Career Hunting Tips

Online colleges are very popular these days for various reasons. Some of the top reasons why people enroll in online colleges include the following:

• Flexibility in schedule – Online classes are very flexible allowing busy working adults to pursue their education without having to give up their jobs.
• Ability to study anywhere – With online classes you do not have to go to particular place just to attend classes. You can study anywhere as long as you have a computer hooked to the internet. This means that even those who cannot physically attend traditional colleges can pursue an education in the comfort of their own homes.
• Affordability – Since online colleges do not have to worry about costs associated with maintaining a mortar and brick school, they are able to transfer their savings to their students, so that some of the best colleges you will find in terms of tuition are actually online colleges.

However, even with such advantages, a lot of people are still hesitant when it comes to getting a degree from an online college. Usually their hesitation comes from valid fears such as the quality of education that online colleges deliver. What you should realize though is that online colleges are just like traditional colleges. You will indeed encounter those that are nothing more than diploma mills, but you will also find those that offer quality education. In fact, some of the best colleges and universities also offer online classes. With that in mind, you just have to take care in choosing a good online college to get the best possible education that is also convenient and affordable.

Never discuss salary requirements unless the employer instigated it. However if you are asked to put this specific detail in your resume or CV, then it is only because of three reasons:

No time. They need to interview candidates as quickly as possible and they can weed out the people faster just by looking at their resume.

Strict budget. Companies may not want to waste resources. They need to know immediately those they think they cannot afford to hire.

Hiring tactic. Companies need to know which candidates can follow instructions. Those who do not include these details even when asked (for fear of doing a no-no) should already expect that their resumes will be discarded.

Be specific. Just indicating that you “graduated with honors” apparently is not enough. Your GPA is an evidence of your intelligence and your ability to achieve. It will most likely give you a greater edge over other candidates by being more specific about this detail, especially if you have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In this case, there is no room for modesty. Remember than getting a job is like selling yourself, and by being a little too modest can be selling yourself a little too short.

If the job that you are applying involves traveling, then you should ask very specific questions regarding this aspect of the job.

Ask how much you need to travel and where.
Ask how long you will have to stay (both the most likely to be the shortest and the longest stay).
Ask what you need to do in each travel.
Ask about expense accounts. Will the company be able to provide you funds or do expenses come in a re-imbursement policy.
Ask about communication facilities. Will they give you a computer, a cellphone, or other devices? Will they pay for the accounts?
If in case travel does not agree with you, would there be a fall-back position?

Starting a career can be difficult. It entails not only hard work but also certain sacrifices that have to be made on your part. One of these sacrifices is relocation. There are many specific professions that are concentrated in particular areas in the country. For example, most publishing houses are in New York while many actors find Los Angeles (film and television) and New York (theater) their home. If you really are serious in pursuing a career, then you might have to prepare yourself to move to where the action is. But bear in mind that competition in these places can be very stiff so it really doesn’t hurt to also have a plan B.

The hiring process differs in every company. Employers may ask potential applicants to undergo multiple interviews. They may also ask applicants to take I.Q. and psychological exams and conduct demonstrations. However, the final selection occurs after at least one interview. Employers use the interviews to meet the applicants personally and to verify qualifications. Answers to questions can help them evaluate if the applicant is suitable not only to the position but to the organization or company as well. Aside from a person’s skills, experience, and education, personality and the over-all attitude to work are qualities to look for in a potential employee. Lastly, employers want to make sure how much a new employee will cost them so they want to make sure that what they are purchasing is worth all the expense.

Oh, do not be fooled by the excitement and drama in the TV shows you watch. CSI may give its audience a glimpse of the field of forensics but you can’t erase the fact that the show is still fiction. One advice if you find a career interesting, ask the professionals. They’re the ones who know the glamorous and the not-so-glamorous sides of their work. Here are some examples of questions that you can ask when interviewing a professional:

How did you get your job?
What are your main responsibilities?
What are the most frequent problems or issues do you have to deal with?
Can you describe a typical day in your job?
Is there room for growth?

I’m really a little wary of posting my resume online. Of course, job search sites usually take precautions against online identity theft of their clients. But the best way to safeguard your personal information is to do it yourself.

Give minimal contact information. Remove the standard contact information from your online resume. This means leaving your address, home phone numbers (unlisted numbers such as cell phone numbers may be included), business e-mail address, and your personal e-mail address.

Make use instead of a web-based e-mail address just as long as you do not create an account that sounds fun but bogus such as funnygirl@webbasedmail.com. Although you are trying to be safe, don’t be sorry and still put up a professional front.

Avoid specifics in your employment history. Change company names to general descriptions. It is very easy to do research on personal information nowadays because of internet access.

So do yourself a favor and keep your identity safe.

The first step in choosing a career is not browsing through the classifieds in the newspaper or the internet; it’s by sitting down in a quiet corner of your room with pen and paper in hand and think.

Do not ask yourself what you see yourself doing for the rest of your life. That’s too hard a question to answer. Many people in their forties are still trying to find their real calling in life. In finding a first career, focus on the here and now. List down what you know about yourself – interests, hobbies, interests, skills, knowledge, and talents. From there, you can gleam in with which field you would want to start.

Making career decisions can be challenging and sometimes graduates struggle to know where to begin. Looking at vacancies is a common starting point but not one that would be advised. Many vacancies are never advertised, so looking at job adverts will only ever give you a biased and partial picture of the graduate labour market.

If you are unsure which career will suit you, you would be better to spend some time thinking about yourself. Become better acquainted with yourself; be aware of your skills, interests and what motivates you. Consider any background issues or constraints, such as mobility, affecting your choice. Think about the skills you wish to use at work, your feelings about further study, which working environments appeal to you, the sort of lifestyle you want and so on.