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.
Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis. 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.
Erica writes:
I need to do a personal strategic plan regarding my career for myself.
I am not sure of how or where to start. Can you help? Do you have a
sample I could see?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I’m not sure what has inspired you to do so, but I think it’s a great idea for everyone to take time
away from the daily grind to reflect on your career. More specifically, this time would be wisely
spent reviewing where you have been, where you are now, and where you see yourself in the future.
When should you do your strategic planning? Ideally, take a long weekend or some vacation
days so you truly have the time and attitude to devout to this project -- and the summer is a great
time for many of us to do so. Should you do this kind of planning even if you are very happy in your
current job/career? Of course! It’s the same thing as with the idea of always having a current
resume -- it’s always better to be prepared for the unexpected.
I am going to assume you are happy in your career, that way we can skip the career exploration
part of career planning. However, if you are thinking of a future in a different career, be sure to add
exploration as part of your plan.
So, here are the steps:
Identify your next career move. If you have been examining multiple career paths,
now is the time to narrow down the choices and focus on one or two careers.
Conduct detailed career research and gather information on the careers that most
interest you. Use the many resources we list in our
Career
Research Checklist.
Pinpoint the qualifications you need to move to the next step in your career or to
make the move to a new career path. If you’re not sure, search job postings and job ads,
conduct informational interviews, research job descriptions.
Compare your current profile with the qualifications developed in step 3. How far
apart are the two profiles? If fairly well-matched, it may be time to switch to a job-search.
If fairly far apart, can you realistically achieve the qualifications in the short-term? If yes,
move to the next step; if no, consider returning to the first step.
Develop a plan to get qualified. Make a list of the types of qualifications you need
to enhance your standing for your next career move, such as receiving additional training,
certification, or experience. Develop a timeline and action plans for achieving each type,
being sure to set specific goals and priorities.
Jake writes:
My name is Jake and I am interested in starting a computer tutoring business. I
know how to use computers well and I understand that many adults are not exactly
fluent. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to go about doing this and the
necessary steps I will need to take to make this happen the correct way.
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
Summer is a time for ambitious teens to find work, and I laud all of you who are
out there working or attempting to start your own business.
I think there are four keys to starting any teen business, well, or any business for
that matter.
First, identify a need that is not being fulfilled in the marketplace (or one that is being
filled at an inferior level). Once you have identified that need, you also need to have a
set of products and services that offer something unique, something of value to your
potential customers.
Second, develop an understanding of your potential customer. Who are these folks -- and
why would they use your product/service over competing ones?
Third, create a promotion plan for reaching your target consumers. You could have an amazing
product or service, but if no one knows it exists, you are not going to be in business for very
long. And promotion is more than just putting some flyers around the neighborhood.
Fourth, have a good handle on both the expenses you will incur, as well as your projected
revenue (sales) stream. There have been many a business that failed because of not having
a good handle income and costs.
Read other do’s and don’ts for starting and running a teen business in this article published on
Quintessential Careers: Teen
Business Do's and Don'ts.
Q:
Faye writes:
I have problems when an interviewer asks me how I handle stress.
Any ideas on a response for this?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
If you’re applying for jobs that naturally include a great deal of stress -- multitasking,
tight deadlines, aggressive competitors -- you need to be able to not only answer this
question, but do so convincingly.
So, first you need to know whether you can handle stress or not. I am assuming you can,
otherwise you are applying for the wrong types of jobs. So, if you can handle it, and are
expecting the question, you should not let a moment skip before you respond with a
strong, “I work extremely well in all situations, and am a master at dealing with stressful
circumstances.”
But don’t stop there. Anyone can say those words. The next step is to demonstrate how
you are a master at dealing with stress by having a anecdote -- a story -- that shows your
competence and ease with managing stress. Provide details so that the interviewer gets
the whole picture.
And that’s a good lesson for most interview questions -- don’t just respond to the answer,
but tell a story that relates to the question.
Finally, one other way employers test the stress quotient of job-seekers is through the use
of a stress interview, where there are often multiple interruptions and tough questions that
are designed to see how well you can handle stress (especially when you may already be
nervous about the interview).
Jason writes:
I lost my lab tech job (due to performance) over a year ago. I've tried jobs in a
few different fields without much success. This month, a broadcaster's
association will have an open job fair. I have some interest in broadcasting,
but I didn't think it was a legitimate career path out of high school, so I got
a degree in the sciences instead. Ten years later, I have no broadcasting
experience at all. There isn't much else besides broadcasting I get interested in,
and nowadays you need to show interest to experience any career success. I
will only have a few hours at the job fair, and the recommendation is to bring your
resume. Would I be best off actively applying for jobs, doing informational
interviewing, or using another approach? What questions should I be asking there?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s not so much that you will not have career success without a passion for the work,
but that at some point you will not be happy in your career – that’s why I try and preach
to my readers the value of finding a career that truly inspires and energizes you, one that
you are passionate about.
If broadcasting is the one that does it for you, then what you need to do is start developing
the plan and building the groundwork to break into the field. Before the job fair, I suggest
conducting as much research as possible on the specific types of job(s) within broadcasting
that you seek. Understand the requirements necessary and make a plan to get the additional
training or experience you need to break into the field.
And I think the job fair will be an excellent start for you in building contacts for future
informational interviews -- just do the research before you go to it. I think you will be most
successful if you mention at the beginning of each interview that you are looking at entry-level
positions and that you are interested in conducting informational interviews at a later date to
learn as much as possible about the industry and the best ways with someone with your
background to break into the business.
You are also going to have a challenge in developing a broadcasting resume, given that you have
10 years of experience in other areas -- but the key here is identifying transferable skills that will
work in your future broadcasting career.
