11-Month Masters Degree & Career Workshops

Less Than 1 Year For an M.A.

If you are about to graduate this Spring and don’t know what your plans are, you should check out the 11-month Master of Arts in Management focused on Social and Sustainable Business. This 11-month advanced business degree is designed for non-business majors who want to gain a very marketable tool to help elevate their career. Since I work closely with this program (setting up interviews for students, connecting them to business professionals, and providing intensive coaching throughout the year) I have great things to say about it. In fact, my students are interviewing at pretigious firms around town and gaining outstanding opportunities. Spots are still open so apply before it is too late.

Here are a few key points of what students will gain:

•          Earn an 11-month intensive program earning you a Master of Arts in Management with a focus in Social and Sustainable issues
•          Learn how to design and operate a business that is created to solve social issues
•          Gain real-world, hands-on experience by through an internship placement, regular coaching from business leaders, and an innovative, integrated curriculum
•          Increase job opportunities through in-depth, dedicated career counseling and job search coaching for the entire year
•          Build relationships with business professionals through numerous networking opportunities
•          Develop professional skills in an office space near campus with state of the art technology in the classroom
•          Travel to China and India for a study abroad trip
•          Develop long-term friendships with a tight-knit group of like-minded students

To learn more, check out the website HERE or email me at dhallak@spu.edu for more information or to speak with a current student.

Discover your Passion!

Our friends at the CenterPoint Institute have a series of workshops you can check out to help you discover your passion and renew your life:
http://centerpointseattle.org/Catalog/Workshops/PassionSearch

Should I go to graduate school?

Should I go to graduate school?
Nearly every senior in college asks this question. When the economy dips, graduate admissions usually shoot up. Some folks have planned to pursue graduate education from the start and others take advantage of their fall back plan to increase their skillset. Having had a tremendous experience in earning my M.A. and with plans to pursue my Ph.D., I am a bit biased toward higher education. That said, graduate school is not for everybody.

Pros of graduate school
All higher education touts that students will develop critical thinking, communication skills, and greater self-awareness. While this is largely true, it happens at a much higher level in graduate school than in undergratuate programs. Advanced programs will push high levels of critical analysis and force students to develop a broader view of issues from a systemic perspective. The personal development gained from graduate school is one of the top benefits. Personally, I discovered while the toolkit that I gained was valuable, it was the ability to quickly assess situations, plan projects, and think systemically that was priceless. Along those lines, obtaining an advanced degree often is a ticket to advancement opportunities as you develop in your career. Recent graduates with an advanced degree often compete for entry-level jobs (unless they have extensive experience prior), yet, they are poised to advance faster through the levels of an organization once inside.

Another perk to obtaining a graduate degree is that advanced degree holders typically earn higher wages and experience a lower unemployment rate than the rest of the population.
Overall, taking the next step in your education is a good thing for your career. I have never regretted a minute of my graduate education and I have seen incredible dividends from having obtained it.

Cons of graduate school
Lest you think that graduate school is all roses and iced tea, there are a number of cons to consider when pondering further education. Graduate school is hard work. That may seem obvious, but no quality program will bestow a degree on you without putting you through some rigorous hoops. On the first class of my graduate education, our program head told us that we would lose some friends because of our workload. The hard work that goes into your degree will limit discretionary time with family, friends, and in leisure activities. To be successful, you have to be totally committed to your degree and ensure that you devote enough time to it in conjunction with the rest of life.

Graduate school is also expensive. Unfortunately, most graduate programs have limited, if any, supplemental funding and government aid in the form of Pell grants does not exist. To pay for school, most folks have to become creative to fund their studies.

Tips for choosing your school
1)      Timing: With my master’s degree, I jumped in right after my undergraduate experience and burned through. For some people, this is the best route because you maintain steam and stay fresh with your study habits. For others, returning after a bit of work leads to a richer experience where you integrate more of your education with your professional life.My program also had a three year track that I switched to after two years to go at a slower pace while working full-time and planning a wedding. This was tremendously helpful and enabled me to “soak” up the content more effectively. Another advantage to going through school early is that you have fewer obligations such as a career, car payments, mortgage, and children.

2)      Know what you want: If you don’t know what you want to do with your degree when you are finished, then you need to make sure that the program you are joining will put substantial efforts into helping you. Having any master’s degree is truly valuable, however, if you have a goal in mind that the degree helps you to attain, it is twice as worthwhile. Some programs are very hands-on in terms of career advising and will go to great lengths to help you navigate your career. If you are not crystal clear about your future, then this is the type of program you should pursue. Once I knew what I was going to do with my degree, I strategically used all of my assignments to build a portfolio or position myself for a job on the other side.

3)      Costs: When assessing the cost of graduate school, inquire about research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or consulting opportunities. Often these sorts of extras are built in to mitigate the costs of your education while providing reciprocal value to yourself and the faculty. In addition to gaining valuable experience, you will work closely with a faculty member who can serve as a reference or networking conduit down the road.

4)      Experiential learning: Check to see if your program utilizes a variety of learning modes, especially experiential learning. Does the program have an internship component, a consulting practicum, a study abroad experience, or do the courses have significant “deliverables” that you will produce. The more that your organization links theory to practical, applied settings, the more your learning will increase.

5)      Who is in the program?: Make sure you speak to the faculty in depth, sit in on their classes, and question current students about their experience. No program is perfect, but your goal is find the best fit for you. Ask about the highlights and challenges, inquire about where alumni are working, and see how involved they are in the program. Are the faculty present and engaged or are they removed and hard to pin down? What sorts of experiences do they have and what are they researching?

6)      What is the structure? Each program has a different design with a variety of students in mind. Some programs have a “cohort” model where the same students take courses together till they have all completed the degree. These programs are often close-knit. Other programs are more flexible and students can join anytime during the year. Some programs are created for working professionals and other classes are taught during the day. Today, there are a wide range of limited residency programs and hybrid programs that require minimal time on campus (often in condensed periods) in addition completely online programs. Carefully evaluate the structure of each program and consider which format will help you learn the best and flow with your lifestyle.

Graduate school is a truly valuable experience with a great update, however, it is a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. Make sure you choose the program that will help you be most successful.

Job Search Tips: Ready…Aim…FIRE!

Ready…

Know thyself. Ensure that you understand what you value in a job and what skills and abilities you bring to an employer. You must know what you want in a job and what you can live without.  Knowing this, you are less likely to settle for a job where your talents and passions are not being tapped, and you are more likely to be satisfied with both your job and the organization. Take the time to assess your interests, transferable skills, passions and values. This will make it much easier for you to determine if a job is right for you and will keep you from taking jobs you do not want. Your self-assessment will help create your job strategy by bringing you an awareness of your unique values, skills, and life situation which will in turn dictate how you search and what you target.

Aim…

Put on your sleuth hat! Once you know what you are looking for in a job, you need to become a detective and spend a considerable amount of time researching and digging for clues. Use the internet and networking to research different careers to determine what career fits you best. Remember, knowing what you want will help you land the best fit. Start by narrowing down the career and industry you want to work in. When your career choice is settled, you can begin to learn about the different types of jobs in your field. For Human Resources, Communications, Accounting, or jobs that span industries, you want to research the industry of the companies you are interested in. The culture of each industry will influence how Human Resources jobs (or others) are perceived and utilized.
Align your goals with your job. Determine what jobs line up with your values and desired job description. Learn about the broad job categories and see what the employment outlook is for those jobs. What is the expected salary? Do the jobs you are looking at match your ideal vision? Once you have determined the types of jobs you are interested in, identify a 25 potential employers to begin researching. From this list, select 10 companies you have the most interest in. Make sure that only 4-5 of these companies are large companies (generally on the Fortune 500 list). Most jobs are actually available in smaller companies, so it is good to target a mix.  Conduct in depth research on the 10 companies that you narrow your search down to. Remember, ideally you want a job that you love at a company that fits you well. When researching prospective employers remember that you want to determine how your goals are aligned with theirs. Being informed before you take a job will prevent you from wanting to leave right away.

FIRE…

Seek and you will find! You have prepared yourself. You know what you want in a job, what you can offer, and you have done extensive research on companies and jobs that you believe are great fits. Congratulations! You can now fire at a defined target! Start by creating a timetable for how you will conduct your search. Determine when you need to land a job. Once that is accomplished, you can choose the job search activities you will engage in (see page 14 for suggestions). Then accordingly plot out the amount of time you will spend each day and week on your search. Remember that looking for a job is a job in itself, so be sure to carve out plenty of specific times to conduct your job hunt. The surest way to find a job is to put a lot of effort into a high intensity search. Since you have a targeted search, make sure you put a lot of effort into finding employment at one of your target companies. The more targeted résumés you send out, the more you apply for targeted jobs, and the more people you talk to, the more likely you are to find a job.
Set goals. Part of your strategy should include goals that will direct and guide you. Set some goals for each phase of your job hunt. To make your goals effective ensure they are specific, challenging, yet attainable. Write a metric by which you can evaluate your progress.
Take your time. Once you have your plan in place you can jump right in and begin hunting. Job hunting can be difficult and discouraging at times, but it is quite worth it if you are able to land a job you love or that provides you a living. To avoid discouragement and keep you motivated, rely on your social network for support. Your family and close friends can be helpful in helping you stay on track. Openly share your struggles with them and solicit advice and encouragement. Consider staying connected with your peers in this workshop, who are also in the job market. Set up weekly or bi-weekly meetings to share the struggles, tips, and job leads. Not only does this increase your chances of landing a job but it will keep you fresh and encouraged. Best of luck!

20 Mistakes to Avoid in your Career Hunt

Career hunting is tricky. With a multitude of situational variables and nuances it is a wonder that people discover work that they are passionate about and find jobs today. While career hunting requires a different approach for each person, I have noticed several mistakes that are trending with many job seekers, whether they are 25 years old or 55 years old, an executive or a recent graduate. Here are the top career hunt mistakes I regularly encounter for both career exploration and job searching:

Career Exploration:

Fuzzy Self-Insight
A lack of self-awareness is a critical mistake that many (if not most) people struggle with in their career hunts. This is truly foundation and without a solid understanding of your strengths/talents, values, personality preferences, and passions, a you will flounder be tossed by every wind that blows.

Dollars Make Sense
One tension in career decision making is between survival and self-actualization, between taking a job for financial necessity and following your dreams and passions in personally fulfilling work. Striking this balance varies from person to person, however, many wistful career hunters (of all ages) neglect to investigate the current marketplace trends. Your passions and strengths should play an important role in your career choice, however, it is always important to temper these ideals with reality and a long-term perspective on career development. Within the realistic bounds of your interests and skillset, what sorts of work are companies paying for?

Due Diligence
All too common, a client will drop their career choice due to one discouraging conversation with someone in that field. Conversely, I have also seen folks plan their future around one exciting conversation with someone who loves their job. The challenge is that each person brings a different perspective to bear on the same career path. When researching your options, ensure that you speak to at LEAST three people (ideally five) who are well into their career in your trajectory. Don’t base your decision on the opinion or experience of only one person. Take your time and research the ins and outs of an occupation before you commit.

Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
The “paralysis of analysis” is on of the deadliest career exploration mistakes that I encounter. Afraid of taking the “wrong” job or being unhappy, many individuals neglect to take action for fear of making the wrong decision. Careers are increasingly non-linear and a person’s path can lead and wind. As a mentor of mine once said with regard to career paths, “in a single lifetime, there is the possibility for many lives”. Forward movement combats inertia. If you have narrowed your options down to a reasonable set, pick one and run after it.

Giving up Choice
The gift of choice is a weighty privilege. Seeking career advice is a wise action; however, you must always realize that the choice (and consequences) ultimately rests on your shoulders. Don’t abdicate your privilege by turning a major decision making to someone else. Often I have spoken to clients who let others make critical decisions for them, only to find themselves lost and confused years later.

Poor Advisors
Each person has blind spots in their strengths and weaknesses. Seeking counsel when taking the next step in a career is one of the best decisions you can make. Create a personal advisory board, find a mentor (or two), hire a coach, and seek out friends and family members who care about your well-being above their own. Make sure that these trusted advisors won’t shy away from telling you the truth. The worst advice comes from people who only tell you what you want to hear.

Logic & Emotions
Career decisions can take a toll on your emotions. One day you feel a sense of adventure and elation and the next is beset by discouragement and shallow confidence. The balance of relying on your head and your heart is very important. There are times to trust your gut and times to analyze the facts at hand, whether you like them or not. If you tend to be more of a “thinker” or a “feeler”, make sure that you pay attention to your dominant trait, yet force yourself to take a long, hard look at the other side.

Job vs. Career
A job is very different than a career. Your occupations and career path greatly impact your lifestyle. Before choosing a job, assess the trajectory of that position and give thought to the impact that your potential career path (assuming it doesn’t change) will have on your lifestyle. You MUST take a long-term focus when making career decisions or an attractive short term offer will leave backfire in the future.

Job Hunting:

Lack of Focus
I’ll take anything! Ah, the kiss of death in a job search. It would seem rationale to “keep your options open” when looking for a job. Unfortunately, this approach is akin to a first date when the prospective partner spills that they are looking for anyone with a pulse! Instead of throwing random darts in the dark, take time to clearly define your focus. Your job search will start to fall into place.

Target List
Once you have a job search focus, your biggest weapon is a well-researched, list of job search targets (organizations and people). Not only does this direct your efforts, but it can serve as a catalyst for quality referrals, when used properly. Create a target list – if you don’t have one you might find yourself unemployed for a while.

Know Your Value
A stellar list of job search targets is the base of your job search, however, if you do not know your value – the key problems that you can solve and the solutions that you can deliver a company – then your success will be limited. In today’s hypercompetitive market, you need to be clear on your value and capable of effectively articulating it. The top candidates in any field always have jobs. Why? Because they know their value and are aware of the time and place to deliver it.

Lethargic Job Search
Input impacts output – especially in a job search. As long as you are running a professional level job search, you need to take action…and lots of it! Job hunting is part art, part effort. Doing the right things is not enough. You need a high volume of the right things. Your job search goals should include ambitious metrics that you can strive to hit every day (number of applications, number of calls or emails to setup networking meetings, etc.).

Unwillingness to Pick of the Phone
Passiveness and fear are diseases that will cripple any career hunt if not addressed. Picking up the phone to cold call or warm call a prospective employer or networking connection is highly effective, highly relational, and often terrifying! Unfortunately, if you want job search results, you need to get you out of your comfort zone. Pick up the phone and call from your target list.

Waiting to be Discovered
Sage advice for investing also applies to job searching. Diversity your portfolio and use ALL the tools that you have available. Apply to positions online, talk to staffing agencies, network like crazy and even approach employers you have never connected with via a cold call or even a bold visit. Unless you are in one of the few careers in high demand due to a scarcity of talent (think software development), you cannot afford to solely post your resume online. Nobody is looking for you.

Résumé Negligence
Sometimes I cringe in public. Usually it is when I hear someone talking about their job search and I hear the words “can I send you my résumé?” You wouldn’t use a hammer to make a sandwich, right? Likewise, your résumé is a tool that you need to learn how to use. A personal relationship ALWAYS trumps a résumé so if your friend passes you a job lead, see if you can speak with her first, ask to connect to her manager for a quick conversation, and THEN send off your résumé. Far too often a job seeker will settle by forwarding their résumé when they could have hit it off with the manager and learned a ton about the position. Lastly, if your only tool is a hammer than you can’t build a house. If your job search relies solely on your resume you are might have a long transition. Are you abusing your résumé?

Selling the Wrong Product
Picture this: an interviewer asks you the question “why should we hire you” and the job seeker responds “well I have 10 years of experience in…” pause, Charley Brown appears and suddenly we all hear “whaa whaa whaa whaa whaa”. Selling experience is a losing recipe. Every organization has problems that are begging for solutions. If your experience allows you to deliver better solutions to the problems at hand, then by all means, sell your experience – but be sure to connect the dots. In a value driven market, solutions reign and value ALWAYS trumps experience (and actually validates it).

Seductive Online Job Searching
Glazed eyes, hunched shoulders, thirsty lips. Ah, the signs of online job search seduction. If the majority of your job search involves applying for positions online then you are on your way to a backache a long job search. Online job searching by itself will not help you find a position faster. It will, however, allow you to compete with hordes of highly qualified candidates who would intimidate you if you read their resumes. Use online job searching in moderation. Apply only to positions that you are a slam dunk for and spend the rest of your time digging up opportunities.

“Networking”
At one time I used to find myself excited when a client mentioned that he or she was networking extensively. Unfortunately, I usually discovered that our definitions of networking were vastly dissimilar. Networking is confusing, ambiguous, takes time but is wildly effective. Networking is not “friending” people on Facebook or “connecting” to the masses on LinkedIn. Networking is a way of life and it is built on relationships, mutual respect, and paying it forward. If you want pump your job search with steroids then find the best connector you know and learn their networking secrets (hint: networking happens a lot in coffee shops).

No Structure
The old saying that searching for a job is a full-time job is only partially true. If you are truly spending 40 hours a week on your hunt then I applaud your diligence and perseverance. The reality is that a 40 hour job search work week is usually unreasonable; however, similar to a full-time job, your job search needs structure, systems, discipline, and goals to make it succeed. Build some structures or find someone to help you.

“Winging It”
Interviews are a big deal. If you have made it to this point then you are on the brink of winning the game or losing. Many people assume that because the are talented, personable people, that they don’t really need to prepare for an interview. The reality is that this tactic only works in a good economy when it is a “sellers market”. Today, you need to be on your “A” game and treat the interview as though you were a high-level consultant billing a large fee. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Then take some more time to prepare. Ensure that you are solving problems and not just ricocheting questions.