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• Next CAREERsaver Open House: for adults and young adults is
  January 6th and 13th at 6:00pm. Location: APA Solutions. Register Now

• Fall 2009 - look for the release of the second edition of Joan's book
  MBA: More Bad Advice - What Today's Educators won't tell you about the real world of employment. Buy Now

Call 626-0070 or email APA@APASOLUTIONS.COM to purchase a copy.

Join Joan every Sunday morning from 9am-10am on KB1520AM for Buffalo Works talk radio show. "Buffalo does work, just differently!"

LEARN HOW TO *CREATE A RESUME THAT IS A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF YOU* *TALK EMPLOYER’S LANGUAGE* *INTERVIEW FOR TODAY’S JOBS* *TELL YOUR 30 SECOND COMMERCIAL* *DISCOVER YOUR TRUE CAREER PASSION*

READ OUR MOST RECENT ARTICLE IN WESTERN NEW YORK JOBS (WESTERN NEW YORK’S PREMIER EMPLOYMENT PAPER)

PRIMARY EDUCATION: BY JOAN GRACI AND COREY SWITZER  

“This moment has approached much too quickly”, I think as I am driving down the I90 to make the trip to pick up my daughter from college for the very last time. It was this monumental journey that caused me to pause and reflect on all of the advice I’ve given both students and parents throughout my years as a recruiter. There is no truer trial for a professional who acts as a trusted consultant then witnessing first-hand how your teaching relate to your own, very personal, situation.

I had bucked the very Italian tradition of my husband’s family that insists on a large local family unit and strongly encouraged my children to leave the Western New York area. This has nothing to do with my love for Buffalo but with my first-hand experience in how ill-prepared our young men and women are in facing the “real world”. In my opinion there is no better way to prepare our children than making them stand on their own two feet; alone, without the safety net of a parent close by. While I’m not trying to diminish the importance of the college and university coursework being so diligently taught to our kids, I’m talking about teaching them straight up SURVIVAL skills. These skills are NOT taught inside the brick and mortar establishment, yet they clearly separate the weak from the strong; the tribes who will make it and those who will not. Our children are leaving college with diploma in hand, stars in their eyes, and no specific plan in mind. Their ultimate goal is making as MUCH money as they can to stay out of mom and dad’s house in addition to a variety of other shallow reasons. I hail my daughter for having spent four years dedicated to the completion of a degree since that, in and of itself, is deemed to be an accomplishment. Though, as her mother and a professional who has seen this time and again, I see the fear in her eye as she is looking to take this next step…

Here’s what I hope I was able to teach her as she is relocating to Boston, MA to get her baseline of experience; treat your career in the same manner that the academic structure is formulated:

Grammar School: Find that company that will give you the base line of skills you need to be able to build upon. NEWSFLASH; learning is a life-long process so be quiet and listen to those who are willing to offer valuable insights. Learn how to apply the skills you’ve learned from supervisors and peers – even “bad managers” can teach you something. Be patient; your work life does not move at the same speed as the internet or necessarily provide you with the instant gratification that your generation so craves. Don’t fall into the “BIG MONEY” trap (waitressing, sales etc). You may be happy to pad your pockets with the short term bucks but you’re stunting your long term growth. If you’re still not sure about what you want to do, don’t fear, there are great resources available to you that can put you on track. If you can’t get a good start in Buffalo, get out of town for a few years; the time on your own will build your resume in many more ways than you could imagine. In figuring out how to take care of yourself, you’ll understand how to deal with that boss who won’t be your daddy! Learn anything you can; take advantage of training opportunities, take on more responsibilities than your job requires of you, don’t let yourself get comfortable! Making a constant effort to put yourself in situations that take you out of your comfort zone will serve you your whole life through. You will stand out because your friends will NOT be taking this advice, believe me. DO NOT continue on with your advanced schooling if you are unsure of the direction you wish to go in for your career. This is a mistake made by many a fearful graduate. Extra schooling is costly and is no substitute for actual EXPERIENCE.

Junior High: At this stage you’re becoming more career mature; start thinking STRATEGY. Keep your eyes on the prize; you know what I’m talking about, the next level on your latest video game. If you’ve stayed with a company for a two to three year timeframe and have learned everything you possibly could from that particular employer, it’s time to begin a selective search process. Make yourself aware of companies that are in the right product arena for the current economy and those that are in growth mode. Double check; have you built the fundamental skills attractive to these organizations? How does each company help you build upon your existing resume and skills sets? CAREERS ARE MADE; they just don’t happen. You need to make conscious “business” decisions to advance your career. Believe me, Paris Hilton stays in our faces for very specific strategic reasons; she’s run her career well! If a particular company you’re working for offers tuition assistance, go to school on their dime. Employers actually want to invest in the right workers. And remember, a healthy combination of work experience and positive work attitude spell success to an employer. Cry-babies and drama queens need not apply.

Senior High: Now you’re the big man/woman on campus! You’re confident. You enjoy your work because you HAVE picked the right company to partner yourself with that matches your core beliefs and preferences. You’ve done a great job with connecting the work dots and when you tell your “story” it’s filled with specific examples of how you’ve been able to make a positive impact. You’ve kept a journal of your accumulated skills sets and strategies on how to separate yourself from the competition. Now, instead of employers calling the shots you can be selective about who you choose to partner with. EMPLOYERS WILL BE CALLING YOU! Be flattered for a moment, but it’s time to look at each offer as a business deal. Weigh the risks, the gains and losses; is it lucrative for you to partner on? If (and only if) all thumbs point up then you’ll know the move is a good one. Don’t bother yourself over the money; if you’ve run your career successfully the money will come.

If I had to sum it all up, I’d tell my daughter If you’re looking to create for yourself a long and successful career, you need to have a thick skin and can never quit. Careers are built by experiencing the good bad and evil. It’s OK to make mistakes along the way; we’ve all done it. So long as you can chalk your mistakes up to learning experiences to make wiser decisions for the future. An education is only the start of your journey and I’m proud of you for beginning it; now it’s time to continue on.

If you’d like to learn more about how to build a long lasting career Joan and CAREERsavers are here to help you help yourself. CAREERsavers is a 5 week seminar program that teaches you everything from how to create a resume that is a true representation of you, what work environments/careers suit you best through a comprehensive personality profile, how to effectively tell “your story”, what employers are thinking and feeling today and how to interview with them. Come to our FREE open houses every Wednesday morning at either 7:00am or 8:00am to learn more. 626-0070 to reserve your seat!

If you need some immediate Joan satisfaction, tune into KB1520AM every Sunday morning at 9am to “Buffalo Works” radio show.

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