I’ve probably learned 4 different resume formats as they’ve come in and out of fashion – now the de rigeur skill is online branding. I am grateful for time my college professors spent on lessons other than how to format a chronological resume in WordPerfect for Wang!

To accomplish this, colleges should provide financial perks to motivate professors in going out to the corporate arena to obtain experience. Colleges should insist on this real world approach, as part of each professor’s continuing education program. It doesn’t matter whether the professor teaches philosophy or business management, every course can be related to real world career development.

This approach would also engage students to learn how to improve their ability to think, not memorize course material long enough to just pass the test that semester.

Carl E. Reid, CSI
Developer of Career Management Swiss Army Knife w/Smart Radar

I think the university career centers are failing, moreso than the professors. That is the designated resource for helping students get employed, and a lot of them aren’t current on modern resume building, job search techniques, web 2.0, or interviewing. Their experience is theoretical and academic, and seldom real-world or current. My local colleges have staff that have been there 20 and 30 years, right after graduating, and never had to negotiate their salary in their life or write a resume.

I have been contracted by local college departments, and paid out of their internal budgets, to give salary negotiation and interviewing seminars and presentations. They realize, particularly in a tough job market their students need more than is offered.

Of course there are huge varying degrees of quality, so I don’t want to indict all centers. But the biggest opportunity to help the most students with their employment search is through the career centers, and not the professors, although they can be a valuable resource also.

Most people want to come alive in their work and not be part of the 50% who are not happy at work. Why such a high rate? Because they have not uncovered their true strengths and passions. When you’re clear about activities you enjoy that feel natural– you often go after the type of work to use those strengths you enjoy. I don’t know why college does not help people explore more about their strengths and match those to the interesting jobs and hot job fields out there – but fast focus careers does. So don’t wait for your old school professors and career offices, go get the right resource so you can love your work.