There is a common notion that you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job. How do you solve this paradox? By working without pay in the short term with internships, community service or volunteer experience, the job seeker can gradually transition into other fields where they lack the necessary skills, education or relevant experience.For example, I once counseled someone with 15 years...

Congratulations! Finally after a long job search, you have one employer's offer and are waiting to hear from others. After you have spent so much time and effort trying to get an offer, the process of evaluating the offer to see if it is right for you often takes a back seat. This article is designed to cover: the seven factors in evaluating job offers, additional factors to consider, the three job offer options, negotiatin...

Network Your Way to a JobMany people use the classified ads as their sole job search technique. Unfortunately, statistics show that only 10% to 20% of jobs are ever published, which means that 80% to 90% of jobs remain hidden in the job market. For this reason, networking remains the number one job search strategy. Networking DefinedA network is an interconnected group of supporters who serve as resources for your job searc...

When employers complete their initial interviews for a job opening, they ask the top candidates back for a second interview before making a final decision. The second interview, also known as the site visit, office visit, or plant visit, can range from a half day to a full day of interviewing and related activities. If you have been asked back for a second interview, it means you are a contender for the job. Typically after...

One of the most valuable things parents can do to help a student with career planning is listen: be open to ideas, try to help your student find information, and be nonjudgmental. Here are 10 ways you can help: 1. Encourage your child to visit the career center (and you go too!)Next time you visit campus, drop into the career services office and pick up a business card from one of the career counselors. When your son or dau...

You may feel that during the rest of the year you simply don’t have time to even think about your future career, let alone do something about it. Although you may be equally busy in the summer, this is a great time to step back and think about your short-term and long-term career plans. Start by making a list of some reasonable summer goals. What are some of the key factors that you want to have settled by the end of...

To be quite blunt about it: No. Here’s why. Back in the 1960s and 1970s a college degree meant something because not everyone had one. In 1985, only 2% college graduates participated in some type of internship (Training Magazine, April 1998). By 2000, the figure had increased to 75% (SAM Advanced Management Journal, spring 2000). Similarly, research by Experience Inc. in March 2004 indicated the number of graduating stu...

Self-assessment is the building block and foundation of career development. It is the first step in the process of finding the right job and career. Inventorying your interest values and skills is critical in finding a fulfilling career, but what’s the next step after self-assessment? In the career exploration stage, the job seeker begins to discover where their interest, values and skills can be put to work. A report...

Interviewing is one of the most important and most neglected parts of your job search. Unfortunately many people try to “wing it” with often regrettable afterthoughts. With careful preparation and practice, you can learn the necessary skills to avoid blowing your interview.WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE INTERVIEW1. Know Yourself. It is not easy to articulate your strong points to an interviewer if you cannot articulate them to you...

Are you getting what you want out of life? Do you really know what you want? Are you caught up in the “busy”-ness of mere day to day living that you sometimes feel you are achieving empty victories? Have you ever asked yourself whether or not you have a clear sense of direction and purpose that inspires and energizes you? Or are you uncertain about what you really want out of life and a career? You are not alone. Un...