QuintZine is 1 year old! We owe our
success to you, our readers, now some
2,200+ strong. Thus, our first anniversary issue
is dedicated to YOU! To celebrate, we bring you the
first in an occasional series of profiles of the
career stories of some of our readers.
Quintessential Careers New Features: Helpful Tools
Announcing the Quintessential Careers Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Our new glossary of job, career, and employment terms is designed to give you a quick definition --
and then provide links to more details, samples, and much more information.
And, announcing Quintessential Careers'
Job References & Portfolio Services section.
A collection of businesses that conduct professional
reference checking for job-seekers -- so that you know
what former employers and others are saying about you.
Also includes businesses that store your job and
graduate school portfolios on the Web.
Feature Article: Quintessential Career Profile
Networking Propels Rock-Star Wanna-Be from
the Canadian Rockies to Successful Career in Australia
Meet Jim Runka, 41, who describes himself as a "boy
from the Canadian Rockies who took a chance on an
opportunity and made his way, step-by-step,
to a fulfilling career."
Runka began to fulfill his career dreams nearly
three years ago when he moved to Western Australia
from Jasper, Canada. "I had no job, no contacts,
no leads -- and no idea how things operated here
in Oz," Runka recalls.
Marcia Merrill is Career Advisor at
Loyola College, Maryland.
"Having a mentor can be the first step toward
deciding on pursuing a given career," Merrill says.
"Many students (mentees) began with making
networking contacts and grew into working
part- or full-time for their mentor or their contacts.
Internships often result as the student gains the
experience needed to make a career decision.
I tell all my clients about the value of networking
-- talking to someone in their field of interest and
how beneficial having a mentor can be."
Merrill talks more about the value of having a mentor --
and how to find one -- and offers wise words about
job-hunting on the Internet, and how to determine the
right career for you.
While reading over Marcia Merrill's informative
Q&A with QuintZine, we were reminded of a
terrific Web site, Ask the Employer, which was
created in 1998 as an e-mentoring partnership
site that serves as a forum in which a
registered mentor and mentee can connect
online to establish a partnership based
on mutual career interests and abilities.
E-mentoring is an interactive relationship
between a mentor and mentee through the
Internet, rather than traditional
networking connections, such as a colleague
at work. Experienced business professionals
offer their talent and advice to those they
counsel, based on matching data compiled from
their registered professional profile posted
on the Ask the Employer site.
Ask the Employer has grown to be a full-service
content site for all aspects of career management and human
resources, specializing in mentoring relationships
and expert career advice. Ask the Employer also
publishes a Career Finder's Guide e-newsletter
that includes information on career advancement,
resumes and cover letters, SOHOs, employment
trends and news, mentoring relationships, and
tips for succeeding at work, as well as human resource
information for employers.
ITWOW.com --
an international IT recruitment site where IT professionals can search for jobs (by country, salary, position, etc.)
and post your resumes (with picture). Also includes a job-seeker's tool box, with some helpful career advice.
Free to job-seekers.
+Jobs U.K.
-- where job-seekers looking for employment in a variety of industries -- everything from administrative and
computer jobs to Au Pair and general labor -- in the U.K. can search for jobs. Jobs are updated daily. Free to job-seekers.
Private Colleges &
Universities -- both a magazine and a Website, its mission is to provide college-bound students with helpful
information about the college admissions process. Includes some great articles about common situations college-bound
students face, including boosting test scores, choosing colleges, finding financial aid, and much more. A great
resource for high school students.
YourCareerChange.com
-- features career profiles of men and women from around the world who tell what it's really like to work in their
chosen career. For job-seekers considering a career change, this site offers you the chance to read these stories
to gain information and inspiration. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest
Additions section.
L. Raymond writes: "Two of my previous employers have
had name changes since I last left their company.
Should I use the new name on my resume or the old one?"
Kim writes: "I recently applied for a job opportunity
and was made an offer. The problem is that the offer is
significantly below my expectations, and is not
commensurate with my vast experience level. It appears
that the institution is not willing to reconsider nor
re-negotiate an increase, so that I feel it is necessary
for me to withdrawal from consideration or decline the
offer. Can you please tell me which letter style would be
more appropriate -- a letter of withdrawal or a letter of rejection?"
Dan writes: "I'm looking into career counselors, like Cornell
Business Associates and Dunn and Nelson, and I was
wondering where to find a list of these companies so
I can compare their services before spending $5,000 on one!"
Al writes: "My career has been sidetracked because my
supervisor for the last three years is not supporting my
accomplishments on my resume. I have tried using other
references but this stands out because of my management
position. I do great on the interview but my references
do not support my resume."
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "America may
be witnessing another historic transformation of the
workplace. In the pre-industrial world, workers lived
in isolation, usually on farms, and had little contact
with one another. The Industrial Revolution brought people
into central locations -- factories for most workers --
to work in a strict top-down hierarchy. The Information Age
may return workers to their homes, and yet connect them via
modern technology to 'the virtual office.'" The Labor Dept.
isn't calling this phenomenon "telecommuting" anymore;
now it's "telework." Read the full a report on
Telework
and the New Workplace of the 21st Century.
To understand the importance of networking, it's
helpful to examine how people get their jobs.
The U.S. Department of Labor says that only about 5
percent of people obtain jobs through the "open" job
market -- consisting primarily of help-wanted ads on
the Internet and in print publications. Another 24
percent obtain jobs through contacting companies
directly -- the cold-contact method of job-hunting.
Twenty-three percent obtain jobs through such means
as employment agencies, college career-services offices
and executive-search firms. The remaining 48 percent --
nearly half of all jobhunters, obtain their jobs
through referrals -- that is word of mouth. How do
they get referrals and find out about jobs through
word of mouth? By networking. See a
graphic representation
of how people get their jobs.
Diana LeGere, of Executive Final Copy, has a
piece of career advice that we have certainly tried
to impress upon those we counsel: "Ask not what the
company can do for you, ask what you can do for the
company. Remember the prospective employer is buying you.
Companies make quite an investment over the years in terms
of benefits, wages and company rewards. Choosing the wrong
candidate will result in lost salaries, and an unfilled
job, funds spent on employment ads, recruiters and
time lost pursuing the unfavorable task of interviewing
are to name a few. Therefore, they care more about meeting
their needs than yours.
Ideally, you want a match that suits you both. So,
keep your needs in mind. However, for the sake of
landing the job, focus on how you will benefit the
company. Inquire about their concerns and prepare
to offer solid logical solutions to their issues.
You may have been able to recognize some problems
during your initial research of the company.
Why not arrive with knowledge of the employer's
corporate issues and a plan to glide through them
for positive results? This gesture will clearly
define problem-solving and teamwork skills.
The more you can do for the company, the better
candidate you will be to join the firm's team."
-- 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.
Quintessential
Career Profiles: Have a Career Story to Tell?
Quintessential Career Profiles features QuintZine
readers and visitors to Quintessential Careers
who have interesting career stories.
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'd like to
tell your story. Tell us a little about your
career saga, and we may contact you for a
full profile. Write us at kathy@quintcareers.com
and let us know about you.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Case-based interviews
* Phone etiquette in the job hunt
* Guide to the company visit
* Researching your next job
* Letters of recommendation and references
* The art of follow up
* How to handle a request for a salary history
* Completing a job application
* How to land an internship
* How to get a promotion
* Should you go to grad school/get an MBA?
* 10 easy ways to improve your resume
* Temping
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
. . . and much, much more!
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QuintZine
A publication of
Quintessential Careers
Publisher: Dr. Randall S. Hansen
Editor: Katharine Hansen
ISSN: 1528-9443
