Patricia Rose – Page 9 – Penn & Beyond

Tattoos: Think Before You Ink

by Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services

The good news is that the job market for new college graduates is not as bad as the press is reporting, or rather, it’s not as bad for Penn grads. Quite the contrary, the 2011 grads did well in the job market, and while some sectors have reduced their interviews, others are ramping up.

But the less good news is that the market is still very competitive. Employers have their pick of good candidates. That means you have to make a strong first impression, and to present yourself as professionally as possible.

Last week I received an email from a student at another university, who was writing a paper on tattoos in the workforce. She asked me questions I couldn’t answer, such as, have tattoos become more acceptable in the last ten years. I suspect the answer to that is yes, but a very qualified yes. A Vault.com survey from 10 years ago found that almost 60% of employers said they were less likely to hire a candidate with tattoos or piercings. Maybe fewer feel that way now. A quick search didn’t turn up more recent studies. But even if that percentage has been reduced by half, about one in three interviewers will still reject you if you have tattoos.

What that means for job hunters is this: as far as employment is concerned, think twice before getting a tattoo in any place that is visible when you are dressed for a summer’s day. While certain fields, such as the arts, may be more accepting, I would not take the risk.

If you already have a tattoo, my advice is to cover it up during the interview process and, at least initially, in the workplace. This assumes your tattoo is not offensive. If anyone could be offended, keep it covered up at all times. (And if you have multiple piercings, remove some of your rings too, but that’s a subject for another blog.)

Employers are looking for new hires who will fit in with existing staff, and who will represent the organization well with clients or others in external organizations. They may personally not object to tattoos, but don’t want to risk offending clients. So before you do something you may later regret, think before you ink.

What’s going on in this year’s job market? Are you ready?

by Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services

A new semester, a new year, a new job market. Are you ready for 2012?

I have been getting reporters’ questions, from the DP to The New York Times, on what fall recruiting will look like. Here is my take: it may be a bumpy ride, but because you are at Penn, you are well-positioned to succeed. But you must be ready; hold on tight.

Most employers don’t like uncertainty, and we are living in uncertain times. Will our recovery continue at its painfully slow pace, or will we fall back into recession? Will consumer confidence falter, making consumers reluctant to resume spending? Will our federal government manage to solve our debt crisis? Will President Obama be re-elected? Will the current Congress? Having sat in this seat a long time, I have found that the spring before a presidential election, employers are more likely to sit on their hands and wait and see what November will bring. Will 2012 be any different?

As you face the fall hiring season, or the later internship recruiting cycle, it’s important that you not give in to gloom and doom. The fact is, employers are coming to recruit. Next week, about 140 employers will attend CareerLink over two days, September 13 and 14. The following day, September 15, almost 90 will attend Engineering Career Day. Additional career days will follow in the months ahead. On-Campus Recruiting will begin on September 27, and we are all booked up until early November. Another burst of activity will be in February, marked by the start of internship recruiting on February 1, and the huge Spring Career Fair on February 17, where a broad range of employers will be recruiting both interns and 2012 graduates. Many employers don’t visit campus, but post their open positions throughout the year on PennLink.

Employers always need entry-level staff. The question is, how many will they need? We already know that the federal government, as well as state and local governments, besieged by budget cuts, will not be doing a lot of hiring. Some of our traditional employers, such as the largest investment banks, are doing more and more of their full-time hiring from their intern classes. Those who would like to interview for bank jobs may see more opportunities at boutiques and regional firms, or on the buy side (for example, at investment management firms) than on the sell side.

If hiring is flat (a good thing for us at Penn, since last year was a very good year) or down a little, the best advice I have is to be ready (our workshops have already started, and employer information sessions begin today), be prepared, be flexible, and be smart: use Career Services. We really can help you put your best foot forward, regardless of your ultimate goal. We’re here – come and see us. Good luck. And don’t let this volatility scare you: opportunities are out there.

What I learned on my summer vacation

by Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services

Actually, I didn’t get much of a summer vacation. Those of us who are administrators work all summer. Of course I did take one week off to vacation with my family, and several long weekends, and I learned I like these mini-vacations, rather than one long one. I read a recent article on vacations, which described research on what makes them satisfying. I learned that the anticipation is almost as important as the actual vacation. So I did lots of anticipating, and I enjoyed that.

I also learned that yes, this region of the country can have an earthquake and a hurricane in the same week. Anticipating Irene was awful, but at least here in Philadelphia we got lucky. But I learned to have sympathy for those states south of here who must endure hurricanes almost annually. At least I didn’t have to anticipate the earthquake, which was fortunate.

I didn’t learn how to putt better, or to come up with a filing system that works, or to do any number of things I had hoped to do. But I learned long ago not to make New Year’s resolutions, or summer vacation resolutions either. The important thing about summer is to find some time for family and friends, to eat produce fresh from the farm, to find a hammock (or a suitable substitute), and read a book. If you found time to do this, you are lucky. I know I am.

Summer’s over now. What did you learn, about yourself or otherwise?

Be Like Rory

by Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services

Last week’s U.S. Open Golf Tournament was thrilling to watch, especially for those looking for new, young stars. There was Patrick Cantlay, the UCLA freshman, an amateur who played the championship in even par, something only 21 others could manage. And Kevin Chappell, a tour rookie, who at 24 tied for third, and was the top American finisher. But the week belonged to 22 year old Rory McIlroy, who won in record-setting fashion at 16 under par.

McIlroy, from a working-class background in Northern Ireland, was humble and approachable throughout the tournament. Yet he exuded confidence with his every shot. How different from his experience this spring at the Masters, when he blew a big lead in the final round, and finished well off the pace.

What happened after his humiliating defeat? McIlroy didn’t hide from the press, or the public. He took time to analyze what went wrong, and resolved not to repeat his mistakes in future tournaments. And then he let his Masters defeat, and his public embarrassment, go. He didn’t dwell on what might have been. He didn’t get down on himself. He moved on. (In fact, he participated in a humanitarian visit to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. As he said upon his return, no one died at the Masters.)

We all can take some lessons from Rory. First, be confident, regardless of age or lack of experience. Any number of young people have achieved greatness at an early age. So may you. Second, face up to your mistakes. Even the horrible public embarrassing ones. Learn from them. Figure out what to do so as not to repeat them. And then third, let them go and move on. Do something for someone else. Don’t wallow in your disappointment. Life is too short.

We all can’t win the U.S. Open, but we can all be like Rory if we try. He’s one sports hero who is truly worth emulating.

Congratulations, Graduates! Now what?

On behalf of everyone in Career Services, I want to extend our congratulations to everyone who is receiving a Penn diploma today. It was a pleasure and a privilege to get to know you as you pursued your degree. In fact, you are the reason we do the work we do: you are an impressive group indeed, and have much to contribute.

Now what? Well, if you have made your plans for post-graduation, please fill out our survey. The undergraduate survey is here. If you received a graduate degree, please respond when we ask you to complete the survey, or go to our web site and find the form for your program. Thank you! And please do stay in touch. Drop us an email and let us know how that new job, graduate program, or post doc is going. We value your insights.

What if you don’t have a firm plan yet? Please let us know how we can help you over the next few months. As Penn alumni you continue to have access to our services. In many fields, we know that the job market is still challenging. In others, opportunities are only now starting to be announced. We can help you figure out how best to approach your job search. If you are planning to apply to graduate or professional school for 2012, we are here to help with the application process.

We are here all summer, and available to meet with you. If you are not staying in Philadelphia, we are happy to schedule a conversation over the phone. Soon we will offer Skype appointments as well. And keep an eye on our web site and our social media. There is much there that can be helpful to you.

But for today, enjoy the chance to reflect on all you have accomplished. Once again, congratulations, and all the very best as you leave Penn to meet your future.