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.
Kathy writes:
I just read your article, Choosing a
College Major: How to Chart Your Ideal Path. I plan to have my daughter read the links you
suggested. My daughter is making decisions about AP coursework and is a little lost about
what she wants to do. The school she attends just gave them some sort of aptitude test.
She scored highly in the working with people and the arts areas. This is a fine way to start
thinking about what she wants to do, but she is lost when it comes to finding out what type of
real life jobs exist in these areas. What do you recommend she do to get some real job insights?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s never too early to be thinking about careers, but please remember that what
interests a teen at 15 might not at 20. As I have mentioned before, I am all for having
high school students thinking about possible careers, but I am against high schools
putting students in career tracks at such an early age.
Here’s my recommendation for her next steps. First, do some more assessment --
take a personal inventory of the classes and activities she likes to do and then take
another assessment or two (which you can do online or possibly through the school’s
guidance department). The goal should be a solid list of interests and skills, as well
as some career direction.
Second, begin exploring careers that match up with her interests by using sources
such as the Department of Labor’s Career Guide to Industries (online and in print),
which can be found from Quintessential Careers. These sources will provide all sorts
of information, from expected job growth to working conditions to education required.
Third, talk with people working in those areas of interest. She should conduct informational
interviews and ask about job-shadowing opportunities. As she begins to look at colleges,
she can also talk with professors in the areas that she has the most interest.
Pamela writes:
I have been actively looking for employment in the legal field for over 3 months.
I have 6 years experience, but have moved to smalltown, USA, and there aren’t
many job postings. Is it acceptable to send a “blind resume” to all the attorney’s
in the area via email, even though they aren’t advertising employment opportunities?
What should I say in the first paragraph?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
I am so glad you sent me this question because I feel like the method of job-hunting
you are proposing is the most overlooked and underrated tool of job-seekers.
The direct method of contacting employers -- something I call cold-calling employers --
often leads to multiple opportunities and job leads. It is a great method for job-seekers
who are searching for a job in a specific geographic location.
When you consider that most of the job market is closed -- that most job openings do
not get advertised -- then the two most important methods for tracking down those job
leads are through networking or cold contact.
Here’s what you must do. I recommend both an email and postal mail strategy. Gather
the names (double-check spellings) and addresses for all the attorneys. Develop or
polish an amazing cover letter and resume for each attorney. In that first paragraph of your
cover letter, state the three reasons why you are a perfect candidate to work in that
law firm. (Hint: One way to customize each letter and resume is by using some of
the same words the lawyers use on their Websites.)
Finally, follow-up your letters and emails with a phone call -- and ask for an interview
(even if no jobs are currently available.)
David writes:
I interviewed at a very hot high tech startup company about a month ago.
They expressed interest in me, but told me that they move slowly on hiring
and that I will need to be patient. I followed up with the VP who interviewed me
and she told me to reschedule a meeting with her a few weeks out. When I sent
her an email regarding that meeting, she apologized and said that she was
extremely busy, but that she had asked someone else on her staff would “reach out”
me later in the week. It has now been a little more than a week and I have not
heard from this staff person. Do I proactively contact that person and try to schedule
my interview? Do I email her and say that I’m touching base and that I have not
heard from this other person?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s not just hot high-tech companies that have extended the employment cycle;
one of the biggest trends I’ve noticed in job-hunting over the last few years has
been the great increase in the amount of time it takes from first interview to job offer.
Many employers seem quite content at dragging their feet through the process,
potentially losing some top talent to other organizations in the process.
But at least this particular employer gave you fair warning. That said, it does NOT
mean that you should be passive in your approach. Just because the hiring cycle
has been extended, it does NOT mean you should not still be following-up with the company.
By all means, contact the VP (or the VP’s assistant) -- by whatever means you are
most comfortable. There are so many possible scenarios, ranging from the staff
person never getting the message to his email going into your junk folder by mistake.
So, pick up the phone or send an email and politely inquire whether the staff person has
tried to contact you. As with any follow-up, be certain to again express your interest in
the company and how you can make a contribution.
Patience and persistence are some of the most important words for job-seekers these
days. Don’t ever give up getting the job until you know the employer has hired someone
else -- and never stop politely and regularly checking-in with the hiring manager.
Bonnie writes:
I just read Getting Fired: An
Opportunity for Change and Growth. You say that If you are fired in a job within 3 months
you should not list that on your resume. Can you tell me why I should not list that employer?
A:
The Career Doctor responds:
A resume is a critical marketing document that you construct to convince a prospective
employer to invite you for an interview and then, ideally, offer you a job. It is not meant
to be an all-inclusive document of your entire life, nor your entire work history.
A resume should ONLY contain the relevant information that is going to get your foot in the door.
If you were fired from your last job after only three months, but you had some amazing
accomplishments and the work you performed is extremely relevant to the job you are
seeking, then you can certainly consider including it on your resume.
That said, anytime an employer sees a short tenure on a resume it begs the question --
why is this person looking for a new job after only such a short time on the job? And that
means if you actually get the interview, you’ll need to be prepared to explain why you
were fired.
Thus, unless the job is extremely relevant to the position you are seeking, it’s better to
have an employment gap on your resume than have to explain why you were fired.
Get lots more resume tips, tools, and samples in the
Resume Resources
section of Quintessential Careers.
