Does a College Degree Really Matter?

If college drop-outs like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and Richard Branson all run wildly successful enterprises, why is Melissa Gerry,* a mid-level manager with years of experience -- but no college degree -- having such a hard time finding a job?

Gerry joined a Fortune 100 company right out of high school starting out as a secretary and working her way up to marketing manager. Gerry performed well and was highly regarded. But when the company she worked for merged with a larger organization and moved its headquarters across the country, Gerry found herself looking for work for the first time in 15 years. Unfortunately, after months of searching, all she's been able to land are secretarial assignments. Why? Gerry believes it's because she didn't go to college.

While in the past, a college degree may have been optional, these days it seems to have become the minimum requirement for getting a good job and succeeding in the workforce.

Jeff Blass,* a 40-year-old mid-level manager at a major food company, believes his lack of degree has stalled his advancement opportunities. "It didn't keep me from moving out of the mailroom," he says. "However, it seems to be holding me back now."

Nicole McMillen, executive director for Pre-Paid Legal Services, left college to get married and start a family and just recently entered the workforce. Ostensibly, McMillen would have had several strikes against her: no degree, no experience and a late start to boot! Yet on the contrary, McMillen says she had no trouble finding work -- or getting promoted. "I suppose it depends on the type of position you're looking for," says McMillen, who represents her firm to large corporations and other employers. "For me, it's all been about performance and results."

No one disputes that a college degree opens doors.

"Most college degrees don't necessarily qualify the graduate for anything," says Charles Murray, co-author of "The Bell Curve," a book which explores the role of intelligence in American life. Murray contends that a college education need be no more important for most white collar professions as it is for, say, a basketball player. "Walk into Microsoft or Google with evidence that you're a brilliant hacker, and the job interviewer is not going to fret if you lack a college transcript," Murray says. Murray predicts that providing an employer with evidence that you are good at something without the benefit of a college degree is become more acceptable as companies become more sophisticated about what it takes to do the job and what a college education actually provides.

For example: Terry Jones, CEO of Travelocity, was a history major at Denison University; Murry Gerber, President and CEO of Equitable Resources, was a geology major at Augustana College; Kay Krill, CEO of Ann Taylor, majored in psychology at Agnes Scott College, while Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group was an education major at the University of Rochelle. Then there are CEOs like Carly Fiorina (formerly of Hewlett Packard) who majored in medieval history and philosophy and Michael Eisner (formerly of Disney) who majored in English and never took a single business course.

Or as McMillen puts it, "I've found that knowing and believing in your abilities, presenting yourself in an articulate, polished manner, and making an effort to connect with others can overcome -- and even make the interviewer overlook -- that missing credential at the bottom of your resume."

Article by Kate Lorenz *Last names changed.
Find your perfect career at http://www.employmentpipeline.com

Resource - How Employers Hire

Understanding the Process

Many jobseekers express frustration with the hiring process. Understanding how employers hire can eliminate some of the frustration and help plan a successful job search.

Advertised Jobs

Many employers advertise their job openings. The newspapers, trade journals, television, radio, bulletin boards, and Internet are all sources of advertised jobs.

Some important thoughts regarding advertised jobs:

• They are seen by more job seekers, the competition may be greater.
• They don't represent all available jobs. Some employers prefer to use other sources for recruiting candidates.
• Many are fake or blind openings. There is no real job, or the opening has already been filled. Employers or recruiters may advertise to test the market or build candidate pools.

Despite the limitations, there are many good jobs to be found through advertisements. Employers needing specialized skills and those who are seeking to fill many positions will advertise often.

Advertisements are excellent windows into the job market. Here are some tips for including advertised jobs in your job search.

• Actively look for advertised jobs, but don't make them your only focus.
• Pick your favorite sources for advertised jobs - Internet sites such as http://www.employmentpipeline.com/, trade journals, newspapers, etc. - Then follow them faithfully, and review new listings regularly.
• Respond to new openings immediately
• Keep track of listings that run continuously or are old. Review past advertisements to see which jobs have been listed before.
• Look at all jobs listed, not just those that fit your goals. You may find an employer you want to pursue even though a job in your occupation isn't listed.
• Research the employer and the job before you apply. Visit the employers career webpage and review the employers recruiting mission.
• Direct your application to a person by name whenever possible. Avoid "To Whom it May Concern" or "Hiring Manager"
• After you apply, FOLLOW-UP with the employer. Check with the employer, ask for an interview, show your initiative.

Goto http://www.employmentpipeline.com/ to research employers who are hiring now!

Tip - Finding an Internship

Internship Benefits
Individuals participate in internships for a wide variety of reasons. Internships can help you to:

• Gain valuable work experience and learn new skills.
• Explore different career options.
• Learn more about you skills, values and special talents, as well as likes and dislikes in a work environment.
• Network and learn from professionals in the field(s) you are considering.
• Obtain valuable work references for future employment - maybe even get a permanent job offer!

Identify Your Priorities

Be sure to focus your search through self-analysis. Narrowing the scope of your search will focus your efforts as you research internship options and can assist you in breaking your search into manageable pieces. What do you want from the internship?

• An opportunity to learn more about a particular field or industry?
• Experience with a particular employer?
• Work in a certain geographic region?
• The chance to provide community service and/or public service?
• Earning enough money to pay for tuition?

Identify Your Skills

What do you have to offer a prospective employer?

• Skills: analytical, verbal, graphic, design, quantitative, artistic, interpersonal, linguistic, technological, etc.
• Qualities: cheerful, diligent, reflective, energetic, compassionate, patient, etc.
• Experiences: work experiences, extracurricular activities, travel, volunteer work, etc.

Set Your Timeline

Fall Semester

• Think about your expectations and hopes for an internship.
• Identify potential employers/organizations where you would like to work in the summer.
• Be aware of competitive internships with FALL DEADLINES:
• International internship searches should begin in the fall as well.
• Attend Summer On-Campus Recruiting orientation sessions to source employers.

Spring Semester

• Applications for Summer Orientation sessions and other business and technical related internships (such as banking, consulting, etc) start in January. (Keep in mind that most OCR positions go to juniors, as corporations recruiting on campus use the summer internship to groom and evaluate candidates for permanent positions after graduation. Summer recruiting represents only a very small portion of the wide range of internships available. Be sure to research companies for additional internship opportunities.)
• "Liberal Arts" internship options, such as communications, law, research, politics, arts and culture, etc. generally start application process at the start of this semester (generally before spring break).
• Universities continue to receive internship announcements throughout the year, so that it is even possible to find internships as late a May and June. Don't give up looking even if it is later in the season!

Prepare Your Documents

Resume

• Your resume in the keystone of your internship application. It is a one-page document that presents your educational background, work and volunteer experiences, extracurricular activities, and skills.

Cover Letter

• This is a one-page business-style letter that accompanies (nearly) every resume you send to prospective employers. It serves as an introduction, telling the employer who you are and why you are sending a resume. Your letter enables you to highlight the special features of your education and experience that qualify you for a particular position or organization, as well as communicate why you are interested in a position with a specific employer and/or in a particular field. It also serves to demonstrate your writing skills. Once you send your materials, be sure to follow up with a phone call or email a week or two later to confirm the receipt of your materials. reiterate your interest in the position, and inquire about interview opportunities and/or the employer's hiring timeline.

Transcripts

• Some employers request transcripts (official or unofficial). For an unofficial transcript, visit your university account and cut and paste your unofficial transcript onto a new Word document. Be sure to add your name to each page, and do not alter anything on the document. For an official transcript, visit the Registrar's Office at your University.

Writing Samples

• Unless indicated otherwise, writing samples should be brief (a 2-5 page paper or project, a 2-5 page excerpt from a paper or project, a newspaper article, etc.) and related in theme and/or style to the internship opportunity.

List of References

• On this document, include names, titles, contact information, and the nature of your relationship with people who know you well and can speak to your abilities, character, and interests. You only need to include these with your initial application if requested. Typically references are only checked of finalists for a position.

Finding Opportunities

Online Job Listings

• This is one of the most common places to look for internships, but certainly not the only option. Online Career Services sponsored by your university and iNet (a consortium of peer schools that share internship listings) are excellent places to start your search.
• Visit www.employmentpipeline.com to research industries and employer career sites for internships and permanent career opportunities.
• On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) is also a great place to find internship opportunities, Employers routinely visit campus in February to recruit directly for summer positions. OCR is generally most heavily used by business-related or technical organizations.

Books

• Check at your university library for internship books. Internship books are excellent resources to identify specific positions and to learn "what's out there". (Select "Internships / Summer Jobs" in the "Subject/Category" box.)

Networking

• Connecting with people you know or have contact with is one of the best methods for conducting any type of job search. Information about internship opportunities is often spread by word-of-mouth.
• Utilize the large network you already have in place: family, friends, neighbors, professors, TAs, classmates, alumni, former employers, members of professional organizations, etc. Contact people in your network, let them know what you're looking for, and seek their guidance and advice.
• Remember that you're not asking for an internship, but rather, for suggestions and ideas for connecting with employers and organizations. Be sure to let your contacts know that results of any suggestions you followed and thank them for their time.
• Your university Career Services database of alumni mentors is an excellent source of contacts. Often many alumni have volunteered to talk with students about careers and job search techniques.

Employers

Directly contacting employers to inquire about summer opportunities is another method to find an internship. Here are some tips:

• Identify organizations of interest - those you've heard about in the news or in classes, encountered in research, or learned about through experience with their products or services.
• Conduct research on the employer through informational interviewing, reading employer literature and websites, and/or researching the employer in the news.
• Think about the ways your education, skills, and abilities could match well with the needs of the employer.
• Call the organization or review their website to determine the name of the person to whom to send your resume and cover letter. This person may be in the human resources department or in the functional area in which you want to work (for example, the marketing director).
• Prepare a personalized cover letter and follow up with a phone call or email once the employer has received your materials.

Applying

Contact

• Contact the people with whom you've networked to find out what they know about the organization for which you want to work, or the specific position you've seen posted.
• Contact the company to find out more information about the position and job application procedure(s). If appropriate, call the organization for which you hope to work, or one that has listed a position (as long as it doesn't say "no phone calls") to find out more about the position. If you do not have a contact name, call Human Resources, or go directly to the department or unit that interests you. Prepare a thoughtful list of questions that you'd like to have answered. Be prepared to talk about yourself and your qualifications.

Finalize

• Finalize your resume and cover letter. Armed with a depth of understanding about the organization and the position, along with the name of the right person to write to, you will need to prepare and individualized cover letter for every position you apply for. You might also consider tailoring your resume to emphasize your skills and experiences that will speak most directly to the specific jobs for which you apply.

Send

• Figure out who is the best person to send your resume and cover letter to. If the contact name or recruiter is not stated on a job listing, generally you want to address your resume to the senior-most person who is in the position to make a hiring decision. Typically, this will be a department head, manager, etc., which you discover through the "identifying employers" phase of your search. Sometimes this will be the Human Resources Department, but often is not. Use the organization's website or contact the organization to determine who should be the recipient of your letter.
• Send out your cover letter and resume to those employers you've identified through networking, library research, and job listings. Often these applications can be sent via email unless otherwise noted. Many employers now request that application for both full-time jobs and internships apply via their websites. Is so, make sure to follow-their instructions.

Follow-Up

• Follow up your cover letter and resume with either a phone call or email one to two weeks after they've been received. Confirm that your materials arrived and express interest in the opportunity. As appropriate (i.e. the employer may not have the time to go into depth during your call or in an email), inquire about the position, the employer's time frame, interview opportunities, etc.

BACK to www.EmploymentPipeline.com to begin company research.

resource for this article: Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

TIP - Telephone Communications

During your job search, you may be contacting prospective employers by telephone to gather information and/or to make an initial contact. Telephone contacts can aid you in creating interest with a prospective employer, setting up a meeting, confirming information, or maintaining contact throughout the job search process.

Pre-Call Preparation:
A well-prepared telephone call sounds focused, professional, and creates an effective image that generates positive responses. For maximum effect, carefully choose words, phrases, and sentences, when preparing a telephone call.
The first calls may take a long time to prepare. The more calls you make, the sharper your skills become. With better preparation, you are more likely to sound confident and persuasive.

Key Planning Steps:

List the calls you intend to make.

Establish the purpose of each call.

Prepare an opening statement. The first 10 seconds can make or break the call. In this time an image is created, interest is generated, maintained, increased or decreased. In an effective opening statement, you should:

• Identify yourself.
• Establish rapport.
• Generate interest. A direct-approach phone call must create interest for the person who picks up the phone and the person you are calling. The name of a good referral usually creates an immediate interest and a willingness to listen further.
• Acknowledge that your contact's time is valuable.
• Gain permission (confirm contact has a few minutes)
• Clearly state the purpose of the call.

My name is Sally Smith and I am calling to inquire about the position of sales manager that was posted on your companies career page. I realize you are probably very busy, but wondered if you have a few minutes? I wanted to share my background with you.

Prepare interest-generating comments. Identify something you have in common, or share something you have learned about the company recently.

I have five years of related experience in your companies industry and I believe I would be an asset to the new project the sales department is preparing to launch. Can we arrange a meeting to discuss my qualifications further?

Prepare questions. Well-directed questions will enable you to:

• Obtain information.
• Verify the listener understands your goals.
• Obtain a commitment for a future meeting.

Prepare closing to confirm and thank.

• Repeat Key information and confirm next step.
• Thank the contact for their time.

Keep good notes of phone conversations. This will help you write follow-up letters.

Find your perfect career on www.employmentpipeline.com

Tip - Resume Do's

1. Choose a resume format and be consistent.
2. Include contact information - your name, phone number, e-mail address.
3. List education, training, employers, and dates of employment.
4. List employment experience and education in reverse order; highest degree or most recent job first.
5. Describe specific responsibilities at previous employment.
6. Express skills with action verbs and industry key words to show benefits or results of the work you have performed. (Increased company market..., Supervised ten team members..., Analyzed data and presented results...)
7. Include specific accomplishments related to performance on the job. Quantify and qualify using statistics, percentages and numbers whenever possible.
8. Include specific leadership activities in professional, civic, or community affairs.
9. Check for typos and grammatical errors. These may suggest to prospective employers that your work is careless.

Find your perfect career on http://www.employmentpipeline.com/

Tip - Cover Letter

It's important to remember that a cover letter is a sales letter, and you are the product. The cover letter serves as an introduction to an employer, and your resume tells that employer about you. Like the resume, the cover letter is an important marketing tool. Remember, you do not get a second chance to make a first impression. Your cover letter creates your first impression, and you want that impression to be positive.

It’s important to keep these objectives in mind when creating your cover letter. A cover letter serves to:
Introduce yourself
Create a favorable first impression
Demonstrate your professionalism
Illustrate your communication skills (Use proper punctuation, capitalization and grammar.)
Position requirements often list "good communication skills." Demonstrate those skills through your cover letter.

A cover letter has three general sections. The first should create interest and explain why you are writing. It should state the type of position you are applying for, as well as how you heard about the company. Refer to your enclosed or attached resume in the the first section. The second section should explain your interest in the position. You should relate your qualifications to the job opening, and describe related experience. This should be brief, but be specific about what you have to offer the company. The third section is the closing paragraph. Here you request action, such as an appointment, an interview, or some other definite action. Make this action easy for the reader to take by listing the best time to call you, the best number to reach you on, and/or your email address to contact you electronically. Close by restating your interest in the company.

Below are general guidelines to follow when formatting your cover letter.
Use a block style business letter with one inch side margins
Whenever possible, address the letter to an individual
Use the same font and type size as used for your resume
Proofread the cover letter, and have someone else proofread it as well.

When emailing, attach your cover letter and resume as two separate documents.

Find your perfect career on http://www.employmentpipeline.com