Feature Article: The Career Doctor's Cures and Remedies
to Quintessentially Perplexing Career and Job-Hunting Ailments: Part V
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
The Career Doctor, Dr. Randall S. Hansen, is retiring. Not from his post as publisher of Quintessential Careers
and QuintZine, but as writer of his Ask the Career Doctor column.
After 199 columns, resulting in responding to almost 800 questions from job-seekers,
students, and others, the Doc is hanging up his stethoscope.
His last column appears in this issue, along with the fifth and last annual installment of his Cures and
Remedies to Quintessentially Perplexing Career and Job-Hunting Ailments, which is like getting 10 articles in one.
--Katharine Hansen, Master Resume Writer, Credentialed Career Master,
Certified Electronic Career Coach, and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: Career Doctor Cures
The Career Doctor's Cures & Remedies to Quintessentially
Perplexing Career and Job-Hunting Ailments: Part V
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
I have now been writing my career advice column,
Ask the Career Doctor, for more than
six years, and in that time I have received thousands of emails from all types of students, job-seekers,
and career counselors -- from teens struggling with part-time work or choosing a college to
older workers fighting age discrimination -- and everything and everyone in between! From
all of these email questions seeking advice, I offer you my annual list of 10 of the most
common career, college, and job-hunting ailments I get asked about -- and my cures and remedies.
Finally, as you read these questions and answers,
please remember that while I offer the
best advice to your questions, you should always seek multiple opinions to your job-hunting
and career problems… so take my free professional advice to heart, take two aspirins, and begin
your job-search anew in the morning!
10 Common College, Career, Job Questions
I am a college student -- how do I know if I have chosen the right major and career path?
How do I find my career passion?
What are the three most important elements of job-hunting?
How do I strike a balance between work and family?
What's the best way to go about resigning from my job?
How do I go about asking for a raise?
Can you explain the relevance of storytelling in job-hunting?
How can I go about developing my personal brand?
What are the skills that employers seek in job applicants?
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Mark writes: "I'm part of a large corporation that is splurging on a hotel banquet and ballroom for their holiday party. The
company is sufficiently large that not everyone is invited and not everyone will be going. I've been invited. I'm single, and
would be going alone, so I'm a little uncomfortable with that. I've also got 20+ years with the company and hope to retire
in 4-5 years, so climbing the corporate ladder is not a priority.
What is your advice? Should I go or not worry about and do what I want?"
Mary writes: "How do most employers feel about promotion from within with on-the-job-experience, and/or/combination
of experience with educational degrees?"
Nanci writes: "What is the best way to go about re-applying for a job at a company I left four years ago? I left on very good
terms and always got good reviews. Downside is the company put a lot of money into my relocation package, and I am afraid
that they will be worried I will leave again. I thought the grass was greener but I realize now what a great company they were
and I want back in. Any suggestions? Thanks! I wanna go back!"
Robert writes: "I know somebody who is posing as a professor at a university. At least I think he is. All he has is a B.S. degree in
English, but he is lecturing at a class, and the local news covered it. He portrayed himself as a 'professor,' but I have serious doubts
since he posts no education to indicate any doctorates or other teaching credentials to prove it.
What are the correct or minimal credentials needed for someone to call themselves a 'professor?' I don't want to take a class and
neither do any of my friends who think some of their 'professors' aren't actually qualified to teach. This problem seems to be larger
than anyone thinks.
The rumor is that colleges are hiring people of limited skill for less money, and allowing themselves to call themselves 'professors.'
How can a student know for sure that the person teaching them is qualified as a professor?
Thank you so much for your answer. I just want to know what to look for to decide if my 'teacher' is a 'professor' or just a fake."
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
As the new year draws near, the familiar adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" may be truer than ever
-- especially on the job. A recent survey by Accountemps reveals that, while a small percentage of workers (12 percent)
made career-related resolutions at the beginning of 2006, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of those who did were successful in
achieving their goals. When it comes to career objectives for 2007, 24 percent of respondents named skills enhancement as
their No. 1 priority for the new year. Earning a raise or promotion was a close second.
For those considering career-related New Year's
resolutions, Accountemps offers the following tips:
Set realistic objectives. Allow yourself stretch goals, but make sure they are attainable. Establish a timeline
for accomplishing them.
Develop a specific plan. Break big goals into smaller action items to ensure you stay on track. If your aim is
to receive a promotion, for example, chances are there are several things you will need to do to reach this objective.
Reward yourself. Acknowledge your successes -- doing so will increase your drive to keep achieving.
Maintain balance. You may be dedicated to your career, but don't lose sight of personal interests. Recognize when
you're overloaded and prioritize accordingly.
The new year may also be a time to either leave your job -- or learn to get along with your challenging boss. Few employees
may report to bosses as cold-hearted as, say, Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life, but most will encounter less-than-perfect
supervisors at some point in their careers. While professionals cannot control their managers' behavior, they can change how
they react to it, notes career expert Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in placing
highly skilled administrative professionals.
Following are three common types of challenging supervisors and tips for working with them:
The box of chocolates - As with selecting a bonbon from an assortment,
you never know what you're going to get with this boss. The manager
may pal around with you one day and turn a cold shoulder the next.
There seems to be little rhyme or reason to his or her moods.
Your coping strategy: Understand that your supervisor's disposition
has little to do with you, so try not to take things personally. Remain
calm and composed when interacting with this type of boss; you'll be
the steady presence he or she may need. When this manager is on
edge, try to limit communication to e-mail unless a matter is urgent.
Do everything in your power to ease this person's stress level, which
is likely the driving factor behind his or her mood swings.
The bully - This boss has a consistent disposition: overbearing.
The manager wants to do things his or her way, or no way at all,
tends to be gruff with others, and is easily frustrated.
Your coping strategy: Deal with this person the same way you
would a schoolyard bully: Stand up for yourself. When an idea
is dismissed, calmly explain your rationale. If accused of a mistake
you didn't make, keep your composure and describe what happened.
Often, this type of boss will relent when presented with a voice of
reason. In fact, this person may do a complete turnaround once
he or she is convinced you're up to the challenge of working
together. If your relationship doesn't improve and your manager
continues to bully you, however, it may be time to look for a new job.
The micro-manager - This person wants to know every detail of
every project -- and be involved in all decisions. He or she also
has trouble delegating and may not give you very challenging
assignments.
Your coping strategy: The first step is to look inward. Have you
done something to undermine your manager's confidence? When
supervisors behave this way, it's often because they don't believe
employees will do the job accurately. Because trust is usually the
issue, try to do everything in your power to build it, including
being detail-oriented and keeping your manager apprised of all the
steps you've taken to ensure quality work. The more confident your
manager is in your abilities, the less controlling that person is likely to be.
If you get an invitation to a company holiday party, accept it! Those who know how to "work the party room" could boost their
career potential. A survey of human resource executives by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.,
revealed 79 percent of companies would be planning a holiday party
this year.
Challenger provided the following list of holiday party guidelines for workers to keep in mind when they attend this year's functions
(and be sure to see holiday office party tips
from our own resident expert, Dr. Randall S. Hansen.)
GUIDELINES FOR OFFICE HOLIDAY PARTYGOERS
Arrive early: This might be your best opportunity to talk with senior executives while things are still relatively quiet.
Work the room: It is easy to simply socialize with the members of your department, with whom you work
with day in and day out. However, you gain if you use this occasion to meet people in other departments.
You never know who can help your career.
Do not over indulge: Free alcohol can quickly lead to excessive drinking. Stay in control. You do not want to
do anything embarrassing to you or your employer. Even if your alcohol-induced actions do not get you fired, they could
hurt your chances for advancement.
Be friendly, but not too friendly: The company party is not the place to try out your latest pick-up lines. The risk of such
behavior being seen as sexual harassment is high.
Avoid talking business: This is not the time to approach your boss with a new business idea. Save that for Monday morning.
Instead, find out about his or her interests outside of the office. Find a connection on a personal level that will help you on Monday
when you bring up the new idea, and it could help when it comes time for salary reviews.
Attend other companies' parties: Only 21 percent of company parties are employees-only. If a friend invites you to his or her
company party, you should go. It is an opportunity to expand your professional network, which is critical in this era of downsizing
and job-switching.
If your school, organization, business or other
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If you already have a link from your site, we want you to know we
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send a request to your site's Webmaster to establish a
link to Quintessential Careers. Thanks so much!
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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
* 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!
As the new year draws near, the familiar adage, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" may be truer than ever
-- especially on the job. A recent survey by Accountemps reveals that, while a small percentage of workers (12 percent)
made career-related resolutions at the beginning of 2006, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of those who did were successful in
achieving their goals. When it comes to career objectives for 2007, 24 percent of respondents named skills enhancement as
their No. 1 priority for the new year. Earning a raise or promotion was a close second.
