This issue of QuintZine is about
GRAD SCHOOL, especially for those who
have been out of school and working for a while
but are considering a return to the classroom.
This issue is our last for 2000;
look for QuintZine to help you
ring in the New Year with our Jan. 1, 2001,
issue, with the theme, "A New Job for the
New Year."
KEEP THOSE PROFILES COMING...
We've had some great responses
to our request for readers to profile ...
now we want to hear from YOU!
We plan to launch a new feature to
coincide with the first anniversary
of QuintZine in March. "Quintessential
Career Profiles" will feature readers
of QuintZine who have interesting
career stories to tell. Did you obtain
a job in an unusual way? Has your career
path been out of the ordinary? Have you held
one or more unusual jobs? Has your job search been
especially troublesome, inspirational, or
remarkable? We want to hear from you! Tell
us a little about your career story, and
we may contact you for a full profile. Write us
at quintzine@quintcareers.com
and let us know about you.
To our readers worldwide who celebrate Christmas,
we wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday.
Feature Article: Tips for Obtaining a Gradate Degree
So, your career is going along swimmingly --
and all of a sudden you hit a wall. You can't
seem to advance. Or you discover your field is
just not firing your passion anymore, and it's
time for a change. Or technology is rendering
your skills obsolete compared to all those young
whippersnappers the company is hiring. Or getting
a graduate degree is just something you've always
dreamed of doing.
Maybe it's time to consider a
graduate program.
Recognizing that an advanced degree can be the
key to promotions, higher salaries, better job
opportunities, the chance to update skills, and
the possibility of "following their bliss,"
many working professionals are returning to
the classroom for a graduate degree.
Anyone considering graduate school should
check out GradView, a terrific Web resource
for information about graduate school.
The site includes virtual tours of top graduate
schools in the U.S. and Canada, graduate
school financial aid information and financial
aid resources, information and articles on careers and
career planning as they relate to graduate school
(from articles on how to determine what career is
right for you to tips on writing a resume that gets
you in for an interview, how to write a cover letter
that gets the reader's attention, how to shine in a
job interview, and how to keep a job and
advance your career); articles and information
on graduate school admissions tests and electronic
graduate school admissions testing, and a library
of articles that can help you get the most out of
graduate school and its rewards in your career and life.
The articles section, in fact, is one of the
strengths of this site. A visit to the
Site Map
will demonstrate the breadth and variety of articles.
QuintZine's Q&A with College Expert Dan Rosenfield
Dan Rosenfield is a former college counselor, dean,
and director of admissions at the secondary school,
college, and graduate-school levels, and current publisher of
two Web sites and a newsletter on the topics of going
to college and graduate school.
Asked about the most important factors in choosing a grad school,
Rosenfield says, "Interests and experience of individual faculty
should be a student's primary consideration in selecting
a graduate school because students typically work more closely
with faculty in grad school than in undergrad programs.
Obviously, overall academic quality is also of primary
importance, as are
reputation, the availability of a strong job-placement program, and the existence of a
strong alumni network within the profession for which a
student wishes to prepare," Rosenfield says.
He also discusses trends in college recruiting, the
importance of integrating career planning into the college
or grad-school preparation process, and the tendency of students
to overestimate the importance of extracurricular activities.
Employment911.com
-- where job-seekers can search for jobs from more than 35 career sites. Register at the site and also get
free tools, such as a Web-based email account, calendar, and organizer. You can also post your resume.
Free to job-seekers.
GradExchange --
a growing network of career-focused sites for graduate students and degreed professionals, designed to help
you in all aspects of your career and life. Includes sites for MBAs, JDs, MDs, DDSs, CPAs, engineers, and more.
Free to job-seekers.
HorticulturalJobs.com
-- where job-seekers looking for employment in horticulture can search for jobs (by category, keyword, or state),
post your resume, activate a personal job search agent, and create a personal job search folder. Free to job-seekers.
Workaholics4Hire.com
-- for job-seekers looking to work from home, with a database of thousands of telecommuting jobs. Also includes some
subcontracting and freelancing positions. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest
Additions section.
Melissa writes:
"I am seriously considering returning to school
to earn an MBA. I have a BS in Chemistry and am
working as a chemist for a contract laboratory.
I have been told these degrees are much in demand,
especially combined, but I haven't been able to find
any specifics such as job descriptions and range of
salaries. The program I want to attend is expensive,
and I need to be sure it will be well worth it.
Do you have any helpful information or resources?"
Oliver had a good job interview just before Thanksgiving and wants
to know if he should follow up now, several weeks later, since he
hasn't heard anything.
Ken wants to know how to write a thank-you for
a great interview, as well as how to refuse a job when you
are waiting for interview responses [for jobs] you liked more.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
One of the most daunting aspects of the grad-school admissions
process is the personal statement/essay requirement that is
part of the application process at most schools. As teachers,
we've observed major anxiety in our students when it comes to
putting these essays together.
An excellent resource to
help in the process is EssayEdge.
While primarily a paid service, EssayEdge offers users free
access to more than 100 admissions essays and
recommendation letters accepted by the United States'
top undergraduate, graduate, professional, and scholarship
programs. The site also offers a free essay-writing tips page.
The majority of factors that employers consider before extending
a job offer are absolutely in the jobseeker's control, asserts
Diana LeGere of Executive Final Copy. Take image for instance.
If you were to examine a product that claimed superiority but
was presented in an unattractive package, would you buy it?
Probably not. In fact, you would be twice as likely to purchase
an inferior product with a remarkable package. -- This Q Tip
courtesy of Diana C. LeGere, president of Executive Final Copy and
the employment coordinator for Greenbacks Bringing Hope Foundation
in Salt Lake City, UT. You can view her Web site at
Executive Final Copy.
Seeking a career in information technology?
Know what to expect. Although demand, salary,
and perks are still promising, IT staffers are working
longer hours but producing less, according to ZDNet,
quoting a new report on global IT trends.
The study, by research firm Meta Group, found that US computer
professionals worked an average of 45 hours a week this year, an
increase of 36 percent from 1999. Working hours rose by 30 percent
outside the US.
Even with these extra hours, the high learning curve demanded by
projects has affected productivity among technology workers. The
average US software developer produced 9,000 lines of code in 1999.
This year, the average has fallen by 47 percent to 6,220 lines of
code. Read the full story.
Win Fame, Recognition, and a Teeny-Tiny Prize!
We are beta testing an exciting new Job Interview
Response Composition Exercise. Test it out by responding to as many job-interview questions as you wish.
The author of each BEST response will be permanently
credited in a "Best Response" e-mail reply
that will guide jobseekers in composing optimal
responses to interview questions. Each Best Response
author will also receive a small, token
Quintessential Careers gift.
Career counselors, try your hand at responding
to these questions, and encourage your students to try!
Looking for a Unique Holiday Gift Idea?
How 'bout giving a resume/cover letter
gift package to a job-seeking loved one?
Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters
provides quality job-search correspondence at some of
the lowest prices on the Web, and now
we offer gift certificates for Unique
Gift Packages. Credit cards accepted.
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Case-based and behavior-based interviews
* Freelancing and Consulting
* Online Assessments
* Phone etiquette in the job hunt
* Guide to the company visit
* Letters of recommendation and references
* Completing a job application
* How to land an internship
* Temping
* Hot jobs for 2001
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
. . . and much, much more!
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RESUMES * JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE FROM TRUSTED EXPERTS * COVER LETTERS
Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters is up and running,
providing quality job-search correspondence at some of
the lowest prices on the Web.
We create resumes,
cover letters, curriculum vitae, thank-you and
follow-up letters, and list-formatted documents,
such as salary histories and reference lists.
We also can provide critiques and makeovers of
your resume or cover letter. Credit cards accepted.
Check out Quintessential Resumes
and Cover Letters!
QuintZine
A publication of
Quintessential Careers
Publisher: Dr. Randall S. Hansen
Editor: Katharine Hansen
ISSN: 1528-9443
