Georgia State University and the U.S. Department of Labor have teamed up to create the Occupational Supply Demand System, which "provides information and resources that will assist with the analysis and discussion of supply and demand issues relevant to today's labor market." This tool can help you research wage trends, fastest growing occupations, and the jobs with the most openings in your state and nationwide. The Occupational Supply Demand System is located here - More... http://www.occsupplydemand.org/
Also, the New York Times produced an article recently that explores job searching issues for people who don't have a Bachelor's degree when a degree is required. There are some interesting points and tips about how to handle this situation. That article is located here - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/jobs/08search.html?_r=1&hpw
Take care,
Chris
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Face-To-Face DDP Career Counseling
I'm visiting a city near you! Well, maybe. If you live in Washington State, then chances are likely that I'm visiting a city near you!! DDP Advisors and Seminars are hitting the road in October to put on DDP: Face-to-Face events (previously known as Open Houses). This is a chance to meet with me, with your Academic Advisor, and to attend an Academic Seminar (which you need to sign up for via your Academic Advisor). Here are the dates and locations: More...
10/13 - Moses Lake - Big Bend Community College
10/14 - Yakima - Hilton Garden Inn
10/20 - Mt Vernon - WSU Mt Vernon Research Center
10/22 - Everett - Everett Community College
10/27 - Aberdeen - Grays Harbor College
10/29 - Spokane - WSU Spokane
Exact times and locations are found on our website at: http://online.wsu.edu/current_students/ev_current_events.aspx
If you want to setup a time to meet with me, then send me an email at cmiller66@wsu.edu. If you want to setup a time with your Advisor, then contact them directly. We will be holding appointments from 8 AM to 5 PM on those days, and the Academic Seminars will be held from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. I look forward to meeting some more WSU Online students.
Take care,
Chris
10/13 - Moses Lake - Big Bend Community College
10/14 - Yakima - Hilton Garden Inn
10/20 - Mt Vernon - WSU Mt Vernon Research Center
10/22 - Everett - Everett Community College
10/27 - Aberdeen - Grays Harbor College
10/29 - Spokane - WSU Spokane
Exact times and locations are found on our website at: http://online.wsu.edu/current_students/ev_current_events.aspx
If you want to setup a time to meet with me, then send me an email at cmiller66@wsu.edu. If you want to setup a time with your Advisor, then contact them directly. We will be holding appointments from 8 AM to 5 PM on those days, and the Academic Seminars will be held from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. I look forward to meeting some more WSU Online students.
Take care,
Chris
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Advice from Jobfox.com
Jobfox.com is a job searching website that helps you build a job searching profile, matches you to employers based on your experience, and introduces you to those employers. After you sign up and build a profile, you can also receive job hunting tips from Rob McGovern, the Founder and CEO of Jobfox.com. Here is his most recent advice on producing a quality cover letter: More...
Many job seekers have asked me for advice on cover letters. Should I send one? Formal or informal? Email or printed? The same way that "semi-casual" sends partygoers into a tizzy, the new rules of cover letters are confusing almost everyone. In this email I'll attempt to demystify the topic and give you some contemporary pointers.
If job seekers had a choice, they'd kill this relic of the job searching process. The origins of cover letters dates back to the prehistoric time before online job sites. Back then you submitted your resume blindly to companies (since you didn't know whether they were hiring), and the cover letter was designed to introduce you. Today, employers still find them valuable so job seekers have no choice but to submit them.
Here are five contemporary pointers for your next cover letter:
Remember clear, concise and coherent. Don't forget a cover letter will be seen as a writing sample. In today's world of texting, instant messaging and email, many people have skirted by without being able to command the written word. Many employers have told me that they view a well written cover letter as a sign that a candidate knows how to communicate in a professional manner. This means your cover letter must be perfect in format, grammar, and structure.
Keep it short. Brevity is the new normal. It used to be that cover letters were four or five paragraphs. Now two or three paragraphs are the new norm. Don't forget that most cover letters are viewed in email form, and no one likes to read long email messages.
Make sure it is email friendly. Email has become the preferred submission method. Some people are still sending printed cover letters on parchment paper, which frankly makes the candidate look dated. The only exception is for more traditional industries (e.g. law, medical).
Get to the point. Be sure to tell the reader:
Which job you're applying to?
How you learned about the job?
How you can contribute to the organization?
How they can reach you?
Point #1 is very important. If the recruiter is working on five or six different openings, chances are that your resume will be mixed in with job applicants for other jobs within the recruiters inbox. The recruiter needs a few bread crumbs to understand where you belong. The font should be Arial or Times Roman, no background wallpaper, no "bolds", underlines, or italics.
Use formal salutations. Lately we've been seeing email cover letters that start with "Hi Kim," or just "Kim," and end with "Thanks," or "Best,". This is far too informal for my taste. Remember, this is a test of your formal business communication skills, so you need to show your stuff. "Dear Ms. Clark" and "Sincerely," are the salutations of choice.
Many job seekers have asked me for advice on cover letters. Should I send one? Formal or informal? Email or printed? The same way that "semi-casual" sends partygoers into a tizzy, the new rules of cover letters are confusing almost everyone. In this email I'll attempt to demystify the topic and give you some contemporary pointers.
If job seekers had a choice, they'd kill this relic of the job searching process. The origins of cover letters dates back to the prehistoric time before online job sites. Back then you submitted your resume blindly to companies (since you didn't know whether they were hiring), and the cover letter was designed to introduce you. Today, employers still find them valuable so job seekers have no choice but to submit them.
Here are five contemporary pointers for your next cover letter:
Remember clear, concise and coherent. Don't forget a cover letter will be seen as a writing sample. In today's world of texting, instant messaging and email, many people have skirted by without being able to command the written word. Many employers have told me that they view a well written cover letter as a sign that a candidate knows how to communicate in a professional manner. This means your cover letter must be perfect in format, grammar, and structure.
Keep it short. Brevity is the new normal. It used to be that cover letters were four or five paragraphs. Now two or three paragraphs are the new norm. Don't forget that most cover letters are viewed in email form, and no one likes to read long email messages.
Make sure it is email friendly. Email has become the preferred submission method. Some people are still sending printed cover letters on parchment paper, which frankly makes the candidate look dated. The only exception is for more traditional industries (e.g. law, medical).
Get to the point. Be sure to tell the reader:
Which job you're applying to?
How you learned about the job?
How you can contribute to the organization?
How they can reach you?
Point #1 is very important. If the recruiter is working on five or six different openings, chances are that your resume will be mixed in with job applicants for other jobs within the recruiters inbox. The recruiter needs a few bread crumbs to understand where you belong. The font should be Arial or Times Roman, no background wallpaper, no "bolds", underlines, or italics.
Use formal salutations. Lately we've been seeing email cover letters that start with "Hi Kim," or just "Kim," and end with "Thanks," or "Best,". This is far too informal for my taste. Remember, this is a test of your formal business communication skills, so you need to show your stuff. "Dear Ms. Clark" and "Sincerely," are the salutations of choice.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Assistantships Help Pay for Grad School
I wish I knew about assistantships before I started graduate school. Technically, I did hear about assistantships about a week before classes started, but that wasn’t enough time for me to go about securing one. If I would have obtained an assistantship, I would have saved myself thousands of tuition dollars. What are assistantships? More...
There are generally 3 types of assistantships: Teaching, Research, and Graduate (though, all 3 are usually for graduate students only). Teaching and Research Assistantships are pretty straight forward; you teach a class to undergrads in the academic concentration of your graduate work, or you help with the research efforts of your department (or a similar academic department). A Graduate Assistantship could mean a variety of things, depending upon the department. It could be an administrative assistant type of position, it could be a program development position, or it could be something like an advising position for undergraduates.
What are the benefits? Of course these vary from school-to-school, but often the case is this: you work part-time as a graduate assistant and attend school full-time, and the school will waive most or all of your tuition, sometimes pay for health insurance, and occasionally will cover textbooks also. On top of getting your tuition waived, you still get paid to work those hours, so that helps with housing, bills, meals, etc.
As I stated earlier, I missed out on a graduate assistantship my first year of grad school due to lack of information, and I couldn’t get one my second year due to internship commitments. That was the case for me, but for many of my colleagues, they attended graduate school without taking out any student loans. Not every college or university offers assistantships, so it’s important to ask before applying. If you have any questions about assistantships, then send me an email at cmiller66@wsu.edu.
Take care,
Chris
There are generally 3 types of assistantships: Teaching, Research, and Graduate (though, all 3 are usually for graduate students only). Teaching and Research Assistantships are pretty straight forward; you teach a class to undergrads in the academic concentration of your graduate work, or you help with the research efforts of your department (or a similar academic department). A Graduate Assistantship could mean a variety of things, depending upon the department. It could be an administrative assistant type of position, it could be a program development position, or it could be something like an advising position for undergraduates.
What are the benefits? Of course these vary from school-to-school, but often the case is this: you work part-time as a graduate assistant and attend school full-time, and the school will waive most or all of your tuition, sometimes pay for health insurance, and occasionally will cover textbooks also. On top of getting your tuition waived, you still get paid to work those hours, so that helps with housing, bills, meals, etc.
As I stated earlier, I missed out on a graduate assistantship my first year of grad school due to lack of information, and I couldn’t get one my second year due to internship commitments. That was the case for me, but for many of my colleagues, they attended graduate school without taking out any student loans. Not every college or university offers assistantships, so it’s important to ask before applying. If you have any questions about assistantships, then send me an email at cmiller66@wsu.edu.
Take care,
Chris
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Applying to Graduate School? Here's My Story.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about applying to graduate school lately, so I think a good way to address this topic is to share my experience. It all began with the decision to go to grad school. I originally chose Psychology as my undergrad focus because I was fascinated by the classes, I enjoyed studying the material, and I knew that I wanted to work with people one-on-one. In order for me to have real client experience, I knew I would have to go to graduate school. The search began with More... a Peterson’s Guide (http://www.petersons.com/) that I purchased at bookstore (available at most public libraries also). I used this guide to research different graduate programs in Psychology, such as School Counseling, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Psychopathology, School Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, etc. The Peterson’s Guide also helped me prepare for the application process by alerting me to the requirements for each individual program, but now it is imperative to get online and check the requirements for each program at their website and contact them to verify you have all the correct information too.
Of course there were many conversations that occurred with family, friends, and coworkers about going to grad school, and also there are important factors like finances and relocation. I was a little unsure of which program to go into, but I knew I didn’t really want to move too far away from home and also wanted to select a program that would give me several career options. I chose to apply to the School Counseling program at WSU (I probably should have applied to a couple other places but knew I really only wanted to go to WSU). School Counseling was a good fit for me at the time because it allowed me the flexibility to work with a diverse client field with constantly changing issues (academic, personal, career). Also, in Washington State, I would be able to go into Community Counseling careers if I went for the School Counseling degree and chose not to work in schools, whereas, a Community Counseling degree would not allow me to work in schools if I chose to change my focus. Hope I didn’t confuse you with that point.
Application preparation was surprisingly exciting, and I’m not really exactly sure why. I guess it was just the feeling of accomplishment that comes with putting something like a portfolio together. My application required these items: the actual paper application, a personal statement, 3 letters of recommendation, official transcripts, GRE test scores, and a resume. Often there are interviews done too, but I wasn’t applying for a research-based degree or a PhD, which often require interviews because the faculty wants grad students who are interested in their research.
I was concerned about gathering letters of recommendation, especially from a professor, because I wasn’t really the most vocal student; I made sure I had something to say for class each day, but I didn’t go out of my way to foster conversations between classmates. I approached one of my favorite Psych professors for the recommendation, and he was happy to help me out and was glad I was extending my education. He told me that most professors are more than willing to write recommendations for students who do well in their courses, even if they don’t verbally participate as much as others. This knowledge is something that I often share with WSU Online students who are concerned about asking a professor for a recommendation because they have never met them face-to-face. My 2 other letters of recommendation were from my employer and another from my best friend’s mother, who had been a School Counselor in the past, which enhanced the letter as more than just a personal recommendation. So, I had one personal, one work, and one educational letter of recommendation.
I turned in the application material around mid January, which is when most grad schools’ deadlines are, giving the schools/programs enough time to work everything out and offer spots to prospective students for the start of school in the fall. I found out I was accepted after about 3 or 4 months, which was very exciting, but there was a lot of paperwork and planning that followed. I had to officially accept the offer, had to fill out program paperwork, was contacted by a student mentor, had to tell work that I was officially leaving, family celebrations, and one of the most time consuming activities was finding housing. Luckily, I lived in Spokane, WA, which is only an hour and fifteen minute drive from Pullman, but I made several visits to view apartments, and eventually sign more paperwork. When it comes to finding work while attending graduate school, here is my recommendation, and this is very important: Be sure to look for graduate assistantships at your graduate school! What is an assistantship? Well, that is what I will be addressing in my next blog.
Take care,
Chris
Of course there were many conversations that occurred with family, friends, and coworkers about going to grad school, and also there are important factors like finances and relocation. I was a little unsure of which program to go into, but I knew I didn’t really want to move too far away from home and also wanted to select a program that would give me several career options. I chose to apply to the School Counseling program at WSU (I probably should have applied to a couple other places but knew I really only wanted to go to WSU). School Counseling was a good fit for me at the time because it allowed me the flexibility to work with a diverse client field with constantly changing issues (academic, personal, career). Also, in Washington State, I would be able to go into Community Counseling careers if I went for the School Counseling degree and chose not to work in schools, whereas, a Community Counseling degree would not allow me to work in schools if I chose to change my focus. Hope I didn’t confuse you with that point.
Application preparation was surprisingly exciting, and I’m not really exactly sure why. I guess it was just the feeling of accomplishment that comes with putting something like a portfolio together. My application required these items: the actual paper application, a personal statement, 3 letters of recommendation, official transcripts, GRE test scores, and a resume. Often there are interviews done too, but I wasn’t applying for a research-based degree or a PhD, which often require interviews because the faculty wants grad students who are interested in their research.
I was concerned about gathering letters of recommendation, especially from a professor, because I wasn’t really the most vocal student; I made sure I had something to say for class each day, but I didn’t go out of my way to foster conversations between classmates. I approached one of my favorite Psych professors for the recommendation, and he was happy to help me out and was glad I was extending my education. He told me that most professors are more than willing to write recommendations for students who do well in their courses, even if they don’t verbally participate as much as others. This knowledge is something that I often share with WSU Online students who are concerned about asking a professor for a recommendation because they have never met them face-to-face. My 2 other letters of recommendation were from my employer and another from my best friend’s mother, who had been a School Counselor in the past, which enhanced the letter as more than just a personal recommendation. So, I had one personal, one work, and one educational letter of recommendation.
I turned in the application material around mid January, which is when most grad schools’ deadlines are, giving the schools/programs enough time to work everything out and offer spots to prospective students for the start of school in the fall. I found out I was accepted after about 3 or 4 months, which was very exciting, but there was a lot of paperwork and planning that followed. I had to officially accept the offer, had to fill out program paperwork, was contacted by a student mentor, had to tell work that I was officially leaving, family celebrations, and one of the most time consuming activities was finding housing. Luckily, I lived in Spokane, WA, which is only an hour and fifteen minute drive from Pullman, but I made several visits to view apartments, and eventually sign more paperwork. When it comes to finding work while attending graduate school, here is my recommendation, and this is very important: Be sure to look for graduate assistantships at your graduate school! What is an assistantship? Well, that is what I will be addressing in my next blog.
Take care,
Chris
Friday, April 3, 2009
Updating a Resume
I can’t think of anything less fun than updating my resume, but truthfully, it is a very important task to carry out. I update my resume about once a year because it’s very easy to forget about all the little things we’ve done at work during the previous year. One thing that I recommend doing is keeping a work log for the sole purpose of keeping your resume up-to-date. At the end of every month you can jot down every thing you’ve done at work that could be considered resume appropriate in your work log. You could write down presentations you developed and led, workshops you attended, projects you were involved in that yielded specific outcomes (write down the numbers/data/evidence), conferences you attended, etc.
More...
Another important thing to consider when updating your resume is the format. Some questions to think about when choosing a format: Does my resume have a theme? Does it need one? Is a chronological resume the best for me? Would a functional resume work better? The answers to these depend upon your previous experience, future goals, and employers you may work with down the line. Some good examples of these resume formats can be found at www.careers.wsu.edu.
The last essential part of resume updating is in the little details. Make sure your personal information and contact information are accurate. Also, if you have an objective statement on your resume, it probably needs updating since you have most likely progressed in your current position. If you don’t have an objective but do have a skill section, then make sure that skill section is up-to-date. When it comes to updating your current position on your resume, be sure to revise your duties, skills, responsibilities, accomplishments, dates of employment, and any new licensure or certifications. Other important sections to update would be education, volunteer work, professional organizations, and references. Reevaluate your references and make sure their information is correct and also make sure that they are still appropriate references for your goals. With the current market instability we face today, it’s imperative to be prepared for the unknown as best as we can.
Take care,
Chris
More...
Another important thing to consider when updating your resume is the format. Some questions to think about when choosing a format: Does my resume have a theme? Does it need one? Is a chronological resume the best for me? Would a functional resume work better? The answers to these depend upon your previous experience, future goals, and employers you may work with down the line. Some good examples of these resume formats can be found at www.careers.wsu.edu.
The last essential part of resume updating is in the little details. Make sure your personal information and contact information are accurate. Also, if you have an objective statement on your resume, it probably needs updating since you have most likely progressed in your current position. If you don’t have an objective but do have a skill section, then make sure that skill section is up-to-date. When it comes to updating your current position on your resume, be sure to revise your duties, skills, responsibilities, accomplishments, dates of employment, and any new licensure or certifications. Other important sections to update would be education, volunteer work, professional organizations, and references. Reevaluate your references and make sure their information is correct and also make sure that they are still appropriate references for your goals. With the current market instability we face today, it’s imperative to be prepared for the unknown as best as we can.
Take care,
Chris
Thursday, February 19, 2009
To call or not to call?
Hi Chris,
So cool you’re making yourself available to the whole wide world. So, here’s my question.
Q. After I send in my job application, should I really follow up with a phone call? Won’t I be bothering the busy support staff?
A. It is a very, very good idea to follow up with a phone call. There are good ways to do this and bad ways to do this. This is the art part of the job search. You don’t want to call too much for obvious reasons, but you do want to follow up.When it is a situation where you assume the employer will get hundreds of applications, then you want to call only to make sure everything was received. If you assume the application load will be smaller, then call and ask about the status of the hiring process, express interest to the appropriate party, and make contacts with anyone relevant to the job.
Hot tip: One of the best resources for exploring careers is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, created by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Check it out at http://www.bls.gov/oco/. It will help you research growing industries, hot jobs, and what it takes to get started in the careers that interest you.
So cool you’re making yourself available to the whole wide world. So, here’s my question.
Q. After I send in my job application, should I really follow up with a phone call? Won’t I be bothering the busy support staff?
A. It is a very, very good idea to follow up with a phone call. There are good ways to do this and bad ways to do this. This is the art part of the job search. You don’t want to call too much for obvious reasons, but you do want to follow up.When it is a situation where you assume the employer will get hundreds of applications, then you want to call only to make sure everything was received. If you assume the application load will be smaller, then call and ask about the status of the hiring process, express interest to the appropriate party, and make contacts with anyone relevant to the job.
Hot tip: One of the best resources for exploring careers is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, created by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Check it out at http://www.bls.gov/oco/. It will help you research growing industries, hot jobs, and what it takes to get started in the careers that interest you.
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