My approach to life post-Ghana can be defined by the motto “Go with the flow.” The prospect of planning for the summer when I could be planning my dinner right now is rather unappealing. Although, when I weigh my two options: secure a few activities for my time off or sit at home and watch trashy television (Jersey Shore never gets old), the first one becomes significantly more appealing.

This is my personal guide to ensuring an eventful, relaxing yet exciting summer.

1. Begin by compiling a list of companies or organizations you have an interest in working for. Start with university career centers and their websites. Newspapers and magazines can also be beneficial because you can take note of any companies or organizations mentioned in the articles and advertisements. Follow up with Internet research to see if they have any interesting opportunities. Monster is also a great website for job searches.

My last suggestion is rather strange, but why not put those Facebook stalking skills to use? Whenever friends update their employment information, it shows up in your newsfeed. See where your friends and acquaintances are working or interning. You can ask them about their experience and if positions are available for you. Most importantly, you already have a point of contact within the company.

2. Once you’ve compiled a list of internships and jobs, you can move on to research and travel opportunities. Ghana infected me with the travel bug, and ever since I’ve been back, all I want to do is explore.

Check out university fellowship centers and their websites in addition to conducting Google searches for grants, fellowships, and scholarships to fund research projects. I conducted research with funds from a fellowship I acquired through my university while studying abroad last semester. Some study abroad program providers like Arcadia, CIEE, SIT, IES, etc. offer short term structured overseas programs if your university’s programs are not suitable.

Even if you don’t have the funds just yet, most abroad programs don’t take up the entire summer. You can secure a job before and after the program to save more money. Apply for a research fellowship as well. You may just get it, and it would be a great way to further enrich your abroad experience.

3. Identify a specific number of opportunities you want to take advantage of. I usually generate a final list of eight options. Each application, cover letter, resume, writing sample, and whatever else you may need requires time and energy. Put them in order according to their due date as well as their importance.

4. Create a master resume with all of your experiences you feel are worthy. Include a brief description of what you did, the dates you were there, and some contact information. Once you have a master resume, you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. Do this over a course of few days, so that you don’t overlook any valuable experience you might if you did it in one sitting.

Then begin creating your first official resume. You can copy and paste experiences from your master resume and tailor the descriptions to suit the requirements of each job. There are tons of templates for resumes and cover letters on the internet. I personally love the ones that Microsoft Office programs offer because they are simple and easy to read.

5. Create a cover letter. Reviewers can read your resume. Instead of reiterating your accomplishments, explain what you learned and how these skills can be applied to the position you are applying for. Explain why you are a good match for them, and why you picked their company, organization, or research foundation.

6. Edit! The University Career Center at GW offers an online resume and cover letter critique service. I use that all the time as well as the in person appointments. I’ve also used the University Writing Center at GW. I met with a consultant to edit my research proposal before I went abroad. It’s free and only took an hour of my time. Your professors, teaching assistants, friends, and family are great resources too. Sometimes it’s harder to take criticism from people you have close relationships with, but those people have your best interests at heart.

7. Make deadlines! After all of this work, it would be silly to miss out on an opportunity for sending in your applications late. If it’s due at 11:59 on March 16th, and your email only goes through at 12:01 on March 17th, it’s late. Make a statement by being prepared and following their guidelines.

Good luck!

Image via

City Year is an education based non-profit organization that takes 17-24 year old young adults from all over the country and gives them the opportunity to serve in inner city schools with at-risk youth. With specialized small group and one on one interventions in Math and English, we aim to help reduce the drop out rate. (The views and opinions below do not reflect City Year or Americorps.)

“Yup in my white tee, name tag so you know me I got spirit you can hear it, and a smile for a while…”  As my team hollers our readiness check at the top of our lungs while the sun sleepily rises around us encircling our school in a goldish halo, I can’t help but feel a profound gratitude for where I am in my life.

City Year San Antonio has been the biggest blessing in my life, but it has also been the hardest commitment I have ever made.  I first heard about City Year from a friend of mine that had taken on a year of service in New York. Intrigued, I perused the site (www.cityyear.org) and decided right then and there I had to apply. I applied, got in, and made my merry way to San Antonio, but I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into. After I arrived in San Antonio, myself and the other 80 new corps members from different parts of the country came together at the historical Barbara Jordon Community Center in the Eastside of San Antonio for Basic Training Academy. Whilst at BTA we were put through two weeks of intensive training and ice breakers. We were trained in math and English tutoring, behavior modification, working with children, and the social, emotional, and psychological needs of students. We were also forced out of our comfort zones to meet and get to know a room full of strangers, share personal stories, and create a bond that has become the foundation for all the corps feels and accomplishes. A lot of the trainings were frustrating because they were so abstract, but little did I know how useful they would really be.

Most of the students I work with have little to no consistency in their lives. They come from homes where one or both parents are missing or are just generally unavailable. There is this mentality that many of my students cling on to of being ‘tough’. Their surroundings force them to grow up too early, and many of my 11-13 year old students already have gang affiliations and know more about drugs then I could ever imagine was possible. They live in areas where crime is rampant, education is an option, and diversity is non-existent. With that said, my students are my pride and joy.  They are unbelievably intelligent, excel at sports, and have amazing insight into the world around them.  They make the long hours, the constant hard work, the unending planning and executing worth it.  All my students need is someone to listen to them, someone to believe in them, someone to tell them that they are worth something and that their opinion matters. City Year has blessed me with that opportunity. I am able to wake up every morning at obscenely early hours and saunter into work with a smile on my face because I know that what I am doing matters.

City Year’s methods are proven to help increase attendance in schools, decrease behavioral problems, and increase students’ grades with our 1:1 and small group intervention methods.  This is because City Year is incredibly data driven and we track all the time spent with students and our intervention methods. That way, we can talk to other sites and trade best practices. Corps members receive training in how to effectively teach and tutor material that is imperative for students and we have the freedom to implement our methods in fun and creative ways that allow our students to understand that learning is fun and does not have to be monotonous or a chore. Corps members run before and after school clubs and tutoring for students and we also have lunch clubs.  Not only do corps members aim to increase students’ educational opportunities by providing the necessary tools, City Year also focuses on community betterment via community events like block parties, game nights, parent engagement activities.

I could talk about City Year all day every day, and not just because of the work that I do, but also because of the people I have met. I came into City Year thinking I was going to impact people and change lives, but because of the opportunity I was fortunate enough to receive, my life is changed every. single. day. I learn something new from the people around me, I’m taught to breakdown social and economical barriers because of where I serve, and most importantly, I am finding myself. When I am older and I look back on my life, I can say with certainty that City Year will be my biggest accomplishment, and my most difficult endeavor in life.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/12/my-city-year/feed/ 0 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/09/qa-with-maria-ebrahimji/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2011/09/qa-with-maria-ebrahimji/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:02:14 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=4141 by Alisha Ebrahimji – Texas State University

I know I’ve mentioned in my previous stories, my cousin, Maria Ebrahimji. I interviewed her recently in hopes of spreading some of her journalistic wisdom to all those aspiring journalists out there. Maria is not only my cousin but also my professional inspiration and guide. She has demonstrated that with hard work and aspirations, anything is possible. 

As the Executive Editorial Producer for CNN, Maria is in charge of organizing guest coverage and planning for the network’s various events and breaking news. She has been working with CNN for 12 years.  So, here’s a peek into the life of a South Asian Journalist:

AE: Three words to describe you would be…

ME: I have been told I’m energetic, ambitious, and loyal.

AE: What are your favorite South Asian movies?

ME: It is safe to say I am not a Bollywood fan, but I did love the movie Laagan, Black, and of course who didn’t love Slumdog and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge!

AE: Tell us something most people do not know about you.

ME:  I hate board games.

AE: We did a story at BG about the book you co-authored, “I Speak for Myself,” what was your initiative in compiling this book and what kind of feedback, positive and negative have you received from it?

ME:  I was the co-editor of the I Speak for Myself , along with Zahra Suratwala. The book was a tremendous personal adventure for me (one which I am still on!).  We have gotten so many responses on our social media pages regarding the book and the stories in it.  The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. From Muslim women, we’ve heard that finally they feel like their voices are illuminated in the space of literature, that their real stories are represented. From non-Muslims, we’ve gotten very interesting feedback about how much one can relate to all of us in our own humanity and as women. I think also, that people (Muslim and otherwise) all take away something different from reading the essays and learn something different too. What has been really joyful and fulfilling for me is to see the kinds of conversations happening with this book across the country. I can only hope that the dialogue will extend around the world as well!

AE: In college, what was the most valuable thing you learned?

ME: I attended a small women’s college (Brenau Women’s College/University in Gainesville, GA). The most important thing I learned while at Brenau was to embrace myself, my background, and my identity.  That, and the simple but often unacknowledged or underappreciated concept that all things are a possible.

AE: In your 12-year tenure at CNN, what has been your most memorable experience/ most interesting assignment?

ME:  I have had so many amazing adventures and stories I’ve covered while here.  Covering 9/11 from Atlanta while still very young and unseasoned as a journalist was illuminating both personally and professionally.

Some of the best assignments I’ve gone on have all been overseas (where I was able to fully embrace my passion for international news). Those include producing a town hall meeting on the “New South Africa” at the church in Soweto, where the site of the uprisings and burnings that happened during the apartheid era.  Being there to discuss how far South Africa had come post-apartheid made me feel like I was a part of a conversation about a country which had so much history and so much more to give the world in terms of leadership by example and what real reconciliation means.  

Another interesting program I produced was on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2005. The program I produced consisted of current and emerging leaders in the Arab world. On the emerging leaders panel I had both Saif Al Ghadafi as well as Gamal Mubarak. Who would have thought back then that they wouldn’t be the “emerging” leaders of their respective countries! Just goes to show a lot can change in 6 years.

AE: As a Muslim- American women, has your journey through your professional career caused any issues?

ME:  I have always felt respected and valued in my profession. Of course, like anyone, I often see stories that have personal interest to me because of my faith, and tend to want to weigh in on those more. I view my role at CNN as an empowering one. I have the ability to change people’s point of view on Islam and to educate while I continue to do good journalism, and that is gratifying and fulfilling to me.

AE: What is one piece of advice you can give for those who are pursuing a career in Journalism?

ME: Be true to yourself. Bring your authentic self to work. I am a true believe that journalism doesn’t need to be this diluted process in which you come at any and every story with a completely unaware point of view.  I think every journalist has a point of REFERENCE and that orientation (if disclosed and made transparent and relatable) is something that all readers/viewers can appreciate b/c it helps bring context and perspective to our reporting.  

I would also encourage every journalist-to-be to consider being something “else”- and by that, I mean, get a minor in history or a double major in psychology or engineering or business.  I think good journalists are people who are curious about life and the world around them.  I think GREAT journalist are those that are curious about life and the world around them AND who have knowledge and passion about other things that can help serve as a point of reference in what they are doing.

AE: What’s the next step for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 more years?

ME:  Happy, challenged, and having demonstrated accomplishment in everything I’ve been able to be a part of.

AE: If you could be a fruit, which one would you be and why?

ME:  A green apple. I love eating them, smelling them, and more importantly they look great on a coffee table. 

This summer, I am doing something I have never done before. I am working in an office 9am to 5pm five days a week. Sitting in a chair and staring at a computer screen for seven hours a day has taken some getting used to. Besides the initial restlessness, this new sedentary lifestyle was making me sluggish and hurting my back. I experimented with some techniques and exercises to keep me pain free and energetic. I even found a few great work out exercises to do at my desk to keep my core activated and my muscles working.

Staying pain free

1. Adjust your computer. Fix the monitor and keyboard so you don’t have to lean forward or stretch your arms too far to read and type. You want to be able to sit erect at all times.

2. Do not use the backrest in your chair. The backrest makes you slouch putting pressure on your lower back and deactivating the use of your core. Put something nasty or pokey on the back part of your chair so you don’t lean back. I put peanut butter on a napkin and taped it to my chair.

3. Sit up straight. This is the hardest thing for me to remember. Sit erect and elongate your spine, you are now activating your core aka working your abs!

4. Sit evenly. Try not to sit with one leg crossed over the other (if it’s cold in the office bring a shawl to cover your legs). Sitting unbalanced can put unnecessary pressure on one side of your back and make you slouch.

Work Out

1. Calf raises- If you can take your shoes off without offending people, do so. Place your feet flat on the ground then roll up on the balls of your feet while staying seated. Repeat

2. Butt squeezes- Sitting in your chair raise one cheek up at a time by squeezing your gluteus maximus. Alternate sides and repeat. Try not to burst out laughing.

3. Mini cat/cows- If you have ever taken a yoga class, this is an upright version of Cat/Cow: on all fours arching and rolling your back. Sitting completely upright in your chair arch your back as much as you can, then roll in to make a hump. Basically, you are aiming to make a concave and convex shape with your back. Repeat and breathe.

4.  Leg lifts- Sitting on your chair, extend one of your legs (spin your chair around if you don’t have enough room under your desk). Lift your leg fully extended 6 inches off your chair, hold and slowly bring it back down to the chair. Keep your leg extended the whole time. Make sure you back is straight and you are not leaning back.

5. Walk around your office. Get up once every hour to stretch, walk and get your blood circulating again.

I also found it important to drink a lot of water during the day to ward off my sluggishness. Water also quelled my desire to mindlessly munch on unhealthy snacks.

As a follow-up to an article I wrote before regarding summer jobs, I just wanted to share with you a few things I have learned since:

So, summer has officially started.  I got back from UCLA on June 8^th, and by the following Tuesday I had secured two internships.  Let me tell you how.

Initially, I spent my entire Spring Break roaming around the tri-city area looking for a low-level job.  I picked up, filled out, and dropped off over three dozen applications without much response (with the exception of American Eagle Outfitters, who rejected me only a little after, and Forever 21, who did not call back after my stellar interview).  I signed up for a dozen internship websites and I shipped my resume off to company after company.  Still I got no response.  I felt completely horrible, undervalued, and useless.  I then wrote that lovely frustrated article.   Everyone I gave my application to, I conveniently forgot until recently, said I was applying earlier than they were used to and all the interviewers who interrogated me said they would have to hold on to my application till summer.  They would call me then, they assured me.

Well, I still cannot believe I fell for that.  I felt so confident that I was applying early, obviously showing off how on-the-ball I was.  Surely, I thought, employers would put a gold star on my application.  Wrong.  I was so wrong.  Employers rarely want to line up their summer workers in March, and promising to hold on to your application was just in case they could find NO ONE for summer.  It is also their only way to reassure you (so you do not break down crying in the middle of Forever 21).  So, be wary of that interviewer statement – it is equivalent to “I’m just not in a good place right now.”  Remember, to a summer employer, you are a safety net.

So, when I finished off March and moved into April showers and May midterms, I was still waiting for an actual and concrete job offer.  Blegh.  It was like waiting for a guy to call back – such a pathetic feeling.  Conveniently, I blocked out the sense of rejection with finals and before I knew it the quarter was done and I was home, still, with no job.  That is when I went into overdrive: I started emailing and Facebook messaging relatives and family friends who owned local businesses, asking if they needed help with ANYTHING AT ALL.  I started pouring over Craigslist want ads, feeling kinda skanky and definitely un-humored.  I sent my resume out over and over again to anything that looked interesting.  Surprisingly, a friend of my mother who owned a small business nearby offered me a marketing internship and a law firm from my Craigslisting marathon called me for an interview.  I subsequently landed that job as well.  So, here I am, home and comfortable with two lovely internships and a nice long summer ahead of me.

And that is my story.  Let me break it down for you:

1)      There is no real need to start applying more than a month before summer when looking for a summer job – odds are most employers will not be impressed if you are just looking for a seasonal position and they most likely will not be ready to start hiring for summer.

2)      If you want a particular low-level job (by which I mean sales associate at a clothing or department store, barista, etc.) call a month ahead of time and see if you can set up an interview for as soon as you get back from school.  Also, do not tell them you are seasonal.  This might make you uncomfortable, but there is no real harm in being a little vague about when you intend to stop working.  And it is not really lying – who knows what your financial situation will be come September?

3)      If you are looking for an internship, I strongly encourage you to ask around – ask family friends, ask family, ask friends, ask teachers, ask previous coworkers.  Do what you gotta do.  Internships are not easy to come by and the job market is hyper-saturated with out-of-work college graduates who are ready to take on low-paying or even unpaid positions in order to promote future careers.  Your competition for a given internship is high, so do not think of it as nepotism, think of it as an opportunity.

4)      USE CRAIGSLIST.  I promise you, it is so much more effective than the millions of internship websites out there.  You do not have to pay for it and the people who post job offers and ads on there are a tad bit more desperate to fill a position than whatever an internship website can dredge up.  Craigslist is very easy to search through for particular types of jobs and internships.  And it is also super simple to just work your way down a list of email addresses when you send out your resume and cover letters.  It is no skin off your back, believe me, for the level of response you get back.

Meera Sethi is an artist based out of Toronto, Canada and I recently came across some of her art pieces online. Sethi uses art as an expression of her Indian roots  mixed with contemporary Western culture, truly exemplifying the diasporic nature that so many Brown girls experience,struggle with, and embrace on a daily basis. I caught up with her while she was on a trip to India, and she graciously took some time to answer my questions about her life and  career. If you want to learn more about Sethi, visit her website: http://www.meerasethi.com

• Ila

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/firangi5.jpg

• Shabana

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/firangi4.jpg

• Tamana

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/firangi3.jpg

• Sitara

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/firangi2.jpg

• Mala

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/firangi1.jpg

• Shabana

   

  http://browngirlmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shabana1-e1296160440679-205x300.jpg

Where did your artistic inclinations start? And how did you make the decision to pursue (what most consider) a potentially risky career?

As a child, my favourite class was always art. I was encouraged from a young age to explore all subjects and grew up aware of an extended family full of artists, designers, writers as well as business people.

My most precious artwork from when I was a child is this self-portrait that I drew with crayons. I am wearing a plaid dress and my arms are brown and my face is white. Apart from the obvious bicultural and biracial implications or rather, confusions, what strikes me about the piece is the emphasis on clothing and style. Some 30 years later, I am still fascinated by the same expressions of identity.

My decision to pursue artmaking as a career choice is very recent and unexpected. In fact, I had all but abandoned my own art for a number of years while I pursued careers in cultural studies, arts management and graphic design, each circumventing the actual making of art. I kept myself away from actually creating as I always felt I didn’t have the technical skill to “draw.” It was a narrow definition, of course. Beginning to draw again came about rather spontaneously. I bought some supplies and began expressing myself, my identity on paper. Something about what I made resonated with me and others and I began to take it more seriously.

I once read this quote by the Sufi poet Rumi that said something to the effect of “Do what you love and the money will follow.” I have faith in this and, moreover, my quality of life is greatly increased because every day I wake up excited for a day filled with creative possibility, with the space to dream, imagine and play. This to me is of far more significance then the stability of a regular income.

Taking a look at your website, you mention you work in several different mediums. Do you have a favorite, or one that you’re most comfortable with?

I work in the mediums of graphic design, drawing, painting and photography. They all sort of ebb and flow depending on what I am trying to communicate. I appreciate them all and enjoy using each. However I am a graphic designer before anything else as I tend to approach the world through a design lens. Wherever I go, I find myself drawn to typography, signage, interior design, architecture, craft. These sources of inspiration find their way into my art.

Can you tell us more about the Firangi Rang Barangi series? I think it’s one that our readers can readily and strongly identify with because of it’s representation of hybrid culture. During the process of creating these pieces, did you have any direct influences?

The Firangi Rang Barangi series came about as an unconscious response to the circumstances of my bicultural life. I was born in New Delhi and immigrated to Toronto at the age of two yet never quite felt fully “Canadian”.  Having constant exposure to Delhi as I was growing up, with summer vacations spent with my grandparents there, I felt a strong connection to the language, culture, style and dress of India. But this was so rarely expressed in Toronto either through the art that I experienced or the clothing of those around me. As a result I felt something was missing or lost: a hybrid style of dress that took into account the experiences of those like me. Without deliberately setting out to, I drew together these cultural influences and geographic locations to create something new, something as yet unexplored.

You have recently made a trip to India. Can you tell us about the significance and impact of this on your art practice?

I was just in Delhi and Mumbai for two moths after a three year hiatus. This was perhaps the longest gap I have ever had in between visits to my homeland. It was also a significantly different to any earlier visits as this time I consciously set out to develop my art practice on Indian soil.

The impact of this trip has been enormous. I have found tremendous support in India for my art, the images and ideas that I explore. There is a sense that people over there “get it.” People in urban centers like Delhi or Mumbai see themselves in the hybrid combinations I create. Their own sense of style is very influenced by the culture they are immersed in, a culture inflected with Western music and media and contemporary Indian design. This is encouraging as I realize that my audience is quite large, diverse and wanting representations of themselves that speak to their lives. I feel excited by my practice in a way that is entirely new for me.

What is your advice to any aspiring/budding artist?

Well, I don’t have all the answers as I am in a constant state of learning and “becoming” an artist. However, I would advise anyone who has a career passion of any kind to let yourself be surprised by what you do and to remember that there is rarely a direct path to achieving our dreams.

Image courtesy of mtvdesi.com

I am currently looking for a summer job. This is the first time I have wanted to do so but I had no idea what I was getting into.  I have been looking for a job so long that I have to actually keep myself from getting down on my knees to beg the manager to let me do anything that does not include filling out an application. I would even be willing to personally greet every customer with a huge cheesy smile and free hand-made cappuccinos if it means that I do not have to exaggerate my sparse credentials again.

And as I fill out my 25th internship/ job application, I have to wonder, am I alone?

I was an over-achiever in high school – president of a couple clubs, senior writer for the school paper, yadda yadda – and I threw myself into multiple majors in college.

But when it comes to filling in references for the basic retail job at American Eagle Outfitters, I have nothing to say for myself. What I do have is a lengthy list of teachers who can write me glowing recommendation letters. But I very distinctly lack coworkers and previous bosses who can speak for my customer service skills. And as a proud member of the young South Asian female community, among whom the norm is to work hard to get into a good school and go on to a blindingly bright future, I wonder if my predicament is a real predicament at all. I mean, there is an obvious trade-off between doing schoolwork and having a job, but is my leaning to the former something I should regret? Sure, I want to ensure I am hirable in the future. And right now I have close to no work experience (which could debatably translate to little real world experience), but I cannot say that means I have been goofing off all this time.

This more or less brings me to the question of internships.  I had thought, in high school, that internships were what I would do during the summers when I was older.  They were such a grown up concept – working in a lab or as an assistant or in research for the subjects and jobs I would devote my life to.  So I put them off.  But now, now that I am all “grown-up,” when I am applying for internships I find myself somewhat frozen with fear.  I have so many questions, like do I apply for internships with my major in mind or with the desire for new experiences?  Should I be testing the waters in other areas of interest?  How many internships should I have done before law school?  What types of internships?  Should it be this stressful?  And, is this what growing up is?

So, before I slip into melodrama, I want to extend this whole question of internships and jobs to the reader – What was it like for you?  And what do I do now? Will employers value extra-curricular activities and good grades over a list of previous jobs? Should I be working my butt off to get internships? Will I ever get a summer job with my pathetic list of references, or should I just give up and open a lemonade stand?

by Farah Mithani

I didn’t think I would ever write anything about fashion because I’m not very involved with the fashion world.  However, recently I realized that I’m in it everyday.  Working at Puma for a under a year now, has given me a little taste of fashion. It may not be high-end couture or anything you see in all those magazines like Vogue or InStyle.  It may not be the latest new trend, but it still is fashion, sports fashion. Based on my Puma work, I thought I’d throw in a little plug about Puma and why I love them.

Since I’ve been working there for a while, half my wardrobe now consists of Puma shoes, track jackets, and accessories.  I actually like to take a minute and think about what I’m going to wear now.  Most of the time, without realizing, I catch myself wearing all Puma from my hat all the way down to the socks (even on non-work days!).  The fun part is making something stand out.  I think that rule might apply with any kind of fashion, having something “pop,” perhaps with color, and Puma is definitely into all the crazy colors.  I can wear a dress, throw on some Puma kicks, a baseball cap, and I’m good to go!

From working at Puma,  I like learning about different athletes and noticing how they incorporate Puma into their style and athletic gear.  I’ve seen the Puma World Cup collection, Ricky Fowler’s golf accessories and Usain Bolt’s new running shoes from the FAAS Lab Collection.   I’m incredibly excited about the recent Puma news: Bob Marley’s eldest daughter, Cedella Marley, is designing the Jamaican Track and Field gear for the 2012 Summer Olympics.  That will definitely be One to Love.

I’ve even had a chance to meet athletes from my hometown such as Brian Ching from the Houston Dynamo soccer team, who is sponsored by Puma.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet even athletes that are not sponsored by Puma and love to get a new pair every once and awhile. For example, Neil Rackers,the kicker for the  Houston Texans football team,   practically gets a pair of new Puma’s before every home game. I would know, because I got the opportunity to sell him a few this past football season!. I even got autographs from both Ching and Rackers!

I must say I love my job and I definitely love Puma. Okay, plug over!

My name is Faraway Farah, from a galaxy far, far away where only Mad Scientists do crazy experiments! Today was my first day of Mad Science.  I landed this great opportunity a couple of weeks ago, and I am definitely proud to say that I am now officially a Mad Scientist.

This educational and entertaining program is great for kids.  They get to learn about science in only a fun way.  I remember the first time I experienced Mad Science as a kid.  I was 13 years old at a church camp.  The Mad Scientist was pretty wild and crazy, who taught us about dry ice.  Today I got to teach the kids about air, and my favorite part was what they got to take home, their own bag of air, which made them very excited!  The experiments that are done with this company brings out a child’s imagination and their love to explore the world.  Mad Science is a global business with partners such as ‘Scholastic, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and the NASA Langley Center for Distance Learning.’

If you have any kids or younger family members, let them know about the great science adventure they can have!  As the Senior Vice President of the company says, “Mad Science [is] a well established brand that is already embraced by kids throughout the world.”  So encourage younger kids to learn about science and spark their curiosity about the world, I know I will try and do my part!

For more about the program, camps, and birthday parties go on the website:

http://www.madscience.org/

This is the first in a series offering career advice to Brown Girls.

I’ve spent the majority of my high school and my college years interning at anywhere that would take me from accounting firms, celebrity PR firms, fortune 500 companies, to a local radio station. After years of emails, interviews, research, and managers I feel like I’ve finally conquered the impossible system. There are a few things that websites and college counselors don’t tell you to do, but that will most definitely set you apart from the crowd.

1. Booking the Interview

When a recruiter calls you for an interview, try and contain your excitement and keep in mind that the phone call is a pre-interview to see if you are calm, collected, and have good phone manners. Before the recruiter finishes up their rehearsed spiel, make sure you get the following information from the recruiter.

-The name of your interviewer

-The address and room of the interview

-A phone number in case of emergency

-The name of the department/company/position

2. Research

The name of the department/company/position/interviewer may not mean much to you when you hear it, but it will set you leagues ahead of the others.

I once interviewed for an international television network and didn’t research. the interviewer asked me on the spot what my favorite show was on the network and I quickly realized I hadn’t watched the network in over a year or two! I was quickly put to the bottom of the stack for using a show that I watched when I was younger.

With the department and position name you have the ability to look into what exactly they do in general. This is especially helpful with new era jobs such as Marketing, Social Networking, or Web Design. Look into what other job listings of the sort contain and what those job postings are looking for.

The name of your interviewer will give you huge insight to what they are looking for. With sites like LinkedIn and Google, you have the ability to see essentially your interviewers resume. Generally you can find their alma mater, previous jobs, and current job title which may lead to some sort of common ground.

3. The Day Of

Get a good night sleep - Being filled with energy and being filled with caffeine are two different spectrums.

Eat a good breakfast - We’ve been hearing this combo since our first attempts at standardized testing. Why do they use the same old tips? Because they work!

Take a copy of your resume - Take a copy just in case the interviewer needs it, or multiple people are interviewing you

Be Comfortable – Buy a suit that is both practical and smart looking, wear heels that are comfortable and professional, wear shirts that don’t bust open when you are seated. Express and The Limited have stylish business clothes and often offer a discount if you buy a full suit at once.

4. The Waiting Area

Arrive 25 minutes early.

I know they generally say 15 but this will be the day you are out of gas, get every red light, and miss the turn. You also have to be aware some companies are located in areas where you need to pay for parking so take some extra cash with you in case. There could be a security guard you have to check in with, a 10 minute walk up to the lobby, and a parking verification that you need to walk back and put on your car. All of this alone would take you 20 minutes, and the recruiter doesn’t care you were outside the building 25 minutes ago, they care when you arrive to the actual interview.

Level 1: the Receptionist

Although you may walk in and see a young man or woman wasting time behind a desk, be aware that your interviewer could rely on this person for every thing that they aren’t able to handle. Often times the receptionist could serve as the administrative assistant to every person in the office.

You DON’T want to piss that person off.

When you walk in, smile and be assertive. Introduce yourself and tell them that you have an appointment with XXXXX. Then s/he may tell you to be seated and wait for a minute, don’t think this is the end of the test. They’re watching you, every little movement. So don’t play a game on your iPhone, don’t catch up on emails, don’t eat a banana because you’re hungry, don’t fluff your hair and makeup, and don’t do anything stupid. If there are newspapers or magazines there feel free to read one quietly without spreading them everywhere. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want the receptionist to tell your interviewer.

5. The Introduction

Eventually your interviewer will enter the room after what seems like forever. Quickly stand up when they call your name and walk over and make immediate eye contact. Put your hand out and FIRMLY shake his or her hand and state your full name. Girls, especially brown girls, don’t understand the power of a strong handshake.

If you’re a petite girl and you go over and touch fingers with your interviewer, they’re not going to think you could be the Marketing Manager of their company. If you go over and shake their hand firmly and briskly, they’ll think ‘She may be small but she’s got something else behind her.’

6. Post Interview

Make sure you ask the interviewer for their business card after the interview. Thank them and shake their hand one more time on the way out. By shaking their hand again, you’re reminding them of your strengths and capabilities. And by maintaining eye contact and smiling, you’re showing them one last time that you’re personable and approachable. After all, they want someone who will work well in their office as well as get the job done.

The minute you get to a computer, type up an email thanking them for the interview.  Say how thankful you are for the opportunity, and then remind them of why you’d be the best candidate for the job. Close by saying that you look forward to hearing from them in the future and leaving your contact info so it’s easily accessible for them.

I promise if any of these things backfire on you, I’ll give you my address and you can punch me in the face. Until then, just be yourself and know that you got this far because they wanted you as much as you wanted them.