"Plan your career," advised professional resume
writer Beverly Harvey in the Q&A interview she
did with Quintessential Careers last year.
It's some of the best advice you'll encounter.
"Establish and write down short-term and long-term career
goals -- where do you want to be in one year, two years,
three years, four years, five years, 10 years, 15 years,
20 years," Harvey said. Career Planning is the topic of this
issue, especially planning for advancment and promotion.
"When you have a clear understanding of what you bring to
an organization, you become an empowered individual who uses
today's projects to build tomorrow's skills," writes Alan Vengel,
author of The Influence Edge. "Using the influence model in
career development will give you an extra, powerful tool
to achieve your career objectives."
In his article for QuintZine, Vengel proposes three steps
of career development and tells how to use influence to get
ahead.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to do a better
job of influencing people, of perfecting the art
of persuasion and motivation, of dealing with difficult
people -- in your personal life or at work --
then The Influence Edge may be just the book
you are looking for to help you succeed.
Full of helpful advice, interesting anecdotes,
and thought-provoking worksheets, this easy-to-read
book provides the basics for increasing your power
to influence others. In seven short chapters,
the author takes you through the steps of
understanding behavior, developing influence
strategies, and increasing your influence skills.
Myjobsearch.com is a compilation of online resources that
empower jobseekers to find jobs they love or advance
within their current careers.
With myjobsearch.com's online job-search and career-management
tools, jobseekers have what what they need to upgrade their
careers in ways never before possible, according to the site.
Appropriate to this issue of QuintZine, myjobsearch.com
offers a comprehensive career-planning section, covering
personal assessments, career exploration, colleges and universities,
career coaching, career-planning tips, and a career-planning
bookstore.
All Freelance
-- a great place to find everything you need to know to be a successful freelancer, including
freelance job sites, online courses, articles, and other resources. Free to job-seekers.
CareerWeb.com -- a great resource for job-seekers, where you
can search for jobs, post your resume, and find career advice. One of the site's greatest resources
is the development of localized job sites (a total of 56 metropolitan areas) so that job-seekers
looking for employment in a specific geographic area can find the best job listings. From the
publishers of The Employment Guide. Free to job-seekers.
Cyber CV
-- where job-seekers are able to search for current UK job vacancies by industry sector, job function and
by featured employer. However, no application can be forwarded to an employer without the potential
candidate registering and completing a personal profile (including your CV). Other strengths of the site
are its job matching technology and other key resources. Free to job-seekers.
Native American Jobs
-- a great site for job-seekers who are Native Americans, or who want to work in Native American communities and
reservations. Job listings include jobs for Native American tribes, colleges, schools, casinos, and other
companies in 16 states across the U.S. Job-seekers can search for jobs and post your resume. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest
Additions section.
April writes: "I'm 21, and I am really struggling with
my future. I currently have a great job, but it's not career
oriented. I don't know what I want to do -- long term.
Is there any advice you could give me?"
Leanna writes: "I am searching for a new career to which I would
be well suited and, of course, well paid. I have been working in the
insurance industry for 12 long years in sales and marketing.
I'm very tired and bored with it and not quite certain
which direction to go. I do not have a degree. In fact,
I took a paralegal course and had a few frustrating
interviews being turned down due to lack of experience.
I have since decided that working for attorneys wouldn't
be so great anyway. I started taking a multimedia class
but don't want to go down the wrong path again.
Any suggestions???"
Karen writes: "I'm thinking about switching jobs, but when
I look at what my duties are here, they don't sound like very
much at all. My job is basically data entry and word processing.
My duties include running almost all packages that go to the
courthouse. I also had the highest grade in my class in editing
and proofreading, the only A in the class."
Karie asks: "Can you please tell me where I put salary
requirements in an application by resume? (This information
is required in the application process)."
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
An important piece of career planning is developing
a list of key employers to target when you're ready to move
on to your next job. In her syndicated column with Dale Dauten,
Kate Wendleton talks about making yourself more in demand
through such targeting. "Have six to 10 things in the works," she
suggests. "Take your target list of organizations, and then
divide them into an A, B and C list. The A's are the companies
you would die to work for; the C's are the companies that would
die to have you.
Contact the C-list companies first. You'll
practice your interviewing skills and -- who knows? -- one of
them might turn out to be the perfect opportunity. As things
start to move along, go to the B companies and say, 'I'm talking
to four other companies, and things are happening pretty quickly,
but I didn't want to accept any of their offers until I talked
to you first.' They will be interested in you because others
are interested. As the B's start to come along, you move to the A's."
With the job market cooling off, it's helpful to know that
more corporate employers seem to be turning to temporary workers
to fill their unique, project-specific jobs and partnering with
staffing firms to make that happen. Thus, if you're having difficulty
finding full-time employment, you can continue to build your resume,
your skills, and your network through temping. A record 3 million
temporary workers were hired by staffing firms on an average day
in 2000 in spite of labor shortages throughout the year and an
economic downturn during the last quarter.
"Staffing firms created 100,000
new jobs last year and more than a million during the past six years,"
says Richard Wahlquist, executive vice president of the American
Staffing Association. "Temporary work provides a bridge to permanent
employment. On average, seven of 10 temporary employees go on to
permanent jobs within a year. However, for a smaller but growing
group of workers, staffing firms are becoming their long-term
employer of choice." Read more about the value of temping.
It's almost always instructive to look at the world of
job-seeking from the employer's/recruiter's perspective.
For example, WetFeet's RecruitWatch newsletter, aimed at
recruiters, recently ran an article about mistakes
recruiters make in phone interviews designed to screen
job applicants. For almost every potential recruiter
mistake, job-seekers can apply the wisdom to their own approach.
For example:
Recruiter mistake: Not understanding the job you're talking
to the candidate about. Job-seeker lesson: The job-seeker, too,
needs to have a good understanding of the position he or she
is applying for.
Recruiter mistake: Writing off seemingly unenthusiastic
candidates too quickly. Lesson for job-seekers: Even if recruiters
are being advised to excuse a lack of enthusiasm, they won't
have to excuse you if you project maximum enthusiasm in phone interviews.
Recruiter mistake: Missing scheduled phone interviews. Job-seeker
lesson: Obviously, it's even worse for the interviewee to miss the
scheduled phone interview than it is for the recruiter.
Recruiter mistake: Not being aware of open positions at
your company other than the one for which you're recruiting.
Job-seeker lesson: Be sure to express that you're also
interested in other positions, especially if you sense the
recruiter doesn't think you're right -- or comes right out and
tells you so -- for the position you're seeking.
Would you like to make a credited
contribution to our special Aug. 13 Back to Campus
issue of QuintZine, featuring articles and sidebars
on the value and importance of college career services
offices? Deadline: Aug. 1. Write us for details at
kathy@quintcareers.com.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Case-based interviews
* How to conduct a long-distance job search
* The importance of company culture
* Letters of recommendation and references
* Career portfolios
* How to handle a request for a salary history
* How to land an internship
* Should you get an MBA?
* Leverage your accomplishments
* Older workers and age discrimination
* The value of a college education
* Networking timetable for college students
* The biggest myths in job-hunting
* The vital role of the college career services office
* Using key marketing tools to positions yourself in the job market
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Quintessential Careers now offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
RESUMES * JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE FROM TRUSTED EXPERTS * COVER LETTERS
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.
