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While summer gets into full swing in the Northern hemisphere, most people are thinking about vacations. I implore you to consider your career. Whether you’re a university student or a veteran in the workforce, you can do something to enhance your career this summer.
Read some books
We’ll start off with an easy idea. While you’re relaxing poolside on a lazy Saturday afternoon, read a career book. There are lots of good ones you could grab at the local bookstore, or you could check one out from the library.
You could also consider reading something to enhance your specific knowledge base, like a book about a new technology in your industry. The different possibilities here are quite endless.
The coolest thing about this idea is that you can still enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon. A lounge chair, iced tea, and a good book. I wish I was there right now.
Take a class
This tip gets a bit more ambitious. Universities and community colleges usually offer a number of courses during the summer. Perhaps one of these would help your career. At the community college level, you can probably just enroll and take a single course of interest.
Summer classes are a bit different than regular university courses. You focus on a single subject for several hours per day, for only a couple weeks. If you’re working full-time, this would be a drain on your schedule. But it’s only a short time. The benefits to your career will last a lifetime.
Get a job
If you’re already working, this tip might seem crazy. In fact, it’s oriented toward students or people who might have the summer off (like teachers). But even full-time employees could take on a part-time job for a couple months.
Employers love having help. Even if you only work for someone for the summer, you can learn a lot and make a little money in the process.
The idea is to find a job that would enhance your resume. You don’t have to work just for the sake of working. But if you can land a job (even volunteering) that gives you important skills or networking connections, you’ll be better off in the end.
Your ideas?
There are probably many other things you could do for your career this summer. What would you add here? Let us know in the comments.
We all know that networking is a vital aspect of our careers. It’s important to meet people, help them when you can, and keep in touch with them. Then when you’re in need, you have a network of people you can tap into.
But how do you build that network?
Fortunately, we’ve written about networking quite a bit here at Job Tuition. Past articles should help you a lot, and today’s post will provide a few more easy tips.
Here we go!
Let’s do lunch
There’s something to the concept that you should never eat alone. If you invite others to lunch and accept invitations when asked, you will naturally begin to form relationships.
Human beings are easy to connect with over food. Why does history talk about “breaking bread” together with friends and strangers? Sharing a meal brings us together in a concrete way, and it also eases the natural tension between us.
By no means do you have to eat with the gang every day for lunch. In fact, bringing a sack lunch some days can be great for other reasons (perhaps to get ahead on a project or make sure you meet a deadline). But you want to eat with co-workers often enough to form and maintain relationships outside the office walls.
Golf, anyone?
You should also make opportunities to connect with co-workers outside the work day completely. If your only relationship with a person is based on the office, that contact will not likely be solid when one of you leaves the current company. To prevent this, find some common ground outside the office.
An old classic is to go out for a round of golf on Saturday. Maybe you could organize a friendly poker game with some of the guys. What about inviting some people over for an informal barbecue?
The ideas here don’t have to be new and original. Just be yourself and find something you and your co-workers can enjoy together.
Thank you!
Today’s final tip is a simple one: thank others often. Your goal in building a network is to have a group of people who help each other out. People are more willing to help when a person shows gratitude. This is why showing your appreciation is vitally important.
For many things around the office, a simple verbal or email “thank you” would probably suffice. You definitely don’t want to go over the top.
But if someone really goes out of their way to help you out, go out of your way to thank him. Treating the person to lunch is a great idea, or perhaps you could get him a small gift card to a store or restaurant he frequents. Be sure your token of appreciation is appropriate, especially if the person is of the opposite gender as you. And don’t go overboard. But an occasional extra “thank you” can go a long way.
Now go build your network!
Most students submit to a battery of standardized tests, especially if you go to graduate school. In fact, you’ll probably even have to take a standardized exam to get into college.
Lots of standardized exams
Here are a just a few examples of standardized exams students and future-professionals might encounter:
- High school graduation test (perhaps administered by local government)
- SAT - college-level exam
- ACT - college-level exam
- GMAT - graduate management admission test
- LSAT - law school admission test
- MCAT - medical college admission test
- bar exam - required to be an attorney
- medical boards - required to be a doctor
You get the picture. There are lots of exams out there. Not everyone will take all of these, but you’ll likely encounter a couple during your higher education years.
Classes, to study for exams
Along with these exams, a thriving industry of prep courses has arisen. Review courses vary from a day-long workshop to multiple weeks of lectures.
Prices for these courses also vary. Some can be quite low, but others can be over $2,500. Thus, it’s logical to question the value you’re actually getting in return.
The main benefits
The best feature of prep classes is that they provide a structured study atmosphere. In a way, you’re paying someone to help give you the discipline to trudge through studying and preparing for the exam.
For tests with specialized knowledge (like a specific profession’s certification test), you are also getting help understanding the material. It could be very helpful to have a knowledgeable person in the field explain the test material, especially if some things are unclear to you.
When to take a prep class
With all of this analysis done, I personally have a couple of recommendations regarding exam prep classes. There are only two times I would suggest taking them. (But I’m open to other suggestions in the comments.)
1. Self-discipline is difficult. If you have problems buckling down, creating a study & prep schedule, and sticking to it, you should consider a prep class. The cost might be well worth it, if you’re skeptical that you can put in the prep time on your own.
2. Specialized material that is unclear. If you’re facing a specialized exam and you have lingering questions about the material, think about a prep class. You can probably get the material down on your own (or with a friend’s help), but a prep class might be worth the money.
Other than that, I would suggest purchasing study books and going at it on your own. That approach isn’t right for everyone, but it’s worth a thought.
What have you done?
What has been your experience with standardized tests? Do you take preparation courses? Study on your own? Do you just wing it? Leave a comment and fill us in.
It’s all about who you know, or who you get to know.
There’s no big secret to social networking. Nobody can sell you a book or DVD that will automatically make connections for you. It’s all up to you.
Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to improve your networking skills. You can do many small things that will add up to a powerful social network.
Here’s something that happened to me this week. Let’s see what we can learn from it.
I gave a compliment
I was on a website, and I really liked what the author was doing. I decided to send a quick email of appreciation for this good resource. It took less than a minute, and I didn’t really think about the email after that.
A few hours later, I got a reply from the website’s author. He complimented my own writing and said he was looking for writers for other sites. We discussed the proposal via email for a couple days. I’ve got a tight schedule, but I was really intrigued by the invitation.
I decided to jump in. Now we’re partners on a website venture. It’s not a big job, which means it doesn’t pay a lot (yet), but it also doesn’t take a big time commitment. I hope to learn a lot and have some fun in the process.
What we learn here
Compliments pay off. Not every compliment will end up in a job offer. In fact, the vast majority won’t. But most compliments will plant a positive seed with the recipient.
This is a great way to kick-start a relationship with someone. Give them a simple, sincere compliment. Surely there’s something you like or appreciate about the person or his work. If there’s not, maybe you really don’t want a relationship with him.
Once you’ve given the person a compliment, don’t give up there. Pay them another compliment down the road. Don’t become a stalker, but let the person know that you really appreciate him/her.
The recipient will likely become interested in you and begin to digest your work. You’ve thus started down the relationship path. Keep up this hard work, and you’ll begin to grow your social network.
If you’ve filled out many job applications, you know it’s a time consuming process. You’ll need lots of details about yourself, education, and work history. Fortunately, we’ve got some handy tips to smooth the process along.
Keep copies of old job applications
This might be putting the cart before the horse, but you’ll see why it’s useful. If you are applying for a job, and you have the completed application from your last job, you’ll have almost all the information you need, right at your fingertips.
If you have to fill an application out while in the employer’s office, getting a copy might not be an option. However, if you can take the application home, make a quick copy or scan the application into your computer. It will ease your life later.
Never leave a line empty
Employers want to know that you’re thorough. If your application is riddled with empty lines, an employer will wonder if you simply overlooked some things.
If something does not apply to you, simply fill in N/A. This means “not applicable.” If you are unsure of what to put in a blank, ask someone for advice. Don’t just leave it empty.
Proofread and check for errors
Good employees don’t make mistakes on important documents. Your job application is one of the first documents an employer reads about you. To have the best shot possible, make sure your application is error-free.
Fill it out neatly
If your application is unreadable, it’s no good. If you can print nice and clear, do so, using black or blue ink (no funky colors). Better yet, try using a typewriter to fill out the application. If you don’t have one, your local library might have one for public use.
To fill out your applications digitally, you can use PDF software. Some employers might have applications online, which you can fill out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If the application is on paper, you can scan it into your computer and edit it using Acrobat Professional ($449) or Foxit PDF Editor ($99).
Return it timely
How long does it really take you to fill out a job application? If you take two weeks, the employer will likely fill the position before your application is even returned.
The best method is to fill out the application and return it ASAP. Don’t do it so quickly that you make mistakes. But make sure to return it promptly.
Dress nicely at all times
Just because you’re only picking up an application doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress nicely. As a rule, you should dress at least as nice as the current employees. Present a consistent professional image, even while picking up and dropping off your application.
More tips?
There are many more tips for job applications, but this is a start. Remember the cardinal rule: be professional.
Do you have some good application tips to share? Leave a comment for us!
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