#co*op

[cooperatenyc]

The Importance of Networking

By: Linda Nguyen, C3 Apprentice

Before I came to CO*OP, I was always under the impression that networking was optional. Why network when I already have a group of peers that I am connected with? The concept was so foreign to me. I would show up to events with friends and stick with them for the whole night, or not really have a purpose to connect with others – probably two of the biggest cardinal sins in networking.

I guess I was uncomfortable with the idea of networking because I thought it was only necessary to do if I was looking for a new job. I was afraid that my approach would come off too forced and I didn’t want to be that awkward person trying to fit into a conversation. Ever. What I realized after I joined CO*OP, is that it is not that hard…if you know what you’re doing. Here are three things I’ve discovered about this necessary skill we all call networking.

1. New Contacts = New Friends

I am a pretty outgoing person. Making friends and meeting new people are never things I shy away from. Yet, when I think about networking, my approach to it was different from the approach I took to making a new friend – and it shouldn’t be. What I’ve learned is that you should never see networking as a means to get that next job or excel in your career. It’s about building relationships with others and hopefully finding something that connects you to that person. Now, I see networking as a way to meet new lifelong friends instead of a chore that I need to do once a week. In fact, networking has allowed me to immerse myself into different interests with people from all walks of life.

2. Keep in Touch

What do I do with all of these business cards? It was a question I used to ask myself all the time after a big networking event. I’d put the card in my bag and forget all about it. By the following week, so much time had gone by that I felt it would be strange to reach out. What if they forgot me? What if I didn’t make enough of an impression? CO*OP has taught me to ignore these questions and doubts, and reach out anyway! The worst thing that can happen is that they did in fact forget about me, but I am taking the initiative to connect. Keeping in touch is so vital in creating a new relationship and I try my best to do it as possible. If I do lose touch, it’s never a big deal. I just pick back up as if we never stopped to begin with.

3. Pay it Forward

I have met some incredible people through networking. Friends, mentors, you name it! While networking is an important skill to have, I think it is equally important to share those influential people with others. I have been fortunate enough to meet people who have shaped my life and left an impact, and I am always grateful to get the opportunity to introduce them to my network of existing peers.  

Now go out there and party network!

[cooperatenyc]

My CO*OP Journey: A Recipe for Success

By: Samantha Ghanie, C3 Apprentice

Upon graduating I was filled with relief, and wonder! The city had no idea the force that had been unleashed; I was now a woman of the world.

I set out on my own personal journey and returned three months later, an independent world traveler, feeling much like the prodigal daughter

So why did I feel that my potential employers weren’t as excited about the marvelous resource that I could be to their varied organizations? I was experiencing a serious case of cognitive dissonance, was it me?

Or did the job market really not want me? Then why was I reading articles, reports, and hearing industry leaders plead their recruiters to look for diverse talent?

I was missing a step

…..and CO*OP filled it. Here’s my CO*OP recipe for success:

2 Great Leaders. Dynamic leaders attract bright talent: Kalani and Francesca are always working for us, and that drives us to do better all around, which reflects a gold standard all around.

Seeds of a Community. Community is built with willing minds: 12 of them to be precise, knowing that you can bring up any topic, your opinions are valued and that stating your job search fatigue or cultural frustrations will be met with advice and empathy instead of derision or dismissal.

That Little Umph. I don’t think the word “lazy” could be applied to a single Cooper, but when we are busy being superhuman it’s far too easy to brush off that email to the side. Sticking together means we push each other, did you finish that excel tutorial? Have you emailed back that recruiter you spoke with? Words of motivation go a long way to easing the college to career transition.

The Final Ingredient. What recipe doesn’t require heat? AKA—drive. Your goals are just that, yours. It’s your drive and fire that takes the ingredients CO*OP gives you and turns it all into the entryway to your career.

[cooperatenyc]

My CO*OP Journey

By Jairo Mata, C3 apprentice

In my time as a CO*OP apprentice, I have gained a renewed sense of confidence, while adding new skills to what I already have within me. Before CO*OP, I was in a somewhat of a career lull.  It had been two complete years since graduating from CCNY with an AD/PR degree. However, I was not fully employed. I wondered when I would realize where I would belong in the end. That is where CO*OP came in.

With CO*OP, I have gained skills in Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, and Excel. Approaching these skills in the manner of an eager learner has given me the belief that I can use these skills, and apply them to where I want to work; which is in the nonprofit sector. However, being at CO*OP has made see a career in digital marketing as something to consider.

What my time at CO*OP has given me the most so far, is viewing my previous career experiences in terms of where I am at, and where I can go.  I know that my path is like a gem; not polished but being refined constantly. I think that is the full sense of what CO*OP is for me. I can give myself more credit than I usually allow myself and to think in how I have navigated my career thus far.  My fellow peers in the CO*OP program, who have provided remarkable encouragement and support, have encouraged much of this.

Perhaps no better encouragement beyond my peers has come through than with the life portion of the CO*OP program. This required me to get the chance to break down my personal and professional development. Recently, I’ve asked my colleagues and friends about how they perceive me based on my character and values that they see in me. Much of the answers haven’t been a surprise, but the reasons supporting those answers have allowed me to realize that I am leaving the kind of impression that is best reflective of who I am and what I aspire to become.

The best thing to approach my time left in CO*OP is to just take the advice of poet Robert Frost’s view on a journey, -which he remarked that he himself “took the one less traveled.”

I guess the path for me in CO*OP has been less traveled, but I would like to see its process and destination in its fuller view.

[cooperatenyc]

Are you an English major, and don’t know what to pursue after graduation? Consider digital marketing!

Check out this informative infographic on why you’d excel in a career in digital marketing with an English degree, by CO*OP’s very own Nikeeyia Howell!

[cooperatenyc]

Interview with a CO*OP Alum: Jennifer Prado

By Team DJ Max [Darlene Bueno, Max Xu, and Jennifer De Leon]

Account Analyst at Elite SEM and CO*OP alum, Jennifer Prado, talks about her experience before, during and after her apprenticeship. Check out the Q&A below to learn more about what it takes to get from an apprentice to a full time employee!!

1. What led you to join CO*OP?

After finishing school and leaving the job I had for 5 years, I found myself, much like all recent grads, struggling to get hired. Right around the time I was seriously starting to get discouraged about the job search, I received the email about CO*OP. As soon as I finished reading through the site, I jumped at the chance. I was apprehensive at first; I think all of us were. It’s a startup that even now in its second round, is still trying to find its footing, but I was sold by how passionate Kalani was and how much he wanted to help.

2. What is your favorite moment from CO*OP?

Oh boy! There are so many.  My favorite moments (because I can’t choose just one) are the ones where we do a spotlight on someone.  We sit in a circle and one person remains silent as everyone else says something they admire or like about that person. It’s a lovely and emotional moment during points of reflection at CO*OP

3. What is the most meaningful thing you learned from CO*OP?

The most meaningful thing I learned from CO*OP is to not be afraid to speak up. Often times, we feel as interns, apprentices and even entry level employees that we have no voice, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Your opinion matters.

4. What three words can you use to describe your experience at CO*OP?

Enlightening, Tremendous, Entertaining

5. What is your current position now?

I’m an Account Analyst at Elite SEM.

6. What do you think are the necessary attributes that will help lead a person from an apprentice position to a full time employee?

Listen & Learn. Make sure you’re paying attention to what you’re being told. Take as many notes as you need to and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Also, keep up on industry news by following site and blogs.

Participate and Volunteer. Don’t be afraid, just because you’re an apprentice, to participate and talk with your coworkers. You can learn a great deal from them.

Do Your Work. That’s a no-brainer! If you’re struggling, ask for help, but don’t just sit there doing nothing. Be proactive. If you find that you have nothing to do, ask someone around you if they need any help with something.

7. What is the favorite part of your job?

I’m constantly learning in this field and that’s something I love. I like going to work every day and beside the fact that my coworkers are genuinely great people, they are incredibly helpful. I’m still very much a newbie in the world of SEM, but each one of them was in my shoes at one point and they are so willing to help with anything.

8. Is there anything in the past that you would change? If so, why?

Personally? I don’t think so. It hasn’t all been great up to this point, but all of the good and the bad has led me to here—to a place where I’m genuinely happy to go to work and just genuinely happy and I don’t think I could ask for much more for now.

9. Do you feel like you are in your dream position? Or do you have another dream job?

               No. I really like what I’m doing and I thoroughly enjoy doing it, but my dream job would be a full-time novelist. I love to write—I don’t go a day with writing something. I still have hope that one day I’ll get some of my work published.

10. What do you think is your biggest transformation from before beginning CO*OP to when your completed the apprentice?

Confidence? Haha, not so convincing with that question mark at the end of it, but honestly, I’ve opened up a great deal since starting CO*OP and I’ve learned to get out of my comfort zone more often. I’m quite an introverted person, but slowly I’ve been moving away from that, and friends have noticed, which is pretty awesome.