Archive for Category: Career Q&A
4 Tips on Transitioning into Management
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A on August 2, 2010 at 9:33 am
Dear Lindsey,
I recently received two master’s degrees (MBA, 2008 and MSA, 2010) after many years of working in state government. Now, I am ready to explore more opportunities in the private and public sector.
If I’ve never functioned in a leadership capacity, will it be difficult to branch out in management?
Obtaining my master’s has helped me realize I have a lot to offer and I’m motivated to share the knowledge and years of experience if given the opportunity to do so.
Would you please provide some guidance on how to accomplish this goal?
Thank you,
Beverly
How to Manage the Technological Generation Gap
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Generation Y Managing Generational Differences on July 22, 2010 at 8:36 am
Dear Lindsey,
I’m an engineer at a leading tech company, and for the most part I love my job. At 29, I’m one of the younger people in the office. One of the most frustrating things for me is working with much older people who are a lot slower with new technologies — even my superiors who are in technical roles can’t work as quickly as the younger crew can.
And I don’t blame them — I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up in such a rapidly-changing field when I’m in my 60s. Still, it’s hard to watch (or wait for) them to figure something out that I could have done myself in half the time.
How do I show respect to my older, less tech-savvy coworkers without losing my mind?
Thanks,
Young and Speedy
Read my answer to this question on my new “Ask the Gen Y Expert” column at Excelle.com…
Career Q&A: Should I change my career plans because of the recession?
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Graduate School Job Hunting on March 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Q: I graduated in May with a political science major and am wondering what to do next. My plan was to apply to law school, but with so much student debt already incurred I am having second thoughts. I am currently working at a bank as a teller, but this is not the career I wish to pursue. With the current recession and unemployment rate I am terrified that I will be a bank teller forever. Any suggestions? — Lauren, Racine, Wis.
A: You are smart to consider your finances when making a decision about law school. However, if you’re sure you want to be a lawyer, I believe that where there’s a will there’s a way. Start researching scholarships, financial aid packages and part-time programs (which allow you to continue working) as ways to lessen the financial burden. Law can be a very lucrative career, so it’s OK to take on some debt to finance your education. However, if you are not sure you really want to be a lawyer, don’t apply until you’ve made up your mind.
Regarding your fear of becoming a bank teller forever, that is entirely up to you. If you are securely employed in that position right now, my best advice is to make the best of it, learn as much as you can in that position and network with your colleagues to help build your connections and your access to future opportunities.
In this tough job market, I wouldn’t recommend giving up a decent job. (Of course, if being a bank teller is sucking the life out of you, then you need to make a change, even if it means working in a pleasant retail environment or a coffee shop.)
Whether you keep your bank teller job for the short-term or not, it’s important to keep researching and networking in the industry in which you’d like to work. If it’s law, then subscribe to law journals, read legal blogs, attend networking events and professional association meetings for lawyers and ask everyone you know to introduce you to attorneys who would be willing to provide you with some advice and guidance.
Just because you’re not working or studying full-time in a field does not mean you can’t be part of it. Every action you take and connection you make now will help you position yourself for a career move when the economy turns around.
Click here to read more of my career Q&As on ABC News on Campus
Click here to submit a question of your own
Image: ABC News/Getty
Career Q&A: How to make your resume stand out in a crowd
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Job Hunting Resumes on February 12, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Q: I’ve been applying for jobs since September and have not been called for a single interview. I’ve taken my resume to Career Services for a review and some tips, but still nothing. How can I make my resume stand out in a crowd?
A: You’ve taken the right first step, which is having an expert — in your case, career services — review your resume and make sure it’s the best it can be. However, having a good resume is not enough these days. Employers are being bombarded with resumes, so the real way to stand out is to promote yourself beyond sending in a resume. You have to go the extra mile to get noticed.
Depending on your situation and the types of jobs you’re applying for, here are some suggestions: (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Job Hunting, job search, resume
Your career questions answered
Posted in Career Q&A on January 7, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Each month I’ll be answering reader questions over at ABC News on Campus. This month’s Q&A includes issues such as job hunting in a recession, job hunting in a new city, finding finance positions and assessing the value of internships.
Click here to read the entire Career Q&A…
Click here to submit a question of your own
Tags: Career Advice, Economic Crisis, employment, Generation Y, jobs, recession
Career Q&A: How to get a job when you have a low GPA
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on November 23, 2008 at 8:38 pm
How much does GPA matter when you’re job hunting?
Q: Everything is so much more competitive these days. Will I ever get a good job when I graduated with a 2.0 GPA?
A: Some elite employers have policies requiring a certain GPA (usually a 3.0 or higher), and there is generally no way around that rule. To get a job with one of the gazillions of other employers in the world, a low GPA is a completely surmountable challenge.
In some cases you can squeak through by demonstrating that you’ve achieved better grades in your particular major or in classes related to the job to which you’re applying. For this strategy, you can list your “major GPA” or “grades from relevant classes” on your resume, in a cover letter or verbally during a job interview.
Here’s the most important thing about GPA: it matters less and less as you advance in your career and have more experience under your belt (no one asks a 52-year-old executive what grade she got in Freshman Econ). Applying the transitive property of career advice, this means that if you want your GPA to matter less, you need to make your experience matter more.
Understand that employers use GPA to gauge a few things about you:
• Your intelligence
• Your discipline
• Your ambition
Good grades imply that you are smart, serious and motivated. Mediocre grades imply the opposite. So, if you’re just not a good student or you slacked off in school, you need to show that you possess the attributes of someone with a higher GPA. (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Generation Y, Job Hunting
First job advice: Should I work in investment banking or consulting?
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on July 24, 2008 at 9:54 am
My radio co-host Alexandra Levit and I are quoted in this week’s NewYorkTimes.com “Shifting Careers” column. Here is the question submitted and our responses:
I will be graduating from an Ivy League college this year, and had planned to apply for jobs in investment banking and finance this fall. However, in light of the recent market/economy downturn and massive layoffs, I am becoming disillusioned with the industry. Since my academics are average and I have slimmer chances of being hired at top banks, I am considering seeking an entry-level position in consulting firms instead (which I am also interested in).
Do you believe that would be a good idea. Would you advise new graduates to ride out the downturn? How easy would it be to switch fields later on in my career? (more…)
Career Q&A: What career should I choose?
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A First Job Out of College Generation Y on June 24, 2008 at 6:00 am
Q: I graduated college a few weeks ago, have agreed to take a job for the summer and in the fall will embark on a Master’s degree (entailing a couple of night classes a week). I am not sure if I’ll want to pursue a Ph.D. in the future, but for now, I’d like to explore a different career path. I was an English major, have interests in communications, literature, and non-profit work, but I’m having trouble deciding what area to go into. What should I be doing in the next two months (while at my current job) to research/determine what area I should go into?
A: It sounds like you are very eager to determine your career path before you start your master’s work. I completely understand that desire, and I also know from experience that choosing a career is not something that can be rushed. You may not decide what you want to do until you actually meet someone who does it (that’s what happened to me). So, let’s talk about some ways to maximize the number and variety of careers you are exposed to over the next two months and into the future: (more…)
