Get the Magic Back in Your Career with a Master’s Degree

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Deanne Arnath

The New York Times recently wrote an opinion piece entitled “What is a Master’s Degree Worth?” Apparently, a lot more than a bachelor’s degree. But why? It’s called degree inflation, and while there are plenty of bachelor’s degree graduates running around trying to find a job, those who are getting a master’s degree are waiting out the recession in school, gaining a more distinguished degree for a future career. That’s the important thing to note. Graduate degrees provide students with more advanced knowledge, which always looks better to an employer. For those who already have a bachelor’s degree and are currently working, a master’s degree could mean a higher position with more benefits and pay. It could also mean doing something that you’ve always wanted to do and getting paid for it. That’s another good thing about master’s degrees. You can get a master’s degree in almost anything if you have an undergraduate degree in a similar field—or even a subject that’s just a tad related. It all depends on how hard you are willing to work for a graduate school acceptance letter and what your goals are with your career. So why should you go to graduate school? Here are some big reasons that it’s probably the best choice right now.

Career Advantages

Many professions actually require a graduate degree, such as law, health care, school administration, engineering, research and even teaching. State licensing boards actually require that these professionals have a master’s degree. Recent statistics show that now more than ever, employers want to see a master’s degree on the resume, and it’s not hard to see why. Graduate degrees help students improve their training and knowledge. They develop their own theories and gain more skills than someone with a bachelor’s degree. Many students also have worked with professors who also contributed to their specific industries in monumental ways, such as judges, scientists and doctors.

Relationships with Faculty

Graduate students get some pretty amazing perks simply by forming personal relationships with their professors and administrators. Graduate classes are smaller and more dedicated to specific subjects. Relationships with professors are different at the graduate level. There is more discussion and dedication, and you’re expected to put in a greater amount of work. There’s also some trade off. Graduate professors also can admire your work, help you find more opportunities and include you on high profile projects. You will also form connections with other classmates.

Advancing Your Education

By passing on grad school, students really give up a chance to do something more with their education, especially when the job market has little to offer recent graduates. Why stop halfway? Students can actually do more while in graduate school, learn more advanced principles and study specific interests more clearly. They develop their own projects and work one-on-one with professors. While the studies do take more time, you’re also more likely to be around those who are passionate about their education as well and studying just as hard. You can develop a greater passion for your career or change into something completely different that you’ve always been interested in.

The Graduate Management Admission Council recently showed that employers are looking for leadership and communication, but that recruiters are only finding these in graduates with a master’s or doctoral degree. It’s important to realize that the compensation can only go up if you have a higher degree, and that those students who earn the prestige also have the capability of transitioning into job categories that are in desperate need, such as the health care and teaching. You can vastly improve your current career with a master’s degree. All you have to do is realize your interest and pursue your passion.

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The 21st Century Workplace

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Deanne Arnath

How will tomorrow’s workforce differ from today?

For most of history, until the early 1900s, people worked until they died.  Today, the average American retires at age 62.  During this century we will lose the concept of ‘‘retirement’’ and replace it with a more flexible view of work, mixed with periods of leisure throughout all of adulthood.  Today, 34 percent of all U.S. workers say they do not plan on retiring.

What kind of jobs will tomorrow’s employers be looking to fill?

Jobs that are inherently meaningful and interesting to each employee; work that enables individuals to exercise their own personal capabilities and strengths. People who love their work invest more of themselves in their jobs, perform better, improve more, and stay longer. Typically, the best employees like to learn, teach, improve, invent, and serve.  Although technology will be paramount in tomorrow’s workforce, employees will seek out employers who advocate individuality.

What skills will tomorrow’s workers need to fill those jobs?

America’s youth is always “plugged in” and many are going into the “technology” field… there will be no shortage of techies in the future.  However, we are still in need of skilled tradesman.  According to Gary Garczynski, a past president of the Home Builders Institute, one of the most pressing problems facing his industry today is a shortage of skilled workers.  Contributing to this shortage is the dwindling interest in the skilled trades among America’s younger generations.  While the characteristics of the workforce are changing, the significant advances in technology are driving the way our businesses operate.  Nevertheless, it takes more than technology to build houses or install plumbing it takes people.

What can we do now to be sure that we are ready when tomorrow arrives at our doorstep?

Focus on people.  Companies must put the same energy into optimizing the relationships with their employees as they have invested in optimizing technology in the 20th Century.  Having people do what each individual is good at is now the key.  Lining up the elements of the employee experience including style of management, nature of the job, and forms of compensation, with each other and with the employees, is essential for a productive workforce.  The ability to compete effectively in a growing global marketplace has always been tied directly to our most valuable natural resource—the men and women of our great nation.  Our workforce has always been the backbone of our economy.  That needs to be the promise of the 21st Century workplace.

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Job Search Blue Print: The Electronic Age

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Deanne Arnath

Need to know the most efficient way to conduct a job search in this new electronic age?  Well you have arrived at the right place. Today, we will share our job search secrets by providing you with an easy-to-follow job search blueprint that you can use to land a job in half the time. So stop beating your head against the proverbial brick wall and follow along with us as we take you through these five easy steps.

Step One – Establish your job target.

Just like in business you need a plan that is going to help you get from where you are now to where you want to be. In order to create a plan you need to have a clear goal in mind.  The first step is to decide what kind of job you will target.  For some, this is very simple, they want to continue on the same career path.  For others, like college graduates or career changers, this can be more challenging.  If you need help in this area spend some time at ONET using their free career assessment tools.  These tools can help you narrow the field and focus in on your job target.  If identifying your job target on your own is too mind-boggling, you should consider working with a career coach that can help you in this area.

Step Two – Polish your resume.

In Step One we discussed the importance of establishing a job target.  As we progress through each step of the Job Search Blue Print, you will begin to see how all of the pieces come together.  The reason that we have you identify your job target first is so that you can make sure that your resume has the proper keywords in it to get you noticed by perspective employers.  Spend some time reviewing job advertisements for the types of positions you are targeting. Within the job requirements or qualifications section, you will begin noticing the same types of words running though many different job descriptions, thus the term keywords.  To find more resume keywords, research industry trends and visit professional association Web sites.  Once you have identified the keywords specific to your search, sprinkle them throughout your resume. If you don’t have the time to conduct the research necessary to identify the proper resume keywords, consider hiring a certified professional resume writer to help you.

You see, when you apply for jobs online your resume will typically wind up in what is called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  An ATS is a database where companies store resumes they have received from applicants for the various job openings they have advertised.  When they are ready to begin the screening process, they simply search the database for applicants that match their hiring criteria. This is done using a keyword search, much like you search Google when you are looking for a specific product or service.  If your resume has the proper keywords for the job position you are targeting, actual people will review your resume. If not, your resume will remain in the proverbial black hole forever.

Step Three – Establish or update a LinkedIn account.

In Step Two we discussed how to make sure that your resume has the proper keywords in it for the types of positions that you are targeting, so that it comes up in keyword searches when employers are looking for someone with your qualifications.  But applying on corporate Web sites and job boards is not enough. Remember that there are quite possibly hundreds of other qualified professionals vying for those very same jobs. The absolute best way to find a job is through networking to uncover hidden jobs that you otherwise would not have known about.

Approximately 80% of recruiters today, use LinkedIn as a primary tool for sourcing qualified candidates. That said, if you do not have a presence there you are missing out on an important part of the hidden job market. LinkedIn is also a great place to reconnect with people and catch-up. Yes, that’s right, we have now ventured into word-of-mouth marketing, the very best way to find a job.  The truth is people really do love to help, but first they need to know that you are looking for a job.  A word of caution here, make sure that your LinkedIn Profile is just as polished as your resume, and 100% complete, before you enable it for public viewing. If you’re not confident with your profile consult a professional for assistance.

Step Four – Distribute your resume.

In Step Three we touched on the value of LinkedIn as an important part of your networking strategy so we’ll round out the discussion with another very important tool known as resume distribution.  Resume distribution is a process whereby a job seeker is matched to hundreds of member companies based on their job function, industry, and geographic preference.  This approach will save you countless hours of research time in creating a similar list.  In addition, resume distribution can add tremendous value to your networking strategy by gaining access to unadvertised jobs that many recruiting and staffing firms boast.  Lastly, you can have your resume in the hands of hundreds of recruiters and hiring managers in as little as three days.  Now that’s what I call fast!

Step Five – Brush up on your interview skills.

In Step Four we talked about an incredibly fast way to get your resume into the hands of hundreds of decision makers.  Now it’s time for the telephone to ring with invitations to job interviews.  By now you will have invested a great deal of time effort into ensuring your success at landing a new job.  Question is, “Can you talk the talk?”  Proper preparation really is the key to excellent interview skills.  For some it comes natural, but for others their nerves can get the best of them.  If you have experience interviewing and feel pretty confident, practicing with friends and family members could do the trick.  On the other hand, if you are inexperienced or nervous about interviewing then you may need professional interview skills training to win the job you want.

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Tired of looking for a job? Tips to help you keep on keeping on

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Deanne Arnath

Recently, I interviewed with Laid Off Lounge to provide their audience with some insight on how to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude during a job search. I have posted the interview here for our audience as well. Enjoy!

Tired of looking for a job? Tips to help you keep on keeping on

Have you sent out hundreds of resumes, spent hours researching a company or position, worked hard on a cover letter and never heard a word in return? Searching for a job gets old, fast. It can be discouraging and even depressing. Could there be a better way?

Recently Laid Off Lounge (LOL) sat down with Deanne Arnath, President and CEO of Career Wizards Inc, and an expert in career search strategies. We asked her about how to keep going in a job search that feels like it’s going nowhere.

LOL: What can people do to stay encouraged during a long job search?

Deanne: Many who are unemployed are used to a certain level of success, and are embarrassed to ask for help. Network with your family and friends. Make a list of people you know and call or write them and ask for help. If you don’t ask for help, you won’t get it. People can offer you encouragement and advice that will help you keep moving forward. Stay motivated. Make a job search to do list. People fall into looking for a job day and night and get discouraged. Complete your list and reward yourself for getting things done.

LOL: For those unemployed for a year or more, what is the first piece of advice you would offer?

Deanne: Don’t let yourself go. Taking care of your appearance helps you stay motivated and maintain a positive attitude about your search. Get yourself ready like you are going to work every day. Exercise. Exercise is a good stress reliever that will help you feel energized.

LOL: What does your business do differently to help people who are stuck in a frustrating job search?

Deanne: There are a lot of outplacement services that do not provide the tools job seekers need. Whomever you work with, it’s important that they actually care. We think that if you are not successful, we are not successful. Hire a service that you feel will offer you the type of support and guidance you need throughout the job search process. Focus on seeking out professionals that will help you put your best foot forward and make you more marketable to potential employers.

LOL: What should you do to help fill a long gap of unemployment in your resume?

Deanne: Unfortunately, there is hiring discrimination against the unemployed. The longer you are unemployed, the worse it is. Recruiters prefer those who are already employed. If you’ve been out of work for a while, keep your skill sets sharp. Get certifications in your field, add new software skills further your education, stay active in professional organizations, offer yourself as a business consultant, or start a small business. Do things that will add value for an employer.

LOL: What do you think of internet job searching?

Deanne: Internet resources are impersonal and vast; they can be a big black hole. Using just the Internet maybe the fastest way to get discouraged in your job search. Instead, get out and talk with people face-to-face. Walk in your resume in person. A smile and a handshake can be invaluable. Call to follow-up on your resume and get it out of the stack. As a bonus, getting out of the house and making contact with people will make you feel better.

LOL: What are the best resources available for long-haul job seekers?

Deanne: Unemployment lifeline is a great site. It links the unemployed to resources in their community. Your local state workforce center is important. Workforce centers offer free courses, information on community college programs, financial aid, workshops, and short-term training. Employing a professional resume writer and career coach can put you back on the right track to finding gainful employment.

LOL: What would you say to those who are out of work and out of patience with it all?

Deanne: Consider visiting a job seeker forum, or get together with friends or family and talk it out. It’s great to talk with those who can relate. Job seekers need to know they are not alone. If you’re used to success, it’s especially important to have others to uplift and be uplifted by.

Laid Off Lounge is all about creating community and finding solutions that work. Together, we’re building a think tank full of practical advice, insider tips and outside-the-box real-life stories from innovative entrepreneurs.

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Career Exploration for a Rewarding Career

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Deanne Arnath

If you are a recent or soon to be high school or college graduate, you are probably scratching your head wondering what to do next.  If you are a high school graduate, you may be interested in exploring different majors so that you can decide, which college, university, or vocational school is right for you.  If you are a college graduate, you may be interested in exploring the many different types of jobs that are available to you now that you have earned your degree.

Making the right decision about your education or job choice is the first step toward a rewarding career.  You can save yourself years of unhappiness by taking the time to research the different types of careers that are available to you, the economic outlook for those careers, the salary that you can expect to earn, and the advancement potential you can anticipate.

With tens of millions of jobs to choose from, planning your career can be a long and difficult road without the proper tools to research your career and education options.  As a high school graduate, if you make the wrong choice about your major you could spend years earning a degree only to discover it was not the right career path for you.  As a college graduate, if you make the wrong choice about your career you could spend years feeling trapped in a job because it was not the right career trajectory for you.

As an experienced career coach and resume writer, I have clients of all ages and career levels contact me to help them navigate their job search.  Unbelievably, approximately 50% of these clients do not have a clear-cut job target, nor do they know that there are resources to assist them in making this very important decision.  As a result, I provide my clients with the tools and resources they need to identify their career objective before we begin mapping out a strategy to help them get there.

With graduation time creeping around again, I wanted to share a few online resources with you to help you find the career that might suit you best.  The Big Book of Jobs published by VGM Career Books and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics says, “The key to a successful career search is to balance what you can do and what you want to do versus what employers expect in specific career fields.  One way that most of us reconcile this dilemma is by first conducting an extensive self-assessment and then researching careers that match your personal profile”.  I could not have said it better myself.  Below are a few of the free self-assessment resources that are available online.

  1. The O*NET Computerized Interest Profiler is a vocational interest assessment instrument administered online that fosters career awareness and provides a window to the world of work via the 800+ occupations within O*NET Online.
  2. The O*NET Work Importance Locator is a self-assessment career exploration tool that allows people to identify occupations that they may find satisfying based on the similarity between their work values and the characteristics of the occupations.
  3. The O*NET Ability Profiler is a career exploration tool that helps clients plan their work lives.  Individuals can use the results to identify areas for which they might want to receive more training and education as well as identify occupations that fit their strengths.

Once you have completed a comprehensive self-assessment, you can begin researching careers that match your personal profile.  Below are a few career exploration tools that are available online.

  1. InsideJobs is a free online resource dedicated to career exploration.  There are thousands of job descriptions to help people identify what they want to do in their career.  The job descriptions are fun to read and include salary ranges and work environment information as well as information on education and training needed to enter a specific job field.  Users can also explore common career trajectories for a variety of job fields.  The interactive media components of the website allow users to watch informational videos with real people sharing their personal experience about their career choice.
  2. O*NET Online is an interactive application for career exploration and job analysis.  The O*NET database contains information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors, which is available to the public at no cost, and is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation.

Even with the multitude of career exploration tools available, you may still find it difficult to make a career decision.  As you peruse job descriptions that match your personal profile, make a list of the likes and dislikes of the jobs you have eliminated as well as a list of the likes and dislikes of the jobs that are still in contention.

For the positions that are still in contention, make notes about what makes these types of jobs attractive to you, such as skill sets, opportunity for advancement and salary ranges.  Think about other types of careers that share these same features and refine your research efforts to focus solely on these career fields until you reach a decision.

If you are still undecided about your career choice, consider setting-up informational interviews with professionals in your fields of interest to learn more about what the jobs entail and what you might  expect should you decide on a career in one of those fields.

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