If you saw my raw letter to university professors about what they should include in a semester curriculum you know I feel most schools are NOT preparing students for a career.

I’ve zig-zagged the country and been to a number of career centers, and visited with many career services directors. I have a strong opinion about the disservice college students are getting at traditional schools and online colleges, especially with today’s “new” career model. Unfortunately, not many schools have strong job placement programs like William Penn University. (if your school does, leave a comment and tell us which school it is)

It’s not necessarily the fault of the career center (generally speaking, they are trying really hard!), or the fault of the professors (who usually don’t care about anything outside of what they are “supposed” to teach), but it is a major problem.

I personally feel the level of education is not up to par (maybe that’s simply because of my own college experiences (two different universities, a CIS undergraduate and an MBA))… maybe I’m just a pessimistic whiner.

Nonetheless, I think things need to change.

What should change?

Check out Thom Singer’s post about how freshman are courted by the career center, and of course graduating students are courted by the career center, but what happens to the sophomores and juniors?

In his post, Networking and the College Student – Sophomore Year Experience (SYE), he writes:

I spoke recently to a “Young Professionals Organization” and found these career-minded twenty-somethings actively taking notes and asking questions.  Many had an “Ah-Ha” look on their faces as I explained how networking really worked.  Misconceptions stripped away, the group was excited to attend future networking events, instead of grimacing at the thought. One women queried why “networking skills” were never taught at her college.  She was mad that her expensive education left out this powerful part of her success toolbox.

I know some of you think that this stuff is 100% on the student and the parents… and that college is a more pure learning environment.

But why not include stuff in the university experience about personal branding, networking, career management, etc?

If that’s not part of an education, what is?

Wouldn’t it have been awesome if that was part of the education for all of these public school teachers who are getting laid off … they have no idea what to do because they spent their entire time learning how to teach kids in school, and now they are deer-in-the-headlights because they are faced with a situation they never, ever thought they would be in.

No discipline is immune from career management issues, and this should be interwoven much more into the education we pay for.

Did you know? A new breed of online distance learning universities such as Kaplan Open Learning are helping to bridge the gap between college and careers guidance – taking great care in providing the next step for its graduates.

I am going to (re)introduce my JibberJobber Partners to you, starting with Liz Handlin of Ultimate Resumes.  I met Liz a number of years ago and she was one of the first to sign up for the JibberJobber Partnership.

Liz is a delightful colleague, working out of Austin, Texas. She has a strong background in the financial space and gave me one of the keenest tips, from entrepreneur to entrepreneur, as I was just starting my business.

Liz runs Ultimate Resumes, which focuses on helping mostly senior executives across many industries and located in many different countries.  Here are some things she says about her business:

Ultimate Resumes is targeted mostly to global senior executives across a wide variety of public and private sector industries including technology, finance, energy, law, accounting, and manufacturing.

My client base has grown to include global executives located in countries including Japan, Thailand, London, Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Kenya, and the Middle East.

I have extensive experience working with military officers who are exiting the military and looking for their next gig.

I am not the least expensive resume service but I am the best because of my own breadth of business experience, my education (BA and MBA from the University of Chicago), and my experience in working with and learning from executives to develop resumes, bios, and board packages.

I have appreciated my relationship with Liz over the years – if you are looking for an executive resume writer who specializes in executives with a global reach (or military officers, or financial executives, etc.), check out Liz’s stuff:

Ultimate Resumes website

Ultimate Resumes blog

Liz Handlin on LinkedIn

Liz Handlin on Twitter

Wait! Did I mention she is an author of a resource I’ve cited here before?  Check out the Ultimate Book of Sample Thank You and Sympathy Notes – what I consider a MUST HAVE for someone who needs to send thank you notes! (yes, that would be ALL OF US!)

Remember the post about my lawnmower, and the huge issue that was fixed (for good) with a set of pliers I had in my garage?  No money and a few minutes was all I needed to fix my problem.

Or my post about water damage, and talked about neglecting important things.

I related these posts to our job search and career management, suggesting that maybe we have big problems that can be fixed simply by addressing the problem with some thought, not tons of money.

This week our bathtub was clogged.  A few years ago I would have tried drano, and then called a plumber.  This time I went to Home Depot and got a less-than-three-dollar solution that I absolutely love. It is called a Zip-It, pictured to the right (see link for more).

This is an amazing tool.  It doesn’t require skill, training or bucks.  It costs less than $3.  And my problem is solved.

I also had problems with two vent covers.  I’ve had the problems for at least 2 years, but never did anything about them.  In the same trip I got new vent covers for about $6/each.

Why do we sit on problems that can have such simple, inexpensive and longterm solutions?

I wonder what simple solutions you need to implement to make your job search, and your career management, go smoother?

I am excited to announce I’m starting a LinkedIn Certification for career professionals (resume writers, coaches, counselors, college career centers, outplacement people, etc.).

The first certification program starts next Friday, January 28, and goes for 6 weeks.

I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but the sun, moon and stars have finally aligned and this is going to be done right (as opposed to me throwing something together without knowing what I’m doing).  I’ve partnered with Susan Whitcomb of The Academies to put this program together and deliver it in the most professional way possible.

I have designed, and will be teaching, the 6 week course and it will be offered by The Academies, which as offered a number of other certifications and trainings for career coaches.

If you are a career coach, resume writer, etc., learn more about this LinkedIn Certification here.

I got this message from my JibberJobber Partner, Beverly Harvey:

Are you getting the results you expected in your job search?

Most executives aren’t. That’s because job search has changed drastically in the last 18 months. It’s a fiercely competitive market out there and the tactics that worked in the past are no longer working. If you’d like a seasoned job search coach to give you a road map, walk you through a step-by-step process, and explain all the ins and outs of job search, you might want to check out this program http://www.harveycareers.com/six-figure-job-search-program.html.

This six figure job search coach has helped thousands of senior executives land a position…And she can help you as well.

I can vouch for Beverly – she is very well respected in the industry – she cares about the job seeker, the process, and helping you get results.  She is current on her techniques and she trains other job search coaches.

If you are stuck, like I was, check out her program (and the audio on this page titled “5 Powerful Strategies to Accelerate Your Job Search so you can land your next position fast.”)  The program is designed for six-figure earners – even if you don’t sign up for her program you should print off her information page and read/study it like a book – compare what you are doing to the points she has there.

More on Beverly Harvey:

• Her LinkedIn profile
• Her company website
• Her blog
• Her Twitter account

It’s up to you … but the investment could be worth it if you are stuck!

My last post on age discrimination got excellent comments.  If you are concerned about age discrimination in your job search go check it out.

Brad Attig, a JibberJobber partner, wrote a post called “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” The Great Date Debate.  Read the entire thing.

Some of his finer points:

“I think you are a knucklehead if you leave [the date] off.”

“If you leave it off, it’s off for 1 of 2 reasons. (you’ll have to read the two reasons at his post)”

“I firmly believe you draw more attention to your age by leaving the date off.”

“They will figure out your age at some point.”

Go check out the post and then form your own opinion about what you are trying to hide on your resume.  I welcome any comments about this issue

Today we have a treat – my JibberJobber Partner (career coach and resume writer) Julie Walraven answers some questions I have about the objective statement on a resume.  You may have one of these on YOUR resume… if so, you’ll definitely want to read this.  If you don’t, read it and you’ll have peace of mind about why you don’t have it.  (Julie Walraven’s blog // Julie Walraven on Twitter)

Jason: What is the objective statement?

Julie: From my perspective, Jason, the better question is “What was the objective statement?” When thinking of the traditional objective statement, such as “I want a position that offers a challenge working with a committed team of people in a progressive environment,” this is an archaic phrasing that went away years ago.

Jason: What is the history of it? Was it controversial 5 or 10 years ago?

Julie: I researched my résumé books hoping to find an author that championed the objective statement in the above format. But even an old book that someone donated to my résumé book collection, written in 1983 by Herman Holtz, Beyond the Résumé: How to Land the Job You Want, I only found Holtz talking about why you want to be specific in your target.

The objective statement has been replaced by the banner headline of the résumé, which according to the notes from the “Mastering the Art of Résumé Writing” session at the 2010 Career Thought Leaders Conference & Symposium, says “Headline  Provides immediate focus.”Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow from the Résumé Writing Academy who have co-authored many of the best résumé books on the market have long advocated dropping that lengthy objective statement.

I will confess that before I turned to organizations like Career Thought Leaders and Career Directors International for my source of information, I put those archaic statements on resumes back in the 80’s.

Jason: What’s the big deal today, why are people saying to not put it on?

Julie: A résumé is a marketing tool. YOU, the jobseeker, are the product. Gayle Howard, one of the world’s leading résumé writers writes in her book, “PS, You’re a Résumé Expert,” a guidebook for Career Directors International’s résumé certification courses, “This is one of the most hackneyed phrases ever written, and it’s all about me, me, me” Gayle’s amusing example continues, “How many people would actually prefer working in “a treadmill position, surrounded by boring deadbeats, in a potentially bankrupt, and stultifying atmosphere?”

Jason: What’s a good alternative then, if you don’t put on the objective statement? Why?

Julie: You want a Banner Headline, such as Sales Manager, coupled with perhaps a branding statement which adds uniqueness and personality.

Sales Manager | Operations Manager | Business Coach

Talented Leader and Manager with initiative to move projects forward.
Excels in delivering exceptional customer experience and satisfaction.

You could offset that with graphic lines or put it in a text box to grab the reader’s attention. This strategy puts you back in a marketing mode, again selling YOU the product.

Jason: Would it ever make sense to have an objective statement on the résumé?

Julie: No! Make sure that the advice you are taking for your résumé and your career marketing strategies is from someone who is connected with the leading career minds in the world. If you are using an old business textbook, you will end up on the bottom of the résumé pile with no offers in your hand.

Thanks for the opportunity to visit, Jason!

Julie Walraven — Your Career Marketing Strategist “When I  began writing resumes, I had no idea it would become my career and drive me into exploring technology, career management, and recently, the intriguing world of social media. Networked with the best and brightest career minds in the world, I want to use my resources and knowledge to help you succeed in your career path.”

I read a really interesting post yesterday that evoked a number of thoughts/emotions.  Pretty ranty today :p

Kimba Green is a project manager who is in transition.  She writes that 8 months into her job search she…

had the good fortune to be “made over” by some of the leading experts. I was over the moon!

The makeover, however, wasn’t a makeover, it was a critique.  You can read her reaction and thoughts on her post: I survived a resume massacre!

I’m reminded by a friend who went to a job interview and came out completely deflated.  The fourth-generation owner of the company lectured, insulted and bullied my buddy to the point where he questioned his ability to do anything.

As a job seeker I’ve been in positions where people say things, give advice, give feedback, that is really quite hurtful.

Now, I haven’t listened to the resume critique show (you can hear it here), but I’m going to stick up for the critiquers for just a minute.  I’m asked all the time for advice.  For some reason, perhaps I just have no tact, I’m quite honest and direct with my advice.  Today’s post on my LinkedIn blog is a great chance for me to open-mouth-insert-foot and do this very thing.

I don’t do it to hurt, I do it to help.  But I don’t dance around the issue, especially since I’m usually not paid for the advice and I don’t want to spend an hour making sure you understand that you are okay.

Perhaps these critiquers  thought they had limited time (which they did) and wanted to be sure they communicated the problems with Kimba’s resume (as they saw them… which Kimba appropriately contends towards the bottom of her blog post).

Perhaps they understood their role differently than what Kimba understood (she thought she was getting a MAKEOVER, with SOLUTIONS, not just “here’s all the reasons why it sucks”).

Having said that, let me switch over to her side.

EIGHT MONTHS is a long time to go through a job search.  Mine didn’t last that long only because I gave up (and decided to do my own thing).  But the time I spent there SUCKED.  Getting rejections from temp HR employees making minimum wage was very discouraging.

And then, getting outdated, out-of-touch advice from neighbors, friends, family, people at church, and unfortunately, even volunteer staff at career centers and networking events, was very, very discouraging.

Reading those little “DO these Four Things Right Now and You’ll Land Your Dream Job” articles were a punch in the face. I envisioned some salaried person who had never been in a job search in their life writing that crappy fiction.  None of it applied to me but I saw it all over the main websites.

As job seekers we know that most of what we hear doesn’t apply to us (it didn’t to me).  Much of what is written is for the $11/hour worker… not to sound elitist but when you have to make $60k or $90k or $120k (for various reasons, including prior financial commitments), that low-level, common advice JUST DOESN’T WORK.

When a volunteer career center person gives me a list of job postings and says “here are some jobs to apply to,” without any regard to the age-old, principle-based concept of “go out and network,” I want to throw up.  Are they that out of touch with current job search tactics?

Job seekers think they are unique… some are.  Much of the advice doesn’t apply (much of the principle-based advice DOES apply!).

Don’t let it deflate you.  Don’t let the critiques wear you down.  Don’t let this stuff affect you to the point where you are “injured,” because that will have a negative impact on all that you do (from time management to networking and interviewing).  I wrote a popular post on this titled I Smell Blood!

Ignore much of the crappy advice.  Understand the principle-based advice.  And move on.  People are well-intentioned but might not have the best communication.

Yesterday I spoke at a conference for alumni career services professionals.  Some of the people in the audience have a strong career services offering while others were learning how to put one together.

Everyone at the conference was very interested in learning how they could help you, their alumnus, in career management.  One comment I heard was that they have received more in-bound contact from alumni in the last six months than they had in the last 6 years!

This economy is driving people nuts, I know.  Check out your school’s career services office – you can call the career services office of the school or contact your alumni house to see what direction they point you in.

I didn’t do this until about two months into my job search because I didn’t think about it.

I know there is a lot of talk about the value a career center provides… I think it’s across the board, for various reasons.  Here’s a post on the Personal Branding Blog titled Maximizing your career center experience, written by Joe Bucher, who works at the San Jose State University career center.

I did a quick 12 minute interview with Diahann Boock of Women’s Ally… here are some questions she asked… click here to hear the entire interview.

Diahann Boock - Women's Alley (click for interview)