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.
Ida writes:
I haven't been having much success on interviews and I don't know why. I
seem to do well, but I never hear back from the companies. And just yesterday,
at the end of yet another interview, the interviewer actually told me not to expect
to hear back because I was not interested enough in the position to ask for it.
What did he mean?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
The good news is that your job-hunting strategy, including your resume
and cover letter, is in good shape. The bad news is that your interviewing
style needs revamping.
To me, there are four parts to a successful interview:
First, research on the company and type of interview style expected. The
more you can learn about the company and what to expect in the interview,
the better prepared you will be -- which should make you appear more relaxed
and confident. Don't memorize your responses, but do be prepared to showcase
your accomplishments.
Second, the dress and non-verbals. First impressions are critical in interviews,
and you must appear dressed to fit the part, along with a warm smile, firm
handshake, and good eye contact. Posture is also important, as is all your
body language. And remember that impressions also matter with receptionists
and support staff, so always be polite and appreciative of everyone you come into contact.
Third, the interview itself. You must be prepared with stories (answers) for all the
common interview questions -- and you must have questions prepared for the interviewer.
You must also ALWAYS keep in mind that a job interview is a sales call, where you
are doing your best to convince the employer you are the ONLY candidate for the job.
It’s this area where you definitely seem to be having problems. There is a fine line
at times, but you must be aggressive in a job interview; being passive is often
(mis)interpreted as disinterest. Always close an interview asking about next steps --
and the timing of those next steps. And I recommend, if the interview went extremely
well, to even ask for the job. Read more in this article published on Quintessential
Careers: Closing the Interview.
Fourth, follow-up. Your job is not done as you walk out of the interview. You still need
to write a thank you note and you need to follow-up with the employer to show your
continued interest in the job. Again, there is a line between not calling enough and
calling too often. Use your judgment. If you choose to not do these things, again,
the employer may decide you are no longer interested in the position.
And don't forget that we have a vast number of interviewing resources in this section of Quintessential Careers:
Guide to Job Interviewing Resources
Q:
Marcus writes:
What should do if you have a high GPA, some solid references from your school
and previous jobs, but also have a criminal record from when you where 17-24.
I never went to jail but I did get a suspended sentence for some felonies and had
a couple of misdemeanors during that time period as well. Since then, however, I
have really excelled being on the dean's list in my school and am sought after by
several companies who are unaware of my criminal past or my bad credit. Any advice?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I have lots of advice for you, but overall, let me stress do not ever lie about your
past when asked about it. Having criminal and credit issues are problems enough,
without compounding it with lying about it. What you want to do, instead, is show
how you have learned from your past mistakes.
Unfortunately for you, there is a growing trend among employers to do complete
background checks -- including criminal and credit checks.
So, what can you do? First, never bring these issues up in the early phases of the job
hunt. Do not mention these indiscretions on your resume or cover letter. Do not offer
the information in the initial interview -- sell yourself first so that the employer's view
is an extremely positive one of you. As you move to a second interview and move to
being one of the finalists for the position, then it may be time -- before the employer
does the background check and discovers the information -- to come clean.
But remember to come clean in a way that shows the MANY lessons you have
learned since those days and how you are a completely different person now.
And, of course, if the prospective employer has you complete an application that
asks if you have a criminal record, you will need to list it -- and you will be forced
to discuss the issue in that initial interview, which will be a much tougher sell.
Remember that you will have solid credentials... a college degree earned with a
high GPA, work experience (including internships in your field, I hope), and good
references.
Q:
Heidi writes:
Hello, I am a 36 year old female wanting to get a "career." I have one semester
of college under my belt, as a history major, and have a 3.5 GPA. I would like to
go into the museum field, but it is very hard to get a job in museum studies. Funding
is bad, and most people have at least a master's degree. I enjoy history, but I also
love science and technology, computers, and have even thought of business. I don't
want to teach, and although I love science, I am bad at math! I am an army wife and
am not able to just relocate to any city I wish. Any suggestions? Are there websites
for finding careers based on some interest questionnaire?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Well, first, don't let your age be a hindrance to any career you pursue.
It is NEVER too late to change careers. And while being a military spouse
will make your job search a bit more difficult, it should not make it impossible.
You are on the first step of finding a career. Looking inward and evaluating your
likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses is invaluable.
You have a couple of options for your next steps. You could go the career
assessments route. There are quite a few of them -- both online and in print --
and your college career services office should have access to a number of them.
While they are often helpful, remember that they are basically going to tell you
the same things you already know -- you like history, science, and technology.
The counselors there should also be able to give you some direction. To me,
some career options would be museum curator, city/county historian, historical
tour guide, company archivist, reference librarian, and computer help desk
technician.
Another option is to conduct some informational interviews to explore various
career options. Schedule meetings with the director of the local museum, library,
and historical society. You might also interview some chief information officers of
local companies as well as park rangers of local historical sites. Informational
interviews are great ways to learn more about careers and career paths -- and
build your future network of contacts in your new career field.
Finally, another option is to head online and conduct your career research on
the Web. There are many sites with detailed information about careers… and
most professional organizations also have Websites. You could start here, in the
Career Exploration
Resources section of Quintessential Careers.
Q:
Stephen writes:
My name is Stephen and I am a college student thinking about becoming a
college professor; I have a couple of questions to ask you. My first question
is what is the minimum requirements for an entry level in order to become a
college professor. As a follow-up, I would like to know what type of college
I could go to in order to become a college professor in Criminal Justice. That
is what I am going to school for; I would greatly appreciate any help you
could give me. My other question would be what would be a good job that
I could have in order to enhance my chances of looking for a job as an
associate or assistant professor in a college?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
A career as a college professor is a good choice as experts predict there is
going to be a major shortage of professors as many Baby Boom (and older)
professors retire over the next decade or so.
Why do you want to be a college professor? I hope you have been positively
influenced by one or more of your current professors, and thus you want to
continue the tradition of educating future generations. My greatest satisfaction
as a professor comes from seeing a student empowered by his or her new
knowledge -- and sometimes that happens in the classroom, but sometimes
it happens years later as the learning finally sinks in.
You are correct in assuming you need at least a minimum of a master’s
degree to teach at the college level. You could teach at many smaller
schools and community colleges with a master's degree -- and you might also be
able to find part-time work at larger colleges. However, the better jobs with
the better colleges require a doctorate. When you earn a doctorate, you
also learn how to conduct research in your field, and one of your obligations
as a professor -- besides teaching, of course -- is to expand the knowledge
base of your field by publishing articles in academic journals.
You can best prepare for your future career by being the best student you
can and by gaining teaching experience, perhaps starting with tutoring and
moving up from there. I would also recommend talking with some of your
current professors in the criminal justice field and ask them about the best
choices for gaining an advanced degree in your field.
