Feature Article: Navigating the Quarterlife Crisis to Career and
Personal Success: Five Strategies for Fulfilling Your Dreams
Special Feature: Beyond The Apprentice: What Young
Employees Really Need to Know to Succeed in the Business World
Bonus Feature: Career Success Is Within Your Reach
Quintessential Reading: QuintZine's Review of Career Books
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
What's New on Quintessential Careers: Latest Additions
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
A few weeks ago, Dr. Hansen and I had lunch with a favorite former student, Lisa. She told us the
sometimes harrowing tale of all she had been through since she graduated from college.
As we began to put together this issue on the "quarterlife crisis," we realized
that this crisis was exactly what Lisa had been through.
Her story is in this issue, along with several other helpful features for those adrift in their 20s.
The issue includes a great article by Alexandra Levit, whose book, They Don't Teach
Corporate In College, is also reviewed in this issue.
Quarterlifers, and everyone else, can check out the many job listings and other resources
available in our job portal.
--Katharine Hansen, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Electronic Career Coach,
and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: The Quarterlife Crisis
Navigating
the Quarterlife Crisis to Career and Personal Success:
Five Strategies for Fulfilling Your Dreams
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
I will never forget my first encounter with a Stetson University grad. I had just moved
to DeLand the summer before I was to start teaching, and I wandered into a Pier 1 store
in nearby Daytona Beach. I was proudly wearing an SU polo shirt when the cashier asked me if I
worked at Stetson. We chatted for a while about Stetson. She told me she had graduated two years
earlier. I asked if she was in the management training program at Pier 1. Nope, she replied,
just a clerk. My heart sank. Is this the value of a degree from Stetson -- a job as a retail clerk?
No, she was just trying to discover what she wanted to do in life -- and while she was deciding, a retail
job was all the stress she could handle. She had been a philosophy major determined to go to grad school,
but when her plans changed, she had no career focus whatsoever.
Welcome to the world of twentysomethings -- that uncertain time of transitions from classrooms and professors
to cubicles and bosses.
Numerous experts have identified a point in many people's lives when they face anxiety and a sense
of being adrift, lost. People change jobs, change careers, change lives. As identified in the early
1990s, this time of life is not a midlife crisis, but a quarterlife crisis. Twentysomethings around
the globe struggle with the transition from college to career -- and not just to career, but
to the perfect career.
Experts say that the crisis hits folks in their 20s, because after years of learning the system of how to
succeed in school, college grads are thrown into the world of work with no real understanding of how to
succeed in it. Others blame the way pop culture has portrayed work, giving younger workers unrealistic
expectations.
Don't believe in the quarterlife crisis? Check out the Websites and books on the subject. The bigger
question is, has there always been a quarterlife crisis, or is it something relatively new?
Studies show that folks in their 20s are working shorter tenures at multiple employers. Many are either
going back to college or changing careers. Most feel overwhelmed with the plethora of options available to
them -- unlike their parents, who had more clear-cut career paths (and more loyal employers).
Certainly, whatever the causes, life is not what these folks expected -- or were prepared for. And
pressure from families and others to "just get over it" seem to make matters worse.
Are you in your 20s? Are you having some of these
feelings? Does the description fit you? If so, then
our article is for you.
The full article offers five strategies
you can take to right yourself and get back on track for fulfilling your dreams.
Special Feature: What Young Employees Need to Know
Beyond The Apprentice: What Young Employees Really
Need to Know to Succeed in the Business World
by Alexandra Levit
When I landed a job in a top public-relations firm after my college graduation, I thought
the toughest part of my entry into corporate America was over. I dumped my extra resumes
in a recycling bin and eagerly awaited a paycheck that would scarcely cover my rent. I looked forward
to worldly business trips, stimulating office brainstorms, and hanging out with my co-workers every Friday at happy hour.
A few years later, I had never made it to a happy-hour gathering because on Friday nights I was passed out
on the couch. I held an entry-level position for 16 months while people with half my intelligence
and work ethic lapped me. My resume listed four positions in three years because I was always
on the lookout for a better opportunity that would bring the ever-elusive job satisfaction.
Eventually, I considered joining the large numbers of my friends who were leaving the corporate world
in favor of business or law school. The idea of going back to school is tempting, and why not? We're
comfortable with the concept of school. We know how the story goes. If you work hard, you get good
grades, and everyone is happy.
The business world, as millions see on NBC's The Apprentice every week, is another animal entirely.
Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, corporate America is not a natural fit for
ambitious graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort.
Suddenly, the tenets of success we were taught since kindergarten don't apply, for getting ahead in the
business world may have nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations.
Today's employees technically have more occupational choices than previous generations, but since the
turbulent economy has limited our options, we face escalating uncertainty about our careers. More employees
are seeking counseling than ever before, and job jumping, spurred by stress and dissatisfaction, has become the norm.
Are you waiting for career success? Do you believe that if you wait long enough sooner or later your
dreams of success will come true?
When it comes to success, you are better off spending your time working toward being successful than losing
precious moments waiting for it to happen.
What are the traits of successful people? They have drive and a belief in themselves. They are confident.
They seem to have the Midas touch.
But instead of trying to emulate the qualities that made them successful, we
sometimes assume that "they must know someone." Or, "they were lucky." We forget that they worked hard to get where
they are today. We didn't see their struggles. We just see the end result, and we want what they have, NOW.
Career success is not just for the lucky. It's for those who want it and work hard to get it. There's no mystery
to the process. Follow certain steps and you will be successful. Deviate from these steps and success will
take longer.
Get the latest career, college, and job-search news you need!
Have you read the Quint Careers Weblog (Blog)?
It consists of career and job-search news, trends,
and scoops for job-seekers, compiled by the staff
of Quintessential Careers.
The blog is a great way to stay posted on the most
recent events occurring in the career and employment fields.
Let me start with some disclosure. There are three reasons why I was predisposed to
giving a positive review to this book. First, the audience for this book -- college students
and recent grads inexperienced in job-hunting -- is one of my favorite job-seeker groups.
Second, the author’s background is in marketing and public relations, and I knew she
would incorporate some of those skills in her book -- just as I do in my writings. Third,
the author and I have had numerous email conversations, and I found her style
charming and her persistence pleasing.
On the flip side, I had some serious doubts about this whole quarterlife crisis concept --
and that anyone in their 20s could really be facing a career crisis… however, if students
are graduating unprepared for the "real world" and accepting jobs for the sake of
having a job, then perhaps they do in fact have some serious career and job issues.
Given these disclosures, I have to say that this book is a solid roadmap for younger
job-seekers who are just learning the ropes of working and need some guidance. The
book is well organized, written with a breezy style, and packed with some great advice.
I also love the many vignettes from younger job-seekers who have faced the many
challenges Levit highlights in the book.
The 10 chapters in this book -- which can easily be read in an afternoon -- cover every
aspect of concern to a younger job-seeker, from how to get a job to how to get your
next job and resign with class. But it’s not so much a book about job-seeking as a
book on personal and career management for folks in their 20s.
And from my experience teaching a wide variety of college students, while the book
would be helpful to just about all of them, it is especially a must-read for students
who do not graduate with a business degree. As Levit says so well, the corporate
world is nothing like academia. "You come up against rules no one ever told us
about."
And from my experience teaching a wide variety of college students, while the book would be helpful
to just about all of them, it is especially a must-read for students who do not graduate with
a business degree. As Levit says so well, the corporate world is nothing like academia. "You
come up against rules no one ever told us about."
Quarterlifecrisis.com is a community for twentysomethings and companion site to the book
Quarterlife Crisis: the Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties. At quarterlifecrisis.com, you can
take surveys as part of research on twentysomethings, and connect with others in your situation
through message boards.
The folks at Quarterlife Crisis ask: "Having trouble adjusting to the 'real world' after
twentysomething years in school? You are NOT alone. Surprisingly, this often traumatic transition has
NEVER been studied before. But it is real, and it can often be scary. People often find that school
has not prepared them to face the challenges of the 'real world.' There are career options, financial
responsibilities, and social adjustments we never even considered in the sheltered environment of
college campuses."
This site for quarterlifers features Life, Work, and Play sections.
Life offers resources about such things are apartments and finances.
Work has a job-search engine through Careerbuilders.
Play links to dating, travel, and entertainment sites.
The site also offers surveys to fill out and message boards, with the opportunity
to sign up for quarterlife support groups.
Jessie writes: "I feel that I am stuck. I am 26 years old, and have already had four jobs since graduating college
with a degree in political science. I keep thinking that the new job is the one, but it never is. I feel like I
want to go back and get a master's degree -- that might help me discover what I want to do. I feel pressure from
my family to act my act together, but I just don't know what to do. Can you help?"
Ira writes: "I have been asked to create a brief resume for a friend who has an extensive career history.
He has a professional background that is varied, and I feel that 'everything' he has done is very relative
to the situation he is applying for.
I feel the resume needs to combine both functional and chronological aspects of his career and expertise;
however, the same problem arises -- it ALL seems relevant.
How should I target/focus this resume? What could be deemed unnecessary, if anything? How can I condense
a 20-year work history and list of achievements into 1-2 pages?"
Linda writes: "My husband is retiring from the service. He has made his way up the ladder, from an enlisted personnel
to an officer. He is in the engineering field. The problem is that most of the minimum requirements for positions
he is applying for include a bachelor's degree. He is approximately 20 credit hours away from this milestone
and still actively in school. What are some suggestions on verbiage for the cover letter and resume to
address this issue?"
Jackie writes: "I've been emailing my contacts and people in my little network, and I'm wondering what
is best to put in the subject line. I'm just concerned that some people will just delete them right away if
they don't know who it's from or if something vague appears in the subject line. Some of these people I've
just met at various networking socials and some I've only met once. Do you have any suggestions?"
Ad: Could You Benefit from a Professional Resume Writer?
An Assessment for Job-seekers
Are you thinking about engaging the services of a professional writer
for your resume, CV, cover letter, thank-you letter, or other career-marketing
correspondence? Before you take this step, consider how a professional resume writer
could benefit you.
DayWork.com.au --
specializes in casual, part-time, temporary, job-sharing, and short-term contracting opportunities in and around Australia. Job-seekers
can search job listings (by job category, type of work, location, and keywords), post your personal profile. Also includes a
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GreatHotelCareers.com --
a hospitality job site for job-seekers seeking your first management position -- or your next strategic career move.
Job-seekers can search "career opportunities" (job listings) by job category, employee type, experience and education levels,
languages spoken, location, and keywords, as well as post your resume. No cost to job-seekers.
Nurses123.com -- where nurses
can find job listings at medical facilities and research centers, as well as information
on nursing careers and travel nursing. Job-seekers can post your resume or browse job listings.
No cost to job-seekers.
Study Programs International (SPI) --
offers foreign language immersion programs for high school students in San Sebastian, Santander,
Tarrogona, and Costa Rica. Students are enrolled in a university or accredited language school and earn college
credit by attending classes. SPI programs also help prepare students to perform well on the AP/IB Spanish exams.
Find even more career and job site additions to Quintessential Careers by visiting our
Latest Additions section.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Here's another way college students can avoid the quarterlife crisis: Honing "soft skills" that aren't
necessarily taught in school can give younger job-seekers an immediate edge for getting into the
career of their choice and climbing up the career ladder, according to a recent
article in the Globe and Mail. In fact, anyone can use
these skills to their career advantage.
Read
the full article
Job-seekers who speak more than one language are in demand as more
employers seek the services of qualified translators and
interpreters. A U.S. advocacy group is promoting "The Year of
Languages," a year-long effort to encourage people to study other
languages. Check out: The Year of Languages.
The annual Dice salary survey of more than 23,000 technology
professionals indicates:
A decline in overall salaries to levels not seen since before 2001, but an increase in salaries in
non-traditional technology cities, such as Washington D.C., Atlanta, and the Southern California area.
An increase in salaries in defense and government-related industries where security
clearances are often required.
A continued gender gap in pay of approximately 11 percent.
The continued decline of salaries for contractors and consultants.
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:
* Job Burnout Quiz
* Job Burnout Remedies
* The Value of Internships Abroad and Study Abroad
* Tips of Liberal-Arts Grads
* Top 10 Fears of Job-seekers
* For Job-hunting Success, Develop a Detailed Job-Search Plan
* How to Build a Personal Advisory Board
* Keep Your Career Dreams Alive
* College-Prep Summer Camps
* 10 Teen Summer-Job Tips
* MBA Career Portfolios
* Trends/Tips in Career Portfolios
* Pre-Hire Background/Credit Checks
* Noncompete Clauses
* Entrepreneurs
* Get a Job in Sales/Pharmaceutical Sales
* Critical Elements of the Job Search
* Managing Job Stress
* Telecommuting Ranks High
* Sticky Job Interview Situations
* Situational Interviews
* 10 Resume Tips
* Why Hire a Resume Writer?
* Is Your Resume Lost in the Internet Void?
* Career Activist Quiz
* Practice Career Management to Avoid Career Crisis
* The Changing Landscape of College Admissions
* Offbeat Ways to Pay for College
* Financial Aid/Scholarship Timetable
* Build Confidence and Avoid Insecurity in Job Interviews
* Empty Nest Job-seekers
* Baby Boomers Beware
* Are You Sabotaging Your Job-Search/Career?
* Quiz: Marketing Yourself
* Marketing Yourself with internal/External Promotions
* Lifelong Networking
* Networking for the Shy
* Converting a Seasonal Job to a Permanent Position
* Working Night Shifts/Odd Hours
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Career, College, and Job-Search 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.
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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,
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