

Be honest, when you read the question, “What type of job are you looking for,” did you think to yourself, “ANY JOB!”

Honestly, do you really want just any job?

If you enjoy meeting new people and building relationships on a regular basis, you certainly would not enjoy a position in a cubicle analyzing data for eight hours a day. Just the same, if you like analyzing data and are skilled at paying attention to minor details but do not enjoy interacting regularly with new people, it might be safe to say you would not be successful in a sales position.

(Hopefully, you are starting to realize why, “I just want a job,” is not only a poor answer but simply not true.)

The last thing a potential employer wants to hear is that you want any job. To be successful in your job search – and while networking during your job search – you will surely encounter this question. Let’s give some thought to how you should respond.

1. Eliminate the idea that you have to answer this question with an actual job title.

If you graduated with a chemical engineering degree, a response like, “Well, I think I’d like a position as a chemical engineer,” is likely not the best response either. Plus, chemical engineers do anything from improving food processing techniques, to refining petroleum products and developing synthetic fibers for the clothes we wear.

2. Take into account your skills and interests.

Start by making a list of your top 3 skills. If you have developed your personal brand or utilized an elevator pitch, you should have a grasp on your skills. If you paused when you read the last two sentences to think, “Hmm…what are my skills?”, you have work to do.

Give some thought to the skills you have developed at internships and part-time jobs, and through academic coursework or being involved in student organizations. You will want to ensure the skills you choose to feature align with what employers want as well.

3. Identify your career interests.

What industry or field do you want to work in? What type of company (large or small; corporate, non-profit, academic or research and development; start-up or Fortune 500) do you want to work at? If you aren’t sure, spend some time researching companies and reviewing job postings to get a better idea.

Once you have determined what skills you want to emphasize and which career interests you want to pursue, you will be able to answer this question with clarity and confidence.

Take a stab at it by leaving a comment to answer the question, “What kind of job are you looking for?”

As a college career counselor, I have a front row seat to the job search game. Let me tell you, folks, it’s brutal for recent college graduates.

It is October 2010 and I am still working will May 2009 grads and May 2010 grads. The economic climate pushed many of those grads to apply to graduate school, live with mom and dad, and seek out internships instead of full-time positions. Many are working in positions that do not even require a college degree.

As I assist recent college grads with their job search, the majority have a similar story. They’ve submitted multiple resumes to multiple companies with very few responses, if any. Unfortunately, they are all making the same very big mistake. Somehow, these young, very tech-savvy people believe that they can find the perfect job by sitting at their keyboard submitting resume after resume to job openings on CareerBuilder, Monster, and whatever other job boards are out there swallowing up resumes in a big, black hole.

Listen, and listen closely.

The chances that you will secure a job by submitting 100+ resumes to online job postings are slim to absolutely none.

This shouldn’t be news to anyone, but, in the event that it is, here are a few ways to breath life in to your job search.

1. Use the internet to find people instead of jobs. If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn profile – and use it. Search for alumni in your field. Join groups and interact. Follow companies and do your research. Be knowledgeable.
2. Network. Meet people. Yes, real, live people who talk, walk, and –  wait for it – know other real, live people. Don’t know how? Learn how to use the art of the informational interview effectively.
3. Be able to convey your strengths, skills, and knowledge. If you can’t convey your skills to a potential employer, why should they hire you? Networking is the perfect opportunity for you to practice.

While networking is not easy, it is worth it. You can continue to submit resume after resume to that big, black hole and never get  a response or you can reach out to real, live people and get a response nearly every time. Sure, from time to time, someone may simply not have time to help you. Each time you reach out to a new contact on Linked In, by phone or by email, you are taking the risk that someone may so no. However, I guarantee you will get a much better return on your investment of time and energy by meeting new people and extending your network than filling the big, black hole.

So I challenged those students. Clean up your Linked In profile and start using it to connect!

In case you missed it, here are a few of my tips from the Back-to-School Linked In Challenge as well as some new suggestions for getting – and giving – the most on Linked In.

(1) Pimp out your profile! Your Linked In profile is your opportunity to include all of that “extra” information you wish you could fit on your resume. It is, essentially, your resume on steroids. You can also use Linked In as an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

(2) Customize your URL and include it on your resume.

HOW TO: Go to “Settings” at the top of your LinkedIn homepage in the upper right-hand corner. Under “Profile Settings”, click the “Public Profile” link. At the top is “Your Public Profile URL”. Click “Edit” (in small print to the right). Once you have entered your custom URL, click on “Set Address” to save it.

(3) Use the summary section to highlight your skills as well as your personality. Make sure you include keywords from your industry. Don’t know the buzz words in your industry? Do some research on your target industry and companies. The Purdue University Career Wiki is the perfect place to start.

(4) Don’t be afraid to connect with people you don’t know. Linked In is about networking. Most of the people on Linked In – even strangers – will be willing to connect with you. Not sure how? Check out this tutorial on informational interviewing and remember to always, always, always personalize an invitation to connect with someone you don’t know.

(5) Give some Linked In Love! Write a recommendation for someone. From my interactions with students, I have found that students often make the mistake of assuming they have nothing to offer professionals such as their professors, their boss from last summer’s internship or, their favorite career counselor. My most treasured recommendation is from a student. Not my boss. Not my colleagues. A student. Consider writing a recommendation for a professor that taught inspired you, a boss that a challenged you, or the advisor that mentored you. It will mean more than you know.

Not sure if your Linked In profile is all it should be? Connect with me by, first, joining the Center for Career Opportunities Linked In group, then sending me a personalized request to connect with me. If your profile is networking-ready, I will accept your request. If not, I will send you feedback to improve your Linked In profile. Let’s connect!

Phase I and Phase II were short posts  with four or five relatively simple steps to strengthen a Linked In profile. The series will continue with Phase III this Friday, August 13th.

In the meantime, here are some resources to utilize to ensure your Linked In profile represents you positively and completely:

LinkedIn Photo Advice – Why you should upload a photo and photo requirements

Professional Headline – This is your opportunity to brand yourself. Don’t blow it. Rock it!

How to Write a LinkedIn Summary For Dummies – I’ve never been crazy about the “For Dummies” genre but this post gives some good tips on writing the dreaded Summary section.

Other good tips and resources:

What is LinkedIn? (Video) – College Grad Life

Making Your LinkedIn Profile Effective – Jason Alba

LinkedIn Tips: Crafting Your Profile – Excelsior Partners

How to Network Effectively – Inc.com

I will continue to add resources to this post as I find them. Feel free to comment with resources you found useful.

If you know me at all, I do not expect anything out of my students that I also cannot deliver on myself. That being said…

What are my strengths? According to StrengthsFinder, my strengths are Input, Connectedness, Individualization and Woo. However, if I were asked in a job interview, these are the strengths I would discuss:

(1) I am an idea person. I continuously think outside the box and have multiple light bulb moments every day. To go along with  that, I have the ability to gather information and data to determine if  my ideas are actionable, have the potential to bring value to my organization and its’ stakeholders, and, if so, develop a plan to implement the idea. My best idea? My personal favorite is the CCO Leadership Academy which engages incoming freshmen in a weekly course to identify their strengths (with StrengthsQuest), as well as participate in a service-learning project to build their strengths and develop skills sought by employers. The “return on investment” produced by this idea is immeasurable as expressed and demonstrated by the students who participated.

(2) I take initiative. While some people look for ways to get out of work, I look for work to do. Last summer, during a time that is usually slow and serene in my department, I convinced my director that our website needed to be redesigned. With his approval, I taught myself HTML and learned how to build a website from scratch. Granted, I did have help from two part-time student workers who were handy with flash and asp.net, but the vision was mine. As a team, we eliminated poor content and developed new content, integrated social media, and also created new ways to engage students, connect with alumni, and recognize our 21st Century Partners. The best part about this project? I initiated without it even having been identified as a need by upper management – although it was – and it is an ongoing work in progress that I oversee the creative vision.

(3) Resourceful is my middle name. If I don’t know the answer, I will find out. If my colleagues don’t know theanswer, they ask me. Perhaps I sound boastful, however, I just called my colleague to ask her what she thought my strengths were and this was the first thing out of her mouth. I love knowing information. The world is an exciting place to me with infinite knowledge available to explore, learn, devour…you get the point. Some may not think this is such a strength worth mentioning in an interview but I guarantee my boss appreciates me not pestering her every time I don’t know something.

Keep in mind, when communicating your strengths during a job interview, or even in casual conversation during a networking event, you should be able to provide concrete examples or, as I like to call them, stories about how you have demonstrated or utilized your strengths. While I’ve provided short examples in my summary of my own strengths, I would encourage you to be a bit more detailed.

So…what are your strengths?

Leave a comment identifying one of your strengths with an example of how you have utilized it. The best answer, as determined by me and my readers, will receive a free access code to take the StrengthsQuest assessment, based on StrengthsFinder, which also includes access to the StrengthsQuest website and all of it’s resources!

I don’t have a good reason and I don’t believe in . (After all, there is a BIG difference between an excuse and a reason.) I’ve just been busy but aren’t we all?

What’s more, this is not a blog to say, “I promise to do better. From now on, I’m going to recommit to my original goal.” The truth is, I’ve added more to my plate and I don’t know if I will be able to blog on my site – at all.

What’s on my plate?

• I’ve agreed to blog bi-weekly on Dan Schawbel’s Student Branding Blog. This commitment will motivate me to write more consistently…just not for my own blog.

• I’m finally finishing my thesis. This endeavor will also force me to write more. I’m actually a bit embarrassed that I never completed it. I have an awesome career, however, no thesis means no master’s degree. What is even sadder? The institution I attended encouraged me to continue with doctoral coursework even though I had not made any progress on my thesis. I’m not blaming them. It’s my own fault for allowing it to happen. But, in my defense, a former student did write a thesis entitled, “Factors that contribute to masters degree non-completion in the Higher Education Program” at the University of Toledo.

• I’m starting my own non-profit organization. I’ve volunteered for most of my life but since I moved to the Lafayette area nearly 4 years ago, I haven’t made much of a contribution. I plan to change that.

After quite a bit of research, I’ve decided to bring Girls on the Run to Tippecanoe County – and I’m so excited!

Girls on the Run

The Girls on the Run (GOTR) program encourages girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. The curriculum addresses all aspects of healthy girls’ development – their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

I won’t be able to do this alone. I am in the process of identifying people to join my Steering Committee and Board of Directors. I will also need to raise funds – a lot of funds – to accomplish bringing GOTR to the girls of Tippecanoe Country.

Believe it or not, I’m not a runner. I despise running and I don’t foresee that changing. After all, someone needs to bring up the rear. However, the GOTR program is not just about running. The curriculum addresses a number of the issues children must face in today’s society: childhood obesity, school bullying, and peer pressure – particularly for adolescent girls’ body image.

Want to join me in my mission to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living? Send me an email at claudine@purdue.edu or leave a comment below. I’d love to have you!