Across the US there's a growing trend to call recent college graduates young professionals. These are newly minted members of the working world—professionals who financially contribute to an ever-growing market economy. However, there's a singular fallacy in this representation. Quite glaringly, not all college graduates are financially independent. They're not all contributing members of the working world. They're unemployed. They're employed, but unpaid. They're an intern or a volunteer or otherwise not paid. This is the class that we call the unprofessional.
Join us in celebrating the rising prominence of the Unprofessionals of America.
Job Sites for Unprofessionals
1. http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact.htm
Intern Bill of Rights (Six Rights for All Interns)
1. All interns are to be afforded the same respect as a regular staff member and as such:
2. All interns are to be given sufficient and substantive job responsibility and opportunities to learn about the intern's organization;
3. All interns are to be given sufficient career guidance and support by a supervisor-mentor who has sufficient experience and competence to provide such support;
4. All interns are to be reasonably and adequately compensated for work completed and are to be given financial compensation when engaging in super-intern duties by performing regular staff duties in a non-learning environment;
5. All interns are to be given genuine and periodic formal and informal feedback regarding the intern's work;
6. All interns are to be given a realistic and explicit path to full-time regular employment or otherwise be afforded genuine careers opportunities in the place of internship.
Help for the Unprofessional (How to find and keep your job)
1. Interviewing Etiquette
You've landed the interview and your references say you walk on water. One foot's already in the boat. How do you seal the deal? Step one: Know your audience. Your interviewers know how to do your job. Be sure you know what to the job is and give the impression that you can do it. In one interview, the candidate thought the job entailed something completely different than what was described in the job description. Step two: Dress to impress. Some interviewers may not care what you look like, but when they go to consider you, that sweater-cardigan may be your only outstanding feature. Step three: Practice your pitch and exude confidently. Speaking confidently is half the battle. Connect confidence with substance and you're a sailor!
2. How to Keep your Job and Like it too
Remember, your boss is the boss and the buck ends with her or him. Snivel all you like, but if you want your timecard approved and good ratings on your performance evaluation, smile and do the work your boss tells you with no back chatter. Remember, the cubicle walls have ears on the other side of them. And just think, it's a cubicle; not a sound proof room!
3. What to do when your boss hates you
Option A: Leave the company
Option B: Wish the boss to leave the company, then leave the company
Option C: Wish the company to leave the boss, then leave the company
As you can see, it's a lose-lose-lose situation. Give your boss some food (stomach bribe), and fake-like your boss until Option D comes a reality and you're the boss. Until then, good luck with the fake-liking!