Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
Even though they're a lot more work, I really get excited about our QuintZine issues that just have a ton of content.
This is one such issue.
For those struggling with career issues in these difficult times -- and who isn't? --
we offer an introduction to the wonderful resource called coaching. Life and Career
Coaches can help guide job-seekers over all the bumps on the way to success.
We offer features on frequently asked questions about coaching, how to choose a coach,
warning signs to look out for, in addition to a Directory of Coaches and a quiz/checklist to help you
determine if a coach could help you. Many coaches offer free sample coaching sessions; what have you got to lose?
Finally, we introduce an exciting new Quintessential Careers tool, our Job-Seeker
Accomplishments Worksheet, designed to help all job-seekers with resumes, cover letters,
and interviews.
Should You Work with a Coach to Enhance Your Career? Get the FAQs
by Katharine Hansen
Just what is a coach? They've been compared to personal
trainers for your life, your champion, cheerleader, advocate,
partner, and sounding board. Coaches have helped untold numbers
of individuals to get their careers on track and live their passions.
If you're wondering whether a coach could help with your career
issues, ask yourself these questions suggested by Andrea Howard,
an employment counselor with the New York State Department of
Labor: Is work an opportunity or an obligation? Are you doing
what you want to be doing? Ten years ago, did you picture yourself
doing what you are doing today? Did you expect more from life?
If you're not where you want to be, a coach can help.
"Coaches help define goals and obtain excellence," Howard
explains. "The job-search process
can be tough on the self-esteem. Repeated rejections can be discouraging. Coaches
support, motivate, and provide encouragement. Coaches listen
to detect thoughts, feelings, and aspirations related to career
decision-making. They also ask questions and provide feedback
on clients' strengths, insecurities, concerns, areas of need
and career-related obstacles. They help clients develop goals
and achieve a higher level of performance and satisfaction."
Most people could probably benefit from partnering with a
coach at some point in their careers. If you're considering
working with a coach, consider these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs),
with answers supplied by those in the know -- coaches themselves:
See all the FAQs.
AND new referral discounts for former customers
and those referred to us by them. Read more.
Special Feature: Directory of Coaches
Quintessential Careers Directory of Life and Career Coaches
No matter what your career situation, just about
everyone could use a partner and guide in handling
life and career issues from time to time. Our Directory
of Life and Career Coaches will help you find the right
person to assist you in meeting your goals.
Liz Sumner, M.A. Life Coach works with people who are ready to give up self-denial and take up self-care.
Through a combination of deep listening, powerful questions, and accountability, Liz helps clients increase learning
and accelerate action toward what they truly want. Take
the first step. Try a complimentary 30-minute coaching call.
Quintessential Careers is affiliated with Liz Sumner, Life Coach.
Bonus Feature: Career/Life Coach Quiz
You Need a Career or Life Coach if...
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Job-seekers are sometimes afraid to admit that they may need some help and guidance from an outside career
professional. Some think it's a sign of weakness, others a sign of defeat. In reality, using a career or life coach
could be the smartest decision a job-seeker makes. Coaches can offer new directions, perspectives, and ideas, as well
as expand thinking and encourage brainstorming.
Based on years of research, the Jackson Vocational Interest
Survey (JVIS) accurately measures your interests, showing how
they relate to the worlds of study and work, and mapping out
your route to an interesting career.
This elegant search engine for finding coaches enables you to search by speciality and by
geographic region. The potential client can then engage coaches directly via the "post a question"
option or directly via e-mail and telephone.
Coaches listed in the directory are students and graduates of CoachInc.com's Coach U and Corporate
Coach U coach training schools
The site also offers a chat feature that enables users to get live help, as well as a couple of
articles on coaching and a place to find out about becoming a coach yourself.
Instantly email your resume to 1000s of recruiters,
headhunters, and direct hiring companies! With the most
comprehensive and targeted network of recruiters on the
net, you can rest assured you have taken the steps
necessary to jump start your search. We are so sure
you will be happy that we guarantee our service!
Although resumes and cover letters should be
accomplishments-driven (and should NOT focus on duties and
responsibilities), many job-seekers have difficulty
pinpointing their accomplishments. This worksheet will
help you brainstorm the accomplishments that will help
sell you to your next employer. A special section of the
worksheet helps college students and new graduates identify
their accomplishments.
A new e-book, The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need:
How to Find -- and Get -- The Job or Internship of Your Dreams!
(For College Students and Recent Grads Only), contains must-read
contributions from 149 of North America's top employment experts
and is available risk-free for 90 days.
AtlantaRecruiter.com --
where job-seekers searching for jobs in the Atlanta metropolitan area can post your resumes
and search job openings (by keyword or job category). Includes message boards and an
email-based online networking discussion group. Free to job-seekers.
Medjobcity.com --
a great job site for healthcare industry professionals (physicians, nurses, administrators)
and biotechnology industry research and career workers to search for jobs
(by keyword, skills required, location, industry, and more) and post your resume. Also includes
great collection of resources. Free to job-seekers.
NYCareers.com
-- a great job site for job-seekers searching for jobs in the New York area. You can search for jobs
(by employer, keywords, location, job category, and more), post your resume, subscribe to an
email job alert, and find other key job/career resources. Free to job-seekers.
WORKgateways
-- a UK job site for travellers from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who are searching for
UK-based jobs in engineering, construction, and town planing. Includes some great resources and
useful UK links. Registration required. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
Jed writes: "I am interviewing for a high-level project-management position. I am past the second round
in the interview process and will, of course, be following up. The person I would be reporting to (and who brought me
in to interview) I have worked with before, and we had a good working relationship. What he does not know is that I have also
worked with, and graduated from law school with, the CEO. I have not mentioned this thus far in the process. The CEO and
I were on good terms in the last job we worked together and at law school, and, even though it has been almost six years since
then, she would most definitely remember me. So...how do I proceed, I sense a minefield ahead."
Stephen writes: "After 22 years in journalism, working as everything from a reporter to a copy editor to an editorial
writer, I'm ready to move on to another career. One possibility that intrigues me is that of teaching journalism at the college
level. The problem is, I have no formal training in journalism, though I've certainly helped train enough young reporters and
editors. I do have an M.A. in English and experience teaching freshman English. Do you know of any books or Web sites on second
careers for journalism professionals, and could you offer any insights on whether this might be a realistic option?"
Separate yourself from the crowd in 1 month with a
Project Management Certificate Online from the #1 Ranked
school in the north by US News & World Report: Villanova
University. Increase your hire-ability while learning
the secrets of successful project management online!
Or enroll in the largest accredited online multimedia
MBA program in the nation via the University Alliance.
No Classroom attendance required! Study anytime, anywhere, 24/7.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Teens and college students, The Wall Street Journal says you should start looking now if you want to land a
paid internship for this summer. "Paid summer internships tend to have first-quarter deadlines, because employers like
to have their summer work forces in place by May," reports The Wall Street Journal's Dexter Webb, who also notes that the
competition will be stiff this year.
Webb suggests making an effort to stand out, such as by focusing on the areas you're passionate about and those in
which experience might give you an edge. He advises highlighting past volunteer work or school courses in your application, "to show
how you'd contribute to the organization." If you've started your own business, be sure to mention it, especially if it was
successful.
Webb recommends getting a sense of what's out there by checking out company and organization Web sites for details
of internships, where you can often apply online. Check out, too, Web-based internship databases that you can search by
location and area of interest, such as Rising Star Internships,
InternJobs.com and
Idealist.org's "Internships" section.
"After you've targeted a gig, call to find out more -- and to show you're really interested," Webb
suggests, noting that Web data may be outdated. Webb advises asking about any changes to the rules or deadlines before you
apply. "Follow all directions for submitting your resume and other material," he exhorts.
A new TV show, Radical Sabbatical, which airs on the Fine Living Network, an adventure-oriented sister network
of HGTV, Home and Garden Television, is looking for someone to feature on the show who has recently left an established
career (or ideally who is about to) to go on a long trip, adventure or to start a new life locally or overseas (not
just a job transfer). The show seeks people, ideally in their 30s or 40s, who are very passionate about their
new endeavors and who are about to do something quite visual, rather than become writers. If you fill the bill, contact
Nathalie Neurath at 818-755-4800 ext. 191 or via e-mail..
Job shadowing is an academically motivating activity designed to give kids an up-close look at the world of work and to answer
the question, "Why do I have to learn this?" Beginning with a nationwide kickoff on Jan. 31, and continuing throughout the
school year, students across America "shadow" workplace mentors as they go through a normal day on the job. The students get to
see firsthand how the skills learned in school relate to the workplace. Job Shadowing is led by the National Job Shadow
Coalition and is supported through a national sponsorship by Monster and a co-sponsorship by News Corporation. Check out
Job Shadowing 2003 and
look for a QuintZine article on job shadowing in our May 12, 2003, issue.
We'd Love You to Link to Quintessential Careers!
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entity has a Web site, we welcome you to link to Quintessential Careers.
If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
appreciate it. If you don't have a link to us, please
send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
For more details (including sample HTML copy), see our
Link to Us page.
QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Crafting a successful e-mail resume
* The interview as sales call
* Getting the raise you deserve
* 10 things I wish I'd known before starting my first job
* Letters of recommendation
* Employer research: step by step
* Learn about careers through job-shadowing
* 10 job-search reality checks
* Is job flexibility right for you?
* First days on the job: Strategies to get ahead
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Making your case for telecommuting
* A day in the life of a recruiter
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* The relationship between personality and career choice
* What employers are really looking for
* New series: 10 mistakes to avoid in: resumes, cover letters, interviews, salary
negotiation, career change, networking, job-search
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Don't ever want to miss another issue of QuintZine? Get a free subscription to
the email version of QuintZine by completing our
subscription form.
Quintessential Careers Advertisements
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Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
remarks.
Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
Careers Speakers Bureau can help! Our quintessential experts
can provide presentations/workshops on a variety of
career-related topics.
