Readers:
Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor.
Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column,
and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.
If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could
provide valuable assistance with, please
feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis.
Anonymous writes:
I am 33 years old and I have no idea of what to do with my life in terms of a career.
I have had one long-term job and was fired. The company had to downsize and my position was gone.
I have had to move back home. I am currently enrolled in school, earning a Masters in Library Science.
I am not that enthused about being a librarian. How do I figure out what to do?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
If you don’t want to drift through your life -- or least another 10 or 15 years
of it until your next downsizing - you must immediately take a personal
retreat and discover who you really are, what you like doing, what excites
and motivates you, and where you want to go in terms or a job and career.
I don’t know what kind of work you were doing before you were downsized,
but I can guess it wasn’t something that inspired you. My sense is that you
are still in a bit of a shock over the downsizing and this master’s program
was just something convenient or available, something to fill your time while
you continued to wait and see what was going to happen.
You need to break the cycle by taking a break. Find a weekend -- at least to
start -- where you can learn about yourself. Take time reflect on the types of
activities that motivate and excite you; think about activities (work, hobby,
volunteering) that you love doing and ones that you never want to do again.
Once you have this list -- and hopefully a better understanding of yourself --
then you should consider one or more self-assessment tests; there are any
number online, but there are also plenty of career assessment books.
Once you have a better sense of who you are and what interests you, your
next step is researching careers that fit you. For example, with me, it’s
activities that empower people to better their lives -- so things such as this
column, my Website, teaching, and consulting all excite me and keep me
energized. You need to find that niche for yourself. There are lots of career
exploration resources -- books, online sources, college career professionals,
and career coaches and counselors.
Once you’ve identified some career options, the final step is organizing a
career plan to achieve your goal - identifying employers, writing dynamic
cover letters and targeted resumes, interviewing well, and following-up when
necessary.
Some resources on Quintessential Careers that can help you with your quest:
Wendy writes:
I have to write a letter asking for a raise. This is our company policy. I
have been trying to find some examples because no one I have talked
to has ever had to write a letter for a raise. I was wondering if you knew
of any books or journals containing any examples of such letters.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think it’s great you have to write a letter because by doing so, it will force you
to document all your accomplishments -- which should not only help you with the
raise, but will help you with updating your resume when it’s time to start job-hunting.
More and more, you need to think of raise meetings in the same vein as salary
negotiation; thus, the more ammunition you have, the more likely you’ll get the
raise you wish.
You have two strategies for writing what basically boils down to a salary increase
proposal. If you have an annual goal-setting or MBO (management-by-objective)
meeting, then your raise letter should be written in two columns, with the first
column stating each task/objective/goal and the second column highlighting your
accomplishments/achievements. You could use the same format with your job
responsibilities in one column and your job accomplishments in the other, but if
you don’t have a set of annual objectives, I would favor an opening paragraph that
summarizes your accomplishments to the department/company and then a detailed
bulleted list of those accomplishments.
Don’t ever include personal reasons for a raise -- always keep the focus on your
importance to the department/company and your key accomplishments. And
keep it professional at all times.
And for you folks not as lucky as Wendy, who are working at companies that are
giving little or no raises for the foreseeable future, don’t forget that while a raise
might be out of the question, you may be able to negotiate a better benefits
package or other perks (such as more vacation time, flexible working hours,
more telecommuting, etc.) in lieu of a raise.
Adrianne writes:
I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I found your
article on researching a company to be very useful.
I also understand that cover letters should be specific. But to
avoid writing "dear sir/madam", I wonder what one can do if the
company's human resources department does not want to divulge
the name of who is assessing the applicants?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers
to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when
you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from job-seekers is the ever-increasing
difficulty in reaching or following-up with a hiring manager.
So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail,
or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can
get you the information - this is the real power of networking.
A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about
asking people for jobs -- and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information --
about people, companies, and, yes, job leads. A strong network will provide
you with plenty of information and resources to help your job-search. And
having this information will give you the inside edge in the job-hunt.
Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the
whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now
and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there
helping you!
And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “dear hiring manager,” or “dear
hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position.
Q:
Marlene writes:
I will be earning a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling in December. I
have a disability that renders me unable to work full-time. I have sent out a
couple of resumes but have not been contacted. How do I explain to the
potential employers that just because I will be working part-time, does not
mean I am not serious about the job. My first job I worked for 4 years. My
second job I worked for 10 years. I am on my 3rd job now for almost 5 years.
Thank you in advance for your help.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I know the beginning of my answer is going to sound a little flip,
but job-hunting is a full-time occupation -- regardless of whether
you are seeking full-time or part-time employment. In fact, it may
be harder to find jobs that do not fit the normal 9-5 routine.
You say that because you can only work part-time that employers
should not question your desire or interest in a job, but your actions
say otherwise. I use two metaphors when describing job-hunting.
First, you can think of it as you might dating; you need to continually
pursue (and woo) prospective employers to get their attention and
interest. Second, think of it as a marketing and selling experience,
where you need to track down prospective employers and sell them
on your unique mix of skills, experience, and accomplishments.
Whatever way you want to look at it, you are not doing your job.
You cannot simply send off a few resumes and expect employers
to be pounding down your door - especially in this job market! You
need to be aggressively (but professionally) following up every
resume, every job lead, with a phone call or email. You need to
continue to show your interest, enthusiasm, and fit for the job
until the employer either calls you for the interview or asks you
to stop.
I would also recommend using your graduate school’s network
of alumni, as well as the career professionals in its career services
office. You should also check with your professional association
(such as the American Mental
Health Counselors Association) for networking and job possibilities.
The more sources you have, the more job leads you can pursue.
