Career Track Live

The Washington area is a magnet for smart, ambitious young workers. Post columnist Mary Ellen Slayter writes a regular column for these professionals who are establishing their careers locally, and offers advice online as well.

The transcript follows below.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

_____________

Mary Ellen Slayter: Good afternoon, everyone!

I'm working on a column about teaching careers. Anybody out there who is interested in being a teacher, but discouraged by the pay? Anybody who thinks the pay is just fine? Anybody who left the field for a better-paying job? E-mail me at slayterme@washpost.com if you're willing to share your story.

_______________________

Pittsburgh, Penn.: Hi. This is a question about eliminating education from your resume?

I have been laid off for 14 months with no FT prospects in sight to replace what I lost as a business communicator.

I have an MA from Georgetown (actually), and I just received my MLIS (Library and Info Sci) in December hoping it would help me advance my career in business communications. My undergrad is in journalism. I've had so few calls, that I am beginning to wonder if I am being perceived as having too much education and of the wrong type of education.

If I were getting calls, I wouldn't consider dropping the MA from my resume, but I am at least ready to experiment by deleting it. I can't so easily with the MLIS. While it frustrates me to even have to consider this option, I'm more frustrated that I am not getting an opportunity to even interview for jobs I am passionate about.

What are the risks, trade offs of not sharing my collective education history? Can I be fired for it? Other thoughts?

Mary Ellen Slayter: I don't think you'd be fired if you're caught omitting the degrees.

However, I think you are grossly overestimating the chance that having advanced degrees is disqualifying you for jobs. I hear jobseekers propose this theory often enough when they aren't getting any bites for their applications, but no hiring manager has ever admitted eliminating people for this reason to me. Of course, it could be subconscious.

Now, the second option, that you have the wrong *type* of education might hold water. What type of jobs are you applying for? There are ways to organize your resume and cover letters to emphasize how well your skills match the demands of the job without dumbing down your qualifications. Take another look at how you're framing things before you start chopping up your CV.

And be patient. I know 14 months is a long time, but the economy is still tough on jobseekers.

_______________________

Anonymous: Mary Ellen,

My SO switched employers a while ago. The written job offer indicated a specific amount of paid time off; however it is accumulating at a noticeably lower rate. The HR office called the written offer a mistake, and that my SO doesn't qualify for the level of PTO originally offered, end of story.

A verbal offer of "comp days" was proffered, however, it's not binding if the boss leaves/is reassigned, the company doesn't recognize comp days, and (my biggest issue), comp days won't be paid out like regular PTO if the SO chooses to leave the company.

What recourse is available, short of antagonizing the company?

Mary Ellen Slayter: Not much, most likely. Was the written offer part of a contract? Or is your SO an at-will employee, like most of us? If there's a binding contract, your SO may have grounds to sue. Otherwise, taking those comp days is probably about the best he or she is going to get. Unlike many other industrialized countries, there is no law in the United States mandating paid time off.

Regardless, it's a pretty unprofessional way to treat an employee. It was their mistake, and they should have just let it go. The damage to your SO's morale is going to cost them more than the extra vacation days, especially if he or she quits.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: How long does it typically take for recent graduates to get a job in the Va./D.C. area? I've been looking for three months and haven't found anything permanent yet. Course, that means that I am not looking for a retail type job, but even those seem hard to come by now.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Three months is nothing, especially if you didn't start applying until after graduation. Chatters, how long did it take you to find work after college?

_______________________

Toronto, Canada: Hi Mary Ellen,

I have no idea what it is I want to do with my life, everything sounds great, but when I try it, it tends to be disappointing. Like you, I have worked in several places, but nothing has been satisfying. Is it me, my attitude, my ignorance, or what?

Please advise.

Thanks,
Dahlia

Mary Ellen Slayter: You don't tell me how old you are, or how long you stayed at any of these jobs you've tried, so it's hard to say if it's a problem. I think jumping around is normal, especially when you're just out of school. People who have known what they want to do since kindergarten scare me.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I've been at my job (my first since graduating) for one year. I'm still really nervous and awkward around people. I think this is hurting me here because it's quite a collegial office. Got any tips to help me fit in?

Mary Ellen Slayter: I hesitate to pathologize what is probably just old-fashioned introvertedness or shyness, but since it's clearly bothering you, why not see a therapist about it? A good one will help you analyze the situations that make you nervous and help you develop strategies to reach out to people.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: During my recent job search I tried something new: When submitting my resume electronically as an attachment to an email coverletter, I would highlight (in yellow, using the wp program's highlight function) a few items on the resume that I thought were especially pertinent. In the cover letter I would mention that I had highlighted things. It saved me repeating stuff in the cover letter, which I used to describe the "intangibles" that don't show up in the resume. I sent out three resumes using this idea, and got calls back for interviews from all three. I am now happily ensconced at a new job! I think the highlights made it quicker for the HR folks to scan my resume, and allowed me to better control what they noticed first. Anyway, maybe this tip will help others.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Interesting idea. The only problem I can forsee is that if the formatting doesn't translate well, and it makes an ugly mess of your resume.

_______________________

RE:Comp time: Take the comp days first. That way, you'll still preserve actual vacation days to accrue/be compensated for if you leave.

It stinks, but if you know you're going to take x number of days off anyway, just charge the comp bank first.

Mary Ellen Slayter: That's a great practical suggestion.

However, it doesn't correct the most distasteful part--the fact that the company pulled a bait and switch on the worker.

_______________________

Work after college: I graduated in May 2001, I was fortunate enough for a recruiter type to find my resume posting online. I was in a permanant position at the end of July.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Excellent!

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: It took me 7 months to find a job after I graduated. I applied to over 100 places and only got 4 interviews and 1 job offer (though I flubbed one interview on purpose)

Mary Ellen Slayter: Another take.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I'm interested in a job in the sports industry - specifically the management side of professional sports teams. Are there any headhunters that specialize in sports? What are some other ways that I might go about looking for a job in sports?

Mary Ellen Slayter: I am not aware of any headhunters that specialize in sports jobs, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

This Web site looks interesting:

Work in Sports

The field is becoming more and more professionalized, so if you don't already have a related-degree, consider pursuing one. An MBA would be handy.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: I am currently looking for another job partially to change fields, and partially to escape some nasty managers who have made the workplace hellish.

Would you have any suggestions on how to cope during the time I'm at the current job and the time I start a new one?

Thanks!

Mary Ellen Slayter: Don't let them drag you into their nastiness, and keep your eye on the prize--your escape.

_______________________

RE: Teaching: The pay is great in most schools on Long Island, where I grew up. It's very competitive (the job search). I know a lot of people that I went to high school with that are doing far better then me and have their summers off. Should have been a teacher! However, a friend teaches in FL (the Tampa area), and she doesn't do that well (and yes, I realize the cost of living is different, but she's doesn't make that much more then the new hires). They're so hurting for teachers, with my BS and work "experience", I could teach, but couldn't deal with the heat and hurricanes! She's been teaching a couple of years and doesn't need a masters, whereas in NY, you need a masters within 5 years.

Mary Ellen Slayter: The better the pay, the more competitive the process gets, it seems.

Nobody goes into teaching just for the money, obviously. It still takes a certain temperment. I can't help but wonder, though, if leveling the playing field financially would make a difference in recruiting.

_______________________

Re: Young job hunter: Did you intern or co-op anywhere during college, have you talked to people you worked with there? Have you told everyone you know that you are looking for a job doing "X" and asked them to tell their friends, parents, anyone who might know of anything. When you don't have a professional network, use the ones you do have access to - clubs, friends, your parents', etc. These avenues can help when the traditional methods are moving very slowly. Worked for me - one of my friend's father's next door neighbor helped me get my first job.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Excellent advice.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: What fields are best for someone who would like to work from home at least part time? Does anyone know a good source to find legitimate work from home jobs? Thank you.

Mary Ellen Slayter: I get this question a lot, but I am afraid there is no easy answer. You are smart to be leery of most "work from home" offers. No reputable company will ever ask you for money upfront to "work" for them.

I know quite a few professionals who work remotely. (I am presently in a coffee shop in Hammond, La. Go figure.) However, most came by their arrangement by negotiating flexible terms with employers they had already worked for in house. Telecommuting offers a lot of advantages for both employeers and employees, but many managers are understandably leery about giving up the ability to directly supervise their workers.

The best fields are those that already involve working mostly independently. Writers, editors and computer programs frequently use such arrangements.

_______________________

RE: Teaching as a career: Hey Mary Ellen:

I taught junior high math for four long years, and discovered it wasn't for me. The pay was o.k. (in Minnesota) but ultimately I didn't have the personality or ego boundaries to deal with herds of adolescents.

I was o.k. with the 60 hour work-weeks (anyone who thinks a good teacher is a slacker is nuts), but here's what I didn't know going in, and didn't realize would be so difficult:

You have NO control over your personal life. Have a bathroom emergency? Hold it until the bell. Want a second cup of coffee? Hold your drooping head up until your prep hour, whenever that is. Need to make a personal phone call, or want to check the sports scores, or take a break to see what Slayter or Hax are saying? See above about prep hour.

Need an hour to really enjoy and digest a lunch? Guess what? You've got 15 minutes to eat and then you've got lunchroom duty.

Etc.

All of this didn't seem like it would be difficult when I started, but it was, and worse. Now I have what is regarded as a high-stress white-collar job, and I laugh every time I step away from my desk to pee-- whenever I feel like it! Yippee!

On the other hand, if you have a vocation for teaching and a sturdy bladder, there is nothing more rewarding. I still miss my students-- and it's been 15 years now.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Working conditions can be even more important than the pay, according to surveys of teachers who have left the field.

Please e-mail me after the chat. I would love to talk to you further about this.

_______________________

Mary Ellen Slayter: That's all the time we have this week! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.

Mary Ellen

_______________________