Student debt is a rising concern for both students and parents. Alternatives exist for college-aged students who want hands-on practical learning for an in-demand skill that puts them to work faster and with less debt. As Tiffany discovered, getting access to the alternative options can be challenging and are typically not presented as an equal alternative to going to university.

We hope that with research and diligence you can find the right alternative for you (or your student). To accelerate this process for you, Tiffany has shared a few of the links we referenced within the episode.

Tiffany is a talent and transformation professional who spent 25+ years building her career at IBM and 2 years at Chubb. She specializes in talent management, skills strategy, learning & development, and change management projects and is available for consulting engagements.

Mike Rowe Works: https://mikeroweworks.org/about/ 

Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43 

North Florida Worlds of Work: https://www.northfloridaworldsofwork.com/ 

Brittany is an advocate for career development and is passionate about helping others reach places where they can thrive. But she has also encountered rejection and experienced feelings of self-doubt along her career path. During our conversation, she shared the practices that she uses to maintain a positive mindset, not take rejection personally, and create opportunities for action. Start with focusing on the things that are within your control. Your mindset has a strong influence on how you feel and also how you show up in the process. Seek and use feedback to reframe how you are interpreting the rejection. Use the challenge to build your resilience. 

If you are feeling defeated by the current job search environment, know that you are not alone. Keep going, keep shining. Thanks for listening. 

Actually being ready to interview can sneak up on you and might feel like something that is out of your control. But with some strategic preparation you can be ready for interviews and feel confident about how you will perform.

I recommend practicing answers to these commonly asked general questions:
Why are you interested in this position at this company?
What is driving your interest in this career path or line of work?
What led you to pursue a degree in XX?

Then take an inventory of situations to use as examples to answer behavioral questions and craft the story that sets the context for each situation:
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision without having as much information as you would like?
Tell me about a time when you had to share difficult news with a stakeholder about a project or deliverable?
Tell me about a time when you had to switch directions midway through a project or assignment?

You'll be able to match the situation that best fits the interview question. But also, be prepared to answer follow up questions that are designed to assess your learning agility like:
What other approaches did you consider but not take?
What did you takeaway or learn from that situation?
Tell me about time when you had to apply this learning to another situation?

And finally, practice, practice, and practice until you feel like you can consistently nail the interviews you have so diligently pursued. Ask for help from others to practice your answers and listen to the feedback you get along the way. Tap into your career services center on campus for assistance, that is what they are there for!

I hope this gives you a solid plan for preparing to interview. Good luck!

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Once you have these five things covered, you should work to build out your network by both adding connections and doing some active posting. I provide some suggestions regarding posting that will drive traffic and attention to your profile using posts that highlight work you are doing and including others you work or study with. 

I hope this checklist motivates you to use Linkedin as a resource and tool in your job search! Check out the other Career Launch episodes for other foundational tips on 5 actions to get started, resume coaching, frequently asked questions about job search, and coming soon....preparing to interview.

But there are some other not so obvious decisions that I think have significantly influenced the trajectory of her career. The first was transferring schools midway through her freshman year when she realized that she didn't want to major in what had drawn her there. It was a bold move that took a lot of courage. Another was deciding to continue interning during her senior year of college on a part time basis and making a decision to change her approach and timeline for getting a masters degree. Katie shares how she navigated these decisions and how she flexed her plan to make the most of the opportunities she had. 

Katie has been focusing her professional career on supporting learning and development, so sharing her story to help others is totally on brand. We hope Katie's journey inspires you as you write your own career story!

Key takeaways:
- Be as transparent as possible about your salary expectations with the recruiter, yes even the in-house recruiter at the company
- Be clear about what compensation and non-compensation components are most important to you 
- Don't be afraid to negotiate if the offer is not where you need it to be, or if there are additional items that you need 
- Know the details of how your current compensation package works, what dates are relevant, and what you are potentially leaving on the table

Jackie is an executive recruiter and sourcer, HR business partner, compensation consultant, and university relations leader. Most recently she has been successfully recruiting and placing candidates in management and executive level positions at the Cigna Group. Previous to that role she built out the University Relations function at a global retail Pharmacy company. She is open to connect and is currently exploring recruitment roles offering a flexible and remote first schedule. 

Phil Rathosky is currently the Recruiting Lead for a Technology focused Early Career development program. At his previous employer he led recruiting for MBA, Research Lab, and Human Health early career talent. Earlier in his career he worked for a couple of universities in residence life and alumni relations. In addition to recruiting, Phil is a project manager and a wellness advocate. When he is not working you will find him on long walks all around Philadelphia! 

Andrea is an experienced career consultant with a passion for empowering people to find their dream jobs. She is the founder of Career Consulting by Andrea as well as a presenter and coach for the University of Delaware Professional and Continuing Studies career services department. Most recently she has been a Pathway Program Director for TechElevator, which is an intensive in-person and online education provider helping individuals and companies acquire in-demand technology skills for the modern workforce. Connect with Andrea on Linkedin. 

We recommend that you: 
- Update your resume, but also be certain your Linkedin profile is updated and accurately reflects the entirety of who you are. People often forget to highlight the most important and interesting things about themselves
- Activate your network, by first engaging with people who have experience working with you to provide the ability to understand your strengths and what you are known for 
- Identify what you want to do next, without limiting yourself to your past experiences, industries, or locations
- Expand your network with connections at your employer, schools/ universities, volunteering and all other aspects of your life
- Invest time in your network, knowing that not every interaction will result in a job opportunity and even if you are employed, this investment is important to ensure you can hit the ground running if a job loss situation comes up for you

Being laid off is, for better or for worse, becoming more "normalized" than it has been in the past. It is important to remember that you are not alone, you have experiences and skills that are valuable, and there are resources available to give you the ability to move forward from here. Do not make the mistake of suffering in silence. There are resources available out there, coaches who specialize in helping professionals through career transitions. There are also people within your network who are willing to help. Use the tips highlighted in this podcast to find your advocates and build your "WIN" team. 

Jaime Diglio is the Founder of inFirst Coaching where she trains leaders and ambitious professionals on how to WIN at work and in life. With a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology combined with 20+ years in sales leadership roles at Gartner, Microsoft, Slalom, and various high-growth startups, her proven coaching techniques have become a secret weapon for her clients’ success.  As a TEDx speaker, mom and skilled performance coach, her highly sought after WIN Room Program is a game changer for anyone who wants to take their career to the next level.

1. Should I apply first and engage my connection later or first find a connection to refer me into the position?
2. When do I need to include a cover letter with my application?
3. What do I if I need to respond to an offer before I have completed planned interviews elsewhere?

As I share during this short episode, you must look out for you, always. There is often no one right answer, but by gathering additional perspectives you can form your opinion and create your plan forward. 

We discuss how to focus your requests when connecting with others for help and how you should make proactive networking a priority so that you are not just connecting when you need something. An interesting idea that Gabby shares is how to leverage a local volunteer opportunity in your community as a way to add to your network and acquire experiences that could go on your resume as well. We explore tips and best practices that have worked in a variety of different scenarios.

Gabby is the Founder of Morning Tea Coaching, which focuses on helping young women grow professionally by translating their school and life experience into a career they love. She also manages a Facebook networking group which helps women connect with each other and the resources they need to be successful. Check out that FB group for the resources she mentions in the episode or reach her directly by visiting www.morningteacoaching.com. 

We wrap up the discussion by talking about how adversity and practicing gratitude provide benefits throughout your career, while you are job searching but also in how you navigate acquiring experiences along the way. Christine suggests these resources as examples and useful tools.

1. 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity (entrepreneur.com)
2. https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-journal-pdf/

Blog: Resource to discover your Core Values Blog

Resources courtesy of Gabriele Lopez, of Morning Tea Coaching