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.
David writes:
I am aware that I should not say anything negative about a former employer.
However, I quit my job because of procedural disagreements with my boss
that we had discussed several times. He agreed he was partly to blame for
our difficulties. He and my former company are great otherwise. I have taken
some time away and am now ready to job-hunt again.
The questions I want to be very careful with are, "Why did you leave
your former job?" "Why did you leave before you found another one?"
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Kudos to you for knowing some of the rules of interviewing -- never say
anything negative about your former bosses/employers and always anticipate
questions so that you can prepare answers ahead of time.
Are you staying in the same career field or switching careers?
If you are stating in the same field… My standard answer for the why did
you leave your last job is to focus on your accomplishments and make
some sort of statement that you had reached your maximum contribution
level to the company and there was no room for you to move within the
company so you were forced to seek opportunities elsewhere where you
could make a significant contribution.
And if they ask why you left before you had a new job, there are any
number of responses, from not wanting to distract from your job… but
the bigger issue may be the gap in time from the end of your last job
to now -- and you need to be prepared to discuss what you have been
doing, and a good answer does not involve any comments about burn-out
or the need for an extended vacation. Always put a spin on the positive;
you needed time to research the next best career step -- and the best
employers.
If you are switching careers… then your answer to why you left your
previous job becomes moot because you can simply state you left it to
pursue a career change into your new career field. And as for the gap,
you have hopefully been consulting, volunteering, or otherwise getting
your foot in the door of your new career field and perhaps gotten more
training or education…
As I always say, never lie in an interview, but always remember that the
interview is a sales call, where you are selling the prospective employer
on why you should be hired.
Dawn writes:
I am interested in a fast paced career. I have started going to college this
year for business management. I have little knowledge of what is out there
for the future. Would like some ideas and steps that will help me achieve that.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I could not possibly begin to mention all the potential jobs you could get
with a degree in business, but I think it’s very wise of you to begin thinking
about it now because as you develop some ideas about career paths, you
can choose elective courses to help you specialize in one or more areas --
and, perhaps more importantly, you can begin to develop a list of prospective
employers and internship possibilities to gain experience -- and to make
sure the career you think you want is actually something you would enjoy doing!
So, here is your homework.
First, start researching careers in management. Key sources for you are:
your management professors (even ones you have not had for a class yet)
and adviser, the career services office at your college, and online sources
(such as the fantastic Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the
U.S. Department of Labor).
Second, develop a list of your skill sets (and document those skills through
accomplishments in school projects and work experience). Skills you should
have as you progress through your business degree include leadership,
problem-solving, critical thinking, written and verbal communications, teamwork,
planning, organizing, and decision-making.
Third, start thinking of an internship for the summer. You might think it’s a
bit early to be thinking of the summer in December, but for the very best
internships, believe me it is not. Some of the most coveted summer internships
have very early deadlines and better to start researching now and be ready
then to discover you just missed a deadline.
Lamar writes:
Dr. Hansen: I am looking for a new career in teaching. I have a Masters of Arts degree
in Interdisciplinary Technology from Eastern Michigan University with a minor in
business. Just how do I break into this field without having a doctorial degree or
the experience in teaching besides being a part time substitute teacher.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I guess it really depends on what level you wish to teach. If you wish to teach
K-12, then the combination of experience and a master’s degree will take
you far in getting your foot in the door. You’ll also need to earn a teaching
certification for whatever state where you are seeking a job. Certainly there
is a shortage of teachers in many parts of the country -- and because
technology has become such an important part of the curriculum,
someone with your credentials should be in high demand. Don’t
discount yourself or your credentials; focus on the positive!
If you want to break into the college ranks, your best bets are community
colleges and temporary positions at four-year schools. Many community
colleges are more flexible in their hiring criteria and look at a mix of
degrees and experience, thus you should find numerous permanent
positions. But because technology is also in such demand at the
college level, and because there is a limited number of qualified
candidates, there may also be numerous offerings for instructor-level
positions. In the end, if you want to teach full-time at the college level,
you are going to have to seriously consider getting your doctoral degree.
So, your next step? Regardless of the level you want to teach, your next
step is to begin developing your network. Join an industry professional
organization (and join a discussion group and/or attend a conference),
talk with your professors about contacts in the field, track down alumni,
and check with family and friends who may have connections to teaching.
There are also numerous excellent job sites on the Web related to all
levels of teaching. At a minimum, you can begin reading job descriptions
and requirements and better position yourself as an ideal candidate as
you develop your list of prospective employers. Follow this link on
Quintessential Careers: Academic,
Educator, and Teaching Jobs.
Q:
Haylee writes:
I'm a senior in high school. I'm planning to study medicine but my problem is that
I'm not sure which rank of medicine I would like to study. I was wondering if you
could be kind enough to email me the different types of doctor careers there
are and what they do.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think a medical career is a wonderful calling -- even with all the crises in
healthcare in this country right now -- medicine is such an important career
for those who have a desire to help people. Just remember that you are still
young and have not experienced much of what college offers, so while you
may remain true to your choice and become a doctor, you may also veer into
any number of other career paths -- so just keep your eyes open to all the
possibilities that await you.
OK. So, careers in medicine; specifically, career paths for doctors.
You can choose to be a generalist or a specialist.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, “About
one-third of the nation's physicians are generalists --‘primary care’ doctors
who provide lifelong medical services for you and all the members of your
family. General internists, family physicians, and general pediatricians
are all considered generalist doctors. They are the first doctors you
consult for medical care.”
(Read more.)
The other two-thirds of doctors specialize in a wide variety of areas that basically
fall into one of these categories: research, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology,
psychiatry, or surgery. Within these categories are specialists in: dermatology,
gastroenterology, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases, general surgery,
orthopedic surgery, and many more too numerous to mention. Read more in this
section of the Department of Labor’s
Occupational
Outlook Handbook.
I suggest you begin talking with doctors now -- even before you start college.
Use your network to find a variety of doctors -- and then conduct some informational
interviews to learn more about their careers (and how you can best prepare for yours).
