college

How to Beat Your Quarterlife Crisis

Adam Starr: MonsterCollege — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:15:00 -0700

Welcome to the Quarterlife crisis. In bad news, you are already 25% of your way to 100-years-old. In good news, you are about to have a lot more freedom and money and a lot less homework than you did when you were a little kid.

Odds are you haven’t really prepared for this transitional period of your life. Maybe you thought you had some time before you had to deal with such heady anxieties as full-blown life-crises. Perhaps you felt safe for a couple of decades. Maybe you were looking forward to doing things like buying a new Harley Davidson, taking up sky diving, and starting to date a person 20 years your junior. Sorry, that phase is still two failed marriages and 25 years into your future. Here’s what you can do to focus on the crisis at hand:

Step 1) Don’t panic.

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Stay Calm, for this too shall pass

Understanding your symptoms will make it easier to control and direct the outcome. So how did you get to this place in your life, and what’s causing a seemingly endless sense of existential angst?

Your Quarterlife Crisis is a direct result of the transition between the structured life of a student and the vastly unstructured and adult reality of economic responsibilities and real world consequences. As a child you knew what you were supposed to do, not only because somebody was telling you what to do, but also because an entire educational system was built around this premise. First you went to Kindergarten, where they started you off easy with half days. Next you went through elementary, middle and high school. While your workload and playtimes kept decreasing, you still had a clear set of goals. You knew you needed to pass each grade and move onto the next.

As an extension of high school, clear expectations continued in college. Did you have more freedom? Sure, you did. You didn’t even need to be there. . You could always just drop out of college, but that wasn’t probably something you wanted to do. Knowing what you were supposed to do was very reassuring. You needed to attain your credits, move through each year, and finally graduate with your degree. College was comforting because it was a gradual transition into adulthood that still provided you the familiar routines of your earliest schooling. After all, you still had long breaks and epic summer vacations. In college your main “job” was to study, get through each class and earn the credits for your degree. The question, “what should I be?” was academic. The question, “what am I?” was easier. You were a student. You understood what that meant and how you were expected to perform in that role.

Then you graduated and everything changed. The structure disappeared, what had always seemed like limitless possibility now became an almost crippling paradox of choice. When you can do anything, move anywhere and be anything, you can quickly become overloaded with options. You aren’t a student anymore. You aren’t in a little maze with a clearly defined exit at the end. Congratulations: you’ve made it to the end of that stage of life. Suddenly you need to know answers to the questions you’ve been putting off into the future.

The future is here. Time to decide: What am I? What am I? What could I be? What should I be? And most importantly for right now: “What can I be?”

Step 2) Understand the problem

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Identify the source of stress

Sometimes having too many options is just as stressful as not have any options. Both extremes can lead to emotional paralysis. That uncertainty is what leads to the gnawingly anxious state that we define as the Quarterlife Crisis. Half a century ago, these decisions were simpler. People would marry young. Women would usually start to have children, then stay at home and raise the family and look after the home. Men would go to work. They would go to offices or factories or take over the family business. Many people would do exactly the same thing that their parents had done, often in the same town, factory or company. Their life path was set. If unexciting, at least it was predictable.

Times have changed, and whether it seems like it or not right now, this is a good thing. We have choices and technologies available to us that have totally revolutionized what we can do, and how we can do it. We have replaced our postwar industrial system with an information economy, we traffic in ideas like we used to traffic in commodities. The machines of this new system are powered by creativity and dedication to constant self-improvement.

In good news: You just graduated from college. Whether or not it feels like, you have a huge advantage over all of the people less fortunate in the education department. Now it is time to apply the last 25 years of experience and education towards a focused career path. If it sounds daunting, remember, you are not alone. Millions of other young people have experienced and triumphed over this crisis.

It is time to get organized. Feeling a chaotic lack of structure has created this anxious state; to combat it we need to put order back into our schedules. . Maybe we moved home with our parents to save money and regroups. Maybe we are working in part time jobs, that’s okay. By identifying the problem and establishing a long-term goal you are already on the right track.

Create order out of chaos

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Get Organized

You liked being a student because you had clear objectives, a regimented schedule. Wake up. Go to class. Do homework. You were constantly evaluated and, most importantly, you knew whether or not you were succeeding or failing. Without realizing it, you appreciated those tests for keeping you in check and keeping you oriented. Well you don’t get a letter grade anymore, but if you find yourself sleeping in a park anytime soon, consider that an F.

Do:

Make a schedule and stick to it.

Get up in the morning. Early.

Exercise. Go to the gym, do yoga, go on runs, walks, or play sports. .

Don’t isolate yourself.

Join professional social networks like MonsterCollege and LinkedIn. Use Facebook to look for jobs rather than distractions.

Attend networking events.

Join clubs and organizations that interest you.

Apply for jobs in a coffee shop rather than a bedroom.

Research companies that interest you and ask for informational interviews.

Talk to your university’s career counselors.

Join alumni networks and attend meetings.

Constantly evaluate and improve your resume

Write customized cover letters for every single job

Take breaks.

Volunteer. If you have to work for free to get experience then do it.

Job-hunting seven days a week without any fun will burn you out. Reward yourself for your hard work. Remember, looking for a job is a job. Relax and recreate as appropriate.

Don’t:

Apply for jobs from the couch while watching TV.

Party like you have seven Saturdays a week.

Pout. It’s indulgent to feel like you are being treated unfairly.

Be angry. Being angry isn’t going to get you anything but a headache.

Feel entitled. Instead of whining about the injustice of those happily employed faceless masses try meeting working people and putting faces to the masses.

Sleep all day. While tempting, this will only make you less productive and less likely to get a job.

Be über picky. You lack experience. The only way you get it is by taking a job or internships and learning new skills.

Be closed minded. If you hold out for that one dream job you will miss opportunities to start heading in the right direction incrementally.

Apply your degree to your career!

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5 Popular Majors- Direct Your Expertise to a Career Path

1. Business Administration and Management/Commerce

Look for myriad business jobs in the corporate world and apply your sales and entrepreneurial and decision making skills to the real test… the bottom line. Check out the Fortune 500 for the best companies to work for in various industries. Who doesn't need a business savvy financial expert?

2. Psychology

Jobs include teaching in both secondary and higher education. . Consider jobs a psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical researcher, HR professional or the people-centered wings of companies like IDEO or Google.

3. Nursing

Jobs abound from rural clinics to cutting-edge hospitals. . See the world and help your global neighbors as a travel nurse- or get all Grey’s Anatomy and find a great gig in a city of your choice, it doesn’t rain that much in Seattle does it?

4. Biology/Biological Sciences

Work in healthcare, work on cancer research, study genetics and cloning, solve food issues and battle outbreaks like H1N1. As a scientist, you’ll have opportunities both in the private sector and in academia at places like Genentech and Imclone or even the Harvard Medical School. You can pursue jobs as an environmentalist, an optometrist, or even take care of animals as a veterinarian.

5. English

You have so many options. How about teaching? You know how that works. You just spent 22 years in the educational system. Go for the Phd and get into higher learning at a college or university, or go younger from kindergarten through 12th grade. Every town, city and neighborhood needs great teachers, after all where would you be without your personal Mr. Holland’s Opus? Besides, you gotta love getting those summer breaks back.
You can always work for the greater good and put those communication skills to work for a non profit as well.
Or, what about PR or Journalism? You know how to write, so why not try online journalism at companies like Gawker Media and Slate, or go for the traditional route with your local newspaper. Not into the deadlines of that world? Most companies are in dire need of Marketing and Copywriters, and your degree can just as easily lend itself to filling those roles.

Chart Your Career Path with Monster Job Guides

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Ultimately, unless you are applying for an aerospace engineering job, people don’t really discriminate on the type of job you can get based on your degree. Plenty of CEOs studied history and plenty of history majors go into journalism. Hiring departments are looking to hire energetic happy adults, not mopey kids.

Remember, with a focus you can graduate – not just from your 4-year college, but from a life lived by the rules of others. Set your goals, chart your course, then move out of this temporary hiccup between childhood and real life!

How much should you make? Check out Career Benchmarking

Will your entry-level job take you where you want to go? Scope out Career Mapping

Prefer the outdoors or indoors? See which jobs fit with Career Snapshots

Apply for entry-level jobs on MonsterCollege!

Workplace Halloween Costumes to Avoid

Eve Tahmincioglu | CareerDiva.net — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:11:00 -0700

Dressing like a terrorist this Halloween season is probably not going to get you a promotion.

In fact, costumes that are in poor taste might even get you in career hot water if you wear one to an office party or Halloween bash where you might see some of your not-so-close coworkers or managers. And your actions could even get others in trouble.

In 2008, a manager at the Massachusetts transit authority was
fired because he didn’t reprimand an employee who came to work with a noose around his neck as part of a Halloween costume. The outfit, supervisors contended, “could be perceived as racially insensitive.”

Shanti Atkins, president and CEO of ELT, an ethics and workplace compliance training firm, has seen some major Halloween costume faux pas in her work and she’s here to warn everyone that costumes you think are funny, sexy, or scary could come back to haunt you, literally.

“There are different levels of conservatism in every workplace,” she explained, when it comes to how far you can push the envelope. But in most offices and factories you don’t want to wear a costume that offends a certain ethic group or goes crazy on the sex-pot-o-meter.

It potentially can create a hostile work environment and even lead to lawsuits, she added, and no employer wants that.

In one case, Atkins worked with a company where a female manager filed sexual harassment charges against a male manager. In the midst of the investigation into the allegations, the complaining manager wore a over-the-top sexy cocktail waitress costume to an office Halloween parade and the male manager complained to his superiors that her choice of outfit proved her claims were BS.

“That was a sticky situation because her wearing that was not an invitation for harassment but it created a ripped effect,” she said. “They basically had to make it clear to him that the two things were separate, but they also talked to the woman, telling her that ‘it was not appropriate for you to show up at work dressed like this.’”

Figuring out what’s appropriate or not is the challenge. Atkins actually scoured the costume offerings out there this year and provided me with a list of what she deemed to be the most inappropriate workplace Halloween costumes of the season:

Next Page: Inappropriate Costumes →

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Terrorists/Muslims – With the continued hostility over the planned Islamic center near ground zero, this costume promises to crop up in the workplace. With workplace violence at a tipping point and the continued tensions over the war in the Middle East, an employee showing up in an office building like this is likely to cause workplace disruption and even chaos. While the employee wearing the costume is likely to be doing so light heartedly, the potential security threat and anxiety it is sure to instill in the workplace is no joke.

Illegal Aliens – With all the recent debate over federal immigration law, and heated rhetoric coming from all corners, this costume is expected to initiate controversy in any workplace. The fight for an immigration law, which would be designed to uphold the federal law against illegal immigration, is changing by the day - many are angry, implying that illegal aliens harm the economy, steal jobs and continue to commit crimes. The stereotypes that this costume portrays, along with the racial implications carried with it, could lead to workplace discrimination claims stemming from inappropriate conversation around national origin, ethnicity, and race.

Tiger Woods – November 2009 saw the cheating scandal of the world’s number one golfer turn into a full-blown media circus. Atkins predicts that many men will dress up as an overblown version of Woods. Anytime you have a situation with light skinned workers dressing up as dark skinned, the potential to offend is off the charts – bringing up stinging issues like ethnicity and skin color. Female coworkers may also be offended by their coworkers glorifying Woods’ cheating. This “fun” costume is a surefire risk for hostile environment claims.

Lady Gaga – She certainly knows how to get people’s attention, with her extreme outfits and accessory choices. However, Lady Gaga turned the controversy up a notch when she wore a dress made of raw red meat at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Was her purpose to start a distasteful media storm? Was she declaring that she sees nothing wrong with consuming animal products both for food and clothing? Was she making a statement signifying that women are often looked at as “meat?” These will be the very questions employees will ask if their coworker dons this costume for Halloween. Many people and organizations, such as PETA, take this topic very seriously and personally.

Chilean Miners – For 69 days, 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground in the aftermath of a Chilean earthquake. Now as these individuals are being rescued, they have become the center of media attention. Portraying a Chilean miner for Halloween can certainly ignite controversy. This costume pokes fun at workplace safety, blue collar workers and Latinos – fueling the fire and potentially initiating discrimination disputes in the workplace.

I don’t know about you guys, but the meat suit or going as a Chilean miner doesn’t seem that bad.

And just in case you’re looking for ideas, my intern Julia Nollen had a great one. She going as Christine O’Donnell. Her costume, a suit and a witch hat. (Coincidentally, O’Donnell told an ABC News reporter that she’s going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, adding that Dorothy “killed the witch, there you go.”)

But, even something as innocuous as Julia’s choice can pose workplace issues because it’s political. And you know what happens when you
mix politics and work.

Maybe you should keep your dress-up moment for the neighborhood Halloween party.

This article was originally published on CareerDiva.net.com.

Related Reads:

6 Bad Habits to Blame on Technology

Jeff Hindenach | Excelle — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:25:00 -0700

Technology pretty much runs our lives these days. From our work life to our home life, we have computers, phones, and gadgets helping us with our daily routine. But is technology taking over and shifting our societal norms? Is
too much technology a bad thing?

Sometimes we are so used to relying on technology to help us out, we forget how to act in a world void of it. We tend to blame technology for all those daily faux pas we commit. If you’ve ever heard or used (or even thought of!) any of these excuses, you’re not alone. Here are six of the most common
bad habits we blame on technology.

“Hey, I know we’re having a conversation, but someone more important just texted me.”

You know the person: They take their phone out at the beginning of the meal or a conversation, and every 5 minutes or so they are checking to make sure they haven’t
missed a text or email. Maybe that person is you! Nothing is more annoying than not having the attention of the person you are with, especially in a one-on-one situation. If you are in a group, it’s a little more acceptable.

Regardless, your annoying habit is saying that you really don’t care about the conversation or company, and you have better things to worry about. If that’s not the message you want to portray, put your phone away.

Next Page: “I’m breaking up with you over a text message... " →

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“I’m breaking up with you over a text message so I don’t have to deal with this in person.”

Accountability has gone out the window with the rise of technology and the web. The Internet gives us the option of not dealing with the immediate fallout of a situation. If you are mad at someone, you can leave a nasty comment on their Facebook wall. If you want to
break up with your boyfriend, but don’t want to deal with the tears, you can shoot her a text.

The truth is, this solution only delays and amplifies the fallout. Now you have to deal with the original fight and explain the nasty Facebook post. Or you get the bad rap of being the girl who breaks up with guys via text. Hiding behind technology shows a lack of courage, and will only come back to haunt you in the end.

“Sorry I rear-ended your car, but I HAD to send this funny text to my friend.”

Texting and emailing while driving has become a dangerous pastime in this country. Actually, there’s a wide range of distracting activities people do while driving, but texting seems to be the most rampant. A whopping 81% of Americans admit to texting while driving, while around 30% of accidents are caused by texting while driving.

Bottom line: if your eyes aren’t on the road, you are being a reckless driver. You're controlling a large, heavy piece of machinery, one that can crush an old lady or a group of girl scouts in a split second. If a message is so important that you have to send it right now, pull over to the side of the road before you text. It’s just safer.

Next Page: “My friends and family can see my Facebook updates... " →

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“I know all my friends and family can see my Facebook updates, but I NEED to tell everyone how drunk I am right now.”

Facebook and Twitter have expanded the definition of TMI. Over-sharing has become a way of life for most, with little concern about how it might affect them later in life. Everything is searchable online these days. Want to post a status about how you were drunk and danced on a table at happy hour? Think about how it might affect a job search down the road.

If you really must share every detail of your life with the world, at least set up a filter system within Facebook to limit what your family and coworkers can see. Set your privacy settings on all your social networking tools to the highest setting. You will save face with your family and possibly save your job.

“OMG, LOL!! That is crazeeeee! TTYL!”

What does that even mean? It seems that more and more these days, the English language is being passed over for phonetic spelling and a random string of letters. We’re all for being efficient and quick communicators, but does needing a decoder ring to decipher your message really save me any time?

If you are texting good friends who understand your random acronyms, then feel free to keep using them. But if you’re sending texts or emails to family, coworkers, or, heaven forbid, your boss, keep the random spelling, shorthand, and emoticons out of the message.

“Sorry I’m an hour late, but I texted you to tell you I was running behind.”

You need to meet your friend in 15 minutes, and you haven’t even jumped in the shower. Oops. No problem, you can just text them and tell them you’re running late, right? Wrong. What if they are already at the place, because they like to show up early? Or what if they are already in transit? They still have to wait for you.

All concerns with being punctual have disappeared since you can now send a quick text saying that you aren’t going to make it on time. But texts don’t cover forgive all lateness sins. If you do it once in a while, you may be forgiven, but if you are texting “late” messages constantly, your friends might start to regard you as a flake.

What are your biggest technology pet peeves? What common courtesy do you wish people still abided by? Sound off in the comments!

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Why You Need a Mentor

By Kizzy Preston — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:47:00 -0800

When I first graduated with my Bachelor's degree, I was confused. While I had a sense of accomplishment, I also wondered what my next step should be. After a year of agonizing over how to advance my career, I decided to go to graduate school.

Surely after completing a Master's degree my future endeavors would be laid out in front of me like a yellow brick road. There would be no confusion, only accomplishment after accomplishment. I guess I don't have to tell you, that this ideal situation didn't happen. After receiving my Master's degree, yes I had obtained new skills, but I was still flailing.
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Enter my mentor, Deesha Philyaw, co-author of the forthcoming book, "CoParenting 101: Advice from a Formerly Married Couple on Parenting Across Two Households" (New Harbinger, 2013)

Let me back up to say that a mentor is someone who has the type of career you would like to have. You work with this person and they help to guide you, as you accomplish your goals.

Philyaw was a professor in my Master of Professional Writing degree program at Chatham University. Throughout not just my classes with her, but my entire program she was always extremely helpful, and went above and beyond the job of being my professor.

After graduation, although afraid, I asked Philyaw to be my mentor, and she happily agreed. Since then she has been a great source of information, and inspiration.

Why You Need A Mentor:

The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama talks about the importance of mentors in the newest issue of More magazine. She says of her own mentor, "She stood out for me, not just because she was African American but [because] she was a professional...and she was a very passionate person who was committed to working in the community. She encouraged me to start a day-care program for some of the faculty members’ and staff members’ children. And I would have never done that without her encouragement.”

Mentors are a great resource to have because they usually have been where you would like to go. They know the steps you need to take, and often have ideas that you maybe have never thought of. So rather than walking blindly into your career path, a mentor can guide you.

Mentors are also great for being a reference on your résumé or writing a reference letter on your behalf, motivating you when you feel like quitting, finding resources or teaching you how to find the information yourself, helping you with your job search, and many other areas.

Where to Find Your Mentor:

At school-- Do you have a favorite professor, or advisor? Do you look at them and wonder how they accomplished all that they have? Perhaps this would be a good person to ask to mentor you.

Internship--Usually you intern at the type of company where you would like to work after graduation. Your internship supervisor may be a great option for a mentor in that they work in the industry you desire to work in. They can give you a lot of valuable information.

Volunteering-- If you volunteer for organizations that align with your passions and goals, you are bound to meet someone who would make a great mentor.

Student groups-- There are often various student groups on campus that are based on certain professions such as the: Marketing Association, Literary Journals, MBA student groups etc. A mentor can be found either in the professor overseeing the group, or even in a fellow classmate. The mentor doesn't have to be a lot older than you. Sometimes a person in graduate school would make a great mentor for someone who is an undergraduate.

Remember the goal is to pick someone as your mentor, who has a career like the one you desire to have. Their guidance will be worth so much more than you can imagine.

Gap Year Programs for College Grads and Working Adults

By Kathryn Knight Randolph — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:12:00 -0800

With May quickly approaching, you’re probably shrinking back from panic at the idea of graduating and getting a job in the real world. Or maybe you’re reading from your cubicle right now, passing time (slowly) at a job you hate in an industry you’re bored with.

First, these feelings are totally normal in either case. Second, if you want to postpone or take a break from the working world, there are options.

The gap year is a phenomenon that has only recently taken off in the United States, though it has been practiced and encouraged in countries all over the world for decades now. Initially, the idea of the gap year was marketed toward high school students desiring a break before college, but now, students and working adults of all ages can take advantage through structured gap year programs.

What’s especially nice about structured programs is that they provide an outlet for adults to take time away from the everyday responsibilities of a job without compromising on doing something with their life. Simply quitting your job with nothing to show for it will never impress potential employers, but taking a year off to teach in Tanzania or work in an orphanage in Thailand will definitely get noticed by your future boss.

Furthermore, a gap year is flexible. You could teach English in Japan for three months, volunteer with the Yakota Tribe in South Dakota for two months and then study Italian in Italy for six months. It could last as long or as little as you like. There are plenty of volunteer programs that last a week or two, in the event that your life doesn’t need a major change but just a small break.

Whatever your decision, there are options, and the idea of taking a break before or during work is a growing trend across the US. Telling your boss that you’re giving up a steady job to work at orphanage in Nepal for a few months will just draw quizzical looks versus a lecture that you’re ruining your life. And future employers will respect an employee who is willing to take risks and think outside of the box, especially when it comes to their own lives.

To learn more about gap year or volunteer programs for recent college graduates and working adults, check out these organizations.

The Center for Interim Programs, LLC

Global Routes

Global Volunteer Network

Ways to Educate Yourself for Free

By Kizzy Preston — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:03:00 -0800

I've previously written on Fastweb about the importance of borrowing student loan funds wisely. I am also an advocate for students pursing scholarship opportunities that they qualify for in order to offset the cost of a college education. There are, however, other ways that you can gain an education without going into debt.
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Do you want to know more about marketing, chemistry, trigonometry, psychology, or British literature all at no extra cost to yourself? There is a way to make this possible. While you will not be given a grade or even a degree, you CAN learn for free.

According to the article "Three Ways to Get a Free College Education (No Strings)" there are options that allow students to learn all they want at no cost.

Technology has made college courses and information available to students in a way that they never were in the past. It is easy now to just type in a topic online and come up with a lot of valuable information from colleges and universities.

Tim Beyers, the writer of this article, suggests visiting iTunes U where colleges such as Yale and Harvard University post content like podcasts and videos from their courses. Can you imagine having access to the same information that other students paid tens of thousands of dollars for, all at no cost?

Beyers also suggests going onto YouTube to view videos from various colleges. There you will find information on just about everything from economics to cosmetology. If you have desire to simply learn you can get lost on YouTube for hours, just absorbing information.

On my blog Second Chance, I previously wrote a post about Free Education which details other ways to go about gaining knowledge for free including visiting MIT's website.

On their website they provide a list of over 1,000 courses that the general public can view and take at no charge. The subjects range from architecture to women's studies. The learner who uses this website gets to view the professors' lecture notes, the exams with the answer key, homework assignments for the class, and the reading list. If a learner chooses to buy their books from Amazon they will receive a 10% discount.

Lastly, there is always the public library which houses books, and resources on every subject you can imagine. All you need is a library card and a hunger for education, and you are able to learn absolutely free.

This is not to say that obtaining an actual degree, which you will have to pay for, is a waste of time. It still remains true that a person with a college degree will earn more money over the course of their lifetime than someone who only has a high school diploma.

It is, however, equally important to find as many ways as you can to be educated at a minimal cost to yourself.

Job Outlooks for Master's Degrees

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:47:00 -0700

Whether you’ve just completed your Master’s degree and are now entering the competitive job market or you’re still in undergrad considering a Master’s program to enter, the question you face is the same: Which field has the best job outlook? There are a number of fields that are doing well even post-recession, that you might not necessarily think of at first.

If you have a versatile Masters Degree, or are looking into getting an advanced degree in a specific field, take a look at these areas.

Nursing
One industry that will continue to have demand is nursing. The health care field is never short of available jobs and an advanced degree in nursing will yield a promising career filled with advancement opportunity. Nurse practitioners, Midwives, Nurse Anesthetists and specialists all benefit from the rigors of an advanced education and reap the rewards of a gratifying job that pays well. If you want more information on what it takes to become a nurse, or what information is out there in your specific state, check out the Nursing Licensing Map.com.

Social Work
As the population grows, so do the needs of individuals who are less advantaged. Social work is traditionally thought of as low paying field not worth the investment of an advanced degree. That couldn’t be more wrong at the moment with the increasing amount of loan forgiveness opportunities, as well as actual monetary increases with the degree. The demand for social workers who can address the needs of these populated communities is increasing. Thus, going forward social workers with masters degrees will find more numerous opportunities for job placement and advancement, with median incomes starting close to $50K a year.

Teaching
Post-secondary teaching jobs currently have the highest number of job openings with a 38% increase in growth until the year 2018. With median incomes around $50K, a masters degree will help you to capitalize on these growing opportunities, along with their benefits and education-related salary bonuses.

Business Administration
No one doubts the value of an MBA. In the market, it’s essential to stand out among your peers and to remain competitive by advancing your professional education. Whether you specialize in finance, marketing or even IT, you will reap the benefits of a rapidly growing and evolving sphere, with salaries reaching upwards of $100K per year.

Medical Scientists
Research diseases, genetics and various ways to improve human health either in a hospital or research laboratory. Work in mental health and take advantage of an increased job growth of 40%. A PhD is required, but you’ll easily earn $72K or more to start and have the satisfaction of aiding humanity through your work.

Physician Assistants
With job growth reaching 38% by 2018, physician assistants will see plenty of employment opportunities and can expect to earn a median income of $80K a year while providing primary medical care, including diagnostic and preventive care, and therapeutic services, all under a doctor’s supervision. You can also increase opportunities for advancement and earning potential by continuing your education and specializing in any number of fields, like pediatrics, oncology, cardiology and many others.

Veterinarians
People love their pets and will stop at nothing to ensure their health and well being. Thus the need for veterinarians, who will see a 38% growth in jobs over the next seven years. With a salary of at least $72K, veterinarians can obviously work hands-on with pets and animals, but also behind the scenes doing research. Either way, an advanced degree in veterinary science will take you far in a rewarding career.

Environmental Scientists and Specialists
Conduct research to help eliminate and / or reduce environmental hazards for the benefit of the planet and all its inhabitants. Few enter this field with only a Bachelor’s degree, but those with a Master’s will see rapid growth in employment opportunities through 2018 and can expect to earn around $60K a year.

Nice Guys Finish Poor: 5 Personalities that Don’t Get Promoted

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:53:00 -0700

Money is nice. But the business of earning it, according to some researchers, may be just the opposite.

A German study conducted by the Institute for Employment Research recently found that “nice” people tend to earn less money than their not-so-nice colleagues.

Before you ditch your good manners and start practicing your growl, take a moment to reassess your nice guy/nice gal habits.

The detrimental aspects of “nice” are usually associated with specific personality types. Here are some common culprits:

Here are a few of the types of worker you DON'T want to be -- if you're looking for a promotion.

The Den Mother
Cub Scout camp is over. Unless it’s a part of your job description, do not become the self-appointed nice guy who organizes office snacks, decorates the bulletin board, cleans the break room, or maintains a widely advertised supply of cough drops. For one thing, all this motherly “niceness” can actually be a real time-zapper. For another, you’ll create the perception that you’re strictly focused on assists, not on goals.
The Diplomat
Diplomatic nice guys make a habit of polling coworker opinions. But colleagues aren’t constituents. Too much canvassing creates the impression that you’re wishy-washy and indecisive. If and when you do assert your own judgment, coworkers will be more inclined to ignore your opinions. So take the initiative whenever possible. After all, there won’t be a company-wide vote when it comes time for your annual review.
The Apologist
Sorry to tell you this, but you may be apologizing too much. When you apologize for issues you didn’t create (Oh, I’m sorry it’s so rainy today), you come across as easily flustered, or lacking in self-confidence. Instead of leading with an apology, practice leading with a solution (Let’s have our meeting lunch delivered, instead of going out in this weather). You’ll garner more respect, and you’ll conserve the value of your apologies, should they ever become truly necessary.
The Philanthropist
By definition, nice people are generous. When a colleague is faltering, your charitable instinct is to give up your time, and help out. Unfortunately, there’s no tax credit for donated clock hours. Over time, you’ll wind up feeling unappreciated and over-worked. So instead of constantly giving, take back occasionally. Specifically, take credit for all the projects you facilitate – whether they were originally assigned to you or not.
The BFF
At a ninth grade sleepover, sharing secrets is “nice.” At a place of employment, it’s just a bad idea. There’s nothing wrong with socializing, but dishing major dirt puts you in a vulnerable position. Gossip travels quickly. Your crazy weekend in Vegas, your shoplifting anecdotes, your fling with the Poland Springs delivery man: these admissions can compromise your reputation – especially in the eyes of bosses and clients.

All told, “niceness” is often a defensive reflex. If you’re not confident in your knowledge base or your skill set, you might overcompensate with excessive smiles, favors, or apologies around the office. Instead of getting mean, get educated. Online certificates
in business and IT, for example, can reorient your career and help you to feel competitive, instead of threatened.

5 Reasons Professional Organizations are Worth Joining

By Lauren Bayne Anderson — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:06:00 -0700

There are professional organizations in every field. But are the yearly dues worth it to join?

While each and every organization is different, the short answer is most often: yes. Especially if you’re young and just starting out in your career.

That’s because many professional organizations offer scholarships for college members, and mentors for those in the interning or entry-level position. They can also offer insight into how the industry works and how to navigate it, as well a professional development courses.

What’s more, for students and young professionals, the membership dues are often lowered substantially.

Here are some benefits to joining a professional organization:

Jobs Many professional organizations help their members find jobs, or at the least, offer up job listings that other members may be offering.
Mentoring Mentoring is the cornerstone of many professional organizations when it comes to working with younger members. You may never get in the room with someone at the top of your field, for a very long time. But professional organizations have the ability to pare you with someone much more experienced.
Professional Development Many organizations offer professional development via courses, workshops, publications, and information on their website shared only with members. They also keep members up to date on industry trends and how to deal with them. Some organizations (take the National Association of Black Journalists for example) offer news and print coverage of their annual conferences, run by students—which is an excellent opportunity to gain experience.
Networking Most organizations have an annual conference. This is an opportunity for you to mix and mingle with others in your field in both professional and leisure settings. There is also often a job fair where you can make contact and stay up to date with the very people who hire – even if they’re not hiring right now. In fact, some people find recruiters follow their career and stay updated when you stop by their booth at the job fair. They may be keeping an eye on you until they are ready to finally offer you a job.
Scholarships For the youngest of members (high school and college), scholarships may be the primary reason to join a professional organization. Many offer scholarships to the new members studying to enter the field.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Your First Job

By Lauren Bayne Anderson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:12:00 -0700

Do you have unrealistic expectations of your first job? If the answer is yes, you may not even realize it, but you wouldn’t be alone.

Nearly one-third of college graduates have unrealistic expectations for their first job, according to a survey by the Creative Group, a national staffing service. Some of the misconceptions revolve around what exactly they’ll be doing and how much they’ll be paid.

So, here’s what and what not to expect from your first job:

DON’T Expect:

…To jump into your dream job. You’ll have to prove yourself and work up. That often means grunt work. Doing the stuff around the office no one else wants to do. Just remember, you won’t be the newest edition to the office for long. Pay your dues and move it.
…To make your desired salary immediately. You looked up the salaries for your job online before your interview, AND before you even decided what your major will be! It said $36,000- $85,000 so you figure you’ll start off around $50,000 and work your way up to $85 within the next 10 years. Right? Probably not. Expect to start at the lowest spectrum of the income range, due to your lack of experience coupled with the tough economy. You may eventually get to that $85,000 (depending on the work you produce and what city you live in), but chances are, it’s going to be a while.
…It to be like it was when you were an intern. Many companies roll out the red carpet for interns to get them hooked. You may have escaped “busy season”, quotas, mundane paper work, and other not so fun aspects of the job as an intern, while the company was “wooing” you. Sorry, but the honeymoon is over.
…Everyone to bend over backwards for you. When you were interning, the office may have even provided a mentor for you. Now you’re all alone. The sad truth is that once you’re a real employee, and no longer intern status, you’re competition for your coworkers. That makes some people nervous.
…A raise to be handed to you. Ask for as much money as you can when you start a job, because raises usually come around only once a year upon a stellar yearly review – and in a bad economy, many companies suspend raises.
… To under any circumstance be that newbie to the office that "gets ahead" by throwing your coworkers under the bus. You may not know this yet, but doing that won’t make you look better, it will just earn you enemies. Plus you’ll have no one watching your back when it’s needed.
…Let on that you’re unhappy doing what you’re doing. You need the experience. The economy is tough. Don’t leave a job before you have another one and don’t give them a reason to fire you before you can find that other job.

DO:

Expect to get stuck doing some stuff you’d rather not do, at a job you feel you’re not getting paid enough for. Sorry…like Curtis Blow says, those are often the breaks. But keep your head up, it’s not forever.
Try to form alliances with seasoned workers in your office that can serve as mentors and steer you around office politics, etc.
Work Hard. This includes taking on extra work at your job, but also outside your 9-5 too. Free lance, volunteer your services with a non-profit, community or political organization. You're building skills faster and adding to your resume.
Dress for the job you want. Not the job you have. This is great, time tested advice. If your boss literally can see you as a fit for the position, they'll take you more seriously. If they see you as a college student, who dresses like one...well, you get the point.
Volunteer for more responsibility . Even if you’re not getting paid for it… yet.

Some information compiled from the Columbus Dispatch.

How to Climb the Corporate Ladder FAST>>>

Race, Sex and Religion on Your Resume

Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:15:00 -0700

You're probably aware that hiring managers cannot ask discriminatory questions during interviews. But this legal protection isn't too useful in preventing discrimination before the interview. If your resume contains personal information unrelated to your job target -- your race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. -- you might fall victim to discrimination, even if you're qualified for the position.

Your resume is a marketing tool designed to get your foot in the door, so every bit of information on it should be selling your value to potential employers. Follow these guidelines to ensure your resume only contains personal information relevant to your job target.

Personal Info That May Be Omitted

• Affiliations, Volunteer Work, Extracurricular Activities and Hobbies: You may leave out organization names that disclose your cultural background, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and other possible targets of discrimination. List only experiences that help sell you as a candidate for your targeted job.

• Languages: Listing your native language may reveal your nationality. Include only languages that add to your qualifications for the job. In certain cases, knowing a second language is a plus and should be included on your resume.

• Personal Information: In the majority of cases, personal information such as date of birth, marital status and nationality should not be included on the resume. There are exceptions, such as federal or state applications that might require this information or international applications in which including personal data is standard practice. Also, it’s customary for some fields (such as modeling) to include personal characteristics -- such as height, weight and clothing sizes -- if appearance is considered a bona fide job qualification. If you think you might need to include personal information on your resume, research standards in your industry to ensure you’re including the required information.

Next Page: Personal Information That Should Be on Your Resume →

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Personal Information That Should Be on Your Resume

• Your Name: You can't pick a new name in hopes of getting more interviews unless you have legally changed it.

• Your Employers: If you worked for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, for example, you shouldn't hide your employer's name and misrepresent your work history.

• Schools Attended: Even if your postsecondary school has a religious affiliation, you need to include the school name in your Education section.

• Work Experience or Training in Foreign Countries: You should include all work and educational experiences, as long as they are relatively recent.

Deciding What to Include

• Think About It: Will revealing the information in question highlight skills that would qualify you for the position? For example, if you're pursuing a management position and held leadership roles with religious organizations, consider including these experiences.

• Target Your Audience: If you're applying for a position with the American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, your resume may highlight your cultural background, involvement in related organizations and diversity-related accomplishments. If you don't know the organization's culture or the hiring manager's possible biases, omit personal information that will not add to your qualifications.

• Bear in Mind the Prospective Employer's Geographic Location: In some communities, involvement in civic or religious groups is highly desirable and including your related experience on your resume would enhance your credentials.

• Evaluate Your Personal Preferences: The this-is-me-take-it-or-leave-it attitude may leave you hungry when looking for a job in a world where discrimination still exists. You don't want to lose a chance at your dream job because of a hiring manager's possible biases. You may or may not report to the person once hired, anyway.

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

11 Asian American Professional Organizations to Help You Get Ahead

By Lauren Bayne Anderson — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:18:00 -0700

In May, we celebrate Asian American heritage month. In that spirit, we’re highlighting some of the top professional organizations for Asian Americans.

The organizations can help you land an internship, provide professional mentoring opportunities, help with job placement, some even offer pre-professional summer camps and other programs. And of course, they will help you develop as a professional once you're out of school.

Asian American Journalists Association

http://www.aaja.org/

AAJA serves Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by encouraging young people to consider journalism as a career, developing managers in the media industry, and promoting fair and accurate news coverage. Also offers journalism camps.

National Association of Asian American Professionals

http://www.naaap.org/

The largest and fastest growing Asian American professional organization in North America, NAAAP provide its members with the tools and resources to further career advancements and empower Asian Americans to become great leaders and reliable employees.

The Asian American Advertising Federation

http://www.3af.org/

A national trade organization comprised of Asian American advertising agencies, Asian market advertisers, Asian media companies, and other industry specialists. Its mission is to grow the Asian American advertising and marketing industry, raise public awareness of the importance of the Asian American community and further professionalism within the industry.

Asian American Professional Association

http://www.aapamentoring.com/

The Asian American Professional Association (AAPA) seeks to inspire, develop, and promote Asian American Professionals to maximize their leadership potential.

Asian Women in Business

http://www.awib.org/

The only non-profit, tax-exempt organization in the country with the primary mission of assisting Asian women entrepreneurs. Over the years, AWIB, a dynamic organization, has expanded its mission to address identified needs and issues affecting the business and professional development of Asian Americans. AWIB also serves on various tasks forces and boards to promote the inclusion of minority and women owned businesses and professionals.

Ascend

http://www.ascendleadership.org/

Dedicated to enabling its members, business partners and the community to leverage the leadership and global business potential of Pan-Asians. A lifelong organization supporting the duration of our members careers - from undergraduate through to executive level.

The National Asian American Society of Accountants

http://www.nysscpa.org/trustedprof/605/tp4.htm

The mission of NAASA is to continuously influence and encourage the development of accounting professionals and students while serving as a collective voice for Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the field of accounting.

Asian American Government Executives Network

http://www.aagen.org/

The mission of AAGEN is to promote, expand and support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leadership in Government.

US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce

http://www.uspaacc.com/

The oldest and largest national, nonprofit, non partisan organization representing all Asian American and Asian American-related groups in business, sciences, the arts, sports, education, public and community services.

Asian-American Physicians Association

http://aapaofwny.org

Asian American Architects and Engineers Association

http://www.aaaesc.org

The Asian American Architects and Engineers Association (AAa/e) is committed to providing a platform for empowering professionals working in the built environment in personal and professional growth, business development and networking, and leadership in our community.

Moving for a Job? Learn to Love Your New City

By Lauren Bayne Anderson — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:03:00 -0700

So, you’re graduating and about to make a move to a new city for a job.

Whether it’s a full time gig or a summer internship you’re gearing up for, getting acclimated to your surroundings is often the key to your success in any given place. Almost everyone goes through an adjustment period when they move to a new town. Hating the city in which you live can affect your social life, your studies, your work, and ultimately your overall happiness.

Here’s how to make the most of your new town.

Get Involved

Sign up to learn pottery, take that cool yoga class on the beach, walk around your neighborhood, volunteer at a local soup kitchen. Getting out and about is a great way to learn your city and meet new people. Always wanted to take a kickboxing class? Now’s the time!

Make New Friends

Hook up with other interns, coworkers or students that share your interests. If you’re completely alone in your new surroundings, try to find friends-of-friends on Facebook that may live in your new city and introduce yourself. Join meetup.com and hook up with others in your area with similar interests —or create a group yourself.

Read the Local News

Pick up your local City Paper, peruse Yelp.com to find out where to go and where you should avoid, and find out if there are any other websites or publications the locals frequent to stay abreast of events taking place in your new city. Whether it’s a street festival, a block party, a concert or movies in the park, each city has its own flavor and flair, don’t miss out on what your new city has to offer simply because you didn’t know about it.

Get Out of Your Element

Never tried surfing? Not sure you’re into stand-up comedy? Why not give it a shot. When you move to a new city, a good rule of thumb is to “never turn down an invite.” At best, you discover a new hobby, at worst, you spent the evening doing something new, rather than sitting at home alone in front of the TV! Another way to acclimate yourself with your surroundings is to play "Subway Roulette" — hop on the subway and pick a station, any station — when you get there, get off the train and explore your surroundings.

Which College Grads Make the Most Money

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:02:00 -0700

Which College Grads Make the Most Money

And Other Career-Related Superlatives

A recent article from CNN Money indicates that engineering majors outperform their classmates when it comes to starting salary offers. In fact, engineers of various disciplines claimed 4 of the 5 top spots for average salary offers in 2011. And computer science majors rounded out the group.

But life isn’t all about money. How do engineers fare in other categories – like health, love, and happiness? (As it turns out, they do okay with those things too.) From suicide rates to happiness, life expectancy to divorce rates, we run down the careers that are making people happy, and literally making them sick.

If you’re about to graduate, you may be interested to learn how your chosen degree and career plans rank against other sectors.

Highest Income Overall: Surgeons

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineers eventually lose ground to medical and dental professionals, when it comes to average earnings. Oral surgeons, orthodontists, physicians and general surgeons all earned median wages over $166K – on average – in 2008. CEO’s weren’t far behind. Engineering managers held strong among the dentists and the podiatrists, with pilots and air traffic controllers making an appearance thereafter. All told, the notable mention might go to marketing managers, who earned median wages of $108K, without enduring medical school, dental school, law school, or a work environment above 20 thousand feet.

Highest Suicide Rates: Physicians

Today’s college-based mental health centers are reporting an uptick in students’ levels of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide. But when it comes to identifying specific majors, the trend hasn’t yet translated into any discernable pattern. According to the APA, the data on suicide rates by profession is, at best, equivocal. Some studies have indicated that white male physicians do have higher rates of suicide than other professionals, followed by black male police officers, and white female artists.

Longest Life Expectancy, Highest Divorce Rates and Best Reputation>>>

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Longest Life Expectancy: Accountants

While this UK data doesn’t break down findings by college major, it does isolate some occupations that tend to keep people living longer. Engineers top the list again, along with doctors and accountants, who all live beyond 80 – on average. Teachers, journalists and business managers fared slightly worse – dropping off 8 months to 2 years earlier (more markedly for women than men.) But ultimately it’s the manual laborers, tradesmen, and service industry professionals who have the shortest expectancies. Researchers suspect the differences may more likely be correlated with income brackets than with specific career elements – given that people with higher incomes tend to eat healthier, avoid smoking, and access preventative medicine.

Highest Divorce Rates: Dancers

If you’re scouting for mates, you might want to avoid dance majors, massage therapy students, and bartenders (who come from all sorts of academic backgrounds.) According to one report, these 3 groups led the 2000 Census in rates of separation and divorce, with over 43% of dancers and choreographers reporting marital fracture. Nurses also landed in the top 10 lineup. On the opposite end of the spectrum, optometrists, podiatrists and clergy members are categorically destined for long-term romance. Oh yeah, and guess who else? Engineers. Still, the study authors don’t know if divorce is a response to the nature of these jobs, or if certain careers attract people who are prone to unstable relationships.

Best Reputation: Nurses

For the 11th year in a row, nurses best all others when it comes to society’s perception of honest, ethical professionals. This Gallup survey shows them leaps and bounds ahead of the nearest competition: military officers and pharmacists. Teachers, doctors and police officers are next in line. Not surprisingly, America’s least trusted professionals include lobbyists and Congressmen, car salesmen, and advertising execs.

Happiest and Most Earth Friendly>>>

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Happiest: Business Owners

According to a Gallup poll that surveyed more than 100,000 working Americans, business owners score highest in 6 areas of contentment, winning the title of “happiest” professionals. The specific type of business owned (from plumbing companies to jewelry design businesses) seemed less important than the freedom and control associated with self-employment. Meanwhile, those Midas touch engineers – housed under the category of “professionals,” along with lawyers, doctors, teachers, nurses, accountants, computer programmers, architects, bankers, marketers and artists – still maintained good rankings. “Professionals” out-scored all others when it came to the Life Evaluation sub-index, but lagged notably in the Work Environment sub-index, which reflects how satisfied professionals are with their jobs, the degree to which their jobs exercise their strengths, and their relationships with workplace supervisors.

Most Earth Friendly: ?

This one’s far too subjective to call. You might make a case for green architecture/design students, oceanography students, environmental studies majors, or even sustainable management students. It could also be argued that graduates from online colleges are doing the most to curb pollution and greenhouse emissions. But of course, the over-achieving engineers have a stake in this category too, as one Swarthmore engineering major impressively demonstrates.

6 Signs it’s Time to Change Careers

J.T. O'Donnell — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:16:00 -0700

So, you’ve been thinking it might be time to change careers – you just wish you had a way to know for sure. With 84% of Americans claiming they want a new job in 2011, you are not alone. So, how does one assess if it’s time to find a new career path? We asked over 100 career experts what the tell-tale signs are it’s time to move on. We saw 6 common themes. Here they are:

1. You limit your job thoughts to 9-5.

Ben Eubanks, an HR professional says, “There are a few quick ways to figure out if you need to blaze a new career path. First, you’re probably feeling burnt out. That might be obvious, but some people excuse it with, ‘I’ve just been working hard lately.’ If you constantly dread going back to work, that’s telling. Another big one I’ve uncovered is whether you spend time thinking about it outside of work. Do you dream up ideas? Do you take time to learn more about your industry? If not, then you might be well-served by looking at another opportunity to see if it does ignite your passion.”

2. You’re breaking the 80/20 rule.

Dr. Janet Civitelli, a workplace psychologist & career coach says, “I have a 80% guideline for work satisfaction, meaning the goal is to be at least 80% happy with a career, job, or boss. If satisfaction falls below that, it is time to fine tune the job, find a new job, or change career direction completely. Many people are surprised to hear me say this because they expect to shoot for 95% or 100%, but I have learned through experience with thousands of clients aiming for near perfect work satisfaction causes less happiness, not more.”

3. Your idea of “career reading” changes.

Lisa Correu, a job search advocate & workshop provider lists the following:

At your annual review, you consider writing all the lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the “Goals” section.

You interview a potential hire and spend 30 minutes talking about Sean Connery versus Daniel Craig as 007.

You cancel all of your subscriptions to industry publications and replace them with Garden Gnomes Monthly.

You’re asked to speak at Career Day and pass out invitations to your Pampered Chef party.

You wonder what it would be like to love your career again.

4. There isn’t a perk that would make this job worth staying for.

Laura Lobovich, a certified Five O’Clock Club career coach says, “Career fatigue can affect you both emotionally and/or physically. If you are feeling tired, depressed or just plain bored, career fatigue could be setting in. If you are unwilling to do this job for more money, better benefits, at another company, with a goat, in a boat (you get the idea); looking for more ways to access Plants vs. Zombies from your work computer; or questioning the ‘natural’ career progression in your career (and secretly praying your boss won’t tap you for the ‘next’ move), then it could be time to explore a career change!”

5. You’ll use any excuse for a day off.

Debra Wheatman, a career coach says, “General malaise combined with not caring whether you hit your usual standards indicates it’s time to find a new career direction. Do you find yourself looking for excuses to call in sick, blow off opportunities to take lead on a new project, or pass the buck when something goes wrong? It may be time to assess your current career path. If your sense of satisfaction for doing a good job fades away, you aren’t unhappy your performance review didn’t go well, or you spend more time on Facebook than business it might be time to move on.”

6. You’ve got that “dread-it” feeling.

Lisa Adams, a career coach says, “My clear telltale signs include that, unfortunately, well-known feeling of dread every morning as you prepare to go to work. It is a dread that is more than being annoyed by your boss or company politics. That dread becomes more and more an apathetic attitude. When you can’t even pick up an industry article or a company press release to review, that is a sure sign to move on. Lastly, if this is a second round in the same industry and role and you still are not engaged, move on.”

What did we miss? I invite and career coaches reading this to share their advice in the comments below.

What should you do? If you read the 6 signs and are in need of a career change, join J.T. O’Donnell this Friday, April 1 at 1:00 PM ET for a FREE live show on how to change careers without fear. Sign-up here to get instructions and reminders on how to attend.

Can’t make the live event? That’s okay, sign-up by e-mail and we’ll send you the recording!

If it’s time for a career change – you don’t want to miss it!

J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

8 Tips for Better Email Cover Letters

Larry Buhl | Yahoo! HotJobs — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:28:00 -0700

As the saying goes, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. If you're doing a job search or resume submission via email, the first impression any employer will have is from your cover letter.

Some tips for creating successful email cover letters are the same as for paper cover letters: Be professional, with correct spelling and grammar, and -- very important -- do use them. Other tips pertain only to the electronic medium, and when disregarded, could ruin your chances before your foot is in the door.

Here's what you should you consider when crafting an email cover letter.

Don't Waste Your Subject Line

What you write in the subject line can determine whether your letter gets read, according to Lydia Ramsey, business etiquette expert and author of Manners That Sell. "Don't ever leave the subject line of your email blank and don't waste it by just inserting the job number," Ramsey says. "The subject line should be clear and specific to the job you're looking for." An example: "Bilingual CPA seeks account manager position."

Use Standard Cover Letter Protocol

Write your letter as the body of the email and include a salutation (use the receiver's actual name if you know it) and a standard closing. ("Sincerely" or "Warm regards" work well.) Leave blank lines between paragraphs, and use appropriate signature and closing lines. Include all the information in your signature line you would have on your business card, including snail mail address, phone number and email address. "Remember, your email address doesn't always automatically show up on the receiver's email program," Ramsey says.

Keep It Short and Dynamic

Managers and recruiters are busy. They want to get the gist of your pitch in 150 words or fewer. The first paragraph is crucial, according to Ramsey. "Hook the reader in the first paragraph by selling him or her your abilities," she says. "Use short paragraphs and short sentences to give a very brief bio on who you are and what you can do for them, and wrap it up in the second paragraph."

Keep It Simple

If you write a cover letter in a word-processing program, strip away all formatting and save the file as plain text. The ideal line length is 40 characters. Some email packages automatically do word wrap for you, so your cover letter doesn't arrive in fragments. If your program doesn't do this, go to FormatIt.com, drop in your text and the free service will format your email for you.

Don't get cute. Save emoticons, abbreviations, and wild colors and fonts for your nonprofessional emails. The same goes for humor. Chances are, the reader won't think it's funny, and may even find it irritating.

Be Specific

Don't respond to an ad for a copywriter when you're really a graphic designer, says Diana Qasabian, talent director at Syndicatebleu. "It may be the tight job market, but we've been receiving more and more letters responding to a specific job from candidates who are not at all qualified for it," she says.

"We look for specifics in email cover letters, which means skills and abilities," she adds. "Embellishment and fluff are not necessary. It's not necessary to write, 'I'm a hard worker.' That goes without saying."

Keywords Are Key

Because many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATSes) to find and screen candidates, skill-oriented keywords will boost your chance at being discovered, a recruiter at a large technology company says.

"ATS tools track keywords that identify skill sets," she says. "So even if you're not right for the job you're seeking, strong keywords improve the chance that your cover letter and resume will be retrieved in a future search or be selected for a more appropriate job."

Play by Their Rules

Take the time to learn the company guidelines for submitting resumes, and follow them. Many companies list these guidelines on their Web sites. Also, don't include attachments unless they are requested. Some companies block all emails with attachments to prevent viruses.

Check It Again

Thoroughly spell-check and proofread your email letter. And remember, your email software's spell-checker won't catch grammar mistakes. Send it to a friend first and ask him to check it for content and style. If all your friends are tapped out, or even if they aren't, test your email cover letter by emailing it to yourself, and put yourself in the mind-set of an employer when you read it.

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

Related Reads:

Build a Great Working Relationship with Your Boss

Peter Vogt | Monster Senior Contributing Writer — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:41:00 -0700

One of the worst things you can do when you start your new job is to make your supervisor look bad for hiring you. After all, your boss is key to your current on-the-job satisfaction and to your future success in the organization -- and perhaps even beyond.

If there ever were a relationship for you to invest in, this is it. So here are five ways to get off to a great start with your new supervisor. Your efforts now will lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship over the long haul.

Watch Your New Boss and Learn

"The No. 1 thing is to observe the company culture and your supervisor closely during your first few weeks," says Terese Corey Blanck, principal of College to Career, a career-consulting firm in suburban Minneapolis. "Keep your opinions to yourself until you understand the company culture well and know what people will look upon with favor and what they'll look upon with disdain."

Even something as simple as asking intelligent questions will make a difference in how your boss perceives you as an employee. "It's always better to clarify than to charge off and go completely in the wrong direction," Corey Blanck says.

Communicate the Way the Boss Wants To

Some bosses are very hands-on, keeping close tabs on you throughout your workday. Others may talk to you once a week or less often and send you on your way to do your job.

Whatever your supervisor's style, typically it's up to you to establish and maintain the lines of communication between the two of you. Using either email or the occasional stop-by-the-office visit, make sure you keep your boss informed with the answers to these questions:

• What are you working on?

• What have you finished, and what are the results?

• What can you help your supervisor with?

Next: Look and Act Professional >>

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Look and Act Professional

Allison Hemming, author of Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy and founder of The Hired Guns, a Manhattan-based interim workforce agency, talks about a candidate she recently placed with a major investment bank -- quite easily, thanks to the candidate's background and skills.

"Two weeks into the job, we got a call from her manager, saying that she was doing a terrific job, but that she sometimes dressed inappropriately, in short, short skirts and open-toed shoes," says Hemming. "The manager asked me to have a chat with the person, because they really liked her and didn't want her attire to impact her ability to get promoted in the future."

The new hire was a bit shocked to discover her fashion faux pas were damaging her relationships with her supervisor and colleagues, but she quickly made the necessary changes to her wardrobe, Hemming says.

Demonstrate Initiative

Any new employee can sit around waiting to be told what to do. Why not be proactive enough to figure it out yourself so your supervisor doesn't constantly have to hold your hand?

"Take initiative to get something done when you see it needs getting done," says Corey Blanck. "It can be something as simple as taking a stack of files and going through them before you're asked -- anything to show that you're not beneath the small tasks that take up everyone's time."

"Come in early and stay late," says Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work and a frequent workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." "You should be busy whenever you're starting a new job, learning the ropes, but even when you're not, perfect the art of looking busy."

Do Great Work

This might seem like painfully obvious advice for developing a solid relationship with your new boss, but it bears repeating. "Make your boss look good by, guess what -- just plain working hard," says Viscusi. "It's old-fashioned, but it really works."

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

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5 Ways to Keep Your Career Moving Forward

Caroline M.L. Potter | HotJobs — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:43:00 -0800

The adage says, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and its wisdom is applicable to job seekers. It is usually far easier to find another job if you're already employed. But how can you ensure that the worst never happens to you -- that you're never left without a job and possibilities for your next opportunity?

Here are five suggestions from career coach Deborah Brown-Volkman:

Keep Thinking Positive

It sounds deceptively simple, but try embracing the power of positive thinking when you're thinking about your career. "When you tell yourself something bad will happen to your job, something bad will probably happen," says Brown-Volkman. "If you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident and that you will always be working, your words can make this true."

Keep Thinking Ahead

If you're not following trends within your particular industry, you could be caught off guard by a layoff. Is your position or division vulnerable to outsourcing, further automation or elimination? Brown-Volkman says, "If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you will want to know about it before you are in the room with the human resources person telling you that your job is going away."

She urges professionals, "Look for trends and then train yourself in growth areas. Having the right skills at the right time ensures that no matter what is happening around you, you will be needed and employable."

Keep Your Resume Ready

Having your resume at the ready gives you confidence. You always know that if opportunity casually knocks, you're prepared to answer. Brown-Volkman reminds her clients, "Even if you are not looking for work, your resume reminds you of the contributions you make on a regular basis, something you can easily forget when you are immersed in the day-to-day. Whether you are looking for a job, or you already have one, an updated resume is essential for your career."

Keep Cultivating Your Network

Brown-Volkman says networking should always be a part of your professional life. "If you start to network only when you need something, you will have a lot of catching up to do," she says. Instead of waiting until the 11th hour, she advises workers to network in some way every day. "Wherever there are people, there is an opportunity to network," she says.

She also urges workers to network within their own workplaces. If coworkers understand what you do and your value, this could help safeguard your job in dicey times.

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

You're up on the trends. You're networking. You've got a current resume. You're thinking positive thoughts. Now it's time to get creative -- by creating your own opportunities.

Read up on what your peers are doing and what you aren't. Consider how you might strike out on your own -- or on the side. Brown-Volkman adds, "Rather than thinking, 'It cannot happen,' believe that what you want is possible and is within your reach. Then, make it happen."

This article was originally published on Monster.com.

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Want Stronger Results? Try a Networking Resume

Laura Smith-Proulx — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:15:00 -0800

Trying to engage high-level decision-makers in your job search? Planning to contact recruiters or network during business meetings?

You might find these audiences quickly become overwhelmed with reading your full executive resume—or a multi-page document is simply too much to handle in a busy networking situation.

The solution? A Networking Resume — a powerful sound bite that encapsulates your career in a single page and gets more traction in your search by supplying a quick picture of your bottom-line brand value.

Also called a Marketing Brief or Networking Biography, this single-page document allows you to zero in on what you want, while hitting the high points of your career. It’s especially useful for job hunters in the midst of person-to-person contact who want to avoid the hassle of tracking multiple sheets of paper.

Best of all, a Networking Resume is fairly simple to construct, especially after you’ve invested significant branding effort into writing your full-fledged executive resume. (See this example of a Networking Resume for a CEO & CEO candidate.)

Here are 5 easy steps to take when condensing your leadership expertise down into a potent, single-page marketing tool:

1 . Skip the job descriptions.

There’s no room for lengthy explanations of teams led, budgets managed, and so forth. Instead, you’ll want to pull out some results-focused stories from your work history or a bullet-point executive accomplishment list that reflects the high points of your career.

2. Distill your career into just titles, dates, and companies.

A Work History section on your Networking Resume will present just the facts of each job in your career, and believe it or not, this can be very effective.

Often, recruiters will be skimming for progression in your background, and writing a short summary of your job titles can quickly demonstrate promotions and the increasing level of responsibility required for a leadership position.

3. Give your success stories a label and some context.

The best part about writing a Networking Resume or Biography? Giving more detail on highlights of your work, using full sentences that pack in metrics and tell a well-rounded story.

While these items should be featured on a full resume, they rarely will be allowed the same breathing room. Consider fleshing out each Challenge-Action-Result story, highlighting up to 3 achievements.

4. Write a branding tagline that speaks to results.

If you’ve been able to make significant impact as an executive, here’s the place to show it. Break your brand message down into a straightforward and condensed headline that describes how you get results (as shown here).

Struggling with this step? Keep condensing it, taking out words and refining the tagline until you have a powerful sentence that conveys impact. Here are some ideas:

Turning Around Challenged IT Organizations by Building Loyal, Productive Teams

Generating 650%+ Revenue Increase Through Competitive Market Strategies

5. Sum up your education and board affiliations.

Boil your educational background down into just a few lines, using common abbreviations for degrees, states, universities, etc.

You’ll also want to cut to the chase on professional associations, speaking engagements, and volunteer affiliations; use the organization’s initials to conserve space; list keynotes with the word “Speaker,” followed by the name of the organization.

Now, you’re prepared to give a snapshot of your professional background and executive abilities to recruiters and hiring authorities, without worrying about information overload or excess paper.

You’ll still need a full resume for interviews, of course, but your new Networking Resume can serve as a value-packed, concise introduction to decision-makers.

4 Tips for Connecting with a New Boss

Dawn Rasmussen — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 05:13:00 -0800

Undoubtedly, most of us have gone through some kind of transition with our supervisors. Perhaps the person was recruited away to another company or maybe there was a merger and they got reassigned to another department.

Whatever the reason, something important has been lost. When your boss leaves, they take with them that person’s knowledge of your contributions, skills, knowledge, and expertise.

And a new boss means a completely blank slate.

Your new job is to get to know them, ASAP. If you don’t take the time to build rapport, it could have deadly consequences to your career.

The reason?

If they don’t know your value, they could make decisions that don’t factor you in as a valuable asset.

Try using these four tips to build a connection with a new boss:

1. Speak up in meetings. If you are always in the background, now is the time to jump in. If you aren’t seen as an active participant on the team, this could be a red flag to a boss who might be surveying the landscape for potential house cleaning later. Be a positive contributor.

2. Set up a one-on-one meeting. If the boss has not done so already, set up a time to meet with them to provide an overview of your work and to allow them to get to know you better. Building connections will also help you both assess your working styles to figure out how you will be able to communicate best. This can lay the ground work for a great collaborative work relationship.

3. Provide regular updates. You don’t need to be a classic ‘brown-noser’ but proactively providing updates on project status or other work you are conducting is one less question or request that the boss has to make. If you reliably turn in work or reports on-time and in an organized fashion, you’ll be perceived as professional and as the department standard.

4. Empower, Educate, and Engage. New bosses don’t necessarily want to admit that they are behind the learning curve in getting acclimated to a new company or division. They are struggling to get caught up with priorities, challenges, and opportunities, while trying to get to know the team that will take them there. Be willing to share in a helpful way to give the new boss the knowledge and tools to get them up to speed as soon as possible. You could gain a very powerful career advocate as a result.

If you build a reputation as a helpful, friendly resource who is competent in your work and an engaged member of the team, your new boss will see you as an important asset and include you in key projects and potential promotions.

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