SixShortcutstoSuccess: TheStraighterLineBookof...

© 2012 StraighterLine. All Rights Reserved.

Six Shortcuts to Success:The StraighterLine Book of

Career Success for College StudentsBy Barry Lenson

Table of Contents

Introduction:The New Realities of Finding a Job and Success in Today’s World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Shortcut One:Track Straight to the Job You Want . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4—5

Shortcut Two:Turn Your Campus into a Career Success Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6—7

Shortcut Three:Make Your Resume a Power Resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8—10

Shortcut Four:Interview like a Pro,Even in Your First Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11—12

Shortcut Five:Dress for the Part in Job Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13—16

Shortcut Six:Get a Career Edge with Online Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

About StraighterLine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18—21

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40—44

Table of Contents

For more information, call 1-877-Str8terLine or 1-877-787-8375StraighterLine.com

The New Realities of Finding a Joband Success in Today’s World

Introduction:


You’ve been watching the news and reading the blogs and news articles.The story they aretelling is true.Students really are having a harder time finding jobs today than ever before.

That’s what the statistics say.But statistics can be deceiving.The fact is,many recent collegegrads are finding jobs by creating their own opportunities in new ways…

• They don’t do mass mailings or try to appeal to all kinds of employers.Instead, they identify just one position,or type of position,and marketthemselves specifically for it.

• They identify hiring managers or departments and submit their resumesbefore jobs are advertised. In other words, they apply for jobs proactively,not reactively.

• They network in new and powerful ways.One is to join industry-specific groups onLinkedIn and other social media sites,andanswer and pose questions there.Remember,there’s more to networking today than callingone of your parents’best friends and askingfor help.Today,networking is done almostentirely online.

• They present their unusual experiences proudly and compellingly.There arestudents who have taken time off from college to engage in unusual activitieslike travel,charitable work,or community projects. Also, students who havecompeted most, if not all,of their college work online.A decade ago distancelearners tended to see themselves as unusual.Today, they are seen as innovativeand resourceful.That’s why distance learners who talk proudly about their onlinelearning experiences can actually gain an edge when looking for jobs today.

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Track Straight to the Job You WantShortcut One:


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Only a decade ago, most college graduates hunted for jobs this way…

They revised their resumes, bought new interviewing outfits, and started chasing jobsthat were advertised online or in printed publications.A certain percentage of thoseefforts resulted in interviews, and an even smaller percentage of interviews resulted injob offers.A handful of those interviews resulted in jobs.

Today, that scenario sounds old-fashioned. Sure, some jobs are still being found by chasingads, but successful recent grads are building careers in new ways.

Mix and MatchJohn W., who graduated from college in 2011 with a major in computer science, is busilynetworking his way to job opportunities. He is relying heavily on LinkedIn, where he has joineda number of professional computer groups where he poses questions, answers questions, andapplies quickly when another group member posts a job opening. But while John is waitingfor something to “hit,” he has started an online business with three of his classmates. He hasalso started a consulting business of his own, and is doing IT work for three small companiesin the town where he grew up. So he isn’t just polishing his shoes and waiting to be called forinterviews. He is making lots of things happen.

Lessons from JohnWe can learn a lot from John’s approach to jump-starting his career. He isn’t sloggingfrom interview to interview, waiting some someone to approve and hire him. He is creatingopportunities of his own. Even more importantly John, like a lot of other young grads thesedays, doesn’t see any problem with having an online company of his own, or with being aconsultant, at the same time he is looking for a regular job.

John will keep his consulting work in place, and his online business running, even if he getshired for a regular job at one of the companies he is pursuing.

John is able to plan his career that way because American business has changed. If anemployee has a business or two of his own “on the side,“most companies don’t see aproblem with that, as long as he or she gets the job done. Companies might evenconsider hiring the employee’s business, which can result in an outsourcing relationshipinstead of a job.


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What has caused these changes in so short a time? The answer is simple. It is the dramaticincrease in the number of businesses that operate largely online.The result is that anentrepreneurial mindset has taken hold in every industry and sector. You can take advantageof it by applying strategies like these…

• Join professional online groups and forums on LinkedIn and Facebook, just like John did.You will find groups for people like you whether you are a game designer,an accountant,a nurse or a member of just about any other profession you can name.What should youdo after you join these groups? Other members will post job opportunities,and you shouldapply for them.But there are more effective ways to find opportunities than to wait for jobspostings.You should answer questions that are posed by other group members,posequestions too,and serve as a resource by referring other group members to sources ofhelp.When you become a contributor to these online communities,new opportunitiesare going to come your way.

• Follow and forward information about the companies where you would like to work.Visit their Facebook pages,“like” them,and get involved in the online life there. Also followthe companies that you like on Twitter,and be sure to retweet their company news to otherpeople.You might also discover that the top executives at those companies are tweetingtoo. If so, follow them and retweet their information to the people on your list. If you followthose steps,you will be aware of new opportunities that arise at the companies you arefollowing. And with the right mindset, you can do more than chase jobs.You can anticipatewhere jobs will occur and get in on the ground floor. If you find out thata company that you are following is opening a new regional office, forexample,why not apply to work there? Or if you learn that a companyis launching a new product and could use your help,get in touchand create your own opportunity there.

• Search online to keep an eye on companies and trends.You can search for company names on Google,of course,but that is just one way to stay awareof career opportunities. Another is to use Twittersearch,which can alert you to opportunities ina number of ways. (The Twitter search window islocated at the top of the Twitter home page.) Youcan search for a company name and instantly seeall recent Tweets that have mentioned it.You can alsosearch for general terms that pertain to your specialty,like computer game design,medical billing and coding,green building design,etc.You’ll be able to spot trendsand learn about opportunities – some in companiesyou have not even heard of.

Turn Your Campus into a Career Success Center

If you’re a college student now,don’t wait to start looking for jobs until after you graduate.Your college and campus offer you unique opportunities for getting your professional lifeoff to a fast start.The time to get started is now.

Become a Familiar Face at Your College’s Career OfficeStop by often and make sure that the career advisors in the office get to know you well. That way,youwill be one of the first students who come to mind when new job listings come into the office. Here aresome strategies to assure that you are well known to the staff members of your college career office…

• Schedule an introductory session with one of theoffice’s career advisors.The earlier you do this inyour college years, the better.Talk about yourmajor, your classes,and ask what you should bedoing to prepare for real jobs in the real world. Ifyou listen to the advice you hear and follow it,you will stand out.

• Stop by often to scan job postings and askadvisors whether it would be a good idea foryou to apply. Your eagerness will set you apartfrom other students.

• Ask career advisors to review your resume,cover letters,and other documents. They’ll beglad to help you.And again,you will become better known by taking advice and using it.

• Let the office know about your interviews,call-back interviews,and other activities.Describe what happened and ask for advice.

Network with AlumniIf you can meet people who have graduated from your college and build ties to them, theywill serve as a great source of help in finding a first job and building your career.So stop byyour college’s office of alumni affairs to get involved in ways like these…

• Volunteer to work at alumni events that are held on campus.Hand outbadges or serve as a tour guide at reunions.And don’t just stand there,strike up conversations with alums.

ShortcutTwo:


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• Find ways to attend off-campus alumni events. If you are a member of ana cappella vocal group on campus,arrange to have it perform at alumnievents.At those events,chat with alumni and tell them about your ambitionsand career plans.

• Find summer jobs and internships with alumni.Ask the alumni officeto hook you up with grads who might be hiring or recruiting interns.In nearly all cases,alumni will give preference to students who areattending their alma maters.

• Get involved in campus politics and use it as a way to networkto alumni.Alumni groups welcome student leaders to addresstheir meetings.So if you can become a class president,or evenjust a representative on the class council, you can parlay thatinto an invitation to speak on a panel or give a solo talk toalums about life on campus.And after your talk, networkenergetically with alumni who might be in a position to help you.

• Get the alumni magazine to write about what you are doing. Are you and yourfriends working with disadvantaged children in inner cities,doing research intoa disease,or planting a communal garden on campus? Ask the alumni officeto write a feature article about your activities.Alumni will notice,and some mightcontact you.

• Advertise in your alumni magazine.Again,alums love to hire current students.So consider putting an ad in the alumni magazine that says something like,“Eager junior with high GPA seeks summer internship in a medical researchsetting.”Chances are that someone will call.

Find the Right Employment Opportunities on CampusThere’s no doubt that certain campus jobs can lead to great first jobs in the real world.Here are some steps for getting them…

• Identify and work for professors who own companies or who are well-connectedin the world of business. If you help the right professor in a lab or on a researchproject, you can parlay that on-campus work into your first real job.

• Take a high-visibility job on campus. It could be as an admissions tour guidewhere you will meet prospective students and their families.Or it could be asan editor or writer for campus newspapers or blogs.On-campus experienceoften serves as an entryway to jobs.

Those are only a few suggestions for making the most of the opportunities that you will find onyour campus. If you keep your eyes open and stay alert,chances are that you will find even more.


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Make Your Resume a Power ResumeShortcutThree:


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If you do a little searching for the term “resume” on the Internet, you will find plenty of blog posts,articles, and books about how to write a good one. Most of those sources tell you that there aretwo kinds of resumes – chronological and functional.

• A chronological resume lists your most important professional experiences,like jobs, in the order in which you had them,putting the most recent on thetop and going backwards from there.You now work for an Internet start-up,before that you worked for a software company,and so on.

• A functional resume organizes everything you have done according tocategory.You have learned to write HTML, for example,or design outdoorgardens,or work as a nurse in an emergency-room setting.So you list thoseexperiences separately.

For reasons that are pretty obvious,a functional resume makes more sense for most students.All the things you have just learned are probably more impressive than a list of the jobs thatyou have held,and they are more likely to get you hired.

Here Are Some Questions to AskAs You Prepare Your Functional Resume.

How Long Should Your Resume Be?Your resume should be no longer than a single page.There are exceptions of course.Maybe you are a brilliant future physician who spent the last summers doing top-levelresearch work in six different laboratories,for example.But if that’s not the kind of informationyou are trying to convey,do all you can to keep your resume to just one page.

Should You Include Informationabout Experiences You Had in High School?

If you are a current college student, you should. If you have just graduated fromcollege,however, you probably shouldn’t. Include only information from your collegestudies, summer jobs and internships during those years.

Continues…


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Should I Include an“Objective”or“Overview”at the Top of the Resume?

Yes,you should. If you are applying for a specific job and sending your resume,namethat job as your objective, like this:

Objective: To obtain a summer internship in Apex Bank’s Summer BankingInternship Program.

If your objective is more general,use a statement like this:

Objective: To work as a video game designer in a fast-paced,growth-oriented company.

Should You List Past Jobs that Had Nothing to Do with Your Major?

The answer is, yes.Of course,experiences that relate directly to the job you are seekingare more important.But most hiring companies don’t expect that college students orrecent grads have already racked up long lists of applicable jobs in their fields of interest.They want to see jobs,but also want to get a sense of the kind of person you are –and your job history tells them that.

For that reason,remember that all your past jobs are probably worth listing.If you built patios,served fast food,walked dogs,don’t hesitate to list those experiences on your resume.

Should You List Personal Interests?

If you are a college student or recent grad, the answer is yes. (Not so if you are an olderpro who is applying for his or her second or third job.)

Because you are just starting out in your professional life, your activities,hobbies andinterests can help round out the picture of who you really are.Do you play a sport,practice a martial art, volunteer to teach kids to read,do missionary work for yourchurch,or engage in some other pursuit that is personally meaningful to you? If so,list it on your resume.Hiring companies want to see that kind of information about you.

Should You Provide Your GPA?

f you had an excellent grade point average,you will want to list it among yourqualifications.Why not!

But if your GPA was less than stellar, you have a bit of a problem to overcome. If youdon’t provide it,employers are going to assume that it is less than exceptional. Sincethey are thinking that way anyway,omit your GPA and simply call attention to yourstrengths by listing all the great,applicable experiences you have had.

Continues…


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Should You Embed Searchable Key Terms in Your Resume?

Yes,you should,especially if you are uploading a resume online or emailing it to apotential employer.But even if you’re submitting a resume on paper,chances aregood that it will be scanned into the hiring company’s database of resumes.Thenif hiring managers go looking for potential employees who know about“websiteoptimization,”“SEO,”“pay per click,”“event marketing,”“call center design”orsomething else, they will find it.

If you don’t know which key terms to use for your profession, spend a little time playingwith Google.Type in a general description of what you want to do (like“intellectualproperty rights management”) and see what comes up in your search results.Youwill notice that certain phases or strings of words come up often.Those are probablysome of the key terms that you should embed in your resume.

Should You List the Individual Courses You Took?

Probably not.Bundle them into your more general descriptions of the skills you havelearned in college.Say that you have learned skills like HTML and web design, Internetmarketing,video production,or fine art restoration.A list of all your courses will onlytake up a lot of room and require your reader to“interpret”what you have learned.Categorize and list it clearly instead.

Should You List References or Say,“References Available Upon Request”?

You should list two references,and preferably three.Professors and bosses from yourpast jobs are just what hiring companies are looking for, so stay away from personalor family friends,your clergyperson,etc. Include each person’s name, job title,phonenumber,and briefly state how you know them.Example: “Ms.Smith was my supervisorfor three summers at Sports Authority.”

Be sure to ask each of your referrers ahead of time if you can list them on your resume.The last thing you want is for a potential employer to surprise your referrers with callsthey were not expecting.

And another thing. If your resume has already filled its page and you have no roomto list your references,put them on a second page.

Interview like a Pro,Even in Your First InterviewsShortcut Four:


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It’s a new world of interviewing out there. So before we explore techniques for presentingyourself effectively at classic face-to-face interviews, let’s look at one new kind of interviewyou should know how to handle…

The Skype or Google Chat InterviewThese remote interviews are being used often today to screen applicants or even tomake final hiring decisions.They’re tricky,because your interviewer is going to make ajudgment about you based solely on what your webcam and microphone captureand transmit about you. It’s a make-or-break situation,but here are some tips that canmove you to the head of the interviewing pack…

• Angle the webcam so it points at the midpoint of your face. If it points up at yourface from below, it makes the top of your head look smaller than it really is. If down,it makes the top of your head look big and your jaw look little.

• Pick a simple wardrobe, like a white shirt and tie for men and a simple white tee forwomen.And keep jewelry small,because hoop earrings and a big necklace candominate the image you are sending.

• Wash your face before the interview, to avoid looking shiny.Just a little bit of oil onyour face will produce a shine in a webcam shot.Of if you are a woman,powderyour face lightly.

• Look at the image that your webcam is capturing carefully and edit what yourviewer will see. Ideally,he or she should see nothing but a blank wall behind you –no electrical wires dangling from outlets,no stuff animals piled on your bed,noposters.

• Get away from all sources of noise. Laptop microphones pick up backgroundnoise and often make it sound louder than your voice does.So close the windows,tell your roommate to shut off the radio,and even kill electric fans and air conditioners,which can provide an annoying drone.

• Practice looking into the webcam while you talk. Looking around the room,at yourkeyboard,or elsewhere will make you appear unfocused and distracted duringyour online interview.Practice maintaining eye contact with your webcam instead.It’s also a good idea to make a video of yourself talking to your computer.Review itcarefully to see how engaged and involved you seem to be.


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Traditional Sit-Down InterviewsEven in our digital age,you could still be called for a traditional, sit-down interview.With any luck, that session will turn into a second interview or even a third,where youwill receive a job offer.

Here are some tips for tactics – some small, some big – that will let you emerge fromany interview as a winner…

• Rehearse three or four important points that you will be sure to cover in your interview.For example,you could plan to describe: how you started your college onlinework while you were deployed in Iraq; how you decided to return to college afterworking for several years; and how you solved a major problem while working onyour last job and saved your company money.

• Don’t obsess over difficult interview questions.Many interviewers like to ask toughquestions like“Tell me about a big mistake you made on your last job”or,“What isyour biggest weakness?”The purpose of such questions is to see how calm youcan remain under pressure.Your answers are of secondary importance, so justgive a reasonable answer and remain calm.

• Stay positive.Above all, resist the temptation to talk about your terrible previous job,horrible boss,or substandard employer. If you venture into those negative topics,your interviewer will only wonder how long it would take you to start griping aboutyour new job too.

• Enter the room with good posture, sit comfortably tall in your chair, smile,andmake eye contact every few minutes with your interviewer.The idea is to showthat you are energetic and focused.

• Don’t juggle.Have you noticed that some job applicants enter an interview whileholding a purse or an attaché case in their right hands – then need to jugglethings around before they can even shake hands? The best idea is to carry aportfolio in your left hand so that your right hand will be empty when you enteran interview and shake hands.

• If the job interests you, say so.Or say that you would like to be called back for afollow-up interview.The only way you can be 100% sure that your interviewer knowsthat you are interested in a job is to say so. If you don’t,he or she may simply notnotice your interest.

• Be sure to thank your interviewer for his or her time. In today’s climate wheremanners can seem like a thing of the past,a simple“thank you”can set youapart from other applicants.

Dress for the Part in Job InterviewsShortcut Five:


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You’ve just learned some power interviewing strategies. Now let’s explore a related topic…how to dress for success in job interviews.

The advice you’ll read in this StraighterLine guide is different from what you will find in otherbooks about job-hunting. So get ready to learn something new.

Company Culture Determines How You Should DressEvery company has a distinct culture that is reflected in the way its employees dress.At youthful,entrepreneurial companies,chances are that everyone dresses casually.At more conventional companies,employees tend to dress conservatively. And atsome companies,modes of dress are pretty complicated.Perhaps all the young maleemployees dress like scruffy skateboarders and all the young women dress in highlyfashionable clothes.

How can you decode all those variables and dress in a style that makes you seem tofit in with other employees and with company norms? And should you dress to matchthe company style when you interview,or more elegantly,or in some other way? Hereare some strategies that can help you decide.

Before Your Interview,Act like a Private EyeBefore you suit up and head out for your interview,you need to get a bead on the styles ofdressing that are popular at the company.You can then adapt your style of dress so that youappear to be a good“fit.”Here are some strategies to use:

• Check out pictures and videos of people on the company’s websiteand Facebook page.Many companies post pictures of their employeesat work.Sometimes they post pictures of their executives too,which cangive you an insight into the company culture.Does the CEO dress like anedgy young entrepreneur, for example,or like a senior accountant? Alsocheck out any videos that the company has on its website or on its YouTubechannel,which you can usually access via the company’s Facebook page.Those videos offer you an inside glimpse of how employees dress.

• Network your way to current or former employees and ask what kind of styleis favored.This can take a bit of work,but if you put out feelers to your friendsand say,“I am interviewing at XYZ Corporation and would like to talk with peoplewho have worked there,”you should be able to contact someone who can offeryou some inside advice.


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• If possible, spend a little time watching employees as they come and gofrom the company offices.There are different ways to do this,dependingon the company’s location. If it is headquartered in an office park,youcan sit on a bench outside and watch people as they come and go.Otherlocations, such as office suites in big inner-city buildings,make it harder foryou to observe employees.Yet there are ways to do it.You can go into theStarbucks that is nearest to the building where the company is located,sitat a table,and watch the people who come and go.By watching andlistening,you will be able to identify some company employees,andobserve how they dress and act.You can also get into an elevator in theoffice building where the company is located, ride up to the floor wherethe offices are,and observe the people who get off the elevator there.Sure, this is kind of like spying,but chances are you will be able to identifysome employees from the company and see how they dress.

After you have finished investigating, should you dress exactly the way that current employeesdress? The answer to that question is, it depends. If company employees generally dress quiteconservatively, you should dress that way too.That way,you will seem to fit in.

If most employees dress more casually,apply the classic advice,“dress one level up.” If most ofthe male employees wear jeans and t shirts to work, for example,don’t dress that casually foryour interview.Wear a sports jacket,a tie and perhaps khaki pants but not a dark suit,whichcould send too conservative amessage. If you’re a woman andmost of the women in the companycome to work in jeans,take it up alevel by wearing some tailored slacksand a blouse.

Again,your goal for your interviewis to look like you will fit in.The wayto hit that mark is to neither exceednor undercut a company’s dressnorms too dramatically.


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Image Blunders that Both Men and Women Should AvoidSure, these are modern times when most of us think that “anything goes”at all times.That kind of thinking,however,can take you right out of the running in job interviews.Here are some safeguards to apply:

• Hide any tattoos. Maybe you are proud of the big green serpent that coils aroundyour arm.And maybe it really is great.But a job interview is no place to show it off,because it is will send the wrong message to many interviewers.So keep tattoosunder wraps at interviews.

• Hide any piercing hardware too,except maybe for a subtle earring or two.Take out any ear studs,nose studs, tie pins that run through your eyebrows orcheeks – period. The“human pincushion” look is not going to help you get ajob in most businesses,not even the edgiest high-tech startup firms.

• Consider leaving your religious jewelry at home. This is a sensitive point anda personal decision,of course. If you are an extremely religious man or woman,the decision is ultimately up to you.Yet the fact remains that wearing a largepiece of religious jewelry puts you at risk of looking less than professional,oreven of offending your interviewer. The purpose of an interview,after all, is toput work-related issues front and center,not your religious convictions.

Classic Dressing Blunders that Men Should AvoidAs you will discover in a minute, there are an awful lot of clothing mistakes and mishapsthat can affect women in job interviews.But men can makes mistakes too, like these:

• The“invisibility” fallacy. Men often think that a spot on a tie, scuffed shoes,rundown heels,or a small hole in the back of a sport jacket is invisible andcannot be seen by interviewers.The fact is,everything about you that is lessthan perfect will stand out clearly in interviews,because you will be underclose scrutiny. (Who else does you interviewer have to look at?) And anotherthing – if you wear eyeglasses,clean them before you go to your interview. If yourspecs are covered with big thumbprints, you can bet your interviewer is going tosee them.And don’t wear the same pants or shirt to a second interview if you getone.Wear something different,because your interviewer will notice everything.

• The“good enough”blunder.This is related to the invisibility fallacy.When you fallvictim to this one,you overlook the need to keep your wardrobe and appearancefresh.Those tan pants that you bought last year off the sale rack are still goodenough, right? That haircut that you got last month is still okay, right? And thatbeard that you started growing three days ago,why shave for your interview,right? Thinking like that can hobble your chances of presenting a professionalimage at interviews.


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Classic Dressing Blunders that Women Should AvoidBecause women have a bigger selection of clothing items to wear – dresses, suits,slacks, you name it – they are at greater risk of running afoul of company dressnorms in interviews.And because women’s clothing can reveal more of their bodiesthan most men’s clothing ever can, there are additional risks.Here are some mistakesto avoid:

• Avoid short skirts. Okay, lots of women wear short skirts today.When you arewalking down the street, very little can usually go wrong.Job interviews can,however,put you in physical settings where lots of mishaps can occur.Considerthe story of one woman who wore a short skirt to an interview where she wasasked to sit on a very low leather couch where her skirt practically vanished.Or the story of another woman who passed her first screening interviewbeautifully,but who then went right into a second interview where she satin a chair in the center of a circle of managers who interviewed her.“Therewas not one way I could cross my legs and give a good appearance,”sherecalls. So the message is,don’t go short for job interviews.

• Nix great big jewelry. If you take a good look at employees who work in thecompany where you are interviewing,you will almost certainly notice that mostof them wear relatively modest,unobtrusive jewelry that sends a professionalmessage and doesn’t get in the way.You would do well to do the same inyour interviews.

• Avoid low-cut clothing. This is controversial advice to give, for sure.But we’llstand behind it. Showing bare chest sends an unprofessional message toyour interviewer,whether a man or a woman.

• Keep your makeup and fingernails low-key and professional-looking.Of course you want to look your best,but be sure to err on the side of subtletywhere your facial makeup is concerned.And extra-long fingernails paintedin three colors send a message that you might not want to type hard on acomputer terminal or “get your hands dirty.”You want to look great – but striveto look both great and professional at the same time.

If you’re a woman who wants to get a good idea about how you should dress for jobinterviews,spend a little time looking at fashion magazines like Elle and Glamour. If yousee an outfit in their pages that looks like a good choice for you, tear out the page andkeep in on file for reference.

Get a Career Edge with Online LearningShortcut Six:


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Some of today’s smartest students are using online learning to jumpstarttheir careers and professional success. One is a StraighterLine studentnamed Jessica. Just like John,who you read about at the start of this report,Jessica is using cutting-edge strategies to take control of her career.

“I took StraighterLine’s Introduction to Business course last year when I wasapplying for jobs, and it helped me get my job as an office manager for amedical practice,” she says.“I had earned a degree in art history and that wasn’t helpingme get interviews for entry-level jobs in business. But after finishing that introductory businesscourse, I was able to talk more authoritatively about business in interviews.And interviewerswere impressed that I had taken the course to prepare myself for my first job.”

That’s only one way to use online courses to increase your career success.You can applythese strategies too…

• Take online courses to prepare to work in specific industries.If you are interested in finding a job in one of the fast-growinghealth care professions, for example,you can take introductoryonline courses about physiology,medical terminology,or otherscientific subjects.

• Take online courses to finish college in less than four years.You can study over summers between your college years,transfer the credits to your college,and enter the job market earlier.

• Use online courses to prepare for a civilian career while youare still in the military. If you are in the service, you can takecollege courses anytime, anywhere. Even if you are deployedoutside the U.S., you can use online courses to add the knowledgeand skills you need to compete for sought-after jobs after youreenter civilian life.

• Use computerized courses to add the skills you need to advancea career that you have already begun. If you are already workingas a personal trainer, for example,you can prepare to become anutritionist too by taking the right courses online.

Those are only a few ways that computerized learning can help you build your success today. It’sa tool that some of today’s most successful people are using.Chances are it can help you buildyour success too.

Consider Taking Your Required Coursesfrom StraighterLine

Going to College or Need Additional Courses to Graduate?


When you enroll at StraighterLine,you take our online, self-paced college courses in the comfortof your own home. If you pass those courses, they automatically transfer for full credit when youenroll in one of our accredited partner colleges,or transfer them to your current school with ourexpert credit transfer assistance.

Your Degree Comes From Them.The Savings Comes From Us.Why pay more for the same degree? For just $99 a month plus a $39 per course registration fee,you can take as many 3- and 4-credit college courses as you want.Courses include:

MathematicsCollege AlgebraPrecalculusGeneral Calculus IGeneral Calculus IIBusiness Statistics

BusinessAccounting IAccounting IIManagerial AccountingEconomics I: MacroeconomicsEconomics II: MicroeconomicsIntroduction to Business

EnglishEnglish Composition IEnglish Composition IIBusiness Communication

HumanitiesUnited States History IWestern Civilization IIntroduction to Criminal JusticeIntroduction to SociologyPersonal FinanceIntroduction to Nutrition

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SciencesIntroductory Biology for NonmajorsIntroductory Biology for Nonmajors & LabGeneral Chemistry IGeneral Chemistry I & LabAnatomy & Physiology IAnatomy & Physiology I with LabAnatomy & Physiology IIAnatomy & Physiology II With LabMedical TerminologyIntroduction to PsychologyPharmacology IPharmacology IIGeneral Physics IGeneral Physics I with Lab

College PrepIntroductory AlgebraDevelopmental WritingPrior Learning Assessment (PLA)Student Success

http://www.straighterline.com/freetrial/?utm_campaign=Career%20Success%20for%20College%20Students&utm_source=E-Guide


Don’t Take Our Word for It. Listen to Our Students…

“I’ve had 10 courses transferred so far…without any issue,and it’s usuallybeen very prompt in comparison to most schools I’ve dealt with.”

– Adam Ditillo,12/12/11

“I saved quite a bit of money, time,and frustration by taking this courseat StraighterLine.The credit transfer process took about a week fromstart to finish.”

– Jamie Pole 10/31/11

“It was by far the best and most smooth experience in credit transferfor me ever. It took less than 3 days for it to show on my CCSU transcripts.”

– Ahmed Behery 5/1/11

“…transferred my credit… with ease.The staff was helpful at both ends of thetransaction… and eventually I transferred that credit again to the Universityof Missouri where I’m working to finish my degree...”

–Joe Scheinkopf,8/31/10

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Why StraighterLine? We’re New. We’re Different.Why Should You Trust Us?In the short time we've been around,we've been recognized as a revolutionizing force in educationby major news organizations and the U.S.Chamber of Commerce and have forged partnershipswith the leading accredited online colleges and universities.

Our courses are evaluated and recommended by the AmericanCouncil on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service(ACE CREDIT). In addition to the institutions with which StraighterLinehas a direct relationship,more than 300 other schools are reportedto have accepted StraighterLine coursework for transfer credit.


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Our Students Grade Us!To better understand how our courses are meeting students’needs,we commissioned awell-regarded higher education research firm to conduct a survey of our alumni.

StraighterLine Students Earn Real College Credit95% of the students who sought credit for completed StraighterLine courseworkwere successful.This includes nearly 82% of those who sought credit at collegesand universities outside the StraighterLine partner college network (ie, institutionswith which StraighterLine does not have a formal articulation-like arrangement).

StraighterLine’s Programs Are Effective80% who completed a StraighterLine course felt it made them more likelyto complete a college degree.Over half felt better prepared for traditionalcollege courses as a result of having taken a StraighterLine course.

Students Are Overwhelmingly Satisfiedwith StraighterLine’s CoursesAmong those who completed a StraighterLine course,over 90% wouldrecommend the program to a friend.Satisfaction was remarkably higheven among those who did not successfully complete,where 76% wouldstill recommend StraighterLine to a friend.

StraighterLine vs.Online Courses Offeredby Traditional Colleges and UniversitiesRespondents who had also earned college credit through an online courseoffered by a college or university were asked to compare that experience withStraighterLine on a number of measures.StraighterLine courses were found to be:

Equally or more rigorous

91% indicated StraighterLineequally or more academicallyrigorous than Online University/College Courses

Continues…


About the study:Hezel Associates invited to participate in the survey all students who had either successfullyor unsuccessfully completed a StraighterLine course during the period from the company’sinception to June 6, 2012.There was an 11.8% response rate during the data collection period.You can download a PDF of the final results at:http://www.straighterline.com/media/pdf/hezelreport-sl2012studentsurvey-publicfinal20120821.pdf

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More convenient70% indicated StraighterLinemore convenient than OnlineUniversity/College Courses

More affordable61% indicated StraighterLinelower cost than Online University/College Courses

Greater overall satisfaction94% indicated more or equallysatisfied with Straighterlinecompared with Online University/College Courses

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