Search Results matching tag 'job search'

The Final Exam

WheelCipher — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:35:00 GMT

A tremendous milestone was accomplished this weekend. Graduation is one step closer.

In order to graduate from the Norwich MBA program, all students have to take a comprehensive exam. It was kind of a surprise when it was announced we had to take one. We were not sure what to study. Since I was able to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses, I focused on studying the finance part of the course. I am glad I did.

The test took three hours and had a ton of questions. The focus was primarily on finance, numbers, formulas, etc. There was some management theory mixed in for good measure, but the “numbers” part was the most prominent section. I am not sure it was a “comprehensive” exam. I wished it had more strategic management and marketing. But it is what it is. In the end, I passed.

Right now, I am working on the final assignment. It is due at the end of the week. After that, I only wait for graduation. It has been a very challenging year and a half. Looking back, I have no regrets picking Norwich for my graduate education.

In my copious spare time, I continue to look for a job where I can apply the knowledge I have gained through school and many years of experience. But I have to admit, having time off is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. When people lose their job, there is usually some sense of concern (and rightfully so). I have been a full time employee and full time student for the last six years. I have no regrets taking some time off. It feels good.

The End is Near

WheelCipher — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:35:00 GMT

Every day I go to work at my new job, I realize one thing: My days of distance education are probably ending.

The biggest regret I have about leaving my old company is that it ran smoothly and I had a lot of “spare” time to get some participation in schoolwork, discussion forums, and other requirements. Now I guess I realize that I was probably not living in the “real” work world. However, the truth is that I needed to grow professionally and staying at the old company would prevent that from happening. With a higher position, more money and “real” work, there is a trade-off.

I just do not see myself doing homework from a hotel room two nights a week after working what could be a ten-hour day sometimes, or getting home after a long day and having to do more work, only to have school assignments hanging over my head. It’s an obligation I don’t think I can manage at this point.

I have about seven weeks left in my MBA program at Norwich. I will fly up to Vermont for graduation in June, and while I do not like to use the word “never”, I believe that is the end of my online education for a while. As much as I would love to get another Master’s degree or a PhD, I just do not see it happening. The burden is too great.

Distance education has been great for me. I now realize how lucky I was to have so much free time at my last job. If I had this job back then, the challenge would have been even greater. Moreover, if I had decided to go to school, online would be the only way I would be able to accomplish that. I now have a new-found respect for people who earn degrees online while maintaining a full time job and a family. Even though I did the same thing, my circumstances were quite different.

The great thing is that if this job works out for me, there are TONS of opportunities to apply what I have learned. This is especially true for the Norwich MBA program. Even in my assignments that I am doing now in the waning weeks of the last class, I cannot help but to compare some of the case studies to what my new company is trying to do. Therefore, with any luck, everything will work out in the end.

Perhaps I’ll re-evaluate the school thing in six months or a year. Only time will tell.

How I got The New Job

WheelCipher — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

As you may have read in a previous post, I started a new job this week. The education I earned online (this is the A.A.S. in Information Systems, the B.S. in Management from Kaplan University and the MBA from Norwich) really paid off.

I do have a lot of experience in my particular job function that the new company looked highly upon. I had the education to show that my drive and initiative was strong. But at the end of the day, I had to sell myself. If I didn’t sell myself well, the degrees and experience makes me nothing more than the wrong person for the job that happens to be wrapped in a nice package.

Here are the three things I did that landed me this job:

(1)   Focus on what you can do for the company – Use prior experience and things learned in your distance education program and tell the potential employer how those things relate to what you can do for them.

(2)   Think outside the box – One thing I did in this interview that I never did before was to assemble a 10-page Power Point presentation that showed elements of a long-term strategy for the department I would be responsible for.

(3)   Keep in touch, but don’t overdo it – Throughout the entire process, I was in contact with them about once a week. That’s just enough to remain viable and to show interest without being overbearing.

I was the first person to be interviewed in this process. That made the wait longer for me than anyone else. But my “punch” at the beginning and throughout the process kept my name fresh in their mind. In the end, they were confident that I was THE person for the job, and said so on a number of occasions.
If you get turned down for a job, don’t get down on yourself. This has happened to me many times. Things happen for a reason. This job was made for me and I plan on maximizing the opportunity.

I GOT A NEW JOB!

WheelCipher — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Today is a very pivotal and important day in my life and in my career. I am starting a new job this morning and I am optimistic at the potential this position will have for me. I am going to explain how all of this came about and how education and social networking helped me in ways I would have never imagined. Please read on!

I have spent the last eight years with Time Warner Cable as the Manager of Customer Care in Austin, Texas. This is a job that I loved very much, but when I step back and look at it from a realistic perspective, it was a dead end. When I started at Time Warner, I had exactly zero hours of college credit to my name. When I am done with the MBA in about three months, I will have gone to school for six years straight to earn three degrees. All of that hard work paid off last week when I the new company made an offer I could not turn down. This is how it happened:

About a month ago, I a recruiter found me on LinkedIn. He sent me an e-mail that stated something to the effect of, “I have a great opportunity…” I replied, “I hate to sound like a prude, but I’ve had horrible experiences with recruiters. If this job doesn’t pay at least $100k just to get the conversation started, I don’t want to waste your time.” I knew that sentence would reveal the truth about this “great position”.

After a short phone call that night, I had a two-hour phone screen the following day with a strategic consultant that works for the company to handle their mergers and acquisitions, long-term strategy, and a whole host of other things that have made this company successful. After knocking that out of the park, I drove to Dallas for a panel interview that lasted a couple of hours.

That panel interview included the Vice President who would ultimately be my boss, the Vice President of Human Resources, and the strategic consultant that had interviewed me on the phone. A week later, I had another one-on-one interview with the VP who would be my boss. Then on Friday, February 27, I had yet another panel interview. This one included three VP’s that I had not previously met and the CEO of the company.

The following day, my cell phone rang and we verbally worked through the compensation package. This is where my education and experience paid off. While it is not appropriate to say what the package was, rest assured that it was way beyond my wildest dreams. I am now the Director of Customer Care in the aerospace/government/military industry and I could not be happier. The process took a month to complete but it was more than worth it.

In another post to follow in the next couple of days, I will outline what I did differently in this interview process and how it worked to my advantage. I think things happen for a reason, but as you will see in this upcoming post, I did put a lot of effort into it. Hopefully someone else will be able to benefit from my positive experience.

Colossal Disappointment

WheelCipher — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:00:00 GMT

This has not been my week. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time looking for a new job where I can leverage my work experience with my near-complete MBA degree from Norwich University. With this economy, it has become more difficult to find the right gig, but I have been pretty patient with the whole process.

I had the opportunity to interview with what seems like a really great up-and-coming company that deals in supply chain management. I interviewed with four people and we mutually agreed that the interview was great. I got a good feeling from the process and this company was more cordial and outgoing than any other I’ve had contact with lately. I really appreciate when people at all levels keep in contact. This is a rarity not often afforded to applicants.

I was notified yesterday that I didn’t make it. It was a shock because the human resources person I spoke to said she was recommending me for hire. I guess it didn’t work out. It is a colossal let-down for me. That was the best opportunity I’ve had and I really wanted it to work. Between that and being bogged down with school and work, I am looking for a way to lift my spirits. I don’t ever put all my eggs in one basket and I’ve learned not to expect anything. But this event has driven me deeper into the rut I was already in. None the less, I will keep driving on in hopes of something happening at some point.

I believe that things happen for a reason. I can usually tell why things happen and good things usually come after the fact. That’s the way it’s always been for me. But it will be a struggle to see past this one for a while.

My Experience With Recruiters

WheelCipher — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Is it beneficial for a global Fortune 500 company that usually prides itself on hiring some of the smartest people in the industry have the "Assistant to the Recruiter" call an applicant for a phone screening, only to be unable to answer most of the applicant's questions?

That happened recently. That company was Cisco. That applicant was me. In this parapraxis-filled event, I recall that six out of the ten or so questions I was asked by the tending meshuga were so broad as to have several possible answers. When I asked, "in what context are you referring?” I was told, "I'll have to get back to you on that." And I'm quoting her.

Have you ever sent a resume to various high-level VP's at a company with nothing to lose? Either you get the job or you don't, right? I did that too. After receiving very positive feedback via e-mail from two VP's, I had the pleasure of speaking with a "recruiter". That was the death of the process. A few days later, I was notified that I was not one of the chosen few that get to talk to the man behind the curtain.

I believe everything happens for a reason. That company's IPO tanked by 20%. :) Furthermore, the VP of Human Resources (who used to work at my former company) couldn't even extend a little common courtesy by providing some feedback via e-mail.

Then I get random recruiters calling me for jobs I didn't even apply for. They say, "We found your resume on <insert job site here>". My response to them isn't usually so friendly. I tell them, "If I want a job at your company, I'll call you. Don't call me.", or "Where in my resume did you see the word 'sales' mentioned? I didn't see it anywhere, and I wrote the thing. Go bother someone else."

So basically I've encountered the ignorant and the desperate. It makes me wonder how many really qualified people get overlooked because of the suppurate recruiting staff that is responsible for locating the "right candidate".

I am no prize...don't get me wrong. With (soon to have) three college degrees and 18 years of experience in everything from Fortune 500 to start-ups, working in engineering, support and management the whole time is a guarantee of nothing. It just makes me wonder how much is lost by putting critical decisions in the hands of people who pay no price when they are wrong.

I hope that my job search isn’t this bad over the long run. I would hate to think that my investment in education will have been for nothing, or have the results of that investment judged by someone who has no idea what I can offer.

Do you have any questions about distance education or anything in this post? Feel free to contact Scott anytime!

Fan Mail From Mike

WheelCipher — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

After being a business owner for many years, the one thing I never attained is my college degree. I quit (for health reasons) after 1 semester. After being out of school for 19 years, I found an online community college and was able to transfer those credits to Indiana State Univ. which had a Degree Link program where I earned my BS in Criminology, I was then was accepted into their School of Graduate Studies where I just received my MS in Criminology.

I have also been working concurrently on an MA in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA and will earn that Dec. '08. All of these schools I attended online. I still suffer from the health problems mentioned earlier. Going to school "online" just makes life easier. I am considering a Ph.D., but cannot find an online school that really excites me, or that I would be proud to state to anyone that I attended. Maybe Walden, but I'm not sure. Capella is out. UoP is a possibility. Kaplan ... who knows?

I am having a difficult time finding employment (in my area) as a CRIM instructor at the community college level, which was my original plan. I will need a Ph.D. to teach at a university or do research, but I'm not sure if I want to invest that many more years.

My question is: with my MS in Criminology, what (besides teaching community college) might you suggest I do? I have considered counseling, but I'd need a counseling or psychology degree. And don't want to go back for a 3rd Masters. I plan on doing some mediation, negotiation, etc. next year, but need to find something now ... your thoughts?

Wow! You do have a good success story when it comes to online education. I am glad you were able to accomplish all of that. Mediation and negotiation has always been of interest to me and when I am done with my MBA, I am certainly going to look into the same program you are about to graduate from. I’ve heard of attorneys having degrees like that and they do well. It is a very interesting field.

As far as to what you can do with your CRIM degree, you have to start somewhere. Teaching at a community college is not a bad option to start with. Sometimes it takes patience. On paper, I am qualified to teach some computer and business classes at community college, but the ranks are full right now and I am not sure how long it will take to get in. The best thing I can suggest here is to be patient and keep trying. Getting your foot in the door at a community college while furthering your education and skills can lead to bigger and better things.

Employment in the CRIM field is extensive. You may not be qualified to be a police officer, but there are tons of administrative and investigative positions that you could be qualified for. Crime scene investigation, lab work, and counseling are just a few that come to mind. You may not need to go get another degree in order to be a counselor. You may just need to enroll in a graduate certificate program dealing with a particular specialty. Search the web for online certificate programs from an accredited university. I know they exist.

You might also consider relocating for a job that you want. Certain areas of the country often have a higher demand for people with certain skill sets than others. If you stay where you are, you may never be able to put those skills to use. On the other hand, if you find a growing community that has a need for your skills, it will make it a lot easier to find employment in the field of your choice.

Also, if I were you and had my degree in some type of conflict resolution, I would talk to local attorneys and professionals who are in the same line of work and see what it takes to start a business using those skills. I know that once you get started, the income potential is almost unlimited. People have problems they can’t solve on their own. These people pay to get these things resolved. Attorneys also pay people to handle this kind of thing. So I would suggest you take those skills and build on it.

Teaching at a community college is just icing on the cake if you happen to land that job. Getting a PhD is dicey at best when you are not going to put it to use. The time and money invested needs to have a definite payback after a certain amount of time. Getting one online is even trickier. I would not venture to do this. I think you have some skills that you need to develop and work with in order to maximize your opportunities. The foundation is there. You just need to work it in your favor.

Do you have any questions about distance education or anything in this post? Feel free to contact Scott anytime!

Recruiters

WheelCipher — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I have been actively hunting for a job where I can utilize some of my skills and experience gained through my degree programs. In a stressed-out economy, I am expecting a significant challenge. What I didn’t expect was to be thwarted by recruiters who know little to nothing about the job they are trying to fill. Let me get this straight so nobody has any doubt about my feelings for recruiters. I don’t like them. Out of approximately 10 recruiters I’ve come into contact with, I can honestly say that only one had a clue.

I am smart enough to know when a phone interview goes bad. I’ve had a couple of them lately. The interview was completely over my head in a couple of instances because the person they were looking for was not what was advertised. I hung up the phone knowing this was not a good fit. I can accept that. But when my education and skills match a job like wearing a nice leather glove, combined with the fact that the job description is exactly what I’ve been doing for seven years, I have some hope … until I talk to the recruiter that is clueless.

In one interview, the phone screen was done by “The Assistant to the Recruiter”. The questions she was asking were way out of her league and I actually had to ask for clarification in terms of context on three of four of the questions. Her response was, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.” Isn’t that what I am supposed to say when I don’t know the answer to something? Not the recruiter (or his/her surrogate).

I’ve had a couple of other interviews where the recruiter was just as clueless. The scary thing is that these were large companies. I won’t mention them here as I might like to get a job there someday. But if there is one thing that really bothers me is assigning a task to someone who is as incompetent and ignorant about the subject as a person can be. I compare it to me interviewing a doctor about brain surgery.

None the less, I am pressing on in hopes that something comes up. I am not a quitter and I believe that things happen for a reason.

job hunting advice

onefrmich — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:49:57 GMT

There's some funny columns that offers some good advice at the end of each....can be found at:

http://hubpages.com/author/Dr.+L./hot/

If that link doesn't work, the first column can be found at:

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-crazy-world-of-job-hunting

Demand for Nursing Professionals Puts Stress on Nursing Schools

Victoria — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:42:32 GMT

From InsideHigherEd.com

By Elia Powers

The Nursing Education Dilemma

The market for nursing graduates remains hot, and plenty of students are vying for those open positions. Enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by nearly 8 percent in 2006 from the previous year, which marked the sixth straight year of gains. Community college programs are also seeing increases in applications and enrollments.

It’s all positive news for the health care industry, which has suffered from a well-documented nursing shortage since the 1990s, when many hospitals cut their staffs and some colleges cut back their programs.

But for colleges of nursing, the increasing demand to accommodate more students presents a dilemma: Who will teach them?

* * *

A survey released last year by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing identified at least 637 faculty vacancies at more than 300 nursing schools with baccalaureate or graduate programs — or what amounts to a nearly 8 percent faculty vacancy rate. The majority of the openings are tenure-track positions that require applicants have a doctorate, the survey shows.

* * *

In response to the faculty shortage, a number of incentive programs are underway:

The AACN and the California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, launched last year a new scholarship and mentorship program to increase the number of minority nursing faculty in California. Nursing students from underrepresented backgrounds are eligible to receive up to $18,000 in funding support to complete a graduate nursing degree. In exchange, students are asked to commit to teaching in a California nursing school after graduation.

Colorado’s state legislature passed two nurse faculty shortage bills last year that aimed to address the salary differential for working nurses and those in academe. The Nursing Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is designed to provide up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness for students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in exchange for a five-year teaching commitment at a Colorado school of nursing [See all loan forgiveness programs for your state]. The Nursing Faculty Fellowship Program is intended to help nursing schools in filling faculty vacancies by giving fellowship payments of up to $10,000 a year for three years.

* * *

"We know there’s a shortage locally and nationally of nurses, but hospitals have limited slots open for new graduates," Patricia Moritz, dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, said, adding that the majority of vacancies are filled by more advanced nurses.

Geraldine "Polly" Bednash, executive director of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, points out that while enrollments are increasing nationwide, the rate of increase has slown for the past several years.

"I suspect it’s not going to be long before we see a flat line in enrollment," she said. "There’s a clog, and faculty are the Drano."

See the full story at:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/06/22/nursing

See online programs for nursing education and healthcare education:
http://www.elearners.com/search/online-degrees/Nursing-Education.htm

Learn about degree programs in nursing and the nursing major:
http://www.elearners.com/guide-to-online-education/guide-to-nursing.asp