Worries about life after college and the dreaded job-hunt plague almost every college student at some point. Well aware of this, the Office of Alumni and Career Services hosted The Real World Chronicles, an event taking place throughout this month, bringing in professionals who can help students learn how to perfect their job search and prepare for a career after graduation.
In addition to three different talks from different speakers, students can register for private 15-minute one-on-one sessions with the speakers, where they can revamp their resumes, update their LinkedIn profile and assess their interview skills. The event has been split into three different sessions. The first session was Feb. 4 and featured J.T. O’Donnell, CEO founder of CAREERALISM and CareerHMO, who wanted to give students a “career toolkit” for getting a killer job. On Thursday, Catherine Byres Breet, founder of ARBEZ, gave a speech to on how gaining the dream job is possible with hard work and focus.
Those in attendance learned about her best-kept job-hunting secrets and what she considered to be the four biggest barriers to success. Most importantly though, she stressed the importance of making a good impression and connecting with people by comparing it to being a zebra amongst a heard of a thousand. She stated each zebra’s stripes are unique, similar to a person’s fingerprint, but amongst a large group they all look the same, just like how all job applicants can look the same to an employer. However, by standing out and making connections with people, a person no longer looks like all the other “zebras,” but begins to stand out. This is how she got the name of her firm (ARBEZ is “zebra” backwards).
Breet also stressed that whatever job a person is seeking should be based on their passions and dreams, so that they won’t be stuck in jobs that they hate with no real future, like she had experienced.
Since graduation from Longwood in 1993, Breet had 12 different jobs, ranging from bartender to flight attendant to social work before she started her own recruiting firm.
The journey started when she began working at a global IT recruiting company where she worked as a recruiter and director of recruiting.
“What led me to start my own business is that the staff business, recruiting business is pretty brutal,” said Breet. “When I say brutal, I mean people either fit the job or they don’t, and if they don’t fit, you don’t have time for them… The only people you can really help is the top two or three candidates that fit a job you have then.”
After just one year at the job, Breet vowed that she would find a way to help all those applicants. Over the years, she developed cheat sheets, tips and tricks for candidates she came in contact with. After spending nine years in the recruiting industry, she took a chance and developed her own firm, ARBEZ, where she provides all of the career and job-hunting tips and knowledge she has gained behind the recruiter desk. Her system and her talks have helped so many people realize their dreams that she has earned the title of Chief Stripe Changer.
Breet stated, “My vision with ARBEZ was I want to give people a place they can trust, expert advice, and inspiration to careers and find that dream job and keep it and then go chase the next thing… I know longer have to say no to anybody. I can yes to everybody and help everybody in one way, shape or form.”
Her last pieces of advice for students were: “Number one, chase your dreams. Number two, walk through your fear. If it’s scary, you’re probably on to something really good… Don’t let people hold you back, because their fear doesn’t have to be your fear… Become a life long-learner of yourself… Step in to your own skin.”
The next and final Real World Chronicles session will feature John Hill, Network Catalyst from Techstars, on Thursday, Feb. 25 in Bedford 411 at 4 pm.
If you would like to pre-register or find out more about the event visit: http://www.longwood.edu/alumni/63955.htm.
