Tips for a stress-free start to your first job

Worrying fails to accomplish anything, yet that doesn't stop people from doing it, especially when they start their first-ever full-time job. Here are some tips to make your first few days and weeks on the job as stress-free as possible:

Know that your worries are normal, but probably irrational

Everyone experiences doubts before they start a new job, and -- unfortunately -- those worries might be amplified for the first few days after you start. It would be unusual if you didn't ask questions of yourself like, "Am I right for this job?" "Can I handle these responsibilities?" and "Do my co-workers think I'm a fool?"

If you find yourself asking these questions, remember that your company hired you for a reason. As you are probably well-aware, companies do not take hiring someone for a full-time job lightly. They've reviewed your résumé, dissected your interview and decided that they want to pay you to work for them. Yes, you're going to make mistakes. Just try to learn from them and not make them again. As long as you put forth an effort during the workday and don't slack off, you should be fine.

If you feel overwhelmed, prioritize

You'll probably feel overwhelmed in the first few days or weeks of your job, because everything will be new to you. You'll probably have a number of things to get done that have been handed down to you by your supervisor, and possibly by several different people.

When you feel overwhelmed, prioritize. It's perfectly acceptable to go to your and say, "I have this, and this and this on my plate. I'll most definitely be getting them all done, but I wanted to know from you which task is the most important, and how I should prioritize these tasks." You will most likely have some tasks that take several hours, days or even weeks to complete. The people around you know this and, unless there's a specific deadline, aren't expecting you to get everything done in the first day or week.

Be on time

Be on time in the morning and don't make it a habit to leave early. If you have a doctor's appointment or another conflict, that's fine, but let your know as early as possible. If you know on Monday morning that you have a doctor's appointment on Thursday afternoon, tell your supervisor on Monday morning, not late Wednesday, and certainly not on Thursday. Also, before you leave work each day, go to your and ask him if there's anything else you can do before packing up your stuff. Sometimes you just want to get out, but your manager will really appreciate if you check in with him before you leave.
Gather a crew for lunch

On one hand, you can save a lot of money and eat more healthfully by bringing your lunch to work. Still, when you start out, try gathering a crew of fellow co-workers to eat with once or twice a week. Lunch break is a social time, and building relationships at your workplace is important. Not only will you be happier during the day if you like the people around you, it's also important for your job security; you want people to care about you and "have your back." As long as you act genuinely and give people a chance to get to know you, developing friendships should not be a problem.

By Danny Goldin Special to Career Builder

careerbuilder.com

The Importance of Goal Setting as an International Business Professional

Goal setting is an important part of any professional’s life, especially to an international business professional. Setting your goal, whether they are career goals, project goals, or even daily goals can make things go smoother and give you a check point to see how you are doing.

Setting daily goals can give you a wonderful way of staying focused during your busy day. Taking a moment at the beginning of the day to set your daily goals can give you a clear path and a place to start. If you set a list of goals for the day you have a list to refer back to during the day if you get side-tracked or pulled away. In addition, marking off your goals as you make your way through them can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in your job as an international business professional.

Project goals are a good way to keep a project on track. They can also be a good way of judging your timeline. Having a list of goals or milestones on a project can give you something to refer to as you prioritize project parts as well as delegate certain project aspects to colleagues. As an international business professional, having a list of goals and due dates will also help you keep the project moving. You may also want to keep your lists with completion dates in the project file to refer to if necessary in the future.

Having clearly defined career goals can be important. Though these goals may change during the course of your career as you better understand what you truly love to do and want to do in your career, having goals set can help you see what you are working so hard to try and accomplish. As an international business professional, understanding that you are putting in the long hours or taking on added responsibilities to work toward your goals is important. Having a list of your career goals gives you a reference when you need to stay focused.

Working Smarter in International Business

Being productive and organized are keys to being a successful international business professional. Whether you have been working in your field for years or just starting out, learning to work smarter can be a very important part of your day.

With so much competition for jobs today, ensuring you are valuable to your team and company is a sure-fire way to make certain that your job is not in jeopardy. Learning to work smarter and faster can help you be a key player for your company.

So what does working smarter mean? What working smarter means is that you are organized, concise and not wasteful of your time or the time of others. The best way to achieve this in your day is to be clear on your goals and organized in working toward meeting deadlines and goals.

Taking a few minutes at the beginning of each day to review your tasks, deadlines, and to-do list can help you get a clear picture of what needs to be accomplished in your day. You will then want to prioritize your tasks and possibly write down your list so you don’t get side-tracked or off course during your day. Taking a few minutes in the morning can make your day run more smoothly and keep you contributing to the success of your com by admin on

http://internationalbusinesstraining.org

International students get job search tips at seminar

Be part of the professional network including social media

The power of networking is great than you imagine. Participating professional networking events, seminars and tech conferences are great ways to network with people and recruiters

If you are wondering where you can find the recruiters and start networking in social media, then you are probably missing the extraordinary power of social media.

Millions of recruiters in Linkedin are actively discussing things and searching for candidates everyday

About 50 Northwestern students from all over the world met in Norris University Center Tuesday to learn about finding a job in the U.S.

The Job Search for International Students, a seminar sponsored by University Career Services, hosted lectures about how to turn being an international student into an advantage in the job market.

Manfred Bauer, a first-year Medill graduate student from Guatemala, said he attended the seminar to get a better understanding of the American job market.

"This is my first time jumping into the U.S. labor market and I want to find out more about it," said Bauer, who has been in the U.S. for a month.

During the seminar, UCS career counselor Christina Siders discussed basic challenges international students may face in looking for a job.

"Some employers may think that because students are here from elsewhere in the world, they may not be as committed as U.S. applicants," she told the audience. "Show them that you're interested in growing with the company."

Siders advised students to become familiar with what it takes to acquire an H1B, the visa that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ international workers. Some employers know nothing about the visa process, so it is the applicant's responsibility to have a basic knowledge of what he needs to work in the states, she said.

"(Employers) will assume an H1B is very complicated or expensive, and it's neither of these things," Siders said.

Siders also reviewed basic interview tips applicable to any student looking for a job such as making eye contact, writing thank-you notes and having a firm handshake. Employers have reported instances of the "limp Northwestern handshake," she said.

It can also be difficult for some foreign students to be confident with potential employers, she said.

"Self-marketing in interviews can seem arrogant at times, but that's the expectation here," Siders said. "That's a bit of a cultural shift for many international students."

Being an international student, however, is not automatically a drawback. Siders said many international students have skills that set them apart from other applicants, including multiple-language proficiency, a global perspective and adaptability.

Elena Chernyakova, a Communication senior from Russia, said she attended the seminar in anticipation of graduation.

"I'm looking for a job now instead of in the spring," she said. "At the very least, I'm looking for more information of where to look and how to get a head start."

No matter the student's origin, looking for a job in the current economy can be tough, so it's important to be proactive, Siders said.

"The pool of opportunity can be shallow," Siders told the audience. "Begin early."

By Devan Coggan

dailynorthwestern.com/

Career lessons from 5 of America's favorite reality stars

Believe it or not, reality TV stars can be more for us than a guilty pleasure. In fact, they can even teach us a thing or two, and not just about being a drama queen.

Now that more reality stars have begun to stretch their 15 minutes of fame into entertainment empires, many of them can teach us valuable lessons about business, personal branding and careers.

Don't believe us? Read 'em and weep.

1. Chelsea Handler

Career lesson: Challenge yourself

Chelsea Handler got her start in the Oxygen reality series "Girls Behaving Badly" in 2008. Since then, she has managed to build a multimedia empire, going from successful late-night TV show host to comedian to author. Not only was she the host of the 2010 MTV Music Awards -- the first woman to host since 1994 -- that same year, she also became a three-time best-selling author. And finally, Handler was able to secure a comedy tour based on her books, as icing on the cake.

Handler reminds everyone that there's no limit to what you can do. Always challenge yourself to take the next step or try something new in your career -- you'll never know until you try.

2. Simon Cowell

Career lesson: Be authentic

Simon Cowell is the man everyone loves to hate. While the music and entrepreneur was often criticized for being too harsh on contestants as a judge on "American Idol," no one can fault him for being honest. Although it makes us mad on one hand, on the other hand, we might secretly agree with him.

Like the co-worker everyone looks to as the group voice, Cowell can teach job seekers and employees alike to stay true to who they are. Be true to your passions and talents, and be honest. (Except maybe do it with a little more tact.)

3. Lauren Conrad

Career lesson: Take advantage of your platform

Lauren Conrad got her career start on MTV's "Laguna Beach" and then "The Hills." Although she's no longer on TV, Conrad piggybacked off her newfound fame and became an author and

Conrad's career success teaches everyone to take a chance when you're given one. She was picked at random out of hundreds of high school kids to be on her first television show, and things only got better from there. So take the extra project, take the position when you're offered it. You never know what will happen.

4. Ryan Seacrest

Career lesson: Hard work pays off

Although he catches flak for being a "pretty boy," Ryan Seacrest is one of the hardest-working guys in the biz. Seacrest has built his brand -- and then some. You can find him hosting "E! News" or "American Idol" -- and if he's not doing that, he's interviewing the hottest celebrities for his syndicated show or producing hit shows like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Have you ever heard the saying "You get what you give?" Successful careers don't blossom overnight, and Seacrest's success reminds us of that. No matter what you do in your career, ambition and hard work can sometimes get you further than anything else.

5. Bethenny Frankel

Career lesson: Grow your brand

After getting her start on reality TV as a finalist on "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," Bethenny Frankel is another example of star who took advantage of her platform for success. She has acknowledged joining her next reality gig, "The Real Housewives of New York," purely for business and to plug her products. From there, the former natural-foods has built up her empire to comprise the popular Skinnygirl cocktail line, a successful publishing a workout DVD and other Skinnygirl-brand products. She recently sold her cocktail line for $120 million dollars.

Frankel has always been transparent about her intentions to succeed. Her business model is simple: solve a problem. From there, anything is possible.

Rachel Farrell researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.

By Rachel Farrell,

careerbuilder.com

Job Search Tips

Is your job search off to a slow start or stuck in a rut? These time-saving tips will help you jump start your job search and get into gear.

Job Search Advice

Given the concerns about the economy, new jobless claims up to over 400,000 last week and record high it shouldn't be a surprise that employee confidence in the job market and the ability to find a new job has declined.

Employment Confidence Survey reports that 56% of employed adults and 91% of unemployed adults survey think the recent volatility in the economy and financial markets will impact their career, job or job search.

When it comes to losing a job, employees are actually more worried about their co-workers than themselves. Employee concerns over being laid off themselves dropped to 16%, but 32% are concerned about co-workers being laid off in the next six months.

As far as finding a new job, 36% of unemployed job seekers report they are uncertain whether they will be able to find a job in six months. 33% of employees and self-employed workers believe it is unlikely they would be able to find a job matched to their experience and compensation levels in six months.

One way to alleviate concerns about whether you'll lose your job and how long it will take to find another position is to. Regardless of how good a job you do and how highly regarded you are by the company you work for, companies sometimes have to make tough decisions. Those decisions often involve staff cutbacks.

If you have an up-to-date (and, no, resumes are not obsolete regardless of what some people think), a draft you can tweak to match the jobs you're applying for, a that will attract recruiters and a strong base of networking connections, you'll be positioned to job search immediately - if and when you have to.

Even though losing your job can happen to anyone, the better prepared you are to find a new job, the easier it will be to find one and, sometimes, a layoff can be the push in the right direction you need to find a new and better job and career path.

The minimum wage will increase in eight states with minimum wages which adjust each year to keep pace with inflation. Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Oregon and Washington have announced increases effective January 1, 2012. Arizon, Florida and Vermont will be announcing minimum wage increases soon.

States With Minimum Wage Increases

• Arizona - TBD
• Colorado - $7.64
• Florida - TBD
• Montana - $7.65
• Ohio - $7.70
• Oregon - $8.80
• Washington - $9.04
• Vermont - TBD

The is $7.25 for covered non-exempt employees with some exceptions for certain types of workers, but, as you can see some states pay more than the minimum. Use the Department of Labor's to get information on the minimum wage in your location and information on when employers must pay overtime.

There are many options for getting career advice and resume and cover letter writing help online.

It's a time saving way to get career assistance, but it's important to choose the right counseling or resume writing service so you are sure you are receiving qualified and quality assistance.

There are many websites and individuals that offer fee-based expert career advising and services. When utilizing these it's important to consider who is an expert and how they are qualified to help you. Some are credentialed professional career counselors or resume writers. Others are not.

Wednesday October 5, 2011

September job cuts were 126% higher than August, according to the latest report on monthly job cuts from global outplacement firm with 155,730 layoffs last month.

Layoffs were 212% higher than last September, when employers announced just 37,151 job cuts. Last month's total is the highest since April 2009, when 132,590 job cuts were announced.

This is not good news, obviously. However, what makes it really bad news is that even though there hasn't been significant job growth, companies weren't laying off workers in large numbers - until now.

The increase in the number of layoffs means the economy is losing jobs again and not creating enough new jobs to offset the losses. The unemployment rate will go up and there will be even more unemployed workers competing for every single job opening.

To compound this situation, the federal long term unemployment benefits (up to 99 weeks for some unemployed workers), leaving the newly unemployment with state unemployment benefits of up to 26 weeks unless legislation is passed to reinstate them.

about.com

The Good News About Career Transitions In Today's Economy

An economy wracked by layoffs and downsizing, finding a often means changing career paths. Despite the financial strain and emotional turbulence that comes with job changes, there is good news. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Hiring Now

Today's economy is complex, requiring all sorts of skills in all sectors, from high-tech to manufacturing to health care. Recent studies indicate that hundreds of thousands of well-paid skilled jobs go unfilled because employers simply can't find enough people to fill those jobs. As a result, hundreds of skills training programs, schools, unions and employers themselves across the nation are providing easy-to-access training to meet the need. The cost to our economy due to unfilled skilled jobs is in the hundreds of billions and climbing. Take heart in this challenge -- America needs you!

My friend Matthew B. Crawford's book, covers a wide range of topics around the central theme that working with your hands (and brain and heart) is tremendously satisfying and teaches important life lessons that improve our communities. A college professor, Crawford nevertheless lays out the case that a college degree alone without a connection to a life skill can cause unhappiness and discontent. In an economy with millions of college graduates, it's time to consider working with your hands and heart.

The devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Irene teaches us an important lesson. Without skilled workers, electric power doesn't get restored, roads and bridges aren't repaired, ports and waterways aren't cleared for commerce, basic services remain offline, and planes, trains and automobiles sit idle. There is nothing "low" about a skilled job and career. They're essential, which makes skilled workers essential.

While not all skilled jobs require a four-year college degree, many do. All skilled jobs require training, however. In some instances, the required training for licensing or apprenticing in a particular field may be as little as a six weeks to put you on a new There are thousands of training programs and technical education opportunities available across America -- and with the national spotlight on jobs and skills today, newly acquired skills provide tremendous potential job security in our evolving economy. Remember that hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs are unfilled today, and potentially 10 to 20 million skilled jobs will go unfilled by 2020.

In a recent survey by Manpower Group, employers said they had the most trouble filling jobs that required hands-on skills due to lack of qualified applicants. At the top of the "most wanted list" are technicians, machinists, electricians and other trade professionals, and nurses, with hundreds of other hands-on jobs across all sectors requiring qualifications rounding out the wish list.

It's worth repeating that essential, hands-on technical and trade work cannot be outsourced, nor can the jobs be shipped overseas. That's job security in today's economy.

So let's get down to brass tacks. There are a host of resources available to get you connected to skills training and apprenticeship programs. I serve on the board of Center for America, which is hosting a yearlong national campaign promoting skills training with the goal of 10 million skilled jobs by 2020. Start by signing the and link to hundreds of programs and schools posted on the website (AOL and Huffington Post have likewise compiled resources through this important series. See what others are saying about career transitions into hands-on jobs at sites like It's a perfect fit -- America needs a skilled essential workforce, and millions of Americans are seeking new jobs. Let's get going!

By John Ratzenberger

aol.com/

15 Stunning Statistics About the Jobs Market

Next week, the Labor Department will release its much-anticipated monthly jobs report. Last month, the economy added exactly zero jobs overall, and 14 million Americans still remain unemployed. Economists expect September's numbers to be a slight improvement, but not enough to make a noticeable dent in the unemployment rate. In the meantime, here are 15 statistics about the jobs market that put the jobs crisis in perspective:

1. 9.1 percent. Today's unemployment rate is the highest it has been since 1982.

2. 131.1 million. The total number of jobs held by Americans in August. In January 2000, total nonfarm employment stood at 130.8 million. That means that over the past decade or so, less than 400,000 jobs have been added overall. At the same time, the eligible work-age population (those older than age 16, who are not in the military or prison) has grown by 28 million.

3. 58 percent. That's the number of workers currently employed as a percentage of the work-age population. In December 2007, it was 63 percent. "Particularly in an economy where multiple-earner households are an important element, that drop of about 5 percentage points equates to several million people who want jobs, who would like to have jobs, but for whom there are no jobs available," says Patrick O'Keefe, director of economic research at accounting firm J.H. Cohn and former deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor.

4. 11.5 million. Currently, there are 11.5 million fewer job holders than there were in 2007 before the recession began. "That's the true depth of our jobs deficit," O'Keefe says.

5. 6 million. That's how many workers have been out of work for at least six months and have looked for a job within the last 30 days. They are called the "long-term unemployed." This group accounts for 43 percent of the total number of unemployed. "That's the most striking statistic," says Stacey Schreft, director of investment strategy for the Mutual Fund Store, an investment firm in Overland Park, Kan. "Even though we have unemployment rates that were comparable to the '81-'83 recession, we didn't have long-term unemployment anywhere close to this."

6. 40 weeks. The average duration of unemployment is almost a full year.

7. 16.7 percent. The unemployment crisis has affected races differently. This is the unemployment rate for blacks. Compare that with 11.3 percent for Hispanics and 8 percent for whites.

8. 25.4 percent. Young people have also been hard-hit. About a quarter of teenagers are unemployed. In comparison, the unemployment rate for adult men is 8.9 percent, and for adult women, it's 8.0 percent.

9. 250,000 to 300,000. That's the estimated number of jobs many economists say the economy needs to add monthly to begin to push down the unemployment rate over the long term. Since the so-called "jobs recovery" began in March 2010, the first month the private sector added jobs since the recession, an average of 105,000 jobs have been added per month, well below the number needed to see a significant impact on the jobless rate. O'Keefe estimates that the economy needs to add about 175,000 jobs per month just to maintain the employment rate. "If we're not adding about 175,000 jobs per month, our employable population is losing ground. Whether they're unemployed or discouraged job seekers, they're not getting work," he says.

10. 2.6 million. That's the number of people who are considered marginally attached to the labor force, up 200,000 from a year earlier. According to the Labor Department: "These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey."

By Ben Baden

.usnews.com

Along with Lack of Jobs, A Wage Problem

It's not just the paucity of jobs that's hurting Americans, it's also the wages workers are paid for the jobs that do exist. For the average worker, earnings adjusted for inflation have decreased over the last few decades. And while the July jobs report shows some improvement, the Labor Department reported Friday, the economy has a long way to go before workers can command higher salaries.

The unemployment rate inched down to 9.1 percent in July, with 117,000 jobs created—more than expected but still far fewer than necessary to fuel a robust recovery. Meanwhile, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 10 cents to $23.13, bringing the increase in average hourly earnings over the last year to 2.3 percent. But that figure is not adjusted for inflation. For job seekers, it will continue to be difficult to earn higher salaries until there are more jobs to go around.

"We want higher wages for people who are working, but the most important problem is the high level of unemployment," says Michael Greenstone, professor of economics at MIT and director of the at The Brookings Institution, a non-partisan think tank. "Once more people become employed, labor markets will become tighter, and wages will increase."

Median wages for two-parent families have increased 23 percent since 1975, according to a study by The Hamilton Project co-authored by Greenstone. But the increase is nearly entirely due to women working more hours outside the home. Men's earnings have been on the decline, not just throughout the recession but during the last 40 years, a trend authors of the report attribute to stagnant wages, declining employment, and a lack of growth in college attainment for men. The median earnings of men have declined by 28 percent between 1969 and 2009, the Project reports.

July's job growth stemmed from health care, which grew by 31,000; retail, which added 26,000 jobs; and manufacturing, mainly in durable goods, which grew by 24,000. Professional and technical services added 18,000 jobs, and mining rose by 9,000.

Overall, private employment rose by 154,000. But government employment continued to trend down, cutting into the overall growth with a loss of 37,000 jobs.

While an increase of 117,000 jobs is better than expected, it's still far below the 350,000 or so jobs economists say we need to add each month over the next three years to bring unemployment down to around 6 percent.

"Given that expectations had fallen so low, even a snail could've jumped over the expectations," says Patrick O'Keefe, director of economic research at accounting firm and former deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor.

Job-growth revisions for the last two months were positive. Total employment for May was revised to 53,000 from 25,000, and June's increase was revised to 46,000 from 18,000, the Labor Department reported.

Another recent study, this one by the National Employment Law Project, found that low-paying jobs have dominated employment growth during the recovery, while jobs that pay more have been added at a far slower pace. The organization calls this the "good jobs deficit."

"Workers in the labor market right now are getting hit twice," says Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director at the "They're looking at largely low-wage jobs in terms of what's out there, and they're looking at jobs that have seen stagnant and even declining wages."

But we can't blame the loss of mid-wage jobs on the recession; those positions have been disappearing since long before the economic downturn. Between the first quarter of 2001 and that same quarter in 2008, mid-wage occupations accounted for just 6.2 percent of net employment growth, the Project reports. The rest came from lower- and higher-wage occupations.

By Alexis Grant

.usnews.com

Job Shadowing Tips Checklist for Teens, Students

While she was in high school and college, Sarah took every opportunity to shadow a variety of professionals in her quest to narrow her career choice. Job shadowing gave her a small, but critical, window into the day-to-day operations of a number of different careers. In a few instances, she also gained a key person she could add to her network to seek further advice, career tips, and internship and job information.

Job shadowing simply consists of a day (or part of a day) spent observing a professional as she or he goes about his or her job. It's a great opportunity to learn more about a career and a chance to practice interacting with adults on a professional level.

Many high schools and colleges help their students get placed in a job shadow, but you can also be proactive and set up your own job-shadowing experiences. Find some tips at the end of this article.

How can you make certain your job-shadowing experiences are best -- for both you and the professional you are shadowing? Follow these job-shadowing tips.

Critical Job Shadowing Tips

• Confirm time and location of the job-shadowing location.
• Map out job-shadow location and allow extra time to ensure you are not late.
• Dress appropriately – dress as though you are going on a job interview. You don't need to wear a suit, but no t-shirts and shorts either.
• Use proper personal hygiene (deodorant, mouthwash, etc.) and don't go overboard on the cologne or perfume.
• Research your job-shadow employer/organization and host to better prepare you for the day. Go to the organization's Website and conduct a search using its name to find other news.
• Develop a list of questions you could ask your job shadowing host/mentor. You could even consider sending a list of the questions you most wanted answered ahead of time so your host can prepare answers. [See,
• Take a notepad, laptop, or recorder to record observations and insights.
• Understand and use basic table manners in case your shadowing experience involves a meal.
• Consider your career aspirations and be prepared to answer questions about your interests and goals.
• Prepare for changes -- things could happen that might end the shadowing sooner than expected. If something like this happens, react positively, and ask about possibly rescheduling for a better time.
• Strive to have a positive outlook and make the best of the shadowing experience. If you don't like the shadowing experience, avoid making it obvious and do your best to make it through smiling.
• Turn off your cell phone and resist the urge to text, tweet, or update your Facebook status.
• Make good first impressions. As you introduce yourself -- or get introduced -- shake hands with everyone you meet, smile, and make good eye contact.
• Find common ground and attempt to establish a good rapport with your host.
• Address people as Mr. or Ms. or Dr. unless they tell you otherwise.
• Act professionally throughout the job-shadowing experience, showing your enthusiasm and appreciation.
• Listen and learn as much as possible during the shadowing.
• Participate/attend as many activities/meetings/events during the shadow experience.
• Ask to experience as much as possible -- from meeting workers in related career fields to a tour of the facilities.
• Gather business cards from the people you meet so that you can add them to your network -- and to thank them for taking time from their work to meet with you.
• Thank each person you spend time with during the shadow -- and follow up with an emailed thank-you note after you've completed the shadow experience.

Final Thoughts
Having a good attitude and a sense of humor, along with a healthy dose of curiosity mixed with respect, should help you have a successful and rewarding job shadowing experience. Thanking and following up with the people you meet could also result in additional job-shadowing or other positive experiences that can help you with your career choice.

Finally, if your school does not offer a shadowing program -- or does not have the contacts for your career field, consider taking the initiative to create your own. Here are a few tips.

First, ask your family, friends, and neighbors if they know anyone working in the career field you want to shadow.

Second, research organizations that employ people in the career field you want to shadow.

Third, contact the people from your network and/or organizations to request a shadow experience. You can achieve this task by phone or letter/email. See a

Fourth, after you have received confirmation of your job shadow request, contact the person you are shadowing and reconfirm the date and time of your shadow -- as well as the exact address and location.

See also the tips, tools, and advice we offer in our

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

quintcareers.com/j