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.
Tabitha writes:
I read about you in the magazine "Private Colleges and Universities" that I received in the mail.
I am a junior in high school at the moment and I am totally lost when it comes to figuring out
what colleges I want to apply to. How do I start? I'm getting a lot of pressure to develop a list
and I am totally clueless!
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think the next college article I write has to focus on the junior year, perhaps the
most critical year in high school -- at least in terms of implications for your future.
It's during the junior year that you're often taking the tough courseload, prepping
for the SATs, thinking about careers, and deciding about attending college --
while also developing an initial list of colleges that interest you.
The good news? You have a year to really contemplate some of the issues I'll
discuss here. The college admissions process begins in earnest for you about this
time next year.
So, here you are, with hundreds and hundreds of college possibilities out there. How
can you narrow the list? One of the best resources is your high school's guidance
counselor. I know that in some public high schools, these folks are way overworked
and have way too many advisees to know each one -- thus, it is your job to make
sure your guidance counselor knows who you are and what your interests are. Later,
it will be important that he/she knows which of your college choices are your favorites
in case one of the colleges calls to inquire about you.
But, don't stop there. Talk with your family, friends, and neighbors. Find out where
adults you respect went to college. Go to the library and start looking through the
various college guide books, such as The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
(Find more books in our Teen College Books.)
Next, go online to one (or more) of the many college-choice Websites, such as AnyCollege.net and
search for college by programs, type, size, and location…or just browse through the lists.
(Find more college-related sites in our College
Planning Resources for Teens.) Finally, watch for college fairs and visits from colleges
at your high school -- and attend as many of those as you need.
At this stage in the game, don't rule out any college based on cost. Many private
colleges (such as my own Stetson University) have a high cost, but counter those costs
with attractive scholarships and aid packages to attract the better students. The ideal
scenario would be to have a list of 20 or so by the end of the year ... then narrow it down
some more and visit that smaller list over the spring and summer.
Virginia writes:
I am looking to change careers from the clerical and retail fields into working
full time with animals, people, or plants/flowers, as my career counselor has
advised. I don't know where to begin -- any advice?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think you are on the right track in identifying a new career field that you
want to change into -- one based on your interests and abilities -- but I think
you need to take a two-prong approach to make a successful transition from
your old career to the new one.
First, I believe you need to further narrow your new field -- working with animals,
people, or plants how? For example, you could easily stay in retail and seek
employment with a florist -- working with flowers. In order to be successful, you
must narrow your focus -- through research. Start investigating the types of jobs
that interest you. Once you've identified several jobs, conduct more research
to determine the education/training and skills needed for those jobs and make
a determination about whether you have the necessary qualifications.
Second, at the same time as you are researching jobs, investigate volunteering
options that will allow you to gain experience in your new career -- while also
conducting more research. Consider volunteering at an animal shelter or nursing
home -- or any other organization that counts on volunteers. Your local United
Way may be a good place to start.
Rodney writes:
For nearly two months now, I have been vainly trying to acquire an entry
level clerical position, but to no avail. I've sent out 15+ resumes, complete
with cover letter and all, to entry-level job postings and I've gotten NO
CALLBACKS WHATSOEVER (except for one form letter telling me that
"my skills are not the best match for their company").
What am I doing wrong? I have plenty of relevant computer skills, and
a good starting amount of experience thanks to a temp service I've been
working with, and I've got references and all sorts of other wonderful
things to back me up, but I can't even score an interview!
Please, I need some guidance and I don't know where else to look. I've
been driven almost to tears because of this frustrating situation.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I know that you -- and the thousands of others following your same strategy --
think you are trying hard to find a new job, but you are simply not doing
enough, especially in today's job market.
First, are you only applying to job postings? If you're looking for a clerical
position, there is certainly no limit to the number and types of companies
that need that kind of help. So, your first step is to expand the number of
potential employers you are contacting. Do the proper research: find the
companies, call to get the hiring manager for clerical positions, and then
send a targeted cover letter and resume to each hiring manager.
But before you send out those cover letters and resumes, please make sure
that you are following the proper guidelines. Your cover letter should be
about 4-5 short paragraphs, with the first paragraph saying exactly why
you are writing -- and why you are an ideal candidate for the position. End
the letter with a promise to call and follow-up. Your resume should be
1-2 pages depending on your experience, and it should focus on your key
accomplishments, skills, and education. Do not list duties on your resume.
On both your cover letter and resume avoid any kind of typos and misspellings.
Second - and this step is CRITICAL -- you MUST follow-up ALL job leads.
You cannot expect an employer to contact you. I would even advise
getting on the phone right now and contacting all the employers you have
already sent applications to and ask about the positions. Calling an
employer to inquire about a position is never a bad thing -- unless you are
unprofessional or unless you start calling every hour. Following-up with an
employer shows you have a strong interest in working for the company.
And, amazingly, many job-seekers think its best to wait by the phone for
the employer ... so, get the edge over the others by calling each employer.
And while we're on the subject of job-search strategies … once you do start
going on interviews, make sure you send each person you interview with
a thank you note as quickly as possible -- and then follow-up those
thank-you notes with another phone call.
Melissa writes:
Hi! I am trying to get my own employment history through the last ten years.
I need to be exact with dates/months, etc. I have a general idea of the months
which I started and stopped, but not the specific dates. How do I find this
information so I can report it correctly on a new application?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Don't you have this information on your resume? Do you keep
copies of old job applications? And more importantly, why do
you need the exact start and stop dates? Normally, employers
simply want month and year.
If you simply must have the exact dates of your employment, my
best suggestion would be to contact the human resources
departments of your previous employers and request the information
from them.
And to avoid this problem in the future, keep an employment diary
of all your important information - dates of employment, names of
supervisors, key contact information for references, a list of your
accomplishments and honors, etc. And if you don't have a resume,
now is the time to develop one.
