www.guidetocareereducation.com

If you are planning to change your life today through career education or vocational training here is a great resource I discovered today - Guide to Career Education.

This website is a source for to learn more about 2,500+ Degrees, Certifications & Career Colleges.

Information is categorized by:

Degree Programs - Associates, Bachelors and High School/GED
Fields of Study - Business, Criminal Justice, Design etc.

Programs are listed in the following groupings:
Online Career Schools
Campus Career Schools
Business Schools
Criminal Justice Schools
Design Schools
Education Schools
Engineering Schools
Healthcare Schools
Human Services Schools
IT & Computer Science Schools
Law & Paralegal Schools
Psychology Schools
Religious Studies Schools
Vocational Schools

Check it out here!

Speed Interviewing Anyone?

If you are jumping back into the workforce you need to be aware of new hiring and recruiting trends and practices that companies are using to compete for talent.

Speed Interviewing is one such technique that companies like pharmaceutical giant Abbott Labs and online retailer, Zappos is finding valuable.

Quote from an article by Sarah E. Needleman for Career Journal,
"Speed interviewing reflects employers' growing concerns about meeting their staffing needs as they face a looming shortage of skilled workers. This is due to a large number of soon-to-retire baby boomers and job growth in areas such as health care, finance and technology".

Some tips to handle the speed interview?

1. Although professional interview dress protocols still apply, stay on the side of comfortable attire. This is important if you are going to be onsite for a long time.

2. Eat right to keep your energy up. The last thing you want is to fade away by the end of long sessions.

3. Be flexible. You may have to stay longer than initially expected.

Read the complete article: Speed Date a Potential Employer And Get an Offer That Same Day by Sarah Needleman.

Preparing for the Spring College Recruiting Season

If you are heading back to college, this is a good time to start preparing for on campus interviews this spring. Chances are your college career center has already scheduled several big events and opportunities for you to meet employers this spring semester on campus.

Look at your college career center online calendar to find out about the following employer events on campus.

- Campus career and internship fairs
- Career Expos and Career Fairs
- Information Tables
- Employer Interview Dates

Register today with your college career center to make sure you have access to the latest information about employer campus visits.

Illegal Interview Questions in the Presidential Race

If you have been on the Internet anytime recently, passed a television set, looked briefly at a newspaper headline or even listened to the radio, you probably know that there is a highly competitive Presidential race going on now.

As I listened to one political analyst after another, I couldn't help but notice how many illegal interview questions were being asked of these candidates who are going for this top job in the US.

HR professionals know to stay away from the EEO minefields of Race, Color, Sex, Religion, National origin, Birthplace, Age, Disability and Marital/family issues in real job interviews.

However, Presidential candidates who have tossed their resumes in the ring to be CEO of the United States, are being asked, and even more interestingly, are answering "illegal interview questions" daily.

There are tons of these types "illegal interview questions" floating out there in media land and I often think about what we would do if faced with these kinds of questions in a real interview.

Then again, maybe the Presidential race is not a true reflection of a "real" interview or is it?

Complete article at BullsEyeResumes

State of Maryland Supports Vocational Training

Several States support vocational training programs.

One such really awesome program exists in the State of Maryland. The Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) offers programs and services that help people with the following:

-Career decision-making, counseling and referral

-Assistive technology—DORS works with individuals to educate them about products, services and devices that will help the disabled succeed.

-Post-secondary opportunities

-Pre-employment Skills Training

-Job placement services

-Supported employment/job coaching

-Assistance may also be available for transportation, maintenance and personal assistance services.

Where in the World are the Hot Job Markets

How do cities stack up in the Top 28 list of biggest changes from November 2006 to November 2007? These numbers represent the year-over-year growth in the number of online job postings with Monster.com. Notice the change to negative growth around number 18.

Rank Category % YOY Growth*
1. St. Louis 29%
2. New York City 28%
3. Pittsburgh 23%
4. Boston 21%
5. Houston 20%
6. Seattle 20%
7. Dallas 18%
8. Atlanta 18%
9. Portland 18%
10. Denver 14%
11. Kansas City 12%
12. Cincinnati 9%
13. Chicago 9%
14. Minneapolis 7%
15. Detroit 2%
16. Philadelphia 2%
17. Indianapolis 1%
18. Cleveland 1%
19. Phoenix -1%
20. Los Angeles -1%
21. San Francisco -2%
22. Miami -2%
23. Sacramento -3%
24. Washington, DC -3%
25. Tampa -5%
26. San Diego -9%
27. Orlando -13%
28. Baltimore -20%

*November 2006 and November 2007

Source - Monster.com

Teenagers Need Better Workplace Habits

A recent visit to a local supermarket demonstrated to me again that some teenagers need better workplace habits and office etiquette. Teenagers should be trained and observed by supervisors at work after being hired. The part-time teenage checker on my line spent more time chatting with the teenage bagger than paying attention to customers in line.

I assumed both were students at the same high school, since they talked about the same homeroom teacher who "sucked" and "for real" was too "old".

Typically, I would engage these teen workers on the job myself and use the opportunity to teach, but there were too many people around to be effective. I chose to speak to the manager of these teen workers instead. I suggested that more attention be paid to the new teen workers on the floor.

I wasn't surprised to learn that "training" of these teen workers involved about a 30-minute talk on customer service.

Many employers are failing on the job to train teenagers adequately at work. Many employers who may be short staffed are often so happy to get extra help, that they overlook this important step. Employers can definitely employ computer, self paced training to help get their teenage workers to another level.

Certainly at a minimum, no two new teenage workers should be working the same line. It might be a good idea to pair teenagers with more senior staff until they develop stronger job skills.

Network Your Way to Career Reentry

The holidays are just about behind us and I hope you were able to rejuvenate some of your contacts during the season.

Reentering the workforce is easier if you are working to maintain contacts that you have made over the years.

For many people the idea of networking is a scary proposition. Usually it is because we are thinking it is something very different from what we have done before. Some of us might be thinking that networking means we have to go out and find ourselves a whole new group of people to socialize as we overlook the good folks we already know.

An article by BullsEyeResumes at FORTYfied gives these simple reminders about networking.

1. Make time to maintain your contacts.
2. Become a resource for the people you know.
3. Keep a record of information on new contacts.

Complete BullsEyeResumes article - Career Change in Your Future? Master these
3 Networking Skills Now!

Sign up For Classes This Spring - It is Not Too Late

Franklin Covey completed their third annual New Year's Resolution survey recently.

Here are the results:

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008

1. Get out of debt or save money
2. Lose weight
3. Develop a healthy habit (e.g., exercise or healthy eating)
4. Get organized
5. Develop a new skill or talent
6. Spend more time with family and friends
7. Other
8. Work less, play more
9. Break an unhealthy habit (e.g., smoking, alcohol, overeating)
10. Change employment

If you have been considering registering in a vocational training or career education program, now is the time to do it.

Many career education or vocational training programs have rolling enrollment. This means that you can apply at any time.

Since these schools are typically smaller with smaller incoming classes, it might be possible to go through the entire enrollment process in a short time. Many schools will work with you to get all formal transcripts and other documents in before or immediately after classes begin.

If you want to change your life and take advantage of more job opportunities, get into a training program this spring. It is not too late!

Take a look at the 30-Day Path to Greater Career Satisfaction through November 2007 posts.

Is a Career Change in the New Year's Resolutions?

Franklin Covey has released the results from their 3rd annual New Year’s Resolutions Survey.

The survey polled 15,031 customers and discovered that the respondents’ top ten New Year’s resolutions for 2008 are ranked as follows: Three are directly related to employment, job or career. Number 4 and 6 could be closely related.

1. Get out of debt or save money

2. Lose weight

3. Develop a healthy habit (e.g., exercise or healthy eating)

4. Get organized

5. Develop a new skill or talent

6. Spend more time with family and friends

7. Other (Other (For me, "other" would include more concerts and more weekend trips without my computer)

8. Work less, play more

9. Break an unhealthy habit (e.g., smoking, alcohol, overeating)

10. Change employment

There is no time like the present to really embark on career changes or career adjustments. Keep in mind that the New Year gives you 12 months and stressing because you don't get it right in the first month, doesn't really help.

Take your time, stay positive and be deliberate.

College Career Reentry Centers

One of the best resources at my alma mater, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, is the ReEntry & WoMen's Resource Center. The Center caters to students over 25 years old who are considering reentering the university as well as those already enrolled. The center conducts weekly workshops, meetings, drop-in hours and requests covering topics such as Financial Aid, Study Skills, Time Management, and Stress Elimination.

If you are considering reentering the workforce and want to return to school in the process here are some great college reentry centers that cater to more mature students.

Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, MO.

Diablo Valley College - Services for Reentry Students, Pleasant Hill, CA

Cypress College Career Planning Center & Adult Reentry Program, Cypress, CA

Arizona State University - Learning Support Services

University of North Dakota

Writing Help for New College Grads

The College Board's National Commission on Writing says that American corporations spend approximately $3.1 billion annually to remedy their employees' deficiencies in writing.

Those of us who do a lot of writing rely on several online resources for necessary support. Consider bookmarking the following websites to help you master your college writing skills.

1. The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University is an award winning service which fortunately is available for everyone's use. Get help here with the fundamentals of business letters and employment documents like resumes, cover letters and thank you letters.

2. Merriam Webster offers an online dictionary, Spanish/English translations and a Thesaurus.

3. Daily Grammar emails subscribers grammar lessons daily and even emails a quiz on Saturdays.

4. Business Writers Free Library provides a comprehensive list of writing resources.

5. Power Home Biz publishes business articles and has a great list of business glossary terms in an easy-to-read format.

Most of us are not gifted wordsmiths and need all the help and reminders we can get.

Do You Love Your Job or Hate Your Job?

How many of us would say we love our jobs vs. those who would say we hate our jobs. If the latest Conference Board report is any indication, an increasing number of us really are dissatisfied with our work.

If what we are searching for on Google is any indicator of how we feel about our jobs the following data might surprise some of us. I chose to search and compare the number of hits for the following phrases.

"I love my job" got 1.75M hits on Google compared to "I hate my job" getting 501K hits. (3 times)

"I love my boss" got 210K hits on Google compared to "I hate my boss" getting 37.5K hits. (6 times)

"I love my work" got 169K hits on Google compared to "I hate my work" getting 83K hits. (2 times)

Of course those numbers can change from one minute to the next and will differ depending on search parameters. However, it seemed that searches on positive terms and phrases about jobs and bosses, yielded more hits than negative phrases.

South St. Paul Senior High School - Featured Career/College Center

From time to time, I learn about high school career and college planning centers that seem to be doing things really right.

Couple of days ago I discovered the College & Career Center at South St. Paul High School in St. Paul Minnesota.

Jenita Pace runs the center. Just from reading the site, I got the sense of how seriously Ms. Pace takes her responsibity to educate and prepare students beyond the classroom.

Ms Pace encourages students to visit the center and meet her. Here is what she says, "I want to be able to individually help you so feel free to come in and talk with me. It would be great to help you achieve your goals"!

The center is designed to help students and their parents with all aspects of college and career decision-making and planning.

Here are some of the services offered by the center:

-College catalogs and information files from numerous 4-year and 2-year colleges, universities, graduate schools and private career schools
-Information on military opportunities
-Registration forms and information for ACT, SAT and PSAT (includes practice tests)
-College, scholarship and financial aid applications
-Computers to research college and careers and apply to colleges on-line
-Direction in college selection
-Assistance in completing college applications
-Assistance in preparing resumes
-Monthly senior newsletters and bi-monthly junior newsletters
-College Information Night for students and parents in October
-Financial Aid Night for students and parents in October and Feburary

BullsEyeResumes.com salutes South St. Paul Senior High School. Keep up the awesome work!

Resume and Interview Tips for Older Workers

If you are an older worker returning to the workplace, consider what employers might be thinking as you apply for jobs .

The reality is, employers might be thinking that experienced or older workers cost more due to higher salaries, pensions, training and healthcare benefits.

As you strategize and conduct a professional job search, your goal is to consider seriously what you want employers to think about you. Your goal? Get the company to see that they can't afford NOT to hire you.

Think about the following as you write your resume and prepare for your interview:

1. Stay cheerful and high energy for all phone or in-person interviews. Learn more about Assessment Center Interviews

2. Speak to the benefits of your professional experience, professional maturity and the years of job experience you bring.

3. Keep your resume content current and stick to relevant information.

4. Speak to the long term value you can bring to the company.

5. Tell stories about outstanding outcomes in prior assignments using today's, industry relevant vernacular.

6. Consider using a functional resume.

7. Use cover letters to focus on relevant, recent experiences

8. Speak to your ability to collaborate and work with everyone from Boomers to Millennials.

7 Ways to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing at Work

Media Orchard offers this list of 7 ways to get creative juices flowing at work. If mentally drained or overwhelmed at work, these tips can help get employees recharged.

My favorite on the list is "Taking a Break".

I heard former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, currently President of University of Miami, speak at a conference for career planners and recommended that we never, if at all possible, eat lunch at our desks.

Getting away from your desk, if only for a few minutes, will clear your head and get your juices flowing again and reduce workplace stress.

Should Auto Mechanics be Scholars too?

"Yes," says Melissa Silberman, principal of Automotive High School in Brooklyn, NY, who has added AP classes to the automotive curriculum. Silberman is determined to reinvent Automotive High School as an institution that produces both great techs and scholars.

When Silberman got to Automotive High School, 80% of the entering freshmen class was reading below grade level. The school's library could only accommodate 20 students at one time. Silberman has relocated the library to a more spacious sunny classroom space that sends a clear message that academic success is as important as success in vocational training. The college center has also been relocated to a new central location that promotes a college education beyond the Automotive High School.

Learn more at:
Vassar Alumni stories
NY Times article - Vocational School Aims for Mechanics Who Can Write
H.S. 610 Automotive Career and Technical Education High School

Countdown to Graduation is a Countdown to Entry Level Jobs

Are you a college senior who is 2008 College Grad? You probably already did your application for graduation and getting your ducks in a row. It is a hectic time but you do want to find a way to include a job search in your plans for graduation.

Here are some great schools that get that connection between Commencement and Career Services:
University of Delaware
Santa Clara University - Leavey School of Business
The University of Chicago - Law School
Schoolcraft College

Pennsylvania Job Search Resources

If you are searching for a job in Pennsylvania, here are great resources to check out.

1. The Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS) provides access to Pennsylvania workforce development and independent living services provided by the Departments of Labor & Industry and Public Welfare. Find the local office near you to access job search services.

2. Job-Hunt.org has done a great job compiling a list of employment and career resources for the state of Pennsylvania.

Find the following on Job-Hunt.org:
* Job search networking support groups
* List of Pennsylvania employers
* Education and Government employers

3. Check out also Workforce50 and select Pennsylvania. Formerly known as SeniorJobBank.org, Workforce50 is a premier resource for job seekers over 50 and lists jobs in Pennsylvania here.

Class of 2008 Job Market

What should the graduating Class of 2008 expect for the job market?

Marilyn Mackes, executive director of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the nonprofit that conducts the annual survey of employers to forecast employer demand for new grads says, “We have heard from a number of employers that they are looking to hire more new college graduates to feed their ‘talent pipeline, Employers are looking at new grads as their future leaders and want to groom them for those roles."

Some survey highlights:
-Nearly 58% of the employers responding to this year's survey reported plans to increase their college hiring
-36.5% said they’ll maintain their college hiring at 2006-07 levels
-Less than 6% expect to trim their college hiring
-Employers interested in two-year graduates include utility companies, state and local government, and consulting services

Tip for the Class of 2008

Although the job market is expected to be good, planning early is key to having a competitive college resume. According to a survey of last year’s graduates, of those graduates who began their job searches before March 1, more than half had secured a post-graduate job by April 30.

Should I Name my References on my Resume?

No. As you progress through your career training program, begin to think about who your references will be when you begin job hunting.

Create a Reference Sheet that is separate from your resume and includes:
- Name of the person
- Title of the person
- How long you have known the person
- Contact information - Share best way to contact if you know. eg email or phone.
- Preferred time to contact

Remember:
1. Ask permission BEFORE listing someone as a reference in a job search.

2. Share your resume with the person who will give you a reference.

3. Some professionals that can provide impressive references for a student in vocational training or career education program include:

Instructors
Internship supervisors
Job Shadow supervisors
Practicum managers
Previous employers
Externship coordinators
Mentors
Church leaders
Career Training Program Administrators
Professionals in the field
Family and friends

How Long Should My Vocational Resume Be?

The real answer here is - It depends.

The key to resume writing is relevance and so essentially you want to make the best possible case. You want to get the employer's attention as recruiters do the 20-30 second resume power scan.

If you do find that you are running beyond a page or even two, use some of the following layout techniques to help with page management.

1. Experiment with smaller margins. Microsoft Word has a default 1.25" margin. Experiment with .7" or .8".

2. Use tables and hide borders to make more efficient use of horizontal space.

3. Try a slightly smaller font.

4. Use text boxes to align information and use less space.

If you do have to use multiple pages, make sure your contact information appears on each page and heading is consistent.

Feel free to get a free resume critique from BullsEyeResumes.com, if you want to avoid rolling to the next page.

Teens No Longer Just Shovel Snow, Rake Leaves or Cut Grass To Make Money

My husband and I were talking the other day about the increasing number of small landscape companies that we see working in and around our neighborhood. We wondered about the days when teenagers cut grass, raked leaves and shovelled snow.

Today's teens have moved away from this kind of labor.

They are now working alongside older employees in retail, sales and office jobs.

The next time you take a trip to the mall, look at who is not only working in, but managing shops in the food court. Pay close attention also to who is racking up the sales in electronics shops and every telecommunication booth you pass.

As teenagers increase their contribution in the retail sector, we have to find other ways to get our grass cut, leaves raked and snow shovelled.

Build Your College Resume During Spring Break

College students are planning all kinds of travel semester breaks.

Not only will Spring Break 2009 give college students needed rejuvenation, it provides an opportunity to add volunteer service and community service experience to your college resume.

These organizations help college students schedule meaningful Spring Break 2009 activities and internship programs:
Break Away
Spring Break Alternatives
Student Conservation Association
Hillel - The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Habitat for Humanity

Ask the college career center about spring break programs and opportunities to build job skills through volunteering for your resume.

40 Tips for Job Seekers Over 40

Ran into a great blog entry from JOBMOB that shares 40 tips for job seekers over 40!

My top 5 picks from the list:
1. Network, network, network (Check out Day 15 in the 30 Day Makeover at BullsEyeResumes blog)
2. Follow blogs to stay informed and learn new things
3. Specify recent professional development training or technical skills
4. Consider a chrono-functional resume
5. Be open to new careers

Worried or concerned about your resume over 40? Get a free resume critique - no strings, just help.
Happy job hunting!

Workplace Rules for Under 18 Years

The number of teens in the workforce is increasing. In 1999, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 57% of 14 year olds have some working experience.

Safety in the workplace is very important, but a HealthDay News report shows that 17.5% of working teens surveyed reported using power slicing tools or grinders, something minors are forbidden to do under federal law. Nearly half of those teens reported engaging in at least one work activity that's illegal for people under 18 years of age.

Here are the guidelines set by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for teenagers under 18 in the workplace.

- May not operate a motor vehicle as a regular part of your job
- May not operate a fork lift or many types of other power equipment such as a meat slicer, circular saw, or a box crusher
- May not work in wrecking, demolition, roofing, or excavation
- May not work in meat packing or slaughtering
- May not work in mining, logging, or in a saw mill
- May not work where there is exposure to radiation
- May not work where explosives are manufactured or stored

If you are an employed teen under 18 and are being asked to do any of these things, please tell a supervisor at work, an adult at home or your schools career counselor.

"English Alive" Program at Drexel University

Drexel University in Philadelphia is piloting a new English program called "English Alive".

The English program had 550 college students enrolled last year and faculty are hoping that Drexel will continue the program where students get to present materials in a way that is meaningful and relevant.

Assignments would give college students opportunity to express themselves through posters, podcasts, web presentations, animation or traditional essays.

Although programs like this offer flexibility for college students to demonstrate learning through individual creative expression, students should not overlook the importance of strong writing skills.

A New York Times article reported that a study by the National Commission on Writing, a panel established by the College Board, concluded that a third of employees in the nation's blue-chip companies wrote poorly and that businesses were spending as much as $3.1 billion annually on remedial training.

Career advice college students should heed? Writing skills are important.

The Right Vo-Tech School Can Boost Your Career

Choosing the right Career Education program can really boost a career.

As you evaluate a possible Career Education program, watch for those who overpromise and underdeliver job placement beyond graduation.

Here are three resources to help you proceed with the selection of a Career Education program:

1. The Department of Education encourages college students to think seriously about their choices in the article here. THINKING ABOUT GOING TO A CAREER COLLEGE OR TECHNICAL SCHOOL?

2. Check with the Better Business Bureau for reports of illegal behavior by the Career Education program in consideration or if complaints have been filed against them.

3. The Federal Trade Commission offers a comprehensive check list to research Vocational Training or Career Education programs.

Is Your Boss Really A Jerk Or Just Misunderstood?

Who among us has not worked at sometime during our career for a boss or supervisor whose style or temperament just rubbed us the completely wrong way? Whether you work for the "all-good-ideas-are-mine" type; the "you-can't-have-an-independent-thought-without-my-approval" type or the "clock watcher," your day at the office will be worse than it needs to be.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines "jerk" as an "annoyingly stupid or foolish person; an unlikable person; especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded". Robert Sutton, a Stanford University professor and one of the authors of, Hard Facts Dangerous Half-Truths and Total Nonsense; Profiting from Evidence Based Management, defines a "jerk" as "one who oppresses, humiliates, de-energizes or belittles a subordinate or a colleague, causing that person to feel worse about him or herself". Do these definitions really hold for your boss? No doubt some of us have these kinds of bosses; however, most bosses that we refer to as jerks are not really that way all the time and are certainly not in the majority.

So it leads to the question - Is it possible to have a boss who is not stupid or foolish; not cruel; not rude or small-minded who still is making your life at the office extremely stressful? I say - Yes.

Some of these behaviors from bosses I would consider an annoyance more so than "jerk" behavior are as follows:

1. The boss who watches the clock and thinks that work must only be done within the 9a to 5p time frame and wants you to account for every minute away from your desk during that time period. This person may actually not be mean or cruel, just uninformed about the way employees prefer to work today. Fortune Magazine is full of companies that offer flexibility of schedules. Maybe you need to educate your boss about this trend.

2. What about the boss whose self confidence is so low, that every new idea you present must be coupled with compliments about how wonderful or great he/she is? If your good ideas will move your career forward, you may just have to tolerate this until you can change departments. Do not let a boss with low self confidence kill your initiative and drive to succeed.

3. What about the boss whose fear of confrontation has him/her taking on all the work of clearly struggling employees, rather than addressing the issue or putting employee training in place? Getting HR involved might be one way to get around this kind of behavior.

4. What about the boss who does not want to showcase your good work, since it might bring too much attention to your department and think it is best when you stay off the corporate office radar? They are out there too. Finding ways to bubble up your ideas beyond your office is important here. One of the strategies I have seen that works is to put new ideas on the table when others, who will see it's value, are present.

5. What about the boss who has no life outside the office and expects you to stay late when he or she purposely delays work rather than go home - forgetting of course that you have a life outside the organization? Letting your boss know ahead of time is the best way to handle this. If you get the sense that this is the way the day is going to unfold, feel free to say what you will accomplish before leaving today and what you will pick up tomorrow.

6. What about the boss who plays favorites with employees and promotes trivial gains by one staff while overlooking significant contributions by others? With this kind of boss, it is imperative that you toot your own horn and record your own accomplishments. Make sure to get these contributions in your annual evaluations by creating your own Kudos file.

It is important that we be careful about how we label the people we work with. So before we call our boss a jerk, think about if someone might be labeling us incorrectly too.

(c) Copyright - BullsEyeResumes.com All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may reprint this article as long as the following byline is included.

Comprehensive List of 2-Year Colleges

Dan and Linda Solarek compiled an awesome list of 2-year colleges, technical schools, junior colleges, branches of four-year colleges which focus on associate degree education, and accredited two-year proprietary schools.

If you are considering vocational training bookmark this page as you do your research.

The website is a service provided by Engineering Technology Computing College of Engineering at the University of Toledo.

What's College Really Like?

Check out Year-One A College Blog hosted by Making it Count at Monster.com.

Assessment Center Interview - Are You Prepared?

The Assessment Center interview is making a comeback.

Hr-Guide.com defines an Assessment Center Interview as a variety of testing techniques designed to allow candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most essential for success in a given job or career.

Some consider the "traditional job interview" an inferior approach to determine a candidate's real potential for on-the-job career success.

Since HR departments can now more adequately measure the cost of a bad hire, the Assessment Center interview approach, although expensive, could be money well spent.

Generally speaking, most of the exercises or "tests" job seekers do in an Assessment Center interview will measure specific job skills and competencies. These "tests" reflect a combination of:

-Case Studies
-In-Tray Exercises
-Group Exercises
-Role Plays
-Job Skills Demonstration

Read the complete article on Assessment Center Interviews at Associated Content!

Attention Super College Seniors - This Blog's For You

You are not alone if you won't graduate in four years.

Here is what the US Department of Education says about college students graduating in four years:
The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) claims that only 40 % of students are graduating college in four years.

If you are a "Super Senior", here are a few tips to finally make your college your alma mater.

1. Now is not the time to agonize about how long it has taken you to become a new grad. For college resume purposes - show graduation date only since there is no need to say when you started.

2. Take extra classes and work hard to finish this year. Get on a plan to finish. You will always be able to go back to school – in fact it is recommended. For now, focus on graduation.

3. The longer you stay does not necessarily translate to the more you know. Employers won't pay for this kind of experience. Entry level salaries are not attached to how much experience you have as a student.

Counseling Women on Career Reentry

Not surprisingly, women make up one of the largest segments of career reentry workers. Based on existing research, most reentry women are middle-aged and are returning to the workplace for numerous reasons including life changing activities such as divorce, death of a spouse or grown children.

For many of these reentry women, they are seeking to balance family with a new career. (Padula, M. (1994). Reentry women: A literature review with recommendations for counseling and research. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73, 10-16).

The Journal of Employment Counseling encourage those of us who work with career reentry women to work through the transitions by discussing:
- Career barriers related to gender role stereotyping
- Job trends for women
- Expectations for women reentering the workforce
- Raising the aspirations for reentry women

Read the complete article here at All Business.