Friday, August 30, 2013

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Maintaining Your Network

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

  • How to Network When You Hate Networking"Networking is all about making real, authentic, human connections. Get personal. Get curious. Everyone has a story to tell. Ask questions and listen. It's not about putting on a show or making a sale or getting that one awesome lead."
  • The 10 Step 'I Just Got Fired' Action Plan"Write down every potential job contact you have, including friends, family, former co-workers and any groups or associations you've joined. The length of the list may surprise you."                                                      
  • Constructing Your Career Castle"Finding the right support system as you define your vision is vital to career success. It's important, though, to remember that neither mentors nor sponsors can construct a castle for you. You have to commit to being the architect of your career."

  • Simple Ways to Keep Your Network From Growing Cold"Maintaining a thriving, active network takes time, planning, and even a bit of creativity. But if you put in the effort, the impact it will have on your career will be well worth it."

  • How to Become a Great Leader"There’s a general myth that leaders are born rather than made, that somehow Nature produces a peculiar species of human being who is bigger, more powerful, smarter, braver, and more charismatic than the rest."

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Michael Jordan on Failure

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video basketball great Michael Jordan puts failure in perspective: "I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."


See the full video below:

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Green Job Series: Careers in Green Construction [First Installment]

As interest in protecting the environment grows, "green," or sustainable, buildings have become more commonplace. These buildings feature specialized designs and materials to limit their environmental impact. Creating these buildings requires skilled workers with knowledge of new design and construction techniques.

This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes some of the most common green building construction jobs with a focus on commercial and office sites.

Occupations in Building Construction

Erecting any building is a complex task, and green buildings are no different. Experienced construction workers without a lot of green knowledge might have to learn how to perform tasks in new or different ways. Also, when constructing green buildings, workers might find themselves using unusual design schematics or materials with which they are unfamiliar.

However, the biggest change for these workers is the adoption of onsite procedures designed to lessen the ecological impact of the construction. When building green, construction workers have to be conscious of how their work affects the surrounding environment.

Job Duties

When working on green buildings, construction managers are responsible for ensuring that onsite processes are environmentally friendly. This could mean setting up a recycling plan for unused construction materials or protecting environmentally sensitive areas of the site. Because construction managers also select the general contractors and trade contractors, they are responsible for choosing contractors who have knowledge of green building techniques.

The duties of construction laborers on a green building site are similar to their duties on other projects. However, they fulfill these duties in a more environmentally conscious fashion. For example, construction laborers must follow green onsite procedures, such as material recycling plans, decided upon by their managers.

Operating heavy construction equipment on a green job site requires special care. Construction equipment operators have to take precautions in order not to damage sensitive areas of the site. For example, construction equipment operators might have to work on sites that host a threatened animal’s habitat or an eroding watershed.

Education and Training

Most construction managers gain experience working on projects in other positions before they are selected to manage a project. Education is becoming important, and most project managers hold a bachelor's degree or higher in construction management, business management, or engineering. Advanced degrees, such as a master's degree in business administration (MBA), are becoming more common. Construction managers on green projects might have the LEED Green Associate credential or have taken the NCCER's Sustainable Construction Supervisor Training and Certification Program.

Although many construction laborer jobs have no specific education or training requirements, some construction laborers may receive formal technical and on-the-job training. High school classes in English, mathematics, physics, construction drawings, welding, and other career and technical education classes can be helpful preparation. Many construction laborers learn their skills on the job by assisting more experienced workers.

Construction equipment operators learn their skills through a variety of venues, including on-the-job training, equipment career schools, NCCER or ABC sponsors, apprenticeships, or, union instruction. Depending on the type of equipment, the operator may be required to be certified by an accredited party or by the manufacturer.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not currently have wage data specific to the green construction industry. However, BLS does have wage data for the nonresidential building construction industry group, which includes construction of commercial and office buildings. The table shows BLS data for selected occupations in this industry group for May 2010. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.


Occupation Median annual wage
Construction managers $85,030
Construction laborers $31,000
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators $46,160

For more detailed information on building occupations in the green construction industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next week's green construction industry series installment: Occupations in Design.

Friday, August 23, 2013

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Planning and Preparation

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

  • How One Day Can Make or Break Your Career"One day really can make or break a career, but if you are ready to take full advantage then the outcome is more likely to be positive rather than negative."                                                      
  • Are You Suffering from Sitting Disease?"Given the number of workers who perform their tasks on a computer or otherwise seated at a desk, medical experts are starting to become concerned about the health effects of sitting."

  • Stop Planning. Start Doing"The most important part of actually getting things done is trusting your own abilities. Once you let go of your fears, you’re actually going to be able to accomplish the big things on your to-do list."

  • Top 10 Tips for Planning Your Career"If you don’t take any other advice from this list, take heed of this one: to get where you want to be, you’ll get there faster with a mentor."

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 4 Behaviors of Innovative Leaders

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this Forbes video professor Hal Gregersen shares four behaviors that characterize innovative leaders, including the observation that these leaders "ask tons of questions to challenge the status quo".


Learn more by watching the video below:

Friday, August 16, 2013

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Success and Working at Home

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

  • How I Went from Zero to Success in Four Weeks"Defining a brand and nailing your message may seem relatively easy, but your business’s first, powerful impression is the most important thing for any company. Get it right the first time and you’ll be well on your way."                                                      
  • Do You Have What it Takes to Work from Home?"A home office is filled with distractions, from dishes in the sink to the ability to walk away from your desk on a sunny day with no boss to tell you to keep working. Can you resist the temptation to take your eye off the ball?"

  • The 8 Rules of Success to Think about Every Morning"When it comes to doing business, building a brand and a good reputation is vital. Once you have done this, you will find things a lot easier, as most of us prefer to deal with people or companies that are recognised and trusted."

  • The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask in an Interview"The people who are interviewing you will have heard it all before and they will be looking for someone who has that little bit extra quality or personality which sets them apart from the rest of the crowd.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Advice for Entrepreneurs

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video entrepreneur Richard Branson shares advice on leadership and entrepreneurship and notes that leaders must be good listeners and skilled at motivating others.


Learn more by watching the video below:

Friday, August 9, 2013

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Amazing and Worthwhile Careers

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

  • How to Build a Career Worth Having"In my experience, people who are successful in finding—and maintaining—meaningful work approach their careers like a grand experiment."
  • The Simple Secret to an Amazing Career"I've had a variety of jobs and businesses in my career so far, but they've all had two things in common: I've done what I loved at organizations where I could grow."                                                      
  • Do You Need a Resume in the LinkedIn Era?"When you are actually applying for a job, however, neither LinkedIn nor a professional landing page can replace the résumé. A strong résumé is still the gateway to an interview."

  • Are You Ready for a Career (R)evolution?"Going forward sometimes demands that we revise our tactics. Often a subtle evolution in your perspective can lead to a revolution in your actions."

  • 5 Key Insights for Changing the World"If it doesn’t exist already, then you are going to have to create it, eventually.  Don’t wait for permission or a phone call.  Instead, start something new.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: The New Rules for Career Success

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video author Dan Schawbel presents 5 new rules for career success, starting with "You are accountable for your own career."


Learn more by watching the video below:

Friday, August 2, 2013

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

  • 7 Quiet Career Truths That Speak Volumes"The answer won’t always be there and it won’t be black and white – Sometimes in your career, you will find that you don’t have the answer you are looking for."