The Daily Leap

Discovering Your Career Saboteur - First in a Series

2012-03-05T03:00:00.007-05:00

Everyone has "voices" in their head, guiding their thoughts, choices, behaviors, and attitudes. You have a voice in your head that tells you to buckle your infant child securely into his/her car seat and to drive safely on the road. You have a voice in your head that tells you not to eat the fake fruit in a display bowl. We're constantly in dialogue with voices such as this; they help us make decisions.

But there is one voice that we need to pay particular attention to: our inner critic, or Saboteur.

The Saboteur-as the name implies-is the voice in your head that sabotages attempts to connect to your higher self. It does so by questioning your worthiness, commitment, ability, or anything else it can get its hands on to keep you from moving forward with what's important to you.

Let's say that you want to find a new job. You know how to or know how to go about finding how to write a resume, networking, creating a cover letter, and enhancing your position as a candidate. There is information on the internet and experts abound to help you with this. It's the saboteur that keeps you from acting, wanting you to remain exactly as you are despite your desire to change.

Any time that you think about engaging or engage in an activity that brings you closer to who you want to be is when the saboteur comes out.

You don't have a knowledge problem, because you know everything you need to know or have the means to find out. You don't have a failure problem because you've failed before and have kept persevering. You don't have a commitment problem because you have made and kept commitments all of your life. You don't have a worthiness problem because you are worthy of and deserve anything that you dream for your life.

You have a saboteur problem.

In this series throughout the month of March, we will focus on discovering your career saboteur, how it operates within you, what you can do about it, and how to live with it. Each post will conclude with an assignment to complete that pertains to the day's topic and will move you forward in your understanding of this powerful internal obstacle to your success. To get the most out of this series, complete the assignments.

Assignment #1: Identify Your Saboteur
Think of one to three things that you have wanted to accomplish in your career but haven't been able to. Make them as big as possible: starting your own business, freelancing, applying for a promotion, asking for a raise, or anything else that-logically and objective-is possible. It should speak to your highest values, your dreams, and/or a calling that you feel.

Next week: how your career saboteur operates.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-03-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. Top Five Strategies for Kicking Off a Career
"Even if you think you've exhausted your parents' career advice, or that you already know everyone they could possibly be connected to, make a point to catch up with them every couple of weeks."

2. 5 Exercises to Muscle Up Your Job Search
"Here are five invigorating career exercises to try that should create momentum through conversations, cold calls, informational interviews, networking, and volunteer events."

3. 11 Great Employee Qualities: Do you Have Them?
"Manage yourself by knowing your roles and responsibilities in your company. In addition, learn to know what it takes to go a step beyond what your current role entails."

4. Four Ways to Find a job While on Vacation
"The key is to come up with strategies for some career activities that you can do from Cancun, Austin or at home."

5. Six Ways Your Business Card Can Still Pack a Big Punch
"The more connected to the web we are, the more precious the real world is, so it is important to make a connection."

Grabbing Control of the Outcome of Your Next Job Interview

2012-03-01T00:52:00.002-05:00

One of the most common complaints about the job interview process is the feeling of a lack of control over the outcome. Most people do not enjoy the fact that their career "fate" is at the hands of a random group of questions. I would like to discuss the 4 factors that go into determining your success in an interview. I think you will be surprised to find out just how much control you actually have over your own success.

Factor #1 - Packaging
This factor contributes an estimated 40% in determining how successful you will be in an interview. Packaging is your image, your non-verbal communication, and how well you sell the fact that you are the right candidate for the job. Dress professionally, control your body language, and ensure you demonstrate how you will embrace the company's culture to gain control of this factor.

Factor #2 - Responsiveness
This factor also contributes an estimated 40% to your successful outcome. Responsiveness is all about how you answer the questions you are asked. Do you talk for 15 minutes without ever answering the question? Did you come unprepared with no research on the company or the job? These are examples of how you can lose control over an interview. However, if you prepare for the interview in advance as these articles suggest, how well you respond the questions is completely within your control.

Factor #3 - Qualifications
Believe it or not, once you get to the interview stage, qualifications only represent an estimated 10% of your success. Make no mistake, your qualifications are critical to being invited for an interview. However, the interview process is more about emotions - do you fit in with the team, do they like you, do they think they can work with you, etc. - than about qualifications. You can't control your qualifications today. However, you can make a conscious effort to improve your qualifications by the types of positions, training, or education your pursue in the future.

Factor #4 - "Other" items
This elusive "other" category is completely beyond the scope of our control. Take comfort in the fact that it only accounts for about 10% of your success. Items that may fit in this category: they hired their nephew instead of you, they did not mesh well with your personality, or you reminded them of their ex-girlfriend and the wound was too fresh to even consider hiring you.

Don't waste your time and energy focusing on those things outside of your control, instead focus on Packaging and Responsivness. These two factors - upon which you can have a direct impact - represent as much as 80% of your success in the interview.

HR Forum Update: News and Info for Job Seekers

2012-02-28T17:38:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, I had an opportunity to attend the annual HR Forum organized by the Resume Writer's Council of Arizona. This event enables resume writers and career specialists to sit down with global and national hiring managers with more than 30 years of combined hiring and recruiting experience and learn about hiring trends.

I was part of a group of career services professionals that attended the HR Forum. We were able to ask about the process that these HR specialist go through to hire candidates, the way they source and screen their employees, and their thoughts on resumes. I want to pass on the highlights of the event to you.

The use of applicant tracking systems has become common among larger corporations. The experts we talked with hired both globally and nationally. The use of an applicant tracking system, where applicants upload their resume and cover letter into the company's database, is the way they go about screening and locating candidates.
The recruiters estimated that 80% of their jobs were not ever posted. Most jobs were filled before they had to be posted by searching for candidates through their applicant tracking system or networking.
Due to the importance of networking, our panel of expert HR professionals focused on the importance of using LinkedIn to build a professional profile. All the experts claimed that they use LinkedIn to look for candidates and evaluate their background.
Our panel of recruiters touted the importance of getting to know the in-house hiring and recruiting staff to network your way into a company. They suggested using LinkedIn to make connections, attending job fairs and hiring events to meet them in person, going to industry trade shows, and participating in local or industry-specific networking groups to make connections and form relationships. They suggested participating in all these activities, whether you were actively seeking employment or not, so you have a healthy network at all times.
As much as the recruiters stated that getting to know the HR staff was important, they stressed that there is a fine line between being assertive in your networking and "stalking" the recruiter. Follow up, be professional, and make contacts but also respect their time and realize they have other priorities than you.
The recruiters confirmed that if a candidate has 80% of the qualifications on a job posting that they should go ahead and apply. They stressed the difference between "need to have" qualifications and "want to have" qualifications.
That being said, the recruiters went on to discuss a lack of education. They stated that in some cases they would be willing to overlook a lack of a Bachelor's degree. However, the candidate should have two to three times the length of an education to compensate for lack of education. (i.e. 12 years experience to compensate for the lack of a 4-year college degree)
When a resume is viewed in an applicant tracking system, only the top third of the resume is visible. The summary of qualifications has become more important than ever before! If the top third of the resume "does not clearly state how the candidate can add value" they will not even bother to open the resume in the system.

How to Maintain Focus As a Post Grad

2012-02-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

In college, you probably learned the fine art of multi-tasking. You studied for exams while watching "The Office" while chatting with your roommate while texting your friends. With all the distractions these days with multiple forms of social media, email and television it can be hard to stay focused on one thing, especially something as daunting as job hunting. It can be very easy to want to take the day off, so to say, as you spend your days trying to grab a career. Here are some tips on staying focused and managing your time well as you search for jobs:

1. Turn off all forms of electronic devices. Shut off your cell phone, iPod, iPad, whatever. You'll probably be using your computer to look for jobs and it will be extremely tempting to take a little Facebook break. Use Internet tools such as Leechblock for Firefox that allow you to temporarily block certain websites so you aren't tempted to waste time. If you are using your phone to call businesses, try to use a landline if you can to avoid temptation to text.

2. Use good time management. Don't say that you are going to spend 10 straight hours job hunting because you'll never actually do it or you'll quickly get burned out. Block out a few hours per day to job hunt and use the time to search for jobs using the Internet and newspapers, call businesses and visit them in person. Take breaks for food and relaxing so you don't stress yourself out.

3. Make sure you have a clear plan. If you don't really know what you're looking for or how to go about a job search, you'll quickly lose focus. Make a list of potential jobs or careers in relation to your degree that you have interest in. Make a list of people you can network with and ask for help with your job search. Keep track of the places you go to job search, the companies you apply with, the people you talk to, etc. Keeping track of all of this information ensures that you can follow up with jobs you apply for and that you don't apply twice.

4. Set weekly goals for yourself. The main goal is obviously to find a job that you love but you can set yourself mini-goals such as updating your resume and cover letters, finding new ways to job search such as joining a professional group or applying to a certain number of jobs.

If you stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize, there's no telling where you can go! Good luck, post grads!

Eliminating the 'Easy' in Your Career

2012-02-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

A well-known office supply chain offers its customers the ability to make things 'easy' by pressing a button. Easy...what a loaded word. When things are easy, they aren't difficult. Tasks are performed knowledgeably and quickly, and the outcome is almost always certain and to your liking. We naturally gravitate toward the easy, and-for the most part-we want things in our careers to be easy: customers to come back, supervisors to like our work, work to be completed on-time and with little difficulty. Easy is the way to go, right?

But here's the rub: excellence is hard. Learning important life-lessons is difficult. And oftentimes our best work was created under strenuous circumstances.

If we want to get what we want in our careers, we need to be prepared to abandon the easy and embrace the difficult. Think back to the greatest lessons you learned in your career life, and I'm willing to bet that most-if not all-of them had nothing to do with things that were easy. The hours you put in studying to achieve the grades you desired. The strenuous practice to prepare for the work presentation of your career. The time conditioning your body so you can be the athlete you want to be. When circumstances are difficult, we strive to meet the challenge; when they become easy, we stay stagnant and stuck in a rut.

Use the following questions to guide in determining where you need to make things more difficult for the sake of your career:

Where in my career life am I feeling intimidated or do I need to apply more pressure to myself?

In what aspects of my career life do I feel that I have been 'coasting' or have I already mastered?

How would my career be better if I could push myself in these areas?

What am I willing to do, and what am I not willing to do?

What will I do today that will move me in the direction that I want to move in?

Circumstances don't make you; they reveal you. Push yourself in your career to be the professional that you want to be.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-02-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. 7 Ways to Conduct a Job Search Like a Professional Athlete
"Ready for the big game? An athlete prepares for months, even years, with a rigorous training schedule, healthy eating, keeping focused on the end result – the win. Before you hit the streets looking for your next big career move, consider what you need to do to prepare."

2. Volunteering = Career Development
"There is also another great reward that results from volunteering: career development. And I don’t just mean the typical resume booster of listing charities and charitable events under your community involvement section."

3. The 5 Secrets to Staying Employed
"It's easy to say you have "great communication skills" or that you're a leader in your field; it's another thing to demonstrate it on a regular basis."

4. Best Practices for Emailing Hiring Managers
"Keep these tips in mind to ensure that your emails will catch the eye of those hiring managers and recruiters and you will land that first interview."

5. 12 Tips for a Smooth Transition to Your New Job
"Whether it took you two weeks, two months or two years to land this position, your first few days on the job will be the most memorable, so it’s essential you make a good impression."

Post Grad Advice: You Need Your Own Ride to Land Your Own Job

2012-02-24T11:00:00.001-05:00

Being a post grad is tough. Whether you have a job or are still searching for one, you need a vehicle to get around. If you don't have reliable transportation, you won't be able to land or keep a job. Yet how do you go about getting a car with a limited income? Coming right out of college, you probably borrowed a car or used your parent's cars. You probably didn't even need a car if you lived on campus. Yet now you're faced with loans and car payments and scary "real world" problems.

Recently, my father gave me a deadline of sorts. I must get a new car by June. It doesn't matter if it is a new, used or leased car, I just have to do it. Even though I've lived in an apartment away from my parents, I've graduated college, I work, this seemed like such a big adult step. A post grad first of sorts. I had been dreading shelling out all that money, doing the research and honestly I had no idea where to start. I didn't know all the steps involved and I didn't even really want to think about it. Now that I've done it, here's what I learned, which any post grad can relate to:

1. Figure out your "must haves". This can be different for everyone. For example, I know many people who work for Chrysler so I wanted to have an American-made car. I wanted a car with better gas mileage because I drive a Jeep and feel like I'm constantly blowing money at the gas station. You may want other things, such as a certain color or heated seats. Decide what options are non-negotiable and which ones you can forget about due to cost.

2. Take a look at your options. First you must decide how much you can realistically spend on car payments each month. You may pay rent or still live at home. Take a look at your income and expenses each month and determine a number you'd be comfortable paying each month for a car. Don't forget about insurance costs, taxes and gas too!

3. Research the differences between buying a new car, buying a used car and leasing a car. Determine the best option for you. For example, if you choose to lease, you can get a new vehicle every two years but you have to be extra careful and keep it very clean and you never own it. A new car versus a used car is obviously wear and tear and cost.

4. Once you decide, go to a dealership or ask around to see if you know anyone selling a car. Try to go to a dealership when they are closed at first to take a look at the vehicles you may be interested in without a salesperson hounding you. Write down a few vehicle numbers and look them up online as well if you are able to find out more information or cost.

5. If you want to buy new or used, visit your bank or credit union to talk about a loan. Sometimes they can tell you how much you would be approved for and at what interest rate before you decide on a specific car. If you've decided what car you want, fill out an auto loan application, most of which you can do online these days. Make sure you set up some insurance before you buy as well. You can get auto insurance quotes on most insurance websites to shop around.

6. Once you're approved for a loan or decide on a lease you can afford, visit your dealership. It is a good idea to bring a parent or family member you trust that has experience buying cars. They can help you haggle a lower price or just give you advice so you don't get screwed over by a pushy salesperson.

7. When you get your car, be proud of yourself that you figured it all out! Take good care of it and pay your monthly payments on time each month to establish good credit as a young adult.

8. Now that you have your own ride, you can feel more comfortable about being an adult and keeping or finding a great job!

What advice do you have for post grads looking to get a new car? Please comment on this post below!

Interview Preparation Checklist

2012-02-23T17:52:00.000-05:00

You have done your homework, prepared for all the possible interview questions, and decided what to wear the day of the interview. However, no matter how much advance preparation you make, if you are not ready the day of the interview, it will all be for nothing.

Here is a checklist of what you should do to prepare yourself for the day of the interview.

What to take with you to the interview:

Multiple copies of your resume. Be sure to take enough copies for everyone that may be interviewing you as well as a few extras just in case. Make sure you take the same resume you sent to obtain the interview. Print your formatted resume on high-quality resume paper so it is pleasing to the eye.
Note paper and pen. You probably will not be asked to fill out an application by hand in today's technology-centered workplace. However, be prepared just in case with a pen and all the information you will need to complete an application. Also, take note paper to write down details of the interview, interviewer name, and any interesting facts you learn about the job in the interview. These notes can be used when writing your thank you letter.
Traveling directions. Not only should you take traveling directions, you should also take a "dry run" driving to the interview locations at the same time as your interview to evaluate traffic conditions. Leave yourself extra time - and plan an alternate route - for unforeseen circumstances such as traffic jams or road closures.
Questions you are going to ask. Use this previous blog post to develop your interview questions. Write them down and take them with you to the interview.

Last minute preparation tips:

Arrive ten minutes early. You should arrive no sooner than 20 minutes early and no later than 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Arriving right on-time is almost equivalent to being late.
Leave your troubles at home. The interviewer does not want to hear about your nasty divorce or your worries that if you don't get a job, you will be evicted. The employer wants to hire someone who will not bring their personal problems to work. The interview is your chance to demonstrate that trait.
Research the company in advance. You should know everything about the company: its mission statement, its competitors, and how you can add value to the business. Prepare your answer to the question "why do you want to work here" by conducting advance research.

Your First Professional Job Prepares You for Success

2012-02-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

You’ve landed your first professional job. Consider it a foot in the door and time to do your very best. Your first professional job can and should be the start of a journey that leads to a rewarding and satisfying career.

Establish a Good Reputation

Make a name for yourself, and make sure it is a positive one. Do this by demonstrating that you are a team player, as well as hard-working, reliable, smart, and willing to listen and learn from others. Work with passion and strive for excellence in every task you undertake.

Learn from Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, particularly people who are new to a company and industry. Recognize you’re bound to make a few mistakes; the important thing is how you handle them. Be accountable for your mistakes and inform those who may be impacted. Proactively look for ways to solve any problems you may cause. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Mistakes are great opportunities for learning.

Build a Network

Your first professional job is an opportunity to build strong relationships—relationships that can last throughout your career. Make an effort to meet and network with as many people as you can; take a genuine interest in them and what they are doing professionally. Remember, a strong network must be continually fostered and grown.

By doing your very best in your first job, you will likely open doors to your next, whether it’s an opportunity for advancement with your current employer or another organization. This first job can be the one that puts you on the path to career success.

Subtle Ways Military Veterans Can Begin the Transition to Civilian Life

2012-02-21T00:16:00.000-05:00

Military veterans face a myriad of challenges when they begin their transition into the private sector workforce. I have talked in previous blog posts about translating your skills in both the resume and interview. However, I would like to explore some of the subtle ways you can demonstrate you are ready and able to make the transition into the civilian world. Remember, the point of this exercise is to show how you will fit right in, and often that is more psychology than fact!

Dates and Time
Although this may not be as easy as it sounds, begin to use the standard, civilian method of telling time when interacting with a civilian. Want to meet for an interview at 1300, you better explain to your civilian interviewer that you will be there at 1:00 pm. Additionally, in the military you state the day, then the month, then the year when writing your dates. Try to transition into month, day, year when stating your dates so that you will fit in better.

Drop the Alphabet Soup
Acronyms and military lingo are second nature for a military veteran. However, you can't use those same acronyms and terminology in a conversation with a civilian and expect them to be able to follow your meaning. Most every acronym you have used in the military will need to be translated in your conversations. For example, don't call yourself an NCOIC - civilians have no idea what that means. Instead call yourself the manager or team leader of whichever field of speciality in which you worked.

Ease up on the Formality
The combination of my knowledge of military terminology and my tendency to call everyone sir or ma'am has most people convinced I am a military veteran. I am not a veteran, I am simply polite. I am not suggesting you suddenly lose your manners. However, you may want to loosen up a bit in your communication style. It is okay to call people sir or ma'am in conversation, but do you need to do it every single time you answer a question in a conversation with them? Find a balance between casual conversation and polite manners so you don't intimidate people.

Go on a Privacy Offensive, Not Defensive

2012-02-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

This past week Forbes published an interesting article about how the retailer Target figured out a teenage customer was pregnant before her parents knew. Target, it turns out, gives each customer a unique identification number and-using credit card information and login data from online purchases-tracks what we buy, using this information to tailor its marketing efforts. Those coupons you got from Target in the mail last week? More than likely, they are 100% different from the ones sent to me.

Privacy, of course, is dead and has been for a long time. Background checks are so ubiquitous that anyone with a credit card and computer can perform one...on any one of us. And career experts have guided candidates to lock up their social media accounts for fear of having its contents reflect negatively upon them.

For years we have been on the privacy defensive...I propose a privacy offensive.

Online presence: Instead of locking up your social media, use it strategically to reinforce your personal brand. Create profiles on not just the ubiquitous sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter) but also some of the up-and-coming ones like Google + and Pinterest to profile the unique, professional you.

Personality profiles: Personality profiles like the MBTI, DiSC, Insights, and StrengthsFinder can be used to show employers unique talents and qualities you possess that will benefit their organizations. Highlight the information provided on these assessments to give objectivity to your personal marketing, and strengthen them with concrete examples of how you exemplify those qualities.

References: Don't just contact your references and prepare them for a potential phone call from a prospective employer. Ask your references to cite specific examples of your leadership, work skills, and/or knowledge that apply directly to the position for which you are applying. This will empower them to demonstrate how you can help that employer specifically, and they won't have to search, themselves, for answers that are the best fit.

Don't be held back by the Information Age. Use it to proactively empower you and your career.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-02-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. How to Increase Your Visibility & Networking Quietly
"You’re not ready to go public with your job search, but you want to cultivate higher visibility in your industry and grow your connections to key decision-makers."

2. There is No Career Ladder
"It's a different world. But if a world without career ladders allows you to take charge of your own career, then it is a far better one."

3. Want Career Success? Become a Lifelong Learner
"My best common sense suggestion for becoming a lifelong learner is simple. Read. Read technical journals. Read trade magazines. Read business publications ..."

4. 5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Job Prospects
"Not landing the job you want? How can you change your luck? Stop what you're doing and make some changes; you may be surprised by the results."

5. The Jobs Offering the Brightest Futures
"If you want to ride a crest of increasing employment over the next 10 years, get into health care, personal care, social assistance or construction."

Are Your Dreams not Going to Happen? How to Change Your Focus and Achieve Success

2012-02-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

Do you remember your first real crush? Well, I have a ten year-old daughter and she has had a crush on a boy since last year. She recently went on an overnight (well-supervised) co-ed trip with school and her crush attended as well. This boy was mean to her and treated her very poorly. When she came home she told me, "He was disrespectful to me and I deserve better than that. I am all done with him."

Of course, I was very proud of how well she handled the situation. However, given my career services focus, the situation made me think about how people often react negatively when their dreams are crushed. Just this week, I wrote about doing what you love. What about when we discover what we have been dreaming about is not going to happen? Here are some ideas of how to change your focus to achieve success anyway.

Evaluate the reason why not.
Even if you did not get your "dream job," is it possible that your focus was too narrow? Look at the root cause of the failure to define whether or not you had the right target in mind in the first place.

Skip the pity party.
Try to avoid seeing yourself as a victim and stay away from asking questions like "why me?" or telling yourself "nothing ever goes my way." Seeing yourself as a victim prevents you from taking responsibility for the actions that you need to focus on to change the situation. Instead, ask yourself "what are the positive aspects of what has happened?" and "what can I learn from what has happened so I can make sure it does not happen again?"

Take a break from your dream.
Take some time to focus on something different. This distraction will help you distance yourself from the pain and disappointment of not realizing your dreams. Who knows, you may discover a new skill or passion you never even knew you had.

Deal with it and move on.
Granted, a ten year-old's 5th grade crush is nothing compared to career failure - but to her it was a big deal. Take a page from my daughter's book - accept the failure, deal with it and move on. Try to find a way to still follow your passion, but maybe look at it from a new perspective. Try to avoid looking into the past with feelings of anger, guilt, or regret. The only time we should look back in life is to reminisce about happy memories or learn from past failures.

Obstacles that Can Keep a New Hire from Succeeding

2012-02-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

When looking for a job, it can be helpful to consider any obstacles you might face that could get in the way of your success and job satisfaction once you’re hired. Being mindful of potential obstacles can guide the type of questions you pose to a prospective employer during an interview.

The following are just a few of the obstacles to think about that might pose a problem after you’re hired.

Poor Onboarding Process

The onboarding process—or orientation—is designed to help new employees gain a better understanding of the company and how they fit into the organization. The ultimate goal is to make new employees productive as quickly as possible. When done correctly, onboarding can take several months. However, some companies take a “sink or swim” approach, making it more difficult to understand the big picture and how you fit in. It’s best to know which approach the company takes before you accept the job.

Lack of Communication

Poor communication on management’s part can negatively affect the work you do, especially when you’re just learning the ropes. It is difficult to succeed if you don’t clearly understand your responsibilities and/or management’s expectations, so do your best to identify these up front.

Job Misrepresentation

When you start a new job, you should have a good idea of what your new job entails when it comes to tasks, workload, and the hours required. The more you know up front, the less chance you’ll find yourself in a position you wish you had never accepted.

Culture Misfit

A company’s culture and its people can be extremely important when it comes to job satisfaction. Identifying the company culture early should help you mesh with your new co-workers. No one wants to work where they don’t fit in.

How to Find What You Love to Do

2012-02-14T22:18:00.000-05:00

I am not one of those people who have known since they were five years old - or even twenty five - what they wanted to do. I went to college, not because I had a goal in mind, but because it was expected of me. For almost fourteen years, I was not happy in my career. Some may say, why didn't you just make a change?

You should be prepared to realistically spend 40 to 50 years working full-time. Why spend all those years doing something that does not make you happy? In my opinion, there are two main reasons that people don't pursue their "dream" job and do what they really love to do. Once these two reasons can be overcome, there really is no stopping you from pursuing what you really love to do.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - Steve Jobs

Reason #1
The first reason is that people don't have any clue as to what kind of career will make them happy. This was definitely my case. I did not have the knowledge or resources to help me assess what career I fit best into. Your first step in finding out what you love by assessing your values, your personality, and the type of work environment that suits those both. Often, instead of doing what we love to do, we struggle between what we think we can do, what we (or others) think we ought to do, and what we want to do.

Sit down and write out an exhaustive list of your skills first. Next, in a column next to your list of skills write out your interests. Write down every interest you can think of, including those subjects of which you have knowledge. For example, I really enjoy mysteries. I approach each customer interaction as discovering hidden treasure and helping them uncover the mystery of what accomplishments they have not yet realized. Evaluate your list of skills and interests and chances are you will find correlation between the two that you can bring together.

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. - Margaret Young

Reason #2
The second reason is that we are not asking ourselves the right questions. The right job enhances your life, it feels natural because it is an extension of your personality, and it does not force you to do things that you do not do well. It simply reflects who you are.

Ask yourself these questions when you are deciding what is the right job for you:

Do you look forward to going to work?
Do you feel energized by what you do?
Do you feel respected and appreciated for the contributions you make?
Are you proud to describe what you do?
Do you enjoy and respect the people you work with on a regular basis?
Do you feel optimistic about your future in the job?

The path toward career satisfaction is quite simple, although not easy. Figure out your preferences and then find a job that accommodates them. Good luck pursuing your career love!

Making a Graceful Career Exit

2012-02-13T03:00:00.001-05:00

It was 9:30pm and the party-which began 12 hours previous-was heating up. Their kids under the watchful eye of babysitters, the crowd I was hanging out with were free to cut loose and enjoy themselves. As I looked at my watch and surveyed the scene, one thing became clear to me:

It was time to leave.

I have no kids, I had a place to sleep that night, and I had nothing to do the next day. So what was my problem? I intently thought about this on my drive home, and it surprised me how closely the answers I came up with correlated with one's career. Sometimes-despite what logic may dictate-it's time to make a graceful career exit.

Values: Values are at the core of who you are, guiding your thoughts and actions. When I thought about staying longer at the party, I literally did a value check: how would staying later resonate with my values? While I had a blast up until that point, I noticed my values of peace and rest were winning over my value of socializing. They won, so I left. When it comes to your career, your values are an essential barometer of your feelings. You could be very successful in a career field but feel it conflict with other values: family, recreation. money, responsibility. Action To Do: Assess your current job with your values and see where it is meeting and not meeting them.

Time: Coinciding with values, time was another factor I considered. When I was at the party, I had a lot of fun! I was eating, singing karaoke, and socializing with old friends. As the night went on, though, the return that I was getting on my time was lessening. I had caught up with my friends. I was full. I didn't need to sing any more songs. If I had stayed longer than I had, the good time I had would have been colored by how much I didn't want to be there anymore. In your job, what could have been an enriching opportunity in the beginning may have run its course. Action To Do: Assess the time you have put in to your current position: have you received the benefit from it that you feel you need to receive?

Social Pressure: This is the factor that I struggled with the most, as I'm sensitive to-for better or for worse-what others think about me. When deciding whether to leave I had an internal dialogue, debating how my departure my be perceived? "Is he mad at us?" "Why is he being a jerk?" Social forces are powerful and need to be overcome to make a decision that resonates with you and your career? Action To Do: Assess the social forces that are keeping you in your career. Are they playing a bigger role than they should be?

Your career is the party, but there are other parties out there. Connect with yourself to make the best choices for you.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-02-11T15:23:00.001-05:00

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!

1. 10 Career-Limiting Mistakes to Avoid
"The vast majority of people find a comfort zone and settle in there. They don't aggressively manage their careers."

2. 20 Questions Smart Employees Ask Themselves
"These 20 questions cover five key areas that are critical to your accurately evaluating how well you’re doing at work."

3. 4 Essentials for Reaching Out to Strangers on LinkedIn
"Last week, I received an info interview request from a total stranger as a direct message on LinkedIn. And despite my very busy schedule, I decided to take his call."

4. Bounce Back from Job Search Dejection
"There is randomness in job searches. Not every step will be successful. It's easier said than done, but here are three ways to build resilience."

5. 10 Ways to Ruin a Job Interview
"You can have the perfect resume and a compelling cover letter and show up for the job interview ready to impress, but get ready to forgo the job offer if you make one of these stumbles."

Generalist or Specialist: Look at Both

2012-02-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

In choosing an occupation of interest, you may have researched extensively, including projected growth, industry opportunities, and roles and responsibilities. But did you remember to inquire about areas of specialization? If not, you may want to look closer at the occupation you’re interested in to determine the need for specialization and whether you are better suited to be a generalist or a specialist.

A generalist is someone who possesses broad, “general” knowledge and skills in several areas. If you’re a generalist, you can typically perform a variety of functions within a company and hence often contribute on many levels. A specialist displays deeper knowledge, skills, and experience that is typically concentrated in one area. As a specialist, you might find yourself being the company’s “go-to expert” when it comes to a particular area of focus.

There are pros and cons for each, and both should be investigated before pursuing a path of generalist or specialist. In doing so, be mindful of your personality. For example, do you prefer to know a little about many different functional business areas, or would you prefer to learn the nuances of a particular area? Do you enjoy performing a variety of tasks, or would you rather master a particular area and its related skills?

No matter what path you choose--generalist or specialist--your goals should include continued learning and committing to doing your very best.

Advice for Career Changers

2012-02-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

Whether you find yourself unemployed and looking for a new job or are currently employed and simply dissatisfied with your career path, if you want to make a career change there are several steps you should take first to ensure a successful transition. These steps will not only help you ensure you are satisfied in your in your new career path, they will also help you land a position in your new field much faster. If you follow this step-by-step process, even in a tough job market you will have a greater chance of success.

Assess your interests.
First of all, you must identify what you don't like about your current career. Is it the hours, tasks, or the pay? Identifying what you don't like will help you ensure you don't get into the same situation in a different field. If most of your complaints center around your boss, the company, co-workers, or the environment in which you work, you may just need to consider a change of companies - not careers.

A few online resources are available for you to assess your personality and work values. You can use www.humanmetrics.com to conduct a free online personality assessment. A few books I recommend are Do What You Are, by Tieger and Barron or Now Discover Your Strengths, by Buckingham and Clifton.

Research the new career field thoroughly.
Make informed decisions based on lots of information gathered while researching your new career field. The first step is to look at labor market research to determine the field's education requirements, the job market outlook for the next three to five years, wages and benefits, demographics, and the industry-leading companies. You can access much of this information through the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the O*NET. Also consider research methods such as job shadowing, volunteering or interning in the field, or informational interviewing.

Identify your transferable skills.
Once you have done your research on the career field, it is time to identify the skills you already have that can transfer over to the new career field. For example, if you have been in the mortgage industry and want to transition into the administrative support field you would want to focus on skills such as documentation management, compiling correspondence, tracking ongoing projects to ensure deadlines are met, and protecting confidential information.

Transferable skills are general skills that are portable. They can be used in many different work settings and you carry them with you throughout your career.

Market yourself effectively.
Career changers are not always effective in the traditional method of sending out resumes in the hopes of landing a job. Networking is even more important to these job seekers than people with solid industry experience. Follow the E.C.H.O. principle when networking - that stands for every contact has opportunity. Prepare your "elevator speech" so you are ready to explain to your new networking contact who you are, what skills you can offer, and what type of assistance you are seeking.

Learning When and How to Say No

2012-02-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

I must admit, my initial research of this subject was entirely self-serving. I am guilty of superhero syndrome. You may know it as well. The symptoms are an unrealistic idea that you can take on anything that comes your way and a severe allergy to saying "NO." This inability to say no has led me to lose sleep, neglect taking care of myself and my own priorities, resentment of those that I am helping, and a plate full of stress and frustration.

Let's examine some of my, and many other people's, reasons it is so hard to say "NO." In addition, let's look at how we might politely, gently, and diplomatically say "NO" once in a while.

A genuine interest in helping other people
I am a kind and generous person who genuinely enjoys the opportunity to help other people. However, what I need to work on is not letting someone else's lack of preparation become MY emergency. Here is how I am going to try to respond to this situation.

"It is not a good time for me right now, as I am backed up with other projects. How about if we make an appointment to speak next week, so we can both give the project our full attention and not be rushed."

Fear of missing out on opportunities
For many of us, we fail to say no and over-extend ourselves or agree to something we really don't want to do because of the fear of closing a door. I suggest we analyze the opportunity that is being presented against the cost at which it will come. In the future, if I am presented with an opportunity that has too great a cost for its potential benefit, here is how I will try to respond.

"This sounds like an exciting opportunity and I would love to work with you when my schedule permits. I can not participate, but I hope you will stay in touch so we can work together on future projects."

Fear of being rude
Sometimes, I say yes simply because I do not want to hurt someone's feelings or burn a bridge because of rejection. Saying "NO" does not always mean you are being rude or even disagreeable. There does not always have to be a disagreement, especially when you are honest with the person who is asking. I think next time I will try this response.

"I can't help you at this time because . . . "

Notice that I did not include the words "I'm sorry" in any of my responses. Don't apologize for being busy and having priorities, revel in your success! I will check back in and keep you posted on my progress at saying no. Send me comments about how you go about saying no and avoid over-extending yourself.

Career Success by Reexamining Your Stories

2012-02-06T04:00:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there was a nice guy safely driving to the grocery store when-all of a sudden-some jerk cut him off. The nice guy honked his horn to let the jerk know that he had endangered the nice guy's life, but the jerk went about his business, exiting at the next street.

Sound familiar? A recent trip to the grocery store turned into a ready-for-TV drama, all because of "some jerk." But notice the point of view that this story is told from: that of the "nice guy." What if you were to learn that the "jerk" was racing to the hospital because his wife had been seriously injured in an accident.

Wow, different story now, isn't it?

We are telling ourselves stories all of the time, and the stories that we tell ourselves around our career can turn into self-fulfilling prophesies. Through our stories we can feel empowered or victimized depending on the information we choose to process and the assumptions that we make. This is particularly pertinent to our careers: a bad economy, terrible unemployment, and other factors outside ourselves can keep us in a perspective where we are not the triumphant hero...but the pitiable victim. But if the economy is so bad, why are some industries thriving? And if unemployment is so terrible, why do employees still leave their jobs?

The stories that we tell ourselves shape our self-concept, our outlook, and-ultimately-our behavior. If you find that you are struggling in your career, examine your stories by asking yourself the questions below:

What stories have I been telling about my current career?

In what way am I a hero in these stories? In what way am I the victim?

How were my decisions in these stories influenced?

What different decisions could I have made to change this story?

How will this knowledge influence my future actions?

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-02-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. 5 Ways to Burn Bridges, Get Blacklisted and Stunt Career Growth
"If you're looking for some surefire ways to burn professional bridges and leave a bad taste in the mouths of colleagues, consider the following tips."

2. Simple Changes that Can Propel Your Career
"Don’t just do what you are told. Identify the biggest issues that your role covers, and go after these."

3. The Biggest Career Mistakes Millennials Make
"I think the biggest gift millennials will give us is their ceaseless interest in producing things that didn’t exist before."

4. Create a Meaningful Life Through Meaningful Work
"Maybe the real depression we've got to contend with isn't merely one of how much economic output we're generating — but what we're putting out there, and why."

5. The Art of the Informational Interview
"When you set a meeting, it’s your responsibility to lead the agenda. Have a purpose for the meeting, prepare several questions, and prepare some discussion points."

Pre-Employment Background Screenings

2012-02-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, you have made it through the interview process and are one of the top candidates for the job. Your prospective employer will be doing a background screening, and you are wondering what to expect. First, don’t be alarmed. Many employers conduct pre-employment background screenings to verify information about candidates they are interested in hiring.

The Background Report
Some companies use third-party consumer reporting agencies to provide background reports. These agencies must adhere to provisions in the government’s Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). However, companies conducting their own in-house screenings are not held to FCRA guidelines. The FCRA is a federal law governing credit reporting so as to protect privacy and promote information accuracy. The FCRA stipulates that, before employers can have consumer reporting agencies run a background screening for employment purposes, they must obtain your written consent. Before signing anything, take the necessary time to read up on the FCRA.

Most screenings verify personal identification information; review employment, credit, and driving histories; check educational records; and explore any record of criminal activity. Other data collected includes, but is not limited to, property ownership; worker’s compensation claims; bankruptcies; and licensing, medical, and military records.

Be Prepared
A background screening is simply an extra verification to ensure that the candidate a company is planning on hiring is representing himself/herself truthfully and won’t pose a risk to the organization. Be sure the information on your resume and application is accurate, and know in advance what is on your credit report. There’s no better time to take advantage of the FCRA provision granting you free access to your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide reporting companies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Should you Have your Resume Critiqued?

2012-02-02T16:31:00.000-05:00

I volunteered at a networking event yesterday where I offered free resume critiques to job seekers who had been displaced. Each person that sat down at the table with me had previously asked another "resume professional" to evaluate their resume prior to talking with me. Every one of them had been given information that was different (and often just flat-out wrong) than what I suggested.

If you follow my blog posts, you have probably heard me say that resumes are as subjective as beauty. Everyone has different opinions and different preferences. However, instead of nitpicking your use of font and whether you use circles or squares for your bullets, let's look at the fundamentals that you must ask yourself about your resume.

Is your Resume Clear and Focused?
Within the first few seconds of looking at your resume, often in the first line of the summary section, an employer should have no doubt regarding your job target. Never use a generic or vague objective statement. This will cause some employers to stop reading immediately.

Do you Clearly State the Benefit you Can Offer an Employer?
Companies hire to either fill a need or solve a problem. Clearly convey what will make you cost-effective to the employer. Focus on your return on investment or ROI. After reading your resume, they should have a clear understanding of how you will earn the money they will pay you.

Does your Resume Contain Measurable Accomplishments?
Use your previous measurable accomplishments to demonstrate the value you can bring to an employer. It is no longer enough to state you have a skill, prove it to them with past examples.

Is your Resume Error-free?
One spelling error, one misused word, or one mistake can often be enough for an employer to take a pass on calling you. Think of your resume as a paper representation of you. If you are applying for a position that requires attention to detail and professionalism with a resume full of errors, chances are you will not be successful.

So, to answer the original question, should you have your resume critiqued? The answer is yes, but do it in moderation and don't make knee-jerk reactions to every single thing they tell you. Don't show it to every "expert" you come across. Also, ensure the person who is looking at your resume is qualified to do so. Look for Certified Resume Writers (yes such a thing does exist) and listen to how they talk about the job search process to ensure their knowledge and information is up-to-date.

Why Post Grads Should Have a Business Card

2012-02-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

I never thought much about business cards when I was in college or even right after graduating. I always thought that only the very professional, high up people had business cards, not recent post grads. Yet, think about it this way. Last April, I attended an event at the university I attended with one of the companies I work with as a freelancer. There were a lot of opportunities to network at this event and one of my colleagues asked if I had business cards to give out. He was shocked when I said no and actually made me write down my information on the back of his business card to give out. I'm sure that looked super unprofessional to give out written information.

Now I make sure I have business cards with me at all times. You never know when the need will strike. For example, last week I was getting my nails done at a new salon where I had a gift card. I was chatting with the nail technician about what I do and she mentioned she had been thinking of advertising and one of the websites I wrote for sounded like a good match for her to advertise. Great opportunity to give her my business card!

So how should you make your business card? These questions can help you:

What type of field are you in? If you're in a more creative field, such as graphic design, you can make your card a bit more flashy and artistic. If you want to be an accountant however, make it a little more simple and professional.

How do you want your potential employers to contact you? Some people might just want their phone numbers or email address or both on their card. I wouldn't put your home address on there just for potential safety risks.

Make your card clear, simple and always professional. It could give you an edge on other post grads that completely forgot about business cards. Tell us, why do you think post grads should have business cards and what should they add to them?

When Can Your Personal Life Impact Your Job Search?

2012-01-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

In the midst of the Republican Party's race to select its presidential candidate, we have seen lots of personal "dirt" unearthed. Infidelity, corruption, and questionable financial deals are among the few issues that have been raised. It begs the question, does your personal life really impact your ability to secure a job? As the GOP canididacy - and every day life - has proven, your personal life does make a difference in your employability.

Credit Score
On the surface, one might think a low credit score would not impact your ability to land a job. However, did you know that it is very difficult obtain a government security clearance with a bankruptcy or even a low credit score? The same holds true in banking, finance, and the insurance industry. Employers often look at your credit score as an indication of your ability to make decisions and hold responsibility.

Online Presence
In an earlier blog post I discussed how to manage your online presence. If an employer is conducting a search of your name, what will they find? Pictures on facebook of you drinking heavily or participating in illegal activities are a definite red flag to employers. However, they will also look at comments you make on blogs and on social media sites such as www.twitter.com and www.facebook.com to get a sense of your values and beliefs.

Consider the types of pages, businesses, and causes that are among your "likes" on Facebook. Are any of these organizations controversial or indicative of your religious or sexual preferences? These types of personal beliefs should be kept just that - personal. Remember that when you post something online, it stays there for other people to find, so beware!

Convictions
Everyone makes mistakes in their life. However, some are more costly than others. If you have been convicted of a felony in your life, you need to be ready to counteract the negativity that will follow. Try to offer a simple straightforward explanation of the conviction followed by the changes you have made in your life since the conviction. Read this earlier blog post for more information.

Reprioritizing Cost vs. Worth

2012-01-30T05:00:00.005-05:00

When you go shopping you are in a constant battle between what something costs (the amount of money that you will have to give to purchase the item) and what something is worth (the value that you place upon the item).

Let's consider an easy example: aluminum foil. To one person, the regular store brand will sufficiently meet her aluminum foil needs. The name brand-and the higher price-isn't worth it. But another person will pay the higher price for the name brand because of the increased value-worth-that he perceives. Perhaps he considers the quality better or places a lot of faith in the company that produced it.

Neither view is wrong...but how you view cost and worth can have an impact on your career.

Let's take one aspect of how this plays out in your career: dress and grooming. When I worked in a career services department I had a student frantically contact me because he had a job interview that day and wanted some advice. I agreed to meet with him, and when I entered our conference room for our appointment I was struck by how unappealing his appearance was: ill-fitting, mismatched clothes and wild, uncombed hair. When I (gently) brought the matter of his appearance up to him, his immediate response was that he couldn't afford to buy better clothes or get a haircut at the time. Mind you, this is the same student who I often saw purchasing soda out of school vending machines, where the markup is typically much more than buying it at the store.

Do you see how cost and worth are at play here? A soda-in fact, frequent sodas during the week-had a higher worth to this student than buying clothes and getting a haircut that would display him as someone who takes his professional life seriously.

But here's the catch: we are all this student. In our professional lives there are lines that we don't cross because we don't see the value proposition. We balk at paying a professional to write our resume for us or for to hire a career coach to help us pursue our career dreams because, in our minds, we can do it ourselves. It's just not worth it. But what is the cost of being another week out of work? Or spending another day in a miserable, soul-sucking job?

If you are feeling stuck or trapped in your current situation, examine your cost vs. worth viewpoint. Use the questions below as guides:

What is my career worth to me, and how is where my money goes reflective of that?

How does my perception of cost vs. worth play out in career roadblocks I encounter?

What am I willing to sacrifice/not sacrifice monetarily for career satisfaction?

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-01-28T08:00:00.005-05:00

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!

1. Back to Basics: The 15 Most Important Resume Tips for Young Professionals
"When you list bullet points under each job on your resume (and you should always list bullet points under each job), be sure to list the most important task, accomplishment or responsibility first."

2. Following Up After a Job Interview
" ... 22% of hiring managers dismiss candidates who don’t send a thank you note after the interview."

3. Find Your Superpower, Watch Your Career Take Flight
"Research suggests that leaders who identify their core strengths, and play to them, are more satisfied in their work and better paid."

4. What Every Job-Searching Veteran Needs to Know
"A common problem for job-seeking veterans is helping civilian, non-military hiring managers understand their work history."

5. 5 Green Jobs that Will Increase in Demand
"As more companies strive to adhere to greener initiatives, you can guarantee that the need for individuals skilled in a variety of green technologies will grow significantly in the next couple of years."

Working at a Start-Up Company: Consider Both Sides

2012-01-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

The recent recession’s impact on corporate America and new government policies and programs designed to encourage entrepreneurship like, Startup America, may result in job seekers finding more opportunities at start-up companies than in the past.

Working for a start-up company can be quite different than working for an established company. Start-ups typically appeal to those who are adventurous and not risk averse. Below are some observations that can help you weigh whether you’d be a good fit for working at a start-up company.

Be Part of Something New: Participating in the start of a new business can be exciting, energizing, and adventurous.

Share Opinions and Contribute: Many companies encourage you to share opinions and contribute ideas, but at a start-up company, you’re likely to have more opportunities to do so. And, your contributions may have a greater impact on the company’s success.

Wear Multiple Hats: Start-up companies typically have smaller staffs and budgets, so employees are often expected to perform more than one job function. In doing so, you may vastly broaden your skill set.

Enjoy Camaraderie: Camaraderie often results when employees team together to achieve a common goal. This is often the case at start-ups because they’re smaller and employees feel a greater responsibility for helping the company to succeed.

Recognize the Risk: Working at a start-up company tends to be more risky, since survival is uncertain.

Don’t Expect Structure: Since start-ups usually haven’t been operating for long, they tend to have fewer established processes and business protocols in place.

Prepare for High Stress: A start-up company can mean more challenges, longer hours, and pressure to perform within a short window of time. All of this can result in high levels of stress.

Expect Less Pay: Start-up companies generally work with limited capital and heavy start-up costs, thus needing to keep tight controls on overhead costs, including employee compensation. Expect to make less working for a start-up company, at least in the short term.

Military to Civilian Transition Culture Shock

2012-01-26T10:26:00.001-05:00

The transition from a military career to a civlian career can be a very eye-opening experience. This is especially the case when you went straight from high school into the military, served a 20+ year career, and are now facing the task of adapting to the civilian workforce.

You may have noticed from my other posts that I am a big proponent of the motto "Be Prepared." I am a co-leader of two girl scout troops after all! The same applies to the military to civilian transition. If you know, in advance, some of the challenges you may face, you can tackle them much easier. Here are a few I have compiled:

In the military, a supervisor is involved in all aspects of his team's life - both work and personal. This is very different from the private sector. Supervisors in the private sector do not get involved with their employee's personal life.

For obvious reasons, fitness is a high priority in the military. That is not the case for many civilian workers. It is often hard for a former military service member to relate to someone who is disinterested and unwilling to take care of their health and fitness.

Most every task that is assigned in the military comes with very detailed instructions and guidelines. Many veterans become frustrated with the lack of step-by-step instructions and the overall lack of structure they may face. In fact, the company is quite structured - just not to the same level as the military.

Economic conditions do not often affect the military the way they do the civilian world. In the military you don't often have to worry about profit margins and your company going out of business. You know that you will have a job every week in the military. Unfortunately, in the private sector, the economy plays a large role in a company's success and often causes reductions in force.

In the military you wear military provided uniforms and are provided clear-cut expectations of what you must wear to work every day. When you enter the civilian work force, the expense of purchasing a work wardrobe is quite costly. However, don't forget about the stress of figuring out what is appropriate and expected of you to wear to work every day.

Don't forget the small things that you will have to change such as the way you state the time and the way you write your dates. Chances are, if you don't conform the civilian way of telling time, the first time you tell your team to return from lunch at 1300 on 1 October they may look at you like you are crazy.

Use Twitter To Help You Score A Dream Job and Network

2012-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

Recently, I found an article at The Huffington Post where they posted tweets that were bite-size advice for post grads.

This made me realize how great Twitter can be for post grads. Twitter is not just for spewing whatever thoughts come to your head and sharing funny anecdotes with friends and trying to stalk celebs.

Here are some of my favorite tweets from the article:

(Photos courtesy of http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/09/best-advice-for-new-colle_n_859706.html#s276820&title=Carolyn_Steigleman)

Twitter can be a great networking source, a way to connect with potential employers and get great career advice. Here's how to use Twitter to advance your career:

1. Be professional with your tweets. Don't use Twitter when you're out drinking with your friends or use it to type your every thought. A general rule is that if you wouldn't want your mom or a potential employer to read it: don't write it! If this makes Twitter boring for you, simply have two accounts. Use one for fun and one for networking! Remember to have a professional looking photo as well.

2. Engage in Twitter Chats. Here's a great how-to for moderators and participants. Simply google "twitter chats and (your desired field)" to find out how many chats there are related to the career your desire. In these chats you can find some great advice, meet new people to network with, engage in a conversation and much more. It can be a great way to get yourself out there. Here is another list of some great business Twitter chats.

3. Follow your favorite companies to get updates on their hiring process and try to get in touch with them in a new way. For example, I am a writer so I try to follow all of my favorite magazines. Once an online magazine tweeted that they wanted guest writers and an email address so I tweeted them and emailed them and they actually replied! You never know who you could get in contact via Twitter that you might not have even known how to get in touch with otherwise.

Tell us, how have you used Twitter to your professional advantage?

Tips for Answering the Salary Question in an Interview

2012-01-24T18:36:00.000-05:00

Whether they are asking the question when calling you to schedule the interview or asking you in the interview, your answer to the dreaded salary question can define your success in negotiating your annual salary - and possibly your success in landing the position. The key strategy when planning how to answer the question about salary is advance preparation. Here are some tips that can help you prepare for and field this question successfully.

Become acquainted with sites, such as www.salary.com, that provide a range of salaries that you can expect in your local area. Generate a personal salary report and keep it with your job search records so you can easily access the information.
When discussing salary, the most important rule is "the first person to name a number loses." Try to avoid naming your exact number with the following strategy. When asked how much you would like to make, ask the hiring manager to provide you with additional information about the job or ask them to give you an idea of where your range of experience should fit in their company's salary range.
If you have to name a number, instead of telling the interviewer how much you would like to make, quote your sources. For example, if you have done your research on www.salary.com, you may say something like this, "Prior to applying for this position, I did some research on salary.com. They state that this type of position in (insert your city) should make between (offer them the entire salary range)." Most importantly, you then need to ask "How does that compare with what you are paying?"
Be advised, you may not get what salary.com says you will get based on your years of experience, it is known to be a bit high. However, it is better to start with a higher number and negotiate lower. It is very difficult to negotiate upward.
Be aware of non-verbal cues when you state your salary range from salary.com. Try to get a sense from the interviewer's non-verbal communication as to how receptive they are to your numbers.
Never be afraid to negotiate salary. It is expected from you in the job search process. If you don't negotiate salary, most likely you are leaving money on the table.

Reeling in Reassurance

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine that you're walking toward your car, keys in hand and about to leave, when a feeling hits you: did I remember to turn off the lights upstairs? After an initial moment of hesitation, you burst back inside your house and speed upstairs to do a final, final check.

Regardless of whether or not the lights were on, this quick moment of panic prompted a need for reassurance. As Seth Godin states in his blog post on the topic, acts of reassurance (like asking a coworker to look over a report or a friend over an admissions essay) can be symbolic of an underlying fear inside us...a fear that keeps us from succeeding to the level that we able to and aspire towards. And a fear that-unless addressed-can keep feeding itself.

College students and young professionals can especially make themselves victims of reassurance, sabotaging themselves by giving their fears power instead of building confidence in their abilities. Assess your need to seek assurance from others by reflecting on the questions below:

1. On what topics/tasks do I commonly seek reassurance? Whether they are major work projects, small hobbies, or that one thing that you have been struggling to do even though you know that it will make a difference in your life, look for a pattern in your behavior by reflecting on where you need reassurance.

2. What needs to happen to not need to be reassured? Once you have identified your topic or task, reflect further by identifying any gaps that exist between your current level of skill and what you want. If there is no gap, ponder the anxiety that leads to seeking reassurance. Is it realistic? How is it serving you?

3. In what areas do I not need reassurance? We all have abilities and skills that we take for granted even though others may think they are exceedingly difficult. Most likely, you don't need reassurance here. Tap into these areas when tackling the areas where you need reassurance. "If I can do X, then why do I need reassurance to do Y?"

4. What is one small step you can take to eliminate your need for reassurance? Think of that one small action you can take to counter your need for reassurance and do it.

You are stronger than your fear and you don't need others to validate what you do. Build up your resilience to reassurance and replace it with cool confidence.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-01-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

1. Career Change--Tips for Successful Transition

"Leverage your strongest skills that transfer across any business or industry."

2. How to Land a Job when You are Overqualified

" ... when you continue to send out applications and resumes with no response to positions for which you are overqualified but under-experienced, how do you work around that issue to land employment?"

3. Interview Beyond Your Reach to Achieve Your Best

"You know in your heart that special job you want for your own to advance your career, but it is seemingly out of your league. Stop. Think again."

4. Ways to Stay Organized on the Job Hunt

"The more organized you are, the easier you'll find the job search and managing the appropriate next steps."

5. How to Quit Your job with Grace

"Recently I made a job change that required me to reevaluate my career goals, step out of my comfort zone, and resign from my first professional position."

Avoiding Power Struggles at Work

2012-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Occasional conflicts and disagreements at work are a normal part of the work environment. In fact, differing ideas and views shared and discussed productively can help generate new business solutions. However, conflict resulting from power struggles and the need for control is not only unproductive, it can be outright detrimental to the careers of those involved. Power struggles can play out in various behaviors. Sometimes it is an attitude and stance of being uncooperative or unwilling to compromise, listen to, or consider another’s perspective. Other times it’s as devious as withholding information, ignoring requests, and/or manipulating facts.

Avoid power struggles when you can; however, if you find yourself involved in one, the following tips may be helpful.

Focus on What Matters

Keep the power struggle from escalating by staying focused on solving the business issue at hand. Communicate your desire to find a solution that works best for the organization as a whole. Suggest working together to review the facts, brainstorm solutions, and combine ideas; then, be willing to openly communicate and compromise in reaching a successful outcome.

Be a Model of Professional Behavior

One tactic that can quell a power struggle with a colleague and help you maintain your professional integrity is to model the behavior you would want your colleague to emulate. Employ sincerity as you listen to other opinions and consider other points of view. Restate what you think you heard to ensure clarity. Find opportunities to acknowledge worthy aspects of someone else’s ideas or solutions.

If Necessary, Disengage

Sometimes the best answer to a power struggle is to disengage until a constructive and professional discussion can occur. Or, simply agree to disagree. In most cases, these are interim solutions. They provide the time needed to let go of any negative emotions or ego-centric intentions, such as a pressing desire to be right, and allow time to gain a fresh perspective. A “cooling off” period may also result in the surfacing of new information or ideas that enable everyone involved to productively revisit the issue and perhaps reach a mutually agreed-upon solution.

Laid Off Action Plan

2012-01-19T13:47:00.003-05:00

When a lay-off happens – whether it is a surprise or not – people have a tendency to go through most, if not all, the 7 stages of grief. You often start with shock and denial and then quickly move to pain, anger and depression. Because the process of being laid off is so emotional, having a solid action plan is essential to survival and rebounding in these types of situations.

You can either plan for a potential lay in the future or ensure you are reacting in the best possible way to an ongoing reduction in force using the following action steps. These are in no particular order, as everyone has different needs during this type of situation. However, if you cover all these bases you will be well on your way to a successful transition into the next phase of your career.

Assess Your Financial Situation

You will need to have a clear understanding of where you stand financially to know just how long you can survive being unemployed. The stress of how you will survive financially should be addressed first, so that you can alleviate what will most likely be your biggest concern. Evaluate your expenses and determine where you can cut costs until you are employed again. Experts say you should have a 6-month emergency fund saved at all times so that you are financially prepared for these types of situations.

Update Your Job Search Documents

Throughout your career, whether you are employed or not, I implore you to keep your resume and cover letter updated and current. This proactive approach is often the difference between being able to start the job search immediately and starting it a week later. Standards, job search methods, and resume styles change. Keep your knowledge current or employ the services of an expert who can help you.

Reach Out To Your Network

We are often embarrassed to admit that we have been laid off. Chances are, in the economic times of the last few years, you or someone you know very well has experienced the situation – maybe even multiple occurences. Let everyone in your network know of your new availability, clearly state the type of position you are looking for, and let them know what kind of assistance you need.

Identify Your Local Resources

You would be surprised at all the free resources that are available to laid off workers. Check with your local Workforce Connection One Stop Career Center. These services are paid for by your tax dollars and offer a wide variety of career services, training assistance, and job search support.

Let Your College or University Help You Even After Graduation

2012-01-19T10:11:00.000-05:00

When you graduate from a college or university, you figure your relationship with the school ends there. Not true! There are many ways to stay involved with your school's community and let them help you score a great job.

1. Visit your school's Career Services. Make an appointment with a counselor, even if you've already graduated. They can help you find other tools and opportunities you may not have known about. You can also get your resume or cover letters checked out and revised by a professional or get a peer mentor that can help you with all things involved with being a post grad.

2. Visit your school's website and check out their services for Alumni and Career Services. You may be able to search for jobs that companies only post for college students and alumni and apply right through your school. You can also find out information on career fairs, events, workshops and mixers.

3. Keep yourself informed on alumni news and updates by signing up for their alumni email blasts, newsletters, or magazines. You may also be able to find articles on interview tips, job search advice and much more on their website.

4. If their website isn't up to date, give the school a call or visit to see if they have brochures or other information you can easily pick up on upcoming events or advice on being a post grad.

Does a College Degree Really Help your Career?

2012-01-17T13:08:00.013-05:00

My ten year-old daughter knows in the abstract sense what I do. She knows I write resumes and that I help people “get jobs” (her words, not mine). At bed time last night she asked me if going to college is really important to having a career. Like every good parent I said, “Yes, of course.” However, it made me really think about her question, so I started some research.

With the cost of a college education rising by leaps and bounds every year, I sometimes wonder if anyone will be able to afford that education in the future. Did you know that Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Richard Branson are all college drop-outs? If these billionaires made it without a college degree, does someone who is targeting a middle class income really need a college degree?

Here are some general facts I found about the benefits of a college education.

It is estimated that a person with a bachelor’s degree will earn almost twice during their lifetime as much as those with a high school diploma. Someone with an associate’s degree will earn almost 25% more than just a high school diploma.

Positions that require a college degree are not only higher paying. These positions often offer better health care and life insurance as well as retirement benefits.

A college education does not guarantee a job or job security. You must do your research before pursuing an education. Conduct your labor market research, verify the career’s outlook in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and be sure that the future growth for the industry is solid.

People without a college degree are more likely to perform unskilled labor positions. These are most often the types of positions that are being outsourced to other countries or being replaced with technology or automation.

The amount of money you will make in your career of choice must make sense in terms of the cost of the degree you intend to pursue. Once again, conduct your labor market research before you make a decision.

Three Techniques to Fight Nervousness

2012-01-16T07:22:00.004-05:00

Today I am leading a workshop for a group of educators, and I'm nervous. Not "climb into a hole and never come out" nervous, but I'm wrestling with the normal jitters one gets when putting himself/herself out there. Questions like "What will they think of me?" or "Will I do a good job?" or "What if I screw up?" dance in my head, none of them really helping me, save to keep the adrenaline up.

Though I am specifically leading a workshop, I could just as easily be interviewing or giving an important presentation to senior management. Practicing self-management in the face of stress and nervousness is a critical component of success. Facing fears and rising to a challenge can help us grow confident and competent in our abilities. When the times comes for you to step up in the face of perceived adversity, follow these tips to give yourself an edge over your nervousness.

Focus on your purpose, not your outcome: Those who are focused on their purpose stay in the moment and zeroed in on the importance of their endeavor. In contrast, those who focus on the outcome needlessly worry about something that they can never control. When preparing for an interview or a presentation, beat your inner demons by staying strictly focused on your purpose and pay no attention to the outcome.

Visualize: Visualization techniques have shown to calm nerves and to produce positive outcomes in those who practice them. Take some quiet time for yourself to visualize your endeavor, creating in your mind the positive outcome that you desire. Feel the resonance from this place and make preparations from this perspective.

Practice! After deciding to be on-purpose and visualizing your success, work out the physical nuances of your presentation through practice. Write down specific goals or objectives that you want to reach and assess yourself on how well you reach them. Enroll a friend, too, if you would like an objective set of eyes.

Adhere to your purpose, visualize your success, and powerfully practice to achieve the level of success you desire. Good luck!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-01-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

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!

1. Drooling over career daydream? Try it on!

2. The Career of the Future Doesn't Include a 20-year Plan. It's More Like Four.

3. 5 Career Building Tips They Never Taught us in School

4. 4 Things Every Employer Loves to Hear From a Candidate

5. Confidence is a Numbers Game

Shine By Finding Cost Savings for Your Employer

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

One way to shine with your employer is to find and propose cost-saving solutions. What employer doesn’t appreciate an employee who can positively impact the company’s bottom line! And, if you are ever back in the job market, actual experience and pertinent examples of how you saved your prior company money can be a real selling point with prospective employers.

Here are some ways you may be able to implement cost savings for your current employer; some are obvious, while others are often taken for granted but are equally important.

Find Ways to Increase Productivity

Look for ways your company may be able to increase productivity while saving money and maintaining quality. Consider process changes, technology solutions, or other creative ideas, even if they require changing long-standing processes or mindsets. Remember to present your ideas professionally, so as not to insult others or come across as a “know it all.”

Identify Problems Early

Problems can lead to unexpected costs, so it is usually better to identify and discuss problems up front, before they develop or grow. Even better¾come to the table with possible solutions to potential problems.

Be Mindful of How You Spend the Company’s Money

If you’re responsible for a project or department budget, be mindful of expenses. For example, when approving or booking business travel, book flights in advance and find hotels offering complimentary services, like free shuttle service or Wi-Fi. Be a good financial steward for and with your company’s money.

Use Time Wisely

An employer expects you to use your time wisely by prioritizing effectively, focusing on appropriate tasks, and being respectful of your coworkers’ time. These tips may seem obvious, but almost everyone has worked with someone who functions quite the opposite at work—surfing the Web for non-work information, arriving late to meetings, or distracting co-workers with idle chit chat. All of these interfere with productivity and, ultimately, cost the company money.

How to Overcome the 4 Main Factors of Age Discrimination

2012-01-12T16:44:00.002-05:00

It is neither legal nor fair. However, age discrimination is unfortunately prevalent in the workforce. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2010, there was a 17% increase in the number of age discrimination complaints filed since 2007.

Age discrimination, as with most discrimination, is based in fear. Understand the fear and you can make great strides toward a successful interview. Here are the 4 most common fear factors and some ideas as to how you can overcome these objections.

Lack of Energy

One of the main concerns is that the older worker may not have the same level of energy and enthusiasm for the job as a younger candidate. Once you are in the interview, offer a firm handshake, smile with confidence, radiate positive energy, and clearly demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for your profession.

Health Concerns

You must be realistic about your ability to do the job. I once met with an 80 year-old explosives engineer whose hands shook. Although he wanted to stay in the industry, he no longer had the physical capability. Last week, I met a 75 year-old nurse who walked with a cane. She no longer had the stamina to do clinical nursing, so instead she switched to telephonic nursing where she could do her job sitting down. If you have a clear understanding of your limitations and apply to jobs for which you are physically capable, you should have no problem convincing the interviewer of your capability.

Outdated Knowledge

Have you kept your industry knowledge and technology skills current? You can’t possibly expect to receive an administrative support job when you don’t know how to use Microsoft Office. Keep yourself competitive by keeping your skills current. Focus on your recent classes, certifications, and online courses to show your knowledge of current technology. As an aside, you also want to ensure your appearance – including your apparel, hair, and makeup – is not outdated. You don’t need to go trendy, but aim for modern professional with your clothing and grooming.

Overqualified

Be wary of the fact that people are very protective of their jobs these days. Find the right balance between showing your value without intimidating your younger and less-qualified interviewer into fearing you will take their job. Clearly state the type of support role you would like to take in the company and quantify the value you can offer to your future boss.

Great Filler Jobs For A Post Grad

2012-01-12T09:26:00.001-05:00

You've studied long and hard for many years for this moment: college graduation. It is so exciting at first: no more teachers, no more studying, no more homework! Yet, once the initial happiness and excitement wear off, you realize now you're stuck in the world of unemployment, perhaps in a bad college-type job and have no prospects. Perhaps you've been searching for a while now with no avail. What do you do in the meantime? You probably need money to pay bills or obviously want money to be able to have a social life. That is where a filler job comes in.

Don't let anyone tell you that a filler job is a waste of time. If you're actively job searching, going on interviews and networking, sometimes you still need a job to pay the rent. Here are some great filler jobs you can do while you're searching for your dream job:

1. Tutor. Remember your favorite subject in school? It could be Math, English, Spanish, etc. Well, your favorite subject is someone else's worst subject. Sign up with a tutoring company, put up flyers around your alma mater and take on a few kids you can really help. Tutoring pays pretty well, isn't very time consuming and it allows you to brush up on your skills. All while making a difference and helping someone else earn that A.

2. Find some freelance work. If you're into writing or editing, search online or ask your networking contacts if they need help with any projects. Finding jobs on a project by project basis is a great way to get started. It could even land you into the career of being a freelancer if you enjoy the lifestyle. Find out what kind of freelance work you could do for your desired career. You never know what is out there; it isn't just blogging these days. Even if freelancing doesn't suit you, you could gain some great networking contacts and make some extra cash.

3. Go to a temp agency. Getting some temp jobs could land you in the door of a company you'd love to work for. If you work hard and share your great personality, you may just get hired or make some great contacts for the future!

4. Lastly, if you don't care about getting a filler job that relates to your desired career, find a waitressing, bartending, sales or any kind of job. You never know who you may meet or come in contact with and it could be a way to make some new friends while you earn some dough. It can be a nice time to have a fun, temporary job while you search for the one that suits you best!

Weird Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

2012-01-10T15:36:00.000-05:00

Glass Door just came out with their annual Top 25 OddballInterview Questions of 2011. This article covers some of the most unexpected – and often strange – interviewquestions that are reported on their site www.glassdoor.com.Among this year’s winners are questions like, what do you think of gardengnomes?, name 5 uses of a stapler without staples in it, and how much money didthe residents of Dallas/Fort Worth spend on gasoline in 2008.

You may think of these types of questions as new ways thatdevious employers have come up with to torture you. You may be right, howevermost of the time these questions are designed to get the interviewee to droptheir interview “game face” and show their true personality. These questionscan be a way for employers to assess how the candidate can think on their feet,how they solve problems, how they handle stress, and also evaluate theircritical thinking skills.

With so much being read into the answer to these types ofquestions, you should be sure you are ready for them. There is no way to trulyprepare for these types of oddball questions. However, being prepared to answerthe mainstream questions will make you less nervous, and you will thereforefeel more at-ease and less likely to be stumped by these oddballs.

The most important note is that you should never forget tobring your personality with you to the interview. Be yourself and show yourtrue colors in the interview. Some people fear that if they show theirpersonality that it will cost them the job. That may be true, but wouldn’t yourather be screened out than work in a job where you don’t fit in?

Find Balance Through New Perspectives

2012-01-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm currently in a coach training program that requires us to do a lot of introspection and self-reflection work. Particularly around perspectives, because it's perspectives that-in large part-shape our moment to moment experiences and long term outlook. If you can control your perspective, you have a powerful means of changing anything about your life for the better.

Not sure what I mean? Let's take a seemingly insignificant topic to see how the power of perspectives work: mustard. To some, mustard elicits feelings of extreme pleasure. They may think of the summer, ball games, grilling, or other positive feelings. To others (and I admit that I'm in this perspective), mustard is disgusting. It stains one's hands and makes food taste awful. Nothing in the world is worse than mustard. Blech!

Both are perspectives. The mustard? It's neutral. It just sits there.

When viewing life through this lens, it isn't hard to see that anything in life is merely a perspective. The preference to buy PC over Mac. How you feel about your in-laws. The state of the job market. How you feel about your work contributions.

Assessing your perspective is a powerful way to uncover your motivations, values, and your passions. Think of some area in your life where you feel that your perspective is distorted or an area where you feel a change in perspective would be beneficial. That is your "topic." Once you have it, use the questions below to assess your perspective to see if it's the right one for you.

What is my current perspective? Simply describe your current perspective in relation to your topic in, say, three to five sentences.

How does this perspective make me feel? Really work hard to get in touch with your feelings here. Put yourself in those feelings and describe them in detail. Anger, pride, disgust, appreciation, fear, love...strive to get in touch with them.

What does this perspective empower me to do? All perspectives motivate us in some way, even if they motivate us to do nothing. Be honest about what this perspective empowers you to do, even if its to get angry or be immobile.

What is possible through this perspective? This question really hits at the heart of perspectives: if you were to stay in the same perspective for the rest of your life, what would be possible? How would your life look?

What new perspective would I like to "try on"? The great thing about perspectives is that we can change them.
Just like trying on a new hat or new coat, try on a new perspective. Even if you have to pretend...do it! And once you've found one that you'd like to try on, go through the previous four questions again. Do this several times until you arrive at the perspective that fits best for you, and stay in it.

Perspectives play a large role in what we do and who we are. Alter your perspectives to make powerful changes to your life.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

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!

1. How to find the job you really want in 2012

2. 8 New Year's Resolutions for Your Career

3. Job Lessons from the Movies: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

4. 4 Easy Ways to Make Your Career Better in 2012

5. 3 New Career Habits for the New Year

Working on a Trial Basis

2012-01-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply try a job, without making a long-term commitment, or just take a test run to evaluate whether the work and company culture are a good fit. If you’re intrigued by these ideas, you might be a good candidate for an alternative work arrangement like one of the following:

Contract Work
Many companies look for contract workers who have specialized skills or experience to support a specific project or increase in business. Contractors work for a specified length of time—from several months to even a year or longer. Many successful contract workers function independently, contracting for and billing their services directly to the company. Others work through a temporary (i.e., temp) agency or a staffing firm that manages placements and contract arrangement details.

Temporary Work
Temp or staffing agencies also place temp workers, typically to compensate for a short-term employee absence or to support a project or a business spike. These assignments may last from several weeks to several months, but unlike contract work, they don’t typically require specialized expertise.

Consulting
Consulting is similar to independent contracting work in that a consultant usually has specialized knowledge or expertise. However, consultants are different in what and how they deliver that knowledge/expertise. A contract worker may contract to work for a set period of time performing a particular job function—for example, graphic design work. On the other hand, a consultant would more typically focus on helping a client get up to speed in a particular business methodology, process or industry standards—for example meeting new industry quality guidelines.

Internship
An internship is a great way to gain work experience while exploring a company and/or an occupation of interest. These are often geared toward college or university students in exchange for college credits. Internships are also popular among those looking to change careers or re-enter the job market.

The Top 3 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Fail and What You Can do about it

2012-01-05T15:35:00.000-05:00

So, here we are on day 5 of 2012. If you decided, likemillions of people, to set a New Year’s resolution, I hope your new behaviorchanges are going well. In my previous two blog posts, we discussed the first 2of 3 reasons why New Year’s resolutions often fail – as often as 77% accordingto a 2007 survey. The third and final reason can be the most challenging,which relates to our own failure to commit to changing our habits.

Reason #3 – You arenot committed to your resolution and you don’t believe you can succeed

This reason is related to reason #1, if your resolution iscentered on something for which you have no commitment, you will not succeed.Your resolution must have personal relevance and meaning to you. The only wayto maintain your motivation beyond that initial burst of enthusiasm to become along-term lifestyle or behavior change, is to find something that is veryimportant to you.

Self control is very dynamic and changing. There is a sayingthat whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you are right. It iseasy to make excuses for ourselves – I can’t stop smoking because all myfriends do it and they tempt me. When you are fully committed, and you believeyou can succeed, nothing can get in your way.

The challenge for successfully upholding your New Year’sresolutions is three-fold:

> Find something that has meaning to you that you reallywant to change. Clarify to yourself the reason WHY you want to make thischange.

> Make a measurable goal that includes a step-be-stepplan. Also, build into the plan what you will do when you have a set-back andhow you will re-motivate yourself to get back on-track.

> Believe in yourself and commit all your efforts andmotivation to success!

New Years Resolutions For Post Grad Job Hunters

2012-01-05T11:55:00.001-05:00

It is finally 2012. A new year and a fresh start is wonderful, especially for post grads who are looking for work. Take this time to reflect on past mistakes, make new goals or resolutions for the year ahead and keep learning what you need to land yourself an amazing job in 2012.

Here are some possible resolutions to get you started:

1. I will go to companies in person and inquire about their needs, hiring process and look professional doing so.

2. I will meet one new person a week to network with. This could be through other networking contacts, a club, a class, etc.

3. I will consider meeting with a recruiter or job hunting expert if I have been having trouble finding a job for some time now.

4. I will volunteer with organizations related to my desired job field.

5. I will make job searching my top priority and consider it a full-time job until I find myself a real full-time job.

6. I will buy myself a planner if I do not already own one to schedule my activities and keep track of contacts, company information and much more.

7. I will set a goal of applying to x companies per week and stick to it.

8. I will have my resume and cover letter read by at least three people and consider taking it to an expert.

9. I will not apply to jobs that I am definitely not qualified for.

10. I will never blow off an interview. Even if it may not be the job I want, interviews are great experience.

Let us know your goals, resolutions, or job hunting tips for the New Year by commenting on this post!

New Year: New Career Goals

2012-01-04T18:00:00.001-05:00

Whether you’re happily employed or searching for a job, the New Year is an ideal time to set or “reset” your career goals. For many, the holidays provide some much needed time off to rejuvenate, refresh, and re-focus, which can help you to hit the ground running, professionally, come the New Year.

Reflecting on 2011

Carve out some time to reflect on 2011—what went well and not so well, professionally. If you set annual goals for 2011, did you meet those goals? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of? Did you already add these accomplishments to your resume, or do you still need to do that? Can you identify areas in your career that need improving? If so, these can turn into career development opportunities and goals for 2012.

Setting Career Goals for 2012

A year shouldn’t pass without you learning new things and growing professionally, and it’s these experiences that should be factored into renewing or tweaking your career goals for the New Year.

To generate the best results, approach your goal-setting task diligently and enthusiastically. Your goals should be specific and attainable while still causing you to stretch a bit. For example, you might set a goal to create a professional profile on a social networking site, like Linkedin.com, by February 1, 2012, or complete a project management course within the first quarter of the New Year.

Whatever goals you set for yourself, you’ll want to develop a tactical plan broken down into incremental, actionable steps to help you achieve each goal.

Goals—both personal and professional—require your commitment of time and effort. Your New Year career goals should motivate and excite you and advance your professional success.

Financial Help For Post Grads

2012-01-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

As a post grad, the world can seem like a scary place. Especially in these times of financial hardship and when your parents may be struggling as much as you are. You may have never had to pay any bills. You may have had a car payment and that's it. Now you're faced with possibly living on your own and all the bills and expenses that comes with it. So how do you deal?

1. Use websites and programs like Excel to your advantage. As a freelancer, it can be tough to keep track of my income. I use Excel to track my monthly income from each client and keep track of how much I make per month and year as a total.

There are also websites like Mint.com that allow you to add your bank accounts and keep track of your income and what you spend and make budgets and goals for yourself.

2. Set up different savings accounts with different goals in mind. For example, if you have to save up for a vacation or a new car, make a specific savings account for that goal. Determine how much of your paycheck you want to add into the savings account each month and stick to it.

3. Use cash. Try to hold off getting a credit card for as long as you can. When you use cash, it is often harder to let go of and you take a hard look at what you're really spending and what you're buying.

4. Find extra ways to earn money. Times are tough and there is no shame in babysitting on the side or finding odd jobs to help pay the bills. Under the table jobs can be the most fun and give you some extra money to help pay your expenses or simply give you some shopping money.

Good luck, post grads!

The Top 3 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Fail and What You Can do about it

2012-01-03T01:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Chances are, if you set a New Year’sresolution, you are now on day 3 of your resolution. I hope things are goingwell. Let’s examine the second reason that New Year’s resolutions often fail.In last week’s post, we discussed how people often lack the motivation theyneed. The second reason resolutions fail is due to a lack of clarity and lackof planning.

Reason #2 – Yourresolution lacks clarity, focus, and realistic expectations

By nature, resolutions are often very vague and representhuge changes. According to a 2007 FranklinCovey survey, some of the most common resolutions are I am going to lose weight, I am goingto exercise more, and I am going to get out of debt. These vague, grandiosegoals are not only overwhelming, they can make coming up with an action plan anextremely difficult process.

The solution:

The best solution for this issue is to ensure you aresetting S.M.A.R.T. goals. This is an acronym for setting goals that are specific,measurable, attainable, reaching and timely. When we have a plan and a strategyfor how we will achieve our goals, they become much more manageable andtherefore more easily attained. Let’s re-examine one of our vague goals fromearlier – I am going to get out of debt.

The first step is to examine why you want to achieve thisgoal so you can find your motivation. Next, you apply the S.M.A.R.T. principlesto the goal and it transforms into the following; I would like to pay off$6,000 in credit card debt by the end of 2012. I will reduce my monthlyexpenditures by $500 by lowering my cable bill, cutting out going out to eatevery weekend and taking my lunch 4 days a week.

By creating a plan, you can break the goal into bite-sizedchunks that enable you to monitor and measure your progress along the way. Thespecifics of the goal and the step-by-step planning will make your resolution seemless daunting and therefore more realistically attainable.

Take Control of Your Time in 2012

2012-01-02T09:56:00.002-05:00

I was running late.

I knew that I was in trouble after I hopped out of the shower and looked at my cell phone to see it frowning at me, lambasting me for being so slow to get out of bed in the morning. I pulled double time, though, and quickly dressed, gathered my things, and rushed out the door to make my bus before it pulled away. As I sat on the bus, I felt relieved. I was particularly nervous because every time I checked the clock I knew there was a possibility that I wasn't going to be able to make it.

Then it occurred to me: why did I keep checking the clock? What was I accomplishing by doing so?

We are all busy people: there's no debate about that. But there's a difference between what we do that takes up our time and what we do that's important to us. Here are some tips to make 2012 the year that you reclaim your time.

Prioritize what matters: In his book 18 Minutes author and consultant Peter Bregman recommends that you take 18 minutes every day to prioritize what matters to you. To increase the feeling that you have an impact on your world, focus your time on those things that resonate most with your values.

Be honest with your time wasters: Are your time wasters Facebook or CNN.com? Or are you distracted by a television while doing work that you feel "helps you focus" while really distracting you? Perhaps when you're late you keep glancing at the clock in a vain attempt to stay on time but doing so makes you later (*ahem*)? Whatever your time wasters are, get in touch with them and be honest with yourself about how they impact your productivity. Then work to correct them.

Try "Robot Mode": Create a list of your to-do items, and then-as dispassionately and unemotionally as possible-tackle that list with gusto, your only objective to remove the item on the list. Going into Robot Mode will diminish the cognitive dissonance that's associated with creating a list ("Look at how big that list is! I'll never get it done!") and help you get things done.

Let 2012 be the year that you take control of your time.

The Top 3 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Fail and What You Can do about it

2011-12-29T18:55:00.000-05:00

With the upcoming new year, millions of people will set New Year’s resolutions, only to soon fail and go back to old habits. Instead of advising people about how to set better goals, I thought it would be better to look at what I think are the top 3 reasons people’s resolutions fail.

A FranklinCovey survey conducted in 2007 showed that 35% of respondents broke their resolutions by the end of January and 77% of respondents admitted to breaking their resolutions some time during the year. This is the first of 3 blog entries. Check back next year (also known as next week) to find out reasons 2 and 3 to ensure these are not the cause of your own downfall.

Reason #1 – Your resolutions are what you think you SHOULD do instead of what you WANT to do

I should start exercising, I should lose weight, I should stop smoking are all examples of what people say to themselves before setting a New Year’s resolution to do just that. The problem is that we are basing our resolutions on other people’s expectations, by what we see in a magazine, or see on television. However, we have no true motivation to achieve these goals.

The Solution:
The only way you will stick with a goal is if it means something significant to you. The first step to overcoming this obstacle is to evaluate why you are setting your particular resolution. Is it because you really want to do it, or because it is what you think you ought to do? In the same 2007 FranklinCovey survey mentioned earlier, 33% of respondents admitted that they were not committed to the resolutions they set.

When setting your resolution, think about committing yourself to one or two goals – no more – that will make you truly happy. Don’t just focus on the goal, but instead focus on why you want to achieve that goal. Instead of saying I want to stop smoking, say to yourself, I am going to stop smoking to improve my health and increase my energy and stamina when playing with my kids. By tapping into the reason or motivation behind the goal, you are more likely to commit yourself to achieving your goal.

How to Optimize Holiday Party Networking Contacts

2011-12-27T12:46:00.001-05:00

Most holiday parties have come to a close and although you may
still have some opportunities at the upcoming New Year’s Eve parties, it is
time to plan how you can take full advantage of the new contacts you made
during holiday festivities. Congratulations to you for going out on a limb and
taking the initiative to make new networking connections at these events. However,
now you may be asking yourself what to do next. Here are some tips to help you
optimize these new relationships.

> Follow up with these new contacts as soon as possible.
If you have not yet touched base with your new contact, it is time to reach out
to them. The longer you wait, the more likely you will be forgotten in the
bustle of the holidays.

> Use the upcoming new year as an ice breaker. Send your
new contact a card, email, or voice message with wishes for a Happy New Year
and inquire about the remainder of their holiday since you last saw each other.

> When you make the initial contact, remind them where
and when you met and who introduced you. Use the topic of your conversation –
your shared interests or goals – as a reminder of your conversation. Remind
them of how you can be a resource for them and clearly express what you are looking
for from them as a networking contact.

> Search for the person on social networking sites such
as http://www.linkedin.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/. This is a way to
reconnect without asking for too much of their time.

> Don’t wear out your welcome before you make an honest
connection. Keep in mind that people are often just returning from work after
an extended absence and they may not be able to get back to you right away. Be
respectful of their time, their schedule, and their other commitments.

Five TED Videos to Inspire Your 2012

2011-12-26T11:08:00.002-05:00

2011 was a banner year for internet video, with musicians, commercials, and animals making waves. But the best videos aren't necessarily the most popular, and I have compiled five of my favorite TED videos to inspire and guide your 2012.

Trying something new: Matt Cutts, in his short put powerful TED talk, inspires his audience to try something new for 30 days. The lessons he learned changed his life and will inspire you to change yours. What could you do for 30 days that would positively impact your career?

Reframing regret: Kathryn Schulz begins her talk discussing the biggest regret of her life-her tattoo-and ends up confronting her listeners to think about what they regret and how those "bad choices" are actually a springboard for important life-lessons that guide. What have you been regretting that you should now start celebrating?

Passion: This talk features an app developer...who happens to be 12-years-old. Hear his story and reflect on how you are letting your passions drive you in your life. What are you passionate about, and how are you acting on those passions?

Simplicity: How much stuff do you need? Graham Hill challenges his audience to contemplate the nature of their belongings and their desire to consume, consume, consume. How much happier would you be if you ruled your possessions instead of them ruling you?

What matters: Ric Elias was a passenger on US Airways flight 1549 that crashed into the Hudson River in January 2009. Surviving what in many cases would have been certain death, he reflects on the three things he learned through that experience. What truly matters to you in your life, and how are you living based on those beliefs?

Make 2012 the year of you and your career.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-12-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. A Must-Listen Interview for Job Hunters

2. New Ways to Make the Most out of a Career Fair

3. How Blogging Can Help Your Career

4. 22 Game-Changing Job-Search Tips from a Recruiter

5. How Twitter Hashtags Can Help You Find a Position

Cover Letters Act As Valuable Communication Tools

2011-12-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Job seekers might ask: Is it really necessary to submit a cover letter with a resume when applying for a job? The answer is yes. A cover letter serves as an introduction between the job seeker and the prospective employer. In it, you introduce yourself, identify the position of interest, and summarize the unique value and expertise you can bring to the organization. Cover letters may also help to explain a unique situation, like a gap in employment or why the job seeker is transitioning to a new industry. When written well, a cover letter should draw the reader into wanting to read the accompanying resume—with the ultimate goal of securing a job interview.

Elements

The key elements of a cover letter include a salutation; an introductory paragraph; two body paragraphs highlighting the applicant’s experience, skills, and accomplishments; and a closing paragraph requesting an interview or other follow-up steps. To be completely effective, customize the letter to address the position and company you are applying to.

Cover Letter Templates

The great news for job seekers is that numerous cover letter templates are available to help get you started in writing a targeted message intended to resonate with a particular audience or communicate unique experience. Many custom templates are designed for specific situations, like a first-time job seeker or someone wishing to highlight transferable skills in an attempt to transition occupations. Most templates are typically easy to use, and most are available for free online.

Much as you might be tempted to skip the cover letter, think twice. A cover letter is a great tool for capturing the interest of your audience and selling yourself, while allowing a little bit of your personality to shine through too.

Pros and Cons of Discussing War Experience on a Military Transition Resume

2011-12-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

U.S. veterans with war experience on their resumes are sometimes having a difficult time finding work. This is a subject that I find upsetting since I am thankful beyond words for our veterans who have been overseas fighting in any of the conflicts our country is involved in. However, there are many people out there who are engaging in passive discrimination when they discover that veterans have war experience.

Whether you disclose your overseas experience is your own choice and I would like to offer what I feel are the positive and negative aspects of listing war experience on a resume.

Cons
> The main reason veterans are being discriminated against is due to the fear of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Employers fear that the veteran employee may be suffering from PTSD and will therefore not be an effective candidate.

> Most civilians don’t know about all the screening, testing, and reintegration training that veterans go through before they transition back to their regular life state-side. This lack of knowledge may also be the cause of a bias against hiring war veterans.

> There are some people who are fundamentally opposed to the war effort in which you served. This is usually based on their personal opinions, belief, and political persuasion. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing whether or not this could be an issue when you send in the resume.

Pros
> Being able to demonstrate leadership under the pressure of a battlefield situation is a testament to your management skills.

> In many fields such as law enforcement and intelligence analysis, the real-world experience from war makes you more valuable to an employer.

Whether you decide to discuss your war experience or not, highlight your most relevant military experience and translate your military terminology into understandable terms that civilians understand.

Holiday Job Hunter Tips

2011-12-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

The holidays can be a tricky time if you're newly graduated. You may be tempted to slide right into party or relax mode and forget all about job hunting, internships and networking. Please don't give up hope for the holidays! Here are some tips to use the holidays to your advantage to score a great job:

1. If you haven't been able to find a job in your field yet, do take a seasonal job. Working at a retail store may seem like the last thing you want to do right now, but it could lead to some great contacts. If you can find a seasonal job in a field that you may be interested in, take it! You never know where it may lead you.

2. Use holiday parties to network. Suck it up and join your parents or relatives to their holiday parties if they can bring guests. Bring business cards or your contact information and try to talk to everyone. Again, you never know who you may meet or you may find someone who knows someone who can help get you a job. Remember to be pleasant, polite and dress well.

3. Join professional groups that are related to your field. They may be holding holiday parties that will allow you to meet with other professionals in your desired field. Find any opportunities to party and network!

4. The holidays are a great time to remind the people in your network that you're still searching for a job. Sending nice e-cards or emails to wish someone a happy holiday is a nice way to get back in touch with someone if you aren't sure how to reconnect.

What to Consider before Recommending a Friend to Work with you

2011-12-20T14:10:00.001-05:00

The holidays make most everyone feel more generous and giving. While it is easy to empathize with a job seeker who asks you for help, you need to remember that when you recommend a friend, colleague, or someone in your network you are putting your own reputation on the line. To avoid the potential for backlash on your own career, consider these areas before offering a personal recommendation for someone to work in your company.

Work History
We often know our friends from a purely social perspective. However, ask yourself what you know about their employment history, previous performance, and work ethic. I have a friend who is one of the nicest people I know. He is kindhearted, generous, and very personable. However, when I sat down and evaluated his employment history, there were a lot of red flags in his past. I may think twice before giving him a personal recommendation.

Personality
Unless you have worked with someone previously, it is difficult to know how their personality will manifest itself in a work environment. Try to assess your friend’s goals and work style to determine, in advance, whether or not they would be a fit for the job they are seeking.

Future Working Relationship
Working together has the potential to seriously damage a relationship. What happens to your carefully cultivated professional reputation if your newly hired friend begins telling stories about you as a geeky high school kid? What happens if down the road one of you has to manage the other, or terminate the other person? Before you recommend a friend to work in the same company with you, lay down clearly defined boundaries and rules that clarify your work and personal relationships.

Three Mind-Over-Matter Ways to Influence Your Career

2011-12-19T00:00:00.007-05:00

Do you feel that you spend your time productively?

What a loaded question. There are those who 'do' but when they turn around to see what they have done are not happy with the result. There are also those who create lists of tasks to accomplish but find themselves spending time in ways that are not productive.

Is it that our accomplishments are meaningless (as in the first scenario) or that we are lazy (as in the second scenario)? Or do we need to use our mind in different ways?

The ramifications of this on our careers is obvious: there's a camp of job seekers or driven employees who think that producing makes them successful, but they are not mindful about what they produce and how it helps to get them where they want to go. There's also a camp who aspire to accomplish, but end up disappointing themselves with how little they produce.

So what should one do if they are feeling productive but unaccomplished or unmotivated? Follow the advice of these experts to turn time in your favor.

Do Less: Tony Schwartz writes in the Harvard Business Review that to accomplish more in your work or personal life that doing less: taking breaks and disengaging from work. He sits two studies-one by NASA and one by a performance expert researching violinists-that looked at the impact taking breaks has on one's productivity and the results showed a positive correlations between breaks and performance. Whether you are looking for a job or looking to advance in your career, disengaging from work for a small period of time can make you more productive than trying to slog through to get "something" done.

Proactively Schedule 'Thinking Time': Software developer Jacob Gorban advocates not just taking a break from work but devoting that time to thinking. By spending his Monday mornings thinking about his week, working on the "important, not urgent" stuff, and creatively sketching out ideas for future projects and products, he feels more clear about what his week should look like and works toward accomplishing his goals. Schedule intentional thinking time in your week to align yourself with what's important to you and what you want to get done.

Engaging Your Creative Mind: Some people feel that they simply are not creative, but it turns out that engaging your creative mind is a process that anyone can do. By creating an environment where you tap into your creativity, difficult problems are approached and solved from a new perspective and you create the seeds to do some amazing work by breaking down barriers that you have created for yourself.

Utilize these strategies and write in the comments below your successes or your struggles!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-12-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. Don't Forget Common Sense in Your Job Search
2. Why Patience Kills
3. How to Get the Most out of an Informational Interview
4. Questions to Ask When Networking
5. Should You Consider "Reinventing" Yourself Today for Tomorrow's Jobs?

Promote Study, Work, or Travel Abroad Experience when Job Searching

2011-12-16T07:35:00.001-05:00

If you have study or work abroad experience, including volunteer work, or international travel experience that has exposed you to different cultures, people, and situations, you should promote this in your job search. In today’s increasingly global workplace, employers value those who have knowledge or experience with different cultures and backgrounds. For job seekers, this could mean an important competitive edge.

Your experiences in a different country and culture may have enriched you in ways that are desirable to prospective employers. Following are some marketable qualities you may have developed as a result of your travels.

Increased sense of cultural awareness and sensitivity to the customs, beliefs, and behaviors of others
Expanded knowledge of another geographic area(s) and its economy, government, resources, history, etc.
Strengthened communication skills, particularly the context in which messages are communicated and how they are perceived
Strengthened second language skills
Heightened self-confidence and independence
Increased willingness to learn and try new things

If you developed any special skills as a result of your travels, be sure to highlight this in cover letters, resumes, and job interviews. The experience is even better if you can relate it to the job you’re pursuing. For example, does the company you’re interviewing with have operations, customers, or even suppliers in a country where you’ve studied, worked, or travelled? If so, how might your knowledge of that country’s customs, people, or language translate into advantages on the job?

Lastly, whether you’ve had opportunity to experience another country’s culture firsthand or not, it’s important to be respectful of other backgrounds, cultures, and opinions. Consider that cultural diversity—or any type of diversity in the workplace—can promote a broad spectrum of ideas and solutions that can strengthen the overall organization.

Post Grad Problems and Solutions: Parental Pressure

2011-12-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

As a post grad, you've had people telling you what to do your whole life. Your teachers, professors, friends, family and especially your parents. Parents are all different and have different styles of parenting. Some students have laid back and supportive parents that just want their children to do what they love. Others have strict and overbearing parents that only want their children to follow their footsteps or go into a certain field. Perhaps you have a mix of the two.

A common post grad problem is often lining up what you want to pursue with what your parents want you to do with your life. How do you let them know that you're now an adult and need to make your own decisions that pertain to the rest of your life?

1. Write them a letter. This may seem odd, but think of it this way: when you give someone a letter, it allows you to get all of your feelings out and revise what you want to say until it sounds perfect. This way they won't be able to interrupt you and you won't get frustrated and start an argument.

2. Offer your goals and ways you are going to achieve them. Selling yourself with a plan you have set in motion will help ease your parent's mind if they are worried about your career path.

3. Find an ally. Find a friend, mentor, professor, boss, etc. that can lead you in the right path and give you positive affirmations and advice. If you don't have your parent's approval, you can find another great person to fill that void.

4. Take a good, hard look at your career and life goals. If your parents are worried about your career path, perhaps they are right in doing so. Determine if they are aren't supportive, just want you to follow their footsteps, or if your goals are potentially unreachable.

Create Your Networking Contacts List

2011-12-15T08:01:00.000-05:00

In Tuesday’s blog post, I discussed creating a comprehensive networking strategy in which I mentioned building a networking contact list. I challenge you to make a list of at least 50 networking contacts. When asked to create a list like this, most people automatically say “I don’t possibly know 50 people.” This stems from closing your mind to all the people you have contact with and assuming they can’t possibly help you. I implore you to open your mind.

You should make this list and maintain regular contact with the people on your list, whether you are actively job searching or happily employed. Should the unfortunate unemployment situation present itself to you, the better prepared you are, the faster you can start networking to achieve results. Here are some ideas to help you build your list.

Friends and Family
This is the obvious place to start. However, keep in mind that most people’s friends and family may not know exactly what you do and they certainly don’t know what makes you good at your job. Don’t be shy about telling them.

Past Co-workers and Supervisors
Chances are, these people are still in the same or a similar industry. These people know your skills, work ethic, and personality and may be a very effective place to start networking.

Vendors and Business Contacts
As above, these people see you at work at know your skills. They also probably work with similar companies and can be an excellent source of “insider information” on job openings.

Sports and Recreational Activities
If you are involved in any activities, your classmates or teammates know you well. However, they probably don’t know what you do for a living.

School
Whether it is your school or your children’s school, this is a great way to meet a variety of people across diverse career fields.

Doctor / Dentist
Imagine how many people your doctor and dentist come into contact with every week. They talk to their patients and get to know them and they are the perfect networking conduit for you.

People You Come into Contact with Every Day
Hairstylists, retail salespeople, mechanics, and bank tellers are among the people you interact with. Don’t be shy, tell them what you do for a living and make connections through their diverse network of customer contacts.

Networking Strategically – 3 Steps to More Effective Networking

2011-12-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

You have most likely heard of the importance of networking in the job search process. The numbers of varying surveys range from 40% to 85%, but the message is clear, a high percentage of job seekers are obtaining their jobs through networking efforts.

Networking is really nothing more than talking to someone about what you have to offer a company and what you need. However, like anything, the more strategically you approach networking, the more success you will acheive. Here is a 3-step process that will help you optimize your networking efforts.

Step 1 – Assess Yourself to Develop a Focus
It is very difficult to sell a product about which you know nothing. Make no mistakes, the job search process is an exercise in sales and marketing. Therefore, before you can effectively network to promote yourself, you must first get to know what you have to offer. Define your skills, identify your values, clarify the role you see yourself taking in a company, and decide the type of work environment you prefer.

Step 2 – Define your Networking Strategy
Take some time to make a list of your networking contacts. When you open your mind and don’t discount anyone as being unable to help you, the possibilities are truly endless. In addition to the people you know or come into contact with, consider a few other possibilities for networking such as informational interviewing, job shadowing, and internships. Check back on Thursday for some tips and ideas regarding who you can add to your networking contacts list.

Step 3 – Create your Self Introduction
A self introduction – also called an elevator speech or 30-second commercial – is your way of quickly and concisely summing up your background and experience, how you can help an organization, the definition of your target employer, and what assistance you are looking for. This earlier blog post goes more in-depth on how to create a self-introduction. You must at least memorize your key “talking points” so that when you find a networking opportunity – no matter where you are – you can intelligently and persuasively talk about your unique selling points.

7 Diverse Apps to Help You in Your Job Search

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the age of the app. Since 2009, the software tailored for smartphone and tablet use has come at us full-force, changing entertainment, productivity, and other areas of our lifestyle. Tech-savvy job seekers have utilized apps as another method to market themselves, browse job listings, or prepare for interviews. Get acquainted with the apps below to add more weaponry to your job-search arsenal.

*Note: Most of the apps below are available through the Apple App Store or the Android Market. Prices may vary.

LinkedIn: One of the more popular apps around, the LinkedIn app allows you to update your LinkedIn profile, search others' profiles, and search for positions while on the go.

Twitter: Job-seekers are turning to Twitter to find employment by following the Twitter feeds of the companies they are most interested in (many of these companies have job-specific accounts in addition to their normal corporate ones) and to stay in touch with recruiters and network with others.

Indeed.com: For those who are simply looking for jobs, Indeed.com's search aggregation technology puts jobs from many sources (newspapers, specialized-job search sites, large career-based websites like Monster, etc) in one convenient location. Its app maintains its reputation for simple design and depth of postings.

Craigster: Many career fields (such as writing and graphic design) heavily rely on Craigslist to post positions, and Craigster creates a user-friendly interface to browse positions.

Pocket Resume: A creative app that allows you to design, display, and send your resume to others.

Great Career: This career-maintenance app, created by Stephen Covey of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People fame, helps job seekers get connected with their values, contributions, and relationships to not job find a job but to create a career that is rewarding and fulfilling for them.

Evernote: While not technically a job-search app, Evernote is an award-winning app that helps you stay organized by allowing you to create text, audio, and photo notes while providing many options for note organization and syncing.

Stay on the cutting edge of your job search apps that will make you a more savvy job searcher.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-12-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. Why You Need a Photo on Your LinkedIn Profile
2. How To Rock An Informational Interview
3. Get a Job in December
4. Developing Executive Presence
5. Improving Communication Skills for Job Search Success

Determining Your Career Path after High School

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

If your high school graduation is right around the corner, or even a year or two away, you may be feeling unsure, and even overwhelmed, about choosing your future career path. These feelings are normal. The important thing is to become familiar with the options available. The following list may help.

Pursuing a 4-year or 2-year college degree program
Enrolling in a trade or vocational program
Joining the military, perhaps for a career or in exchange for college tuition assistance
Securing a full-time job after high school for the long term or to save money for college
Traveling abroad to gain cultural experience or work with an international volunteer organization

Whatever path you choose, before you decide, be sure to invest time exploring your interests, aptitude, and strengths, and the career options that align with these. Following is just a sampling of activities that can help you make an informed decision about “What next?”:

Dismiss stereotypes regarding occupations; keep an open mind to possible career paths.
Recognize and leverage the abundant career information and resources available through your school, the library, the Internet, etc.
Talk to counselors as well as parents, teachers, and other trusted adults.
Take aptitude, interest, and personality tests to help identify careers you’re well suited for. Many are free and available through your school’s career center.
Research careers, related educational and/or training requirements, projected job growth, job descriptions and tasks, salaries, etc.
Look into post-secondary schools and programs based on your career interests. Consider their academic reputation, suitability for your field of interest, cost, location, culture, etc.

After doing your homework, your options and career direction may be much clearer. Then it’s time to create a plan and start working toward it. Put yourself on a future path to success.

Why Did you Leave your Last Job? The Do’s and Don’ts of Answering this Interview Question.

2011-12-08T23:37:00.001-05:00

This is a common interview question that has the potential to have a negative affect on your interview. Even if you are currently employed, your interviewer may ask you about your motivation for seeking a new position. Often, employers ask this question to try and define your motivation. However, more often than not, they are fishing to see if you will reveal your “dirt” or will speak negatively about a former employer so that they can gauge what kind of an employee you will be.

As with all interview questions, the key to answering this question is to be prepared. Here are some tips to help you be ready to take the focus off the past and shine on your future in your next interview.

Don’t ever talk negatively about a former employer, no matter how much you think you were in the right. When you talk down a previous company or boss, it automatically leads the interviewer to think you are a difficult, problem employee.

Do show the interviewer that you have researched their company and have a solid reason that you want to work for them. Demonstrate your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the company with an answer such as, “The opportunity to work for the aerospace industry’s leading propulsion engineering company on the new P229 engine was an opportunity that I had to pursue.”

Don’t give the impression that you are hard to please. When you give answers such as ‘I was not being challenged’, ‘I was being underutilized’, or ‘I was bored’ make you sound like someone who may also leave their company as soon as the going gets tough.

Do stay positive. Talk about what you really liked at your former employer and express that you can’t wait to be involved in that area with this new employer. Explain in the interview that you discovered you really enjoy and excel at a skill that you know you can expand upon in the new job. Working as part of a team, helping people, working independently, and managing projects are all examples of what you use in this answer.

Learn to Disconnect from Work for the Holidays

2011-12-07T15:36:00.003-05:00

I love being a freelancer at this point in my life. The flexible schedule, the different projects constantly changing from different companies and the ability to work at home in my pajamas are all pluses. One of the only downsides is that while my schedule is flexible, it also has the ability to force me to work constantly. I've learned that if you don't set boundaries, as a freelancer you could be working all day and night and even weekends if you have enough work. Unfortunately, sometimes I get asked to do assignments right away at 8 p.m. at night.

This could be the case for anyone who works a job where their boss has their email addresses and phone numbers and contacts them day or night. Some people take work home with them. This can be a slippery slope that leads to extreme stress that could even lead to illness. Especially around the holidays, when you have holiday to-do lists, presents to shop for, and parties to host. How do you let yourself take a break if you've become a workaholic?

1. Set hours for your work time whether you're a freelancer or a regular 9-5 worker. Stop responding to emails at 6 p.m., for example, unless it seems to be an emergency. You may have to talk to your boss about what an emergency entails. Something may seem like it could wait until the morning, but they consider it a priority task.

2. If your boss gives you grief over not being available 24/7, explain that you need time away from work to enjoy your life. If you do not get this time, you will be too stressed and will not be able to give your best work.

3. Take time off for the holidays. Even if you're a new post grad and don't have vacation days yet, take a few days off without pay if you have to. This may seem like a waste, but it will help keep you sane. Enjoy the holidays and spend time with family and friends to recharge for the new year.

Preparing Strategically for Behavioral Interviews

2011-12-06T23:26:00.001-05:00

The behavioral interview is based on the premise that you can predict an employee’s future performance in a job based upon their history facing similar situation. This type of interview is focused solely on your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the job for which you are interviewing.

Questions that start with “tell me about a time when,” “how would you handle it if,” and “describe a situation where,” are examples of behavioral questions. When an employer asks a behavioral question, they expect an example or a story that focuses on the skill or ability in question. Vague answers with no concrete examples will not do in this type of interview.

How You Should Answer Behavioral Questions
You may have heard of the PAR formula; this is an acronym for the formula that you can use to answer behavior-based questions. When telling a story, you want to have a beginning, middle, and an end to the tale.

• The P stands for the problem you solved or task you took on. In other words, you need to set the stage for the story. Provide a brief description of the situation you were faced with.
• The A stands for the action you took to solve the problem. This is where you tell the interviewer what you did, as well as who and what were involved.
• The R stands for the result of the situation. Discuss the outcome of the situation, talk about the end result, focus on your success, and expand on what you learned from the experience.

How You Can Prepare for Behavioral Questions
• Before going on an interview, you must prepare yourself in order to be successful. Start by researching the company and the job to determine the skills that will be most valuable. Based on your research, define the five most important skills that you possess and write a PAR story that proves your hands-on experience using that skill.

• Whenever it is possible, quantify the results you achieved with numbers, dollars, and percentages to provide a scope of what you have done. Numbers help the employer to quantify the value you can bring to their company.

• Be prepared to talk about negative examples. For example, be prepared to discuss how you handle failure, what you do when things don’t go as planned, and how you overcome obstacles. Use negative examples to show that you can overcome adversity, that you can learn from your mistakes, and that you are aware of your shortcomings and are able to improve yourself.

New Employees May Need to “Onboard” Themselves

2011-12-05T17:33:00.001-05:00

“Onboarding” is a term many companies use to describe the process of integrating new employees. It goes beyond the basics of “employee orientation,” which often refers to helping new employees sign up for benefits, set up computer access, meet a few key people, etc. Onboarding is broader than orientation and designed to help new employees gain a deeper understanding of the company, its culture, and how the employee’s role fits into the organization. The ultimate goal of onboarding is to help the new employee achieve productivity as soon as possible. Where orientation typically lasts a few days, onboarding is a process that extends several weeks or even months.

Many employees—perhaps even you—have experienced the “sink or swim” approach that results from the absence of an onboarding process to help foster success. Next time you start a new job where an employer isn’t proactive about onboarding you, take the initiative yourself.

Here are some steps you can follow to help onboard yourself:

Ask for tools and resources necessary to do your job.
Within the first few days of starting your job, schedule a meeting with your manager to set short-term and annual goals, as well as expectations for your role.
When possible, review pertinent materials before you start, especially those that will help ramp you up on company initiatives, client business strategies, goals, or projects.
Request meetings with internal subject matter experts early in your employment so that you can obtain background information on topics relevant to your role. Often, your manager or another department representative can arrange this in advance of your start date.
Ask who will be training you. At the very least, ask to have access to someone who can help acclimate you and answer questions related to your role.
Go out of your way to introduce yourself, promote conversation, and forge relationships in the early months of your employment, particularly if you can gain further insight into the company, key players, and your role.

Expectations: Not Just for New Hires

2011-12-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

How would you define 'success' in your current position? Now, reflect upon your answer...is that what your supervisor would say?

Are you sure?

Job roles and responsibilities are not as black and white as one might think and the work world is complicated by divergent, conflicting, and unknown expectations. Some positions call for results to be met, period. Others call for results to be met but by a certain method. Where does your work fall within this spectrum, and what have you done to align your behaviors and output with what is being asked of you?

Like a relationship between you and a significant other, the relationship between you and your employer should be a dynamic of open communication and as free as possible from assumptions. To ensure that you are in alignment with expectations, partake in some self assessment by answering the following questions below:

How do I see my current work contributing to department priorities?

What metrics am I using to measure my success, and how does my work compare to those metrics?

How do my work methods support the teams that I interact with?

What upcoming problems or opportunities do I need to be prepared for?

These four questions are the beginning of a conversation between you and your supervisor to ensure that you are not just performing to standards but that you know what the standards are. In a meeting with your supervisor, modify the questions slightly to ask them to him/her. Share your responses and see how well both of yours correspond with each others. It could be that you are on track, but it could also be that you need to make adjustments. Regardless, you will be rewarded by demonstrating your proactivity and initiative.

Take the guesswork out of your performance and help drive expectations of you to feel better about the work you produce and what you contribute to your organization.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-12-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. Networking: Friends Lost But Not Forgotten

2. Value: What the Employer Really Wants to See in a Resume

3. How to Keep up the Job Hunt During the Holidays

4. Are you killing your forward momentum?

5. Three Ways to Overcome Career Anxiety

Do you Have Any Questions for Me? Don’t Miss This Interview Opportunity.

2011-12-02T00:07:00.002-05:00

When an interview is drawing to a close, the interviewer often says “I don’t have any more questions, but do you have any questions for me?” All too often, interviewees do not take advantage of this golden opportunity to take back a bit of control in the interview. Here are some tips that will help you make the most of this opportunity the next time you are faced with the situation.

• Always ask questions when given the chance. When you do not ask questions in the interview you appear either disinterested or unprepared.

• Often hiring managers do not want to offer a job to someone they do not know whether or not will accept. Use this question session to clearly communicate that you are interested.

• Prepare your questions in advance and write them down. This will be one less thing you need to commit to memory.

• Research the company thoroughly and use your questions to demonstrate your knowledge and preparedness. For example, you may ask “I see that the ABC Company is your biggest competitor. I know they recently launched a new version of the software you both license. What is your strategy to counterbalance this new release?”

• Show interest in the interviewer by asking them what they like about the company, asking about their career path within the company and how they view the company culture. Use their answers to make your assessment of the company climate and whether or not it is a match for you.

• Identify and address any concerns they may have by asking, “Do you see any areas or qualifications where I may be lacking for this position?” This will allow you to overcome their objections and provide additional information about your skills and experience that may not have come up during the interview.

• All questions should relate to the company or the job. Never ask about salary, benefits or time off.

• A few examples of appropriate questions:
* Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?
* What is the top priority of the person who accepts this job?
* What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
* What do you think is the greatest threat/opportunity facing the organization in the near future?
* Why did you come to work here? What keeps you here?
* When will you be making your decision, and how will I be notified?

How to Deal When Work and Holiday Stress Combine

2011-11-30T11:05:00.003-05:00

The holidays are stressful enough without jobs or job hunting. When you were younger and even in college, you had breaks around the holidays. Exams are finished and you can focus on holiday gifting, celebrations, your holiday to-do list, and simply relaxing and having fun! But as a post grad, when you're searching for a job or managed to land one, things can be very different. Here are some tips on getting through the holidays with ease whether you're still searching for your dream job or landed one.

How to be stress free if you're job hunting:

1. It can be tempting to take the holidays off. You figure, who is hiring right before Christmas anyway? You just want to have this final time to relax, recharge, and get all of your holiday shopping done without distractions. Don't give up just because it is the holidays. Keep plugging along and you may find a great job that will be the perfect gift.

2. Deal with all the family questioning with ease. It may be tough if you haven't landed a job in your field or at all yet and your family is bogging you down with questions or even accusations. To stop from getting aggravated, just tell them that you're currently doing your best and looking for a job and you will update them when you have an interview or job. If they keep bugging you, politely say you don't wish to talk about it anymore and change the subject to one of their hobbies or something they're doing.

How to juggle job tasks and holiday obligations:

1. Now that you've gotten a job, you don't have as much time off as you would if you were still a student. You have responsibilities and your own stress at work. Throw in all the holiday obligations and it may make your head spin! So make the most of your weekends. It is tempting to sleep in and do nothing all day, but if you cross off a little of your holiday to-do list on Saturdays and Sundays it will make things easier.

2. If you're busy at home and at work, use your lunch hour to get some holiday tasks done. This may not be an ideal time to get things done but it can definitely help you feel accomplished and less stressed at home.

3. Be honest with yourself. If you are becoming too overwhelmed and getting sick from too much stress, take a day off. Sometimes all you need is a day at home to get things done and then rest and not have to worry about work for one day. Also, determine which holiday parties or tasks you can say 'no' to this year that will help you stress less.

Have a happy and stress free holiday!

To Post or Not to Post. Should you Post your Resume Online?

2011-11-29T08:01:00.000-05:00

There are definitely two opposite opinions on the subject on whether or not you should post your resume on online job boards. Instead of offering you an opinion, I would like to present you with the pros and cons and let you make your own decision based on the facts.

No matter what you decide about posting your resume online, make sure that it is only one way that you go about looking for a job. This type of passive, wait and see approach to job hunting will only prolong the process. Make sure you are networking, searching for active open jobs, and researching companies in your industry as well as waiting for recruiters to find your posted resume.

Pros of Online Posting
• Some recruiters are of the mindset that instead of posting their jobs and receiving hundreds of resumes that they have to sift through, they would rather conduct a targeted search on a resume database. Recruiters do a key word search on resume databases to find potential candidates.

• Posting your resume online makes it easier for you to apply to jobs when you find one in which you are interested on the job board where your resume is posted. This can save you time in applying to open jobs and will also enable you to respond quicker to job postings.

• Industry-specific boards such as www.dice.com for IT jobs and www.hcareers.com for hospitality jobs are the best bet for posting your resume online. You lessen your chance of spammers and scammers on these types of sites.

Cons of Online Posting
• As soon as you post your resume online, you will get a ton of spam. I helped a gentleman who specialized in accounting and was not very tech savvy post his resume online last year. Within minutes he had 6 emails offering him interviews. Unfortunately, they were either to open his own insurance agency or participate in multi-level marketing companies. If you post your resume online your email account will get spammed.

• It used to be that in order to access resumes on a job board you had to have an employer account with that board. That is no longer always the case. Today, all it takes is a credit card to access resume databases. Beware that you are opening yourself up to identity theft when you post your resume online. Never post your social security number, date of birth, or driver’s license number. You may also consider using a P.O. box or just listing your city and state in the address section of the resume.

• I often say there is no such thing as a generic effective resume. In order to do its job right, a resume must be targeted to a specific, industry, job, and company. How can you hope to achieve this when you are posting your generic resume online?

Rambling Can Spoil Your Job Interview Success

2011-11-28T10:09:00.000-05:00

Are you easily unnerved in job interviews? As a result, do you find yourself rambling when responding to interview questions?

Be careful. Rambling may leave the impression that you are unorganized, unprepared, and long-winded—none of which are perceived as desirable traits in a business environment. It doesn’t matter that you have the right qualifications and experience. If a case of nerves leaves you rambling, you may not be invited back for a second interview, not to mention the job offer.

Take constructive measures to ensure that you are perceived as professional and articulate in the interview. For example, be concise, stay on topic, and provide practical and relevant responses when answering interview questions. Before answering, consider the position you are applying for. Your goal is to connect the lines between the job’s requirements and your experience, accomplishments, and skills.

After you’ve answered a question, stop talking. Otherwise, you may find yourself adding information that actually distracts and diminishes your stronger, key points. Here’s a rule of thumb: If the information is fluff, eliminate it.

Be sure to listen to the entire question so you can answer appropriately. It is common to start formulating your answer early, which can cause you to miss an important part of the question. Being attentive and thoughtful demonstrates valuable listening skills. Additionally, pay attention to the interviewer’s body language; if the person seems no longer engaged in the conversation it may be you’ve lost his/her attention.

Lastly, practice. Before interviewing, identify your strengths, practice responding to common interview questions, and articulate three or four examples of appropriate work accomplishments. Sometimes it helps to write down your responses and then go back through and edit your answers to be even more concise and relevant.

Remember, constructive preparation will resonate in your interviews and likely help move you closer to landing a job you desire.

How to NOT Throw Out Work Relationships Like Thanksgiving's Leftovers

2011-11-28T06:36:00.003-05:00

One of the most impactful books I have read is Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Written in 1936, it's a classic in interpersonal relations and has helped millions of people develop stronger relationships at home and at work. Work is of particular interest here not simply because this is a career blog: the power of our relationships plays a significant role in our ability to perform well, professional reputation, and success. If you feel that your work relationships need, well, work, follow some of the principles that Mr. Carnegie espouses to freshen them up:

Don't criticize, condemn, or complain: Three big ones, right off the bat. It's human nature to do all of these things...but do we truly think about the damage we do to others or to ourselves when we do them? When we approach others with a modicum of kindness and let that kindness permeate itself through our behaviors we will find that our ability to deliver feedback-even the negative kind-is met with respect and thanks.

Give honest and sincere appreciation: When was the last time that you directed sincere appreciation toward someone at work, the kind that doesn't seem obligatory or an afterthought? Set a goal for yourself to give sincere appreciation ten times for every one time that you criticize. And when you give that appreciation, follow this formula: 1.) sincerely thank them for what they did; 2.) tell them specifically what you are thanking them for; and 3.) tell them how what they did positively impacted business results.

Get curious: This isn't directly a Carnegie principle, but one I think that he would appreciate. When we put ourselves in a place of curiosity around others-being in wonder instead of being at odds with them-we are able to better control our mood and our actions. Stay curious and interested in others and your behavior-and other's attitude about you-will change.

Thanksgiving leftovers can sit in your refrigerator and get stinky or they can be used to create some wonderful post-holiday dishes. Keep your work relationships from going bad by following these suggestions from a place of integrity and sincerity. Your work will be a feast of opportunities and success.

What do Job Seekers Have to be Thankful for?

2011-11-24T12:25:00.001-05:00

It is official; the holiday season is upon us. I know from personal family experience that it is tough to be thankful and positive when you are unemployed, especially when you are unemployed during the holiday season. In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to talk to about the positive aspects of the job search process and what you can be thankful for today as you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal.

Networking
The job search process has changed so much. Networking has become more important than ever. I looked at multiple surveys of how people found their jobs and the percentages of people who found their job through networking vary from 64% to 83%. No matter the number, you can see the majority of people are using networking to their advantage.

Be thankful that you have this opportunity to get out from in front of the computer, interact with live human beings instead of the internet, and make connections that expedite the hiring process. Don’t make networking harder than it needs to be. Simply talk to people about your skills and the benefits you can offer a company and clearly communicate how they can help you.

Social Media
I have to admit, I resisted the social media movement. Who has time to update statuses, create profiles, and manage their connections? As a job seeker, you need to find the time. Be thankful that you have these online networks where you can post your profile, showcase your personality, highlight your communication style, and make connections with people you may never have met before social media played such a large role in the job search process.

Think of social media as one more tool in your toolbox that you can use to land the job. However, just like all tools, you must use them properly to get the best possible results from them.

A Great Resume
As a professional resume writer, I may be biased. However, no matter how often people state the resume is “dead,” most every job search situation still calls for a resume. Standing alone, a resume can’t get you a job. However, a bad resume can prevent you from landing a job faster than most anything else.

Be thankful that there are so many resources available to you to help you assess your skills, define the benefits you can offer an employer, and effectively market the brand of YOU in your resume. Take the time to refine your resume until it clearly states the benefits you can bring an employer.

Should You Give Your Boss a Present This Holiday?

2011-11-22T18:24:00.008-05:00

As a post grad, you are entering your first job after graduation and may not always know the do’s and don'ts of the office. With the holidays quickly approaching, the question begs: do you buy your boss a present? Consider these options this year.

1. Does your office or workplace do a group gift for the boss? Ask around and find out what the etiquette normally is each year. Does everyone chip in cash and someone buys something from everyone? Is everyone on their own to buy gifts? Or does the boss tell everyone not to get them anything? Finding out what has happened in the past will be your biggest clue on what to do.

2. If everyone is on their own to buy a gift, be discreet. Some people may not buy a gift, but I would when you're a newbie. Leave the gift on the boss's desk and don't make a big deal out of it because that may rub your co-workers the wrong way.

3. So now, what to get? Don't just give cash. Know your boss has a certain hobby? For example, if they love golf... buy some nice golf balls. Keep the gifts simple and kind and relatively inexpensive. Food gifts are always appropriate, too. Just make sure you know of any foods your boss dislikes or food allergies s/he may have.

4. Finally, if you have no idea what to get and the office isn't doing a group gift, consider starting the tradition. Ask around and see if anyone would like to join you in a gift and brainstorm together to pick out the perfect one.

Holiday Job Hunting – Should You Take the Season Off?

2011-11-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

If you are currently out of work or looking for a new job, you may be feeling apprehensive about the coming holidays because you are worried that the job market is about to shut down. Many job seekers take the holiday season off due to the commonly held belief that the holidays are a bad time to obtain a job. Don’t fall prey to this myth, be one of those job hunters that capitalize on all the benefits that this time of year offer.

The holiday season puts people in a generous and giving mood. People are generally in good spirits, and may be more willing than ever to help you in your quest for the perfect job. Due to vacations and special events, many managers have had their schedules cleared up and are more available to meet with you. The key is to keep your schedule open and flexible to work around their available times.

The best opportunities that arise during the holiday season are the extra opportunities for socializing. These holiday parties offer you an opportunity to meet new people and get back in touch with old contacts. Use these holiday social gatherings as opportunities to network. Remember, although you may have job-hunting on your mind, everyone else is there to relax and unwind. Be casual, be willing to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to tell people about your employment situation. .

Always carry pre-printed business cards with your contact information and a brief description of your key skills or area of specialty. Use inexpensive methods of obtaining business cards such as www.vistaprint.com or create your own using templates available from any office supply store.

You may find that the number of advertised positions is lower than other times of the year, but this may still be to your benefit. Many job-seekers stop their job hunt this time of year; therefore your competition for the position will be much lower. This also means that the positions that are listed are an even higher priority to those companies. The bottom line is that companies hire because they have a need, not because of the time of year.

Historically, January is the highest hiring month. Often times, a company’s fiscal calendar corresponds to the calendar year. New budgets mean new money to spend. Many additional positions have been approved for the coming year and that means the company or their recruiters will be working hard to set up interviews during the last month of the year in preparation for January.

Last, but definitely not least - stay positive and avoid the holiday blues. Don’t focus on the reasons that you are in the situation that you are facing today, focus on the positive opportunities that await you. Don’t focus on the fact that you don’t have money to buy presents, look at the great opportunity to make your gifts or just give a card with some of your heartfelt feelings inside. Take time to enjoy yourself, to enjoy your loved ones, and don’t miss out on the special fun of the holiday season.

Four Groups to Thank to Enhance your Success

2011-11-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

Creating an attitude of gratitude isn't hokey, contrived nonsense. Research into appreciation has shown it to help improve one's sleep and positively influence behavior. Since the season of giving thanks is upon us, consider reaching out with gratitude and appreciation to these groups to make a positive impact on your career.

Mentors: No one succeeds by themselves, and you are no exception. Think about those who have helped propel you to where you are today-whether it was a college professor, former supervisor, or a friend-and send them a note or an email or a gift to thank them for the help that they have given you.

Interviewers: It's expected that you would send a thank you note to an interviewer after an interview, but what about after a job rejection? Though you are most likely experiencing disappointment and frustration, change your outlook by sending another note to thank the interviewer for the opportunity and wishing the selected candidate success in the future. Doing so will highlight your graciousness as a candidate and could lead to future opportunities with that organization.

Your network: When looking for a position you should obviously attend networking events. Send a quick email to thank those who you chatted with for their time, offering any assistance that they may need or-if none is needed-let them know that you are interested in staying in touch.

Your community: There are many ways that you can give thanks to your community. First, you can volunteer at an organization that is in need of assistance and could best utilize your skills. Another way would be to teach a class through your local community education. The interactions you will have and the good-will you create will be a much-needed boost for you while serving those other than yourself.

Make the choice to give thanks to others this season and help yourself in the process.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-11-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. Five Career Strategies for a Tough Market

2. Working Abroad Can Give Career a Boost

3. The 10 Risks and Rewards of a Lateral Career Move

4. How to Set Yourself Up for Success Early in Your Career

5. Are American Career Woman Going Dutch?

Take Advantage of Association Membership Benefits

2011-11-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

So, you have taken the first step by joining a professional association serving your industry or profession. Like many others, you may think you don’t have time to add one more thing to your schedule—like attending association meetings, volunteering on committees, or participating in networking events. But, have you fully considered the advantages that accompany these activities? In fact, now might be the perfect time to tap into all your membership has to offer.

Expand Your Network to Include Key Industry Professionals

Participating in your professional association can grow your network and put you in contact with key industry professionals–leaders you might not have access to otherwise. Making this happen typically requires some effort on your part. For example, you may have an opportunity to introduce yourself to an industry keynote speaker at an association event, breaking the ice with a positive comment about the speech. Another idea: volunteer on a committee that interests you and establish relationships with committee members. This is a great way to learn, firsthand, who wields industry influence.

Many industry associations have formal mentor programs, but if they don’t, why not start one? Mentor programs are a great way to learn and develop relationships that can produce invaluable professional contacts. Later, these contacts can lead to job opportunities in both the open market and the “hidden job market.” Many professional associations also have members-only job boards for posting resumes and searching for jobs.

Access to Rich Industry Information

Professional and industry associations can be great sources for industry news, trends, and events. Associations typically share information with members through association websites, newsletters or magazines, and directories. Check out their websites for articles, case studies, podcasts, discussion boards, members’ business contact information, and information about upcoming conferences or workshops.

Power in Numbers

Association members share many common professional interests. When it comes to industry interests that are bigger in scope, such as legislation, accreditation, or industry standards, it can be very beneficial to be part of a larger industry association. It’s one way to ensure your opinions will be heard and to effect actions that may result in industry-wide change.

The Four Main Differences between Federal Resumes and Private Sector Resumes

2011-11-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

According to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board’s 7/2007 Issues of Merit, in September 2006, 40% of permanent full-time federal employees were 50 years of age or older and about 60% of the federal government’s white collar employees were due to be eligible for retirement in the upcoming 10 years. There is no doubt that there are, and will continue to be, opportunities for employment with the federal government.

However many opportunities there may be, the federal employment process can be intimidating because it so different from the private sector. Here are some of the key differences between federal resumes and the standard resume format.

Length
The standard private sector resume is generally no longer than 2 pages, and is often a single-page document. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a typical federal resume is usually 4 to 7 pages long. I have even seen 12 to 15 page documents for some agencies. This is a direct result of the next difference, the amount of detail that is required in the federal resume.

Detail
In a standard resume, your focus is to be concise, focused, and get straight to the point. Alternatively, the federal resume requires much more detail for each position. Your federal resume must clearly communicate your experience utilizing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for each position.

Required Content
The list of required content on a federal resume is far too long to detail here. For example, each job you have listed on your resume must contain the following information: job title, company name, location city, state, and zip, your hours worked per week, salary (annual or hourly), starting and ending month and year, supervisor name and contact phone number, permission to contact the supervisor, and of course, your accomplishments, details, and key works that demonstrate the required skills.

Lack of Formatting
When writing a standard resume, we often use formatting to make the resume more attractive to the eye and lead the reader through the entire document. However, the federal resume does not use standard formatting such as bullet points, italics, and borders.

How to Survive a Post-Grad Crisis (After You Get the Job)

2011-11-16T12:18:00.002-05:00

Recently, a friend graduated, got an internship, and then quickly got a great job in her field. Luckiest girl ever, right? That didn't stop her from having a crisis. What do you do when you get the job, you've got the paycheck, but you still freak out about your life?

Her main worry was that she was stuck doing this job for 8-9 hours a day, stuck in traffic for a few hours, and in bed by 9 p.m. Where is the fun? Did she really want to do the same thing over and over and over? She was making it sound like a nightmare straight out of "Groundhog Day". If you're plagued by the same thoughts as a post grad, here's what you can do about it.

First of all, relax. Take a look at your job once you settle into it. The first few weeks and even few months of a new job can be tricky and scary, even if you love the job. You won't always have the best co-workers, clients, etc. A few months into it, evaluate. Are you feeling more confident? Do you love the job? We will all have bad days, but you should have more good days than bad.

Make time for fun. All work and no play will make your life a drag! Enjoy your weekends and turn off your work emails. Forget about work and take those days to recharge and let loose a little bit. Every once in a while, swap the extra sleep for some friend or family time on a weeknight.

Remember that at most jobs, even though you do the same thing every day, it won't be the same. You will have new co-workers someday, new patients or clients, different problems to solve, and new projects.

Finally, allow yourself to freak out every once in a while. We need to vent, cry, scream sometimes to get over it, move on, and get happy. Best of luck to everyone in their prospective jobs and job searches!

Stage 4 of the 4 Stages of Change and How to Overcome Obstacles.

2011-11-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

This is the fourth and final installment of my four-part blog series based on Dr. James Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model of Change and my observations about how it applies to job seekers. Dr. Prochaska states that each time someone who is contemplating a change moves from one stage to the next, their chances or being successful in the long term double.

Stage 4 – Action
This is the stage where most people think they need to begin to really affect a change. Although this stage is the important part of where we actually start doing things, don’t forget the importance of the earlier stages of planning, preparation, and contemplation.

In this stage you are beyond thinking about and planning your change and you actually start taking some important steps toward change. As a job seeker, this may be the stage where you start your education to change careers, start preparing a resume that focuses on your transferable skills, or even begin the job search process.

Obstacle:
Insisting on perfection as opposed to progress or having unrealistic expectations about how fast you will see tangible results.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
You must change your thinking to realize that change is an ongoing process of action, not the pursuit of perfection. Reward yourself for small successes and focus on your actions instead of outcomes. If you have gone through the three earlier stages, you should have a good action plan with clearly prioritized key activities. Whenever you stumble, return to your plan. You may need to modify or evolve your plan and your goals as you learn more about the new career, job, or company that you are targeting.

Obstacle:
Slipping into old behavior patterns (or going back to your safe, familiar career or job) due to stress or habit.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
A strong support network is important. It can strengthen your commitment, offer you increased accountability, and enable you to receive outside recognition for your small successes. Before embarking on the action stage, proactively identify the potential obstacles you may face and have a plan for how you can overcome them. See your obstacles as learning experiences and celebrate when you are able to overcome them without returning to your old habits or the safety of your old career.

Three Steps to Step out of Victimization

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you’re a morning person and you live with someone who isn’t, life-at times-can be an exercise in patience. And it was for me recently when, yet again, we were late to a yoga class. This time I was especially annoyed because, as I feared would happen every time before, class was full. So much for establishing a focused connection with my body or improving my dismal flexibility. With my bottom lip out I trudged toward the elliptical machine, fuming over the circumstances that led to me missing class. I irritably and obsessively mulled over my wife’s unreliability. And then, in a flash, it hit me:

I was being a victim.

Being a victim is a common yet futile state to be in. You fail to see your role in your problems, surrender your power, and stay in a perspective of negativity. Victimization can be especially dangerous in the career realm because it creates an attitude of helplessness, entitlement, and hopelessness. You can fight entitlement in your career in these three ways:

Take responsibility: When you take responsibility you see how you have influenced your situation-good or bad. In my situation, I blamed my wife for being late without considering what I had done. Didn’t I agree to go to class with her? Didn’t I know that she wasn’t a morning person. Didn’t I expect to be late? Thus, who was really responsible for my misery? Me. Whether your career is not going in the direction you want it to go, you dislike your work environment, you don’t feel that you are being challenged enough at work, or whatever reason you are feeling dissatisfied, approach it from a place of responsibility and note all of the ways that you are contributing to your misery.

Empower yourself: Once you take responsibility, you can take it upon yourself to make changes. What are you going to start doing and what are you going to stop doing? Who do you need to talk to about it? What are you able to do and what aren’t you able to do. If there’s something you don’t know, who can you talk to that will know? Get clear and specific about your options and the steps necessary to change.

Cultivate optimism: I once heard a quote to the effect of “you shouldn’t worry about things you can change, because you can change them. You also shouldn’t worry about things you can’t change, because you can’t change them. What else is there?” You can’t make permanent change if you aren’t in an optimistic space. Focus on the positives that will come out of your decision, or-if you decide to do nothing-focus on the positives that come from that decision since you made it from a place of empowerment.

My wife and I are fine, of course, but I learned a powerful lesson in the futility of being a victim. Let responsibility, empowerment, and optimism guide you to better choices and a better livelihood.

Wow Your Way to the Job

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tips for standing out when applying for jobs:

The most important thing when applying for jobs is to be visible. You might ask, what do you mean, being visible? I'm here and applying, aren't I? Most jobs offer applications online or ask you to email in your resume. How are you supposed to stand out from the millions when sending in a resume just like everyone else?

Call the place you'd like to work and ask if you can stop in that day and apply in person or talk to someone about the job. They may act as if they are too busy, tell you to apply online, or make up an excuse why you shouldn't come in to their workplace. Ask if you could buy them lunch and talk about the job, offer a few times when you could come in, and really try to sell yourself. Chances are they will cave and want to meet with you and be impressed with your moxie.

On a similar note, just walk in to places you want to work and ask to speak with a manager. Dress professionally and bring a resume, cover letter, and work samples with you. Showing up in person instead of being another resume in their inbox will make you stand out and will let them see the fantastic person you are.

If you still need to apply to jobs via email, make your own online porfolio website you can send to potential employers. There are plenty of websites out there that make it easy and free to create your own. You can add your picture (only professional looking shots...none of you partying!), your resume, work samples, videos, and much more. This is a great tool in sharing your personality and experience when you have to meet someone via the Internet.

What are your tricks to being more visible to potential employers?

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

2011-11-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

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!

1. The 9 Attitudes of Leadership

2. How Writing Guest Blog Posts Can Boost Your Career

3. How to Job Hunt with a Strike Against You

4. The 10 College Majors with the Lowest Unemployment Rates

5. Career Management: Top 10 Career Limiting Moves

Do an Industry Deep Dive before You Jump

2011-11-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

After you’ve researched the basics of an industry and concluded the industry still has an allure, it might be time for an industry immersion. Before you start down a particular educational path or a full-on job search focused on what you think is your industry of interest, dig deeper to determine if that industry is truly a good fit. Following are a few suggestions for investigating beyond the basics of projected growth, required qualifications, and transferable job skills to get a better picture of the industry.

Read Up
Almost every industry has trade magazines, newsletters, and other publications that capture the news, trends, and topics current within that industry. Read more than one or two for a span of time—at least a few months—to get an accurate, current picture of what is happening within the industry.

Identify Companies within the Industry
Evaluate the composition of the companies within the industry; for example, is the industry dominated by a few large corporations or several small companies—or even start-ups? Next, identify which companies currently lead the industry and do some homework on these companies, their products, and their leaders.

Take Your Search Online
Search for industry-related online blogs, forums, and chat rooms to learn what people within the industry are discussing. When you’re comfortable, consider contributing to the discussion or asking informed questions. Identify leading industry executives and find out if these leaders or others in the industry are using Twitter to discuss important topics. If so, consider becoming a Twitter “Follower” of these key industry figures.

Think Outside the Box
These suggestions are just the beginning; think outside the box to discover additional ways you can educate yourself about an industry that interests you. Do you have someone in your network who is in the industry? Would he/she consider taking you as a guest to an industry association meeting, conference, or other event?

The important thing is to immerse yourself before you decide to pursue a particular industry.

Stage 3 of the 4 Stages of Change and How to Overcome Obstacles.

2011-11-10T17:44:00.001-05:00

This is the third installment featuring how Dr. James Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model of Change tool applies to those people who are looking to make a change in their job or career. We all know that permanent, long-lasting changes rarely happen overnight. Most changes take time and effort and they tend to be an evolutionary process.

Stage 3 - Preparation
In my two earlier blog posts about the precontemplation and contemplation stages, I talked about job seekers or career changers who lack motivation or lack confidence. However, when someone is in the preparation stage of change, they are decisive, confident, and ready for action. At this stage, they have decided that the pros far outweigh the cons of change and they have begun to make small steps toward change.

Obstacle:
Ironically, the greatest obstacle in this stage of change is underestimating the amount of preparation that is needed and plowing forward to the action stage without the necessary skills, knowledge, or tools.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
In order to avoid getting stuck in this stage or failing to be successful due to a lack of preparation, the best strategy is to take the time and make the effort to prepare. Do your research of the career field, get a realistic view of the company you want to target, and ensure you have all the tools necessary. For example, you can’t make expect to make a career change by using the same resume you used in your previous career – this would be the perfect example of an inadequate tool.

Obstacle:
Fear or pride can get in the way of admitting you need help and reaching out to ask for assistance.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
Rally the support of your friends and family. They will not only be your cheering section, they can also serve to hold you accountable to your goals! Once again, reach out to a coach, mentor, counselor, or professional advisor if you feel that will improve your potential success.

Stage 2 of the 4 Stages of Change and How to Overcome Obstacles.

2011-11-08T23:06:00.001-05:00

In an earlier blog post I addressed the first stage of change that was based on Dr. James Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model of Change tool. One of the key elements of Prochaska’s model is that it flies in the face of the “just do it” mentality of jumping in with both feet to change. The “just do it” mentality causes us to jump right past the preparation stages. However, according to this model, that preparation and contemplation is exactly what we need to ensure we don’t jump into action, only to fail before our changes are sustainable.

If you are considering changing your career, or just your job, these stages may help you figure out where you are, and more importantly how to overcome your obstacles.

Stage 2 – Contemplation
Unlike the people who are in precontemplation that I talked about last week, if you are in the contemplation stage you have decided that the pros and cons of change are relatively equal. In this stage, you are seriously considering change, but you are either not quite ready to act or don’t know how to get started. In this stage you are beginning to obtain the confidence you will need to make a change in your job or career, but you are still in the imagining, envisioning, and discovery process.

Obstacle:
The biggest obstacle in this stage is a lack of motivation or sense of urgency. Fear of change can often be the cause for this obstacle.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
In order for a change to be effective, and permanent, you must be excited about the positive potential of the change. Try to identify your key motivators for making a change. Seek out people who have made similar changes and learn from their stories of success. Identify, evaluate, and accept your fears. This will help you to allay those fears of leaving behind the familiar before embarking on the next stage of change.

Obstacle:
People may get stuck in the contemplation stage if they feel as though they are not prepared for the changes they are seeking. You may lack some of the necessary skills, knowledge, or information to move forward.

Strategy to Overcome and Move Forward:
Make the effort to learn new skills, seek new information, and gain additional knowledge. Search for information, supportive resources, new perspectives, or skill-building activities. Seek the advice or assistance of a mentor, coach, or counselor if you feel it will help you make it to the next stage.

Getting Tough with Your Career

2011-11-07T06:28:00.004-05:00

Recently while surfing for the perfect television show to fall asleep to, my wife happened upon a program where a group of single young women are forced to get tough with the reasons why they do not have the mate they so desperately crave. The program caught my attention because of the brash, in-your-face style the host used to get to the heart of what was holding the women back.

The idea of getting tough stuck with me because we often give ourselves a lot of leeway when it comes to careers. We make excuses for ourselves or choices that are safe instead of inspiring. When was the last time you were tough on your career? Assess how your career stacks up in the following areas:

Goals: Your professional goals provide a roadmap to a work life filled with satisfaction and fulfillment, and the momentum that goals create can propel your career to places that it has never been. What kind of goals are you creating for yourself?

Accomplishments: Similar to goals, how do you assess what you have accomplished at work? Have you simply done what is expected of you or what fits in your job description, or have you gone beyond that? What projects or teams have you contributed to, what have been your contributions, and how have those contributions made things better? Assess your accomplishments to determine their worth to your career, and adjust if necessary.

Relationships: In your career you likely have relationships with many people. What is the quality of those relationships, and which ones contribute to your career growth? Perhaps it is time to find a mentor to aid in your career growth.

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. By getting tough on your career, you can break patterns that simply aren't helpful and focus on areas that are going to get you to a place where you are most productive, satisfied, and fulfilled.

High 5 Weekly Roundup

2011-11-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Here at The Daily Leap we are debuting a new weekly blog post that will be a roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We'll share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week.

High 5 for the week of October 31st:

1. How to Find Work You Love

2. Why You Should Have a LinkedIn Profile

3. Now Hiring! The Value of Virtual Job Fairs

4. When to Ask about Money?

5. Networking No-nos

New Hires Need to Establish Credibility

2011-11-04T17:00:00.000-04:00

Establishing and maintaining credibility in the workplace is extremely important. For new hires, building credibility is one of the first things to focus on when starting a new job. The old saying rings true, “credibility is built over time but can be damaged in no time at all.” Even if you have solid industry experience and a great professional reputation, you still need to build credibility with a new employer and co-workers. More importantly, establishing and maintaining credibility with a new employer will be critical to your short- and long-term success.

Work Hard and Demonstrate Competence
Your new employer will expect you to work hard and put forth your best effort each day. Doing so in the early stages of your employment will help you to quickly earn the attention and respect of those around you. It is important to maintain a strong work ethic and level of professionalism throughout your employment.

Keep Commitments and Deadlines
One of the most harmful things you can do to your credibility is breaking commitments and missing deadlines. Don’t make commitments you cannot keep, even if it means under promising and over delivering. Obviously, situations beyond your control may occasionally prevent you from honoring a commitment. If this happens, evaluate the impact of breaking your commitment, and be proactive in discussing this with the person you’ve committed to.

Be Open to Learning and Sharing Information
When co-workers see that you are open to learning and sharing opinions and ideas with others, they will be more comfortable working with you. When handled professionally, a willingness to share your knowledge based on past experience will help you to be viewed as a valuable member of the team.

Be Accountable for Your Mistakes
Mistakes happen. The important thing is to be accountable for your mistakes and work hard to resolve them. This will help you to earn the respect of those you work with and even strengthen your credibility.