<p>Fireandrain, how wonderful to hear!</p>
<p>Great news, fireandrain! Moving on to a more desirable location will be easier after a few years of experience under her belt. And who knows–maybe the location will grow on her during that time.</p>
<p>That is awesome, fireandrain! D gets updates almost every week from at least one of her fellow grads of new jobs…the jobs are there, just not a big flood of hires (yet).</p>
<p>We’ll be packing up the van (and trailer) and heading up to the Boston area with load #1 of D’s stuff for her new “real” apartment. She found one in a great location very close to where she’ll be on campus (Harvard)…a “cozy” studio apartment. She’s been arranging potential “furniture” on a sheet of graph paper for about 3 weeks now. She’s definitely a minimalist. I, on the other hand, am a packrat and probably have enough stuff at my house to comfortably set up housekeeping for 3 or 4 families. So, I’ll be working on keeping my mouth shut and my opinions to myself. She’s packing up her whole bedroom, packing boxes for “when” she has a lot more room for all of it. It’s so exciting. Her bf should hear in the next week or two from an interview he had up there last week… </p>
<p>I’m looking forward to having Boston/Cambridge as a place to visit for the next 5 years. I just wish it weren’t so far from NC… (said as only a mother can!)</p>
<p>oh, but the food in Boston is SO worth it, astrophysicsmom!! Be aware that every one in Boston seems to have a lease that turns over on September 1st. Could not find a parking space in the North End for love or money the night of 8/31 last year. I had to drive around while S2 and DH went to get pastries. Furniture and boxes all over the streets and sidewalks as apartments turn over. Probably an excellent night to go dumpster diving! :D</p>
<p>:) Happy News!</p>
<p>DD graduated early (Dec 2010) and immediately went off to DC to work as an intern for the WH in environmental policy. She has just been offered a staff position with a high ranking Senator. Woot!</p>
<p>Congratulations APOL! A paid position in her chosen field of interest–priceless!</p>
<p>Oh Fauve-Thank you for sharing my excitement. I am so happy that she did follow her passions/interests. So many of my friends thought I was crazy to support her decision when our DD decided she wanted to study “Theater” and not a more academic degree…but we told her to study what she was interested in studying. That gave her the freedom to also pursue degrees in Political Science(BA) and Environmental Policy(Minor).
I agree~priceless!</p>
<p>Wow this thread is pretty inspiring. My D graduated last June and is back at home, although now that she’s 23 it’s getting old for her and us. She’s having the hardest time finding a job and I think is feeling a little depressed. </p>
<p>Originally she had applied to the JET program (Japan Exchange and Teaching) which would have been a perfect use of her degree in English and minor in Japanese, but since the Tsunami everything is on hold. Now it’s like she’s a teenager again- playing video games all night and sleeping all day. Sometimes I think her whole social life exists through that computer. </p>
<p>She’s got a great resume and excellent grades but my D is a little shy when it comes to having conversations, especially with people my age (age of would-be employers). I’ve thought about having her join toastmasters to work on her confidence but she’s terrified and doesn’t want to do it because she doesn’t feel like there would be people her age there. </p>
<p>Do any of you know of a good program for college grads to improve interview skills? I keep asking D to search for something online (I wish I had more time to do it) but as good as she is on technology she’s avoiding this one entirely.</p>
<p>It is depressing for the young people who can’t find jobs after achieving so much in college. My daughter is working at a summer job, but come August she will be pounding the pavement with everyone else. Like your daughter, ShanesDad, my daughter is on the shy side, and that worries me, because it seems that the outgoing kids are better able to situate themselves for a break. Reaching out to people and being able to network is so important in today’s economy.</p>
<p>Interviewing is a scary thing for many people, especially when there’s so much riding on it. But I think joining Toastmasters would be the best way to get practice speaking in front of strangers. I haven’t had any experience with it personally, but from everything I’ve heard, it’s an effective organization. And I think it’s free, right?</p>
<p>My daughter also studied Japanese, but for some reason she’s not eager to go there to live. Sorry to hear that JET is on hold, but maybe it’s better for our kids not to be there until the radiation situation is settled. I’ve heard from friends of a couple of recent grads, unable to find jobs, who went off to China to teach English, without knowing a word of Chinese. That’s got to be a tough gig! Talk about immersion.</p>
<p>My H is in Nashville this weekend, helping our D move from her near-school rental to a “real” apartment. She is working (Starbucks) but still trying to find a “career” job. She interned at a music management firm and a record label, and she had wanted to work in the music industry. However, after having ample time to contemplate her life (which she hadn’t really done when she was in the whirlwind of school/ECs/internships). She decided that while she really likes the music industry, she can’t see herself in it as a career. There are many reasons, all considered from a very mature point of view. Now it’s time to regroup. She has applied for some positions without success, but she hasn’t had a chance to really job search the way she needs to do it. She will be putting together a better game plan once she is settled into her new place.</p>
<p>It is hard to watch her struggle with this, and she doesn’t want to have to ask us for money. She refuses to consider coming back to Michigan, and she is determined to make it work. Her degree would lend itself well to work in the health care industry (policy, administration, etc), and Nashville is a good area for jobs in that field. It’s just tough to get a job when they all require 2 or more years experience! She is open to returning to school for a masters degree but not until 2013, since she doesn’t want to rush into school when she isn’t even sure what she wants to do. </p>
<p>It is always hard to watch our kids struggle. I hope we get more activity on this thread with updates about successful job searches! :)</p>
<p>My S’11 just finished an ESL certification and will teach English in Shanghai later in August. His contract is for one year with extension for 2 if successful.
He was pretty careful when he interviewed but then again he lived in Beijing for a year in HS and did a summer at Peking university. He reads and writes Mandarin very well and is looking to improve his speaking fluency. He was a double major in Econ and East Asian Studies and hopes to get some business contacts among the expats while he was there. He’s an optimistic kid so I guess that helps!
Because of fluency, tutoring experience and ESL certification, he was able to negotiate for a pretty good salary - for living in China, that is! He thinks he’ll be able to save for grad school. IMO, I think he’ll spend everything on travel but at least he’s off our payroll!</p>
<p>Shanesdad-
My shy son graduated from a top school in 2010 but struggled getting hired. He was getting interviews for good jobs and would often get called back for second and third interviews, but when it was down to the final 2 or 3 candidates he did not get picked. It was heart breaking to see his self confidence erode. Like your daughter he refused toastmasters. He also refused Dale Carnegie. </p>
<p>What helped -
- While continuing to job search he volunteered in a situation that required conversing with adults… Also worked as temp. He was expected to spend 40 hrs a week being productive - of course job search and prep time counted.
-Informational Interviews with business contacts allowed him to practice his interview skills and get feedback about how he came across - non stressful situation as no job on the line
- Used techniques from a self help book for painfully shy - specific techniques to assist him in coming across as confident<br>
- Used internet sites like glassdoor to get information about likely interview questions. - Over prepared for interviews - read lots about the company and practiced answers.</p>
<p>After 10 months, he finally got picked!</p>
<p>great story, daffymom! Your techniques were obviously good ones.</p>
<p>I can see my youngest S in your S. He is a rising college sophomore, typical computer science nerd with not the greatest conversational/interview skills. He has some growing to do between now and graduation! We will see what sort of internships he gets in the meantime. And this summer he is only working a few hours/week, but the rest of the time he is volunteering in a medical research lab where he does talk to adults, abeit about biology & lab techniques!</p>
<p>I view any time OFF the computer as “growth experience” for him.</p>
<p>S-2 graduated Chapman U./Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, with majors in Screenwriting and History. When his coursework wrapped up last December, he took a 3-month internship with an L.A. boutique film production/management company. After that, he worked for a moving company. A hot and sweaty job for a small, wiry guy with a tiger work ethic. </p>
<p>By May, he found a tiny studio apartment in Downtown Los Angeles and enjoys strong, positive feelings about his neighborhood. </p>
<p>In July, he created a new job for himself at L.A.'s Downtown Comedy Club, run by Garrett Morris (original SNL cast). Son pitched them some creative marketing approaches. By the end of the meeting, they took him on as the club’s Head of Promotions. </p>
<p>He’s currently looking for one more part-time paying job in TV, Media or Film. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, he’s submitting to film festivals a short film he’d written and directed last summer. For new work in films, he’s in daily contact with a network of other college graduates from Chapman living in L.A. They’re all beautifully trained, loyal to one another as each gets a foothold. They’re all skilled and highly creative. I’ve met many of them. Great group.</p>
<p>I long ago got over the fact that he’s living across the country from here, since he’s doing exactly what he wants to do. We visit by plane.</p>
<p>His approach: one step at a time, network continuously (including in person), stay positive and healthy.</p>
<p>S graduated in May and found a job at the end of July. He’s excited about it. It’s in his field, and has a decent starting salary with a “goal” (company’s term) of increasing his pay by 10% every 6 months for the first 18 months. </p>
<p>He’ll be living about 200 miles from us. Luckily for him the job is very near his grandparents, so he can live with them until he finds an apartment & roommate in his price range (and commuting range).</p>
<p>My advice for anyone looking for a job? Tell EVERYONE you are looking, and have everyone in your family tell everyone they know. In S’s case his younger sister had mentioned to her boyfriend that S was job hunting and what his major was. Her boyfriend is a rising college senior in a similar major, and he was looking for a summer internship. A friend of BF’s parents sent BF a posting, but it was for a permanent position. So he forwarded it on to S, and told him to mention BF’s name. S sent his resume with a cover letter saying that BF had forwarded it to him, and it went from there. Of all the people who I thought could help S find a job, his younger sister - who is a rising college sophomore in majoring in a completely different field - was NOT where I would have predicted the link would have come from!</p>
<p>Anyone with shy kid and difficult time speaking with adults, I would like to suggest for you to create opportunity for more of such interaction. Have friends over for dinner and have your kid participate, make him/her sit at the dinner table. Take your kid with you when you are meeting a friend for lunch. Give your friends heads up, ask them to help your kid to practice in speaking with adults. </p>
<p>Growing up, our kids participated in many of our adult events. We entertained our business associates and friends at home, and they were expected to eat with us. They would get dressed and put on their best manners. When they were younger (3-5), it was a chore, but as they got older, they became very helpful with serving and they were good at conversing. We talked to them later if they said or did anything inappropriate. They also observed our interactions with people and figured out what to say or not to say. </p>
<p>We see so many smart young people on this forum, but not all of them know how to express themselves without offending people. I imagine their parents have never expected them to have any interaction with adults, and just expected them to know how to act. It is similar to public speaking, it takes practice in dealing with people who are older than you. Unfortunately, for the young graduates, people who doing the hiring are often older (much older) than they are.</p>
<p>I felt the HS class of 2007 was missing from the class of xxxx section. I found this old thread.
My 2007 HS grad is settled into a great permanent salaried job after two contract positions. Loves his job. Has a long term GF but no marriage plans yet.
Anyone else still around?</p>
<p>Post graduation D1 did a year each of Americorps and working for a non-profit in DC. Returning to the West Coast this fall to start med school.</p>
<p>S2 was high school class of 2007!
He recently completed his masters in public policy and has started his dream job doing policy development and advocacy for a nonprofit near and dear to his heart.</p>
<p>Thank you for resurrecting this thread!</p>
<p>What a treat to see mom60, entomom and boysx3-and to hear what their children are doing since HS 2007/C 2011.
Our DD (Northwestern 2010-Theater/Political Science/Environmental Policy)-first worked as an intern in the White House. She was able to parlay that to a salaried position for a Senator, first handling environmental policy, and now budget issues. LOVES living and working on The Hill.</p>