And I mean anything. If I need to find a third-party vendor or freelancer? Done. If I need an intern? Voila. Prayers during a rough patch? You know it. Help with an event? Just took one phone call.

The whole “scratch their back and they’ll scratch yours” theory is so true. If you help out others, they are there when you need them.

Maybe that’s why I keep running out of business cards…

My boyfriend was the kind of kid who would take a part things just to see how they worked. I never understood those people… until it came time for me to understand the Internet. It started when I was about 12. I had this really cool graphics software on my computer and there was a way to design web sites on it. So I made a web site and posted it online just to figure out how it worked.

So when everyone started talking about the “blogosphere” I just didn’t get it. Why post things in chronological order? Why would people turn to everyday individuals to hear what they say when they could turn to “credible” published sources? I thought blogs were little Internet diaries where dumb people posted their innermost thoughts for the world to see… and the proceeded to piss off all their friends and families when they saw what they posted online.

I started off just reading blogs, you know, just to see what good would come from it (check out my LINKS page for some of the blogs I frequent). Then I realized that I too had a unique perspective and experiences worth sharing. Not going to go in to details about my personal life or try to piss people off, but I could definitely share things from my school, work and networking experiences.

My subject matter has expanded and changed over the last 12 months If you check out post #1, you can see why I started Resume Rehab and focused this site a little more on marketing, networking and the web.

Then, like any good addiction, I got hooked. And I started writing on multiple blogs. I made new friends through the blogging world. Learned the joys of WordPress and SEO, keyword searches and organic linking. Not only has it been a fun year, I’ve also expanded my professional skills and can help colleagues, clients and friends with navigating the confusing world that is blogging.

I’ve been dabbling in Twitter now too, and let me tell you, I’ve opened a whole new can of worms.

Thanks for stopping by and reading what I have to say. Thanks for year number one and here’s hoping for an even more wild and fun year number two!

In high school, there was an organization called Key Club which quickly became one of the largest student organizations at my school. It was an after-school group associated with the Kiwanis service leadership organization. According to the Key Club web site, they are the largest high school student organization in the world. The world. Unfortunately, at my high school, I felt as though many students joined simply to get brownie points on their college applications. Sure, it’s great to be helping others – but only to boost your shot at getting into a selective school? I don’t know. Something about that rubbed me the wrong way. But I guess in the process they helped others – and that’s what really counts.

In addition to Key Club, our school had other service opportunities through other after school clubs. An old friend of mine asked me to do a talent show act with him to benefit the Friends of Kids with Cancer. He is a survivor of bone cancer and I have always admired his strength – not only for soldiering through invasive treatment, but for holding his head up as he weathers continued challenges and the sorrow of outliving many friends who did not make it through their illnesses. I had a blast doing our own version of the famous Abbott & Costello “Who’s on First” comedy routine. I’m pretty sure we butchered the script, but it’s still a great memory I have.

My senior year, I took part in a Community Service class. Every day of the week had a different service assignment – one day we would visit nursing home residents, the next day we’d go to a neighboring elementary school to mentor at-risk students. Plus, you got to leave school for lunch and it was an easy A. I guess I’m guilty of signing up for service and banking on some of the benefits.

In December of my senior year, a boy who graduated the year before suddenly passed away from complications of a rare blood disease. Prior to falling ill his senior year, he was a hockey player and good friend to many students. He had two younger siblings at the high school as well. His sister was in my community service class and we decided to create a special event in honor of the student and an organization that makes a difference in the lives of many seriously ill kids in our community. We organized an event called “Dream Big: 5K for the Factory.”

The 5K walk/run raised tens of thousands of dollars the first year and will be celebrating it’s 4th anniversary on April 20th, 2008. The beneficiary of the fundraiser, the Dream Factory of St. Louis, has helped hundreds of extraordinary children live out their dreams. My friend, a sports fanatic, went to the Super Bowl. The Dream Factory takes kids to Disney World, to Hawaii and even donates horse trailers!

I chose to attend college at Saint Louis University, not even realizing that it was a Jesuit, Catholic university dedicated to service. I soon found out that service was an integral part of the university’s mission. In fact, SLU’s motto is “Men and women for others.” After three years as a campus tour guide – I got pretty good at explaining the motto and why universities founded on service to others truly make for an exceptional learning experience.

At SLU, there were so many opportunities to give back to the community. My freshman year I tutored students in the America Reads program and the Freshman day of service. Many of my friends participated in Campus Kitchen, APO and Relay for Life. Through the Public Relations club, we donated our services to charities like the Dream Factory and the Make-A-Wish foundation. Some of my friends even donated their spring break to go on service trips. I still feel like I didn’t get as involved as I should have while at school – I always feared that if I did too much I would take away from time for work and school. Looking back, I watched too much TV, spent way too much time on Facebook and didn’t give back enough.

After graduation, those feelings of regret really started to settle in. I realized how blessed (and lazy) I am. When I was on an informational interview with Drake & Co., I met a young professional who recommended that I get involved with United Way of Greater St. Louis’s GenNext program. She said it was a great way to network and meet other young people in St. Louis that are starting careers and looking for ways to give back to the community. Again, guilty of signing up for service in part for my own benefit, I registered to help out at a Head Start campus.

Not only did I learn more about an organization providing exceptional educational opportunities for low-income children – I also met a network of young people dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others. They are graduate students and professionals in a variety of fields, who have a great time helping others. Although I am still trying to get more involved with the organization (I just signed up to be on a grant panel!), I am excited to spend more time with such altruistic people. I enjoy helping others and meeting new friends who share those interests.

And, hey, it doesn’t hurt to mention that I met my now employer at a Make-A-Wish foundation, does it?

Anyways, as we slowly defrost into Springtime, my friends are in a mad panic to either figure out what they want to do with their lives… or make a mad dash for grad school, so it looks like they know what they’re doing.

With that being said, resumes, job searches, networking and all things “real world” are on my mind. Since it’s been less than I year since I embarked upon my own grown-up job hunt, a few tips are fresh in my memory:

1. Have It Your Resume
If I see one more boring resume in the Microsoft Word free-for-all template that’s simply a list of job titles, dates and your fraternity… No accomplishments. Nothing that makes you stand out from the stack of 50 other resumes on the desk.

Please. Please do something different – layout, presentation, tone, description. Don’t be weird in a bad way – no crayons, stains, profanity, typos. Make yourself standout. Be professional and consider your resume an opportunity to advertise yourself. If you’re going into a corporate field, think business-to-business language, format and tone. Real estate developers speak differently than financial advisors, who speak differently than accountants. Demonstrate that you have the skills to succeed in your chosen industry.

Don’t forget to tell the HR person why they should hire you – and the correct answer is never “because I need a job.”

2. Network It Out
Everyone has friends in high places – you probably don’t even realize it. Think about all of your friends, their friends, parents, professors, past employers and co-workers. Get the word out that you’re graduating and looking for a job.

Request an informational interview. With anyone who will talk with you. Even if they don’t have a job opening. Even if you’re not sure you want their kind of job.

Put on a suit. I don’t care if they wear swim suits at their office, wear a suit on an interview. Bring a copy of your refreshingly unique resume. Ask them questions about their job. Duties and responsibilities. The career path they chose. The most rewarding part of their job. What skills and knowledge someone needs to succeed at the profession. What they look for in a candidate when they’re hiring.

Before you leave, ask them to review your resume and provide feedback: what’s good, what’s confusing, what should change. Everyone will have their own opinion – but by combining many different perspectives, I guarantee you can develop a resume that is a happy medium – pleasing a wide variety of viewers.

Thank your host for their time before you leave. Reiterate key points in your conversation that you especially appreciated. Finally, and this is key to networking, ask them if they know of anyone else that you may be able to talk with – a coworker, a friend, someone they know who’s hiring. All of a sudden your network has expanded into theirs.

3. Follow Up Yours
Whether it’s for an informational interview or after a resume submission – always follow up.

During the course of an informational interview, if your interviewer gives you other people to contact – do so immediately. Send an e-mail or make a call within 24 hours. Tell them you met with their friend so-and-so and they recommended that you talk to them. Explain your situation – you’re a recent grad trying to decide what to do with your life. You’d love just 15 to 30 minutes of their time to talk to them about their career.

If your interviewer requests additional info – a copy of your resume, your cover letter, writing samples, references… do so within 24 hours.

If you don’t hear back within a week? Call or e-mail again. Make it quick:

Hi Joe,
Just wanted to check in with you. I enjoyed our conversation last Tuesday and remain very interested in the opportunity. Thank you again for your time.

I sent a list of professional references to you last week, please let me know if there is anything else that I can provide.

Sincerely,
Colleen

When I was looking for a resume this fall – I got about 30 resume submissions and maybe 5 people followed-up with me. You can bet their resumes moved to the top of the pile after they demonstrated initiative and responsibility.

4. Say Thank You Like You Mean It
E-mail is easy. It’s free. It’s instantaneous. It’s effortless.

That’s why if you really want to say thanks, send a handwritten note.

It doesn’t have to be long (see my e-mail to Joe for #3). Just enough to remind them of your conversation and why you’re so special while thanking them for their time. Send one to every person you with which you meet. Afraid you’ll forget their names? Ask for a business card. If they don’t cards with them, write down their name on a notepad.

You can buy inexpensive generic stationery at Office Depot, Target or Wal-mart. The post office sells these things called stamps. Bring blank cards with you and fill them out immediately after your interview. Drop them in the mail on your way home.

A little effort goes a long way. And it’s nice to get a real piece of mail every once and awhile.

5. Rinse and Repeat
Not every job is “the one.” Just like every person you meet in a bar isn’t your soul mate. When you start interviewing and sending out your resume, you’ll get rejections.

I know first hand how devastating the rejection letter can be. I cried profusely after four rounds of interviews ended in one of those mass “Thanks, but no thanks” HR letters.

If you do get a rejection, try asking if the employer has any feedback for you. Why didn’t they choose you? Maybe you can identify some areas for improvement. Why did they choose the final candidate? Sometimes you’ll find that it is a reason you can’t control.

But a couple months after the boo-hoo letter, when I was ready to accept an offer – I knew that it was the right one. I wouldn’t have known anything if it wasn’t for the networking, the dead-end interviews and the experience I gained throughout the job search process.

Keep your head up and keep adjusting your approach. Don’t settle for the first thing that comes along simply because it came along. Follow your instincts (and maybe my advice) and you’ll find yourself at the finish line before you know it.