Don't Blame it on Mister Rogers!

I mean really, how could you get mad at a face like that?  That cheerful red sweater and bright smile? Impossible.

Our generation doesn't seem to have the best image - I've heard us dubbed everything from "The Millennials" to the not so nice phrase of "Entitlement Generation" - And apparently it is all Mr. Rogers' fault!

The general idea seems to be that growing up in the 90s exposed us to TV shows, new parenting methods, and an overall change in society that promoted unconditional love and support.  How can this possibly be detrimental?  Well, like anything, too much of a good thing can be bad... 

Just ask a Tiger Mom.

This huge amount of complete support means that too many people were telling us we were "special" or "unique" when we were children.  Resulting in what, you might ask?  The expectation that our lives would be wonderful and picture-perfect without having to work for it.  Some common adjectives used to describe us include: lazy, entitled, self-involved, etc.

I'm not really sure how much this is actually true... I certainly know some very hard-working and motivated young people.  I guess it depends on how you were raised.  While I by no means had a "Tiger Mom" for a parent, I did have parents who expected me to always try my best.  This expectation that I would have to give 100% was also there with unconditional love.

Even when I came home with a 64% on an OPEN BOOK English exam!

It was 7th grade, my 12 year old mind clearly was not fully developed.  Haha good news is that while I cried (from completely horror and shock that I could possibly do so poorly), my mom was able to laugh at the situation and brush it off.  I mean, if it was an open-book exam, there is no way that I didn't try... what a struggle.

What I do know is that I think our expectations of post-grad life are very skewed.

Many of my friends have graduated with the expectation that post-graduation they would get their dream-job almost instantaneously, move into a great apartment in a city, and be fully satisfied with their future prospects.

Reality has since ensued.

More likely than not, your first job will be decent or mediocre, or even terrible.  But, it's a job and it will get you in the door for bigger and brighter opportunities.  Luckily I was prepared for this reality.  My parents had constantly warned me: "Your first job post-grad won't be a glamorous one."  And you know what? I'm completely okay with that!  A job is a job, and it can't hurt to gain new experience, build connections, and see what opportunities are really out there.

While I'm able to view this positively, many other grads out there are not so lucky.  Thus, the "Quarter-Life Crisis" has emerged.  Our generation is more depressed, unsatisfied, and insecure than ever before.  The idea that our lives should be 100% complete and stable by our mid-twenties is unrealistic - at best.  Yet, this is what many educated twenty and thirtysomethings are expecting.

The result is an enormous amount of pressure.  What I suggest is to stop, relax, and take a deep breath.  There really shouldn't be such expectation, we haven't earned our success yet.  All we can do now is just find what opportunities are out there and see what happens.  Dealing with an uncertain and unplanned future is scary, sure.  But we are young, let's enjoy it!

And have no fear, if you're having a particularly rough day and need some serious cheering-up, then maybe put on a re-run episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood... and sing-a-long:

"It's such a good feeling to know you're alive

It's such a happy feeling, you're growing inside

And when you wake up, ready to say:

'I think I'll make a snappy new day'"

                                                                     Always Optimistic,
                                                                                               BB

Will Work for Shoes

I think that the single most common question I get every day from people is some variation of: "what are your plans post-graduation?"

Already prepared with a fake smile and enthusiastic tone, I can quickly reply: "I'm still looking...!"

The thing is, I genuinely want a job - I truly love working and being productive.  I am motivated, hard-working, and ready to work my way up the business ladder!  I'm excited at the idea of having an income, getting my own apartment, and being able to buy myself nice things.  As long as I can afford a cute pair of shoes every once in a while, I'm all set. 

The only problem is, how do I start job hunting?

It is a very overwhelming process, and my university career center was no help whatsoever.  In all honesty, it was mediocre - at best.  To give you a general idea of the career center, I will highlight a couple of my experiences there, which definitely are representative.

Resumés - probably the first thing you begin to work on in preparation for a job search.  I think it is safe to say that it is the most important aspect in a job application.  What did I receive from the career office? My resumé, supposedly edited, with typos added into the original draft that I had provided!

Interviews - the second stage to getting a job.  Yet, my university's idea of interview assistance is to simply give you a sheet entitled: "Top 10 Most Common Interview Questions."  Oh yes, I do not joke.  I wouldn't be surprised if they simply printed this out from Google.

There are no resources for job listings - they tell you to just search on Google.  If they do (for some shocking reason) provide you with a job posting, you better make sure it is up-to-date.  My friend received a job listing from the career center, and not only was the job posting 5 years old and expired, but the contact hadn't been working at the company for over 3 years.  The list of inadequacies could go on and on.

This all results in a very unprepared and panicked college grad.

I don't mean to sit here and point blame.  Obviously it is ultimately my responsibility to find a job... it would just be nice to have some sort of guidance!

So for now, I remain job-less.  But I am still plugging away, excited and determined to find my first full-time job!  On my own, I have discovered great job resources such as LinkedIn or Monster Jobs.  These are really great sites to help connect to other professionals, build your resume, and get tips/ideas for job searching.

Honestly, I am not too worried, I have a feeling that it will all work out.  I'm usually not one to believe in fate, but in this case, I think what is meant to be, will be.

And while you might call it unemployment, I think I'll take the more positive approach and look at it as a nice vacation.  I mean, it is summer time, right? A nice cold beer and a Cosmo magazine will do the trick to help me forget these woes!

                                                                                                    Cheers!
                                                                                                              BB

Top Reasons to Join a So-Rawr-ity

Sorority girls - an interesting and mysterious breed of young college women.  I think they can best be summed up by one video:

And you know what, OMGBekah is not only hilarious, but she is spot-on!  She hits the nail on the head, and I crack up every time I view this.  Why do I find it so incredibly funny? Because I can relate - I can proudly admit that I am a sorority girl.  And yes, I am using the present tense, because although I graduated, I don't think you can ever fully get rid of the "sorority girl" persona that has taken over your personality during the 4-year college period.

Beyond the like, totally, super, awesome, fetch so-rawr-ity sisterhood, clothes sharing, and buying of friends with daddy's money, there is a real benefit to the Greek community.  I would even argue that OMGBekah missed one crucial aspect about sororities.

Reason #1: It helps you find a job

No really, it does.

In my sorority alone, there are over 150 collegiate campuses with more than 200,000 members - just think about the networking potential!  Even if an employer wasn't in your sorority per se, when you go for a job interview and if they were in a Greek organization, there is almost always a sense of camaraderie.

When you look even further, there are some really interesting statistics:

• All but two of the US Presidents since 1825 have been Greek
• 30% of US Congressmen/women are Greek
• 42% of US Senators are Greek
• 40% of all Supreme Court Justices have been Greek
• 30% of Fortune 500 Executives are Greek

And with all these numbers, Greeks only make up 2% of the US population.  We really breed success don't we? #winning.

Besides the networking potential, sororities really do help prepare you for the real world.  How, you might ask?  As silly as it sounds, the answer lies in: Sorority Rush.

For those who might not know, sorority recruitment is that oh-so-fun time of year when you bring new girls into your chapter.  It is like extreme speed-dating, on crack.  Through a series of mini-parties, you meet and greet hundreds of girls, all of whom have the potential to join your sorority and become new sisters.  Through the course of these parties, you are determining if the girls would be a good fit to become new sisters.  At the same time, the girls are mutually judging to see if they themselves want to join your particular sorority.

I'll let you in on a little secret: the ultimate goal is to make every girl love your chapter and want to join.  That way, you can pick the cream of the crop, and get exactly who you want.  This is easier said than done.

To reach this goal, there is a lot of preparation.  Every sister who talks to these potential new girls acts almost as a "brand ambassador." You are the face of your chapter and represent your entire sorority.  So, you must be able to, in a way, sell yourself.  How does one prepare?  That's a secret I can't share, but I can tell you this: I have four years of training and experience to talk to anyone, about anything, for an indefinite amount of time.  All the while, subtly selling myself.

Honestly, this is just like job searching.  I know it must sound terribly manipulative, but it is no different from preparing yourself for a job interview!

A job interview isn't an interrogation, it is a conversation.  Every conversation is different, and you need to prepare accordingly.  In addition, an interview is almost always with a stranger - a stranger who represents a company, who needs to convince you that the potential job is a great fit.  Like sorority recruitment, you are trying to determine whether you want to join this organization.  At the same time, you also need to convince the interviewer that you are the best choice for the job - You sell yourself.

So scoff all you want at sorority girls.  There are certainly valid reasons for poking fun!  But do not be so quick to judge, it has definitely provided me with great life skills.

                                                                                  Love and Snaps!
                                                                                                           BB