There are times, especially during those energy-depleting study marathons, when you might question why you're putting yourself through it all. Here's the good news: A piece of paper on the wall (college degree) equals more paper in your pocket ($$$) throughout your career. Yes, even during a down-turn in the economy; yes, even though you've not yet finished your degree; yes, even though you've accumulated debt. Let's take a look at the numbers.

A recent PEW study indicated that when the economy is in a down-turn,

• declines in employment and wages are more severe for those with only high school or associate degrees.
• Out-of-work college graduates find jobs more successfully and are not "settling" for lower wage jobs--unlike their less-educated counterparts.

So let's say you've not yet finished your degree. Is there an uptrend in the hiring of college graduates or a downtrend? According to The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the demand for college grads will outstrip their availability by some 3 million jobs by 2020. In other words, there is a definite uptrend in the need for workers with a post-secondary degree. Further, many employers are using a college degree as a screen to minimize their resume pile when they post jobs, even though the job may not be of a level that necessitates a college degree.  Indicators are that employers believe in the whole college experience, both the learning of job-specific skills, but also of soft-skills and maturity. Want more? The Huffington Post reports that,

"...Georgetown University is out with a new report that underscores how important a diploma has been in this recovery. Of the 2.9 million "good jobs" created during the recovery from 2010 to 2014, 2.8 million — or 97 percent — have gone to workers with at least a bachelor's degree, according to Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce."

And finally, even though you may have accumulated some student loan debt, the difference in what you vs. someone without a college degree will earn is significant. How significant? After factoring in lost wages due to actually being in school, and the cost of your education itself, 2010 Census Bureau data says the difference is a whopping $550,000 dollars. And even though that is stretched out over a 40-year career, it makes a big difference in lifestyle. So stay in school kids (and adults) - it's worth it!

career

10:06 AM

What you don’t do in the military: write resumes, interview for a job (normally), and you never negotiate salary and compensation. What you will do during your transition is write resumes, interview for a job and negotiate salary and compensation.

Can you imagine negotiating compensation for your next tour of duty? “Ma’am I am really interested in your offer but can you arrange for me to telecommute on Fridays and get me a free membership at the country club?” And that is not the only hurdle you may have to overcome…some employers have a few ill-perceived notions about you and the military:

You are rigid.

You don’t understand profit and loss.

You have had unlimited resources.

Leading is easy because you just give orders.

These misled perceptions can create barriers, but a well prepared and focused resume will dispel all of these notions and set you up for success.

In the latest installment of the eMajor College to Career Webinar Series Randy Blackmon, retired U.S. Navy Captain and eCore/eMajor Senior Enrollment Manager, discusses this and other tips to help military members transition to the civilian workforce.

career military Webinars

11:38 AM

Dress appropriately for the interview. 

Much information is available regarding interviewing and how to be a top notch interview candidate, but one must avail toneself of the most relevant information. Knowing the phases of the interview process and some key strategies will help you better prepare and will ultimately put you on the "short" list with potential employers. Seems simple, but you have to be diligent with all 3 phases of interviewing (before, during and after).





Before:
Preparation is twofold. Thoroughly research the organization, specific department, and the job role. This requires significant time and energy. At the same time, you will be doing some self-reflection to determine if this is a proper fit for you. Prepping the resume for EACH  job that you apply to will help you define and determine your skill sets to see where you may be lacking for the industry or job, and can also help you appropriately articulate your strengths. You know your resume is done well if you get called for an interview. You should spend ample time reviewing interview questions so that you are comfortable with how to "sell yourself."

During:
Ask yourself if you "look the part," during the interview. Are you equipped with Skype, conference calling, or other possible mode of connection with the interviewer if that is part of the process?  Have you paid special attention to proper grooming, hygiene, dress and manners for the face to face interview? Are you leaving a positive impression on everyone you have encountered in the process, including the administrative assistant who checked you in?

After:
After-the-interview practices can carry you over the top as a candidate and can, in some cases, salvage a poor or botched interview experience.  The same day that you have a phone or face to face interview - sit down and pen a hand-written thank you. Purchasing a box of 10 generic thank you cards at the Dollar Store to have on hand for all professional encounters will demonstrate proper etiquette and gratitude for time each person spent with you. The thank you should be sincere and mention specific talking points discussed during your call or face to face meeting. With a quick website search - you can locate the correct spelling of the persons' names with whom you spoke, their titles, and a mailing address.  An email can also be sent and is absolutely better than no acknowledgement at all.

For more detail on these and other interviewing tips click here to view the 15 minute archived webinar. The internet is full of great material that covers all aspects of the phases of the interview process. Plus, be sure to check in with your home institution's Career Services Department for direct assistance with resume assistance, interviewing practice, employer networking opportunities and career fair information.

Success can be yours! "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." Bobby Unser

career Webinars

9:15 AM

Military Transition: Resume Concepts

What you don’t do in the military: write resumes, interview for a job (normally), and you never negotiate salary and compensation. What you will do during your transition is write resumes, interview for a job and negotiate salary and compensation.

Can you imagine negotiating compensation for your next tour of duty? “Ma’am I am really interested in your offer but can you arrange for me to telecommute on Fridays and get me a free membership at the country club?” And that is not the only hurdle you may have to overcome…some employers have a few ill-perceived notions about you and the military:

• You are rigid
• You don’t understand profit and loss
•  You have had unlimited resources
•  Leading is easy because you just give orders

These misled perceptions can create barriers, but a well prepared and focused resume will dispel all of these notions and set you up for success.

An effective way to create the building blocks of your resume is to produce a core or mega resume with 75 to 100 accomplishments. These accomplishments should include results, i.e., percentages, dollars, time and opportunity capitalized on. If possible, you will want to include how you achieved the accomplishment through leadership, restructuring, collaboration, etc. Your completed mega resume can be used as a source to draft each new resume for each specific objective or job interest.

So, how important is it to determine an objective, industry or specific job interest? Yogi Berra said “If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up somewhere else.”  You will need to focus on an objective or a limited number of objectives. Consider what you want to do which should be some combination of your skill sets, what you like to do and what someone will pay you to do.  Before moving on with your resume draft there are two important aspects of job hunting that go hand in hand with your resume development, Networking and Research.

Network, network, network…we have all heard the buzz that networking contributes to job hunting success, but how important is it? According to Gevry Grispin and Mark Mehler, CareerXRoads, You are 54 times more likely to get hired if an employee of your target company refers you than if you posted your resume on every large job board at the same time! Networking also adds resources you can leverage during your resume draft and interview process. And along with networking you will want to build your industry knowledge-base through research.

Researching your objective industry for local, national and international trends and building an historical prospective will add to your depth and breadth of knowledge and allow you to capitalize on opportunity. As you build a more comprehensive picture of your objective landscape you will be better prepared to put down on paper or relate verbally how you uniquely solve your future employer’s problems.

With your completed mega resume you can pick and choose from the list of your accomplishments that best support your objective. Each job you apply for should be supported with a unique and focused resume resulting from your research, job description, and duties.

One common resume challenge for military members is writing in the proper language, i.e., non-Department of Defense terms. Avoid acronyms and ensure that you translate your accomplishments and duties into business related terms according to your objective.

Resumes have one purpose…to get you an interview! According to the McLean Group, your resume should SHOUT from the mountain tops: I know what you need, I can do it, I can prove I did it, I can tell you how I did it, and I can do it again. It is not just about your responsibilities. It may sound impressive to state that you were responsible for $100,000 in operating capital but the reader does not know if you squandered it or improved your organization with it.  Remember it is more about your accomplishments; what did you do that resulted in improvements or how did you save money or time? You restructured, changed processes, empowered teams, motivated, collaborated, etc.

There are several resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. Your choice may depend on your particular objective and target industry. The combination resume works well most of the time because the first page states your accomplishments that support your skills sets and objective while the second page details chronological or professional history, and describes your work history and experience. It is recommended by several job hunting agencies to keep your resume down to no more than two pages in length. If you wish to make it any longer…don’t.

There are many resources available that offer resume templates and formats. You may even hire someone to write it for you, but be advised there is valuable learning in the process of developing your own resume. An objective is needed to give you a goal or direction, strong networking and research builds a solid industry knowledge base, and creating a mega resume can assist in drafting multiple resumes, not to mention giving you an interview resource. Never lose sight of the purpose of your resume...to get you an interview!

Randy Blackmon is Senior Enrollment Manager for USG eCore and eMajor, and is a retired U.S. Navy Captain.
rblackmo@westga.edu
678-839-4898

career military

11:17 AM

If you are currently, or soon-to-be in the market for a new job, then you have probably heard the saying – it’s all about networking. Employers today receive stacks and stacks of resumes for open positions, making it harder and harder to stand out as an applicant.  Sure, you may have impressive work experience and a killer cover letter, but odds are that there is at least one applicant in that stack who already has name recognition within the company – and that person is much more likely to get an interview. When searching for a job – it’s all about who you know. If you don’t know the right people, and the right people don’t know you – then you need to change that. The way to do that is through networking.

Ten years ago, networking had a completely different meaning than it does today. Sure, joining and being active in professional groups is great, but today we have a much more powerful professional networking tool right at our fingertips – LinkedIn. To a beginner, LinkedIn can be a bit overwhelming. You may have already created an account, even added “connections,” but are still unclear about how this platform can actually help you get a job. The key is – you have to be strategic in your approach. Here is my four-step process to effectively using LinkedIn in a job search.

Step 1: Start with a complete, professional profile.

This is NOT the first impression you want to
give employers on LinkedIn.

First things first – you have to have a complete profile to be taken seriously on LinkedIn. Think of your profile as your digital resume – it is the first impression you are giving to potential employers, and it should reflect your PROFESSIONAL brand. Just like your real resume, you don’t want to leave the crucial parts empty. The main components of the LinkedIn Profile are:

•  Profile Photo: Starting at the top, you need a professional – looking photo of just you. Again, this is not the appropriate place to use your St. Patrick’s Day photo, or a photo of you and your kids. Remember – you are branding yourself professionally. The photo should be high resolution, and in a professional setting.
• Contact Information: Some people are hesitant to post contact information on social networks. But, if you are trying to appeal to potential employers, you want them to be able to contact you if they see something they like. Even if you only share an email address, you should have something here. Another great tip – you can customize your profile’s URL so that it is easier to share in job applications. Once you get your profile completed, you are going to want to share it as much as possible!
• Employment History and Education – You can use the same information from your resume here. Several Companies and Universities have LinkedIn Pages, so link to those in your profile so that the logos will show up, and other employees/alumni will then be included in your “network.”
• Recommendations– This a way to enhance your resume by asking coworkers and supervisors in previous positions to write a recommendation specifically related to your work at that company.
• Optional Areas: You can also add areas for volunteering, projects you’ve worked on, certifications, specific interests you have, and many other things.

Step 2: Build your Network through Groups

Once you have your profile completed, it’s time to start building your network. You’ve already done some networking by connecting with others at companies you’ve worked at and schools you’ve attended. Another great way to extend your network is by joining groups. You want to join groups that are relevant to you both by your background and your professional interests – so if you are seeking a job in Human Resources, look for HR industry related groups to join. This will help you to stay in the know in that industry, and will also extend your network to include people already working in the field. Also, if there is a specific company you want to work for, look for groups related to them that you can join.

Step 3: Join the Conversation

You have an awesome profile, have joined very relevant groups, and have 300+ connects. You’re done, right? Wrong! Just like a physical networking group, if you sit in the corner and don’t speak to anyone – you will not be noticed or taken seriously. You have to be active and participate in conversations. A good way to do this is to subscribe to different “channels” through LinkedIn Pulse, which will funnel articles and blog posts to your news feed. You can then comment and share as appropriate. You can also subscribe to companies of interest, who often post news and updates to LinkedIn, that you can then interact with.

To subscribe to channels: Interests – then Pulse. Discover, will show you recommended people and channels to follow. Stories will show in your news feed, making it easy to comment, like, and share. This will position you to your connections as knowledgeable within the industry. Plus, it will actually help you to become more knowledgeable about current events and topics within your fields of interest.

Step 4: Find and Utilize Meaningful Connections within your Network

When you go to any networking event, you should go with a goal in mind – “I want to meet someone that works at XYZ company,” or “I want to introduce myself to someone working in XYZ industry.” The same is true on LinkedIn. Think about – where you want to work, what type of profession you are seeking, then we’re going to see who in your network has an “in” and can help you get there. To do this, we’re going to use the University Pages, and Advanced Search.

•     University Pages: The great thing about established colleges and universities is that you are automatically adopted into a vast network of students and alumni who are quite often willing to help fellow alum get a “foot in the door.” LinkedIn does a great job of helping these networks to connect digitally through their “Youniversity” section. To find yours, go to Interests – Education. Here you can search people connected with your school and look at them by industry, location, company, and in several different ways. If you have a connection to a company you’re interested in – reach out to that person!

•       Advanced Search: This feature searches for people within and connected to your network, so it is important that you have  already made those connections through groups and companies. The advanced search option givse you the ability to search your network by current and previous company, among many other things. Results will either be 1^st connections, 2^nd, or 3^rdconnections, or by a group you have in common.  If a prominent 2^nd or 3^rdconnection shows up – Click “shared connections” to see who you know that can introduce you to that person. REMEMBER – If you click on someone’s name and actually view their profile, they will see that you looked at them. So just be aware of that before you click onto a profile.

So now you have it, 4 steps to finding your “in” through LinkedIn. You can view our previously recorded webinar at the link below for a walk-through of LinkedIn and how to specifically access some of the functions mentioned above.

I hope you found this helpful, and I encourage you to log on, buff up your profile, and start networking!

Access a walk-through of these 4 easy steps here. 

Jessica Blakemore

Associate Director of Marketing for Collaborative Programs
jblakemo@westga.edu 

career Webinars

9:02 AM

Have you wondered what it might be like to be an Emergency Nurse? How about a Computer Programmer?  If you are gleaning all of your knowledge of what a Crime Scene Investigator actually does from watching reruns of CSI, you may encounter a rude awakening when you go for your education and actually land yourself in that job.

Informational interviewing is a foundational step within career exploration. While you are in your own investigative place as a student you would be wise to conduct informational interviews of people within the potential careers/jobs that you think you might enjoy. The informational interview communicates the first-hand experiences and impressions of someone in the occupation, and is directed by your questions. 

Steps to conducting an interview of this type consist of:

1. Identifying a person who is currently employed within the field.
2. Calling to request a visit with them while they are on the job.  

The amount of time together is negotiable. You could spend an hour or you could plan to spend a day, but please be respectful of the professional’s time when making your request. On your initial phone call, determine if you might like your visit to include a departmental tour or perhaps a day long “job shadow” appointment.  These may be items that your contact person can arrange.  Also, regard the time together as a business appointment.  Dress should be business casual, and you should be sure to have a planned set of questions to ask.

Questions can vary based on what you wish to learn.  Sample questions include: 

• What are the best and worst things about this career? 
• Why might someone leave this career? 
• What are the things it takes to be great in this career? 
• What is the smartest way to obtain training in this field?

An extensive list of possible informational interview questions is available here, but this is your chance to ask anything you'd like about your desired career. Plan to take notes while during your interview, being careful not to detract from the conversation. After your appointment, create an outline of themes from your questions asked. This can then carry you forward into next steps with your career exploration.

Now that you know about informational interviewing, get out there, do some networking, and make an appointment to speak with someone who is doing your dream job! 

Karen M. Lingrell, M Ed

Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs

USG eCore and eMajor

klingrel@westga.edu

678.839.5278

career

11:53 AM

Are you stuck in the crossroads of switching your major?   

Are you finding yourself enrolled in classes but having no clear direction of where you might be heading after graduation?  

Has a significant other inquired with the dreaded question: “What are you going to do with your life?”

If you had a head nod to any of these questions then I hope to offer some quick advice on career planning to get you stepping in the right direction.   For 6 years I worked as an Assistant Director of Career Services at another Georgia institution.  I have many memories of students who would come to my office the Monday after graduation and remark “Hey, Mrs. Karen, I need a job!”   Some of those students had never taken advantage of the fine services we offered previously.  At the conclusion of many an appointment I can recall that most, if not all, of the visitors emphatically declared, “Man – why did I not come here SOONER?”

As an online student, I know you are super busy.  You’re juggling coursework, maybe a part time or full time job, family obligations…. just LIFE!  However, are you putting “2 and 2 together” that the whole purpose for your education is to find out what you might want to do with that LIFE?   It is crucial that you spend some energy and time exploring your options.  

Taking the time to investigate and decipher your strengths/skills along with possible career fields and actual jobs is foundational to your post-graduation plans.  Many students think this can be done pell-mell.  In reality it deserves significant time and focus. 

I wish I could say that there is ONE pathway to take but the truth is there are many fabulous ways to glean knowledge.  I would be remiss if I did not direct you first and foremost to a most logical spot. Valdosta State University’s Office of Career Services  is where I found this direct link to virtual career related concepts.  Here, you’ll find practical resources including putting together a resume and preparing for a job interview. It is also wise to take a look at the steps outlined for career planning, which includes a handy outline of what to pursue during different intervals of your post-secondary experience.

If you are the one who has no earthly idea what you might like to do “when you grow up,” I will suggest that you begin with some fundamental questions as put forth by Debra Davenport (Executive Professional Mentor, Licensed Career Counselor & Employment Agent). "What do I really feel passionate about? What do I love to do so much that I would do it for free?"   Answering those questions will help drive your search.  She goes on to state that “Your career should be a natural extension of who you are as a human being.”

Another career expert, Marty Nemko, Ph.D. (Contributing Editor, Careers, U.S. News & World Report) asks different yet just as compelling questions.   “What do you think you would prefer in your ideal job?  Working with data?  Working with people?  Working with words?  Or working with concrete objects?”

This blog post was designed to get you thinking about how to begin career exploration steps. Do your research, and let us hear your plans in the comments below!

Karen M. Lingrell, M Ed

Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs

USG eCore and eMajor

klingrel@westga.edu

678.839.5278

Adult Learners career

6:16 AM

You have honorably completed your military service and now want to put your Post- 9/11 GI Bill education benefits to good use. Unlike when you were active duty and using Tuition Assistance, you now have more freedom of choice and may select from a plethora of institutions to reach your educational goals. However, as with all freedoms, there also comes responsibility.

You will most likely have many responsibilities after leaving the service to include a family, employment, and possibly more. These adult responsibilities make the accessibility and flexibility of online classes attractive and possibly your best choice. However, higher education institutions that offer online options are not all created equal.

You want to ensure that your hard earned limited benefits are put to good use and not wasted. Too many Veterans have ended up in debt with no degree and no job. Just like when buying a car…in education you must inspect under the hood. When determining which institution is best for your situation you should consider the “Three R’s”:

Regional:

Ensure that your education institution of choice has regional or national accreditation.  This indicates that it has and will stand the test of time and will provide recognized value for your learning efforts. Are the classes offered transferable to other institutions? If they are not you may want to reconsider as this raises your exit barriers which limits choice and also may indicate a lower value of learning. Ideally your credits are transferable across a region of institutions.

Reputable:

Along with being accredited you should determine how the faculty is trained and certified. Do they have specific online instructor training? Are your classes revisited and updated on a reasonable periodic time table? Which class of institutions has the best reputation? That of course is debatable. However, note that the top 13 schools for the Fortune 500 CEOs during 2012 were all traditional public or private brick and mortar institutions, such as Harvard, Stanford, University of Virginia, etc. Most traditional state and private institutions now offer quality online courses and degree options.

Resourced:

How is your institution of choice spending money? Is it on course content and quality delivery or advertising and recruiting? Is academic excellence their primary goal or is it making a profit and pleasing investors? What is the completion rate of classes or degrees? If the graduation rate is low it may indicate student dissatisfaction. Also, it is wise to check on the student loan default rate as this is an indicator of not only degree completion but job marketability, as well.

After you have thoroughly researched the “Three R’s” you must consider the total cost of your education plan. You must look beyond the credit hour cost and also consider institution fees and availability of electronic text materials, which may be free in many cases. All of these factors can contribute to reducing the overall cost.

Online learning may provide the flexibility, accessibility, and affordability that align with your Post-9/11 GI Bill budget and timeline. Taking the time and effort to research and look under the hood is the first step on your journey toward a degree and your next professional career.

To learn about the options available for our military men and women through eCore, please visit ecore.usg.edu today.

Randy Blackmon
eCore Senior Enrollment Manager
Retired U.S. Navy Captain
rblackmo@westga.edu | 678.839.4898

career military

12:00 PM

Whether it's work, relationships, or school, we often spend too much time trying to change our weaknesses rather than focusing on our strengths. By focusing on our strengths and making them stronger, we can be authentic and extraordinary. By worrying mainly about improving on our weaknesses, we become frustrated and low-performing.

Identify Your Strengths

Remember when you brought home your report card with all As except for the C in math? Maybe instead of talking about the 5 perfect grades, your parents said, "we really need to work on that math grade." Or perhaps, now you are in a work environment, and you've been "promoted" to a position where you are managing the work of others. Yet, you notice that while you excelled at writing press releases or answering technical questions on the telephone, you are consistently fail to get good results from those who report to you. Think of the work that you do best, the personal characteristics that make you stand out in a positive way, and the types of things you do that bring you the most joy. 

Give Your Weaknesses Just a Little Break

So, maybe one of your strengths is that you are very deliberative, detailed and careful, always wanting to turn in your best work. On the flip side, a weakness if that it takes you longer to complete a project than it does your friend or colleague. While completely disregarding your weakness to the point that you miss a deadline is self-destruction, consider ways to restructure your work  - or find a job or a major - that requires steadiness over speed. Then practice thinking less about your weaknesses, letting go of some of the guilt that accompanies it and turns into a vicious cycle of underperformance.

Feed Your Strengths

So you realize, perhaps, that you are great writer and a great cook, but not so good at public speaking or gardening. Instead of taking a personal development class on speaking or growing organic vegetables, invest more of your time in becoming an even better writer or a better cook. In other words, take your natural talents and forge an authentic path to greatness.

Building Greatness in Others

One of the great, classic problems in relationships is the tendency for one person to want to change another. Instead of finding the flaws in your parents, spouse, or other loved ones, actively point out their strengths and think of the person in terms of acceptance. Identify the gifts of your children and proactively nurture these. With employees, recognize the positive and explore whether or not low performance is actually a function of poor job fit. Sometimes, this change in perspective and direction will yield very welcome results.

career Student Success Tips

5:48 PM

Whether you're hoping to be an accountant, an elementary teacher or a public relations specialist, you may find it hard to get a job related to your future career while you're still in college. No need to fret - the experiences you get now in a part-time job really do matter, even if they're not related. Here's a list of worthy part-time gigs for college students, and how they really provide you with more than a little food and gas money. Note that it's often the less-glamorous jobs that give you the strongest experiences.

1. Waiter/Waitress. Many employers love to hire folks with waiting experience because they have learned to work hard and fast, and have exceptional customer service skills. Learning how to deal effectively with angry or impatient customers in the local burger joint actually translates well to dealing with upset parents (for teachers) or patients (medical services). 
2. Market Researcher. Okay, so maybe you hate getting those phone calls during dinner when people want to ask you just a few questions. But actually working on the dialing end for a few months is superb preparation for sales or leadership down the road. How? You've practiced constant verbal communication, being perpetually outgoing, and not taking rejection personally. That's exactly what college presidents and CEOs do everyday.
3. Babysitter. This is a job with serious responsibility - so don't do this if you don't genuinely love kids. But strong experience in this area can demonstrate reliability, nurturing, and patience. These skills easily translate to careers in teaching and nursing, but also to other social science areas, such as counseling. Up those credentials even more with CPR certification.
4. Marketing Intern. If you are interested in public relations, marketing, or related areas, your best bet is to get into a part-time position where you can demonstrate your talent. This area is very competitive, and may require you to possibly take on an unpaid internship initially. Volunteer to write press releases or handle social media work. It's tough to find people with strong creativity, and if you do this job well, you will have a very strong advantage in the job market upon graduating.
5. Tech Help-Desk. Many colleges employ students to work on various help desks. This work will quickly ramp up your technology skills as well as customer service skills. This job will enhance your preparation for a career in information systems or instructional design.

Another benefit of these lower-wage positions is that you're less likely to get derailed from college and graduation. In other words, some college students take jobs that actually pay too well and are too time consuming, and end up prioritizing an unintended career without passion over education.

career

8:08 PM

I began a web - based search to explore where a student majoring in Organizational Leadership major might go post graduation. What kind of jobs are out there? How is field perceived?  What kind of salary should I expect?  Well, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this degree holds some substantial creditability within the job sector and allows for candidates to have a great variety of job options when schooling is complete. The curriculum seems to cover everything from practical skills in organizational finance to leadership theory.  Organizational leadership gives students skills and knowledge necessary to serve in a multitude of leadership or management roles.

What is this degree?
Organizational management involves the strategic leading, organizing, planning and team supervising of companies, firms, businesses and organizations in many job industries. Management can involve leading an entire organization or supervising specific departments, such as human resources, information technology, finance and marketing.

What skills are necessary to become successful?
To become an effective organizational manager, you'll need to develop excellent interpersonal skills, understand human behavior and know how to develop credibility with colleagues and employees.
Also, one has to be be a critical thinker with ability to make decisions and develop strategies. Many companies will seek advice and guidance on how to improve their bottom line and streamline their operations; lucrative job skills for organizational leadership candidates.  On the job, professionals must confront problems or issues, develop and meet business goals, and ultimately  build a company culture that is high-performing. 

What's the pay & job outlook?
Justin Davis outlined in his College Advice Blog: "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, general and operations managers earn an average of between $63,000 and $137,000 annually, while upper level executives earn significantly more. CEOs and top level management at major corporations can earn salaries of well over $1 million each year. Of course, how much you earn depends largely on your organization and industry."

Depending on the degree level you pursue, you can find management positions for small companies, large corporations, government agencies and schools. Organizational management professionals wishing to pursue the education sector can work for a school's development office, registrar's office, school administrative unit or charter school association. With a bachelor's degree in organizational management, you could become an entry-level manager for business departments, such as human resources, operations, marketing and information technology.  Other examples of management positions include:  community services manager, health services manager, information technology manager, general manager or management consultant.

If you have already selected this as a career path I foresee a beautiful future. 

by Karen Lingrell, Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs and Career Genius



Sources:
http://emajor.usg.edu/degrees/organizationalleadership/organizationalleadership.php

http://www.collegeadviceblog.com/2012/06/what-is-job-forecast-for-2013-in.html

Additional Resources:
VSU Career Services:  http://ww2.valdosta.edu/career/
O-NET: http://www.onetonline.org/
Degree Directory: http://degreedirectory.org

career

5:34 PM

Have you wondered what it might be like to be an Emergency Nurse? How about a Computer Programmer?  If you believe that you are gleaning all of your knowledge of a Crime Scene Investigator from watching CBS’s CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) you may encounter a rude awakening when you go for your education and actually get your job.

Informational Interviewing is another foundational step within career exploration.  While you are in your own investigative place as a student you would be wise to conduct informational interviews of people within the potential careers/jobs that you think you might enjoy.  The informational interview communicates the first hand experiences and impressions of someone in the occupation, and is directed by your questions.  Steps to conducting an interview of this type consist of locating a person that is currently employed within the field and calling to request a visit with them while they are on the job.  The amount of time together is negotiable.  You could spend an hour or you could plan to spend a day.  Please be respectful of the professional’s time when making your request.  Determine on your initial phone call if you might like your visit to include a departmental tour or perhaps a day long “job shadow” appointment.  These may be items that your contact person can arrange.  Also, regard the time together as a business appointment.  Dress should be "business casual" and be sure to have a planned set of questions to ask. 

Questions can vary based on what you wish to glean.  Sample questions include: “What are the best and worst things about this career? Why might somebody leave this career? What are the things that it really takes to be great in this career? What is the smartest way to get trained?” Additional questions can be found HERE. Plan to take notes while with your interviewer being careful not to detract from the conversation. After your appointment, create an outline of themes from your questions asked. This can then carry you forward into next steps with your career exploration.

Feel free to connect with me with specific questions. Some information referenced can be fully located by visiting About.com/Informational Interviewing

Karen M Lingrell, M.Ed, Assistant Director of Collaborative Programs

career

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