Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search and Work Life
Useful college, career, job-hunting, and workplace tips, trends, and information for job-seekers.
Please note: We publish three career development and job-hunting tips in each issue
of QuintZine, our biweekly newsletter. We also have tips we've pulled from our articles, tutorials,
Career Expert series, and from previous Career Doctor columns. All these tips are
archived here for your convenience.
QuintZine -- delivered free to your
mailbox on a biweekly basis -- offers readers a number of exciting and informative career
and job-hunting features and links.
Tips from April 21, 2008: CollegeRecruiter.com Facebook application; Google is the employer of choice among entry-level job-seekers; secret of job-search success for new grads may be using the campus career center
Tips from March 17, 2008: highly skilled professionals reamin in high demand; workers waste 25 percent of their workday -- and its rising; employers expect to intensify their job search in the next three months
Tips from February 18, 2008: Tuesday is most productive day of the week; new job classification of green collar jobs; opinions of significant others matter in career decisions
Tips from February 4, 2008: tips for moving up when everything is going down; job outlook for upcoming college grads looks decent; tips for job-seekers in an economic downturn
Tips from January 21, 2008: top 10 jobs that U.S. employers reported as most difficult to fill; best day for targeted cold e-mail job-search campaign; Job Shadowing 2008
2007:
Tips from December 17, 2007: top contributors to job satisfaction; actively managing your own career; salary-negotiation tips
Tips from November 26, 2007: sending holiday cards to network contacts; holiday season offers many occasions to get out and circulate, to network in person, over the phone, via email, and through holiday cards; while online networking is all the buzz, in-person still works best
Tips from October 22, 2007: just one or two typos doom resume; resumes are increasingly getting caught in e-mail junk filters; interesting statistics on resume length
Tips from September 24, 2007: importance of the college you attend; important skills college students should be polishing; business administration best degree to prepare for future success
Tips from August 20, 2007: mistakes job seekers make during interviews; new free tool for company research; most inappropriate comments candidates made in job interviews
Tips from July 23, 2007: workers today are actively managing own careers; things to consider when deciding about career change; help for job applicants and hiring managers to make the right match
Tips from June 25, 2007: CareerXroads' 6th Annual Sources of Hire study; socializing with co-workers may also benefit on-the-job performance; new study again reinforces importance of internships
Tips from May 21, 2007: perception of women in the workforce through the decades; myths about mothers, leadership, and career advancement; moms and quality time with their families
Tips from April 30, 2007: employers increasing hiring of new college grads; having a good resume upon college graduation; top cities with entry-level job openings
Tips from March 26, 2007: questions to discover what you want to do in your career; CareerXroads Annual Sources of Hire Study highlights; childhood career dream story
Tips from January 31, 2007: results of employment survey; new Website helps with goal-setting; preparing your 60-Second Sell for employers
2006:
Tips from December 18, 2006: career-related New Year's resolutions; tips for coping wuth common types of challenging supervisors; guidelines for holiday office partygoers
Tips from November 20, 2006: how to sail through employers' prescreenings; happy workers and performance on the job; 10 tips for telecommuting success
Tips from October 23, 2006: skills most desired in management-level employees; college grads lacking basic skills; report on growing shortage of qualified workers in the United States
Tips from September 25, 2006: take advantage of a variety of resources to improve resume; finding inaccuracies in resumes after background checks; following up after submitting application materials
Tips from August 14, 2006: qualities of highly satisfied career-focused people; job statistics about college grads; sources where employers are finding job applicants
Tips from July 3, 2006: top 25 Fortune 500 corporate career centers; how companies acknowledge a job-seeker's resume; referred job candidates are much better ones than others
Tips from June 5, 2006: trying out a career to see if it right for you; an assessment that explores what external observers think of you; career assessment tips and observations
Tips from May 8, 2006: an examination of some hot career industries; the top five executive challenges; job-hunting tips for executives ready to search for a new job
Tips from April 10, 2006: important considerations when deciding upon job offer; growing importance of internships; reasons why an employer would want a new graduate
Tips from March 13, 2006: importance of writing thank-you letters after job interviews; scheduling interviews at your optimal daily functioning time; information should you ensure you convey to employers in interviews
Tips from February 13, 2006: importance of cover letters; avoiding one of the top cover-letter mistakes; the many uses of cover letters
Tips from January 16, 2006: tips for learning a person's name; hot careers for 2006 and unusual jobs of 2005; Job Shadow Day 2006
2005:
Tips from December 5, 2005: resource for older workers; now is the time to step up your job-search; age discrimination is a serious problem for executives
Tips from November 21, 2005: demand for MBA interns; projected fastest-growing fields through 2012 ; most valued qualifications for technology job candidates
Tips from October 24, 2005: RSP Model for responding to job-interview questions; tips on gaining the job interview edge; most memorable job interview mistakes -- and how to avoid them
Tips from October 10, 2005: more women than men are pursuing higher education; some careers with strong growth potential; how long college students anticipate paying off student loans
Tips from September 26, 2005: characteristics of top candidates -- and employees; discussing the issue of length of service; suggestions for making a request to telecommute
Tips from September 12, 2005: no-cost worksheet tool for helping you update your resume; some tips on writing a resume that gets noticed by employers; most common resume mistakes
Tips from August 29, 2005: making a good first impression; job interviewing tricks; importance of thank-you letters after interviews
Tips from August 15, 2005: growth of independent or "nontraditional" students; a "dumbing down" of higher education; entry-level job-seekers willing to intern
Tips from August 1, 2005: success in using niche job boards; trends in sales jobs; ways to jumpstart your career
Tips from July 18, 2005: 25 best corporate career centers; pharmaceutical sales and sales blogs; poor communication skills biggest turn-off for hiring managers
Tips from July 5, 2005: steps for choosing an entrepreneurial mentor; answering interview question about business on the side; some blogs for entrepreneurs
Tips from June 6, 2005: new Web radio show, Job Talk; tips for remembering people's names; increased hiring from Internet job sites
Tips from May 9, 2005: summer jobs versus summer internships; the value of good writing skills; business careers proved to be the top choice among high-school students
Tips from April 25, 2005: most effective methods for finding jobs; book about women in the process of changing or have changed careers in mid-life; employers are beginning to feel the tight labor market
Tips from April 11, 2005: college grad job outlook survey; college grad relocation survey; fastest-growing jobs for 2005; job-seeker tax expenses
Tips from March 14, 2005: value of honing soft skills; job-seekers who speak more than one language ; survey results of technology workers
Tips from February 28, 2005: women leadership practices; follow-up is essential in job-search; 10 negotiation tips from women in the trenches
Tips from February 14, 2005: clear communication outweighs all in job interviews; taking back control of career management; tips for a successful job interview
Tips from January 31, 2005: woman entrepreneurship stats; nine realities before starting a business; surge in staffing firm placements
Tips from January 17, 2005: Job Shadow Day 2005; CareerXroads 2004 Fortune 500 Top 25 Corporate Staffing Sites; Redesign Your Job into Telecommuting worksheet
2004:
Tips from December 6, 2004: more women becoming entrepreneurs; hourly workers one of the fastest growing segments of labor force; keeping updated resumes on professional or trade association's Web site
Tips from November 22, 2004: developing your Elevator Pitch; the thank-you note as a networking tool; corporate referral programs; holiday networking
Tips from November 8, 2004: working harder thasn ever for college admission; college education leads to success at work and in life; job expectations of college seniors
Tips from October 25, 2004: an estimated 85 percent of cover letters are flawed; the power of cover letters; using a cover letter to demonstrate communication skills
Tips from September 27, 2004: effectiveness of career branding; information on Women For Hire career expos; top 25 best small companies to work in America
Tips from August 30, 2004: executives opinions about age discrimination; severe shortage of badly needed skills; best places for workers over age 50
Tips from August 16, 2004: most unusual occurrences in interviews; responding to tough job-interview questions; tips for job interview preparation
Tips from August 2, 2004: embracing change critical for job-seekers; tips for more effective communications; best hiring markets in U.S.
Tips from July 19, 2004: survey of worst interview sins; most and least appealing traits of job-seekers during a job interview; most productive time for conducting job interviews
Tips from July 5, 2004: making a living as a seller on eBay; home-based business are on the rise; most helpful strategies in job search
Tips from June 21, 2004: step-by-step instructions for tie tying; experiential learning and job shadowing; importance of fluency in multiple languages
Tips from June 7, 2004: employer hiring trends; job-seeker's credit history and work abilities; serving as a career resource for others
Tips from May 24, 2004: top criteria employers seek in new graduates; tips for job-seekers on preparing references; avoiding resume templates in resume creation
Tips from May 10, 2004: thank-you note is critical to follow-up; communication style impact; tips for dealing with a lay-off
Tips from April 26, 2004: making pitch for part-time schedule or a compressed workweek; growth occupations and industries in U.S.; find a job with the government; job-search tip #10 for mature workers
Tips from April 12, 2004: internships not just for college students; developing accomplishments-oriented resume; putting off having a family; job-search tip #9 for mature workers
Tips from March 29, 2004: employers' pet resume peeves; Focus your search on a fairly narrow list of companies; your resume as an e-mail attachment; job-search tip #8 for mature workers
Tips from March 15, 2004: five tips for job-change readiness; industries expected to generate the most growth; increased worker productivity and jobless recovery; job-search tip #7 for mature workers
Tips from March 1, 2004: top entry-level employers; internships for students with disabilities; job-search tip #6 for mature workers
Tips from February 16, 2004: business suits for needy women; self-assessment neglected by most; job-search tip #5 for mature workers
Tips from February 2, 2004: thank-you note delivery; Job Shadowing 2004; job-hunting trends for 2004 and beyond; job-search tip #4 for mature workers
Tips from January 19, 2004: workforce forecasts; job-hunting on the rise in 2004; key recruiting and staffing trends for 2004; job-search tip #3 for mature workers
2003:
Tips from December 8, 2003: careers in sales hiring; job-search tip for mature workers; declining job satisfaction statistics
Tips from November 17, 2003: widespread skills shortages; pay increases in 2004 expected to be well below 4 percent; job-search tip for mature workers
Tips from October 27, 2003: women are tapping into the use of mentors; networking your resume; loyalty to a single employer statistics
Tips from October 13, 2003: key advice about references; preparing references guide; Take Back Your Time Day; overworked employees ready to bolt
Tips from September 29, 2003: CollegeGrad.com and HotJobs.com partnership; fewer men attending college; trade-school attendance booming
Tips from September 15, 2003: preparing workers for management positions; good news/bad news of post-Labor Day employment; keys to being prepared for job-search
Tips from September 1, 2003: hiring managers prefer cover letter; human-resource managers want cover letters; finding employer name from fax number
Tips from August 18, 2003: women's reasons for obtaining MBA; college grad resume length; lost wages due to unemployment
Tips from August 4, 2003: recruiting on company Websites, career centers; Women for Hire career fairs; what recruiters value in recent MBA grads
Tips from July 21, 2003: salary increases expected to be lower; job markets still looks weak; results of employee loyalty study
Tips from July 7, 2003: telecommuting and unemployment benefits; dealing with anger over job loss; some uses for follow-up letters
Tips from June 23, 2003: frequently asked interivew questions; moral dilemma interview question; rise in situational interviews
Tips from June 9, 2003: part-time work good for high school students; ideas for summer jobs for teens; why people leave their jobs
Tips from May 26, 2003: research study on IT salaries; top highest-paying professions in the U.S.; average salary increases dropping; more benefits are paid for by workers
Tips from May 12, 2003: custom resumes are preferred; jobs may be opening up in the federal sector; importance of researching companies
Tips from April 28, 2003: top entry-level employers for new grads; International Update Your References Week; college grad hiring to be about the same
Tips from April 14, 2003: research on employer discrimination; test your unconscious bias; impact of retiring baby boomers
Tips from March 31, 2003: top 20 resume pet peeves; job-hunting costs/fees tax-deductible; the future of resumes
Tips from March 17, 2003: protecting your identity online; job-hunting tips in a tight labor market; Internet's impact on recruiting
Tips from March 3, 2003: most untapped resources for career seekers; employers are scaling back plans to add workers; a dozen jobs/careers that are winding down
Tips from February 17, 2003: proving you can do a different job; strategies for making career change; don't jump into mediocre job
Tips from February 3, 2003: global online and offline community; top-paying career paths in U.S.; Hot Top 8 Career Fields
Tips from January 20, 2003: deadlines approaching for paid internships; new television show looking for adventure job-seekers; power of job-shadowing
Tips from January 6, 2003: flexibility to balance life and work issues; U.S. workers commitment to the job/employer; working women and children
2002:
Tips from December 16, 2002: good news/bad news for upcoming college grads; hiring up slightly in 2003; CAREERXROADS 2003 Best of the Best
Tips from December 2, 2002: most new jobs are created in the suburbs; sending post-rejection-letter thank you to employers; consider focus group for revising resume
Tips from November 11, 2002: use of corporate careers sites in global firms; reasons why employers use temps; retired workers reasons for returning to work
Tips from October 28, 2002: decline in technology course enrollments; tuition reimbursement issues; interesting facts about hiring decisions; factors important in college admissions
Tips from October 14, 2002: job-search letter technique; e-mail thank you letters; great cover-letter tips
Tips from September 16, 2002: resources for independent workers; employee compensation likely to rise in 2003; convincing the hiring manager you're a match
Tips from September 2, 2002: new book helps teen girls; having a 15-second "elevator speech"; growing unhappiness with jobs
Tips from August 19, 2002: downloadable distance-learning guidebooks; obtaining skills certifications; graduate applications are soaring
Tips from August 5, 2002: telecommuting and quality of life; job and occupational trends; tips for building an online business; job-seeker statistics
Tips from July 22, 2002: remembering BEFAR for job interviews; our practice interviews and interview question database; ensure a professional image on job interviews; remote job interviews
Tips from July 8, 2002: the true meaning of networking; faster placement through networking; networking and the hidden job market; thoughts on networking
Tips from June 24, 2002: stock-based incentives; incentive pay for sales and non-sales employees; negotiating severance agreements; pay vs. benefits
Tips from June 10, 2002: importance of having company knowledge; time spent job-hunting; current job-market trends
Tips from May 27, 2002: tips for older job-seekers; getting your career back on track; major U.S. employment trends
Tips from May 13, 2002: promoting social entrepreneurship among youth; National Work @ Home Father's Day; national mentoring clearinghouse
Tips from April 29, 2002: how valuable is your degree; volunteering after graduation; good-bye to JobDirect.com
Tips from April 15, 2002: Administrative Professionals Week; keeping your resume updated; resume preparation tax-deductible for many job-seekers
Tips from April 1, 2002: being flexible in the workplace; dealing with being overqualified; skilled trades hot career field
Tips from March 18, 2002: avoiding overstuffed and text-heavy resumes; what employers look for in resumes; verifying facts on resumes
Tips from March 4, 2002: dealing with inadequate workforce skills; factors that influence career success; IT training and certification are crucial to increased productivity
Tips from February 18, 2002: finding career inspiration; identifying the skills you most want to use; demand for sales and marketing professionals
Tips from February 4, 2002: cities/metropolitan areas with the highest rates of job growth; searching for your next job at your current job; The Job Outlook 2002 survey
Tips from January 21, 2002: most popular MBA employers; MBAs and job board success; MBA recruitment field trips
Tips from January 7, 2002: community college career centers; maximizing Internet job-hunting; rule about not lying on your resume; personal mission statements
2001:
Tips from December 10, 2001: online discussion group networking; getting appointed to a board of directors; Company of Friends for online networking; improving listening skills
Tips from November 26, 2001: Making Changes newsletter; early warning signs of career burnout; handling career burnout in interviews; don't quit too soon
Tips from November 12, 2001: online behavior of job-seekers; how employers receive resumes; emailing resumes may be best
Tips from November 5, 2001: online resource for managing learning; college majors of top CEOs; percentage of young adults with at least a bachelor's degree
Tips from October 22, 2001: salary increases for 2001; a better work/life balance; knowing what you're worth; key company benefits
Tips from October 8, 2001: two-column cover letters; IT workers still in demand; arriving at job interviews early
Tips from September 24, 2001: internships hold steady; important factors when choosing an internship; internship articles and discussion board
Tips from September 10, 2001: diversity job sites; survey of black and white female managers; women in technology jobs earn less than male peers
Tips from August 27, 2001: getting inside the mind of a hiring manager; better to be interviewed last; preparing and practicing interview answers
Tips from August 13, 2001: advice for differently-abled students; tips for attending career fairs; new grads starting salary offers
Tips from July 30, 2001: developing a list of key employers; employers turning to temporary workers; mistakes recruiters make in phone interviews
Tips from July 2, 2001: research companies before interviewing; job clips for younger job-seekers; company research article
Tips from June 18, 2001: rethinking dress codes; impact of appearance; how HR managers read resumes
Tips from June 4, 2001: resume templates; what's the best resume format; applying for jobs online
Tips from May 21, 2001: grabbing attention in cover letters; scanning and cover letters; National Work@Home Father's Day
Tips from May 7, 2001: student loan repayment incentive; college grads confident of job offers; dealing with multiple job interviews
Tips from April 23, 2001: following-up emailed resumes; reapplying to advertised positions; telecommuting study
Tips from April 9, 2001: Washington Center internships; getting resume items; employer response rates
Tips from March 26, 2001: ways volunteering can boost your career; resume gimmicks; being prepared for layoffs
Tips from March 12, 2001: historic transformation of the workplace; how people get their jobs; ask what you can do for the company
Tips from February 26, 2001: insider's look at behavioral interviewing; informational interviewing; believe in yourself in interviews
Tips from November 6, 2000: Advanced Placement courses; pay differential between high-school and college graduates; relationship between how much you earn and which college you attend
