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.
Cara writes:
I'm going to be a junior in high school and I really want to find a major by the
end of this year, because I want to know what colleges I should check out.
The thing is, I don't think I'll like any job, nothing really interests me except
basketball. I play all the time and am absolutely in love with it. My parents think
I should go into business, but it sounds kind of boring. All in all, I'm just really
confused and am wondering what your opinion is on the whole matter.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
If you’ve read my column at all, you know I am a firm believer in examining all
your interests in an effort to find the best career path, the best major. So, your
interest in sports can be combined with some of your other interests in psychology
to lead to any number of careers in coaching, sports management, and sports
psychology. Keep in mind, though, that as you experience new things at college --
professors, coaches, other students - your interests may change dramatically.
And that change is okay too, because that’s partly what college is all about.
And while I agree with your parents that you should at least take a few business
courses, I think only you can decide on your major(s) and minor(s). My personal
opinion is that just about any college major could be enhanced with a minor in
business, but hey, what else might you expect a business professor to say?
Business boring? No way! Don’t get me started!
This coming year - your junior year - truly is pivotal for you. I think the junior year
does not get the attention it deserves… so many critical things happen in your
junior year. Consider these issues:
It’s in your junior year that you take the all-important standardized tests that will
help determine your admissions fate into the colleges of your choice. In the
beginning of the year, the PSATs will put you on the radar of colleges based on
your score. Toward the end of the year are AP exams if you have taken AP classes.
Then come the SAT or ACT, the two standard college admissions tests.
It’s in your junior year that you start developing -- and then narrowing -- a list of
colleges based on any number of criteria you develop with your family and guidance
counselor. It’s also a time to be thinking about career paths so that the schools you
consider have majors that will help you the career path you initially have chosen.
It’s in your junior year that you should begin developing a portfolio -- including a resume
-- that highlights your education, your experiences, and your accomplishments. You
should do these things not only to prepare for college, but for work as well.
Martin writes:
Career experts advise that older applicants remove educational dates from
resumes that would enable the reader to determine the applicant's age.
What do you recommend when the response to your resume is to ask
specific questions such as 'what is your year of graduation?' (from university).
From this information, it is usually easy to estimate a person's age to within
a year or two. This seems to have deferred the problem, not solved it. I hope
you can advise on this.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Before I get to your question, let me add that besides taking dates off your degrees
you should also remove any work experience longer than 15 years old (unless there
is some key relevancy, and with experience from that long ago it is unlikely). Some
experts even suggest leaving dates off your work experience, though I believe you
should keep the dates as long as you drop all the older stuff.
But, to the heart of the matter… The good news is that if you made it to the interview,
the employer definitely saw something they liked. But the bad news is that I agree
with you that the question sure seems like a blatant attempt to get at your age. It
may simply be curiosity, but it may be much more. You could respond with something
along the lines of, “I’m not sure of the relevancy of my college graduation date, can you
explain?” Or you could be even more direct: “I’m sensing you may have an issue with
my age. If so, let me assure you that I am the candidate most qualified for this position
because _________.” (Fill in the blank with keywords and qualifications.)
Of course, you could also be more direct, even threaten to report and/or report the
employer. These are personal decisions only you can make.
As the Baby Boom generation continues to age, these kinds of issues and questions
will continue to arise. Most of the interviewers will be folks much younger than you, and
some may be intimidated while others may be suspicious of your motives. Some say as
more and more boomers continue working later in life, these age issues will decline.
Anonymous writes:
Is black or navy blue suited for an interview in Florida?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
It's probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting, but also one of the
most underutilized by job-seekers: dress for success. In job-hunting, first
impressions are critical. Remember, you are marketing a product -- yourself -- to
a potential employer, and the first thing the employer sees when greeting you is
your attire; thus, you must make every effort to have the proper dress for the type
of job you are seeking. Will dressing properly get you the job? Of course not,
but it will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression.
Is black or navy better? If you are a man, I think either is fine, as is a charcoal grey.
And in Florida, I think the fabric weight might be a more important issue. If you are
a woman, there are a couple of other color choices, such as a vibrant red. You can
also accent darker suits with a more colorful tie (men) or scarf (women). As for
my personal tastes… I never liked black and have actually never even owned a
black suit; seems more for funerals than job interviews.
How do you know how to dress for an interview? Dressing conservatively is always
the safest route, but you should also try and do a little investigating of your
prospective employer so that what you wear to the interview makes you look as
though you fit in with the organization. If you overdress (which is rare but can
happen) or underdress (the more likely scenario), the potential employer may
feel that you don't care enough about the job.
Amy writes:
I'm going to be a senior in high school this fall, and I have college applications to fill
out right around the corner... there are so many career options to think about and I
don't want to jump into anything I can't handle...or choose a school just to find out
that its not what I want to do. I’m very confused. Can you help?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
You are at a critical junction in your life right now. Things may change drastically
over the next few years, but as a senior in high school you are certainly being
asked to focus on three critical choices: career, college, and major.
As you go about making your choices, remember that no decision is set in
stone. If you end up not liking the college you attend -- or it does not have the
major you want to pursue -- you can transfer to a different college. And
many, many college students graduate with a different major than the one
they start with. And as far as careers go, experts now predict that folks
graduating from college will change their careers -- not jobs, but careers -- at
least five times over their lives as their interests change and develop and as
new careers are developed.
So, given all this information, here are a few things you can do.
First, take the time to think about what you like to do; dream and imagine ideal
careers. There are so many opportunities, so many different types of jobs and
careers in a wide variety of industries -- and there are also other career paths
that are just emerging. Even if you are fairly sure of a career choice, take the time
to explore similar (or even vastly different) careers. Examine your likes and
dislikes and take a few career assessment tests.
Second, work, volunteer, or otherwise gain experience. The more experiences
you are exposed to, the more options will open to you as you search out
careers. There are even a growing number of internship opportunities for high
school students. Seek work and volunteer experiences in and out of school.
And from a practical standpoint, work experience looks good on college
applications -- and on future job applications and resumes.
Third, talk with as many adults as possible about careers and college. The best
way to find out about different careers is to ask people -- family, neighbors, friends,
teachers, counselors -- to tell you about their career and college experiences. If
you have not already, begin to build a network of adults who know you and are
willing to assist you in your educational and career endeavors. And for careers that
truly interest you, consider asking each person if you can shadow him/her at work.
