If you’re starting to feel the “holiday blues” because you’re out of work or eager to change jobs, stress no more!  The holiday season offers a golden setting for you to meet new people and find opportunities before the New Year! Think about it: There are so many parties and gatherings happening this time of year that you can meet just about anyone you need to in order to advance your career or business! And best of all, you can do so in a casual, merry setting where people are ready to relax and socialize. Here are 5 ways to maximize your presence at those gatherings:

1. Take the opportunity to start a conversation with that agency VP you’ve been eager to meet. If you are the host, be sure to send invites to your important clients and the people you want to impress.

1. Find out if any of your friends are allowed to bring guests to their company’s holiday party, even if they don’t work in your desired industry. You never know what kind of connections you could make or who else might attend as a guest. Your friend’s coworker’s wife could work for the company of your dreams!

1. Find out if your local young professionals association or other industry/career organization is hosting a holiday event open to the public. It’s a great opportunity to meet, learn and network.

1. Keep things casual. Don’t delve into business talk now – use this time to establish a relationship with the person instead. Remember, the best jobs are never advertised, so by using your social savvy to make those important connections, that golden opportunity might just come across your desk when you least expect it!

1. Remember to bring your business cards, collect cards from others, or exchange contact information, and above all, follow up!

We at YSN are thankful for your readership, and wish you all the best this holiday season!

Heading home for the holidays can be stressful. Everyone wants to know what you’ve been doing with your life, how school or work has been going, if you’ve found someone special, and if you’re on a solid track.

Before you start sweating, here are three ways to prepare yourself for the conversations you don’t want to have at Thanksgiving, but most certainly will:

1. Think about the conversations you’re going to have and what you are going to say about the choices you’ve made. If you aren’t sure about your plans, don’t say “I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Instead, try “I’m actively exploring my options right now.” That kind of spin takes you from hopeless and lost to confident and proactive with some simple repositioning.

2. Know your audience and be aware of their “push” buttons. For example, your dad might care about how much money you’re making, while your mom might be more concerned about your happiness. Speak directly to their unique questions and concerns and they are sure to be more supportive.

3. Recognize what makes YOU happy and how you define success. Even though your definition of success may differ from others, it’s important to acknowledge the validity of all sides and respect how others might see the world – while impressing upon them how important it is for you to find a path of your own.

Remember, they love you. They don’t have to say it to mean it, and at the end of the day, they only want you to be happy.

For many, finding a job or even the thought of searching for the right career can be daunting. We apply ourselves everyday towards success, whether through a test, presentation or performance, but navigating through the job recruitment system takes particular strategy. These other experiences can help you prepare, but when it comes to connecting to a career, there are a few key steps to help you focus and light the fuse.

1. Assess your assets. Between your resume and your personal talents, you have a leg up on your competition in some way or another. It’s time to start thinking about what your propellers are. Think about three major things you can bring to the table, and make sure these key words are visible in your resumes, applications and informational interviews.

If you’re having trouble picking out industries you may enjoy working in, make a list of things you enjoy, and things that you explicitly are not interested in. This creates your pool of interests and your boundary lines. Your major may not necessarily correlate with your interests, and that’s okay. Do you like traveling? If so, look for positions that allow you to move beyond the desk. It’s these simple personal tendencies that can make a big difference in your search.

2. Navigate before driving. Unfortunately, there isn’t a GPS system to acquire the perfect job or internship. So, it’s important to map out your plan of attack. This involves brainstorming and researching. Ask yourself a few questions with a long-term perspective. What do you want out of it? Why do you want this? Do you know enough about the industries you are interested in? Is there anyone in the industry who can give you insight? Dream big and act upon it. It’s scientifically proven that those who approach situations with a can-do attitude actually…can do it!

3. Branch out. While career fairs and career expos are helpful and encourage interpersonal interaction with campus recruiters, it’s also important to take a few paths that aren’t as mass marketed. By funneling through the same channels as everyone else you are increasing your competition, and decreasing your chances of being noticed. Accompany this by finding a unique avenue.

4. Have confidence and keep talking. Once you have researched, planned and taken action, don’t be afraid to peacock your distinctive qualities. The best way to do this and leverage your job candidacy is to network. Networking is valuable at a social, professional and virtual level. You never know the windows that can be opened by just talking to people and sharing stories. Be sure to slip in your career goals, and stay authentic.

Attend networking events and join social networking groups online (Ning, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, InternCircle, etc.) Cultivating a personal network will be key to your future career support. You never know when you are going to need to lean back on your network, so don’t be shy about reaching out and sharing bits and pieces of your professional self.

Article written by Chelsea Prince the founder and Editor-in-Chief of InternCircle.com, the first social networking site for interns and employers, which also serves as a central clearinghouse for internship recruitment. Chelsea operates an advice column for interns at Intern Circle, and contributes weekly advice.

A few weeks ago Jen wrote an article on personal branding for our friends at Brand-Yourself.com (a site dedicated to help you analyze, manage and monitor the components of your web presence and create an online identity you’ll want employers to find). In case you missed it, we wanted to make sure we shared Jen Kushell’s 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Personal Brand with you!

Remember the last time you cringed when you heard the way someone described who you are or what you do? Maybe you’ve found yourself sweating over how to describe yourself or your latest project. How about those business cards of yours, that bio, your website or that promotional reel you created? Those giving you any stress? All of these instances and elements are part of your professional branding.  How effectively you brand yourself has a lot more to do with your success than you might think.

Companies focus on branding when marketing new products or businesses to consumers because they know that public perception can make or break their success.  In your career, it’s helpful to consider yourself as a product that you have to sell or promote to clients, employers, admissions boards and colleagues. Try describing your brand out loud. How does it sound? Are you impressed or bored? What do you want other people to think of when you pop into their minds?

How you are perceived by others should of course be proportional to your success. But in reality, it often isn’t.  Far too often we see people who are painfully unknown or struggle to get the word out, even though they’re highly accomplished.  Even worse, is when some build strong compelling brands and convince others that they’re top notch, when they’re really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.  I always like to think that integrity, honesty, substance and providing true value are the foundation of any great brand.

Here are a few tips for developing a solid brand of your own:

1. Think about the things you want to promote about yourself and start to build a list of things you need to communicate or bring to life for others to recognize why you’re worth paying attention to.

2. Start to gather a wide range of assets you have that illustrate your history, experience and success to date.

3. Create a branding statement: Include the answers to the following questions: Who am I? What am I proud of? What am I good at? How am I unique or different?

4. Gather endorsements and quotes from notable people, admirers, fans or ideally happy clients.

5. Forget your resume and build your bio, on a single sheet of paper in paragraph form, that tells your story in a compelling way.

6. Build a professional online profile (YSN.com is great for young professionals and entrepreneurs!), your own blog, or web site so you can leverage all of these great assets, elements and descriptive info, not to mention be easily found online.

7. Make sure that you have an impressive presence on the top social networking and other sites prominent in your industry.

8. Keep well designed business cards with you everywhere you go.

9. Make an effort to leave a lasting impression on most everyone you come in contact with – even the ones you don’t meet in person. Pay attention to your grammar and tone in e-mails and phone calls. (One of my favorite tips for very important calls or phone interviews: Look in a mirror when you are speaking and smile. Your smile can translate into a positive impression to the person on the other end!)

10. In person, make sure to smile often, look other people in the eye, and offer a confident handshake. Pay attention to the way you dress.  Speak loudly, confidently and with certainty. Carry yourself with your head up, shoulders back and with quiet confidence.

And lastly, be someone that you and everyone you know can be proud of.  Be the kind of person others are eager to spend time with and introduce to their friends and biggest contacts.  Keep getting the word out and building your platform too.  Follow these steps and I guarantee you and your brand will really start to shine!

BAD customer services is worse than NO service at all.  I shouldn’t hang up the phone or leave a store with more anger and frustration than when I began.   I know we’ve all had our experiences that were memorable – either because it was over-the-top fabulous or because it was pull-your-hair-out disgraceful!

I happen to be in the business of Client Relations and Customer Support; however I like to call it the business of people.  My skills in customer support have translated nicely into my personal and professional relationships.  Just following a few simple rules can make a customer tell his friends about the great service they received and invite more business.

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always EASY to put on a happy face and give outstanding support, but it is the most important part in sustaining a thriving business or relationship.  So for those of you who currently hold customer support roles remember these basic rules. And for everyone else – you may not be on the front lines dealing with “customers or clients” but practice these simple rules and I promise you’ll see a positive difference in your professional and personal relationships.

1. Treat others like you wish to be treated. It’s the golden rule that applies in all situations. If you can’t personally relate to a person’s question or issue you need to stop and put yourself in their shoes.  Ask yourself, if this was me how would I want someone to assist me and put me at ease.  Even if you think their issue is minor, treat it as monumental and that person will never forgot how you cared for them.

2. Understand the issue before suggesting a solution. You can’t really help someone if you don’t truly understand their issue.  None of us want our time to be wasted with a canned response or a ‘solution’ that is temporary just to get us off the phone or out of your hair.  You’ll save everyone a lot of time and attitude by asking questions to figure out the best way to help.  If you don’t immediately know the answer or how to help, take the time to do some research of your own.  We are all more receptive to a person who can admit that they don’t know the answer but who assures us that they will find it.  It’s a comforting feeling to know that the person with ‘the power to help you’ is on board to get you the results you are looking for.

3. It’s OK to vent. Inevitably you will encounter people who immediately approach you with a negative tone, attacking words, or placing blame.  Whether it’s an email, a call, a voicemail or an in person encounter you must react internally before reacting outwardly.  Human nature tells us to react to this type of behavior with defense techniques so we can protect ourselves.  Customer Support is not the place to react emotionally.  If you get an email that is rude or mean take a minute and vent your thoughts to yourself or even to a coworker who you trust.  Once you’ve gotten all your immediate feelings out you will be able to reevaluate the situation with an empathetic eye.  You can do the same thing with a phone call or an in person situation.  Put the person on hold or if necessary excuse yourself for just a moment to calm down and remind yourself that this person is just upset –it’s nothing personal.  Take a breath, maybe say a few ‘choice’ words in your head (or out loud if you are alone) and then smile-a-mile and return to the phone or the customer who is waiting.  Just don’t take longer than a couple of seconds otherwise you will seem aloof and that will just make them more angry.

4. Smile. The previous tip brings me nicely into the smile factor.  Even if a person can’t see your face they can hear that you’re smiling.  Whether on the phone or in an email if you are smiling it will come through to the person you are assisting.  Just like when you approach someone in a store or at a restaurant to ask them a question you can tell if they are going to be helpful based on their facial expression.  If you are greeted with a straight face then you are going into the conversation with the notion that you may have to work harder to get the help you need.  If you are greeted with a smile then you immediately feel like you are dealing with a friend or with someone who will try to understand where you are coming from.

5. Always offer more than is expected. Helping someone with a concern is standard and expected in the business of customer service and support.  However, going above and beyond is how you’ll get loyal customers and raving fans.  It is up to you to take a disgruntled customer and turn him into one of your biggest fans.  It’s that moment when you have your biggest opportunity to impact him to be a real believer in what you and your company stands for.  By not only resolving his concern in a timely manner but offering him even more for their inconvenience lets him know you are sincere about making the experience a positive and unforgettable one.  If you can’t throw in any ‘extras’ for their experience you can still go over the top with your words and time.  Be responsive and personal with your words so they know that you care about making them happy.  Always ask if you can help with anything else or if you satisfied their needs.  Go as far to give them your direct line or email address in case they have any other problems.