Benjamin Brackmann- Audit Staff

Once you receive a job offer, you must decide if you truly want the job. Lucky for you, most organizations will allow a few days for you make a final decision. If you haven’t already done your homework on the organization to which you are applying, now is the time to do so. The Bureau of Labor statistics suggests that researching background information on an organization, such as age, size, financial condition and location can give you a good idea if it is somewhere you would want to work. A public company’s annual report to the stockholders tells about its corporate philosophy, history, products or services, goals, and financial status. Annual reports can usually be found at a public or school library, but if you can’t find it there you might try these some of these tools: Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory;Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations;Mergent’s Industrial Review;(formerly Moody’s Industrial Manual);Thomas Register of American Manufacturers; or Ward’s Business Directory.”Reviewing articles about the company in magazines and newspapers is another good place to start. You can usually tell a great deal about its successes, failures, and plans for the future. The library also may have government publications that present projections of growth for the industry in which the organization is classified. Finally, career centers at colleges and universities often have more in-depth information on employers that is not available in libraries.” -Bureau of Labor statistics. So, before you jump the gun and accept a job offer, make sure you utilize every service available to ensure you know exactly what type of company you will be working for.

Shannon Lambe- Marketing Assistant

It seems as though now a days getting a job can be almost as difficult as finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. With all the employment services out there, one may think it would be an effortless undertaking, which is just not the case. Landing a job and what’s more, the right job, can be a long and strenuous process. Nevertheless, remembering a few main ideas will help you keep your composure in the sometimes frenzied process of finding a job.

So, you have had your resume on Career Builder for over two months, sent out countless cover letters, and placed multiple phone calls only to be unanswered. That’s OK! First and foremost, prepare yourself for the almost inevitable fact that the job search is going to take time and in some cases a very long time.

Let’s say you do score an interview. You’re so overwhelmed, you get there and you freeze. You can barley remember where you parked your car much less what makes you the perfect fit for the company. As cliché as it may be, practice really does make perfect. Utilize all the tools that are accessible to you. Most colleges and universities will schedule “mock interviews,” review them together with you, and make suggestions on how you can improve. If that doesn’t sound appealing there’s always a mirror. Converse with yourself and go over common interview questions to ensure the cat doesn’t stand a chance at getting a hold of your tongue during your interview.

What if you happen to completely flop the interview and are not offered the position. Don’t let that discourage you. View it as nothing more than a learning experience, additional practice that will make your next interview even stronger and more likely you will be hired.

Make sure you are applying for jobs that interest you and you are passionate about. It is so easy to just find yourself jumping into a career for the mere fact of being ready to be part of the work force and start earning money. One of the keys to solving that problem is through networking. Networking is one of the most effective ways to find employment. Talk with everyone, your parents, your friends, their parents, neighbors, guy at the drycleaners, everyone! Generally, you associate with people who share the same interests as yourself and someone is bound to know of a job opening that will appeal to you.

You finally get a job offer, but before you hastily accept, make sure it is a company you would take pride in working for. Look back on everyone you met; if you are not confident that you could see those people being your co-workers it is probably not the right place for you. Remember what H. Browneyour said, “find a job you like and you add five days to every week.” Your new company is going to be like a second home to you and you want to be as comfortable there as possible.

Doug Kant- Audit Associate

In this industry, working 40 hours or more a week is far from a phenomenon. After a while, your daily routine may become monotonous, and you cannot always rely on external incentives to get you going- which is why it is important to be able to motivate yourself. Donald Latumahina’s recent article on self motivation summarizes many realistic ways to keep yourself driven, whether it be at work or any other aspect of your life.

1.Have a cause- Find a cause you care about. While other causes could inspire you temporarily, a cause that matters to you can inspire you indefinitely. It’s a spring of motivation that will never dry

2.Have a dream. A big dream- Having a dream is important because it’s difficult to be motivated if you don’t have anything to shoot for. You need a goal. That’s what your dream is for.But just having a dream is insufficient. Your dream must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone.

3.Be hungry- To be truly motivated, you need to have hunger and not just desire. Having mere desire won’t take you through difficult times since you don’t want things badly enough. In many cases, hunger makes the difference between the best performers and the mediocre ones.

4.Run your own race- Comparing yourself with others is an effective way to demotivate yourself. Even if you start with enthusiasm, you will soon lose your energy when you compare yourself with others. The only competitor

5.Take one more step- When you meet obstacles along the way, there could be the tendency to quit. You may think that it’s too difficult to move on. You may think that your dream is impossible to achieve. Just focus on taking one more step forward. Don’t think about how to complete the race. Don’t think about how many more obstacles are waiting for you. Just focus on taking the next step.

6.Let go of the past- Today is a new day and you have the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past stop you.

Keep these tips in mind and you will be able to keep yourself motivated even when your goals seem completely unattainable.

- Scott Jones- Audit Staff

You finally graduated and can’t wait to start work. Amidst all your excitement, you continue to hear voices saying things like “Well, the best four years of your life are over,” and “welcome to the real world, you better get used to it.” However, just because college is over doesn’t mean your life is and most certainly doesn’t mean you can’t continue to have fun. Getting well acquainted with your co-workers is probably one of the easiest things you can do to make your work experience even more enjoyable. Many organizations will sponsor company outings and activities, so be sure to take advantage of every opportunity possible to get to know your co- workers. Why not become friends with the people you work with? Dr. David Abramis at Cal State Long Beach has studied fun at work for years. He has found that “people who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, and better decision makers. They also have fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren’t having fun.” Being in a good mood at work is not only beneficial to your company but has proven to be valuable to your own health as well. Six common reasons fun can improve your work quality and mental health are:

1. Fun breaks up boredom and fatigue

2. Fun fulfills human social needs

3. Fun increases creativity and willingness to help

4. Fun fulfills the need for mastery and control

5. Fun improves communication

6. Fun breaks up conflict and tension

So, don’t hesitate the next time your boss asks you to go to that happy hour or holiday party, just make sure all the fun you are having does not inhibit you from getting your work done when you need to!