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Get the advice you need to successfully start your career.

This blog presents guidance on topics such as making the most of 1stGig, writing appropriate cover letters and resumes, developing solid interview strategies, negotiating a starting salary, deciding about graduate school, and much, much more. It is interactive as well as informative: If you have questions or comments about what you read here, or if you have ideas for topics you’d like to see covered, just let us know.

Keyword: organizational environment
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How can I adapt to a new work environment?

By Susan M. Katz
December 27, 2016
Starting work at a new place can be intimidating, but if you focus on key areas, you'll learn how to navigate the new environment. (Read more)
Keywords:
internships | networking | organizational culture | organizational environment |

Should I accept an offer for a job I don’t like?

By Susan M. Katz
October 25, 2016
When you’re out of work and searching for a job, it may seem that you have to accept a job offer, even if it turns out that the job isn’t really what you expected it to be or what you’re interested in. While it’s important to accept financial responsibility and pay your own way, it’s also important that you carefully consider every job offer and make sure it’s a good fit for you. (Read more)
Keywords:
career matching | job offers | job research | organizational environment |

What do millennials want?

By Susan M. Katz
June 28, 2016
We’ve all heard the stereotypes about the millennials — the generation born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s: We’ve heard that they’re unmotivated, that they’ve been overprotected by helicopter parents, and that they feel a sense of entitlement that older generations find offensive. However, most of such assertions are based on anecdotal evidence. Does the stereotype really reflect the millennials? (Read more)
Keywords:
assessment | benefits | millennials | organizational culture | organizational environment |

What would make me happy at work?

By Susan M. Katz
May 16, 2016
Several years ago, Gallup conducted a nationwide survey of workers to assess job satisfaction, and an astonishing 70% of the people who were polled said that they didn’t really like their jobs! Given that you will spend about a quarter of your adult life at work, you don’t want to be in that 70%. So what can you do to avoid it? You can start thinking now about the factors that would make you like—or hate—your job. I’m going to pose some questions to help you think about those factors, which may be able to help you conduct a more narrow—and more fruitful—job search. (Read more)
Keywords:
job research | lifestyle | organizational environment |

What type of organizational environment suits my needs?

By Susan M. Katz
March 29, 2016
Would you like to be a big fish in a small pond or vice versa? Use this list of questions to help you think about the type of organization where you may want to work (Read more)
Keywords:
benefits | career matching | organizational culture | organizational environment |
Susan M. Katz
Student Career Placement Consultant

Susan M. Katz, PhD, is 1stGig’s Student Career Placement Consultant and the author of Start Your Career: 5 Steps to Finding the Right Job after College.  She is also Associate Professor of English and Internship Coordinator at North Carolina State University, where she developed internship courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. Her courses help students prepare for the job search process, identify their strengths, and consider a variety of potential career paths. Her first book, The Dynamics of Writing Review: Opportunities for Growth and Change in the Workplace, describes some of the processes that newcomers must go through as they enter the workplace and adapt to organizational conventions.

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