CAREER
RESOURCES
Updated 10/22/07
(New
postings for the week are in RED)
New Career
Resource Websites
Want to Change the Face of
Medicine?
If you really want to make a difference in people’s lives, consider
a career in medicine. Too many African
Americans, Latinos/as, and Native Americans don’t get the care they need. Log onto www.AspiringDocs.org, a new resources from the Association of
American Medical Colleges, to help you get connected, get inspired, and get
into medical school.
FACTS AND TRENDS
New Careers in the Future – Disease Mapper (use satellite imaging
techniques, etc. to track and predict the spread of epidemics), Radiosurgeon
(radiation oncologists who use robotic high-energy radiation to treat cancer),
Robot Programmer (use computers, etc. to manipulate robots, teach customers how
to use robots), Information Engineer (use statistical formulas, etc. to
summarize trends, and usage information for Internet companies, etc.), Second
Life Lawyer (the virtual online world community who do things virtually; the
lawyers help the programmers to patent their code).
Six Hot Careers for the Future – forensic science, health care
management, accounting, computer software engineering, entrepreneurism, paralegals.
Careers for Animal Lovers – Not everyone can be a
veterinarian. There are many career
options for people who like working with animals – animal trainers, shelter
workers, pet groomers, pet sitters, pet shop owners/workers, veterinary
technicians.
INTERVIEW TIPS
v
If
you must arrive early for an interview, make it by only a few minutes. However, it is far preferable to arrive too
early than too late.
v
Force
yourself to look the interviewer in the eye when you greet him/her by noticing
the color of the eyes. If you tell
yourself that you have to tell someone the person’s eye color after the
interview, you are fairly certain to look the interviewer in the eye.
v
If
unsure where to sit ask, “Is this a good place for me to sit?”
v
Never
begin a conversation by talking about the weather, traffic, or sports as they
are overused. Jokes are too risky - if
they fail your interview may be in trouble. Do ask, if appropriate, about any
hobbies or interests suggested by pictures or plaques in the interviewer’s
office. And if there are pictures of
people, b e careful not to assume a picture is of a spouse – it may be a child.
v
Don’t
show up for an interview with your notes or other papers in a plain file
folder. Carry a briefcase, and the
smaller, the better. You are generally
better off not taking notes during the interview. And be sure to take one of
the interviewer’s business cars if you do not already one.
v
Don’t
relax in your chair as if you were watching TV in your living room. Sit up, if not on the edge of your chair, to
at least look and act alert.
v
If
the interviewer repeatedly asks if you have any more questions, it’s a sign of
his/her interest in terminating the conversation. At that point, think quickly
about anything you might add that could help your case.
(Career
Opportunities News Nov/Dec 2006)
THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC
CAREER – College
presidents love music majors. They fill
up the ranks of the marching bands to enliven football games. They perform in the (ensembles) featured in
commencement and other ceremonies, and their concerts appeal to the school’s
older benefactors.
Members
of the dean of students’ staff also like music majors, because as a group they
work hard, tend to stay out of trouble, and add another dimension to the
student body. In fact, the administrator
not crazy about the music program may be the financial officer, who compares
the cost of teaching a single violin student for an hour with the same level
professor lecturing to 35 students on the English novel of the 19th
century.
While
music is an integral part of many colleges and universities, too many of its
majors end up frustrated, unable to turn their talent and their training into
professional music careers. There are
six talented musicians for every opening in classical music, according to BusinessWeek, but the reality may be
worse than that. Three years ago, when
the National Symphony Orchestra had an opening for a violinist, some 320
candidates applied, and 124 sent tapes that were so good they received
auditions.
The
secret of success in music may be found in early training (through summer
programs). (Students) know that the secret is practice. The difference between a talented musician
and a talented and successful one is practice. In order to compete at the highest
level, a musician must practice at least 10,000 hours – that’s three or four
hours a day for 10 years. And each
practice must focus on weaknesses, such as fingering or intonation.
(Career
Opportunities News Jan/Feb 2007)
OCCUPATIONS YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF – Around 140 million Americans work in
40,000 different occupations. While most
of us recognize those working as teachers, postal workers, nurses, detectives,
and retail sales clerks, millions work in smaller fields which offer
interesting opportunities but because of their size are seldom publicized. Here are some occupations that illustrate the
range of less-publicized employment options:
actuary, advertising copy writer, air traffic controller, animal control
worker, art auctioneer, association executive, book editor, budget analyst,
camp director, career counselor, cartographer, city manager, collection agent,
college development officer, compliance officer, convention planner, culinary
editor, dog groomer, educational planner, etiquette instructor, federal
inspector, film archivist, financial planner, fitness coordinator, florist,
foreign service officer, gemologist, harbor pilot, historical researcher and
hospital registrar.
Check
out these occupations at www.careercruising.com (
Career Opportunities
News
INTERVIEW
TECHNIQUES This Washington Post website is an
interactive guide to interview techniques. Check it out!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/jobs/nti/index.html
ON CHOOSING A
CAREER
Because
they have limited information, people often get wrong impressions or make false
assumptions about careers, the working conditions of occupation, and the
educational requirements or job duties.
Such uncritical thinking can lead to the creation of stereotypes and
myths that interfere with sound career decisions. For example, many people think
that there are no opportunities in the manufacturing trades, that all
high-paying jobs require a college degree, and that most teachers earn
below-average salaries. None of these
myths is true. And believing myths like
these limits career choices unnecessarily.
The
best way to keep myths from derailing your career search is by learning to confirm your beliefs or
expose your mis-conceptions for what they are. Use the resources listed below to help get accurate information about
careers; use more than one resource.
Career Advancement
Management, June 2006
APPRENTICESHIPS are relationships between an employer and
an individual who is actually employed, either part-time or full-time, and who
works at the employer’s place of business. The apprentice learns an occupation
in a structured program administered by the employer (or by the employer and a
labor union). The apprentice works under
the guidance of an experienced employee and gains knowledge of the skills and
techniques necessary to successfully perform the occupation. Apprentices are usually paid for the time
they work.
Websites:
Construction
Workforce Development Coalition www.futureforcenow.com
Sample
apprenticeships: automotive, barbering,
bricklaying, carpentry, cement masonry, construction, cosmetology, electrical,
heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing, steam and pipe fitters,
iron working, surveying.
INTERNSHIPS are situations
where students work for an employer for a specified period of time in order to
learn more about an industry or occupation.
The student’s workplace activities are normally less structured than with
an apprenticeship, and the student may be assigned special projects, a sample
of tasks from different jobs, or several tasks related to a single occupation. Interns may or may not be paid for their
time. Rather, it is an opportunity
for the student to get a feel for a certain career field before deciding to
enter a more formal apprenticeship program or to pursue postgraduate education
in the field.
For high school
students,
these situations would also be called volunteer opportunities. They can be during the summer or the school
year. Very often, volunteer organizations have monthly orientations. See the Volunteer
Opportunities link and the Summer Opportunities link on the
Other
resources include: www.ceinternships.com
CAREER
WEBSITES:
Career
Cruising www.careercruising.com Provides students
with the means to investigate careers, explore colleges and universities and
develop a portfolio.
Username:
Career
Guide to Industries (CGI) http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/ For dozens of different kinds of industries – such as educational
services, health care and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing – the Guide
tells you about: occupations in the industry, training and advancement,
earnings, expected job prospects and working conditions. It gives you links to information about the
job market in each state and more.
Career
Prospects in Virginia http://www.careeprospects.org
Investigate careers, find opportunities in
nontraditional careers; see what you can study in community colleges; learn how
to look for a job; keep up with career trends; link to career advice,
self-tests, salary surveys, internships, job ads; plan ahead using career and
regional statistics.
Career
and Technical Education Programs in
Careers
in Auto Technology www.autojobstoday.org
Turn your love for cars into a great resource. Auto technicians are in demand.
Careers
in Engineering http://www.tryengineering.org/home.php
Disney
CareerStart Program www.disneycareerstart.com
Graduating high school seniors;
program is a structured living, learning and earning program for those who are
unsure of their future path and are looking for a new experience that will
provide more than just a job. Program begins in August.
Job
Corps http://philadelphiaregion.jobcorps.gov/
U.S. Department of Labor-funded program providing
youth with career training and education.
There are three centers located in Virginia which offer educational and
training opportunities to students who are unable to graduate and those who do
not have specific post-graduation plans between the ages of 16-24; program
offers training in more than 60 different areas such as culinary arts, health
occupations, business technology, facilities maintenance, carpentry, plumbing
and auto body repair. Job Corps also
helps students earn their high school diploma or GED if they were unable to do
so while enrolled in high school.
Occupational
Outlook Handbook (OOH) http://www.bls/gov/oco/ For hundreds of different types of jobs – such as teacher, lawyer, nurse
– the Handbook tells you: the training
and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the
job and the working conditions. In
addition, the Handbook gives you job search tips, links to information about
the job market in each state and more.
Occupational
Outlook Quarterly Online http://www.bls.gov/opub.ooq.about.htm
The OOQ Online provides practical information on
jobs and careers. Articles are written
in straightforward, non-technical language and cover a wide variety of career
and work-related topics such as new and emerging occupations, training
opportunities, salary trends, and results of new studies from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.