Books, again

I remember a workbook that I was introduced to many years ago, that I felt combined all the aspects of positive self-awareness and successful career planning for high school and college students. I'm happy to learn that it's still published and updated. 

TRAINING FOR LIFE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING

Author(s): Fred J Hecklinger,  

Bernadette M Black

 

ISBN: 978-0-7575-6048-4

Edition: 10, Copyright: 2009

Kendall Hunt Publishing <www.kendallhunt.com/store-product.aspx?id=20468>

Internship news

Paid Internships Key to Job-Search Success

 

Spotlight for Career Services Professionals, September 28, 2011 

Class of 2011 graduates who took part in a paid internship were more likely to get a job offer, have a job in hand by the time they graduated, and receive a higher starting salary offer than their peers who undertook an unpaid internship or no internship at all, according to NACE’s 2011 Student Survey.
The survey, which garnered responses from nearly 20,000 seniors, found that paid interns in the for-profit sector earned the highest offer rates: More than 61 percent had received a job offer. But paid interns in the nonprofit and government sectors also outpaced unpaid interns, regardless of sector. (Best showing for unpaid internships—the for-profit sector, with just under 38 percent of unpaid interns getting a job offer. In contrast, the “worst” environment for a paid intern was with a state/local government employer: Just under 40 percent received a job offer. )
Similarly, paid interns—regardless of which sector the internship was performed in—had higher starting salary offers than their unpaid peers.
Intern duties appear to be the key to the difference in why paid internships translated into better job-search performance. The paid interns spent more time on “professional” duties—and thus gained more “real” experience—than unpaid interns, who spend more time on clerical activities. 
The 2011 Student Survey was conducted mid-February through April 30, 2011. Read the executive summary. For details about the survey report, see “The Class of 2011 Student Survey Report.”

Excellent resource for discovering entry-level positions

The most recent series of Job Choices magazines from the National Association of Colleges and Employers have just been published on-line. Look here for one of three excellent resources for undergraduates seeking information about the world of work and landing a first position:  http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nace/JobChoices2012DiversitySpecial/

There's only so much one can muse about a difficult job market. The job hunt is the same as before: uncover opportunities, make contact, apply. There may be fewer openings for more candidates but in the end you only need one offer. Do something fun now-and-again for your spirit's sake.

Gearing up to apply for a job with the Federal Government

Here's some useful advice and links from an article posted in the National Association of Colleges and Employers' August 2009 newsletter, Spotlight:

... Brooke Bohnet, associate manager for education and outreach with the Partnership for Public Service (PPS), offers the following tips for landing a job with the federal government for you to pass along to your students:

• Plan ahead—The application process itself can take time; to improve a student’s chances of getting a job, he or she should be sure to allow plenty of time to thoroughly complete the application.
  
• Select carefully—Applications tailored for specific jobs that are a good match for a student’s skills and talents will be more successful than sending out a standard resume for many jobs. Students should read about building their federal resumes (see www.makingthedifference.org/federaljobs/usajobsresume.shtml) and KSA writing (see www.makingthedifference.org/federaljobs/ksa.shtml) before they apply.
  
• Prepare for a wait—It can take weeks to months before a student will hear back about his or her application, and, during this time, there may be little or no communication from the agency. Every federal job requires a background check before the agency can make a job offer. If the position is related to national security, applicants will be instructed to complete the security clearance process once they receive an offer. Students should apply for positions without security clearances about four months prior to their start date and six to eight months in advance for national security related positions.
  
• Follow-up with the agency—A student should contact the identified representative to learn the status of his or her application or to find out more about a job about a month after the closing date or, if the closing date is extended, about a month after the student turned in his or her application.

The Partnership for Public Service's (PPS) web site—www.makingthedifference.org—offers a variety of information on federal job and internship opportunities, as well as resources to help job seekers understand where jobs are in government that fit their needs/interests and tools to help them navigate the federal application process.
“We also encourage career services professionals and job seekers alike to visit the web sites of individual federal agencies to learn more about specific agencies that they may be interested in applying to/working for,” says Bohnet.
To find job openings, Bohnet advises career services practitioners and jobseekers to visit the federal government job web site—www.usajobs.gov.
Jobs with the federal government are attractive because of competitive salaries, a solid benefit package, meaningful and challenging work, and opportunities for advancement and professional development. (For more details, go to www.makingthedifference.org and click on "Why Federal Service.")
Still, most college students don’t know that these positions are available across the country and across the industry spectrum. 
“More than 84 percent are not in the Metro D.C. area,” Bohnet notes. “Also, there are federal jobs available for virtually all backgrounds and interests, from architects to zoologists and everything in between.”...

http://www.naceweb.org/Spotlight/August/2009/Federal_Jobs/?menuID=13&referal=knowledgecenter

Kismet!

Arizona State University has a web site that gives John Krumboltz's "Happenstance" theory of career development its due. To learn about Krumboltz's theory and how individuals accidentally made successful career choices, read and view some of the videos linked to that site: Virtual Career Counselor at http://vcc.asu.edu/career_video.shtml

News for you

It's been a while since I posted. I continue to contemplate how best to use my accumulated knowledge to educate you, readers. Meanwhile, I have found a couple of interesting web sites for you to read related to moving ahead in your career path. Enjoy!

Follow college seniors as they look for work in a tough job market: http://blogs.wsj.com/hire-education/

Finding my calling (becoming a journalist): http://cornellsun.com/section/opinion/content/2011/06/08/finding-my-calling-cornell

Books, Post One

I have a love affairs with books. If you too feel that reading a book, paper or electronic, can play a meaningful role in your self-education, here are a couple of books to put on your reading list re: career planning.

The classic What Color is Your Parachute, by Dick Bolles, is easy to find at libraries and bookstores, and published in several languages. The Web links and addresses of resource people and places are updated annually, but a second-hand copy will do as well. This hefty book requires the reader to read with brain engaged and open to possibilities. Also pen in hand.  There is a Parachute Web site, but it's too wide-reaching and not as well-organized as the book. This book is well-suited for more mature audiences - meaning, those with a bit of life experience.

If you are a creative thinker or otherwise artistic you want to read the Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People, by Carol Eikelberry, PhD. It's most useful for providing a structure to the vast range of possible career options to consider pursuing. Her research was based on college students, and uses the Holland theory of occupational themes (popular in career planning field, and explained in this and other texts) to organize information. Either edition of the book will do. The related Web site is a good complement to the book, but not so useful as a stand-alone.

This list will be expanded in later posts.

Looking for a job

Looking for a job is a job all by itself. Common wisdom says that a job seeker should spend about 20 hours a week job hunting, in the same way s/he'd be working on the job: task-oriented and generating ideas (as opposed to waiting for the hours to pass). Depending on your age, education, race and gender, not to mention location and niche specialty, the "average" job hunt can last up to 6 months (in a good economy).
What does one do in those hours? Craft documents, such as cover letters or letters of interest/inquiry, and thank-you letters for any information shared or interviews; revise resumes; confirm appointments for information interviews, and formal interviews; meet people who know the field or the community to get a better sense of targeting your job search; make phone calls; and search the web for more information and leads.
While searching on-line gets a lot of press, it's only one way to find out what's available in your location or field of interest. None-the-less, there are better and less useful web sites. A couple of my favorites are indeed.com and idealist.org. Check them out!

Consumer's guide to career counseling and choosing a career counselor.

http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/consumer_choose

How to Choose and Use a Career Counselor or Coach - Career Counseling Information, Resources - AARP

How to Choose and Use a Career Counselor or Coach - Career Counseling Information, Resources - AARP

NACE (@NACEOrg) - Brain Rules: Students Need Their Sleep

NACE (@NACEOrg) - Brain Rules: Students Need Their Sleep

First of all...

First of all, I'd like to share how I come to this blog.  I am about to retire from my day job as a college career counselor. With many years of professional experience and academic preparation, I want to continue to use my expertise on behalf of individuals seeking guidance. My interests and expertise are not in placement (matching job seeker to employer) or resume reviews, but rather in sharing knowledge of strategies for applying to college or graduate/professional school, seeking traditional and unconventional  internships and jobs, and most importantly, grounding career planning decisions in self awareness and knowledge about the world of work. I consider myself an educator. I imagine that I'll post periodically and respond to comments and questions as appropriate.We'll see how it goes.