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.
Vicki writes:
I am in an international business program at a college where one of the
requirements is an internship abroad. What is the real value in this
requirement -- and what should I be looking for in an international
internship, and how do I go about finding one?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
You might not appreciate it now, but the required international internship is a
very necessary aspect of your education because you will be immersed into
the business culture of a country other than your own. While studying international
business from textbooks and professors is important, living it is something even
more important. You’ll experience firsthand the business climate, cultural
traditions, and social and political trends.
An international internship also forces you into a situation of using the foreign
language and other skills you have learned.
International business majors who want to work abroad or for a multinational
company need to get the necessary international experience through at least
one out-of-country experience.
You’ll want to look for one that is going to give you the best experience -- the
most exposure -- and ideally in the industry/location where you want to work
after graduation.
How do you find an international internship? Through your network of contacts --
professors, alumni, international studies office, and the career center. You don’t
necessarily need a connection for an international internship, but having such
contacts will make it so much easier.
By the way, here’s a little tidbit for those considering an international business major.
Studies show that more and more CEOs and corporate top managers are first being
groomed for these positions by managing one or more international divisions.
Connie writes:
I'm 29 and I have finally realized my ideal profession is to be an artist.
However, in addition to the late start, I've had no formal training (only
inherited talent) and becoming a painter seems to be a bad financial
move. From my research a MFA is necessary to be considered a
professional artist. Do I really want to spend $40,000 for a degree that
doesn't guarantee any return? But I just want to paint and I'm so tired
of working in offices... How can I have a struggling career when I can't
afford the training?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I think having a career as an artist is a career made by following your passion,
and you may only be happy with a career somehow involved in the arts. Take
the time to investigate now or you could be miserable for the rest of your life.
My advice would be to start by having your talent evaluated by some professionals.
Consider seeking out the opinion of one or more art professors from a nearby
college and/or the curator of a local art museum. Yes, everyone has different
tastes and opinions about art, but I think these folks can recognize talent -- or
potential talent.
And you certainly do not need a MFA to be an artist. You don’t even need a college
degree! However, if you plan to supplement your art career by also teaching or curating,
then you will most certainly need the advanced degree.
For example, at Stetson University, we have a great artist who is also passionate about
mentoring younger artists, and thus he balances both careers -- as an artist and as a
professor of art.
Thus, your next step should be a few informational interviews with these same folks
who critiqued your artwork. Ask them about careers in the arts. Your quest should
be to look for creative solutions to transitioning to a career in the arts.
And if you do find that the MFA is necessary to pursue your dreams, you should be
able to find a program that offers financial assistance in your quest.
Q:
Ward writes:
I had two job interviews, two days apart. The one I am hoping to be
hired with is the later. My first job interview I was immediately offered
a job, but it does not meet with my salary nor does it offer any benefits
until after 60 days. How do I tell them I wish to wait until after my
second interview without messing up the first interview?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
First, congratulations on moving forward with such success in
your job-search. I wish you continued good luck.
That said, let me offer a few pieces of advice about job-hunting and
salary negotiation.
Job-seekers should always have an idea of the salary range for the jobs
you are applying for -- because you never want to apply for a job that pays
below what you are currently making (unless you are making a drastic
career change) nor jobs that pay well above your current salary (and
level of expertise). So, I am assuming the salary offer was not totally
unacceptable, but simply below what you had expected.
Now to your dilemma. First, you should never accept any job offer on the
spot -- always thank the employer for the offer, but ask for some time to
review it before making a decision. Using this strategy allows you to
stall for time if you have other potential offers in the pipeline, gives you
a chance to review the entire offer (salary and benefits) at your leisure,
and provides time for you to consider making a counteroffer if the offer
is not quite acceptable to you.
So, in your situation, knowing you may have a better offer pending, I
suggest you ask for some time to consider the offer. By the way, I
would also ask for the complete offer in writing. I know some employers
don’t like to do it, but job-seekers need to protect themselves -- and
be assured of all the benefits promised in the verbal offer.
If the second offer never comes, the next thing you need to decide is
whether you want to continue job-hunting or whether the first offer is
acceptable as is, or with some adjustments from a counteroffer.
If you do decide to make a counteroffer proposal, be sure to follow the
protocol -- you have only one shot at negotiating, and make sure all your
counter proposals are backed by research and facts (not personal pleas).
And finally, a caveat: there is a small percentage of employers who do
not negotiate and will actually rescind the offer in a huff if you attempt
to negotiate, so there are risks here.
Brian writes:
I came across Quintessential Careers last night as I was trying
to unearth the answer to a question which was plaguing me all night.
I'd be most grateful if you could tell me whether or not one should
include a resume with a broadcast letter.
I've heard conflicting opinions on the subject. What’s your advice?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
The answer is: it depends.
Although not talked about as much compared to networking and
online job-hunting, a broadcast cover letter is part of a direct marketing
campaign by the job-seeker -- where you identify a list of prospective
employers, research the names of the hiring managers at each
employer, and send an unsolicited letter to tap into what has been
called "the hidden job market."
The strength of this strategy is that you can sometimes catch a hiring
manager just as an opening is occurring, giving you sort of a first-strike
advantage over other job-seekers before the position is even advertised --
internally or externally. Because turnover happens frequently, a broadcast
letter is still a good job-seeker strategy.
But I never liked using the term broadcast letter because it carries the
implication that the job-seeker can write one cover letter and broadcast it
to a large number of employers -- and that strategy will just not work.
If you want to effectively use a direct marketing approach, you will need to
target (customize) each letter for each prospective employer. While parts of
the letters can be the same, you will need to adjust other parts to showcase
your knowledge of the company.
Should you include a resume with your cover letter? My view is yes --
always. But again, as with the cover letter, you will need to customize
each resume to each employer. You’ll want to use some of the keywords
that each employer uses in describing themselves in describing yourself.
There are other experts, such as Jeffrey Fox, author of Don’t Send a Resume,
who say that job-seekers should send resume after first winning over the hiring manager
with a dazzling cover letter. In fact, Fox says a job-seeker should not send a resume
to the employer until after the job interview -- so that the resume can be as narrowly
targeted to the position and employer as possible.
Read more about cover letters --
and resumes -- in these sections
of Quintessential Careers.
