Career Advisor

CPA or the next Bill Gates?

By Career Advisor

Question: I’m 33 years old and have a bachelor degree in Business Administration and I’ve been working in the Administration department of a Non-Profit organization. I have decided to go back to school, however, I’m a little confused about what path to follow. I have two interest, one is to do a Master in Accounting and then sit for the CPA exam. The other is to get another bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. With the credits I can transfer, it would take me the same time to complete either degree. Each degree has it pros and cons:

Master in Accounting:

Pros:

- I have already some experience in the field.

- Related to my bachelor degree.

-Harder to outsource to foreign countries.

- Is a master’s degree.

Cons:

- More likely to be an employee for the rest of my life.

B.S. in Computer Science:

Pros:

- More Creative.

- You can design a software and create your own business.

Cons:

- No experience.

- Easier to outsource to foreign countries.

- Age discrimination.

- Not a master’s degree.

What do you think? What is the better path for me to follow?

Thank you for your advice.

Answer: Anytime time someone is deciding on a career change it is best to build on the experience you already have rather then starting completely over. This will allow you to ask for more money once you graduate and create better stability in your career. Is your administration experience for the Non-Profit more closely related to accounting or computer science. It sounds like it would be more related to accounting. In other words, will your current experience allow you to say that you have some accounting related experience once you graduate and start you job search?

Generally, It is always better to go for the Master’s Degree then to go for another Bachelors. Why would you not go for a Masters in Information Systems? You can have a BA and still go for a Masters in another discipline. It may require some additional prep course work but will be more valuable if you decide to go into Computer Science.

If you’re interested in working for your self, their are independent CPA’s. It’s more likely that you would be more successful at that, then creating the next MySpace.

In the end, the path that you choose is yours to decide. There are positives and negatives of both. Don’t let someone else make that decision for you.

How soon is too soon to start looking for a new job?

By Career Advisor

Question: About a year ago I was laid off from a full-time job and after a few months found a contract job that was supposed to be temp-to-hire. After about six months at job #2 it looked pretty unlikely that I would get hired full-time and I was having trouble finding out if my contract would be extended. There was talk the company was slated to start laying off workers, starting with the contractors and temps, so I managed to find an entry level job at a different company about two months ago.

I’m not unhappy in my current job but I’m not using my education and it’s not much really in my area of interest. I’m not desperate to leave but I do want to keep looking for something more related to my field. I know two months is too soon to look to switch but what is a good time? If I start sending resumes soon how do I explain my #### time at this position? Is it enough to say it’s not in my area?

Answer: As a general rule, I tell people that any job that your at for under 3 months can be left off your resume. I know that may seem strange and a little deceitful but you should look at it in a different way. If you were there for under 3 months you really did not have time to accomplish anything substantial (unless it’s a consulting position), The purpose of a resume is to demonstrate your experience and education as it applies to the position that you are applying for. It’s nothing more and nothing less. If that 3 month position that is not relevant to your given career field why would you include it in your pitch for a new position?

In short, 2 months is not too short of a time. If you want to include the position on your resume. Tell the truth. Say that the position was transitional while you searched for something in your chosen career field. You’re not alone in this quandary. Employers will understand this explanation. It will be harder to find something in your career field if you continue to work outside of it. Employers want recent and relevant experience to what they are hiring for.

Still follow-up after email confirmation?

By Career Advisor

Question: I’ve heard you should follow up with the company after you have submitted a resume.  Should you still follow up if you receive an automated email from the company confirming that they received your resume and that they will contact you if they think you’re qualified?  I would still like to follow up, but I don’t want to irk them by contacting them when they said that they will contact me.

Thanks for any help!

Answer: I’m a recruiter and I have one of those Applicant Tracking Systems

that send the those automated systems. I recently had a Admin position posted. There were 250+ people that applied to this position.

While I would like to say that I looked at every resume, the truth is that I didn’t have the time. If one of those candidates would follow-up with a direct email to me, I would look at their resume and consider it.

If you irk someone by emailing them a thank you note, they should get another job.

Who is the Best Flash Developer in Memphis?

By Career Advisor

Are you the best Flash Developer in Memphis?

Answer these questions (The winner, selected by the hiring manager from the answers, will receive an exciting and creative job opportunity from a World Class organization):

1. How long have you been programming in ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0 respectively? What is your skill level in each? (beginner, intermediate, expert)

2. How comfortable are you with Object Oriented Programming in Flash?

3. What is the most extensive Flash project that you have worked on? This will include your most complicated coding and/or creative development. Please include your role(s) in that project.

4. How comfortable are you in a creative role? How comfortable are you in a developmental role?

5. Please provide links to projects that you have been involved with. Explain your role and how much development/creative you contributed.

6. What schooling do you have in design and Flash development?

7. How familiar are you in the following Adobe products: Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Acrobat?

8. Have you ever used Photoshop to develop web layout? If so, please explain your workflow. Did you use Photoshop (or ImageReady) to cut up your tables? Did you finish up your development in Dreamweaver?

9. What was your biggest hurdle in making the switch from ActionScript 2.0 to 3.0?

10. How comfortable are you with conceptualizing and then executing web site design? As an example, take a look at fedexracing.com. How would you redesign it?

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST: email your resume and your answers to the above questions to jlesher(at)ciber.com

Good Luck!

From Support to Development

By Career Advisor

Question: I have been in the technical support field too long and want to develop. I have been with my employer 5 years, but have only had small programming (scripting) assignments. I deploy software and make minor scripting changes. I have a CS degree and try to keep up with programming languages, but it is hard when I am not using them at work. I am in a lead position, but I am wasting my true passion and skills. The company has laid off employees recently. It has been time for me to go, but now I am running into experience obstacles. I am currently working on my MBA and a project management certification. How can I get some experience? I can program using C\C++\C# and now trying to focus on .net programming. Could you offer some direction?

Thanks.

Answer: There are actually many things that you can do. Here are a couple: 

1. Offer volunteer services to an open source project. Go to http://sourceforge.net/people/  You will see a list of Open Source Projects that are looking for help in their development. Get involved. You can list this experience on your resume just like any other job.

2. Develop an application on your own for commercial sale. You can create a Sole Proprietorship for yourself and list that company on your resume. Employers will like that you’re an Entrepreneur.  You can sell the applications on sites like www.download.com

Think outside the box. Don’t think that you have to have a 9 to 5 gig all the time before you can put that experience on your resume.

Jobless because I studied abroad- MBA

By Career Advisor

Question: I need help! First let me start by giving some background about myself. From the the time I graduated from high school I worked in the same restaurant. I started off as a server and eventually moved to being the General Manager while I went to college. I received a Bachelor’s in marketing. The restaurant business was not for me and I knew this. Due to the long hours that I put in at the restaurant (60 hours on average) it was extremely difficult for me to network. Like every new graduate, I was excited to start my new career! Well, that feeling was short lived when all I received was insurance sales offers that did not offer a base pay. (Insurance sales is also not for me.) Anyway, I was crushed, but I did not want to sit still. I started my MBA while I searched for a great job that I could grow into. A semester into the program, the opportunity to study in Budapest, Hungary for six weeks.

To make this long story shorter, I thought this was the opportunity that I needed so I placed my resignation at the restaurant and took the risk of my life. I got back to St. Louis at the end of July and have been searching for my career ever since. I CANNOT find a job and my savings are getting low and my self-esteem is crashing! I really would like to stay in the St. Louis region until May. This is when I graduate and after that I am open for just about anything. I would love a career in marketing, consulting or supply chain management. At this point I am ready to do just about anything. Is there anyone that can help me?

Answer: Since you say that you live in the St. Louis Area I am assuming that you are either going to Webster University or St. Louis University or Washington University or the University of Missouri - St. Louis.

If you’re going to Washington University it is ranked the 27th best MBA program in the country. http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/ 

It’s also ranked high in Global Business Schools: http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/washington-university-olin#global-mba-rankings

Which ever school you are attending, you need to leverage it. Each business school has an Career Center here they are:

St. Louis University: http://www.slu.edu/x13234.xml

Washington University: http://www.olin.wustl.edu/wcc/

University of Missouri - St. Louis: http://www.umsl.edu/depts/career/

Webster University: http://www.webster.edu/careers/index_old.shtml

Contact these career centers to let them know you are looking for work and see what they can do for you. If they can’t help you, here are some local recruiters that you can send your resume to:

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/315/2ba - Email: Mary.Czarnecki@fleishman.com

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/3/348/800 - Email: Denise.Wunderlich@equifax.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/erinwille - Email: erin.wille@wachovia.com

Last but not least, here is a list of marketing jobs in the St. Louis area:

http://career-advisor.jobamatic.com/a/jobs/find-jobs/q-Marketing/l-St.+Louis,+MO/mi-50

Good Luck. Apply to as many job openings as you can. Numbers will help.

Current Employer Reputation

By Career Advisor

Question: I’m currently employed, but I have been actively job searching for about 2 months now. As of now, I’ve gotten one phone screening and no interviews (the company that did the phone screening is now under a hiring freeze). I’ve been very judicious about the jobs that I’ve been applying for, only submitting applications to postings that I consider a 100% match for my skills (approximately a dozen jobs).

Given the current economic conditions, I can’t say that my lack of success is surprising, but I’m wondering if there is something about my resume that is turning potential employers off. One thing that just popped into my head is my current employer.

I work for what is called a “junk debt buyer”, which purchases personal loans that have been sent to collections. If you google the name of my employer, you’ll see some things in the search results that aren’t particularly flattering. We’re not doing anything illegal, but the industry is inherently unpleasant. My specific job responsibilities don’t have much to do with the operations of the company (data analysis and financial modeling), so if I didn’t disclose the name of my employer, you wouldn’t know what industry I was in.

So does anyone have an opinion on whether the reputation of one’s current employer can derail his or her job search? Thanks in advance!

Answer: There are two times that a company’s reputation will affect a candidates job search.  Either the candidate had a direct influence on the policies and procedures (such as a CEO, CFO, CIO, etc…) of the company or it’s small (such as a sole proprietorship) because at that level most employees have an influence on the company.

The real problem that you’re probably having is that you have not applying to enough job openings. In this job market there are many times hundreds of applicants for each job opening. Getting a phone screen from applying to only 12 jobs is actually doing very well.

Another thing that is probably an obstacle for you is your job skills. With the down turn in the financial markets, I’m positive that there are more people that do data analysis and financial modeling out of work then normally would be. This means more competition for you.

My advice is to either apply to more job openings or stay where you are for now in order to ride out the storm.

Looking for Part-Time Work

By Career Advisor

Question: I’ve had my resume posted on Monster.com for several months.  I’ve only had 2 prospective employers view my resume, but no one has ever contacted me about a job. I am interested in a part-time job in either Sales or Clerical Office Positions.  I live in Bakersfield, CA.

Answer: I have 2 tips for you. I’m not sure if you are doing them but just wanted to let you know.

1. Make 2 resumes. One for Sales and one for Clerical. They are two very separate jobs. On your Sales Resume, highlight all of your sales experience in each position. Even if your title was a Clerical one, only use bullets that are sales related. Example of a Sales Bullet: “- Increased sales 40% over previous quarter”. On the Clerical resume only use bullets that are Clerical related. etc…
2. Job Aggregate Search engines such as my web site (http://career-advisor.jobamatic.com/a/jobs/find-jobs). have advanced features that allow you to search only Part-Time Jobs.  Other Job Aggregate Search Engines are http://www.simplyhired.com and http://www.indeed.com Since all you are looking for are Part-Time jobs, it makes sense to use this feature.

I have taken the liberty to do some searches for you. Here they are:

Part-Time Sales Jobs within 50 miles of Bakersfield, CA:

http://career-advisor.jobamatic.com/a/jobs/find-jobs/q-Sales/l-Bakersfield,+CA/mi-50/sb-pd/fjt-part-time

Part-Time Clerical Jobs within 50 miles of Bakersfield, CA:

http://career-advisor.jobamatic.com/a/jobs/find-jobs/q-Clerical/l-Bakersfield,+CA/mi-50/sb-pd/fjt-part-time

Good Luck:)

Advice for scheduling an Interview

By Career Advisor

Question:  My SO and myself applied for jobs in CO in a related field to the ones we are working in on August 2.

We live in Maine and the job is in Denver. We were expecting some notice to arrange flights etc and if given #### notice for them to help make arrangements.

Today I got a call stating they are interviewing on NOV 3 and 4. She was nice but she wanted me to tell her what day work for us right then. I explained not knowing there dates we took groups of days off to be free for interviews one starting on NOV 5th but I could look into seeing what we can do.

Is it just me to think it is weird for them to expect us to be able to get time off, make travel arrangements in 2 weeks?

We are both RN’s and work #### work that in the minimum schedules for 1 month at a time.

I guess when I have traveled long distance for interviews before I just let them know when we would be around or they let me know well in advance. Is this 14 days common or have I just been lucky?

My feeling now is just to try a phone interview, which of course is harder for everyone and doesn’t usually work as for us as the people sitting before them always seem better. If they will do a phone interview.
UGGG! I hope the other prospects feel the same way!!! Any advice????

Answer: I know that the RN market is always hot but it’s interesting to read your post as compared to the stories of professionals less in demand.Still, I’d be surprised if the company that you applied to couldn’t find RN’s that are already located in Denver to fill those positions..

Normally people that are looking for a new job opening will adapt their schedule to the interviewing process to show their motivation to make the move, but to save time and travel expenses ask for phone interview first.

I think that it’s a great idea to ask for a phone interview before you schedule an in-person interview. As a recruiter, I always schedule a preliminary phone screen for out of town candidates. It makes sense for the candidates and the hiring manager.

Does job gap really matter?

By Career Advisor

Question: I ask this because there are those of us who have now been out of work for a substantial period of time despite our best efforts. This includes networking, job fairs and other creative means.  I know on some recent interviews I am not even asked about the gap and how I have been spending my time.  I do disclose in my cover letter that my last position was eliminated and the company sold.  However, I can’t help but wonder if an employers mind is already made up and I am just helping some required quota for outside candidates regardless of how well I interview.

What more can someone really do to counter a long term voluntary hiatus during an interview especially when it never becomes a topic of conversation or interview question??

Answer: Even if you’re not asked about your job gap it does matter. Employers are going to be thinking about it. I recommend bringing it up even if you are not asked.

If you do not bring up the job gap in your interview, the employer is going to think the worst. They’re going to think that you were in Jail.

People can be out of work for long periods of time. Employers are not stupid they understand that. Explain what you have been doing to find a new job during that time. Show them that job hunting has been your full time job since your last position.

I sat in on an interview this afternoon. The candidate had been out of work only since August. The Hiring Manager asked him what he had been doing since August. Can you believe that?