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.
Susan writes:
I'm an entering freshmen college student and I just read your article on first-year
success in college. I was wondering, I am going to a large public university where a
large majority of my classes will be over 100 students. How exactly do I get to
know my professor? Do I just go in and introduce myself?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I guess the not so helpful answer is that you should have chosen a school
with smaller class sizes -- like Stetson University, where I teach -- but I know
that's not helpful...
So... here are my suggestions. First, sit toward the front of class and be
attentive in class, make eye contact during lectures, discussions, etc. Students
who sit in the first few rows are generally some of the best students (perhaps
partly because they are forced to pay attention). Make sure you attend all classes.
Second, work hard... and show that work through tests and papers.
Third, yes, introduce yourself -- either after class or during the professor's office
hours. Just a quick introduction -- who you are, what your major/career interest,
and what interests you about the class... you don't need to go overboard on
praise for the class (the dreaded "brown-nosing")... just keep it short and simple...
Fourth, as the semester progresses, continue to occasionally make small talk
and build rapport with the professor -- so that it will hopefully carry over beyond
the semester.
By the way, I think it's great that you are thinking ahead and that you have a
desire to be known at your new school. Best of luck to you!!
Finally, don’t forget that good grades will not come as easily in college as they
did in high school. Here are a few tips for getting good grades in college:
Get organized. Use a planner of other system to keep track of deadlines,
homework assignments, tests.
Use time wisely. Tackle harder stuff first, and reward yourself with small
breaks. As one of my favorite former students used to say, “work hard to play hard.”
Study, study, study. A lot of first-year college students have never had to
develop good study habits, but now is the time to do so. And study early and often.
Judy writes:
I'm in workforce development, and am working with someone who was fired
from a bank for cashing a fraudulent cashiers check; she claims that it was
not her fault. I'm tending to believe her based on the whole story. How can
she handle this in an interview when asked why she was fired from the bank?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Everybody makes mistakes. And assuming it was an innocent mistake, I think
she should be able to find her way back to employment… although a job in
banking may be a little harder to get than others.
The key for her, of course, is to first never raise the subject herself. And that
goes for anyone who has been fired -- for any reason. Let the prospective employer
assume you left on your own accord.
That said, some prospective employers are bound to ask the question. The
way she answers the question, however, is critical. First, she needs to admit
that she was fired for a mistake she made. That’s it; make the admission, but
do not dwell on it -- and certainly do not blame others for your mistake. The rest
of her response MUST focus on the lessons she has learned from the incident --
this is the information hiring managers want to hear. She needs to talk about
the importance of following procedures, checking for authenticity, etc. -- whatever
it is she did not do the first time. That’s it.
And that’s the way it is with all "negative" questions, such as when an
interviewer asks, "tell me about a time you couldn’t meet a deadline." If you
have never missed one, you can say so. But if you have, the point of the
question is to find out if you have now learned how not to miss one in the future --
and that’s how you should answer the question.
For lots more information about job interviewing, check out all the resources in this
section of Quintessential Careers: Guide
to Job Interviewing Resources.
Q:
Kats writes:
Please help me...I'm dazed on how to get into medical school. You see, I
really want to become a doctor, but unfortunately my parents do not have the
means to send me to med school. Instead, I took up a science-related courses
hoping that I can somehow catch up with the pre-med students. But I'm not
happy with my current course. I have heard some pre-med students in our
school are dissuading other hopeful medical students to enter med school.
Does a bachelor of science degree versus a bachelors of arts degree really
matter when applying to med school? Would it be more advisable to take up
the B.S instead of B.A? Please help me. I really do appreciate an expert's
opinion right now.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I’m kind of confused because you say you want to go to medical school, but you
don’t think you have the means to do so… you decided not to be pre-med in
college and instead are following some other degree path, possibly ending with
a bachelor of arts rather than science?
I haven’t seen any statistics, but my guess is that most people who apply to
medical school can’t afford it, but make it through fellowships, scholarships,
and student loans. So, if money is the only thing stopping you from following
your dream, don’t let it.
If your passion is to become a doctor, then you need to find a way to do so…
Majoring in a pre-med program makes the most sense, but you do not need to
do so to get accepted into medical school. I had a student a few years ago who
was a dual business and biochemistry major, but as soon as he was accepted into
medical school, he dropped the science major and graduated Stetson with a
business degree. The key was he had taken all the core science classes that
medical schools required (and he had scored well on the MCAT).
So, your goal should be to research exactly the requirements you need for medical --
and then follow whatever degree path makes sense to you.
By the way, the business degree was a great idea for my student because he
planned to open his own practice and wanted the business skills to help him be
successful with it.
Q:
Anonymous writes:
I really need some advice... I tried to give 2 weeks notice at work, today, and the
boss got angry and then came to me with a list of all the things that he was going
to do to make my job easier.....Was I talking to a wall??
I'm 51 years old, my husband has MS and can't work. I qualified for college
waivers and loans and I now have a chance to finally pull us out of the very
LOW income bracket. I will make more money going to school 4 hours a day,
five days a week, and will be training for a rewarding career that will not involve
being on my feet constantly, nine hours a day.
My employers are of a different nationality. I feel like I'm being duped. I don't want
to leave with hard feelings. What is your take on this situation? It seems like I was
actually talking to a wall...
ANY advice would be appreciated!
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
First, congratulations on envisioning a better future and moving ahead with
that vision. I wish you the very best of luck on pulling yourself out of the low-wage
basement. Education -- whether college, training, certification -- is the best path
for moving away from low-wage jobs.
I also commend you for wanting to end this current job on a positive note, and I
encourage you to keep trying. But whatever you do, do not let your employer’s
tactics stop you from following your dream.
I suggest you put your notice in writing… even if now it is only a week’s notice.
(By the way, two weeks notice is just an average; in some professions, it best
to give more, and in others it best to give as little notice as possible.)
Bottomline… walk out the door when you had planned, regardless of whether
your employer is happy about it or not. In the worst case, you are moving to a
new field and you will not have to have a reference from this employer.
