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Quintessential Answers:
Q&A's with Career & College Experts

 

Questions and Answers with Career Expert Michelle Watson

 

Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview in the current issue of QuintZine, our career e-newsletter. Those interviews are archived here for your convenience.

 

Michelle Watson is a noted career expert and currently assistant director of career services at Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

 

Q:	What trends and changes in job-hunting in your area of expertise have you observed in the last few years?
A:	Employers are seeking success stories. Resumes are now focusing not only on "regular" job descriptions, but also include concrete, measurable accomplishments. Physical portfolios, long thought of as tools for artists, will become commonplace as candidates strive to show their talents, not just talk about them.   Alumni are going back to their alma mater career centers more and more often for services. There is an acknowledgment that networking, the #1 job searching tool, actually works, and fellow alumni and friends made in college are generally the first targets to start this process.
Q:	What directions do you see online job-hunting taking in the next few years?
A:	Web sites will allow candidates to place more than just their resumes online. Career sites will offer the ability to create career portfolios -- prospective employers will see the candidates references, writing samples, design projects, and the like, on their computer even before a formal face-to-face interview. Interfolio.com was specifically created for candidates (such as future teachers and graduate school applicants) to place their credentials files online. Other sites, like PerfectAgent.com, allow candidates, as part of their electronic resume, to record audio "interviews" via the phone. It won't be long before pre-recorded video interview become commonplace, and perhaps even interviews conducted through instant chat/video features.   College career centers will all be "going digital" -- online jobs listings, online recruitment procedures, etc. This technology will become increasingly important to students long familiar with the Internet and computers, and students will choose colleges and universities whose career centers utilize this tool.
Q:	What is the most important piece of advice you feel you could offer today's job-seeker in your area of expertise? What's the biggest mistake job-seekers make that your advice could correct?
A:	Be assertive. Don't wait for companies to come to you. Follow up on any letter or application you send out, whether it is an open position, or a request for an informational interview. Don't be afraid to use your contacts and connections -- there is always someone else out there who would do so in a second. Create a portfolio of items that demonstrate your skills, and create a company binder of information to take to your interview. Show both! Employers will be impressed with your research and interest. A student I worked with recently just got a prestigious internship offer as a sophomore because she made a company portfolio. She had information that her recruiter didn't even know!   The biggest mistake most job seekers make is giving up too easily. Don't pass up your dream just to make an extra buck -- in the long run you may be a little richer but also miserable at work. Have confidence in yourself -- there are thousands of other people just like you who also believe they're not qualified for that position -- so they won't apply, and you should! Take risks! Be bold! These things pay off eventually.
Q:	Do you see today's job-seekers (especially at the college grad/entry level) becoming too complacent about job-seeking because of the robust economy? How can job-seekers make the most of the strong economy and be prepared for when the current boom subsides?
A:	Today's entry-level seekers are the last of the so-called Generation X. They've been very independent and perhaps a little cynical of the "process" of finding a job, and they also expect a great deal of their new-found positions -- as should be expected of any new hire. At the same time, they do understand that the job market is strong, and perhaps are slightly less worried than graduating classes in the past. Some students will wait too long and discover that the boom hasn't waited for them -- employers are in need of workers, and will hire the best as quickly as possible. In addition, even though the market is great for students and not so hot for the companies competing for them, employers won't take "just anyone," so today's graduates still need to sell themselves, be enthusiastic, research the company, and be pro-active.   The Millennium Generation, today's freshmen and sophomores, won't have troubles no matter what the job market may do. They've been prepared their whole lives to be successful, to understand processes, and to know what they want. Already, at Lehigh University, sophomores are coming in droves to attain internships and summer jobs, and are less focused on "what should my major be" since they have a good idea of their future career path.   The best way to prepare, in any economy, is to gain experience. Whether that experience comes in the form of internships, summer jobs, co-ops, class projects, related campus organizations, or volunteer work doesn't matter. Employers desire related experience and leadership skills, and whether the economy turns south or job numbers continue to soar, it will be those students and candidates that gained experience that will be most desired.
Q:	What distinguishes your approach to career counseling for college students from everyone else's? What make it different or better?
A:	I truly believe that there is a career for everyone that will make them understand that "WORK" is not a four-letter word. My goal is to help students discover meaningful work and employment they will love, a role in life that will make them eager to go to work on Monday mornings. We think of a "work life" and a separate "homelike" or "personal life." However, when the individual discovers a position related to their interests and talents, which provides a sense of satisfaction and pride, there two lives become integrated. People think I'm nuts when I tell them I love my job, but it's true. Why shouldn't we love what we do for 3/4 of our lives?

 

 

Michelle Watson is the ecstatically employed assistant director of career services at Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Watson is the author of "I Was An Unemployed Career Counselor" and book reviews appearing in the Journal of Career Planning and Placement, published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. She writes career-related articles for such Web sites as CareerBuilder, BrainBuzz, New2USA, and KnowledgePlanet. She is also an Online Career Consultant for CareerBuilder. Currently, Watson is co-authoring a teacher's manual with Patrick Combs, author of Major in Success.

 

 

Check out all our interview with career experts in Quintessential Answers: Q&A's with Career & College Experts.

 

 

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

 

 

 

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