Tips for becoming a good professional on the job

The first tip is to always strive to show up early, and stay late. You don't have to show up at 5am and work until midnight, but showing up at 8:50 in the morning and working until 5:05 at night will show that you aren't just looking to leave as soon as the clock says so. It means that you are willing to get a good jump, and not leave until the work is finished and everyone is set for your to leave.

Be nice to people. It will allow you to cultivate good relationships. If people like you it will make it easier for you to do your job, and it will make you look like a real professional. This will help your career out immensely because these contacts are going to make it easier to do your job, and easier to stay calm and professional when things go wrong because you will have help.

Stay calm under pressure, and don't panic. A true professional will make sure that they are leading by example. Make sure you are able to be calm under pressure because business often is about pressure. Make sure that you are able to show those around you that your head is in the game no matter what happens. This goes a long way toward proving you are a responsible professional.

Don't fret when things go wrong. If you get demoted, take it in stride. If you are fired, you should make sure that you are taking it as well as possible. Don't bad mouth or take out your frustration on others. Simply look for the next opportunity out there and make sure that you learn from your mistakes in the process.

A 10-second chance: Tips for writing resumes that get noticed

Selling yourself and your professional accolades in just one page can be overwhelming.

Keeping your resume to one page, however, is one of resume building's golden rules. This is where brevity counts.

Dianne Schuler, business service manager of the Business Employment Skills Team office in Ottawa, also recommends keeping it simple, meaning nothing elaborate like graphics, unless pertinent to the job you're applying for.

At the Ottawa BEST office, a resource room is dedicated to people wishing to construct or update their resume.

Many websites today, such as www.monster.com, help people prepare their resume, Schuler said.

"It's personal preference," she said in terms of employers' resume preferences. "Everyone's going to be different."

A few rules are all-encompassing, though, Schuler said. She said to make sure the professional experience section is specific to the job you're applying for.

According to career coach and author Ford R. Myers, the professional experience section, a listing of past jobs, roles, responsibilities and accomplishments, is where employers and recruiters focus 90 percent of their attention.

"The information you present here, and how you present it, can decide the fate of your candidacy within about 10 seconds scanning time," he said.

Resumes that get noticed focus on specific results. Whenever possible, Myers suggests quantifying results by including retention rates, sales, profit, performance and effectiveness by using percentages, dollars and hard numbers.

Numbers are good, but words are important, too. Use strong action words at the beginning of every sentence.

"Words such as 'direct,' 'launch,' 'initiate,' 'devise' and 'lead' have a lot more meaning than a vague phrase like 'was responsible for,' " Myers said.

Focus on information truly relevant to your career goal and edit out the rest.

"There is no need to focus on your after-school job or high school accomplishments if they are not relevant to the career you're looking for or if they're in your distant past," Myers said.

Schuler recommends having someone read over your final draft and to print it on white or ivory paper of good quality.

"Spelling errors or grammar errors still are not acceptable," she said.

Lastly, and it seems obvious, but don't lie on your resume.

"If you lie, you will always lose in the long run," Myers says.

September marks the 10th annual celebration of International Update Your Resume Month. The observance, originated by Career Directors International in Melbourne, Fla., provides job seekers with a proactive approach toward obtaining the next step in career growth.

Making A Midlife Career Change

It's never too late to make a career change. Here are some tips to help you get where you want to go:

• To begin your search, visit your city's employment office. They never have any jobs you'd actually want, but sometimes they have free coffee.
• If you are married and have children, it may prove difficult to change careers while maintaining financial stability. Consider moving across the country in the middle of the night and assuming a new identity.
• You were born to be an insurance claims adjuster, and the stars know it. Chase that dream.
• Switching to a brand-new field is a great way to reexperience that lost, helpless, fish-out-of-water feeling that sickened you so in adolescence.
• Why not sink your life savings into self-publishing a book of essays about your reflections on aging? There's a gold mine for ya.
• Attack your search for a new career head-on. Use a blunt, bludgeoning weapon and emit a blood-curdling shriek while charging forward.
• Know what you would be good at? Writing movies. After all, you watch a ton of them, and it's just thinking up stuff for people to say.
• It's easy to go from store greeter to grocery bagger if you just believe in yourself.
• You're never too old to go back to college. It's just that you're way too old to fit in socially in any way.
• Going from professional dancer to welder is the reverse of the traditional path. But you must do what you must do.
• Having the right mental attitude is the first step. Try not to think about how old, pathetic, and unqualified you are.

Sales tips and advice from our live Q+A expert

Here is a compilation of their best tips:

Why should you go into sales?

Both Dennis and David agreed that the potential to control how much you earn was a big factor.

David said: “I think the key attraction to the majority of people that move into sales is the earning potential.

The vast majority of positions reward employees with some form of bonus scheme in addition to a basic salary, so if you can sell – then you can afford yourself a very nice lifestyle.”

However, they both said that other factors are also important – Dennis found real satisfaction in working with large and varied groups of people, while David said that the satisfaction of closing a deal and beating your competitors is hard to beat.

Being successful in Sales

When it came to the question of what makes a successful salesperson, both experts were in agreement that you need to be a good listener.

Dennis added that it was also important to be honest, have integrity and the ability to ask the right questions.

David said that you’ll also need self-confidence, a thick-skin and the ability to work under pressure.

Most memorable experience

Matt asked the panel about their most memorable selling experiences. David said it was all about hitting targets – in particular, meeting one in his first month at a new company that others had been trying to hit for years.

It was also the big business deal that swung it for Dennis, his new order was the largest ever done at his company at the time, which he said came from really understanding his customers needs.

Long periods out of work

With our job-seeking blogger looking for advice on getting back into sales after long periods out, our experts were on hand to help.

Dennis suggested contacting decision makers early in the morning and late at night – they work long hours, he said, and might be more responsive than at busier times of the day.

Recruitment expert David Bromwich said that it was imperative for James to keep his motivation and not just look for jobs through adverts, but through networking and word of mouth as many sales positions are filled this way.

LinkedIn

With so many sales professionals on social networking site LinkedIn, Todd Nash wondered how our experts used it for their work.

David said: “LinkedIn is my bible!

“If structured correctly, your Linkedin account can also give you real credibility and will open doors for you in terms of identifying key contacts and being up to date with market events.”

Dennis also used it, but was a little more cautious and warned not to expect it to work overnight. He said that the main benefit of LinkedIn was to keep record of your own ‘contact network.’

Tips for using the internet to find a job

Finding a job is a necessity in modern society. It is a necessary means of paying your bills and supporting your family. However, in the current state of society which is full of those that are being made redundant and those that are out of work and relying on government benefits, finding a job can prove to be a difficult, daunting and even stressful task to accomplish. However, if you are serious about getting a job and getting into work, then the rise in popularity and prominence of the internet can be a valuable tool to use to your advantage that can considerably increase your chances of finding work.

Finding a job is not the easiest thing to do in the world today, but it is a process that can prove to be aided by using the internet as a searching tool. The internet can give you access to many job opportunities that you would otherwise not have a means of finding. These include accesses to the main government jobs resources to give you a quick and easy access to all of the jobs available on offer in the world today, but also internet specific jobs that you cannot find anywhere else such as in online publications or internet specific classifieds.

The internet can also prove to hold many online jobs that utilize your creative talents to your advantage. You can look for jobs as a review writer, an online editor, graphics designer, artist or even a freelance writer among many other potential careers that can be made out of hobbies. Finding these jobs can be much easier than finding a regular job due to the fact you never have to leave the house and the fact that your internet connection is essentially your workplace. Correspond with potential clients, build up a professional resume and take any freelance or self employed jobs you can because it is all experience and all extra money.

Where Can Fine Artists Receive Career Help?

Career advice to artists comes in a variety of forms. There are workshops that nonprofit arts service organizations offer from time to time, focusing on specific topics (tax time accounting, law, finding a gallery, for instance) and workshops -- the online ones are referred to as "webinars" -- that for-profit organizations offer, usually addressing the same topics. The continuing education divisions of some art schools, or universities that offer art degrees, may also hold workshops and classes on these and other subjects. State arts agencies periodically offer seminars on how to apply for funding to them. An assortment of business and career books for artists are available as well.

For those who prefer the more personal touch, artists may consult on a wide range of career matters with artists' advisors, either face-to-face or over the telephone, depending upon where each party happens to live.

Advice sometimes is free, oftentimes not. State arts agencies usually do not charge for their seminars, and continuing education talks are either free to the public or a nominal fee is asked. Nonprofit arts service agencies generally charge their members lower rates for attending the workshops than nonmembers ($20, for example, as opposed to $30), and career books usually cost somewhere between $10 and $30. Artists' advisors are the most expensive option, charging hourly rates (not including the cost of the telephone call) of between $100 and $500 per hour. (Katharine T. Carter & Associates of Kinderhook, New York adds travel time and travel expenses to that $500 fee when making an in-studio consultation.)

Artists' advisors can be distinguished from business managers (whose job is to run the artist's career) and reps (whose aim is to sell work) and public relations firms (whose aim is to publicize) by the fact that their primary goal is to set the artist on a career path. Advisors may draft a press release or a press packet for an artist, in the manner of a publicist, but more likely they will offer ideas on how the artist could create the release him -- or herself. Rarely if ever will an artists' advisor take on the job of contacting members of the press.

Tips for parents

Here are a few tips to consider:

Be receptive to and listen when your teen wants to discuss career and/or college plans.Have your teen explore career and college options and collect as much information as possible.

Encourage them to capture their ideas on paper. One idea is to create a scrapbook of their plans for career and college.

Be aware of various deadlines for applications to colleges and financial aid. Put them on a calendar that both you and your teen can look at.

Suggest that your teens meet with a school counselor at least once a year, beginning in the 10th grade, to learn more about college and career planning.

Be supportive of your teens, and meet with their counselor if you sense that he or she needs additional help.

Encourage your teen by helping them see the connection between college and career.

Emphasize the importance of selecting a major that helps them prepare for a career.

If your teen is undecided about a career direction, do not try to fix it. Let him or her look into all the possibilities.

Tips for getting a job promotion

Working in the same position for awhile you are probably thinking about how to get to the next step in your career. You want to begin to position yourself to be the person considered for a promotion. To move ahead within your company you need to both excel at your current job and go the extra mile.

Set goals

When you start with a company fairly soon you will figure out what path you would like your career to take. Setting goals to help your career advance is imperative. Knowing your next step will help you select projects to move in the direction you desire. Discuss with your boss your goals and how your boss can help you move upwards within the company.

Get a mentor

Find someone within the company that can help you reach your goals. Having a mentor can be of tremendous assistance getting you recognition within the company and teaching you the steps to get where you want to go. A mentor can help bring out your best qualities and show you how to use them to your advantage. This can be an integral part for you to get a promotion.

Take on extra work

If the boss asks for volunteers for an assignment take on what you can handle. Being someone who helps out the team when is needed and illustrates that you are capable of moving ahead. Showing your skills to your peers and leadership is essential to get a promotion.

Further your education

Many times to get a promotion taking classes to add to your education can be of great assistance. If you are in the IT business staying on top of the newest technology is important. This can translate to a variety of career choices. Being the person that is taking steps to further your career will help you stand out above your peers.

Be innovative

If you have been working in the same position for awhile use this to your advantage and create new projects. It will show that you are willing to take risks to help the company will give you an edge among your peers when applying for a promotion.

Getting ahead within your company will take dedication. Set your goals to make it happen. Taking on extra projects, classes and a mentor will give you the advantage among anyone else that will be applying for the same position.

Obstacles to midlife career change

Question:
I am thinking about making a career change and am feeling overwhelmed. I am a 52-year-old male and am really anxious about it. Any tips?

Answer:
Midlife is a lot like being a teenager again--only with more wisdom. We may not stay out all night and run with a wild crowd, but many in their 40s and 50s experience the same restlessness and yearning for change. We're still asking questions about what we want to be when we grow up, but the concerns are deeper, more profound. This time we won't settle for less than what makes us truly happy.

This is especially true for the work we do. Yes, we want to pay the bills, support a family, save for old age. But, many of us now want our work to be meaningful and make a difference. We ask ourselves if not now, then when? What better time to act on those unfulfilled dreams? Work is one of the most profound ways we live our true selves, and now is the time to start doing that.

Yet, it can seem as if there's a chasm between the knowing and the doing. We know something's not right with our current job or career path, but we tell ourselves to live with it. We set goals but feel too overwhelmed with daily life to try something new. We worry that to make a change to follow a dream would be selfish, especially if it means a loss of income, or upsets our family and friends.

In fact, every person living out his or her dreams gives a gift to the world--he or she inspires others to do the same.

"We often hesitate to follow our hearts, to grow, because of perceived barriers," writes Carole Kanchier in "Dare to Change Your Job--and Your Life." Her book is one of many resources that help break down those barriers, the two biggest of which are fear and confusion.

Fear makes us think we're too old to change. We think, "If I switch jobs now, I'll have to start over at the bottom. What if I fail, then what?" Fear is normal, and it's important to acknowledge it. There are numerous tactics to help you through the fear. The most powerful may be looking to others who've gone through life/career changes.

Many of us are confused about what we want. We're often clearer about what we don't want than what we actually do want. We may have lived out others' expectations of us for so long we're not even sure what actually makes us happy. Or we're not certain how to turn our many talents and skills into meaningful work.

Coaches are an excellent resource to help you ask the right questions to sharpen your focus and goals. They can guide you to imagine and create real work that isn't just a job, but a whole new life.

Whether it's a new career or small shifts in how you work, making a change in midlife can bring new energy and joy to your life--like being a teenager again--only better.

Tips for choosing a career when you are undecided

Many people go through high school and begin college and do not know what career they want to enter into. What are some tips for choosing a career when you are undecided? Obviously, you do not want to go too far into college without knowing what you are going to pursue. Here are a few ideas for choosing a career when you are undecided.

Choose a career based on your strengths! You obviously want to pursue a career that you know something about. Some people choose a career based on what is in demand, and not what they know about. This is not the best route in choosing a career when you are undecided because you want to know about what field you will work for your entire life.

Get involved in a career that you enjoy. This is not the same as getting involved with a field that you are good at. There are many careers that you can learn as you go, that you will enjoy very much, but may not initially be very good at. Working a job that you enjoy is the ultimate goal of a lifetime. Sometimes, even the money is not the best it could be, but your life is a lot less stressful and you enjoy what you are doing. This should be the goal of every person pursuing a career.

Make sure the career you pursue is within your budget. A lot of careers like the medical fields and the legal fields require an expensive college education, which may be financially out of reach for some people. There is nothing that says you cannot pursue your dreams, but many dreams are very expensive and you need to prepare well in advance to afford the education needed for your career.

Make sure your career choice is realistic! A professional basketball player or a Hollywood actress is always possible to those who work hard enough for it, but make sure that is the career you want to shoot for and understand the percentages of people that actually make it to those careers. The chances of making it to the professional league or to Hollywood and succeeding is very low. It can be done, but very few do it.

Choosing a career and pursuing it with everything you have is a lot of fun and can be very rewarding.

Looking for a job? Check out these resume tips

When you're looking for work, you want to stand out from the crowd. But some people go too far.

One applicant's list of references included "God," but listed no phone number. Another job-seeker sent a video meant to hypnotize the HR manager into hiring him.

In addition to these embarrassing submissions, a Career Builder survey found 38 percent of managers saying, on average, they spent less than a minute reading each resume, and 18 percent spent fewer than 30 seconds.

Almost half of managers in charge of hiring told Career Builder they looked at fewer than 25 resumes for each position they fill.

One common tip from HR managers was that they paid more attention to customized resumes -- ones tailored to the opening they want to fill.

Here are some other tips:

* Quantify your experience. If you have helped increase your employer's business or productivity, put that on your resume.

* Keep your resume professional and avoid giving too much information. While you may include business-related interests such as volunteer work or membership in professional organizations, don't use emoticons, smiley-faces or cutesy fonts. One jobseeker's e-mail address included the words "loves beer" - a no-no.

* Make it easy to read. Large blocks of text are a minus. Use bullets to break up information and help those who hire focus on important points. Don't use ornate fonts that will not translate into commonly used typefaces when your resume is e-mailed.

* Think of your resume as promotional literature. Your employer may not need to know where you went to high school and every restaurant where you washed dishes while attending college.

Five tips for keeping typos out of your resume

1: Review it later

You can’t confidently correct a resume while you’re writing it, because you see what you intended to write, not what’s really on the screen. Wait several hours or, even better, a day or two.

2: Get someone else to edit it for you

Not a replacement for reviewing it yourself, but a second set of eyes is essential for seeing your words fresh and impartially.

3: Print it out

It’s easier to see many kinds of errors on the printed page that you’d miss on a computer screen.

4: Read it aloud

Just like a printed resume looks different from what’s on the screen, reading it out loud sounds different from reading it in your head. When you actually hear the words, you’ll notice that some things just don’t make sense.

5: Read it from the bottom up

Reading your resume out of sequence can disrupt the logical flow that helps your brain make sense of things that are grammatically incorrect or have other language problems. Also, you’ll see the end with fresh eyes, whereas ordinarily you’ll be burnt out by the time you reach the end and more likely to miss errors.

Job Shop: Advancing your career

In today's job shop segment, we look at entry -level jobs and how you can turn them into full careers.

In the Sunday Boston Globe's special business section, The Big Help, they tackle everything from entry-level jobs and how to turn them into a career to some great possible leads on finding that perfect workplace.

Boston Globe business reporter Katie Johnston Chase shares some career making tips.

The 10 Commandments Of Resumes

Thou shalt not assume that good enough is enough.
You may have extensive experience and awe-inspiring expertise, but if you don't highlight those qualities by creating a sharp, finely tuned, error-free resume, you're going to come across as average. That other guy who has five fewer years of experience, but who polished his resume to reflective quality, will be seen as more interesting, more relevant, and thus, more qualified. Be hungry, be creative, and be willing to put in some time on your resume to make it pitch perfect.

Thou shalt include an initial sales pitch at the very beginning of your resume.
What is a resume, after all, but an advertisement of you? If you don't give potential employers a reason to hire you, guess what? They won't.

Open up with a brief, "see how awesome I am" summary of your professional knowledge, skills, and abilities. According to Jason Ferrara of CareerBuilder.com, the first thing to do to improve a less-than-perfect resume is to include this initial summary, which gives hiring managers a quick way to compare your skills with the available job. Don't make them hunt for this information by burying it beneath a two-paragraph autobiography. If they don't quickly see what they need to know about you, your resume goes on the "rejected" stack.

Thou shalt not include your flyfishing skills on your resume.
You may think you've learned invaluable work lessons from your time casting the line over the peaceful river, but your potential employers will see only one relevant piece of information: you don't know how to differentiate between your personal and professional life. Not good news when you're simply one of many, and even if you're qualified, this inability to separate hobby from professional skill makes you seem like a risk for employers. And those employers have other, non-risky applicants to consider.

If you must, include an "Additional Interests" section at the bottom of your resume, and feel free to include your fly-fishing, tango-twirling, Pez-collecting, and kung fu-fighting skills here.

1. Thou shalt use numbers to show how you meet deadlines and improve the company's bottom line.
   One of the most basic rules of general writing is invaluable when applied to your resume: always choose specific over general. On a resume, the best way to get indisputably specific is with numbers. Numbers show, in hard data, how you met deadlines, saved money, and improved your company's performance, sales, and bottom line. So instead of putting down a generic description such as "Produced B2B newsletter to increase sales," put down "Produced a bi-monthly B2B newsletter which increased sales by 5% in the first quarter."
   
   
2. Thou shalt not elaborate upon outdated work experience.
   Potential employers are looking for information and experience you've had in the last decade or so, not in your entire life and work history. If you've had a long career and a lot of experience, include a brief summary (one or two lines) for work that dates past fifteen years old. Expound in more detail upon your more recent job history. Spending too much time on ancient (work) history is like waving a red flag that says, "I haven't done anything worth mentioning in the last 10 years, so let's skip that." (For more, check out 10 Resume Red Flags.)
   
   
3. Thou shalt not include 1990s business speak.
   Talk like a human, says Liz Ryan, a workplace and employment expert with Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Too many applicants are afraid of saying the wrong thing, so they copy and paste from "great sample resumes" they find online and end up with business jargon that sounds robotic instead of real.

   Here's a tip: if you can't quickly define a word you're using, don't use it. Choose simpler, shorter, and more concrete terms over fancy business jargon. Words like "synergistic" and "multi-faceted" should make you cringe because that's the effect they'll have on the folks looking over your resume. (To learn more, check out 10 Phrases You Should Ban From Your Resume.)

4. Thou shalt not include irrelevant or unprofessional social media links.
   In some jobs more than others, social media proficiency is important; and to appear modern and relevant, you want to be in the know when it comes to social networking. That's great, and it's certainly nice to include, say, a link to a polished Linkedin profile on your resume, but including your neglected Twitter account or personal Facebook? Just don't do it. Only include social media links if they are 1) related directly to your job/professional experience and 2) polished and updated. (Learn more in 4 Career Networking Tips That Work.)
   
   
5. Thou shalt include specific accomplishments.
   Talk about your specific accomplishments over general responsibilities and tasks. Why? Because anyone can figure out the basic tasks you've had, just by reading your former job titles. Repeating what people already know (or can easily figure out) equals boredom... and there goes your resume, into the toss pile. Instead, skip the pointless repetition and highlight the specific accomplishments that fell within those tasks. This shows potential employers something much more important: exactly how you handled the responsibilities you did have, and how they can expect you to perform under their employ.
   
   
6. Thou shalt not get fancy with the format.
   Make the content of your resume shine, but do so by what you say, not how you format it. Stick to standard fonts, basic heading sizes, and, for the love of all things employable, don't use graphics or colored text. Anywhere. The single (possible) exception to this rule exists for those who are in a field such as graphic design, in which showcasing your amazing design skills could help you land a job; even here, though, using your resume to show off is iffy territory. Better to showcase your skill with a great portfolio, and keep things streamlined, simple and professional on your resume.
   
   
7. Thou shalt review thy final draft with the eagle eye of an old-school editor.
   Two things your resume should never include? Misspelled words and grammatical errors. Failing to catch even minor punctuation errors sends an unintended message that you are either too careless or too lazy to read your own resume before sending it out. If you're not strong on spelling, grammar and punctuation, find someone who is and beg, bargain or barter to get a thorough proof of your document. If you don't know anyone, scout freelance writing sites, put up an ad, and spend a little money to get a professional proof before you send out your resume.

Career Opportunities

There's good news for older adults trying to enter the workforce. There's a new brochure designed to help them get a job.



Even though older applicants often bring experience, knowledge and a strong work ethic to a job, many still find it difficult to find employment. For those returning to the workforce or entering the workforce for the first time, the task can be even more challenging.



The new brochure, "Employment Options: Tips for the Older Job Seeker," suggests that older applicants can relate their life experiences as a parent or volunteer or their hobbies to the skills required for a job.



The brochure--prepared by the Eldercare Locator and Senior Service America, Inc.--shares tips on how to find hidden job leads, successfully submit a job application and prepare for an interview.

To request the new brochure, "Employment Options: Tips for the Older Job Seeker," contact the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or www.eldercare.gov.



The Eldercare Locator is a free service of the U.S. Administration on Aging and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).

10 Tips for Veterans at College

1. Start by applying. Whether you are a first time college student or a transfer student, you must fill out an application. Go to the school's website to find the requirements and deadlines. Provide transcripts and test scores as needed and your DD-214 for credits you might have earned while in the service. Take a tour of the campus—either on the web or in person. If you don't know where you want to go, one of the places to help you decide what college or university best suits your needs is www.military.com.

[Read about questions to ask on campus tours.]

2. Meet the Veterans Administrator. You are entitled to GI Bill Education Benefits. You want to use them … now what? Find the Veterans Office on campus and introduce yourself. Staff at this office will explain and guide you through the give-and-take process to receive your benefits. You will be asked to provide various documents and complete different forms so your enrollment can be certified to the VA.

3. Get your GI benefits. There is a wide a variety of education benefits offered by the Veterans Administration, including the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, Transfer of Benefits, and Veterans Vocational Rehab, to name a few. Additionally, individual states offer varying opportunities to National Guardsmen (some of the benefits come with different levels of eligibility). Whether you are a reservist, in the National Guard, or on active duty, you should check the VA website or discuss your benefits with the school's Veteran's Administrator. You can find a wealth of information -- as well as the application for benefits -- at the GI Bill website.

4. Apply for financial aid. All students can apply for financial aid by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by going to www.fafsa.gov. This aid can be for grants, loans and/or work-study. While you are eligible for GI Benefits, some colleges and universities look to have bills "resolved" or "covered" while waiting for the VA to send the school the tuition and fees if you are eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

[Watch video tips on filling out the FAFSA.]

5. Apply for scholarships. There are many types of scholarships available, including based on merit, academics, athletic, private, and general by area of interest. Some schools offer scholarships specifically for veterans. You have to look. Check the school's website and always remember: Do not pay for any scholarship application.

[Find out how to build your own scholarship.]

6. Find a place to live. The key to being placed in housing is making sure you indicate you are a veteran on all forms. By doing so you may be able to select a roommate from the onset. Otherwise you might be assigned to a room with traditional students (just out of high school), which could be awkward with your recent military experience. Many colleges have housing set aside for veterans; make use of it.

7. Get an adviser. Every student is assigned to an adviser. Some schools have advisers specifically for veterans; smaller schools may not, but curriculum is standard for majors at each school. Interaction with the adviser will assist you to develop a suitable educational plan, make your course selections, and determine your major. This person will get to know you and empower you in decision-making skills in education, career, and life choices.

8. Take the CLEP. The College Level Examination Program is a series of exams you can take to test your college-level knowledge on what you have learned through on-the-job training, professional development, etc. There are a wide range of exams both general and subjective, worth up to six credits. The cost of a CLEP exam is fractional compared to the cost of tuition and fees. It could assist in skipping general introductory courses, general education classes or could even demonstrate your ability in a foreign language.

9. Connect with other veterans on campus. Veterans Centers are popping up on many campuses. They are the place to meet other veterans, to do peer-to-peer networking, to connect student veterans with resources, and to help you to get involved—or simply hang out. If there is no center on campus, start one. Student Veterans of America can assist you in forming a chapter at your school.

10. Get career training and develop skills. Career services and job placement are available for you while getting your education. Résumé writing and mock interviews are offered. You can be placed in an internship or co-op related to your career goal and earn college credits as well as a stipend or small paycheck.

All students welcome at job fairs

Business suits, high heels and ties are about to be busted out over the next few weeks with numerous career fairs coming to campus.

In September alone, there are seven fairs, beginning with the Computer Roundtable on Thursday. On Sept. 14 and 15, Purdue Engineering Student Council will host the Industrial Roundtable. Over 200 companies will be present.

Tim Luzader, director of Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities, said all students are welcome to attend all job fairs, no matter what their majors are. The CCO also posts any career fairs they find out about in surrounding cities such as Indianapolis or Chicago.

Linden Petrin, associate director for career development at the CCO, said students who are interested in attending the fairs are encouraged to attend the CCO’s Resume Blitz, which will take place Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to help student get their resumes up to par.

Petrin said students should also be working on their elevator pitch for the fairs.

“When you’ve waited in line and you go up to the recruiter, what do you say in that short amount of time,” she said. “Because there’s people waiting to speak with them so they’re not going to spend a lot of time with you, so what do you say to catch their eye?”

Petrin said their are videos on the CCO website that can help students develop their 30-second speeches.

The College of Liberal Arts’ career fair has been canceled for the past several years, but Petrin said that shouldn’t stop liberal arts students from seeking opportunities.

“There are lots of jobs – companies who may not be coming to campus, but are looking for students with all majors,” Petrin said.

Luzander expressed the importance of knowing background on each company and their missions.

“An important piece students (should know is) get a sense of what is important to the company, get a feel of their culture ... the more you know of an organization, you may think differently of how you might present yourself,” Luzander said.

Petrin and Luzander both emphasized that students should not worry about going to the career fair because of the fear they do not have internship experience or as much experience as another student.

“It’s not so much what you did, it’s what you learned,” Luzander said.

Recommendation Letters

A letter of recommendation has relevant information that is truthful and positive and provides a straightforward opinion of a person’s abilities and potential. It can describe personal characteristics, performance and experience, strengths, knowledge and capabilities.


When are letters of recommendation used?
Recommendation letters are usually used when applying for an academic award (scholarships), or a post-secondary program. But, if you are job hunting, a recommendation letter from a past or current employer is great to have in your portfolio. Recommendation letters are concrete proof of your accomplishments and abilities.

There are two ways to present a recommendation letter to a prospective employer:

* One way is to write the following at the bottom of your resume: “Recommendation Letter and References are Available Upon Request”. Then take your recommendation letter and reference sheet to your interviews, and have it ready if the employer asks for them.

* The second way to submit a recommendation letter is to send it with your resume during initial mailing. Send no more than two recommendation letters. Don't overwhelm a potential employer with a lot to read. *Remember * send copies not the original.

In some cases a recommendation letter is a convenient substitute for work references that neatly sum up a past or current employer’s opinion of you and can allow prospective employers to avoid the sometimes awkward and vague conversations that can happen while checking with your reference over the phone about you and your capabilities. They are also helpful if your prospective employer is having trouble reaching your references.


If you are new to the world of work and don’t have very many contacts, a character or a personal reference letter from people who know your skills and attributes can also be used. If you have little or no work experience, a teacher that you have worked closely with is a good prospect to write a recommendation.

Birmingham area churches help jobless find work, new hope

When times are tough, many folks turn to the church for help and comfort. These days, many Birmingham area churches are providing something else -- help with job searches.

With the seven-county metro area in the grip of a punishing recession that sent its unemployment rate surging to a quarter-century high of 11 percent earlier this year, churches are stepping up efforts to help job seekers, establishing career ministries and hosting job fairs.

More than a dozen churches with career ministries are listed on the website of Career Assistance Network-Birmingham, founded last year by Gerriann Fagan, a human resources consultant; Gayle Lantz, a leadership consultant; and Lou Thibodeaux, archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.

Many of those ministries have emerged over the last year, said Mike Coffey, who founded what is considered the pioneering career assistance ministry at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church 25 years ago.

"This is an issue I'm so passionate about," Coffey said. "I know what it's like to be out of work."

After losing his job in the mid-1980s, Coffey approached his pastor at Vestavia Methodist about leading an effort to assist other unemployed church members. Coffey's Career Assistance Ministry continues to hold meetings on the first and second Monday of each month to provide networking opportunities, tips on job leads and mentors for folks struggling to find work.

In addition, Coffey also heads Career Assistance LLC, a for-profit company that provides one-on-one counseling for job seekers across the Birmingham metro area. Coffey, who helped introduce Career Assistance Network organizers to churches he has assisted, said the network is a welcome sight at a time when so many people remain on the unemployment rolls.

Though the Birmingham jobless rate fell to 9 percent in July, down from 11 percent in February, Coffey said frustrations remain high among both long-term job seekers as well as those under-employed and those who have given up looking for work.

"People are hurting," he said. "Networking is the key to finding leads on jobs. That's where the church can step in. At Vestavia United Methodist, we've seen just as many people from outside the church as we do members at our meetings."

Coffey said he has on average 15 to 20 people at each meeting. "If you look at that over 25 years, the number is well into the thousands," he said.

Coffey said it's hard to estimate how many of those people have found jobs over the years because he tends to not hear from them unless they become unemployed again.

"Our success is measured in the people that don't come back," Coffey said.

Lantz, president of WorkMatters, a leadership consulting firm, said she is glad to see more churches become active in helping the public find jobs. Since the Career Assistance Network was formed 18 months ago, many churches that don't have career ministries have referred members to its website, can-b.net, or joined via LinkedIn, she said.

Its monthly meetings rotate from church to church.

"We've gotten to the point where we are expanding beyond churches," Lantz said, adding that the group's next meeting will take place at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Lantz said the meetings draw between 30 and 50 people. She said getting a gauge on how many have found work is difficult because those who are successful often don't come back.

"It is hard to track, but we hear anecdotally about people who have gotten jobs thanks to our programs," Lantz said. "We've had some of those with success stories come back and speak at our meetings. It gives job seekers hope and encouragement."

How to handle first day on the job

The first day on the job can be overwhelming, with unknown co-workers, customers, new responsibilities and a new work space.

Career coaches offer tips on how to handle the first day.

• Be open and friendly: Present yourself well to co-workers in an effort to form bonds. Walk around and introduce yourself to everyone. Keep conversations brief and polite, and listen more than you talk. Ask questions about workplace operations and culture.

Follow "the rules that they teach us in kindergarten. Play nice, share, be cooperative," said Paul Bernard, an executive coach with his own consultancy in New York.

Being friendly and asking questions also helps new hires figure out how the office works and what their role should be.

"There are informal power brokers in all organizations," said career coach John McKee. Learning the unofficial structure of the workplace can help you achieve your goals.

• Dress the part: Overdressing on the first day can appear arrogant, McKee said. Underdressing, on the other hand, is just as bad: It looks sloppy and disrespectful.

Still, slightly conservative is more appropriate than too casual, said career strategist Daisy Swan, the owner of Daisy Swan & Associates in Los Angeles. "Don't go overboard with anything: jewelry, perfume cologne."

• Adapt and stay positive: Often the reality of a new job will include more responsibilities than were presented during the interview process, especially since companies cut costs during the recession. If that's the case, the new hire needs to be ready to grin and bear it, Bernard said. It is "dangerous to complain ... people mess themselves up by being negative," he said.

Spotlight: WARM exhibition

For more than 30 years, talented female artists in Minnesota have been sharing career tips, style ideas and encouragement with others just launching their careers. The value of such support may seem obvious now, but it was something of a radical notion when the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) began staging exhibitions decades ago. In spite of skepticism, indifference and changing times, dozens of women are sustaining this feminist cause and will display recent work in a show opening today. Exuberantly colorful and wide-ranging in media, the show features more than 60 pieces by 31 women, ranging from novices to seasoned professionals. Ellen Starr made the copper vessel shown here. Work by mentors and protégées is paired in the display, but who influenced whom is not always obvious. (6-9 p.m Sept. 17, free reception; 10 a.m. Sept 25 and 7 p.m. Oct. 7, free artist talks. Ines Greenberg gallery, Bloomington Theater and Art Center, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington. Ends Oct. 8, free.