Tips for Student Success

Get on a schedule – Make a routine for yourself to help balance homework, friends, family and whatever else you have. Plus, organizing your days will keep you on top of homework assignments and exams.

Be open to constructive criticism – Sometimes its good to get an outsider’s perspective on your work. You don’t always have to agree with the feedback but at least process it and decide whether you agree it is something you need work on.

Take on challenges – Success does not come with out challenges. Put extra effort into your assignments, think deeper when reading for class, engage in lectures and take more time on your next paper to elaborate.

Ask questions – Get a deeper, clearer understanding by asking questions if you have them. It can only benefit your learning!

Have goals – Set a goal for you to stay focused on. Remind yourself daily of your goal to continue moving forward and to stay motivated!

Pros' of a Career-Focused Education

There are many things to consider when choosing a higher-ed school or program. Here are some of the benefits of a career-focused education:

Goal-Oriented – Career schools' offer programs designed to compliment specific interests and skill sets. At Career Quest our class sizes are small enough to allow for interaction and easy communication between the instructor and students. During and after the end of your program we can even help you with your resume and preparing for interviews.

Saves Time – Career programs typically have more start dates thoughout the year than traditional colleges and universities and most programs can be completed in less than 2 years.

Specific Skills – Career programs teach you job-specific skills that will be utilized every day in your career.

Things To Do Before You Graduate

If you’re approaching the end of your program, there are a few things to think about before you move on to life’s next chapter. Here’s 4 must-do’s before you graduate:

Get letters of recommendation – While you’re still a memorable face to your teachers, get a letter of recommendation so you will be prepared to start applying for jobs right after graduation. Although all of our instructors at Career Quest will continue to help you with your job search after graduation, we think its best to ask for recommendations while you’re still having regular interaction.

Get connected on LinkedIn – If you are not on LinkedIn yet, get signed up today. LinkedIn keeps you connected with professors, past employers or other professionals you may lose contact with when moving on to the career world. It’s important to stay in touch with these contacts for future references or possible job opportunities.

Clean-up and update your online image – It’s time to make sure you present yourself as a professional; this means both in person and online. With today’s competitive job market, every detail counts to set you apart from other job applicants. Many employers check social networking websites to screen candidates. Make sure your online image reflects the image you want your future employer to see.

Practice your interview skills – Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but a little practice goes a long way. Draft a list of questions a potential employer might ask in an interview and begin preparing answers to them. This will help to gather your thoughts and prepare you for any tricky questions that could catch you off-guard in an interview. Don’t memorize your answers too much though; you still want to be personable!

How Many Resumes Do You Need?

To catch a recruiters eye and hold their attention, job-seekers need to tailor a resume to each position. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Create a Master Resume. To help you draft multiple resumes, start with one resume that will act as your master. This document should include all of the jobs you’ve had and everything you accomplished at those jobs. Once you’ve listed everything you can think of, you can look at your resume from different perspectives.

Tracking. Create an Excel spreadsheet to track all of your resumes. Spreadsheets allow you to record jobs you’ve applied for, record which resumes you sent, and track responses and interviews you have scheduled.

Tailored Objective Statement. Your resume objective should change with each job. You want to be specific and tell a potential employer exactly what you’re looking for and why they should hire you by explaining your long-term work goals.

Switch Up Your Skills. The skills section in your resume should cover everything in the job advertisement. If the company is looking for a self-starter and a team player, make sure those are both skills listed on your resume. Don’t misrepresent yourself or lie, but cover the elements that the company is looking for.


Read more here.

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Choosing A Career Path - Video

Benefits of Job Shadowing

Guest post by Danielle Cook, Career Services Administrative Assistant

Job shadowing can be one of the most beneficial experiences for a recent grad or anyone looking to change professions. It will give an inside look at companies and help you find a career you are passionate about. Here are some quality reason why job shadowing is always a good idea:

Career Fairs: Tips for Success!

By Andrew Belanger - Career Services Coordinator (Lansing Campus)




I recently had the opportunity to attend several career fairs for business and community development. At the Greater Lansing Journey to Job Career Fair on April 26th, I participated as an employer representative, collecting resumes and speaking with potential candidates. Below are several things that stood out among job seekers that I spoke with: