students

The switch from school to work can be hard. If you’re a student with a question about job searching or having a job, these answers are for you.

6 lies your career center told you

With a new class of graduates about to enter the full-time job market, a lot of them are seeking job search advice from their college career centers. Unfortunately, the advice that a lot of colleges are doling out is often outdated and frequently downright bad. In fact, as a workplace advice columnist, when I ask […]

Read the full article →

choosing between a high school job and a family vacation

A reader writes: In late August, I got hired part-time at a major cafe/restaurant. I’m a senior in high school so I’ve been working on weekends and one night during the business week since then. However, my parents have booked a 10-day vacation right during the Christmas holidays — which is of course a vacation […]

Read the full article →

a student tried to pay me to do his schoolwork

A reader writes: I’m a UK freelancer doing a relatively specialized job (I help businesses put together formal proposals and respond to tenders) so, aside from managing clients into giving me what I need (information to do my job), I don’t often need to address professional etiquette with others. However, this week I had a […]

Read the full article →

no, group work in school is not “just like in the real work world”

A reader writes: I’m starting a business graduate program now and all of the administrators are practically giddy proclaiming, “There’s going to be a lot of group work! Just like the real business world!” I’ve always struggled with group work because I’m a (recovering) perfectionist and was the type of kid who dominated group projects […]

Read the full article →

do job-seekers really need an elevator pitch?

A reader writes: I recently visited my grad school on behalf of my employer as part of their college recruiting team. My objective was to collect resumes and speak with students regarding our summer internship program. I’ve worked the career fairs before but have not done so in a couple of years, and at this […]

Read the full article →

how to teach students that employers care about outcomes, not how much time they put in

A reader writes: I am a professor of practice in a graduate-level professional program. Though a fair few of our learners are career-changers, stay-at-home parents preparing for a return to the workplace, or others with significant work-world experience, many come to us straight from their undergraduate experience. This latter group sometimes brings work-inappropriate beliefs and […]

Read the full article →

do hiring managers really care about your GPA?

A reader writes: How important is a college (or high school) GPA, graduating summa cum laude, etc. to hiring managers? I teach college students, and have a number who are convinced that anything other than a 4.0 is a death knell for all their future plans. While I know that my voice alone can’t counteract […]

Read the full article →

how should students pick a college major?

I’m throwing this one out to readers to weigh in on. A reader writes: I work in higher education. I am changing from Admissions to Academic Advising. I really enjoy your advice and would love to know your opinion on something. How should a student go about choosing a college major? I was at a […]

Read the full article →