Applying to college is an exercise in self-promotion. When you send in a college application, you’re sending a sales pitch to a customer with thousands of competing offers at its fingertips.
Developing your skills and your career
In terms of reaching your ideal career goal, it is important to build your skills, because after all you haven’t got your ideal job due to the fact that you are lacking certain skills or experience.
Graduating with a plan of action
Congratulations, you’ve just graduated with a degree in your chosen field. So what’s your next step going to be to launch your long-anticipated career? Like a young racehorse at the starting gate, you have tons of energy and determination, and are anxious to get out there and seize new career opportunities. But are you ready?
Pay A Buck
For four years, I served as a vice president for a Dallas based marketing and advertising firm. One of my responsibilities was to teach monthly sales training classes with up to 50 students at a time...
Personal Sales Skills
My personal sales skills suck. Last week, I managed to blow two contracts worth nearly £4K, no one else, it was me. We’d beaten the competition; both enquiries should have been a formality.
Scholarship Essay Examples
3 scholarship essay examples.
An overview of Studying Abroad
An international education, be it a semester abroad or a full degree program in another country, can be one of the most rewarding and exhilarating experiences in a person’s life. There is so much to be gained from learning a new culture, experiencing new challenges and opening your mind to a whole new world.
Understanding the US Education System
American education offers a rich field of choices for the international student. From abroad, and even from within the U.S.A., there is such an array of institutions, programs and locations that they choices may overwhelm the student.
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Monday, April 30, 2007
GRADUATING WITH A PLAN OF ACTION
Congratulations, you’ve just graduated with a degree in your chosen field. So what’s your next step going to be to launch your long-anticipated career? Like a young racehorse at the starting gate, you have tons of energy and determination, and are anxious to get out there and seize new career opportunities. But are you ready? Do you know what you need to do? Do you have a plan of action to turn those opportunities into a reality? If you don’t, you will need to get one.
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage that the quickest route from point A to point B is a straight line. Well, launching your career is no different in terms of setting your job search goals and carrying them out diligently and methodically. You might have a few corners to navigate, but you should do your best to avoid deviating from your goal as much as possible.
One of the first things you need to decide is what type of job interests you the most. Depending on what your degree is, there might be many positions in your field to consider. For example, if you are a graduate nurse you can work in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, childcare center, school, private practice, or field setting. Then, within those settings you can work within various units such as medical-surgical, pediatrics, and maternity. Then there are transitional opportunities. Let’s say you tried your hand at nursing and realized it was not what you expected. You can always consider pharmaceutical sales as a new career. Some fields, such as business management, are even more flexible. The key is to decide which direction you are headed towards and learn as much about that field as you possible can.
Okay, you hate to admit it, but you spent all of that time and money, but you’re still not sure what you want to do. You have an idea about what you might want to do, but it’s just not clear yet. None of the possibilities you’ve explored get you excited. In fact, you’re feeling downright frustrated and depressed. Don’t worry. It really isn’t that bad. Keep in mind that you don’t have to start at the top, and don’t have to commit yourself to an employer. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Maybe you just need to get your foot in the door somewhere to test the waters before you decide to go full steam ahead. You might even want to spend the first year to discover what it is that you really want to do. That way your mind will be open to possibilities and you will have a positive attitude. Just don’t waste time. Set weekly goals. Use that year to WORK at finding out what you want to do. Then prepare to do it – and do it well.
If you want to explore your career without the assistance of a job coach or career counselor, a good way to start is to conduct some independent research. Let’s assume your degree in is law enforcement or criminal justice. You will need to decide if you want to work in corporate security or private investigation. But how do you decide? Well, if your college’s career center cannot provide you with specific information, visit Occupational Outlook Handbook online (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) to get an overview of various positions in your field. Join industry specific chat rooms to see what everyone is talking about. Go to the websites of various companies. Get involved in conversations. Ask lots of questions. Get advice from friends, family members, and neighbors. Ask them what they do and how they got started.
If you are not sure if a particular area of your industry is right for you, call or write professionals already in positions of interest to request an information interview. An information interview will allow you the opportunity to question a professional about the nature and requirements of a position. Some people will not be available, whereas other people will welcome the opportunity to give you fifteen minutes of their time. If someone avoids you, don’t take it personally. Just move on to the next possible contact. Once you make a connection, you will need to be polite, organized, and demonstrate exceptional professionalism and communication skills. During your information interview, remember to take detailed notes. When you are done, thank them wholeheartedly for their time. Be sure to get their full name and contact information so you can send them a follow-up thank you letter. They might even have an opening, so be sure to make a good impression.
Once you have narrowed it down, have your résumé developed professionally and post it on major job boards, such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and hotjobs.com to see what contacts can be made. While you are there, search job openings to glean what the job descriptions are so you can see what will be expected of you. Your résumé writer will probably want you to do that anyway so they can get a good idea of the jobs you are interested in to ensure your résumé is very targeted. Be proactive and tell your résumé writer that you have done that and would like to share that information with them.
Okay, so now you know what you want to do and you have a great résumé and cover letter. Now what? You’ve probably heard how important networking is – that it’s not what you know but who you know. Well, that’s not always the case; but knowing the right person sure can’t hurt. With that in mind, let everyone you come in contact with know you are looking for a job. Be sure to keep your résumé updated and in your car (protected from spills and creasing) so you can hand them out at a moment’s notice. Join an organization to become acquainted with people in your industry, attend career fairs, become affiliated with recruiters, and research companies online (post your résumé at their websites), at the library, and even in the yellow pages to get leads to mail your résumé and cover letter.
This last approach is a great strategy. Let’s say you recently graduated with your Masters in Social Work. You can open your yellow pages to Adoption Agencies to acquire the mailing addresses of several social service agencies. Be sure to call the receptionist first to request the proper name, title, and department of the contact to send your résumé and cover letter. Other strategies include creating a web résumé so people can view your formatted, interactive résumé online. If you don’t know how to do this, research how or hire someone to do it for you. Be sure to have business cards made and add your web résumé address to it!
Another great way to get started is to temp for a while. If you do decide to temp, be selective. You should only work for the best companies in your field to get the very best experience possible. It is also a great way to prove yourself as a favorable candidate for a permanent position. Don’t temp for too long because it might cause a potential employer to wonder why you haven’t secured a permanent position for a certain length of time. If during an interview you are asked why you temped, confidently state that you chose to temp to gain well-rounded experience in your field. Don’t apologize for anything!
No matter what your plan of action is, be sure to keep organized notes and track every move you make. Prepare a list of names, company names, addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, and website addresses. Keep the list near the phone of every company you sent your résumé and cover letter. That way you will know whom you are speaking with when they call to extend an initial or follow up interview. This is especially important if you are going on several interviews.
If you are not organized, you will get confused and seem unprofessional. You will want to make a great first impression from the very beginning, starting with a great résumé and cover letter. If you have your baby sister’s cute little voice or a musical greeting on your answering machine, replace it with a professional message that says, “You have reached John Smith at 555-5555. I am not available at this time. Please leave your name and reason for calling. I will return your call as soon as possible. Have a great day!” If your email address is bowlingkingpin@aol.com, be sure to change it to JSmith1234@aol.com. If you are on the road all of the time, or if members of your family do not speak English, get a cell phone so you can be reached anytime, anywhere. List that number as your only number without the word “cell” listed on your résumé. If you list both your home number and your cell number, then indicate which number is your home number and which number is your cell number.
They will probably call your home number first. If you have a lot of friends who call you on your cell, be on guard to answer your cell phone professionally. If you are going on an interview, leave your cell phone in your glove compartment. You don’t want your cell phone to ring in the middle of the interview.
Be prepared and on time for the interview, if not early. Make sure you have several outfits to wear to go on several interviews in a week’s time so you don’t stress. Make sure you dress appropriately for your interview. You can’t go wrong if you are conservative. If it is a creative industry, you can dress with more flair or even casual, but don’t dress too crazy. Have extra résumés handy (don’t bring your cover letter) to give to the hiring manager so he/she can distribute them to other managers without having to make copies. Practice your interviewing technique. Ask a friend to role-play with you. Get a book with commonly asked interview questions. In addition to learning what to say, you need to learn what not to say and what not to do. Send out thank you letters within 24-hours that mention something important discussed in the interview keeping the position in mind at all times and reiterating your strengths.
Above all, be professional in behavior and appearance, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, organized, interested in the company and position (have about ten questions to ask them that have nothing to do with you), and try your best to be interesting when you talk about your experiences, regardless how limited they may be. If you are nervous, keep in mind that you are interviewing them, too. You don’t want to work for just anyone, do you? Be sure to convey that. You don’t have to be arrogant about it, but you should come across as a commodity, not as a desperate, nervous job seeker. If you think like that, your confidence will shine through naturally because you will feel good about yourself and will be ready for anything! Before long, you’ll be launching your career. Good luck!
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/training_articles.htm
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage that the quickest route from point A to point B is a straight line. Well, launching your career is no different in terms of setting your job search goals and carrying them out diligently and methodically. You might have a few corners to navigate, but you should do your best to avoid deviating from your goal as much as possible.
One of the first things you need to decide is what type of job interests you the most. Depending on what your degree is, there might be many positions in your field to consider. For example, if you are a graduate nurse you can work in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, childcare center, school, private practice, or field setting. Then, within those settings you can work within various units such as medical-surgical, pediatrics, and maternity. Then there are transitional opportunities. Let’s say you tried your hand at nursing and realized it was not what you expected. You can always consider pharmaceutical sales as a new career. Some fields, such as business management, are even more flexible. The key is to decide which direction you are headed towards and learn as much about that field as you possible can.
Okay, you hate to admit it, but you spent all of that time and money, but you’re still not sure what you want to do. You have an idea about what you might want to do, but it’s just not clear yet. None of the possibilities you’ve explored get you excited. In fact, you’re feeling downright frustrated and depressed. Don’t worry. It really isn’t that bad. Keep in mind that you don’t have to start at the top, and don’t have to commit yourself to an employer. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Maybe you just need to get your foot in the door somewhere to test the waters before you decide to go full steam ahead. You might even want to spend the first year to discover what it is that you really want to do. That way your mind will be open to possibilities and you will have a positive attitude. Just don’t waste time. Set weekly goals. Use that year to WORK at finding out what you want to do. Then prepare to do it – and do it well.
If you want to explore your career without the assistance of a job coach or career counselor, a good way to start is to conduct some independent research. Let’s assume your degree in is law enforcement or criminal justice. You will need to decide if you want to work in corporate security or private investigation. But how do you decide? Well, if your college’s career center cannot provide you with specific information, visit Occupational Outlook Handbook online (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) to get an overview of various positions in your field. Join industry specific chat rooms to see what everyone is talking about. Go to the websites of various companies. Get involved in conversations. Ask lots of questions. Get advice from friends, family members, and neighbors. Ask them what they do and how they got started.
If you are not sure if a particular area of your industry is right for you, call or write professionals already in positions of interest to request an information interview. An information interview will allow you the opportunity to question a professional about the nature and requirements of a position. Some people will not be available, whereas other people will welcome the opportunity to give you fifteen minutes of their time. If someone avoids you, don’t take it personally. Just move on to the next possible contact. Once you make a connection, you will need to be polite, organized, and demonstrate exceptional professionalism and communication skills. During your information interview, remember to take detailed notes. When you are done, thank them wholeheartedly for their time. Be sure to get their full name and contact information so you can send them a follow-up thank you letter. They might even have an opening, so be sure to make a good impression.
Once you have narrowed it down, have your résumé developed professionally and post it on major job boards, such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and hotjobs.com to see what contacts can be made. While you are there, search job openings to glean what the job descriptions are so you can see what will be expected of you. Your résumé writer will probably want you to do that anyway so they can get a good idea of the jobs you are interested in to ensure your résumé is very targeted. Be proactive and tell your résumé writer that you have done that and would like to share that information with them.
Okay, so now you know what you want to do and you have a great résumé and cover letter. Now what? You’ve probably heard how important networking is – that it’s not what you know but who you know. Well, that’s not always the case; but knowing the right person sure can’t hurt. With that in mind, let everyone you come in contact with know you are looking for a job. Be sure to keep your résumé updated and in your car (protected from spills and creasing) so you can hand them out at a moment’s notice. Join an organization to become acquainted with people in your industry, attend career fairs, become affiliated with recruiters, and research companies online (post your résumé at their websites), at the library, and even in the yellow pages to get leads to mail your résumé and cover letter.
This last approach is a great strategy. Let’s say you recently graduated with your Masters in Social Work. You can open your yellow pages to Adoption Agencies to acquire the mailing addresses of several social service agencies. Be sure to call the receptionist first to request the proper name, title, and department of the contact to send your résumé and cover letter. Other strategies include creating a web résumé so people can view your formatted, interactive résumé online. If you don’t know how to do this, research how or hire someone to do it for you. Be sure to have business cards made and add your web résumé address to it!
Another great way to get started is to temp for a while. If you do decide to temp, be selective. You should only work for the best companies in your field to get the very best experience possible. It is also a great way to prove yourself as a favorable candidate for a permanent position. Don’t temp for too long because it might cause a potential employer to wonder why you haven’t secured a permanent position for a certain length of time. If during an interview you are asked why you temped, confidently state that you chose to temp to gain well-rounded experience in your field. Don’t apologize for anything!
No matter what your plan of action is, be sure to keep organized notes and track every move you make. Prepare a list of names, company names, addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, and website addresses. Keep the list near the phone of every company you sent your résumé and cover letter. That way you will know whom you are speaking with when they call to extend an initial or follow up interview. This is especially important if you are going on several interviews.
If you are not organized, you will get confused and seem unprofessional. You will want to make a great first impression from the very beginning, starting with a great résumé and cover letter. If you have your baby sister’s cute little voice or a musical greeting on your answering machine, replace it with a professional message that says, “You have reached John Smith at 555-5555. I am not available at this time. Please leave your name and reason for calling. I will return your call as soon as possible. Have a great day!” If your email address is bowlingkingpin@aol.com, be sure to change it to JSmith1234@aol.com. If you are on the road all of the time, or if members of your family do not speak English, get a cell phone so you can be reached anytime, anywhere. List that number as your only number without the word “cell” listed on your résumé. If you list both your home number and your cell number, then indicate which number is your home number and which number is your cell number.
They will probably call your home number first. If you have a lot of friends who call you on your cell, be on guard to answer your cell phone professionally. If you are going on an interview, leave your cell phone in your glove compartment. You don’t want your cell phone to ring in the middle of the interview.
Be prepared and on time for the interview, if not early. Make sure you have several outfits to wear to go on several interviews in a week’s time so you don’t stress. Make sure you dress appropriately for your interview. You can’t go wrong if you are conservative. If it is a creative industry, you can dress with more flair or even casual, but don’t dress too crazy. Have extra résumés handy (don’t bring your cover letter) to give to the hiring manager so he/she can distribute them to other managers without having to make copies. Practice your interviewing technique. Ask a friend to role-play with you. Get a book with commonly asked interview questions. In addition to learning what to say, you need to learn what not to say and what not to do. Send out thank you letters within 24-hours that mention something important discussed in the interview keeping the position in mind at all times and reiterating your strengths.
Above all, be professional in behavior and appearance, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, organized, interested in the company and position (have about ten questions to ask them that have nothing to do with you), and try your best to be interesting when you talk about your experiences, regardless how limited they may be. If you are nervous, keep in mind that you are interviewing them, too. You don’t want to work for just anyone, do you? Be sure to convey that. You don’t have to be arrogant about it, but you should come across as a commodity, not as a desperate, nervous job seeker. If you think like that, your confidence will shine through naturally because you will feel good about yourself and will be ready for anything! Before long, you’ll be launching your career. Good luck!
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/training_articles.htm
Developing your skills and your career
Whether or not you are working in your ideal job or are still trying to achieve that goal, it is important to continue developing your skills.
In terms of reaching your ideal career goal, it is important to build your skills, because after all you haven’t got your ideal job due to the fact that you are lacking certain skills or experience.
If you are already working in your ideal job, then it is important for you to keep up to date with the skills required for that role. In this fast paced world you need to be ahead of your game in order to achieve the success that you seek.
This article will look at ways in which you can keep your skills up to date and develop them further no matter what job role you are in.
Industry News
It is important for you to keep up to date with developments in your industry. Mainly because you will be basing your decisions on this information (this is especially important in the business world).
Even if you are still striving towards your ideal job, keeping up to date can help you progress your career. Showing good industry knowledge can be that vital extra point that helps you progress upwards through your organisation, or find success at an interview.
You can keep up to date by monitoring new developments in the news headlines or by subscribing to an industry journal.
There are lots of websites out there that provide up to date information about industry news, developments and other factors that will impress your interviewer or boss.
Develop your skills
I achieved my ideal job by continually improving my IT skills when working in temp assignments.
For me, this mainly focussed on developing my skills on MS Access, MS Word, MS Excel, graphic design packages and web design. The main thing to remember when developing IT skills is that the hardest thing about them is initially understanding them.
The best idea is to work at it, bit by bit and not worry about being an expert straight away. If you starting using software packages it is best just to mess around with them for a bit to begin with – this way you will get a better feel for them.
You can worry about the advanced features later on.
Some people find a introductory training course is useful and it can be. My theory in the matter is that you are better learning the basics by yourself and attending an intermediate or advanced course in order to hone your skills. It is much better to have an expert explain the hard bits to you, than the easy bits.
In terms of soft skills, you need to be developing these at every opportunity. At no stage in your career will these be perfect. There is always room for improvement.
These include:
*
Communication skills (one to one, phone skills, presentation skills, etc) *
Teamwork skills *
Leadership skills *
Project management skills *
Interview skills *
Time management
Being proficient in these areas will never cease to be of benefit to you. Take every opportunity you can to develop them.
Develop your skills at work
In you are still climbing the proverbial career ladder, then you can develop your existing skills at work, as well as learning new ones. It is irrelevant whether or not these skills are of benefit to your final career goal.
Having a broad range of skills will stand testament your flexibility and adaptability and ultimately benefit you in your job search.
The best way to develop your skills at work is to find more work to do. Unfortunately!
Offering to work in other areas, or suggestion new tasks to perform will enable you to put dormant skills to use, or to develop new ones.
For example, I worked as a temp admin assistant for a charity.
After a few discussions with the IT manager (which involved me explaining that I wanted to pursue a career in web design, and giving him an idea of my IT skills) I was given more interesting work to do.
This include installing software on PCs, adding hardware, setting up databases and swiftly moved on to graphic design and eventually web design. In fact, the job was my first experience with MS FrontPage (the web design software I use) and Internet Marketing, which is directly responsible for more advanced jobs I secured and this website.
Had it not been for that one temp job where I seized an opportunity to develop my skills, then it is entirely possible that I wouldn’t be a professional webmaster right now and this site wouldn’t be here. No doubt to the delight of a few companies out there! You know who you are!
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/articles/develop_your_skills.htm
In terms of reaching your ideal career goal, it is important to build your skills, because after all you haven’t got your ideal job due to the fact that you are lacking certain skills or experience.
If you are already working in your ideal job, then it is important for you to keep up to date with the skills required for that role. In this fast paced world you need to be ahead of your game in order to achieve the success that you seek.
This article will look at ways in which you can keep your skills up to date and develop them further no matter what job role you are in.
Industry News
It is important for you to keep up to date with developments in your industry. Mainly because you will be basing your decisions on this information (this is especially important in the business world).
Even if you are still striving towards your ideal job, keeping up to date can help you progress your career. Showing good industry knowledge can be that vital extra point that helps you progress upwards through your organisation, or find success at an interview.
You can keep up to date by monitoring new developments in the news headlines or by subscribing to an industry journal.
There are lots of websites out there that provide up to date information about industry news, developments and other factors that will impress your interviewer or boss.
Develop your skills
I achieved my ideal job by continually improving my IT skills when working in temp assignments.
For me, this mainly focussed on developing my skills on MS Access, MS Word, MS Excel, graphic design packages and web design. The main thing to remember when developing IT skills is that the hardest thing about them is initially understanding them.
The best idea is to work at it, bit by bit and not worry about being an expert straight away. If you starting using software packages it is best just to mess around with them for a bit to begin with – this way you will get a better feel for them.
You can worry about the advanced features later on.
Some people find a introductory training course is useful and it can be. My theory in the matter is that you are better learning the basics by yourself and attending an intermediate or advanced course in order to hone your skills. It is much better to have an expert explain the hard bits to you, than the easy bits.
In terms of soft skills, you need to be developing these at every opportunity. At no stage in your career will these be perfect. There is always room for improvement.
These include:
*
Communication skills (one to one, phone skills, presentation skills, etc) *
Teamwork skills *
Leadership skills *
Project management skills *
Interview skills *
Time management
Being proficient in these areas will never cease to be of benefit to you. Take every opportunity you can to develop them.
Develop your skills at work
In you are still climbing the proverbial career ladder, then you can develop your existing skills at work, as well as learning new ones. It is irrelevant whether or not these skills are of benefit to your final career goal.
Having a broad range of skills will stand testament your flexibility and adaptability and ultimately benefit you in your job search.
The best way to develop your skills at work is to find more work to do. Unfortunately!
Offering to work in other areas, or suggestion new tasks to perform will enable you to put dormant skills to use, or to develop new ones.
For example, I worked as a temp admin assistant for a charity.
After a few discussions with the IT manager (which involved me explaining that I wanted to pursue a career in web design, and giving him an idea of my IT skills) I was given more interesting work to do.
This include installing software on PCs, adding hardware, setting up databases and swiftly moved on to graphic design and eventually web design. In fact, the job was my first experience with MS FrontPage (the web design software I use) and Internet Marketing, which is directly responsible for more advanced jobs I secured and this website.
Had it not been for that one temp job where I seized an opportunity to develop my skills, then it is entirely possible that I wouldn’t be a professional webmaster right now and this site wouldn’t be here. No doubt to the delight of a few companies out there! You know who you are!
http://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/articles/develop_your_skills.htm
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