While it's difficult to make definitive statements about what to do and what not to do in every negotiation situation, there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of before entering the negotiation process. Here are five of the most common no-nos. Initiating Negotiations Too Soon Timing is important here. The appropriate time to negotiate is when a formal offer has ...

If you haven’t been able to find a job and don’t want to go back to school, there’s another option you may not have considered. One that allows you to travel, pays off your student loans, allows you to help change the world, and looks GREAT on your resume. What is this dream experience you ask? The Peace Corps. The Peace ...

Ask Kim Isaacs QUESTION: I am a chemistry major and need help writing a resume for medical research internships. If anyone could direct me to any helpful Web sites or books, I would greatly appreciate it. WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS: A resume for an internship would have the same strategy as a resume for a regular job, except your desire for ...

President-elect Barack Obama has consistently been quoted as saying "the economy will get worse before it gets better." Unfortunately, we don't know when things will get better--weeks, months, years. While the recession affects students in terms of student loans, they also stand at a pivotal point as they begin to think about job searching amidst a recession. A grim job outlook ...

You’ve discovered an exciting internship or entry-level job and would like to apply. But should you bother, even if you don’t have exactly what the ad outlines? With few exceptions, send your resume anyway. Here’s why: A Listing Describes the Perfect Candidate When employers write job ads, they list the qualifications of the ideal person for the job. They know -- ...

What a relief! Your first job offer. But before you say "yes," think about whether it's the right job for you. Start by asking your prospective employer for some time before you make your decision. Anywhere from a few days to a week is acceptable. Take that time to figure out what's most important to you and weigh the job ...

If your school's career center has a well-established on-campus recruiting program, consider yourself lucky. It's the first and maybe last time prospective employers will seek you out. That's why it's so critical to understand how on-campus recruiting works -- and doesn't. Let's set the record straight on some prevalent myths. Myth: Only business and technology majors benefit from on-campus recruiting. Reality: ...

After much thought and consideration, you've finally selected a specific occupation as a career goal. Congratulations! If you're like most people, you didn't determine a career direction overnight. You probably made your decision only after a great deal of careful thinking and (hopefully) research into occupations that best match your personality. But despite all your efforts, you're probably still asking yourself, ...

Internship: Rand McNally, Internet division How I heard about it: I am involved with the INROADS organization, whose mission is to match corporate sponsors with qualified minority college students. Daily routine If I could use one word to describe my internship, it would be "busy"! My start date happened to be three weeks before the official re-launch of randmcnally.com, so there ...

No one will ever care about your career as much as you do. But if there were ever a group of people to come close, it would be alumni from your college or university. These former students have likely been in your shoes themselves, and are generally among the most willing to help your career development if you ask. Why are ...

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “work your way through school?” Waiting tables? Working the night shift? What about standing in front of a roomful of freshman students teaching course material? Many university graduate programs offer the opportunity to become a graduate teaching assistant (TA). A TA position offers many benefits, including relief from paying full tuition and ...

Hundreds of books will tell you about getting into college, what college is like, what to do (and not do) while you’re there, and what to do when you’re done. But books won’t tell you everything. You’ll need a map of your campus, a map of your new city, a map of the region or state around you when you make ...

Imagine you're an employer and you have two resumes in front of you. One is filled wall-to-wall with text and uses four different fonts. It's also peppered with dozens of bolded, italicized and underlined words and phrases. The second resume is much more visually pleasing. It, too, offers a lot of information, but you can quickly scan the document because it ...

Medical advances have made radiation therapists among the most sought-after specialists in the field of radiological technology. “Improvements in cancer treatment have enhanced survival rates, so there are more patients requiring therapy,” according to a study by Allied Consulting, a national healthcare staffing firm in Austin. Indeed, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects much faster-than–average job growth for radiation therapists ...

Graduation is just ahead and you're getting ready to put your education to work. It may be time to get in the market for a mentor. What is a mentor? A mentor is a professional who acts as an adviser and role model to a new member of their profession. Part coach, part motivator, the mentor works as a guide ...

If you're in an off-the-beaten-path major—like musicology, or global or medieval studies—you may think only college students in common majors like accounting, business administration or computer science find decent internships. Think again. You can find a great internship that fits your unique interests, whatever your major, if you're open to doing a bit of digging. Take Johanna Smith, for example, who ...

One MonsterTRAK member writes: "I'm just wondering: What is a good field to go into after college? I'm in my first year of college and have changed my major twice. I want to make at least $90,000 a year and will do just about anything that doesn't involve a lot of math. Could you give me some options?" These words are ...

You've gone back to school and are in the process of making a career change. Your resume should reflect both your previous experience and your new education. How do you sell your experience? Don't leave out important dates. Many non-traditional job-seekers are reluctant to include dates of employment or graduations for fear that hiring managers are less interested in older ...

Is it ever too soon to look for the postgraduation job you want? The short answer is, "No, it isn't." But the more complete answer is, "It depends on what you mean by look." Timing is critical in your job search, just as it is in many things in life. Perhaps that's why so many college students have questions like the ...

On my shelf of forgotten and useless VHS tapes sit two videos I watched frequently as a child: "I Wanna Be a Fire Fighter" and "I Wanna Be a Heavy Equipment Operator". I don't exactly remember wanting to be a heavy equipment operator, but you just never know at that age. These educational videos depicted what a day on the job ...