Career Management Alliance Blog

This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Annapolis, Maryland.  It's a charming town that boasts a lovely waterfront, impressive shopping and the prestige of being home to the Naval Academy.  As I strolled through the downtown area and perused the storefronts featuring names like Annapolis Ice Cream and Boatyard Bar and Grill and Annapolis Sailing School, I got to thinking about how where we live can influence our career options, particularly when we are interested in starting a small business.

Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Changes in the economy tend to send people scurrying for the safety of education. In an interview with CIO magazine, Thomas MacKay, the assistant director of IT at Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Va., describes the extra support an MBA gives to a management career.

• Learn to read and interpret business statements An MBA curriculum teaches students to understand and interpret financial statements, marketing plans, market analyses, audit reports and business development plans – all important skills in business.
• You have chance to develop technical expertise Students have the chance to evaluate the application of different technologies in business through writing papers and other research.
• Day jobs As an MBA student, you can apply what you learn in school to your day job. .
• Become a better writer Like any master’s-level academic program, students generally have to produce a 20- to 30-page report for each class subject. Being able to research business topics and develop written comprehensive analyses quickly can be very useful.
• Organizing activity and managing processes It goes without saying that an MBA offers the tools, techniques and resources you need to run a business: everything from risk management plans and performance plans to project management methodologies and process maps.

These skills can certainly be gained from years on the job or alternate training. An MBA is expensive and requires a huge commitment – emotionally, financially, and personally. You can be distracted from your regular routine. But an MBA can provide all of the above benefits in a condensed amount of time within a comprehensive framework and offers lasting credibility. Business ownership is not for everyone but furthering your education with an MBA to advance your career may be the best option.

Comments Off

Changes in the economy tend to send people scurrying for the safety of education. In an interview with CIO magazine, Thomas MacKay, the assistant director of IT at Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Va., describes the extra support an MBA gives to an IT management career but it can apply to any potential MBA student. For this and the next post, we will present his argument in favor of earning a MBA. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Donna Fenn is a contributing editor to Inc. Magazine and an expert on the entrepreneurial habits of Gen Y. Learn how eight key factors contribute to Gen Y business success:

• Building collaborative tribes
• Deploying technology for competitive advantage
• Disrupting the status quo
• Deconstructing the Gen Y market
• Generating branding buzz
• Leveraging social mission
• Creating dynamic workplaces
• Morphing and growing strategically. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

3. Don’t tell your children that, “If they finish college, they’ll be assured of a successful career.” This may have been true several generations ago, but it certainly isn’t true any longer. Today’s college degree is yesterday’s high school diploma – and it doesn’t guarantee ANYTHING. To succeed in today’s work-world, your children will need much more than a college degree. They’ll need your guidance, along with talent, determination, persistence, a strong work ethic and maybe a bit of good luck. They’ll also need a real-world perspective on what it REALLY takes to succeed.

4. Provide your children with resources, support and encouragement – but don’t coddle them. Many new college graduates have never had to work or assume responsibility for earning any level of income. Naturally, this leads to problems when the child graduates from college and is suddenly thrust into the job market. Even worse, many parents have indulged or “spoiled” their children, leading to a sense of entitlement. Your children will have to work for a long time, and it’s important that they get used to this idea from a young age. Once your children have finished school, make it clear that they must take responsibility for their own career and income, through good times and bad. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Paula Caligiuri is a work psychologist, professor of human resource management and the author of Get a Life, Not a Job, and is a leading expert in global career development. Paula shares strategies for career fulfillment, including:

• Spending more time on enjoyable work;
• Identifying long term career choices to match your skills and passions;
• Transforming your current job;
• Becoming “lay-off” proof;
• Defining wealth-building activities;
• Building an inspiring and financially secure career. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Mark Tomlinson is passionate about manufacturing and the key role it plays in the U.S. economy. Having spent his entire career in the field, he understands the vital role of manufacturing and what it takes to excel in the industry. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) provides manufacturing professionals with access to the knowledge, skills and resources they need to advance their careers and improve the profitability and growth potential of their companies. With the industry facing a severe skilled-worker shortage, one of the top goals of SME is to fill the talent pipeline with new manufacturing employees through the Education Foundation. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Health care careers continue to be a bright spot in an otherwise sluggish job market.  I was reminded of this fact recently when I received a press release from JIST Publishing about the new edition of Expert Resumes for Health Care Careers, a recommended resource for anyone job-hunting in the health care field. Here are some very interesting facts about the anticipated growth in health care positions (extracted from the JIST press release): Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Organizational consultant Tamara Erickson provides a valuable guidebook for the newcomers to the workforce -Generation Y, the 15 – 31 age cohort — who are entering in large numbers. Tammy gives Gen Y’s the information they crave to connect at work and to craft the lives they want. Sher reveals a framework Y’s can use to develop their own criteria for making career choices, how X’ers and Boomers view Generation Y, and the top 10 rules that can help Gen Y’s succeed in the corporate world. Tammy shares how Gen Y’s can use their unique strengths to understand and influence their professional relationships and to find their way in the changing workplace. For more from Tamara Erickson, listen to the entire show on Monday, July 12, 2010, at 12pm EST/9am PST, or visit www.tammyerickson.com. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Ashley writes: Although I’m only 12, I still am trying to find my career early. That’s what my careers teacher said. I really think that I might want to be an eye doctor, though I don’t know why. And I don’t know how my parents would react to that. I don’t know much about what an eye doctor does. I tried searching on the internet but instead I came across you so I figured I’d email you. Can you help me find out more about this career and how I should react to the fact of telling my parents?

---

The Career Doctor responds: Wow… I think it is great that you are contemplating future careers, but 12 seems pretty young to really know what you want to do with your life… but I am glad to help you with the process. A lot of people pick careers without knowing why — and that’s okay if they luck into a career that matches their interests and skills. Unfortunately, a lot of people fall into the wrong careers and spend many years in a job they don’t like — or worse. Thus, it is important to regularly do some career planning — at ANY age. The one thing you want to avoid the most is choosing a career for either the wrong reasons (high salary) or because of outside influences (family). An eye doctor — an optometrist — is primarily responsible for the health of his or her patients’ eyes. Optometrists prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses — and refer patients with more serious issues to ophthalmologists (who perform eye surgery). Besides the four years of college, prospective optometrists must attend graduate school and earn a Doctor of Optometry degree, and then pass national and state exams before being given a license to practice. I think the two most important characteristics for a career in optometry is a high level of skill in science and a desire to help people. Why would you not want to discuss this career path with your parents? It’s a great profession and something to strive for — even if you find something that interests you even more next year! There are many great sources of career information available online and in print, and I encourage you to use them. Also, assuming you have an eye doctor, see if you can schedule an appoint to talk with him or her about the pros and cons of the job. Please use these Career Exploration Tools and Resources to help you learn more about optometry or any other career.

Comments Off