With my impending graduation in sight, I am always looking for tips and tricks for the job search (hence my latest blog post from last week). It's a really hard adjustment, college to post graduate life. There are a lot of new rules, new opportunities and an entire new routine that you have to become accustomed too.  

It's really scary, not knowing what's going to come next and hearing mixed reviews about job hunting, having and keeping a job, and life after college in general. A lot of people love it, some people are indifferent to it, and some just down right hate it. I'm terrified of not knowing how to operate in the real world but thankfully, there are resources out there to prepare you.

I feel like I've been mentally preparing for the real world for the past year now and I owe a lot of that to Levo League. It's always been my #1 career resource and after having my dream internship there, I learned so much it's insane. 

There are other resources as well and I'm truly thankful for them. One of those resources is a new book "Careeranista: The Women's Guide to Success After College". I was sent a free copy for review by the author, Chaz Pitts-Kyser. I'm always up to read a new book, especially one that is going to benefit me.

I really didn't know what to expect when I first started reading, I thought it'd be like other career books I've read but at a hefty 272 pages, I was overwhelmed with tips, tricks, information and good old advice. 

I've read a lot of career books, articles, and blog posts but nothing has made me feel as confident as this book did. I've been dealing with a lot of stress and fear about the real world and succeeding after graduation but this book 100% made me feel better. If that's not a reason to read it, I'll just have to give you more.

This book covers everything from cleaning up your social media profiles to dealing with sexual harassment in the work place. It goes from beginning to end, to when you're looking for a job to what to do when you want to switch jobs. You're able to get every bit of a career advice you'll ever need in these pages, which is wonderful.

By definition, according to the book, a Careeranista is "A smart, sophisticated, success-driven young woman committed to carving out a career she loves." Who wouldn't want to be defined as that?

The book was divided into parts: Becoming a Careeranista, Succeeding as a Careeranista, Questions of a Careeranista, and Handling a Careeranista's Biggest Obstacles. I feel like this makes it a lot easier to know which sections are most important to you. 

There were definitely some highlights for me, a lot which occurred in the first section "Becoming a Careeranista" because that's the stage I am at in life. 

Within the first chapter, I'm taken back because the advice is so detailed; Chaz advises all young-ins to create a career plan early on in college; map out where you want to go, what positions you want to hold and ultimately where you want to end up. Having a plan such as this will help you gear your path in the right direction and always give yourself a certain amount of time for each goal.

Sticking to the path though is not always as easy; there are always going to be bumps that throw you off. "There are multiple ways to get to a destination" so it's okay if you lose sight of the original goal. 

Some hardcore advice she gives in the book is as follows: think outside the box as you job search, expand your horizons because there are "plenty of places nurses work besides hospitals" (EYEOPENER) 

The next part of the book that blew me away was the informal job search strategies. Some of these I already knew but some were brand new to me. It's nice to know that there are other ways to get a job besides Linkedin and Monster.com. I will definitely be using some of these new strategies in my search.

Another great tip? Follow up on job applications! If you email someone your resume and cover letter, email them two weeks later to make sure they got them. I really need to start actively doing that.

There were other features throughout the book that caught my eye; there was an inspirational quote at the top of every chapter (which I'm always a sucker for), there were sample questions and email layouts when necessary, so you have a step by step guide of what to do. There were also other ladies personal stories and advice included throughout the book; those were titled "Diary of Careeranista"; it was nice to get a different perspective. 

A few other highlights of mine: Resume and Cover letter guide and resources, 20 points for a better interview, what kind of research you should do on a company before an interview, and real world myths.

It was really nice to have a detailed description of what you expect and should do in every situation, for example--what you should do when you have multiple job offers. I read a lot of articles and blog posts on careers but having it all in one nifty little book and being extremely detailed in it's advice. 

Everything after part one is about what happens when you get the job; how you should act in the work place, how to manage your boss, how to deal with co-worker conflict, and how to stand out. It's all very useful information and advice. Once I score a job, I will definitely be referencing back to this.

Altogether, this book kind of changed my life. It changed the way I'm looking at my job search, my career, and life after college. For the next two years, I fully believe I will be obsessively reading and referencing this book.

If you're on the verge of graduation or need some helpful career advice, take a gander. You will not regret it.

I've been putting off writing this blog post for months because I'm still in deep denial that I'm searching for a real person job. I've heard it for over a year, that looking for a full time job is a full time job. I'm no where near ready to be catapulted into the real world. I'm not that qualified, I don't really know what I want to do, and I'm terrified.

The fear that is in me is unreal and I feel as if I'm sabotaging my own job search because part of me never wants to grow up and get a job.

The other part of me is terribly excited. I see all these Instagram photos and articles and blog posts about fabulous 20 somethings and their cool full time jobs. They have all this cool stuff, travel around the world, and are just so effortlessly cool. I want to be them.

I've been applying to jobs left and right since January. I've probably applied to over 50 jobs and do you think I've heard back from anyone? Nope. I haven't.

It's incredibly frustrating but very expected. I'm expecting to not have a job when I graduate, which is scary enough in itself. I also do not want to hear my mother along with everyone else I meet asking me "Did you find a job yet?" "Where are you applying?" "What do you want to do with your life?" EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP.

There is a skill to applying for jobs and things you should know before you get started. Tips and tricks will go a long way in this job search. There are also ways to stay organized which I think is the most important aspect of accomplishing anything in life.

Where to Look:

-Indeed.com: I love using Indeed, better than any other job website such as Monster.com or Craigslist. I think it's easier to use and visually more appealing. I also think there are a wider variety of jobs and better jobs posted on Indeed. One of my friends interned for them over the summer and he raved about them as a company. He was definitely right. 

-Linkedin: I'm almost positive every career counselor, speaker, professor I've ever had or met has told me to polish up my Linkedin skills. I've had a Linkedin for the past few years but thought of it only as a visual, online profile. I didn't realize all the benefits that came along with it, like the job search. Like I said before, I applied to almost 50 jobs and I think I found 40 of them on Linkedin. There are all these job postings from all these different companies; some of them you can apply right on Linkedin using your profile(which is my favorite because it's so easy) and others direct you to the company website. They even give you the contact information of the person posting the job. It's so easy it should be illegal. 

-Company Websites: I think this is the easiest of them all but I feel like a lot of people are clueless about this feature. If there is a company, brand or website you want to work for, most likely they have a careers section. If you go to your favorite website and scroll to the bottom where the social media buttons, the Contact Us, and About Us tab are, there is most likely a Careers Section. There you will find job openings, a description of the company and maybe even the services and benefits they offer employees. I've been having a field day with this feature on my favorite websites like Birchbox and Refinery29.

Staying Organized:

Notebooks: I use my adorable May Designs mint polka dot notebook to list the places I want to work, the people I know there, and all the jobs I've applied for. I usually just jot down the company, job title, and date I applied. It's not the best organization tactic but I just came up with a new system that might work better.

Excel Spreadsheets: I always forget about the lovely Excel. It's so easy to use and really simple to organize. I think I might start using this in relation with my notebook. I'm thinking to organize it by industry, company, and type of job. This would be helpful in knowing if you already applied to a job or if you have applied to different jobs at the same company. 

When it comes to job hunting, I am no pro but there are things that I've learned along the way:

-Have a killer cover-letter: This is something I have yet to perfect. Don't be generic, don't say the same thing over and over again. Get deep into a cover letter and explain why you think you'd be a good fit for the job and why you want to work at the company. Make it special, don't recycle cover letters; if it's a company you really want to work for, pour all your passion into the cover-letter. It'll benefit you more in the end. 

-Cold emails: There are so many mixed feelings about cold emails but I think if they are done correctly, they can work out. Emailing a contact person about a company, even if there are no jobs available at said company, can show your passion and ability to take initiative. This article from Levo League can be a huge help in deciding how to write the perfect cold email. 

-Social Media/Linkedin: Using social media to land you a job or even launch your job search into the spotlight. Make sure your accounts are cleaned up, tweet and share things that are related to your industry. It'll keep you relevant and show employers that you are knowledgable about things going on in your industry. 

Linkedin is perfect for this because anyone can view your profile and there are so many influencers on Linkedin; it's probably the first account that employers will look at so if it's cleaned up and presented nicely, it'll reflect nicely. Also, your Linkedin profile is your time to shine; put everything on there. It's allowed to be longer than your resume so use that to your advantage. (Sidenote: Resumes should be no longer than a page)

-Google Yourself: The best thing I ever learned was to Google yourself. A google search of your name every now and then will give you an inside look to what employers will see when they search your name. I've done so much stuff online that my name takes up the entire first page of a Google search. It's pretty awesome. Also, make sure it's all good stuff like your Linkedin, links to blogs and articles you've written, and your personal online portfolio.

-Don't be discouraged: Applying to jobs is tiring and annoying and can be frustrating if you aren't hearing anything back. Be proactive, follow up, and never stop trying. There's a job out there for you, you'll find it.

Take a look at my Pinterest board "For the Real World" with links to dozens of articles that are super useful and helpful during the job search!

Do you have any tips or tricks to the job search? Share them in the comments!

When I went home before Spring Break, I realized that I had a subscription to Glamour. I had two months worth of magazines (which I had previously bought at CVS) waiting for me on my kitchen table. Needless to say I was confused because I don't remember ordering a subscription. 

I am happy about this surprise subscription though, because now I save money each month on my favorite magazine!

For the month of April, I was so excited that they had Lena Dunham on the cover. I love her and 'Girls' even though I totally missed the third season (not having HBO can do that to a girl) so I was really happy that Glamour was honoring Dunham.

Interesting fact, if you take a look at the subscription cover of Glamour compared to the tablet or newsstand edition, the covers are drastically different. The subscription cover that I received in the mail was really plain and simple. I don't really like it but I understand that Anna Wintour is trying to 'vogue' up Glamour and making it a little more sophisticated like her pride and joy, Vogue.

The issue was pretty hefty but it was filled with a lot of ads, which I honestly really enjoyed. I think companies are really stepping up their ad games, I've noticed in recent months that the advertisements in magazines are much more interesting and lively. 

There were a few highlights from this issue which isn't a surprise because every month Glamour brings their A game.

Letter to the Editor: I've grown to love the little editor's notes at the beginning of every magazine. Getting an inside look into the brain behind the magazine fascinates me. This month, Cindi Leive wrote something about what to say when you're interviewing for a job that struck me.  She said the best thing to say and something that would automatically result in a hire for her is, "I really want to work here and this position sounds perfect. What can I do to persuade you I'm the one?" I love that and I honestly might use it!!

My Dos and Don'ts for a Happy Life--Pg 70: Glamour Dos and Don'ts are my favorite part of the magazine but this month there was a little spin on it. Cecily Strong of SNL fame wrote this little column and it stayed with me. I love reading what other people do to relax and unwind and what makes them happy so reading what she does to remain positive really helped me and I think I'm going to use a lot of her advice.

This Month in Nails--Pg 120: Usually Glamour does "This Month in Outfits" which they did include but they gave a little spin for the Spring months and did a calendar of nail ideas. I love nail polish and nail art, as if you didn't already know that so seeing a bunch of different ideas was cool.

How a Beauty Editor Shops for Spring--Pg 134: I'm a nosy person with a an appetite for curiosity so seeing what a high profiled beauty editor of a magazine picks for her beauty products for springtime satisfies that need for nosiness. I love discovering new beauty products so this little feature was awesome.

Your Skin Diet--PG 136: Since I got back from vacation (and even before) I've been trying to take better care of my skin aka moisturizing and lathering up on the lotion every chance I get. Seeing what you should be using for different skin problems was eye opening and so helpful

The Not Good Enough Trap-- Pg 170: Going with the 'Girls' theme of the issue, my alter ego Soshanna aka Zosia Mamet wrote this beautiful feature about what it means to not feel good enough and how we view ourselves in a negative way. She asks the question "When?" as referring to when do we start seeing ourselves negatively. It was really well written and just kind of hit home for me.

How to Get Hired--Pg 175: Confession, I didn't read this section in it's entirety but I plan on sitting down one day and reading it over and over again. This is the ultimate handbook on how to job hunt, write a killer cover letter and resume, and how to nail the interview. This is something so essential to my life now, whether I want to admit it or not so I'm eternally grateful to Glamour for this little tidbit.

Lena Dunham Interview--Pg 217: I'm obsessed with this interview. Dunham is so real, so raw, so what you would expect from her. She is just as quirky as Hannah Marin but so down to earth and so rational. She has her head on straight and really is a role model for an entire generation. This interview proved that.

Did you read this month's Glamour? What was your favorite part? Tell me in the comments!