Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

I believe my scholarship is distinctive in its depth and breadth. I have remained active in academic scholarship, publishing articles in referred journals and proceedings, while also vigorously developing a large portfolio of professional research.

I have always held the belief that good teaching and good scholarship go hand-in-hand. I truly believe that the research and scholarly activities I pursue should relate to and enhance my innovative teaching activities and thus, ultimately benefit my students. Based on this philosophy, my current research streams emerge from five sources:

1. The desire to improve classroom experiences; such is the case with my recent work on team development, team selection, and first-year business experience courses.
2. The gaps I sometimes see with the skills of my students; such is the case with Quintessential Careers, Dynamic Cover Letters, and my two Complete Idiot's Guides.
3. Research or scholarly work conducted in other fields that I want to apply to the marketing or business discipline; such is the case with my Writing-to-Learn stream of research.
4. The desire to develop and use cutting-edge techniques in teaching; such is the case with my development and use of Speed Teaming.
5. Participation and attendance at professional conferences or workshops.

Evidence of Distinction in Research and Creative Activity

I have an established record of publications -- in all types of publications, from refereed journals and proceeding to books to electronic newsletters and Websites:

• major refereed journals within my field;
• refereed conference proceedings within my field;
• chapter within an academic collection of resources;
• nationally-published books (one already in a second edition);
• magazine articles;
• presentations as an invited "outside the discipline" speaker;
• invited panel member at an academic conferences within my field;
• World Wide Web sites, the equivalent of unpublished classroom workbooks.

Details of these publications can be found on my vita or vita highlights pages.

Evidence of Distinction in Professional Research

It’s both my personal and professional belief that career development and job-search use the same techniques as organizations do in developing and marketing their brands. Successful job-seekers are those who have mastered the marketing techniques of building their personal brand, as well as developed smart marketing campaigns in the job-search process. Resumes and cover letters are persuasive marketing documents, and the interview is a sales call -- and the whole process must be managed by a strategic marketing plan.

Almost 20 years ago, the connection between marketing and career development began to form with the creation of my first book, Dynamic Cover Letters. Over the last 10 years, my focus with Quintessential Careers has been a mission of helping job-seekers master and harness these marketing skills for success in their job-search.

Marketing is essential to career success. The close to 200 articles I have written for the site are thus all marketing-related. And while not peer-reviewed, many of these articles, it should be noted, have been reprinted in other publications (print and online). All of these articles have made a contribution to the field of career development.

According to William E. Montag, in Resume Guide for $100,000+ Executive Jobs (Wiley 2002), I have been identified as one of a select few of "trailblazers who have made the Web an essential job search tool" and whose "early vision brought critically needed organization, creativity and discipline to the untamed Internet."

View Dr. Hansen's Complete CV