Experts say that when you’re trying to get your career off the ground, you should go to work. This may seem like common sense: if you want to keep working, go to work. What we’re actually referring to here, however, is the value of being present in the office. [gate] But my office environment is flexible and my boss doesn't mind ...

For the unemployed, the holiday season can be especially stressful. Strained finances can make gift-giving something to dread. Potential employers are going AWOL in mid December, putting the brakes on even the most diligent job search. Even so, soon the holidays will be over and it's time to get your search back on track, even though it may take a week ...

Sometimes the harder you try to figure out what you want to do for a career, the more you wind up beating your head against the wall. Sound familiar to you? If so, then try the reverse strategy: Take a close look at what you don't want to do. That way, you can explore the opposite and start getting at least ...

If you’re already investing in a law degree meant to improve your career prospects, then why would you bypass the many job-hunting services offered by your law school’s career center? “Yes, there are plenty of online [job search] resources, but they’re not a substitute for visiting your school’s career services office,” says Deborah Schneider, author of Should You Really Be a ...

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com. As we begin the new year, we want to take a look back at 2010 and pull together the suggestions our readers told us were most helpful. So, here’s our best advice, along with our wish 2011 will be ...

For Jake Gehrig, Independence Day came early last year; May 15, to be exact. That's the day this Pittsburgh native graduated from college, trading in his childhood for what he thought would be a life of self-sufficiency and a future full of promise. “I thought to myself, life's just beginning. The orientation of life is over,” said Gehrig, 24, who graduated ...

When J. Scott Johnson, a technology entrepreneur and blogger from Newton Center, Massachusetts, got an email from a forlorn info-tech wannabe, he zipped off 12 tips for post-boom job searching, publishing them on his blog, the FuzzyBlog. Johnson's "12 Recommendations for the New CS Graduate" took off and traveled the globe. Other bloggers reposted them, as have visitors to the Monster ...

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 ...

It’s a fact: those with college educations generally have a better chance of finding a job. But a recently released study on young adults indicates a college degree is even more important for women. Young women who have not graduated college have a tougher time finding a job than men in the same boat, the study found. But in contrast, women ...

JASPER, Monster’s Job Assets & Strengths Profiler self-assessment tool isn’t a machine that will spit out the name of the perfect postcollege career for you. Be thankful for that for two reasons: • Do you really want to give any tool that much power over your professional life? • JASPER’s results are much richer, and therefore much more useful, than a ...

Where are all of the jobs? This question has plagued job seekers in recent years, especially with companies cutting back on hiring due to the economy. The economy is better – in fact, 5.5 million jobs have been added since 2010, but there’s still improvement necessary. However, according to U.S. News, some industries seem to be resilient enough that they’re recession-proof. ...

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 ...

Take a variety of different classes. Don't pigeonhole yourself into one tight line of study. Branch out and take a good look around to see what interests you. Complete a few self-assessment tests. Self-assessment tests can tell you a lot about yourself and may help you match your skills and interests with possible careers. Develop a career inventory. What kind of ...

If you’ve been tuning into the news for the past few months, you’ll notice that the unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing several tenths of a percentage point from month to month. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, that number had dropped to 8.3% in February. [gate] Good news for the economy, and good news for job seekers across ...

You know how, when you go home for breaks, all your family members and friends ask you the same line of questions: "How's school? How are your grades? How are your friends?" I've noticed a change when I became a senior. The questions are as follows: "Have a job yet? Have you started looking? Will you have a job when you ...

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, ...

In an ideal working world, you would be able to set your own schedule and work toward the income you want and not the number set by your employer. Vacation days would be as plentiful as you like, and you could be your own boss. For many millennials, the ideal working world is their reality, and they’re making this possible through ...

You've been hearing that voice again, the one that says you're not pursuing what you were born to do. That may be true, but how do you figure out what you should be doing? To begin answering this question, examine whether your current career path matches your core interests, beliefs, values, needs and skills. Professional career counselors usually undertake this strategy ...

Hey, looking good! That new designer suit makes you look like a runway model on the way to a Fortune 500 job. Once you've graduated, you'll take on the working world in style. But will you be able to prove that you're not just another pretty face? Here are a few skills you'll want to develop before you get out into ...

What makes you tick? What major will fit you best? How will you find a good career? And how can you keep from going crazy trying to sort through this swirl of career-related questions? Many college students feel confused and overwhelmed by all of the career decisions they must make. Fortunately, there's a strategy you can use to make the whole ...