Brazen Careerist is Awesome. Case in Point: Brazen, New York City

As many of you Life Before Nooners know, us lucky LBN ladies are part of the Brazen Careerist (BC) network- the premiere online career center for Gen Y. This network is comprised of talented bloggers from all over the world brought together by the BC team. I was lucky enough to attend the Brazen Careerist blogger meet-up in New York City last week and met some of the most brazen careerists out there.

The night started when I met up with Ryan Paugh. In our conversations about BC and the development of the site, I could tell that his job as community development manager fit his personality perfectly. Talking with him about the future of the site made me realize how much I have learned from blogging- writing, social media, networking- in my brief six months in the blogosphere. More importantly, it made me excited to continue in the conversation and learning from other bloggers.

But that was just the beginning of the night. The conversations, ideas and overall synergy that stemmed from the meet up will allow for more creativity and collaboration. I was able to talk with these well-versed bloggers through the BC interviews. Speaking with bloggers such as Allison Jones about starting a career as a young professional, Adam Gilbert about being consistent with blogging and Dorie Morgan about the network was invaluable. I was even lucky enough to sneak an interview with Ryan and Brazen’s CEO Penelope Trunk.

Check out the video recap of the interviews and the event. I loved doing the interviews, and hopefully will have the chance to do it again!

When it comes down to it, LBN and BC share the same fundamental goals: sharing ideas, connecting people and navigating through this time in our lives. Through the event I realized all BC bloggers share these same values, but each is exposed through different topics and conversations. We all want to find meaning, relate to one another and advance in our careers, our relationships, our lives. Blogging is the medium that allows for this collaboration. And BC is the channel for Gen Y.

-Carla

Finding Friends in Your New Post-Grad City

You have officially moved into your new city post-graduation. Congratulations! You have a handle on the commute, the corporate culture and your daily tasks. You are on the path to success.

And then Friday night rolls around. Crap.

You have no social life.

Maintaining a work/life balance is important, especially when moving to a new city. Friends may be difficult to find, and finding good friends who share similar values and work ethic is even harder.

But finding those friends isn’t as hard as you think. It just takes stepping outside your comfort zone to make connections. Here are some guidelines I follow:

1. Talk to people. It’s that simple. Waiting for the subway, tell the girl standing next to you that you like her scarf. Talk about the weather to the guy in line next to you. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but it can be a good networking exercise as well. Disclaimer: don’t be a creeper, just be social.
2. Be open to different types of friends. That’s what moving to a different city is about. Talk to a variety of people. Just because you had a certain “type” of friend at home or in school doesn’t mean you can’t make very different friendships in your new home.
3. Don’t sit at home. You work hard and want to relax. Go to a coffee shop and read. Sit in a park, go to the gym, take a walk. Put yourself in a social atmosphere and cancel that date with your TV and Ben & Jerry’s. Then follow #1.
4. Be friendly, but not too friendly with co-workers. Spending time outside the office with co-workers may increase camaraderie, but don’t let it interfere with your professional life in the office.
5. Don’t wait for the bar. Chances are you may make some friends at the bar. Just don’t wait to go out on Friday or Saturday night to make friends.
6. Maintain your friendships from home. Continue to maintain your friends from school and home. With ever-changing social media it is easy to stay connected despite distance.

Solid friendships may be hard to come by, but by putting yourself in different social situations it may become easier.

-Carla

The Funniest Resume I’ve Ever Seen

While watching the news recently, I saw a report about the funniest, and most creative, way to post your resume – wear it.

DamnINeedAJob.com, a new Web site that’s all about the job hunt, allows people to create a shirt which boasts their skills and abilities, just like a resume. The $25 shirt, written as a type of cover letter, includes text chosen by the buyer and even starts with a hand-picked salutation. And to make sure no potential employer misses the message, the shirt boldly displays the words, “Damn, I Need A Job. Know of Anything?” across its front.

The creator, who seems to prefer being anonymous- I couldn’t find his name anywhere on the Web site- is completely changing the way people look for jobs, while at the same time poking fun at the “your next employer could be anywhere” mentality. He says the shirts attract so much attention that he’s started carrying around resumes to hand people who are interested.

Several new features have been added as the Web site gains popularity, including a blog, discussion forum for the unemployed and DamnINeedMoney.com, a collection of articles and other resources for those finding the job hunt difficult and tedious.

No word on if the idea has actually landed him a job, but I think he should get props for sheer creativity.

-Haley