10 Questions to Ask Before Picking a Major

Great article from U.S. News about choosing a major. It is important for students to ask themselves a number of questions prior to declaring a major. Are you chosing the major because thats what everyone in your family has done? Have you met someone who teaches or studied the subject? What about the requirements and skills needed for careers in this field, do you have what it takes? This article lists 10 questions that you should ask yourself before deciding on a major! Check it out here!

Monster Blog: Best of the Best Work-Related Lists of 2009

Great bit from Monster Blog check it out here!

Best of the Best Work-Related Lists of 2009

Before we collectively bid farewell to this economically tumultuous year, let’s reflect on some of the good aspects of 2009. Like these “best of” lists that impact the working world.

 Fortune’s Best 100 Companies to Work For

 The big news on the list this year was that Google lost its spot at number 1, replaced by NetApp. Here are the list’s top 5 best companies to work for:

1.  NetApp
2. Edward Jones
3. Boston Consulting
4. Google
5. Wegmans

 Best Jobs in America

 This is Money and Payscale.com’s list of the top jobs in America based on pay and projected job growth over the next 10 years. Sadly for me, none of the top 50 careers have to do with blogging or Web content, but I still love what I do…. Here are the top 5:

1.  Systems engineer
2. Physician assistant
3. College professor
4. Nurse practitioner
5. Information technology project manager

 Best Places to Launch a Career

 BusinessWeek’s list looks at the best employers for entry-level workers, based on surveys of career services directors, employers and undergrads. Once again, here is the top 5:

1.  Deloitte
2. Ernst & Young
3. PricewaterhouseCoopers
4. KPMG
5. US State Department

 The Best Places for Businesses and Careers

 This list comes from Forbes and examines the cost of doing business, cost of living, crime rates, projected income, job growth and more. (They also have a list of the best small places for businesses and careers if you’re not looking to live in a bigger metropolitan area.)

1.  Raleigh, North Carolina
2. Fort Collins, Colorado
3. Durham, North Carolina
4. Fayetteville, Arizona
5. Lincoln, Nebraska

 25 Best Places to Retire

 And if you’ve had enough of the working life — and more importantly, have the luxury not to work, Money magazine offers you this list, too. The top 5:

1.  Port Charlotte, Florida
2. Palm Springs, California
3. Traverse City, Michigan
4. Pinehurst, North Carolina
5. Surprise, Arizona

 Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies

 Working Mother chooses its list of best companies based on employers’ family-friendliness. Each company offers its own brand of perks and flexibilities and the magazine does not rank them, so take a look at the list in its entirety as well as the Hall of Fame. It just didn’t seem right to single out a few.

 Do you have any best of lists of your own this year? Go ahead and share them on our blog.

Ethics 101 for Interns

Are you getting ready to start an internship? With the Spring semester approaching a number of interns are getting ready to enter their internship. Even if you are not interning this year and maybe waiting until the summer it is important for ALL INTERNS to read this ETHICS 101 for Interns article.

This article, by Michael Levin, discusses the Ethics that Interns should follow. His 6 rules include:

1. Your Basic Integrity Guidelines
2. Practice Good Records Management
3. Privacy, Intellectual Property, and Security
4. Internships Rights and Working Conditions
5. Consumer Protection
6. Health, Safety, & Environmental Protection

Take a deeper look into the meanings of these 6 rules and make sure you are following the Ethics of Interns at your internship!

Intern at Any Age

Article by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs, check out the complete article here!

“Are you between jobs? At a career crossroads? Trying to transition to another field? An internship may be your best next step, even if you haven’t seen the inside of a classroom in many years. No longer just for college students or recent graduates, internships can be a passport to success for professionals of any age.

You may feel sheepish about interning as an experienced professional. But you shouldn’t.

Rivka Kawano, an expert in the career search field and president of LifeTrain, LLC, says,”While internships used to be optional for a college student, they are now almost essential. And even experienced workers can gain great benefits from taking the time to do a part- or full-time internship.”

To wit, earlier this year, media company WowOWow.com had four interns who were all north of 40. And, recently, more than 50 of New York City’s laid-off finance workers (each of whom had an average of 15 years’ experience, according to The New York Times), took on 10-week, unpaid internships at start-up companies in and around Manhattan.

If you’re interested in interning at any age but don’t know where to start, read on to learn how to find one that’s right for you and make the most of the opportunity.

Where to Look

Michelle Mercurio, a regional career services director with DeVry University and Keller Graduate School of Management, says, “Finding an internship doesn’t have to be hard work. Given the economic downturn, many companies right now are looking at hiring interns for positions that used to be full time. I would encourage more experienced candidates to ask their professional networking contacts about how to leverage their experience on short-term internships to keep current in their field.”

Kawano concurs, saying, “Don’t just look for internships that are being advertised. Find companies that have the culture, goals, and values that resonate with who you are and where you are going. Take the initiative to call them and offer your services. In this type of environment, many companies would be happy for the extra help and are willing to invest in you.”

Even if you’ve been out of school for a long time, your alma mater’s career center may be able to help you pursue internships. Further, your alumni directory may also help you find folks at target organizations who are willing to help fellow graduates with their careers.

How to Sell Yourself

You’re no longer a student so don’t pretend to be. Use your prior professional experience to your advantage. Admits Kawano, “If a job seeker is not a college student, it can seem awkward to be looking for an internship. The key is to remember that you bring unique assets to the table that the younger intern does not.”

Mercurio reminds workers, “Internships allow companies to evaluate potential candidates for future positions. In many cases, employers are willing to take a chance on a motivated intern with strong transferable skills, but they won’t take that same chance when they are hiring a full-time employee.” Internships often lead to permanent hires as employers have an opportunity to gauge one’s performance and commitment in real time.

What to Expect

As soon as you start your internship, “Set clear expectations from the beginning,” says Mercurio. “Make sure that both parties understand things like hours, length of time expected, what will be accomplished during the internship, and what happens when you do get another job.”

Kawano believes in initially structuring an internship around a specific project instead of routine tasks. She reveals, “Being able to say, ‘Achieved fundraising goal of $100,000′ sounds much more impressive than, ‘Answered phones.’ This will also give a scope to your internship that will prove invaluable.”

If It’s Less Than You Expect

Sherri Elliott, author of “Ties to Tattoos: Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage,” doesn’t think you should be too crestfallen if your internship doesn’t lead to a job offer at the company. “If you intern at a company you don’t wind up working for, you’re still making contacts, staying on the market, and opening up doors to the places you want to be later on.”

Kriss Poll of Introspective Advantage, a consulting firm that works with college students (undergrad and grad) and corporations around career development, urges interns to focus on the aspect of being productive, even if your internship is a disappointment.

“It is excellent for a person’s morale to have a purpose that requires them to get up in the morning and leave the house. So many people are suffering from depression given the state of the economy and their own personal situations. You need to bring your ‘A game’ when you go to interviews,” Poll says. “Depression makes that more difficult, but staying productive can counter depression.”"

Rockstar Resumes For the Inexperienced

Check out another GREAT article, Rockstar Resumes For the Inexperienced by Dan Klamm

“Sometimes when I meet with students – particularly freshmen and sophomores – they express to me that they do not have enough experience to fill a resume.  In most cases, it’s not a matter of the student lacking experience, but rather not drawing parallels between things he or she has done and how they could be relevant to a potential employer.

Whether you’re a college freshman or a graduating senior, chances are you have more experience than you realize. Beyond formal internships and paid jobs, there are probably many things you’ve done during your college years that you can draw upon.  Let’s take a look at some different types of experience.

Coursework

Have you ever completed a group project, written a research paper, or made a presentation to your class?  (I’m assuming you have.)  Sometimes the most compelling experience comes in the form of coursework. When I was applying for my first internship at an advertising agency, I had very little formal work experience under my belt.  Instead of just listing my work-study job, I profiled two of my advertising class projects and described my specific role in managing the project timelines, conducting demographic research, writing ad copy, and presenting creative executions.  All of these things effectively tied in with the work that I would be doing at the internship much more than the clerical responsibilities I held at my work-study job.

If you have especially impressive classroom experience, you may even want to consider keeping it on your resume as a graduating senior. When I applied for my full-time marketing job in Career Services, I took an internship off of my resume in favor of an advertising class presentation/pitch to an executive from Procter & Gamble.  The presentation was recent, it was fresh, and it was a better indicator of my abilities than the internship that I had three years prior.

Student organizations and activities

Maybe you haven’t done many group projects, but you’ve gotten involved in a student organization or two on campus.  Instead of just listing the name of the organization on your resume, try to identify what you contribute to the group and how this may be relevant to your career aspirations. It’s not a stretch to see that your membership in the American Marketing Association is relevant to a career in marketing, but what about if you’re a member of the Residence Hall Council?  Perhaps you’ve done some marketing-related tasks within that group.  Designing posters, recruiting new members, and conducting surveys all come to mind as things that you might like to display on your resume.

And maybe the groups that you’re involved in are totally unrelated to your career.  That’s fine, too.  Take a look at the broader skills that you’re developing within these groups.  For instance, I work with lots of athletes who lack formal internship experience because their athletic commitments leave them with little free time, so we discuss the skills they hone through athletics.  Interpersonal skills, time management, and teamwork come up frequently, along with the development of a strong work ethic and competitive edge.  Though the skills are not acquired in a formal internship or job, and they’re not directly fit for one particular career field, they can still be featured on your resume. In fact, many employers would love to see these traits.

Non-professional jobs

You may think that lifeguarding and waiting tables are not appropriate for your professional resume. Once you have enough relevant experience in your field, I would agree. But when you’re first starting out, sometimes the only experience that you have is a summer job or work-study position on campus. In this case, you need to examine the skills that you use and then frame the experience on your resume in terms of these skills (which should ideally be transferrable to your desired professional setting). As a waiter or waitress, you have to multi-task in a fast-paced environment, while focusing on customer service and operating as part of a team.  As a lifeguard, you have to monitor lots of activities occuring simultaneously, ensuring that rules are followed and that everyone remains safe.

You can choose which aspects of the job to showcase on your resume.  Let’s use waiting tables as an example.  If you’re pursuing a PR internship, the customer service and interpersonal skills that you develop as a waiter or waitress would probably be most relevant.  If you’re looking to get an internship in the emergency room of a hospital, it may be better to emphasize your familiarity with efficiently balancing many tasks in a bustling, fast-paced setting.  Like everything else on your resume, the things that you highlight about your non-professional jobs should be tailored to the position for which you are applying.

In addition to coursework, student organizations, and non-professional jobs, you can draw experience from volunteer work, travel, and a number of other activities. The bottom line is that paid jobs and internships are not the only things you can use to display your qualifications.  If you think that you are inexperienced, try broadening your definition of experience and doing a comprehensive inventory of the activities you’ve engaged in.  You might be surprised with just how experienced you are.

Check out the complete article HERE!

Two Ways to Quickly Build Industry Credibility

EXCELLENT article, Two Ways to Quickly Build Industry Credibility, by Kelly Cuene

“One of the most frustrating things when job searching is hearing about an available position and knowing it would be a great fit for you, but feeling as though your resume or past experiences do not clearly demonstrate your ability to do the job. For students, this feeling may be common since employers are not always able to see how your campus, internship, part-time or other work experiences relate to the post-graduate working world.

So how do you build credibility in your field? Let’s take a look at two ways, both of which can be implemented fairly quickly:

1. LinkedIn Answers

Many students and new grads look past the “Answers” section on LinkedIn because they think that it’s only for more experienced professionals, or they don’t even know this section exists. 

The “Answers” section allows users to post questions to the entire LinkedIn community. By posting a thoughtful question related to your industry, you demonstrate your engagement within your field and a willingness to reach beyond the bubble that sometimes exists around college campuses.

Answering questions is one way for you to share ideas related to your field and it gives you an opportunity to connect with  industry professionals. In addition, you can showcase your professionalism and writing skills. You don’t have to be an expert to answer a question – just have an opinion. In the Answers section of LinkedIn, your ideas count- regardless of your work experience.

LinkedIn users can rate the answers provided for each question. A couple of highly rated answers can really boost your credibility. Regardless of rating, the questions and answers you post will be linked from your profile, so those that visit your page will see your activity.

The “Answers” section is divided into different categories to help users focus on specific types of questions. Use this search tool to find questions most relevant to your interests.  Most groups also have a discussion section where you can post questions and answers specific to that particular group’s topic if you want to target a certain population among LinkedIn users.

2. Twitter

Twitter nay-sayers often complain that they don’t want or need another tool to let the world know the trivial details of their lives. Guess what? No one else wants to hear the insignificant details of their lives, either.

What the anti-Twitter folks don’t understand is that Twitter is much more than a status update. It is an opportunity to provide, in a public setting, helpful information to followers with similar interests and passions.

Students can build credibility on Twitter by tweeting ideas and links related to their major or career goals. Search and find other industry professionals and strike up a conversation through which you can exchange ideas and, again, demonstrate that you have relevant and valuable thoughts to share regarding your industry of choice. Don’t waste the opportunity to build your brand as someone who is knowledgeable and engaged in their industry by only tweeting about that awesome party you went to over the weekend or what you had for lunch.

Not sure how to get started on Twitter? Check out this post by Cassie Holman. Also review Dan Klamm’s tips on what not to tweet about.”

Check out the complete article HERE!

Determine Your Passion, Find Your Career

Article by Dawn Allcot, ClassesUSA.com

“Career counselors and life coaches say that when you discover your passion and pursue it vigorously, money follows. Just take it from J. Sewell Perkins, life and business development coach for The Success Coaches Institute (SCI): “When you cultivate the thing you most love to do, use it to serve others, and find a way to be paid for it, you have discovered your purpose.”

Many people find fulfillment and fortune doing what they love. But what about people whose passion doesn’t point to an obvious career path? What if your true love is shopping, or talking, or even playing video games?

Do You Love to Shop?

At the upper end of a retail career, you can become a buyer — predicting buying trends and purchasing merchandise for the store — or a district manager. A bachelor’s degree in business will help you move up the chain of command faster, and may also mean a higher starting salary.

The possibilities don’t end there. Career transformation coach Julia Erickson shares the story of one client who felt drawn to the merchandising in stores. “She was fascinated by how retail spaces were organized to draw attention to certain items,” Erickson says. “She is going to school for commercial interior design, focused on retail spaces.”

Are You a Talker?

Do you relish the art of conversation and thrive in front of an audience? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a career in broadcast journalism can offer a salary of up to $42 an hour, depending on your college degree.

Erica Lewis, a New York-based lawyer, always felt her true calling involved sharing information. “I like helping people,” she says. Rather than feeling drawn to any one topic, she loves to learn a little about many different subjects and lead discussions. “I’m naturally curious — that’s always been the attraction of journalism for me.”

She took broadcast journalism courses at New York University and went on to work at a public access station while still practicing law. She learned how to do it all, from technical direction to production to being on-camera — and decided she loved it. “It’s not always easy,” she says. “You can’t start at the top. But a good education is the most important thing.”

Jumpstart your career in this area with a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism or, to expand your options, electronic media. This flexible degree program prepares you for a career in video production, corporate video, television, and new media such as Web 2.0.

Are You a Gamer at Heart?

Greg Hastings, creator of the “Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball” video game franchise, always loved video games. “I started as a kid with the coin-operated games,” he says. “I follow my passion in both my careers — video game development and paintball.”

Hastings, an entrepreneur who also owns the paintball soft goods company R7, came up with the idea for what turned into “Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball,” a bestselling Xbox title in 2004. Subsequent versions of the game reached new levels of realism and excitement as Hastings learned to “talk the language” of the video game industry and better communicate with the game programmers.

While Hastings is involved in every aspect of the design, development, and distribution of his game, many opportunities exist in the video game industry. Career options include graphic artist, game programmer, game producer, and tester/debugger.

Colleges and universities use video game simulations as part of education, creating an even greater demand for talented, creative individuals to work in this growing field. A bachelor’s degree in information technology, along with the appropriate certifications, will make you more attractive to employers seeking game programmers.

Have the Entrepreneurial Spirit?

Why not start your own business? Erickson says, “In this economy, entrepreneurship is a great way for people to do what they love and make money doing it.”

If you want to hone your business skills, a bachelor of science in business or, at the post-graduate level, an MBA, will give you the well-rounded knowledge and increased confidence you need to run your own company. If you’ve spent time in the corporate world, ask about college credits for life experience to earn your degree faster.

Not everyone’s passion translates into an obvious job description. Starting your own company is one way to create the opportunity to do what you love. It’s not an easy path, but business development coach Perkins sums up the life of an entrepreneur well: “When you’re doing the thing you love doing,” she says, “challenges are welcomed as opportunities to grow.”"

Check out the complete article here!

Should You Temp?

Temp jobs have been on the rise to the past four straight months. While many people are looking for full-time permanent positions, temp jobs may lead to that. Check out this article to see if a Temp Job alternative is right for you!

“According to CBS News, the November jobs report showed that the number of temp jobs in the professional and business services sector have “risen for the fourth straight month” (Could Temp Solution Signal Jobs Recovery? ). The article goes on to quote David Wyss, chief economist for Standard & Poor’s, who said “temp work doesn’t peak during the recession; temp work usually peaks at the beginning of a recovery.”

Regardless of whether temp work is good for the economy, it could be good for you if you are currently seeking employment. While some temporary workers hope to turn their assignments into full time jobs, others enjoy temping for what it is. Those who don’t want to be tied down to one job find that temping is a good option as do people who want a flexible schedule. Temping is also a good way to gain experience and learn new skills. Want to know more about temping? Read Is a Temp Job the Right Alternative for You?“

The New Resume Rules: What’s In and What’s Out

EXCELLENT article by Maria Hanson, LiveCareer, check out the full article HERE!

“Fashion changes, and resume styles change, too. If you have solid skills and work experience but your resume isn’t getting any bites, you might need a resume makeover.

Take a free resume test to see if your resume has what it takes to pass the 10-second scan and get results. And check out the “what’s in, what’s out” info below to help make your resume more cutting-edge.

1. In: A professional summary at the top of your resume. This sells you like nothing else on your resume does.

Out: An objective statement at the top of your resume. Nothing says “outdated” like an objective.

“Ditch it immediately,” advises Jack Williams, vice president of national sales and recruiting for Staffing Technologies, in Atlanta. Employers don’t care what a potential hire wants to do. “They care whether they can do what the employer needs them to do,” he says.

2. In: Resumes that are easy on the eyes.

“I don’t have time to read through each resume and search for the important points. They need to jump out at me,” says Mike Earley, vice president of resource management at MyWire, a media aggregation site. Earley says hot resumes are organized with bullet points, not paragraphs, and have enough white space to look clean and visually interesting.

Out: Resumes that are “grey,” with large chunks of unbroken text that require recruiters to slow down. Chances are they won’t take the time.

3. In: A customized resume. Tailor every resume you send out for the job you’re seeking.

Out: A cookie-cutter approach: same resume for every job. These were from the days before home computers, when changing a resume was a really big deal.

4. In: A two-to-three-page resume when you really need the space.

Out: A one-page resume when you really need two or three pages.

“One-page resumes are a myth,” says Williams. “No talented person with more than five years experience can fairly summarize their experience in one page.”

5. In: Selling yourself. The best way to do this, Earley says, is through quantifying your accomplishments. “When describing what you did on a job, be sure to include the results. Your accomplishments are key,” says Earley. For instance, if you’re an office manager, don’t just say you “organized a system to track outside vendors.” Conclude with a real result, like “reduced operating costs by one-third.”

Out: Not being your own best marketing and sales department. “Gone are the days of just listing job titles and responsibilities,” says Leslie Sokol, co-author of “Think Confident, Be Confident.”

6. In: Including links to websites for all companies on your resume, and, if possible, a brief description of each company. “Few do this, but it is always well-received,” says Williams. “Hiring managers have an interest in knowing what a company does and what your previous position there had to do with that.”

Out: Assuming hirers know your old company or don’t need to know.

7. In: Including your LinkedIn or other social network address in your resume’s header. Make sure it’s a custom (“vanity”) URL if it’s LinkedIn (these are free).

Out: Not being up-to-date with social networking.

Following these ins and outs will make your resume shine and help you to land your dream job. Take a free career test to find a job you’ll really love.

When your resume lands you an interview, negotiate your best salary offer with your free salary report.”

How to Use LinkedIn in Your Job Search

Check out this excellent How To Guide for using LinkedIn in your job search. This post includes pictures to guide you through all the wonderful tips! Be sure to check it out here!