Disqus - Latest Comments for BrianShamberger

Re: The Rule of Three (a.k.a. How to Be Unforgettable to Employers)

Brian Shamberger — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:28:01 -0000

This sounds great! I think I'll have to try this out on my next interview when answering questions.

Re: A College Degree…Now What? How Psychology Major Successfully Launched Career In Business

Brian Shamberger — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:12:11 -0000

Great advice. I am a Psychology major about to graduate in four weeks, and I feel like I am in the exact same spot. Where do I go now? What field do I want to explore first? These are just a couple of the questions floating around in my head and I know that I will probably be bouncing from job to job the next few years as I try to find my niche.

However, I found your story to be very comforting in the fact that I am not alone in my indecision. I think the best thing to do is to just keep making moves. You are right, whether the choice ends up being good or bad I am sure that I will still learn a great deal about myself and what I want in my next career. Thanks for sharing your story!

Re: A+A+O = 3 Elements to Hanging on to Your Job

Brian Shamberger — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:48:48 -0000

This advice is valid, and probably would make any efficiency expert or manager think twice before giving you the boot. However, I think that there is more to be said on keeping your neck away from the chopping block.

One thing that I have learned through my experience in the classroom and on the job is that it is always the most proactive people that I or anyone else rely on first. Along the way someone also taught me the 7 P's to go along with the idea of proactive behavior, which I have tried my best to stand by and I think would set anyone else apart from the rest of the pack.

So, in order to get ahead you must remember that Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Re: 6 Rules for Social Media Use

Brian Shamberger — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:16:53 -0000

Although I am fairly new to Twitter and Linked In, I can already see the importance of these new tools

First, I started looking for people to follow that were related to my field of interest, Psychology. Then, slowly but surely I began to see people following me that were in the psych field, so I guess I am not alone after all.

However, even though I know that these new tools will be important somehow in the long run, I am still a bit skeptical as to how effective they will be at landing me a job or steering me in the right direction. Maybe I just need more practice.

Re: 6 Things I Learned to Do Before Graduating

Brian Shamberger — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:42:50 -0000

Spot on Everybody! I feel like we are all on the same boat here with trying to find a starting point on our career paths.

Lately, figuring out where I want to go and what I want to do after I graduate in May has been a clumsy process, like groping around in the dark for a light switch, and I can't imagine where I would be if I hadn't been proactive already.

This is some stellar advice Trevor, and you touch upon various areas that students really need to start giving more attention. Doing something, a n y t h i n g, from one of these six categories will shoot you off in the right direction. How else are can you find out what piques your interest if you don't get out there and try something?

With that said, I just want to add...

First, networking is HUGE, and its never to early to start. Once I started using Twitter and following CAREEREALISM, I instantly fell into different circles that have been sharing great information. Studies have even been done on the benefits of networking on career success, like this one http://psycnet.apa.org/inde...
This study indicates the long-term benefits of networking are related to: increases in salary over time, and concurrent job satisfaction.

Also, like I said before, DO something! By following your steps Trevor, one can find out what they are interested in and get involved. One great indicator of success in life is grit, or perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

For those of you who harbor concerns about lacking experience or talent in a specific field, know that hard work and self-discipline go a long way. Don't believe me?? See for yourself at:

http://www.psychologytoday....
or
http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:EypvkUYu20YJ:www.sas.upenn....

Once again, great insight with some easy steps to follow. My only question for you, Trevor, is what type of networks did you stumble upon that helped lead you to your first job?

Re: Respect Authority? Not Me! (and it helps my career!)

Brian Shamberger — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:05:33 -0000

Living in a country based on rebellion to establishment, I think that it is important to celebrate both individual and public achievements, big or small, because the message rings true in any situation:

You should always question authority.

Granted that everyone deserves equal opportunity, I don't think that should mean that everyone has to take the same route to get it. I have always been a fan of the unconventional, and anyone who has ever met me will agree to that, but since when has marching to the beat of a different drum been seen as something that needs to be stamped out? (Especially in today's world where college degrees are a dime a dozen)

So anyways, celebrate your inner freak/ rebellious tendencies, take the words "NO" and "CAN'T" out of your vocabulary, and find the beat the makes you move.

Whatever it takes to get the proverbial fire lit underneath your feet right?

Re: T.A.P. into CAREEREALISM (Get Free, Personalized Help from Career Experts)

Brian Shamberger — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:16:23 -0000

Ok, so I've been searching the web looking at different career advice blogs and trying to see what is out to establish some sort of ground for comparison, and TAP is the first time I've actually said to myself, "Wow..."

I am always very scatterbrained when it comes to job searching and marketing myself because it is such a new world to me with an entirely different vernacular. I can't think of a better way to help out people individually with the potential to benefit many with the same questions.

Re: Survey Says Men Bigger !@#$-Kissers to Bosses then Women

Brian Shamberger — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:37:41 -0000

Depending on how you look at it, this question could have a myriad of right answers. However, I agree with Anthony to some extent because sometimes it is hard to notice what exactly is driving someone to behave a certain way. Here, I think that there is a secondary reinforcer involved that changes behavior, and in this case its money.
I think that it isn't as important that the boss is a male so much as that there are several differences found between male and female preferences in organizational attributes. More specifically, one study performed by Terjessen et al. (2007) on the most attractive organizational attributes for men and women from Generation Y found that:
"women rate eight attributes as more important than do their male counterparts: "really care about their employees as individuals" "variety in your daily work" "friendly, informal culture" "employ people with whom you feel you will have things in common" "use your degree skills" "relatively stress-free working environment" "internationally diverse mix of colleagues" "require you to work standard working hours only". Compared to women, men rate just one attribute as more important: "a very high starting salary". The perception of presence of these important attributes is significantly linked to likelihood to apply. "

In short, money on the brain makes change.
Perhaps, the reason that men are more likely to change is because of this external locus in the work environment to obtain more financial success and security.

Furthermore, I think it is interesting to see how far this question can go. Perhaps the ability to have a flexible personality is a behavioral adaptation that is selected for? Why not? it seems to be working thus far.

Re: Career Do-Over: Interview with Serial Entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki

Brian Shamberger — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:22:24 -0000

To me this interview stands as testament to the fact that it is alright if you don't know what you want to do in or after college. In the summertime i was fortunate to have a great job as a limousine driver, and in my time working I have met countless young businessmen and women that loved to share advice from their life experience with a young college student like myself. The one thing that all these passengers had in common was that they always said, "If I knew where I was going to be now, I would have taken the classes I liked and done what I loved to do." In short, the lesson that I gathered from this was that a good career comes with following your passions and interests, and I hope that anyone else who reads this interview will see how important that can be.