Feature Article: Certifiably Empowering: Hot Fields in Which Certification May Boost Your Career
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
Quintessential Reading: QuintZine's Review of Career Books
What's New on Quintessential Careers
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
This is the issue of QuintZine that has traditionally been our Back-to-Campus
issue. We've learned over the four-year history of this issue that the idea of
"Back-to-Campus" can take on various forms. This issue reflects those many forms.
In its most traditional form, Back-to-Campus refers to the return of college students to their
colleges and universities -- and in some cases to students entering college for the first time. Dr.
Randall Hansen's book review and Career Doctor column in this issue are for those students.
College students seeking additional resources should consider visiting our
College Planning Resources.
This issue also has sometimes been dedicated to college career counselors, most of whom did not
leave their campuses for the summer, but who are now gearing up for the new academic year as student
come back to campus. Our Site of the Issue is for those counselors.
Beginning last year with our exploration of distance-learning programs, the Back-to-Campus
concept has embraced nontraditional forms of continuing education and personal/professional
development. We continue that theme with this issue's feature article on certifications
that can boost your career and announcements about new Quintessential Careers career-coaching services.
Hope you'll find useful information in this something-for-everyone Back-to-Campus issue.
--Katharine Hansen, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Electronic Career Coach,
and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: Hot Career Certifications
Certifiably Empowering: Hot Fields in Which Certification May Boost Your Career
by Katharine Hansen
Perhaps you're feeling stuck in your job. You feel as though you need a boost -- something that could help you advance, make more
money, and become more marketable. Or maybe even something that would powerfully propel you into a different field. Something that
could set you apart and make employers take notice. Maybe you could accomplish your goal with more education or training, but you're not
in a position to go back to school at this point. The answer just might be earning a certification in your field -- or in a new field.
Certification programs have proliferated enormously in the past several years. At a minimum, there are nearly 1,600 certifications
available, according to the
definitive directory on the subject, the Certification and Accreditation Programs Directory, as well as an
additional 227 accreditation programs. The directory notes that the growth of certification programs is largely the result of explosive
population expansion. Where we once could determine the competence of professionals and purveyors of services through word of mouth,
our global and technologically advanced society needed new ways of recognizing competence.
No matter what field you're in, chances are there's a certification for it. Who knew for example, that there are certifications for pet
trainers, Tarot card readers, acupressurists, glassblowers, cake decorators, and biofeedback professionals?
To maximize your job opportunities, you'll need to cover a lot of ground. One way to do that is to post your resume
on all the best job boards, large and small. It may take some time, but it's well worth the effort. If you want
to save 60 hours of research and data entry, consider using professional resume-posting service like
ResumeRabbit.com.
After filling in one simple online form, they'll instantly post your resume on up to 85 of the top career sites at once.
Within minutes you'll be seen on Monster, HotJobs, FlipDog, Dice, CareerBuilder and more, where 1.5 million employers
and recruiters search for candidates daily.
Since this issue deals with certification, it's an appropriate venue in which to announce that Randall and Katharine Hansen,
of Quintessential Careers have completed a rigorous class that culminated in their achieving the credential of Certified
Electronic Career Coach (CECC), issued by the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association.
The Certified Electronic Career Coach Program (CECC) is the first interactive Web-based and instructor-led program of its kind. It
prepares career-management professionals to successfully perform in dynamic and technologically advanced situations. Having completed
the CECC Program, the Hansens are now qualified to effectively coach clients and students to:
Develop targeted online job searches through online career-exploration exercises;
Make College Yours: How to Leave Home, Make Your Place, and Build Relationships for Success,
by Andy Gibbon, 112 pages, November 2003,
Preston Books: ISBN: 0974098604, $17.95.
Much of the advice high-school seniors receive about transitioning to college focuses on academic issues such
as time management, study skills, research techniques, note-taking tips, and the like. Few articles or books on
the subject of high-school to college transition focus on the personal and social implications of leaving home to attend
college ... until now.
Andy Gibbon has written an easy-to-read book that makes excellent reading for high-school seniors preparing to start
college. Besides some great tips and advice, Make College Yours also has some very illustrative (some might say graphic) anecdotes
to reinforce key points. It's a very breezy book and can easily be read in one short sitting. My main problem with the book is
its price, but perhaps the high price is to prepare readers for what they will soon discover: how very expensive college textbooks
are these days.
As a writer who has written both fictional and nonfictional accounts of college life, and as a college professor who has interacted with
students for more than a decade, I can honestly say that Make College Yours rings true in many ways -- and offers excellent advice for making
that transition from home to college that much more positive and smooth.
Read all of our Quintessential Reading book reviews.
Quintessential Careers Announces Career Coaching
We now offer two types of career-coaching services!
Are you...
feeling stuck in an unsatisfying job?
facing a major change in career or job status?
searching for your ideal career or job?
seeking help in developing a job-search plan?
looking for a solution to job-search obstacles?
desiring to bounce ideas off of a career expert?
trying to discover the keys to career success?
Let Dr. Randall S. Hansen, The Career Doctor, help you work through all your college, career, and job-search concerns,
issues, and problems. He has helped hundreds of teens, college students, and experienced job-seekers identify obstacles, develop
action plans, and achieve success -- and he can help you!
Contact Point is a Canadian not-for-profit Web site dedicated to providing an interactive vehicle
and professional resource to the career-practitioner community.
Contact Point's features include:
Quarterly newsletter (Contact Point Bulletin) and monthly e-circular (Flash)
Free online access to the Canadian Journal of Career Development. Sample articles include:
Employees' Perceptions of Repatriation
Mentoring and the World of Work: A Reference Model
Using Portfolios to Direct Workplace Learning
Career Decision-Making Difficulties of First-Year University Students
The Learning section allows the user to customize the search vehicle by sorts, such as by region, categories,
and dates.
Networking live chats hosted by Contact Point related to specific users or followup chats about articles in the
Bulletin, hosted online by the authors.
Job Bank, a searchable listing of current jobs available in the field. Talent Bank contains a list
of candidates who have posted a summary of their work experience and skillsets.
Links to related professional associations and resource Web sites, listings of vocational assessment resources,
and global professional development opportunities
A new feature is "My Contact Point," a unique tool that allows the practitioner to customize one's own homepage, contribute
content to the site; it makes available the Talent Bank, personal Career Portfolio, bookmarks, personal notes, and subscriptions.
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!
CampusProgram.com -- a comprehensive
career development site for college students, with resources from helping you find a program of
study, to choosing a major, and to finding employment after graduation. This site is basically a
big collection of links for college students -- in one useful location. Free to job-seekers.
GuideStar -- a national database of
more than 850,000 non-profit organizations. Search for non-profits by name, keyword, location, and
category. A good resource for job-seekers considering a non-profit organization. Free.
hotU.com -- where job-seekers and potential
employers meet-up in virtual space -- through online chats or interactive job fairs. Job-seekers
can submit your resumes and apply for jobs or internships through the chats and job fairs.
Also includes company presentations, where job-seekers can learn more about prospective employers.
Free to job-seekers.
Seniors4Hire -- a great job site for
job-seekers 50 and older, where you can search the job bank and company profiles of employers --
and apply directly to job postings of interest. Also includes targeted career resources and
articles for older workers. Free to job-seekers.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
Ad: Get Help Mapping Out a New Career
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.
Ellie writes: "I started attending college just last week. Everybody is asking each other about their majors.
I still haven't decide what I should major in. I have always had an interest in dramatic arts. But I'm afraid I can't do it.
I'm Chinese, and I have a hard time trying to speak in front of people. I don't know if I should pick dramatic arts. If
I pick a wrong major now, I'm afraid I will regret it later."
Louis writes: "I am 31 years old and have just completed an associate's degree in computer networking and then went
on to complete a B.S. degree in computer science. I am now studying for a B.S. in business administration, and then I will
be continuing on for my MBA. I am currently working as a computer analyst making only $30,000 a year. What types of
salaries should I expect after completing all four of these degrees? I intend on being a project manager. Am I wasting
my time and money on education? Or will I be able to command salaries of over $60 to $70 thousand because of the education
that I intend to complete? What is a good career progression? And how should I go about progressing to those upper-salaried
positions?
Rahul writes: "I am a college sophomore with computer science as my major. I am really getting worried about the fact that
there are absolutely no entry-level technology jobs for fresh graduates. Furthermore, I have been hearing that about 35 to 50
percent of technology jobs will be offshored by 2010. I am 26 years old, and by the time I get my BS degree I would be 28.
I shall be grateful to you if you may please answer to the following questions:
Is it really worthwhile to pursue a computer-science degree? No jobs and also the prospect of offshoring -- is this career
doomed? (Interestingly the Department of Labor presents a rosy future for technology careers.)
Does my age present a hindrance to my career?
If the offshoring does gain momentum what do you expect to happen to IT job outlook?"
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Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
According to a recent MBACareers.com QuickPoll, men and women have starkly different reasons for obtaining an MBA.
While both pursue an MBA to increase earning potential, the commonality ends there. Men obtain an MBA for networking and
preparation for entrepreneurship and advancement while women hope that an MBA will gain them additional career opportunities
and credibility in the workplace. Men did not cite credibility as a motivator for obtaining an MBA.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the long-term career goals for male and female MBAs differ as well. Men acquiring an MBA
aspire to become president or CEO of public/private companies or to start their own businesses. Women MBAs, however,
ranked management consulting, executive-level vice-president positions and nonprofit executive management high among their
career goals.
For women, career-advancement challenges still remain. A recent poll by
CareerWomen.com, a sister site to
MBACareers.com, revealed
that women at all levels in an organization are still experiencing tough barriers to advancement in the workplace. The survey pointed
to corporate culture favoring men, exclusion from informal networks, perception that family will interfere with work and lack of women
serving in board-level positions and in senior management. According to one respondent, "work/life balance is difficult for women. Children,
aging parents, home responsibilities all seem to be women's issues. When seeking a promotion, I always consider that I can do it all --
I don't think this is a consideration of my male colleagues."
A persistent question among college students is how long to make their resumes. Conventional
wisdom dictates no more than a page for a college student or new grad. But exceptions are possible.
Writing in Resume Writer's Digest, Sharon Pierce-Williams quotes Richard Garner, VP of human resources and corporate
property for CT Communications, Inc., who likes to see "students who stayed busy and involved" in college,
so, Garner says, "if students have enough important information for a second page, I am not opposed to one."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job search now lasts 18 weeks. And given that
the typical American worker takes home $34,020 in salary, those 18 weeks between jobs add up to a stunning
$11,776 in lost paychecks, according to the same data.
College students and new grads should check out this e-book,
The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need:
How to Find -- and Get -- The Job or Internship of Your Dreams!
The book contains must-read contributions from 149 of North America's top employment experts
and is available risk-free for 90 days.
If your school, organization, business or other
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:
* Cover letters
* Volunteering and working in nonprofits/community service
* Letters of recommendation
* Dealing with a bad boss
* Don't wait by the phone: Following up on all job leads
* Dining etiquette
* 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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CVs for International jobs: Whether you seek a position in your own country or any other country around the world,
we can prepare an English-language CV for you that conforms to the CV traditions of your target country or countries.
Quintessential Careers also offers writing services
for those who have been asked to give a speech and
need assistance in researching and writing their
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Need a speaker for your career-oriented conference or
event at your college or organization? The Quintessential
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