Categories
Business Musings

5 Tips To Keep Momentum Going in Your Job Search

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The road ahead may look bleak at times, but don’t give up!

Spring is around the corner, so many students are gearing up for graduation and the post-college job search. Are you in the midst of that job search already? It can be difficult to maintain that excitement and motivation in sending out your resume and cover letter countless times. I know, I’ve been there; I remember my family would tell me “Keep pounding the pavement!” but at times, I’d just want to stay home and sleep instead of mortifying myself with another rejection.

So, let’s look at a few things you could do now to keep going until you land that job:

  1. Keep track of which companies/positions you have applied to – Important, and definitely will save you when you’re perusing through the same jobs board. I used to save every job posting into a Word document so I’d know which one I had applied to; I also would keep an Excel sheet with the status of the application. Granted, I did this back before Evernote or any other tracking apps were around. However you choose to execute this task, do it in a way that will keep you organized and moving forward.
  2. Follow up with any outstanding applications with a phone call or an email – Check your list of job applications: are there any where you can contact someone at the company to follow up? Do this a week after you’ve submitted your application or after you’ve had an interview; send a quick note or a quick phone call (depending on the size of the company!) just asking about the status of your application. Be polite and, if the company is a smaller one, you may get a response (and maybe even get priority because the manager will remember your name!). Better to know now and plan your next action right away than left hanging, wondering…
  3. Make a timeline for yourself and stick to it – This goes along with the tracking tip above; give yourself a concrete timeline to follow so you will stay on-track. Graduating in May/June? Map out your remaining time in classes and figure out which day/week you’d like to have a job confirmed. Write in action steps along the timeline and push yourself to stick with it! If you need extra motivation, get a friend or family member to be in on your timeline and hold you accountable.
  4. Take a day off from the job search – Yes, do this or you’ll go crazy. Just like with a regular job, you also need time away from your job search! Designate a day each week where you won’t do any job search-related tasks. Go out, have fun with your friends, talk a long walk, etc. Just take that time away from your tasks and it’ll refresh your mind.
  5. Don’t give up; stay persistent and hopeful. Keep trying! – I’m going to get all philosophical on you here: nothing great comes from doing nothing. So, keep going at your search! It may seem like a long road ahead (and a lot of unknown territory), but, you can and will land a job soon enough. On average, it took me a few months to finally get an interview and a job out of that interview. At times, I did feel like just giving up….but I feel that’s the moment when you really need to push yourself and go.

Hope this list helps in your job search endeavors!

Categories
Asian-American Who I Am

“Where are you {REALLY} from?”

I come from the sky, the mountains, the earth...
I come from the sky, the mountains, the earth…

Every time I hear this question, I immediately go on the defensive. This person thinks I’m from Asia! Gosh! Yet, I’m not entirely wrong on assuming what the other party thinks; most people will profile me on the way I look to determine how they should speak with me.

I actually dreamt last night that I was waiting in line at a library, waiting to ask a question, and I was  ignored by the librarians; they instead wanted to help out the non-Asian patrons behind me. In the dream, I ran off yelling about how rude, disrespectful, etc. the librarians were.

Growing up, I experienced a lot of discrimination like this; even today, my family and I are discriminated against. Whenever I go to the store with my mom back home, the cashier is always cheery to the customer in front (and behind!) us; when we get to the front of the line, the cashier immediately looks down, doesn’t raise his/her eyes to us, and doesn’t try to conjure up conversation.

We speak English, you know.

When I first started getting the question of “Where are you from?” in my adult life, I’d wrestle with my answer for a good few minutes. Do I tell them I’m from China? But wait, I wasn’t even born there and have only visited once. Do they want me to say I’m from China or somewhere in Asia? et .al.

I’ve received this question many times since moving to Denver, and nowadays I’ve perfected my answer to this: “I’m from Virginia. How about you?” And it seems that this is the best way to reply back to the question. Oftentimes I feel that the other party does want me to say I’m from somewhere in Asia, but by answering with my home state, I nip that thought in the bud. Sometimes I get the follow-up question of “Where are your parents from?”

Sometimes I get the jerkish question, “No, where are you REALLY from?” And at that point I just want to drive it home with a Southern accent: “I’m from southwestern VirGINeeya, thank ya very much. Where are y’all from? Wesconsin?”

Categories
Business Musings

6 Steps to Making an Impression at Your Next Interview

Better yet...not only greet the staff politely, but give them flowers! Photo 2009.
Better yet…not only greet the staff politely, but give them flowers! Photo 2009.

Perhaps this topic has been beaten to death with the plethora of articles out there about “how to ACE that interview”, etc. But I figured–might as well put a spin on the topic with my own experience.  I’ve been through my share of interviews: some of these I left feeling so clueless. It was hard for me to talk up much experience when I only had experience working at my parents’ restaurant and doing some online forum moderation.

Despite these supposed setbacks from my early 20s, I was able to ace a few interviews just by being myself. And…by doing the following:

  1. Greet the staff politely, with a smile – Common courtesy, folks. Greet the receptionist, the co-worker, whoever you meet first at the office. You just might be working with them in the future, so first impressions are important! Easier said than done, but get past those pre-interview jitters with a smile towards the first staff member you see. Maybe even make small talk with them if they are available to talk. It’ll calm you down.
  2. Wear business clothing (suit if possible, for both men and women) – Of course, this sometimes depends on what kind of job you’re applying for; however, I feel it’s always a safe bet to go overdressed than underdressed. I did this with my interview at English Language Institute: a nice suit jacket and slacks complete with a sleek purse/bag. Yes, I might have been overdressed, but I certainly made an impression (got the job a week later!).
  3. Have a few interview answers ready, tailored to company – Preparation is key! Find a list of interview questions–either online or in book form–and have your answers ready. Make sure to talk about relevant skills to the job and company you’re interviewing for. And then…
  4. Do your research on the company and go prepared with questions – Most, if not all, interviewers enjoy answering questions about Company X. It shows you’ve done your homework! And if you think it’s not important to ask them good, relevant information about the company, you are wrong. DON’T ask the interviewer about how much your job will pay; that just makes you sound greedy. Ask about the history of the company, or about the CEO’s background, etc. SHOW GENUINE INTEREST. This is especially important for small companies!
  5. Take note of the interviewer’s answers; jot them down – This won many points for me when I interviewed with one company; the business owner was impressed that I took the time to write down her answers! This shows that you care about what the interviewer has to say; that you’re detail-oriented; that you’re, well, respectful! I recommend going in with a legal pad or a regular ruled notebook. Don’t go for the notepads or your tablet/smartphone: both look bad in this situation.
  6. Send a thank-you note afterwards – In all my past interviews, I make a point to send a thank-you note via email (considering, in this day and age, quick responses = quick results?!). Just thank your interviewer for their time and what you enjoyed learning about Company X. Send this thank-you note between 12-24 hours after the interview so to keep your name fresh on the interviewer’s mind.

Follow these tips of mine, and you just might land that dream job of yours. Of course, if you want to, consult other interviewing how-to articles for the usual stuff; nothing beats past successes though.

 

 

Categories
funny My San Francisco Chronicles

[Friday Fun] 7 Ways to Embarrass Yourself in San Francisco

My friend & I, San Francisco July 2007. Being tourists...
My friend & I, San Francisco July 2007. Being tourists…

I just had to get this out; so many pet peeves of mine have come up regarding San Francisco, or, how outsiders think of San Francisco. Several of these things below I committed myself when I first moved there in 2007. Here’s a little list for you to follow so you won’t embarrass yourself when you get to the City by the Bay:

  1. Call The City [San Francisco] “Frisco” or “San Fran” – Oh. My. Goodness. This drives me CRAZY every time! San Franciscans are very very sensitive to the way the City is referred as….”Frisco” and “San Fran” are NOT proper. Say this in front of a SF resident, get something tossed at you. Even I, who no longer resides in SF, get super-peeved when I hear people referring to SF that way. Always stay safe and say “SF” or “The City” or just plain “San Francisco”. You’ll get more points in fitting in that way.
  2. Make the mistake of walking hills for two blocks – Yes, I did this when I first moved there. I remember looking at a map while apartment hunting; saw that, once I got off the bus, I only needed to walk a few blocks this way and that way. Little did I know….this involved the hilly streets in Nob Hill. Oops. I was panting by the end of my trek and I didn’t even get the apartment there. Note: I was panting after my walk because this was way before I got acclimated to Denver’s higher altitude.
  3. Think MUNI & BART mean the same thing and go the same places – Another one of my mistakes. Actually, before I even moved out to San Francisco, I thought BART was the only transit system in the city. I remember asking people on a Livejournal community (Oh….so long ago) about good places near BART stations in SF. I got a lot of confused responses from people. I arrived and realized oops….BART = Bay Area Rapid Transit. I should have been asking about MUNI instead (also, there’s the Golden Gate Transit and several other Bay Area transit systems running amuck within the city).
  4. Take a MUNI train the wrong direction and end up in a bad neighborhood – Ok, this didn’t happen to me, but I’ve heard this happening before: PAY ATTENTION TO WHICH DIRECTION YOUR TRAIN IS GOING. Usually, the “Outbound” trains are going towards Sunset/Ocean Beach. “Inbound” is going downtown. The only line that’s a little different is the T line….and please, you don’t want to make the mistake of taking the T Line the wrong direction. You might end up in a really bad neighborhood.
  5. Prior to arrival, make a comment about how San Francisco is “sunny and warm” – Such an assumption about San Francisco and California in general: San Francisco is foggy and “cool” for the most part. Temperatures range from 50 – 70 degrees year-round. Denverites, you’ve already heard me comment on how the weather is there: 50 degrees in SF is when people wear their huge winter jackets. In Denver, we wear shorts at that temperature. 😉 Anyway, don’t be fooled to think all of San Francisco is ALWAYS sunny like Downtown/Chinatown/Fisherman’s Wharf. The city has many micro-climates, so you may be riding a MUNI train from downtown to Ocean Beach and come across patches of foggy neighborhoods, sunny neighborhoods, and even cloudy neighborhoods. Always be prepared for the micro-climates!
  6. Not realizing the high cost of living before you move here – Oh yes; one of my biggest mistakes, but then again, I had just graduated from college and had no idea of how different the cost of living was throughout the country. I landed in SF, went apartment-hunting, and found my first studio by Pier 39. Monthly rent? $1,450 … and I thought that was cheap. Oh…naïveté. Do your research beforehand! Ask any locals about certain neighborhoods if you can; generally, I’ve found living by the ocean (the Sunset or the Richmond districts) is relatively more affordable than living in SoMa or anywhere downtown. To find much more affordable places, you will have to look outside of The City, but then you’ll need to factor in commute time if you work in SF.
  7. Think Bay Area = San Francisco – Ok, so San Franciscans like to think they are the only ones that exist in the Bay Area. But, don’t fall for that trap: the San Francisco Bay Area consists of many more cities and land than you may think. The North Bay is connected to SF via the Golden Gate Bridge; the towns up this way range from rustic to slightly ritzy, depending on how north you go. The East Bay is connected to SF via the Bay Bridge; go here for Oakland, Berkeley, etc. Walnut Creek is a nice little town out east. Then, there’s the Peninsula, Silicon Valley, and the South Bay: generally, South Bay refers to San Jose area. Silicon Valley and the Peninsula are all the towns in between SF and San Jose.

And there you have it: a not-so-definitive guide about San Francisco and how to draw less attention to you, the tourist or the newbie in the city. Take heed of these guidelines, and soon you’ll be able to fit right into the crowds in SF.

Categories
Birthday Memories

Birthday Story: Rebirth

Birthday dinner on January 30, 2010; hours before the accident.
Birthday dinner on January 30, 2010; hours before the accident.

I had gone back and forth over this decision. But I figure it is best now to just write it out in public and then let the past stay in the past.

Today, January 30, 2013, I will tell you what happened to me three years ago.

————————————————————————————————

To spare you too many details about my life prior to this date three years ago, I was in a very unhappy place in my life. So, to finally be able to celebrate my birthday in 2010 was a great feeling.

I planned a small party for January 30, since that was a Saturday: only my cousins, their then-boyfriends, my brother Adam, and one of my friends were invited. We had dinner at an Ethiopian place in the Fillmore District of San Francisco. Then we walked across the street to sing karaoke for a few hours. Truly lots of fun; karaoke always cheered me up.

The seven of us left karaoke after midnight, so it was already January 31st, my actual birthday. My friend drove back to the East Bay; the rest of us decided we would walk down Fillmore Street to Market Street so we could catch our respective Muni trains. So, we began to walk.

It was a cool San Francisco evening. I do not remember much from the walk, except when I looked up at the sky and said to my Adam, “It is a full moon tonight.”

What happened afterwards, I have no memory of. Adam and our cousins pieced together the story for me:

[Adam’s narrative]

We were crossing the street at the intersection of Fillmore & Oak. Our cousins and their boyfriends made it over; then, it was time for you and I to cross. We had the right-of-way. As we were walking in the crosswalk, a car came zooming up the hill and made a quick right turn. The car, with foggy windows, hit you [Helene] head-on. I moved quickly so the car could only slightly side-swipe my arm.

Then, the car continued down Oak Street with your body on top of the hood. I ran after the car, shouting “STOP!!!!” A few minutes passed before the driver finally stopped; you dropped from the hood of the car onto the sidewalk. You were bleeding badly from the head. You turned to me and said to me in Taishanese, “Adam, my head hurts.”

At that point, you stopped talking. The driver was unstable and we all weren’t sure if you were dead or alive. Eventually, one of us was able to get through on 9-1-1 and an ambulance was on its way.

Waiting for the ambulance seemed like an eternity. Fillmore & Oak is a big intersection, leading to the freeway; suddenly, a man and a woman appeared out of the slew of cars backed up in traffic. The man was a volunteer EMT; the woman was a doctor. I was nervous to see them approaching you, but they assured me they knew what they were doing. They lifted your head up, probably to stop the bleeding from going to the back of your head. They did this and other things until the ambulance finally arrived. Then, they left as they came.

You were out for 5-6 hours. I stayed at the hospital the whole time, hoping you’d be okay.

I woke up, January 31st, in the morning, in the Intensive Care Unit. I remember opening my eyes, and not understanding what was going on. I turned to my left and saw Adam sitting there.

“What happened, Adam?”

“You were hit by a car last night.”

The statement didn’t seem to have a full effect on me. Instead, I started spouting out names of people to contact since Adam had my phone on him. Then, I passed out again.

Throughout my time at the hospital, I remember different people visiting me: our cousins, our family friends, my co-workers. My parents and sister immediately got a flight to San Francisco for February 1. They arrived that evening, and I remember seeing them, saying hello. My sister and mother cried as they saw how beat up I was.

I was at the hospital six days. My injuries, at least the ones I can remember: internal bleeding in the head and a skull fracture. I needed sutures (stitches) on my head; I couldn’t wash my hair for two weeks. I had black rings around my eyes that healed slowly during the month of February. Surprisingly, no other part of my body was injured.

————————————————————————————————

And, three years later, I’m still okay. My skull fracture healed (or it became very insignificant); the patch on my head where the sutures were, it’s all grown back and you can’t even see the scar there anymore. I came out of this accident physically intact. No broken bones, disabilities, etc.

I can’t say the same for my psychological health; there have been many rough patches since the accident, where I’ve wanted answers as to how this could have happened on a day that’s supposed to be joyous. But, I’ve gotten a lot better….to the point that now, three years later, I am willing to release this memory into the atmosphere; I must move forward.

As my friend just told me earlier today, my birthday now is more of a rebirth than anything else. Before the accident, my birthday was just a regular day with a few special happenings. Now, my birthday is a super-celebration of the life that I have, the life that I could have lost that year.