Local Educator

If you enjoyed our post, 10 Questions for your college recruiter, then I think you will also benefit from this post. Or maybe you just like lists. Either way, read on.

A really terrific recommendation letter is one of those things that people rarely think a lot about. Until you need one, that is. Every employer, every university- including online schools or colleges- will require one. You may be under the impression that these letters are just a formality and are, at best, just skimmed. Let me tell you here and now that you would be wrong.

A recommendation letter tells the enrollment personal several things about you, including whether or not you care enough to make sure your recommendation is the best that it can be. Now granted, you’re not writing it yourself, but there is certainly nothing wrong with insisting that it’s well written and to the point.

The first step to achieving this is picking the best person to write your recommendation. Choosing an individual with a professional job is your best bet as it will give it the immediate impression of importance. Do you have a good relationship with your doctor or your guidance counselor at school? Is there a friend of the family that is a lawyer or other such position of authority that you could ask? Essentially you are looking for someone that knows you in either a personal or professional manner, and that can also include former employers.

Your second step is to give whoever you chose a clear direction in which you would like your recommendation to go based on their knowledge of you. Keep in mind that your on-site or online college will be looking for information that shows how you will be an asset to their facility. Have you done a lot of volunteer work? What clubs or committees are you involved with? Do you work well with a team and strive to complete tasks that are given to you? Ideally, your recommendation letter should sell you. It should highlight your positive qualities and what you have to offer.

Your final step in ensuring that your recommendation letters stand out above all others is to read it! I know that sounds silly but all too often students forget this step. What if the writer inadvertently made a spelling error? What if you are later asked about information or clarification from that letter? You need to read it carefully as this letter is representing you. Make sure that it does so in a way that you are comfortable with.

There are many important questions you should be asking any college recruiter when deciding on your future. Education certainly doesn’t come cheap these days so you really need to do your homework to make sure that you’re going to get what you pay for. If you are physically attending a college or university, it’s a little easier to gauge whether or not that school will be a good fit for you because you are on-site. However, should you decide that you will be going with an online college there are several vital questions that you need to ask before making your final decision. Attaining an online degree does require some addition investigating as you will not have the same type of physical contact with peers and instructors that you would at an on-site facility.

1- If a computer is required is yours adequate?

2- Is the time allowed per section or per assignment clearly laid out? Does it seem reasonable?

3- If you require additional time to complete an assignment is there a penalty? If so, what is it?

4- What type of access do you have to instructors?

5- How quickly can you expect a response?

6- How regularly are students evaluated on their progress?

7- If an evaluation shows the student having difficulty is additional support available?

8- How many people successfully complete the program per year?

9- Do employers recognize this training?

10- Is it possible to speak with past graduates? Were they happy with the program?

These are, of course, just the basics. When you are committing your time and money to a degree, it is extremely important that you know where your money is going and whether you are confident that you will be able to turn that training into the career you desire.

*This is fourth in a series of posts regarding interview preparation and job seeking tips for recent graduate. Be sure to check out our first post, Dressing and Preparing for an Interview, our second post, Best Sites to Locate Jobs, and our third post, Make your Resume Count.

If you received an online degree it is very easy to forget how much a first impression matters. Just because you were able to do your assignments in the comfort of your own home doesn’t change the fact that your first day at a new job is whole other story. The dreaded first impression. How do you make it a good one? How do you rise above all of the other business length skirts and power suits in a building full of strangers?

Making a Positive Impression

Easy. It really is.

First- Be on time! If you’re late on your very first day, you may as well not bother showing up. It tells your employer that you just couldn’t be bothered and is usually a deal breaker no matter how great your resume is.

Secondly- Look the part. Remember when you went for the interview? How was everyone else dressed? Is this a formal office or a casual one? Close toed shoes, open toed shoes? Tie or no tie? You need to look professional. Yes, you might even need to pull out the iron and the board. Ladies, it doesn’t matter how nice you may think they are, keep the cleavage in check!

Thirdly- Smile. I know it sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many people forget this. These people- your new co workers- don’t know you so be friendly. They don’t need to know your whole life story, they just need to see you as approachable and open.

Lastly- Be confident but don’t try and dominate every conversation. Some new staff may see you as a threat so the last thing you need to help you fit in is to waltz in as though you know everything all of the time. There is a huge difference between confidence and arrogance.

Online schools may have prepared you to know your new job, but common sense will be what carries you through your first day. Calm yourself down, take a deep breath, and face that first impression knowing that you have what it takes to make it a good one.

*This is third in a series of posts regarding interview preparation and job seeking tips for recent graduate. Be sure to check out our first post, Dressing and Preparing for an Interview and our second post, Best Sites to Locate Jobs.

How great does that diploma feel in your hand? Pretty terrific, right? Don’t start feeling too pleased with yourself just yet because your hard work at either a traditional school or online degree will mean nothing if you choke on the resume or the cover letter. I was a hiring General Manager and Operations Manager for years and I can tell you that my first glance through the huge pile of resumes would be maybe 30-40 seconds per. Don’t freak out, there are several tricks that you can use to make employers give yours a second glance. Make your resume speak for you, and make it speak well. Be clear, concise, and be honest. Desperate, begging, false, or a resume filled with errors says that you need the job, not want the career.

Spell check. This is most important. Use it, PLEASE. There is nothing more frustrating than reading a resume with poor spelling. Have someone that you trust look it over. They don’t have to be a pro, just have them read it out loud. The best time to find sentences that run on endlessly or repeat themselves is by listening to someone else read it to you. Trust me, this works.

Be specific- If you’ve just graduated with a construction management degree and are looking for such a position don’t send them a generic resume that highlights your time spent working in fast food. Yes, you need to list your past employment, but you need to do so geared specifically to the position that you are looking for. Did you flip burgers? No. You worked in the fast paced food service industry and were very instrumental in team motivation and team work.

Do your homework- Design your cover letter to suit its purpose. Are you applying for a position in a law office? Sending in an overly formal cover letter and attached resume spotlighting your knowledge of Latin to an office of people wearing jeans and building diet coke pyramids on their desks is not going to work for you. Know your market. Know the vibe of the building/the office/the site that you’re applying to and Tailor it to suit.

Resume and cover letter size- Your resume should be one full page, two at the very most. Make it well spaced with separate color font for headings, but do not use “funky” but illegible ones. Bullet points are always appreciated. When the bullet points are not enough, feel free to end each section with “For more complete details on my experience (or goals, or objectives) please go to www.YOURNAME.com” This gives you a venue to be more detailed (while still remaining on point and specific to the position that you are seeking) and will give your perspective employers a sense that you are serious about the position. Web sites can be very cheap and easy to put together and are well worth it. Lastly, future career professional of the world, don’t pad the resume. Be artistic and imaginative about the wording of your past jobs but don’t lie. Checking a resume is standard practice.

*This is second in a series of posts regarding interview preparation and job seeking tips for recent graduate. Be sure to check out our first post, Dressing and Preparing for an Interview.

So, the summer after graduation is almost over, and while living with the parents rent free has been fun…it’s time to join the real world! That’s right, it’s time to put that hard earned degree to use, and find your dream job! But where do you start the search? There are thousands of job search engines on the web. Here are the top 5 job search sites and some tips to help you along the way.

Top 5 Job Search Engines
1.Monster.com & Careerbuilder.com
These two job search engines provide you with the ability to create a profile, post your resume, search and apply for jobs, and set up job alerts. You can even search for local job fairs! Monster and Careerbuilder also provide you with helpful advice on topics just as Career Mapping, and interviewing. It’s truly your “one stop shop” when it comes finding your new job or career!

2.Indeed.com
This site is exactly as it claims: one search, all jobs. You enter what job (keyword), and the location (city, state), and voila! You have the most complete list of jobs in your industry, created from thousands of job listings. Simple, fast, and comprehensive!

3.Usa.gov
Use this site to search all U.S. government jobs.

4. LinkedIn.com
I like to think of this site as the myspace and facebook of the job search. You create a profile with your photo, work experience, education, extracurricular activities, and search jobs. Then you invite your co-workers, bosses, and friends to join your LinkenIn network. People in your network can write recommendations for you that appear right on your profile!

5.Craigslist
This site has become a household name for many things including job search. Here you start with the location (city) you would like your job in, then you search each industry section. Perfect for the job seeker who is looking to relocate!

Job Search Tips
While the sites listed above are some of the most used/larger sites available, they aren’t necessarily the best search tool for all industries. These commercial sites are good for jobs that saturate the market. For example, if you graduated with a computer networking degree these sites are perfect for your job search. Computer networking jobs are available in all industries and all over the world.

Now let’s say you graduated with a more particular degree, such as an interior design degree. Where do you begin your search? Using a commercial job site such as the ones listed above would make sense for you as well but, it would also be a good idea to search more niche job sites. These are job sites that are industry specific. Using the example of interior design, you may want to use interiordesignjobs.com to narrow your job search.

No matter what career you pursue after obtaining your traditional or online degree make sure you use as many job search engines as possible. Sometimes finding the perfect job, can be like finding a needle in a hay stack. Happy Hunting!