This information comes from the Quintessential Careers Job Search 101 Tutorial, specifically the Gaining Experience section. You can find more detailed information there about each of the above categories, as well as many other strategies for best preparing yourself for the job market.

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The importance of grades to success after college depends on what career you go into, according to nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack. "In some occupations," Tuerack notes in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, "getting better grades leads to more dollars in your pocket. It also makes it more likely that you'll get hired in this competitive workforce. However, in other occupations, such as being a motivational speaker like myself, what mattered more is communication ability. In my opinion, the key is making the most out of college to develop yourself -- not just being focused, like most students, on the grade, but rather on the education you're gaining. Anyone who makes a priority of developing himself or herself (his or her mind) wins in the long run. Besides, most of the stuff we learn in school ends up, for the most part, regurgitated for the exam, and then forgotten anyway.

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We get numerous emails from college students who are about to graduate with little or no actual experience. There is simply no excuse for any college student not to have some kind of work experience through summer jobs and/or internships. There are just so many advantages to gaining work experience, from learning first-hand about corporate culture and office politics to gaining a better understanding of your career path and learning valuable skills.

Many -- if not most -- employers recruiting college graduates, especially business school grads, want the students they interview to have some work experience. That work experience typically occurs through internships and summer jobs. If you didn't do an internship, you probably should have some sort of answer prepared in case you are asked why. Even if you have not "worked," you probably do have experience. Look at any volunteer experiences, through which you probably acquired numerous valuable skills that can easily transfer to the workplace. And you probably have been involved with numerous major projects in your classes in which you also learned and employed new skills.

Go to the Transferable Skills section of Quintessential Careers to learn more about emphasizing your set of key skills. Also go to the career services office at your college and work with those professionals to build a job-search strategy designed especially for you. You'll be able to find a job, but it will take developing a resume that focuses on your key skills and experiences, using your network of contacts, and implementing the advice from the career services office.

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The value of increasing your reading speed/comprehension and memory applies to just about everybody in the workforce since it helps us be more productive because we're reading every day -- emails, mail, memos, books, says nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack. "Anyone who can take in more information in a shorter period of time has the advantage," Tuerack notes in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, "We're in an information-overload society -- and the winner is the one who can get through, assimilate, and use the information most productively. Most people, however, waste hours by reading slowly, re-reading, mind wandering."

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While college is not for everyone, the value of a college education is monumental -- in many ways. Most studies show a deepening income gap between people with just a high school diploma and those with a college education -- and especially with women. But it's not just earning power; it is also how people will perceive you and judge you. Read more in a our article: What Good is a College Education Anyway?

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Reviewing notes every day within five hours of class is the most important piece of advice that nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack says he can offer to college students. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Tuerack observes: "Studies and surveys continue to support that any student reviewing his or her notes within five hours of taking them is earning a grade-point average of between a 3.7 to 4.0. It's simple; it ends up saving a lot of time in the long run; and it will improve your grades as well as your understanding of what's going on in class every day."

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Authors Gen and Kelly Tanabe observed in the Q&A interview they did with Quintessential Careers that many students say that the college admission process is a mystery. "They send off their applications and several months later receive either the coveted acceptance letter or hated denial letter in the mail," the Tanabes note. "They wonder who the dark figures hiding in the shadows are who read their applications. The truth is that they are real people. They come from all kinds of backgrounds, former English majors who love to read, alumni who love their colleges, and educators. And perhaps even more surprising is that they are not your critics who take evil pleasure in denying you. Admission officers are actually rooting for you, looking for reasons to admit you," the Tanabes continue.

"Of course the reality is that colleges cannot accept all applicants, but for the most part admission officers approach the applications they receive positively. They review all of the pieces of the application, building a complete picture of who you are from your academic record to the passions you describe in your essays to what others say about you in recommendations. While your academic fit with the college is the most important, admission officers also seek to find your personal fit with the college as well. Will you thrive on the campus? Will you be challenged? Will you contribute to the campus community? The truth is that the great majority of admission officers enjoy the process, especially when they see the new students they have admitted on campus. Help them by giving them reasons to admit you. Don't be afraid of showing them who you really are and what is important to you," the Tanabes advise.

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Want a degree or new career training but can't take time from your career? You're far from alone. According to a Marketing Facts Study, 70 percent of Americans have considered taking a course of study to help further their careers. And according to a Department of Labor study conducted by Merrill Lynch and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2000) 65 percent of jobs today require additional skills. By 2005, that figure is expected to increase to 85 percent. Additionally, 42 percent of consumers indicate at least some difficulty in locating education/training resources (International Communications Research, Dec. 2000).

Monster.com to the rescue. Monster recently announced the launch MonsterLearning, an online resource for managing learning as it relates to advancing careers. The site provides a variety of learning tools, opportunities and information, that are, according to Monster, "in one comprehensive location, empowering individuals and corporations to take more control of the career development process." MonsterLearning's one-stop search engine provides free access to a universe of learning opportunities, including online and classroom courses, test preparation, degree programs, certifications, and other instructional materials such as books and videos, anytime -- 24/7. The MonsterLearning search engine contains general and enrollment information on all types of learning opportunities from top learning providers offering online and offline courses and other instructional products and services.

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Older college enrollees often make much better students than traditional college-aged students. If you're considering taking the plunge, think carefully about the following as you work toward a decision about college.

First, can you afford to go to college? Can you develop a plan -- a combination of financial aid, scholarships, and a part-time job -- that will give you enough financial freedom to pay your current bills as well as college tuition? Find some resources in the college planning resources section of Quintessential Careers.

Second, what do you want to study in college? Don't just jump into college without a plan. Spend some time matching up your other skills and interests with various careers by going to the career assessment tools section of Quintessential Careers.

Third, do you really need to go to college -- or do you want to go? While many companies do hire employees without a college degree, there is often a point at which you can't get any farther up the ladder with the degree. Keep in mind, too, that it is often the degree the matters more than what you study, so keep your focus on the prize. Fourth, are you using college as an escape from the job market? In a tough economy with jobs hard to find, this situation should play only a very small role in your decision about attending college.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Review all our Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips.