This time of year is full of such aspiration and hope, isn’t it? Thanks to college graduations there’s a little more magic and excitement in the air. And oh yeah, commencement speeches, too.

Well, as part of their influencer series, LinkedIn compiled excerpts from successful people (okay, more like moguls) this spring and we extracted relevant media professionals because every now and then it helps to get a boost of advice.

Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief at The Huffington Post Media Group stated:

“Commencement speakers are traditionally expected to tell graduates how to go out there and climb the ladder of success, but I want to ask you, instead, to redefine success. Because the world you are headed into desperately needs it. And because you are up to it…what I urge you to do is not just take your place at the top of the world, but to change the world. Read more

Do you have the New York Times Best Seller list memorized? Do you have a passion for books and want to get into the publishing business?

In this episode of “Score That Job,” career expert, author and mediabistro editor Vicki Salemi sat down with Andrea Weinzimer of Hachette Book Group to get the inside dirt on what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Here a few tips — know the industry and know which authors they publish (hint: rhymes with James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, David Sedaris…). Or just watch the video.

You can view our other MediabistroTV productions on our YouTube Channel.

ESPN is cutting its staff for the first time since 2009, reports Deadspin. One tipster indicated more than 400 staffers were going to be impacted but a source at the sports network indicated that number’s on the high side but it seems to be in the hundreds.

Per Deadspin, their official statement reads:

“We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs. While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive.” Read more

Instead of agonizing over the fonts on your resume or other visuals like how big to make the margins, keep this statistic in mind.

According to a survey conducted by TheLadders, most recruiters spend only six seconds reviewing your resume. That’s worth repeating — six tiny seconds! One thousand one, one thousand two, see we’re almost there ourselves…

They’re not alone with their results. As pointed out by ERE, BeHiring mentioned the average time is five to seven seconds. Although the time is certainly succinct, each second counts. Read more

Want more vacation time? As PTO (paid time off or personal time off) requests kick into high gear at your employer, chances are several employees may be counting their days to ensure every moment is spent. Even if they need a mental health day for a staycation, time is typically tracked and accounted for, and prudently used.

Well, this piece in today’s New York Post got us thinking. How sweet would it be to have unlimited PTO? For instance, ZocDoc, the NYC-based online medical appointment Web site, offers unlimited PTO. This includes vacation, personal and sick days without an old-fashioned accrual system.

Don’t get too excited. The piece pointed out last year’s survey by the Society of Human Resources indicated only one percent of businesses across the country actually offer this perk to its employees. Read more

Have you ever wanted to be on the inside of salary review talks to hear what goes on behind closed doors? Okay, even if you haven’t we have to admit the following comments will make you chuckle.

Geoffrey James, Sales Source columnist on Inc.com, managed to provide some fodder with his post that compiled some of the best listener call-ins from a radio show he co-hosted on WRKO in Boston. Apparently these comments were real and made during salary review talks. Seriously.

10. “Yes, I know you are my best employee and you train all our new employees. However, I don’t see how that qualifies you for a raise.”

9. “That’s right, no raise this year. Maybe next year when you come off that high horse, you’ll get my coffee when I ask you to.” Read more

It’s that time of year again! As various commencement speeches circulate online from graduation ceremonies, one speech in particular resonates with us from two years ago.

Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler dished some advice to Harvard students:

“All I can tell you today is what I have learned. What I have discovered as a person in this world. And that is this: You can’t do it alone. As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own.

Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. No one is here today because they did it on their own. Okay, maybe Josh, but he’s just a straight up weirdo. You’re all here today because someone gave you strength. Helped you. Held you in the palm of their hand. God, Allah, Buddha, Gaga.”

Congratulations to our Yankees vs. Mets subway series tickets winner David Ortiz, human resources generalist at Harlequin. David has been using Mediabistro’s job board since he joined Harlequin because it “ensures that our career opportunities reach a large pool of qualified candidates.”

When we asked him how he felt about winning the tickets, he said, “I was very surprised to receive the call. It put a big old smile on my face. I’m grateful to have won the contest.” We’re glad he won, too!

If you didn’t win, you still have many chances to win one of our fabulous giveaways. Keep posting jobs with us, and we’ll continue to enter you into our contests as a token of our appreciation.

Happy Friday one and all!

When we read this piece on Forbes, we got inspired. After all, as the weekend approaches with a nice break from the daily grind, we have recreation and errands on our minds. Well, apparently there’s a connection between successful people at work and how they spend their weekends. Let’s become part of that group, okay? Read more

Time to let it shine! And by “it,” we mean you.

That’s right, it’s time to let others see your true potential. According to a Harvard Business Review post by Dorie Clark, strategy consultant and author of Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future, there are a few ways to ensure people take notice.

1. Create content. Sure, it’s important to showcase your expertise to your boss but there are other people, too in the vast world of ours. As in the internet.

In the piece she writes, ”Just as a graphic designer has a portfolio she can display of her best logos and brochures, you should be creating intellectual property (blog posts, podcasts, videocasts — even a savvy and professional Twitter feed can count) that demonstrates your expertise.” In fact, creating content gives people the opportunity to see your new skills and knowledge especially if you’re in the midst of a career change. Read more