The End of Something…

Thanks everyone for supporting me with my first blog! It was definitely a great experience and I had a lot of fun with it. Unfortunately, I have been drilled with supporting the local arts, studying for the GRE, and writing my book. As much as I wish I could keep The Modern Grad going, my lifestyle just won’t allow it.

While I had a lot I wanted to write about on The Modern Grad, I felt a lot of my content would have put a downer on my future career. I have a lot to say about what it’s like being a working graduate in today’s society, but I think some things are best kept offline.

Fortunately, I found a way to keep blogging about something else, despite what I have going on. My new blog, Several Starry Nights, will follow the pop-up gallery I volunteer for, inspiration for my book (Several Starry Nights) and anything related to Chicago and the surrounding suburb’s art scene. I believe my new blog will support my career goals as well as local artists.

Even though my blog will be “all about art” and not “women and career”, I hope you’ll continue to support my new blog: Several Starry Nights.

Thanks again everyone!

Shannon

Special Thanks!

Thanks Emma (Jane Has a Job) for collaborating with me. It was lots of fun picking out the perfect outfit and bragging about my past internship at IIDA! Readers, you can check out my guest post here. 

If you are unfamiliar with Jane Has a Job, please be sure to check it out! Everything a girl needs to know that relates to career and fashion. It was voted one of the best career sites for woman!!

Happy Friday everyone!!!

-Shannon-

Frantic For [2011] Fall Fashion

The end of August is always full of nostalgia. When I was younger, I used to love summer more than I do now. Swimming was my favorite thing to do and nothing beats a good bbq with friends and family. So when the temperatures started dropping and I received the letter in the mail of what middle school class team I was on (blue, white, red…?), I knew fall was back.

The thing that kept me going, thankfully, was shopping. Not only for new school supplies (I have a weird obsession for colorful pens, folders, and anything Post-it!), but for new clothes. The variety of scarves, blazers, boots, I love it all. Fashion hits my bank account hard when August comes around, making it the hardest time for me to save money. Papers, readings, social drama, I thought, at least I have a new Abercrombie and Fitch sweatshirt to get me by…

The little girl I used to be lives on! The extra 50-60 pages of my Elle magazine filled with new fall enlightenments is like a drug. This year especially, it is driving me up the wall! What’s even more exciting, is this will be the first fall semester that I won’t be attending classes. I can ditch the comfy  sweatshirts, yoga pants, and flats. This year, as a college graduate, I’m shopping for blazers, boots, tights, dresses, and casual pumps. This year is a very important year for me, especially in fashion. Being the picky girl that I am, I’m thankful to be loving what’s in stores right now.

So I’m going to go back to blog basics by giving you a top 5 list because it’s only necessary…

Click Images for websites.

1) 40′s Style Patterns

I snagged an amazing dress from H&M. Black, a tie around the hips, and a deer pattern. I paired it with purple tights that I found for a dollar. It’s not shown on the website yet, but here’s a much more costly version for reference, but look around and you can snag one that’s in your budget.

Anna Sui blouse (see more puff sleeve blouses)

2) Silky Scarfes

Time to ditch the good ol’ knitted scarves. Banana Republic has an amazing limited edition Mad Men inspired collection out now!

3) Fun Tights

You may not get as lucky as I did with the $1 purple tights I found on clearance, but polka-dot tights are really in and they can be found everywhere. I personally like the pair I found from Ann Taylor.

4) Navy Blue Nail Polish

86 “Lincoln Park After Dark” Add “Road House Blues” from OPI.

5) White Lace

H&M stores are filled white lace!

Dear Dublin: Quick Glance into Studying Abroad

Dear Dublin,

I miss you dearly, thanks for letting me have the opportunity to study abroad in your city. I have never ever ever had a better experience in my life. I talk about my time in Dublin like I just came home yesterday, but I came back in December of 2009! Yes! I still miss having fish and chips paired with a Bulmers over ice at the local pub and Barry’s Tea with my roommates. I would do anything to have just one more morning with the girls, drinking tea with sugar and milk, and reminicising over Saturday night in Temple Bar. If you could be so kind and allow me to have another great opportunity in your city, (preferably maybe a job offer writing for an Irish magazine or curating the National Museum of Dublin) I’d really appreciate it if you could come knocking on my door soon!

Yours Truly,

Shannon May Callarman

(My roommate Jenny and I with our home stay family in a local pub in Wexford, Ireland)

Studying abroad at University College Dublin was the best experience I ever had. I remember my first semester at UIC and doing some research on it and at the time it seemed like a dream that was too far to reach. I convinced my mom every day how much studying abroad would change me, how much it would do for my future career, and how taking out a loan in order to pay for the cost would be all so worth it! I, luckily, convinced her and even though I’m literally paying for it now, I met great people, got to travel all over Europe, and the experience stands out on my resume like I highlighted it with glitter.

If you’re still in college, I highly recommend that you look into studying abroad. I know that the fear of being able to afford it stands in a lot of student’s way, but if you want to go bad enough, you’ll find a way to get there (believe me!) If you just graduated and have a desire to travel, I recommend looking into graduate schools that offer great study abroad programs (a great incentive to go back to school!) Take it from me, there is nothing to lose from studying abroad. You gain so much knowledge, meet new friends, and have stories to tell and pictures to show for the rest of your life.

Arcadia University: This is the program I went through while attending UIC. The staff is amazing and they take great care of you!

“How’s Work?” “Awesome, I’m Just Facebooking…”

Now that I have moved from the serving business to a full-time office job, it is definitely a culture shock. After serving tables for over 7 years, I knew what was expected out of me. Most of the time, I was never allowed on my phone, there is absolutely no computers to check email and Facebook, not allowed to eat (for the most part) during a shift and I was constantly on my feet.

Now, I’m sitting at a desk, 9 to 4 everyday and when there is no filing, no phone calls, or scheduling to be done, I’m reading my favorite blogs, checking email, and of course, Facebook.

It just makes me wonder though, is it really professional? It can be sort of uncomfortable looking through party pictures and writing on a friend’s wall about how great last weekend was when your boss is present. At the same time though, it does uplift me a bit to keep in contact with friends and reminiscing the good times when your stuck inside working all day.

I know that when I was at my internship at IIDA, I tried my best to keep my Facebook checking to a minimum. To be honest, I was barely on it unless I was updating IIDA fan page. Yet, I know a lot of my friends have or had internships or jobs where Facebook was totally okay, as long as you get your work done and not abuse the privileges.

So when do you know when it’s aloud or not? It seems wrong to just ask the first week of a job about the Facebook/Blogging/Twitter, etc rules. In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to observe the actions of other employees and how employers respond to certain behavior. What is your suggestion? What’s the best way to approach what’s aloud and what’s not at a new job??

Oh! And since your sitting at your office desk reading this, don’t forget to add me on Facebook

Volunteering Makes The Best of Us

Since I knew that I wasn’t going to jump right into a career after college, I had a fear that there was going to be gaps in my resume. After 6 years of successfully building it, I would be so upset if I let this recession put a damper on my hard work.

My new job is going great and I absolutely love it. It is teaching me what it is like to own a small business, which is one of my dreams. However, when it comes to what I love the most (creative writing and the arts), it slacks a creative environment.

Last month, I had a great opportunity to volunteer for the SCAC (Saint Charles Arts Council). I helped the council with social media in order to promote the pop-up galleries which took place downtown Saint Charles. I had a chance to meet local artists and others who have similar interest.

The other day, an article (click to check out the awesome slide show!) in The New York Times about a young girl who started her own teen art fundraiser inspired me. I thought…this is something I could totally do! But there’s more than just networking with others, being involved with the local arts committee, and building experience that struck a cord and it was an emotional response…

When I moved to Geneva, IL from Naperville, IL in 6th grade, it changed me. I started playing the violin in 4th grade, which I really enjoyed. When we moved to Geneva, we found out that, at the time, Geneva Middle School did not have an Orchestra. They offered to place me in the band, but with a lack of self-esteem and already feeling out of place as the new girl…I dropped out. Ever since it’s been my biggest regret and a couple years later, Geneva actually developed an Orchestra. By that time, I didn’t have the courage to start playing again.

I have a sister who is 7 years old growing up in Geneva now. She dances, sings, loves to act, involved in Girl Scouts, and may be starting softball soon. I never want her to miss out on an opportunity of her choice, whether it’s music, art, or sports. I want her to have the courage and awareness that she can pursue a hobby of her own and stick with it no matter what.

So you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. I came up with an idea to start a teen art fundraiser in the Kane county area for all artists attending middle/high school. Students would be able to submit work that would be sold to the public and all proceeds could go towards the school’s arts funds.

Not only are college graduates missing out on their dream jobs, many middle/high school students are losing opportunities that could affect their futures due to school budget cuts and for the most part, the first programs to be taken out is music/arts.

I emailed a few contacts that I knew could help me with this and I had great responses and I feel with the people I know, this could really happen. Volunteering is a great way to gain self-esteem, meet new people, and of course, a resume booster. However, when you have passion towards something, it just makes volunteering 100% more successful!

If you have any suggestions for me while I start this project or would like to get involved. PLEASE email me! I would love to meet new people who have the same passion as me.

If you’re interested in the SCAC – NextGallery, please check out the SCAC Twitter, Official Site, and Facebook.

Success Stories: Fun, Driven, and Creative Women

[image from pinterest.com]

This week I started my new job and I absolutely love it! It’s for a small, family owned business company located in the west suburbs. It’s definitely a baby step towards what I really want, but it has a lot of perks and benefits that are definitely worth it. The family is acquaintances with my family so a sense of trust is already built between us. I already feel comfortable spending a full business day answering their phones and punching numbers into Excel sheets and it has only been a week! Already feeling like I’ve been there for months has boosted my confidence of working here. Everything I will be doing at this job will teach me what it is like to own a small business and how much work really goes into customer loyalty, budgeting, managing time, etc. Since I dream everyday about owning my own art gallery (I already have the name picked out…don’t tease. A girl can dream!) this is great experience. With the economy the way it is, I appreciate this opportunity A LOT!

In honor of starting my first job after college, I decided to promote a few of my blog friend’s awesome job success stories. Sometimes the best way to keep your hopes up and building confidence is talking to others who have succeeded. Finding mentors or building relationships with others who have the same interests is a great way to network and bounce ideas off one another. These girls are creative, fun, and driven. Their success stories sure keep me going, so hopefully they do the same for you!

1) Beth Tourek: Social Media Strategist, Creative Writer

“I graduated from Monmouth College in Illinois in 2002 – the spring right after September 11. My degree was in Public Relations and Communications so my goal was to work at one of Chicago’s big PR firms or ad agencies. I’m pretty certain I spent that spring in the waiting rooms of twenty-something different offices with my new suit and my heavy-weight paper resume. My class of graduates was victim to the big marketing hiring freeze that lasted the next few years in Chicago. They filed away my resume, and I marched over to the nearest temp agency.

My very first temp assignment was with Verizon Wireless doing credit and activations. I was excited because it was a great company to work for with amazing benefits, but it was also not the job I’d been hoping for. But I stuck with it, and shortly thereafter I was hired full time and moved to Phoenix for my first communications job within the company. Nine years later I’m still with Verizon Wireless and live in Southern California. I’ve been in marketing for six of those years and have had the opportunity to manage our social media efforts and sponsorship initiatives. I’ve tweeted on behalf of the company from movie premieres, from backstage with artists at concerts, from sporting events, and from the Emmys. I’ve had my creative work published and I’ve gotten the chance to be the client of some of the agencies I wanted to work for almost ten years ago. Verizon even paid for my MBA.”

You can learn more about Beth by visiting her quirky, vivacious, and clever blog, White Elephant in the Room

2) Katie Herman: Creative Artist, Writer, and Photographer

“My first job out of college was managing a bakery called Stick Boy Bread Company in Boone, North Carolina. It is still my favorite job thus far.  It encompassed everything that I loved…food, people, coffee and community.  There is something about working behind the counter at a family-owned bakery/coffee shop that I think everyone secretly dreams of.  What’s not to love?  Fresh baked pastries, breads, pies, cookies, cakes, lattes…it’s heavenly.  And for someone who’s always wanted to own her own business, I was lucky enough to land a management position where I was submersed into the nitty-gritty of how a business works.  From changing the light bulbs, to fixing the toilet when it broke, to working long holiday hours, the owner never missed an opportunity to let me experience first-hand the ins and outs of owning a business.  Although I only stayed at this job for a year before moving back to Chicago, it taught me loads more than my subsequent corporate jobs ever did.  It taught me the value of consistently making people feel welcomed and appreciated and how such a small delight such as a cookie or a cup of coffee or even a smile can really nudge a person towards having a better day.  There is something so fulfilling about knowing your customers on a personal level, about learning their first name and their favorite pastry.  I think too often in the work environment we forget that we are all people, living in a world of chaos, just trying to do our best and enjoy what comes our way.  So although working at a bakery may not be everyone’s idea of success, for me it was because it allowed me to partake in an atmosphere of simple delights involving great products and great people day after day.”

You can learn more about Katie, her own work, and all her favorite things at http://www.katieherman.com

3) Elisheba Wiggins: Health Guru, Blogger

“I graduated in December 2008 at the start of the Great Recession and my future wasn’t very hopeful. I felt the common malaise of unemployment that most of my peers we’re experiencing. I applied to jobs the traditional ways on all that major job boards, but didn’t have much luck. It took me 4 long months of a copious amount of interviews at not-so-good companies to get a pay-the-bills job at a popular retail chain. Then, a family member connected me with someone in their network, and I sent them my resume. Finally I landed my first “real” job 2 months later. Yes! I’d say the best way to get a job in the economy is network, network, network–the age old saying “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” is truer now more than ever.”

You can learn more about Elisheba by visiting her health conscious, fun blog at http://jovial20s.wordpress.com/

An Afternoon Energy Booster

Eliza Doolittle – Pack Up

Sometimes, the only thing that gets me motivated is a good mix of upbeat and positive songs! I remember hearing this before, but I rediscovered it today. The song is so positive and absolutely perfect for a sunny day like this, even though my day will be spent job searching.

Hope it brightens up your day as much as it did for me!

Warning: Jobs May Seem Smaller [and creepier] Than They Appear

Before I get started on my dreadful job-searching extravaganza on this absolutely gorgeous afternoon in Chicago (I can’t complain, I was at the beach all day yesterday). I felt like I needed to let go of the traumatic episode, which took place last week.

I ended up applying for a full-time, entry-level position that I found through careerbuilder. The position was for Public Relation and Marketing. I received a call, the next day from a cheery secretary who asked a few minor questions and scheduled an interview for me to come in the next day. So far, so good…

I then did my research on the company to find that their website was a bit well…lame. Their Facebook page was practically blank and no Twitter or LinkedIn information was found…hmm, strange. This is the time when I usually go with my gut feeling and ditch this popsicle stand…stat! However, being the broke, naive, and young job seeker that I am, I shrugged my shoulders and thought well they did mention they were a new company, maybe they need a social media boost from a girl like me. Uh oh…

Then the next morning, I put my favorite Express suit on and scurried to my job interview. Literally 5 minutes after I left my house, I receive a call from Miss Bubbly Secretary herself explaining they lost power and that someone will be calling at 10 am for a phone interview. Well the storm was pretty horrific last night… Oh jeez…

So while I waited for the phone interview to begin back at my house, I take this time to write down questions that I have (including the peculiar blank Facebook page). Time starts going by and before I know it, it’s 10:45 am. Where’s my phone call?? I decided to call Miss Bubbly Secretary and now she sounds panicked. “I’M SORRY SHANNON, WE ARE A LITTLE BACKED UP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE NO ELECTRICITY DEAL. SOMEONE WILL BE CALLING SOON!” She shouts. 10 minutes after my call to Miss Bubbly, the so-called CEO of the company finally calls.

She sounds a bit edgy, young, strict, and a bit obnoxious as she screams on the top her voice about what her company does and what type of people they are looking for. She makes the company sound a lot like Groupon, which I stated to make sure I understood her. She agrees, but then states we don’t use email….what?? Then I ask her a bunch of questions (which looking back at this whole ordeal, this seems like the only thing I did right as a job-seeker). I told her that I love blogging and have strong experience in Social Media, I ask about her Facebook and how come her company isn’t on LinkedIn. I wish I could tell you exactly what her response was, but unfortunately I can’t because the only thing that sticks in my mind was when she stated, “I don’t want my clients to harass me…” What does that mean?!

The next day at 8:30 am, I head to the so-called 2^nd interview. The company was based out of Westmont, which is a half hour drive for me. The building looked much like a medical office and was right off a main road. The outside didn’t seem too sketchy at all, so I take a deep breath and I head on in.

This is where things just get bad…real bad. Before I know it, I find myself in a small room painted a horrible red/orange/I have no idea how to describe it color and my eyes can’t be taken away from a horrible stain on the “matching the wall color” carpet. True story.

I’m not the only one who is in this The Shining-like red room. I find myself sitting in this god-awful office with 4 other people, then 8, then 11 as time flies by. Being dressed professionally means a lot! The other candidates didn’t seem to understand how to dress for a job interview. Finally, another girl that seemed to be around my age walks in, dressed extremely nice, looking as petrified as I did. The funny thing is, the other candidates ended up being dress appropriately since an employer walks out of a very depressing looking [I guess you would call it] boardroom in FLIP FLOPS. I’m sorry, but major turnoff. Even though I’m the new girl in a business world, flip flops should never be worn to work, especially with stained carpet like this!

Young, VERY young guys and gals come marching out of the “boardroom” and started calling names. A guy who didn’t fit the rest of the crowd of smurfs called my name as well as the other professionally dressed candidate. The guy was at least 10 years older than the rest of them. Peculiar? Yes. I was just thankful I wasn’t being put in a room by myself with him.

Papa Smurf started talking to us about how Loud-Mouthed CEO is only 24, a millionaire, just bought her 2^nd BMW in cash, yada yada yada. Unprofessional? I think so. Plus…if she’s so young and successful…how come I can’t find her last name anywhere and why is she not top news on Forbes?

He asked us to follow him in our cars to a town over to discuss things at a McDonalds. Scared shitless, I decided to ask the protégé of nightmare if she’d like to ride with me. We follow him 15 minutes out of our way, get to a McDonalds and head straight to a table (thanks for not asking, I didn’t want a coffee anyway). He shows us these major league baseball coupon brochures. I applied for what was stated, entry-level pay, but the way he explained things, it was for sure sales commission. I was being pulled in by the Sales tornado and I wanted out!

The moment that is drilled in my head and makes me extremely nauseous is the point when Papa Smurf mentioned, “there’s even a girl on our team who came to work in black hooker boots. I thought man, what are you a hooker now?  But that’s how she plays the game, that’s how she sells these things. She would wrap her boot around the wall when she’d visit a client to rouse up the men and it worked!”

[Insert Scream Now]

He then wraps up the meeting from hell and mentions we’re going to go see some of our “clients.” We walk next store to a fast
food joint, that’s when I knew I needed out. I’m in heels walking down a busy street and this is not what I signed up for. He tries to sell the baseball packages by stating he works for the baseball league and not once mentions the company he works for. He is trying to sells these brochures with them stuffed in his pockets. I even asked if he wanted me to put them in my black tote. He refused. Fine Papa Smurf, feel free to look like an eejit!

We then walk next store to a Kinko’s and that’s when I looked at my professional protégé and motioned that we’re done with following the yellow brick road. We clicked our heels together and headed back to my car.

 

What did I learn from all this? There was a bunch of warning signs I chose to ignore. Always listen to your gut feeling. If a job seems sketchy, then you are probably right. Let Google and LinkedIn be your partner in crime while job searching. I went home that day and tried everything to get the dirt on this company. Couldn’t find one thing…

You Think You Know But You Have No Idea…

…This is The Diary of an Indecisive Job-Seeker

Do you remember in the film, P.S. I Love You, when Holly (Hilary Swank) talks to her husband about her plans for the future? It was clear she had no idea what to do. Suddenly it came to her one day that she wanted to design shoes! So she took classes and eventually opened her own shoe boutique. Of course success stories like this don’t happen over night, but the one thing I did learn from this film is sometimes you have to be patient and let your passions find you!

So for the last month I have been making very important decisions for my future. My mind has been all over the place with decisions I need to do make in order to plan what’s next. Let me list a few…I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself the same things.

 

Do I have enough experience? Even though I graduated, should I be looking for an internship or a full-time job?

If I do find an internship, am I willing to be unpaid?

How much time should I put into job searching a day?

Should I be out networking? Should I be spending more time in front of a computer and writing cover letters?

Is joining the Peace Corps or volunteering something I could handle doing?

Should I go back to school????

 

As you can see, I have been a busy bee thinking about this! I have so many great things that I want to do, but not exactly sure how to even start. At first I was ashamed to admit this, but I would be silly to think that I’m alone. Right??

So this morning, I decided to sit down and write out exactly what I want to do, what’s important to me, et cetera. I came up with a few different routes. I know that putting all my eggs in one basket would set me up for failure and having a plan B or even a plan C is always a smart idea. It’s nice to know I have options (definitely in this harsh economy), but having options and several opportunities consists of making very hard decisions. Since I wrote down my list and came up with clear, well “clearer” plans, I feel a little bit more at ease. Here are a few pointers that I’ve learned that have helped me through some tough job seeking/decision-making.