1. For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Emily Bendix
MS&L Worldwide
emily.bendix@mslworldwide.com
312.861.5214
Melanie Wright
DeVry University
mwright@devry.edu
215.591.5909
Experts Reveal Smartest Moves and Biggest Mistakes
Job-Seekers Make in Quest for Career Success Today
Alexandra Levit Hosts Industry Leaders at Conference to
Identify Path to Career Success
NEW YORK, N.Y. – August 19, 2010 –– What are the most important steps you
can take to advance your career in today’s job market? This is the question
experts tackled today at a special conference sponsored by DeVry University and
hosted by renowned author and career columnist Alexandra Levit.
“There is an overwhelming amount of information out there about employment,
career field growth and retraction, and, much of it paints a bleak picture for those
who are looking for a job or want to advance in their current position,” said Levit.
“I worked with DeVry University to put together this conference so that we could
cut through all the complex statistics and trend information, and offer people
actionable advice.”
The In-Demand Careers Conference, held at DeVry University in New York, N.Y.
(known in New York as DeVry College of New York), featured an interactive
panel discussion, online course and career assessment tool demonstrations.
In addition to Levit, the panel included Michelle Mercurio, national associate dean
of career services at DeVry University; Erica Orange, vice president of the
leading futurist consulting group Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc.; Kathleen Frawley,
chair of health information technology at DeVry University; and Lindsay
Lindstrom, academic developer evangelist at Microsoft Corporation.
“We‘re pleased with the conclusions that were drawn from today’s discussion and
appreciate all of the insights that experts shared with us,” said David J. Pauldine,
president of DeVry University. “We sponsored this conference as part of our
commitment to career-focused education and hope that these insights will help
anyone who’s looking to advance in their professional development.”
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Levit and the group of industry specialists participating in the DeVry University
Conference identified the biggest mistakes and smartest moves for career
success.
Job-seekers don’t use their time on social media networking sites wisely.
Too much time is spent trying to create a presence on every social media
website causing networking overload rather than meaningful connections.
The Smart Move: Instead, job-hunters need to find the right places to connect.
Focus on places that offer the best quality and quantity of contacts and
companies you are interested in and build on those connections to increase your
network. It is not necessary to become a member of every hot new networking
site. Consider what purpose each site serves as it pertains to your career goals.
Choose wisely.
Job-seekers constantly look at what’s hot now instead of long-term
employment trends. Being unaware of which industries have the greatest
growth potential is a missed opportunity for many people.
The Smart Move: Understand where the job opportunities are and will be by
looking at statistics and broad trends. For example, healthcare management
and technology will thrive in the coming years due to an aging population and a
focus on providing care to those who have not traditionally been able to afford
coverage.
Job-seekers are overly focused on making new connections. They tend to
overlook existing and former contacts in pursuit of new ones when networking.
The Smart Move: Revisit old contacts and resources. Networking is not just
about creating new contacts. For example, your college career office is a
relevant resource for jobs, even if you graduated many years ago. Also,
reconnect with former colleagues, supervisors and clients, whether you are using
them as a reference or not. They should be an active part of your network too.
Job-seekers consider gaining new skills an impossible undertaking. Many
rule out returning to school due to time commitments or expense.
The Smart Move: Do your research and understand what new skills could be
good for your career and the best way to get them. For people who are looking
to fit career-related education into a life filled with other responsibilities, options
exist like the flexible online and in-classroom learning options offered at DeVry
University.
Job-seekers confuse demonstrating digital savvy with using casual tech-
talk. ‘lol,’ ‘ttyl’ and a range of emoticons and acronyms, or tech-talk have a
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growing presence in the vernacular of job-seekers. The new abbreviations have
moved from being typical of friend-to-friend digital communication to use in
interviews and on resumes, often replacing professional communication which
employers view as critical.
The Smart Move: Demonstrate that you can balance both tech-talk and formal
business communication. Before tweeting, ask yourself whether the 140
characters potential employers might see will add value and show that you will be
a professional asset to their company. Take the time to write formal cover letters
that demonstrate advanced communications skills. Demonstrating an aptitude in
‘bi-lingual’ communication shows employers that you can advance the company’s
goals through multiple channels.
Job-seekers do not have a well-defined personal brand. Today, just
communicating that you’ve got the skills necessary for a job is not enough. With
so many people applying for the same job, job-seekers need to think about how
to stand out. This is particularly true of recent college graduates who have had
little experience in trying to differentiate themselves outside their academic world.
The Smart Move: Create a strong and memorable personal brand that sets you
apart and remains consistent regardless of your career path. Ask for feedback
from personal and professional contacts to identify how you are perceived, your
work style, your strengths, what makes you different, etc. Make sure that your
social media online and in-person networking reflects your brand. Younger job-
seekers should consider taking on multiple internships to learn about where their
real passion lies so they can create and live a personal brand that really
represents them.
Job-seekers only look to older adult contacts as mentors. While having an
older mentor certainly helps to provide career guidance, they can lack a fresh
perspective on new trends and technologies that are valued by employers.
The Smart Move: Look to younger friends, family or professional contacts as
mentors, especially those that are early adaptors to new technologies. Employers
are looking for innovative thinking and younger mentors can explain new
technologies and provide a unique way to look at the world around them.
Find more information including video and images from the career experts
involved at http://www.pitchengine.com/preview-release.php?id=82738 and
www.devry.edu.
About DeVry University
Founded 1931, DeVry University is one of the largest, private sector universities
in North America, with more than 85,000 students enrolled in the United States
and Canada. The university’s mission is to foster student learning through high-
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quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, business, science and
the arts. With more than 90 locations, DeVry University delivers practitioner-
oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs onsite and online that
meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population.
Home to five colleges of study, including Business & Management, Engineering
& Information Sciences, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Media
Arts & Technology, DeVry University’s outstanding faculty members, work in the
fields that they teach, providing students with real-world experiences that prepare
them for high-growth careers.
DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North
Central Association, www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a subsidiary of DeVry
Inc. (NYSE: DV), is based in Downers Grove, Ill. For more information about
DeVry University, find us on Twitter @DeVryUniv or visit www.devry.edu.
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