Category Archives: Interviews
Five Tips for Standing Out in Your First Job
Adapted from Monster, Alexandra Levit hits some key points. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Hopefully, this isn’t news to recent college graduates, but the workplace is more competitive than ever. If you have a job already, congratulations — you’ve made it over the first hurdle. Now it’s time to make sure you can stay put through this economic crisis and beyond.
Here are five essential tips gleaned from working with HR staff, managers and twenty-something employees in hundreds of organizations.
1. Be the One Everyone Wants to Work With
Members of Generation Y, or those born roughly between 1978 and 1993, unfortunately, have a reputation of showing up to work with a sense of entitlement. Combat this perception by showing that you’re willing to pay your dues and learn from any assignment, owning your career progression and being a “can-do” person. If you encounter roadblocks, marshal your resources to get around them rather than letting a project languish.
2. Surpass Your Boss’s Expectations
Find out what the boss wants from you first, and then brainstorm ways to go above and beyond the call of duty. You can also establish a good rapport by making your new boss feel needed. Show that you are ready and willing to be guided, and bond over the fact that he has some years on you. Understand the value of self-sufficiency, and approach your boss with a problem or complaint only if you’ve explored all options for resolving it yourself.
3. Carve a Niche for Yourself Through Innovation
Ask yourself what your company or department needs, and think about how you can use your unique set of skills and talents to provide it. So what if you’re hardly a Renaissance man or woman? You’re still new blood. Can you offer a fresh perspective on a vexing problem that has been plaguing your managers for months? Can you find a way to do something faster and more efficiently?
4. Take the Extra Step to Help Someone
Beach-ball management, or bouncing a request over to a colleague because it’s not your responsibility to handle it, is all too common in the professional world. If someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, make it your business to find it. By doing whatever you can to ensure your department or organization is perceived in a positive light, you will add value and stand out as a team player.
5. Subtly Promote Your Achievements
If you want people to take notice of you, you must make your accomplishments visible. How do you share your contributions without being perceived as arrogant or boastful? The key is enthusiasm. If you emphasize your passion when describing an achievement, people will think you’re just excited about it. An excited person appears earnest, and it’s hard to be critical of someone who’s earnest.
Of course, these suggestions aren’t limited to new college grads. If you’ve been out of school two years or 20, the tips might well be worthwhile in hanging onto your job through the downturn.
{Alexandra Levit, a nationally recognized business and workplace expert, is the author of the They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something’s Guide to the Business World.}
Job Search Blues? Keep Those Spirits Up
If you’re having a difficult time finding a job, and it seems like it’s taking forever, don’t despair. We’ve all been there. The uncertainty of what lies ahead. The fear of never finding a job or plopping into the wrong one. The anxiety and stress from interviews-gone-wrong. Take a breath. Relax. You have something the rest of us don’t – spare time. So smile!
Here are some suggestions for keeping your spirit positive.
Think Up
The mind is a powerful vessel. How we think and what we think can control our spirits. We literally can think ourselves up or down. To keep out the negative thoughts and self-doubt:
- Wake up thinking or saying positive statements.
- Avoid negative media, news, emails, and downer movies and television.
- End the day thinking or saying positive statements.
- Think about the positives a new job brings: new skills, new relationships, and a new chance to show your skills and talents.
Positive Reminders
Surround yourself with quotes or statements of hope and encouragement. Write your favorites on sticky notes on the refrigerator or computer — somewhere you can easily see them. Two favorites from Winston Churchill:
- “The pessimist sees problems in every opportunity…whereas the optimist sees opportunity in every problem.”
- “Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up…”
Take Steps
Literally. Move. Being a couch potato shows. Leave the house at least once a day. Exercise, jogging or walking will:
- Re-energize you.
- Help to clear the mental cobwebs.
- Prepare you to look your best for interviews.
Pamper Yourself with Kind Acts
How you treat yourself can impact your spirit.
- Play your favorite music softly in the background while you “work.”
- Eat healthy without hugging the refrigerator. Now is not the time to bulk up.
- Sing — regardless of quality. Singing happy songs will actually will help to stretch and relax your vocal chords while refreshing your spirit.
- Avoid being sloppy. Dress and groom yourself with respect — for you.
- Treat yourself with affordable goodies such as a favorite food or beverage, an afternoon movie with popcorn, doing something touristy, or a mindless novel.
See Spirited People
Make sure you spend some time, preferably in person, with positive and supportive people every day.
- Surround yourself with yea-sayers and avoid the naysayers.
- Work your network.
- Call people rather than email or texting them — it’s more personal and supportive.
- If you’re single and live alone, go to the library or a coffee shop to be around others.
- Help others in need. Get out of yourself from time to time.
- Spend quality time with your family and friends.
Keep at the Top of Your Game
Keeping your spirit up has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. Don’t let your skill set and knowledge slide.
- Keep up on industry news.
- Read trade journals and business magazines and newspapers.
- If possible, practice to improve your career skill set.
Now’s the Time
Enjoy the positives of your job search, like having spare time. Remember all those times you said, “If I only had time, I’d…”
- Read those books.
- Clean that closet.
- Take that class.
- Get in better shape.
Do Your Best Work to Find Work
Knowing you’re taking all the right steps to find a job will help improve your spirits.
- Write a perfect resume and cover letter for each job.
- Send X amount of resumes out each workday without fail.
- Keep up-to-date records of results.
- Keep accurate contact information on companies, executives and hiring agents.
- Have your interview clothes clean and ready to wear.
- Work at finding work every day.
Article by Pat Mayfield via Monster
The Big Question: Your Future
While I post about many other topics, I still haven’t forgotten the purpose of this blog. The purpose of this blog is to give advice in regards to career paths, the economy, and proposed steps forward. I realize that I have been a working professional for only two years. But in those two years, I’ve worked for two very diverse, large-scale companies and have held a total of four positions. Some may think I’m “not qualified” to give advice, or maybe that this blog shouldn’t exist at all. Maybe they’re right. But I feel that I’ve made tremendous strides as a young working professional, and my hope is that I can share my experiences and what I’ve learned thus far so you can avoid making those mistakes. That is why I’m here.
Let’s start from the beginning. Let’s say you’re approaching college graduation. By this time, most people would recommend that you should have “at least two internships under your belt” and that you “should have been applying for jobs all year long as a senior”. Yes, this is sound advice. Is it absolutely necessary? No. At least in my opinion it’s not.
To be perfectly honest with you, I wasn’t thinking about my future that much when I was in college. Sure, I was working towards a degree and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, just like everyone else. But I realized early on that I wanted to truly enjoy college. I did not have any internships. I did not have a part-time job. I spent one summer with friends and my new boyfriend, the second summer at weddings, the third summer in Europe on a study abroad trip, which leaves us with the fourth summer- the summer after graduation. THAT’S when I started applying for jobs. Personally, this was the best decision I’ve ever made. I knew that I would be working for the rest of my life, so why bog down the happiest time of my life with internships and part-time jobs that would turn out to be “less important” in the long run? I chose to live my life in the moment, and I haven’t regretted it since.
Right after I graduated, my roommates and I moved out of the townhouse we’d lived in for two years. I moved back in with my mom and worked a part-time job as a server at a restaurant to make some extra cash. You better believe when I wasn’t working, I was on my computer 24/7 applying for jobs. I would wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen, walk upstairs, and start scouring the internet for job listings in my pajamas. I remember my mom saying, “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed and dropping your resume off at places?” This brings me to my next point. There are so many tools available to us now that didn’t even exist five years ago. Yahoo Jobs, CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, Simply Hired, LinkedIn- the world we live in now is a job seeker’s dream world! You can immediately apply for jobs across the world with the click of button. No more snail mail. No more dropping your resume off in person. Live in a small town and want to get out? Always dreamed of living in a different country? You can! The internet is your oyster.
I mainly used Indeed when applying for jobs. This is because Indeed takes all of the job listings out there, from CareerBuilder, Monster, Yahoo, Simply Hired etc, and compiles them all into one website. Indeed and LinkedIn are the two I would recommend most. My dad has always said to me, “Getting the interview is the hardest part.” Boy, was he right. So before shooting off your resume into cyberspace, make sure it’s up-to-date and that you have an outstanding cover letter (more advice on that here). The downfall of applying for jobs on the internet is that after awhile, all of these resumes and cover letters begin to look the same to employers. Make yours stand out in a unique way without going over the top. It should look professional, neat, organized, and should be no longer than a page if you’re just starting out.
I submitted about 10-15 resumes online per day. If I was feeling really ambitious, sometimes I’d get to 20-25. I didn’t stick to just one industry-I applied to multiple ones. All I wanted was to get my foot in the door; I didn’t really care what industry the job was posted in. I knew I just needed to get some experience under my belt. My dream industry will find its way to me… eventually.
I applied for jobs, in all different industries, all sorts of positions, 10-15 per day, for a month and a half. I only got called for 3 or 4 interviews. One of those interviews turned out to be my lucky charm.
Don’t give up. Be persistent. If there’s a job out there that you really want and is realistically attainable, use LinkedIn to network. Communicate with others. Build your network. Ask for help. But most importantly, know in your heart that things will work out for you. Everyone’s timeframe is different, so don’t get discouraged. And by all means, if you want advice or need help, email me.
Seriously. You can pick my brain.
New Job, New Apartment, New Me
Well, the cat’s outta the bag.
It’s no secret that I’ve had more than a few changes as of late. Let’s see, where to begin…
I came into contact with another company in The Woodlands (north of Houston) in mid-July. After one phone interview and two face-to-face interviews (and a lot of anxious waiting), I was offered a position as a Supply Chain Project Manager. The benefits, salary bump, and responsibilities were too great to pass up, so of course I jumped at the opportunity. I left the company I had been with for two years on August 31st to start anew.
Timing was perfect because I was able to have one week off before starting my new job. I visited my boyfriend in California over Labor Day weekend – we toured Universal Studios, went shopping, and watched a lot of movies. It’s nice having someone to help clear your head and enjoy the little things. I’m very blessed to have him in my life.
When I returned to Houston, my father flew in to help me move to my new apartment. Like father like daughter, we were insanely productive. As busy as we were, we did get to enjoy some nice dinners and scenery once the move was over. I’m so lucky to have a father who is so supportive of my career choices and the moves I make. Thanks, Dad!
Yesterday was my first day at my new job. Everything was so organized when I walked in, I didn’t feel lost at all. My new, still-in-the-box laptop and desktop were delivered to my office promptly at 10AM (oh yeah, I have an office!), and my company cell phone is on its way. My boss took me to lunch at a little Italian restaurant on The Waterway, and afterwards we went shopping for office supplies. I’ve already met many people in the office that I truly connect with. This company is a great fit which is what this is all about. Making a career choice that fits you, and only you.
Here are some snapshots from the past few weeks:
- Ombre hair (Aug)
- Boyfriend & Me
- Dad & Me
- Views of The Waterway
- Cupcakes at Frost (featured on Cupcake Wars)
- View from my balcony at my new apartment
- My office building
Now if only I could figure out the timing of my MBA…
Until next time,
–
Small talk
After being in the corporate world for a year, it’s not surprising when I say I’ve met many different kinds of people. I’ve met shy people, lazy people, domineering people, out-of-the ordinary people, intelligent-as-can-be people, and so on. No matter what type of “person” you are (D Personality; Gold, Blue, Personality), I’ve noticed almost everyone seems to screech to a halt when it comes to one thing: small talk.
I have had the pleasure of meeting some truly outgoing people, yet I’ve still noticed that small talk tends to be an issue. Heck, sometimes I even have trouble talking to people I don’t really know. Especially when you get that “awkward vibe”. I hate that.
While small talk may seem trivial, it’d be pretty embarrassing to ride the elevator with your CEO in the morning in complete and utter silence… not that that’s ever happened. Luckily, I always have something to say. Thanks to these tips, you can too.
- Listen more than you talk.
- Start a conversation with confidence. Walk up to the other person, smile, and confidently introduce yourself. You might try saying something like, “John Smith? Jane Doe. Good to see you again.”
- Make eye contact. It can seem disturbing while speaking to someone who’s looking around the room for someone more important to speak to.
- Think of possible topics of conversation before going to a function. Try to focus on generic, inoffensive topics, such as the weather, the food being served, etc.
- Encourage the other person to talk by asking leading questions. Remember, people love to talk about themselves. (This one is unbelievably spot on.)
- Keep the conversation short, unless the other person wants to continue talking.
- Take business cards that others offer you. Read the cards carefully, and then put them away in your wallet, handbag or pocket. This will show that you value the card, and by extension the person who gave it.
- Listen and watch before joining a conversation. You don’t want to ruin the dynamics with an inappropriate comment.
- Be sure you have something interesting to contribute to the conversation. Keeping up with current events and popular culture will help give you something to talk about.
- Change the subject if it seems like your conversation partner is ill at ease with something that’s been said.
Create & Update
We’re all aware that it’s extremely important to create items we may need for future success. This includes creating resumes, mock interview situations, stationary for thank-yous, and so on. Regrettably, many of us don’t realize that the updating of these items is just as important as the creation.
This morning after a prolonged session at the gym, I perched at my desk and started clicking away on my MacBook. Although the rest of my life is completely organized, my desktop, for reasons unbeknownst to me, is not. I know I should save pictures and articles into labeled folders, but somehow I find that saving them to my desktop makes it easier to find them… an organized mess, if you will.
After a few minutes of clicking, I stumbled upon my resume. Even though my resume is only a year old, some of the contents seem truly irrelevant now. By no means am I thinking of searching for another job, but I realized that if I don’t keep it up to date, there may be pieces that flutter from my mind every now and again. And so, with that, I have decided it’s time for an update. I mean, my address on my resume still reflects my home in Arizona. And I’ve moved TWICE since then. Silly me.
Best advice: The more current it is, the better off you’ll be.
Your resume needs to instantly communicate your career target with a descriptive headline. It also needs to adequately reflect your depth of experience in a brief, hard-hitting opening summary. This summary should highlight your top selling points.
For your objective, add one that spells out your goals and shows the relevance of past experience. For example: “Award-winning educator seeking to leverage five years of teaching experience to transition into corporate training.”
Add new employment, skills, and accomplishments. Changing jobs, earning a promotion, and receiving expanded responsibilities should be reflected in an updated resume. Also include professional activities, such as earning certificates, degrees, and courses. Don’t forget to add any work in progress, including your graduate school degree.
Delete less relevant experience. For example, those of us who have recently graduated probably shouldn’t have any information on our resume from high school. Replace your high school achievement with your most recent work experience or professional activity. Most corporations probably won’t care that you were among the top 10% of your class for the highest AP history exam score…
Another great idea is to start a kudos file. Resolve to start a file for projects and successes you achieve during the year. Copy performance reviews and keep them in this file. Print out complimentary or congratulatory emails and file these away. List new committees you join. Jot down assignments you complete during the year. Include details of quantifiable results (e.g., percentages, dollar amounts, before/after comparisons) of your efforts while still fresh in your mind. Your kudos file will remind you where you excelled so you’ll be ready to punch up your resume.
Finally, be sure to update regularly. You should update your resume throughout the year, not just at the beginning or end. Think of it as a progressive project. You never know when opportunity may come knocking at your door.
(Source: Monster)
Just plain lovely.
Okay, okay. A little less serious, a little more fun.
What a beautiful weekend. My momma was here for a full five days, and boy did we paint the town red. Between filing taxes, quoting new car insurance, relaxing at the spa, and baking Barefoot Contessa red velvet cupcakes, we even found time to do what we do best. SHOP.
From The Houston Premium Outlets to Highland Village to the Galleria, we inexplicably filled our roles as nonstop shopping machines. Maybe it was the comfort-ability of engaging in an activity we so often enjoyed together back home. Or perhaps it was the the open door to creating a mirage of memories, memories I soon hope we can readily repeat.
It really is true that if you look in all the right places, you don’t have to spend a fortune on clothes. Since my recent departure from the world of casual clothing, I’ve yearned to get my hands on professional pieces. I suppose this is what happens when you spend 40+ hours in a corporate environment five days a week. Surprisingly enough, I am perfectly content with this newfound desire. Dressing for work doesn’t have to be dull and plain. There are ways to make it elegant & stylish, thanks to some advice from my dear mother.
(Wearing cropped vintage-style cardigan from BR, skinny white alligator belt from BR, navy pencil skirt from Ann Taylor, shoes by Fioni. Gold watch by Peugeot. Photos by Barbara Marvel)
Who would have thought that combining Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and a few other key designers would have turned out so magnificent? Nice work, ladies.
(Wearing white cropped cardigan from Ann Taylor, neck scarf by Ted Baker, tweed pencil skirt by Ann Taylor, shoes by Fioni. Red bag by Kate Spade, gold watch by Peugeot. Photos by Barbara Marvel)
Though I have filled my closet with dozens more items from our shopping extravaganza, these are just a few of my favorite pieces. Nothing is more thrilling than throwing back my closet curtain, only to find myself surrounded by gorgeous and stunning fabrics and threads. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make the ride so enjoyable. A day perusing storefront displays with my mother, perhaps, is mine.
Keep ‘em comin’ Texas and South Carolina!
I despise being the bearer of bad news. But let’s face it. Not everything can be good all the time. And someone has to do it.
The most we can do is embrace the negative while reminding ourselves to look for the positive. There’s a little bit of positive in everything if you search hard enough. If you can’t find it, take another gander.
On January 25th, the Labor Department stated that the unemployment rate rose in 20 states and fell in 15. It was unchanged in another 15 states. This rate is eerily close to the rate last November, which goes to show that the job market is barely improving, even though the economy is growing. Hiring is expected to pick up this year, but unfortunately the unemployment rate is likely to remain high.
Employers aren’t helping the situation either- as of last month, they have added little to no jobs. The number of jobs on employer payrolls fell in 35 states in December, while only 15 states have reported gains. Not looking too hot, huh?
On the bright side, good ol’ Texas and South Carolina reported the largest net job gains in December. Texas added 20,000 positions and South Carolina gained 9,000. Yep, you’re welcome!
It may be wise to steer clear of Nevada though. Due to the massive housing bust, they now hold the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 14.5%. California reported the second highest rate at 12.5%, followed by Florida at 12%. (I know, I was shocked by this as well.)
On the up-side, North Dakota had an extremely low unemployment rate in December, at 3.8%, one of the nation’s lowest! Nebraska and South Dakota weren’t far behind, with rates of 4.4% and 4.6% respectively.
Now, this isn’t meant to be a downer post. This is more of a what-job-to-choose-and-where-to-live realization post. Just because unemployment rates are extremely low in Nevada, California, and Florida doesn’t mean you won’t land a job there. Likewise, just because Texas and South Carolina added tons of jobs doesn’t necessarily mean landing one will be a piece of cake. You just never know.
In order to convert this message from a mostly negative one to a positive one, just remember one thing. While some states are suffering, others are not. Just be smart when it comes to which one you choose. Trust me, you’ll be happy you did.
Come on, economy. Show your new grads some love!
I can’t believe it is already mid-September. I feel like just yesterday it was August, and I was packing my life up to move to Texas. Not to mention the fact that I’ve been working in my new position for almost a month now! How wild is that?
After reading a large number of Yahoo articles, I found a few that were quite interesting. My focus for this post will be on the economic pain that was supposed to ease in July, yet didn’t. For the sake of your eyes and mine, I am mostly going to summarize this article because it can be quite confusing with its “fancy” AP Economic Stress Index. I haven’t lost you already, have I?
Who should read this post: Those of you still looking for a job because you may be looking in the wrong states! Read more below to understand why and where you should be looking.
First of all, this AP Economic Stress Index is basically a tool economists use to calculate economic stress for particular states by looking at three rates: unemployment, bankruptcy, and foreclosure rates. This index is on a scale of 1 to 100. So, just like in elementary school, a higher score means MORE economic stress. As a rule of thumb, a county is considered to be under economic stress if its score exceeds 11. (Hahaha)
For July, about 42% of counties were found to be stressed. If you’ve been looking at these states for job openings, you may want to think again and refine your search:
“Nevada, with a score of 22.1, was again the most stressed state. Put another way, 1 in 4.5 Nevadans in July was either unemployed, owned a home in some stage of foreclosure or had filed for bankruptcy. Rounding out the top five-most-stressed states were Michigan (17.44), California (16.88), Florida (15.94) and Arizona (15.41). (Trust me, I too was upset when I read this. Bummer.)
The healthiest state was North Dakota with a stress score of 4.24. Its score dipped slightly from June, aided by a lower unemployment rate. Next best were South Dakota (5.05), Nebraska (5.92), Vermont (6.29) and Wyoming (7.13).
The national unemployment rate remained the same from June to July, at 9.5 percent. So did the foreclosure rate (one in 62 homes) and the average state’s bankruptcy rate (1.2 percent).
The government stated the unemployment rate for August ticked up to 9.6 percent. Most economists say it will take years for the rate to drop to near 5 percent, where it was when the recession began in late 2007.
Economic stress fell mostly in the Western states of Alaska (7.96), Colorado (11.07), Montana (7.9) and Wyoming; the Plains states of Nebraska and North Dakota; and the Southeastern states of Alabama (11.73), Louisiana (9.17) and Tennessee (12.33). The main reason for the improvement was seasonal job gains.
The states that endured the sharpest month-over-month increases in stress were Michigan, New Jersey (12.79), California, Connecticut (10.71) and Rhode Island (13.44). These states have struggled with high unemployment and foreclosures.
The most stressed counties with populations of at least 25,000 were concentrated in California and Nevada. Leading the way, as it has for more than a year, was Imperial County, Calif.(34.28), followed by Yuma County, Ariz. (30.6); Lyon County, Nev. (26.89); Nye County, Nev. (25.66); and Merced County, Calif. (25).
The least-stressed were Ward County, N.D. (3.16), followed by Burleigh County, N.D.(3.68); Brown County, S.D.(3.9); Buffalo County, Neb.(4.16); and Ford County, Kan. (4.47).”
Economic conditions likely will stay static until after the November elections. Then, the stock market may respond positively to the results and kick-start the economy. Come on, economy. Show your new grads some love!
Information Credit: Mike Schneider and Martin Crutsinger
Photo Credit: http://www.somaticvision.com/img/apple_green.jpg
You’ve tried everything, now what?
Maybe finding a job just isn’t in the cards right now. You’ve done everything I’ve said on this blog (and more, I hope!), yet your fate is still undetermined… also known as unemployed. Don’t worry because that’s completely normal. I do believe that starting a career takes a lot on your end, but a lot of it may also be due to a little thing I call LUCK. I think my situation is a prime example because of a couple of reasons. I do attribute a lot of my success to the preparation I put in beforehand. I had started applying for jobs way early during my last semester of college. After not receiving a number of phone calls, I took a break and decided to enjoy my last semester as a college student. After I graduated, I restarted my job search. After getting a couple of offers, I realized that those particular jobs were not exactly what I wanted to pursue. Okay, now get this! The company I happily work for now was one I didn’t even apply for! Somehow, out of the millions of resumes and cover letters floating around in cyberspace, THEY found ME. So yes, I did prepare as much as I could to be a top candidate for any position… but in the end, I was lucky and fortunate to have been located on the internet and contacted for a position. 
So even if a career isn’t quite working in your favor right now, you still have another option. Yep, you guessed it! Graduate School. (By the way, I plan on going to Graduate School, I just think the picture to the right holds some truth.)
From medicine to education to business to law, going to a prominent institution for your Master’s Degree or P.h.D may be very beneficial to your future career (and your resume!) This article by Brian Burnsed from U.S. News & World Report really covers what a lot of recent grads may be feeling:
In the wake of 2008′s housing crisis and the recession that ensued, college graduates are finding it harder than ever to penetrate the job market. Many now find themselves competing against recently laid off workers who possess a decade or more of experience. Though it’s been nearly two years since the onset of the financial meltdown, the country’s unemployment rate still hovers near 10 percent. Rather than wade into such a treacherous job market, many have opted to try their hand at graduate school. Plus, many who were laid off are opting to apply to grad school either to enhance or change the direction of their careers entirely. The combination of these factors, plus changes in financial aid, has caused a precipitous rise in graduate school applications at many institutions. In 2009, for instance, Duke University saw a 33 percent hike in applications and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw a 15 percent jump.
Little has shifted at the top of this year’s rankings of major graduate programs. Harvard University once again took the top spot in medicine and tied Stanford University for first in business. Yale University continued its near two-decade-long streak as the nation’s best law school. Stanford not only tied for the top spot in the business rankings, but ranked highly among law schools, finishing third. Also making the top five in both categories is the University of Chicago, which moved from sixth to fifth in the law school rankings.
Harvard and Stanford also place in the top five in the rankings of schools of education. Vanderbilt University once again ranks No. 1 in this category. MIT repeats as the top-ranked engineering school, with the top five remaining unchanged from last year: Stanford, University of California—Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign.
Also, this year, U.S.News & World Report has refreshed its rankings of Ph.D. programs in various scientific fields. These rankings, updated every four years, include biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth science, mathematics, physics and statistics. The California Institute of Technology headlines the new rankings, with top billing in three categories: chemistry, earth sciences and physics. Stanford also measured well against its peers in the sciences, having the top Ph.D. program in both biological science and statistics. Other schools that took the top spots in the new rankings are Carnegie Mellon University (computer science) and MIT (mathematics).
In an effort to add more color to our coverage of graduate programs, we’re introducing Q&As with admissions officials at business and law schools across the country. These features are designed to give potential applicants a chance to read how the schools describe, in their own words, what they look for in students and how to approach the application process on a school-by-school basis. The Q&As will feature schools of different sizes and in different regions across a wide spectrum of our rankings. This will give students of all backgrounds and varied interests more confidence as they take on the often daunting applications to these professional programs.
Photo Source: http://www.sfnewshub.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/gradschool1.png
