Once again I’m finding fabulous career advice on Twitter. This time from Professor Tressie McMillan Cottom whose book, LowerEd, is top of my list of summer non-fiction reads (and should be on yours).
The entire thread is worth reading but I’ll post my favorite parts here.
On how to figure out what you’re qualified for:
About a year before you graduate turn your new social science skills onto yourself. Do topic modeling of job ads you find interesting. Do a content analysis of jobs by different occupational codes. Find the underlying tasks and skills embedded in them.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) June 1, 2018
On communicating what you’re targeting:
Take your previous course assignments and do the same thing. Visualize the themes. Count the themes. Do they match up? Now describe how they match to a person without a degree. Once that person understands it, you have a career target.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) June 1, 2018
On the reality of your first post-college job:
You won't get that job but it is a beacon. You will get a crap job. Almost everyone does right after graduation, especially in this labor market. But crap jobs are field studies. Learn from them and keep job searching. You never stop job searching, sorry.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) June 1, 2018
On getting alllll the tech skills before graduating so you stand out:
These classes are everywhere on campus: the library, the business school, the school of Ed, etc. It really doesn't matter what they are. Just do a skills grab.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) June 1, 2018
On in person informational interviews when you’re broke af
If you don't have money? Say, "I can treat if it's at this place I have a gift card for!". Most people will recognize the signal in that. If you can afford a cup of coffee? Ask them for exactly that and say in your note that you will gladly buy them a cup of coffee.
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) June 1, 2018
Just solid career advice. No bullshit. No false promises. Just reality.