Vanita and I had an in-depth discussion of her legal career and we uncovered unique qualifications and transferable skills she offered to the position. Her qualifications included graduating from the hiring law school, substantial law practice experience, and skills in interviewing, hiring, training and mentoring new attorneys. She was very knowledgable about the legal profession and what employers looked for in potential hires. To gain a bird’s eye view of national hiring trends, I advised her to research the website of a national association for law career services professionals. I also recommended contacting someone in the law career services field for an informational interview.

Vanita put her research and analytical skills to good use. She conducted in-depth preparation for her interview including web research and conducting an informational interview with someone in the field – that meeting proved very beneficial. When Vanita interviewed for the position, the Director was very impressed by her knowledge of hiring trends and practices in law career services as well as her knowledge of the national professional association for the field. Her perseverance and preparation paid off – she got the job! Vanita is wrapping up things in Atlanta and preparing to move back to the nation’s capitol to start her next life chapter. She is excited to start a new career in the new year!  We wish her the best of luck in her new role!

Written by Lisa Cook, Director of Career Services

If you have a success story to share, please email: careerservices@waldenu.edu

As we consider those in need, it’s gratifying to know that our Walden University students, alumni, staff, and faculty dedicate thousands of hours each year, through the Walden University Service Network and other programs, to help those less fortunate.   A recent article highlights the many benefits of our volunteerism – not just to those who are helped but to the volunteers themselves -  http://www.consumerreports.org:80/cro/magazine-archive/2011/december/health/health-benefits-of-giving/overview/index.htm

Having just delivered a Time Management webinar to more than 300 students, we know you are highly industrious individuals with many demands on your time – from family responsibilities to careers to classwork.  Yet, you  do so much to weave positive social change into your career paths and other pursuits.  In this season of giving, we thank you for all that you do throughout the year to help make a difference in the world. 

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Productive 2012!

Lisa Cook, Director of Career Services

Jon started out as a music teacher and taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.  After several years of teaching, he enrolled in a master’s program in education administration in order to “diversify myself professionally” and obtained his administrator license.   A few years later, he was selected to fill the role of assistant principal at one of the high schools in his school district.  This position led to assistant principal roles at other schools.   He finally landed a full-time principal position at the elementary level where he was employed for over six years. Subsequently, he has served as principal at three additional elementary schools in the same district.  

Are Jon’s successes simple strokes of good luck, or are there other factors at work here?  In actuality, Jon’s career achievements are a result of hard work, professional involvement, and relentless commitment to lifelong learning.  The following helped propel his career:

• He assumed teacher leadership roles that included serving on committees, working with his principal on behalf of teachers, bringing professional development opportunities to his school, and serving as the Faculty Senate Chairperson for his school.
• He became the “go to” person, offering assistance to staff, and taking time to learn the operations of the school including attendance, scheduling, and other systems.  This involved many hours of volunteer time and efforts beyond his classroom teaching responsibilities.
• As a teacher and principal, he took advantage of professional development and networking activities inside and outside his school district.  These included participation in state level leadership institutes (upon recommendation from the county superintendent), and active participation in Web Top, an application designed for his district that included discussions, blogs, resources, and listservs related to educational topics. 
• He modeled lifelong learning through his own professional development, and the pursuit of graduate and post-graduate education. 

 Jon is always looking ahead to his next opportunity.  He recently applied for a state-level administrator position, and met with Career Services at the EdD Residency to discuss his application.  When asked whether he researched the contact person, Jon responded that he already knew this individual; he had provided professional development at his school and also knew his mentor.  Jon had built a strong professional network over the years that helped him in his career.  For this position, Jon was asked to come in for a panel interview with state level department heads including three superintendents.  Jon told me that all of his interviewers had doctoral degrees.  Although he didn’t get the position, he felt that being selected for the interview and having his name in front of a committee that is very visible will help him secure a position with the state department in the near future. Why is Jon pursuing his EdD at Walden?  His next goal is to be selected for an administrative position at the regional level with the state department of education or move into a district level position.

Written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren

If you have a success story to share, please email: careerservices@waldenu.edu

Tapping Into the Hidden Job Market  (to be delivered twice on the following two dates)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 from 11:00 am to noon Central Time 

Wednesday, October 5, 7 to 8 PM Central Time (encore presentation of same webinar)

While most job seekers spend a great deal of time and effort applying to positions advertised on the internet and various job boards, there is a hidden job market that holds much greater potential.  Join Walden’s Career Services Center to learn the key to unlocking the hidden job market, why it is important, and how it will help you land the job you want.

To register, visit the Career Services Center’s “Latest News” section in the left column on our homepage at: http://careercenter.waldenu.edu

If you have any questions regarding these webinars or the other services and resources offered by our Career Services Center, please contact careerservices@waldenu.edu. 

We hope you are able to join us!  

Lisa Cook, Career Services Director

This quote rings true for Walden University student, Ingrid, who moved from St. George’s, Grenada, to Washington, D.C., where she served as an Attaché to the Organization of American States, representing the Government of Grenada. When her government contract ended, Ingrid enrolled in the PhD in Public Policy and Administration program at Walden University to further impact governmental policies.

Like many Walden students in career transition, Ingrid had a short-term goal of finding immediate employment, and a longer-term goal of applying her degree to make a lasting impact in her field. Ingrid recently decided to seek a part-time position where she would have the flexibility to mentor and educate students, while also working on her doctoral degree. She contacted the Career Services Center and worked with two advisors who helped her update her resume and directed her to job banks and other career-related resources to help her expand her job search.

Ingrid’s online job search led to an educational center that helps students prepare for SAT and GMAT exams. Based on her prior experience in training and development that included developing and delivering workshops, and designing curriculum and training manuals, she qualified for the instructor position. As part of the interview process, she was asked to deliver a short teaching presentation. She designed a lesson plan, a course outline, and prepared teaching aids that impressed her interviewers and resulted in a job offer.

Ingrid thanked Career Services for giving her the confidence to effectively market herself and her skills. After a successful interview and job offer, she is more confident in her ability to apply her transferable skills to multiple roles. Ingrid’s long-term goal is to apply her PPA to make an impact on women in politics. Meanwhile, her past experience is useful in obtaining immediate employment based on prior experience and skills. She encourages other students to go through a process of self-assessment to identify short and long-term objectives.

Written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren

Shortly before immigrating to Kentucky from Eastern Europe, Elena lost her husband who was killed while serving in Iraq. While coping with grief and adjusting to her new country, she enrolled in a local BS in Psychology program and sought volunteer opportunities at a VA hospital. After completion of her BS, she “wanted to try something new” and heard from her friends that online education helped students become more organized and responsible. At this point, Elena enrolled in the MS in Psychology program at Walden and started looking for full-time positions in her field. She tried applying for positions at health departments, but received no response. She then took a proactive approach and contacted Walden University Career Services for assistance with her job search.

Career Services helped Elena expand her career options and target positions that were more aligned with her qualifications. The resources she received helped her research entry-level positions at nonprofit organizations. She also referred to the Career Services Center website for cover letter and resume samples, and worked with a Career Services Advisor to prepare for interviews. After extensive preparation and research, she submitted an application to a nonprofit working with abused children and youth, aced her interview, and got hired for a Youth Counselor position.

The following factors contributed to Elena’s success in the application process:

• She created a targeted resume using resources on the Career Services website, and provided a personal touch to her cover letter by including a quote from Anna Freud about abused children. Her employer was impressed by the quality of her materials.

• She dressed professionally by wearing a suit and researched the organization and position prior to the interview.

 • She emphasized her Walden University experience, transferable skills from completing a graduate program (knowledge, organizational skills, responsibility, etc.) and her exceptional GPA.

What advice does Elena have for other Walden students who are trying to break into the Psychology field? Start gaining experience early through volunteering, establish strong networking relationships with students and faculty, and be willing to consider entry level positions that may provide valuable skills and experience. As a Youth Counselor, she received CPR training, Safety and Crisis Management training, and hands-on experience working with challenging populations. Elena plans to continue her career in Psychology with her new knowledge and skills, and looks forward to future challenges.

Written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren

Do you have the need or desire to work from home?  Have you searched for telecommuting jobs only to find questionable ads?  According to Work at Home Now authors, Christine Durst and Michael Haaren, approximately 1 out of 59 “work at home” job postings are legitimate.  This insightful book identifies trustworthy websites for professional telework (i.e. telecommuting) positions, provides online search strategies, and helps prepare you for telework success. 

Telework job sites are organized by “type” and include tips from insiders, company information, and position titles.  Job categories include: 

• Consultants and subject matter experts;
• Education, teaching, and tutoring;
• Technical and web-related;
• Accounting and financial;
• Translation and linguistic;
• Writing, editing, and proofreading;
• And many more!

This book also lists telework-friendly companies that may allow more flexibility and freelance websites where applicants can bid for jobs.

Along with specific companies to target, the authors offer strategies on how to use search phrases and tools to manage a telework job search.  Examples of many search phrases are provided, along with tips on how to use tools such as Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts) to receive notifications of telecommuting job leads based on defined search criteria.  Strategies for searching niche job banks, large job banks, and job aggregators are also discussed.

Geared toward professionals in a variety of fields, it is packed with insightful tips on researching companies, creating resumes customized for telework, preparing for interviews, and even convincing employers on the benefits of telecommuting.  This book is a refreshing, information-packed resource for those seeking alternative work arrangements.   The authors’ website, called www.ratracerebellion.com, also has current and updated telework sites.

This book review was written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren

Revisions

I mentioned that our students often wonder why they don’t receive responses to job applications they submit.  Iris stated that recruiting on the agency side is a metrics-driven activity.  Recruiters are trying to collect as many resumes and potential candidates as possible.  However, that said, the top way to get a job is still referrals and networking.  In her opinion, 60% of hires come from referrals, as it’s too easy for resumes to fall into a “black hole.”  Iris is a big LinkedIn user and fan – as she said, “Troll the groups.”

Iris also gave valuable advice for working with staffing agencies.  She said their goal is “fill and bill” – if they can bill you out, they’ll take on trying to place you.  For the best chance at success, build relationships with staffing agency recruiters.  Don’t stop at submitting an online resume – instead, follow up with a phone call to verify they received your resume.  If you’re lucky, they’ll sift through their resumes and talk over your qualifications with you – and perhaps you’ll be called in for an interview.  Be friendly and build rapport and a positive relationship with them.  Keep calling to check in with them – persistence pays off.   

Iris has used some very creative strategies in building her own network.  When offered a gift card by a hospital to make up for poor customer service she received, she stated, “I’m currently looking for a job, so if you could put me in touch with your head of HR, I’d much prefer that over the gift card.”  Her “outside the box” approach landed her an excellent informational interview with the head of HR who said he would keep her in mind for available openings.

Finally, Iris advised job hunters to talk to everyone – store clerks, vendors, service folks, etc. – tell them you’re looking for work and ask how they got hired.  Once again, it’s not just what you know, but who you know. 

Thanks so much to Iris for sharing her tips with us and we wish her the best of luck in her new academic pursuits at Walden!

Written by Lisa Cook, Director of Career Services  

Advance registration is not necessary – just simply click on our webinar link on the Career Center website at: http://careercenter.waldenu.edu any time after 10:30 am CDT. 

We look forward to having you join us!

Career Services Staff