We have much, much more to come in our 10th anniversary November issue, so don't miss it.
This issue is pretty darned jam-packed as well, with articles for college-bound students and their parents, along with
features for those who want to sharpen and update their skills -- with or without college.
--Katharine Hansen, Master Resume Writer, Credentialed Career Master,
Certified Electronic Career Coach, and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: College Admissions Questions
Answers to Common College Admissions Questions: 2006
Top admissions officials from some of the best colleges and universities around the U.S. offer insight and advice to
common college admission questions.
Compiled by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
As college tuition costs rise, as more applicants compete for limited enrollment slots, and as technology continues its
push into college admissions, the process for college-bound teens and your families in finding, choosing, and applying to the
colleges of your choice become more important and more complex. With these issues in mind, we set about trying to help you learn
even more about the college admissions process; hence our annual study:
Quintessential Careers Special Report on College Admissions: 2006
Special Feature: Looming Skills Shortage
How to Capitalize on the Looming Skills Shortage
by Katharine Hansen
While pessimists tend to see problems, optimists are more likely to recognize opportunities. A number of recent studies have disseminated
doom and gloom about worker skills shortages facing North American organizations. While these reports paint a pessimistic picture for business,
the smart -- and optimistic -- job-seeker or organization member can seize opportunity amid the grim statistics. Our article
summarizes the skills crisis, looks at its causes, and reveals how
you can use the skills shortage to your advantage.
See also our sidebar on Millennial
Job Skills Job-Seekers Need for Success. What skills do experts believe are most important for
workers to possess in the 21st Century? Our compilation comes from a variety of sources, and while not exhaustive, provides a
snapshot of in-demand skills (and in some cases, values and personal characteristics) that can equip individuals
with a competitive edge.
Bonus Feature: Are You a Helicopter Parent?
Are You a Helicopter Parent? A Quintessential Careers Quiz
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
From the halls of colleges all across the U.S. you can hear the shrieks of dismay and disgust -- not from students who
failed an exam, not even from the parents of the students who swoop in and try and solve their student's problems, but from
professors and administrators who struggle with the increased participation of college student parents in the daily lives and
travails of their sons and daughters.
These over-involved parents, not so lovingly referred to as helicopter parents because of their seemingly continuous hovering
(and some would say smothering) over their students' lives, are typically baby-boomer parents -- who some experts say have been
overprotective (remember those "baby on board" signs) and overly expressive of their children's success (such as those annoying
"proud parent of a high school honors student").
But who is to say when love and concern become overbearing and smothering? How do you know whether you are being a
good parent or a helicopter parent? Take our quiz and find out!
Extra Feature: Some Alternatives to College
Next Step After High School? Some Alternatives to College
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
As a college professor, I see the drive for most students to complete a college education. I'm not sure how many
would be in college if not for the pressure and expectations from family members, and while that is good for some students,
others obviously might be better off pursuing options other than college. The reality is that college is not for everyone -- nor is it truly
needed for everyone -- and forcing teens to attend college only to have them flunk out is doing a disservice to them.
A generation or two ago high-school graduates rarely went on to college, yet somehow through the years, college has almost
become a rite of passage for teens to pass into adulthood and a good career. But teens do not need to attend college to become
adults, and they certainly do not need to attend to land a good career.
Education is critical; college is not. There are numerous careers -- in healthcare, technology, operations, transportation, and the building
trades -- that do not require a four-year degree. And as you advance in these careers, there is also nothing stopping you from pursing a
college degree at a later age -- when it better suits you; some people are just not ready for college until a little later in life.
CollegeToolkit claims it goes beyond traditional scholarship search sites to provide students with superior search capabilities
and direct access to online scholarship applications.
College Toolkit is a valuable resource for everyone involved in the scholarship process, featuring an extensive database
of scholarship opportunities for students to search.
While the site offers something to students, scholarship-granting organizations, and school counselors, students are the primary focus.
College Toolkit, has developed a comprehensive resource to help students with all the major decisions
that come with going to college, including picking a school, financing education, searching for scholarships and exploring career options.
Calling itself a "one-stop resource for college information," CollegeTooklit helps students find scholarships and
offers more than a dozen ways to search its scholarship, college, and career databases. Students can save search
results in their "briefcase" areas.
The site's interactive calculators help students get answers relevant to individual circumstances, and informative
guides offer insight from experts on topics ranging from planning college visits to saving for college to avoiding scholarship scams.
Everything on the site is offered to students at no cost.
Ad: Start Your Job-Search Right with a New Resume!
Quintessential Resumes & Cover Letters is now providing solutions
with unmatched quality in the areas of career planning, professional resume writing, and interviewing, having
successfully helped tens of thousands of clients, from executives through individuals beginning a career,
succeed in their career goals.
Kathy writes: "I just read your article, Choosing a
College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path. I plan to have my daughter
read the links you suggested. My daughter is making decisions about AP
coursework and is a little lost about what she wants to do. The school she
attends just gave them some sort of aptitude test. She scored highly in the
working with people and the arts areas. This is a fine way to start thinking
about what she wants to do, but she is lost when it comes to finding out what
type of real-life jobs exist in these areas. What do you recommend she do
to get some real job insights?"
Pamela writes: "I have been actively looking for employment in the legal field for over 3 months. I have 6 years experience,
but have moved to smalltown, USA, and there aren't many job postings. Is it acceptable to send a "blind resume" to all
the attorneys in the area via email, even though they aren't advertising employment opportunities?
What should I say in the first paragraph?"
David writes: "I interviewed at a very hot high-tech startup company about a month ago. They expressed interest in me
but told me that they move slowly on hiring and that I will need to be patient. I followed up with the VP who interviewed me,
and she told me to reschedule a meeting with her a few weeks out. When I sent her an email regarding that meeting, she apologized
and said that she was extremely busy, but that she had asked someone else on her staff to "reach out" to me later in the week.
It has now been a little more than a week, and I have not heard from this staff person. Do I proactively contact that person and
try to schedule my interview? Do I email her and say that I'm touching base and that I have not heard from this other person?"
Bonnie writes: I just read Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change
and Growth. You say that if you are fired in a job within 3 months you should
not list that on your resume. Can you tell me why I should not list that employer?
Education Connection --
a pretty cool resource for helping learners make well-informed decisions about
online learning opportunities, where students can use various
tools to explore careers, assess your aptitude for online learning, locate financial aid, and even match your
personality type to specific occupations. No cost to learners.
eFinancialCareers --
a great site for banking and financial market jobs, where job-seekers can
browse or search (by keywords, sector, and location) job listings, as well as post your
resume. Also includes investment banking, asset management and securities communities
hiring news, industry developments, and pay trends. No cost to job-seekers.
iHispano.com
-- a leading career site for Hispanic and bilingual professionals, where job-seekers can
search job listings (by keywords, industry, and location), post your
resume, and find key career tips and employer information. No cost to job-seekers.
Wow!Jobs --
a Canadian job site claiming to be that country's largest job-search engine,
where job-seekers can browse or search (by keywords and location) more than 100,000
job listings across Canada advertised on more than 100 job boards and corporate sites, as well as
register for email job alerts. No cost to job-seekers.
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
According to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the skills most desired in
management-level employees are:
Oral communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Analytical skills
Teamwork skills
Flexibility
Computer skills
Proficiency in a field of study
Written communication skills
Leadership skills
Work experience
The Echo newsletter, published by Communispond,
points out that oral communication skills are more valued than actual subject-matter expertise. "Building these skills is a vital part
of every professional's development," The Echo notes.
Twenty percent of U.S. college students completing 4-year degrees have only basic quantitative literacy skills, meaning they are unable
to estimate if their car has enough gasoline to get to the next gas station or calculate the total cost of ordering two separate items from a menu,
according to a new national survey by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The research also notes that more than 50 percent
of students at 4-year colleges do not score at the proficient level of literacy, which means that they lack the skills to perform tasks
such as comparing credit card offers with different interest rates or summarizing the arguments of newspaper editorials.
The Herman Trend Report has focused considerable attention on the growing shortage of qualified workers in the United States.
"Based on our interpretation of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we anticipated a shortage of 10 million
skilled laborers by 2010," the report states.
The Herman Group, Inc,. presented this case in its book, Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People.
"While there have been some challenges to our forecast, many others now use our projections. Whether the actual
shortfall will be 8, 10, or 14 million, it is clear that employers find it increasingly difficult to hire and retain
the people they need," the newsletter reports.
The Trend Report further notes: "In 2004, in our 'Red Alert Paper,' we reported that the employment market was
shifting from a buyer's market to a seller's market. Now, employee turnover is increasing even faster, as talented
employees seek better job opportunities. The phenomenon is not limited to the United States or North America.
We see these conditions developing at an alarming pace in developed -- and some developing -- countries
around the world. This global shortage of skilled workers -- educated and trained to perform the work of today
and tomorrow -- will affect everyone. "
From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia,
Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of
The Herman Group, Inc.
If your school, organization, business or other
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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!
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Link to Us page.
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QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* GLBT Job-search Issues
* The Demand for Good Writing Skills
* Storytelling that Propels Careers
* Annual Career Doctor Compendium
* The Value of Internships Abroad and Study Abroad
* 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
* MBA Career Portfolios
* Pre-Hire Background/Credit Checks
* Financial Aid/Scholarship Timetable
* Build Confidence and Avoid Insecurity in Job Interviews
* Empty Nest Job-seekers
* Are You Sabotaging Your Job-Search/Career?
* Lifelong Networking
* Networking for the Shy
* Working Night Shifts/Odd Hours
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Book reviews
. . . and much, much more... including Quintessential Careers' 10th Anniversary!
