People with disabilities remain an untapped resource in the nation's work force, facing an unemployment rate of 70 percent.
NISH, a nonprofit organization that helps secure federal contracts for agencies that employ people with disabilities through the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program, is working to change the status quo. The organization has introduced a new program whereby agencies designated as "Centers of Excellence" serve as mentors to other agencies to help them improve the quality of the service and products they provide to the federal government.
The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program is the largest single source of jobs in the U.S. for people with disabilities. Often referred to as the JWOD program, it provides employment opportunities for more than 45,000 people who are blind or have other severe disabilities.
Through the JWOD program, NISH works with a network of more than 600 nonprofit agencies that employ and train people with disabilities.
The program stems from the Wagner-O'Day Act, passed in 1938, which provided employment opportunities for the blind by allowing them to manufacture mops and brooms to sell to the federal government. In 1971, Congress amended the act to include people with severe disabilities and to allow the agencies to provide services as well as products.
According to a recent Harris Interactive survey, two out of three people with disabilities who are not working want to work, but the lack of opportunities and accessibility issues prevent them from finding employment.
Showing posts with label Careers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Careers. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
"Executive Job Search: 3 Jobseeking Ways to Find a Job Faster"
Got a difficult problem in your job search?
Say, a lack of networking contacts? Or trouble answering interview questions?
Well, you've got company. Problems in a job search are as common as mosquitoes in July.
But ... have you ever written your problem down on a piece of paper?
I'll bet you haven't.
Because, when you write problems down, you take an immediate, huge leap towards solving them. Think about it: Every great invention or solution, from the atomic bomb to the Xbox, was first worked out on paper.
Why not solve your employment problems the same way?
Here's a three-step method that will help you do it ...
1) Start by asking the right questions
Most folks put themselves behind the eight ball in their job search by asking questions that are depressing and demotivating.
Questions like, Why won't anyone give me a job? or How do I network when I don't know anyone?
Ack. Pass the happy pills.
Instead, start asking questions that motivate and inspire you.
Better questions to ask are:
* How could I give people a reason to call me with job leads?
* How did my 10 closest friends find their current jobs? How could I brainstorm with them and use their methods in my job hunt?
* What worked in my last job search? The job search before? How could I do that again?
Important: Ask questions that you yourself can solve. Never depend on the government, your school, parents, family -- anyone else -- to do this for you. Because, once you give up responsibility for solving problems with your job search (or anything else), you become a prisoner of outside forces.
When you ask the right questions, however, you're halfway to the answer. So write down at least five empowering questions about your job search, right now.
Then, you're ready for step two ...
2) Brainstorm at least 20 possible answers
After you write down five good questions, circle the one question that looks most promising. You're going to use it to get hired faster.
Let's say you write the following question down atop a clean sheet of paper:
How could I give people a reason to call me with job leads?
Write a number 1 below it. Write a possible answer next to that number. Then move on to number 2, 3 . and don't stop until you have at least 20 answers to your question.
Not 15 or 19, but 20 answers -- or more.
There's a reason for this: Left to its own devices, your brain will pull a Homer Simpson after two minutes and try to talk you into going out for donuts or beer. Brains hate to think. Like bench pressing, thinking is strenuous work, no matter how good it may be for you.
But don't let your head off the hook. Don't stop until you get 20 possible solutions. Brainstorm as if your career depended on the outcome. Because it does.
Now. Most of your 20 answers won't be very good -- that's OK. Your best answer may come right after the most hare-brained. By forcing yourself to write out 20 answers, you're flushing the creative pipes while going deep into your subconscious mind to dredge up a winner.
Don't knock it until you try it!
3) Take action on one solution today
Choose the most promising from your list of 20 answers. Then, get started -- today -- to make it happen. No excuses.
Let's say the most actionable of your solutions is to throw a networking party where you can meet friends, family and acquaintances, and let them know about your job search.
Now. What do you need to do to make this party happen?
Well, you have to make the guest list, send invitations, get the food, etc. So write down all the sub-goals necessary for the party to be a success. Check each sub-goal off your list as you complete it. Before you know it, your networking party will be a reality.
After that, take the next most-promising solution from your list of 20 and make that one happen. Repeat until hired.
Here's why these 3 steps work when it comes to solving problems -- clear thinking plus continuous action equals results.
If you're struggling to find a job, write down clear, empowering questions of your situation. Then, brainstorm at least 20 possible solutions and take action on the best one today. When you do, you'll be that much closer to getting the job you really want, faster.
Now, go out and make your own luck
Say, a lack of networking contacts? Or trouble answering interview questions?
Well, you've got company. Problems in a job search are as common as mosquitoes in July.
But ... have you ever written your problem down on a piece of paper?
I'll bet you haven't.
Because, when you write problems down, you take an immediate, huge leap towards solving them. Think about it: Every great invention or solution, from the atomic bomb to the Xbox, was first worked out on paper.
Why not solve your employment problems the same way?
Here's a three-step method that will help you do it ...
1) Start by asking the right questions
Most folks put themselves behind the eight ball in their job search by asking questions that are depressing and demotivating.
Questions like, Why won't anyone give me a job? or How do I network when I don't know anyone?
Ack. Pass the happy pills.
Instead, start asking questions that motivate and inspire you.
Better questions to ask are:
* How could I give people a reason to call me with job leads?
* How did my 10 closest friends find their current jobs? How could I brainstorm with them and use their methods in my job hunt?
* What worked in my last job search? The job search before? How could I do that again?
Important: Ask questions that you yourself can solve. Never depend on the government, your school, parents, family -- anyone else -- to do this for you. Because, once you give up responsibility for solving problems with your job search (or anything else), you become a prisoner of outside forces.
When you ask the right questions, however, you're halfway to the answer. So write down at least five empowering questions about your job search, right now.
Then, you're ready for step two ...
2) Brainstorm at least 20 possible answers
After you write down five good questions, circle the one question that looks most promising. You're going to use it to get hired faster.
Let's say you write the following question down atop a clean sheet of paper:
How could I give people a reason to call me with job leads?
Write a number 1 below it. Write a possible answer next to that number. Then move on to number 2, 3 . and don't stop until you have at least 20 answers to your question.
Not 15 or 19, but 20 answers -- or more.
There's a reason for this: Left to its own devices, your brain will pull a Homer Simpson after two minutes and try to talk you into going out for donuts or beer. Brains hate to think. Like bench pressing, thinking is strenuous work, no matter how good it may be for you.
But don't let your head off the hook. Don't stop until you get 20 possible solutions. Brainstorm as if your career depended on the outcome. Because it does.
Now. Most of your 20 answers won't be very good -- that's OK. Your best answer may come right after the most hare-brained. By forcing yourself to write out 20 answers, you're flushing the creative pipes while going deep into your subconscious mind to dredge up a winner.
Don't knock it until you try it!
3) Take action on one solution today
Choose the most promising from your list of 20 answers. Then, get started -- today -- to make it happen. No excuses.
Let's say the most actionable of your solutions is to throw a networking party where you can meet friends, family and acquaintances, and let them know about your job search.
Now. What do you need to do to make this party happen?
Well, you have to make the guest list, send invitations, get the food, etc. So write down all the sub-goals necessary for the party to be a success. Check each sub-goal off your list as you complete it. Before you know it, your networking party will be a reality.
After that, take the next most-promising solution from your list of 20 and make that one happen. Repeat until hired.
Here's why these 3 steps work when it comes to solving problems -- clear thinking plus continuous action equals results.
If you're struggling to find a job, write down clear, empowering questions of your situation. Then, brainstorm at least 20 possible solutions and take action on the best one today. When you do, you'll be that much closer to getting the job you really want, faster.
Now, go out and make your own luck
“New Job Blues ... Now What?”
You’ve landed what you thought was the job of your dreams. Each stage of the interview went smoothly - you sold them on your skills and expertise, and your prospective boss sold you on the position and benefits of joining the company. He/she seemed excited about extending an offer. And then, with offer in hand, it was thrilling to give your notice (or tell your friends you’re finally employed after a long stint of unemployment!). All seemed right with the world.
You’ve now been on board a few days… a week… perhaps even a month. Suddenly you’re not so sure you’ve made the right decision. The job that seemed like a dream is starting to feel like a nightmare. Perhaps the position isn’t what you thought it would be; it’s either too narrow, too broad, not challenging enough, or more of a stretch than you imagined. Maybe the company isn’t measuring up. Or, perhaps your boss isn’t the caring, supportive mentor you thought he/she would be.
In a state of confusion, you wonder what you should do. Stick it out? For how long? Leave? Then what? The decision to stay or leave a new job is a personal one, with no right or wrong answer, as everyone’s situation is unique. And most people, at one time or another, have been faced with this dilemma. To help you think through your next move and determine what’s right for you, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:
Is it just the newness of the job? Changing jobs can be an unsettling experience. In your previous job, you knew your way around - you knew what was expected of you; you knew your job; you knew the players; you felt like you belonged. In a new job, however, it takes time to learn the ropes and feel like you’re truly adding value. Sometimes it’s best to give yourself time to get over the “newness” and then decide if the job is right for you.
Can you live with your boss? Hiring managers sometimes put their best foot forward in an interview, then do an about-face when a new employee arrives. Even though your boss isn’t the supportive manager you thought he/she would be, can you live with the change? If so, it may be worth staying. If, however, you experience a nauseous stomach on Monday mornings or a rise in blood pressure every time he/she walks into your office, it may be wise to consider leaving.
Can you navigate the politics? Office politics can be the bane of many employees’ existence. If you’ve been hired into a political crossfire, it will be important to assess your political skills to determine if you can make it work. If politics aren’t your strength, you may want to leave before you find yourself failing without even knowing why. If you’re good at developing relationships and working with differing styles, as well as “managing up”, you may want to consider staying and seeing if you can make a tough situation work.
What will you learn if you stay in this job? Sometimes a seemingly wrong job can turn out to be a terrific opportunity to learn new skills, become exposed to new technologies, and gain valuable experience. Is it possible this job could be a stepping-stone to a better, more satisfying job down the road? Could it ultimately propel your career forward? If so, and you can tolerate everything else, it may be worth staying.
If the scope of the job has changed, can it be renegotiated? If the actual work turns out to be far different from what you thought it would be, you may want to speak with your manager to see if aspects of the job can be changed. If the scope is too narrow, can more responsibilities be added? If the workload is too great, can you get some assistance? If the job ultimately represents a step backwards and/or you’re doing work you didn’t feel like you signed up for, it may be worth looking elsewhere.
Can you afford to leave without another job to go to? If your boss, or the job, or the politics are so bad it’s beginning to affect your health and personal life, then leaving sooner rather than later may be the best move. But can you afford it? Carefully evaluating your financial situation prior to jumping ship will help alleviate regrets later on. Consider also the momentum you had in your job search prior to starting your job. Can it be easily resurrected so your time of unemployment is minimized?
The decision to stay or leave an intolerable new job is a tough one. How long to stay is also a dilemma. Many have left after two weeks, never to look back. Others have stayed, only to regret staying too long. And still others have stayed and managed to make everything work out. Only you can decide what’s best for you and your situation.
If you answer the above questions honestly, you will surely make the right decision for you. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and what the job is doing to your health and self-esteem. Recognize that the longer you stay, the greater the requirement to add the job to your resume. Know that it’s always an option to stay and look for employment on the side. If you do that, it may be valuable to evaluate your job, boss, team, and culture requirements so you can develop some insightful interview questions to ask the next time around.
Talking with a trusted friend or colleague can be helpful during this challenging time. Whether you choose to stick it out and hope for the best, or leave right away and cut your losses, trust that you’ve made the right decision. And know that regardless of the outcome, the experience has presented an excellent opportunity for learning and personal growth that will be invaluable in helping you manage the rest of your career.
You’ve now been on board a few days… a week… perhaps even a month. Suddenly you’re not so sure you’ve made the right decision. The job that seemed like a dream is starting to feel like a nightmare. Perhaps the position isn’t what you thought it would be; it’s either too narrow, too broad, not challenging enough, or more of a stretch than you imagined. Maybe the company isn’t measuring up. Or, perhaps your boss isn’t the caring, supportive mentor you thought he/she would be.
In a state of confusion, you wonder what you should do. Stick it out? For how long? Leave? Then what? The decision to stay or leave a new job is a personal one, with no right or wrong answer, as everyone’s situation is unique. And most people, at one time or another, have been faced with this dilemma. To help you think through your next move and determine what’s right for you, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:
Is it just the newness of the job? Changing jobs can be an unsettling experience. In your previous job, you knew your way around - you knew what was expected of you; you knew your job; you knew the players; you felt like you belonged. In a new job, however, it takes time to learn the ropes and feel like you’re truly adding value. Sometimes it’s best to give yourself time to get over the “newness” and then decide if the job is right for you.
Can you live with your boss? Hiring managers sometimes put their best foot forward in an interview, then do an about-face when a new employee arrives. Even though your boss isn’t the supportive manager you thought he/she would be, can you live with the change? If so, it may be worth staying. If, however, you experience a nauseous stomach on Monday mornings or a rise in blood pressure every time he/she walks into your office, it may be wise to consider leaving.
Can you navigate the politics? Office politics can be the bane of many employees’ existence. If you’ve been hired into a political crossfire, it will be important to assess your political skills to determine if you can make it work. If politics aren’t your strength, you may want to leave before you find yourself failing without even knowing why. If you’re good at developing relationships and working with differing styles, as well as “managing up”, you may want to consider staying and seeing if you can make a tough situation work.
What will you learn if you stay in this job? Sometimes a seemingly wrong job can turn out to be a terrific opportunity to learn new skills, become exposed to new technologies, and gain valuable experience. Is it possible this job could be a stepping-stone to a better, more satisfying job down the road? Could it ultimately propel your career forward? If so, and you can tolerate everything else, it may be worth staying.
If the scope of the job has changed, can it be renegotiated? If the actual work turns out to be far different from what you thought it would be, you may want to speak with your manager to see if aspects of the job can be changed. If the scope is too narrow, can more responsibilities be added? If the workload is too great, can you get some assistance? If the job ultimately represents a step backwards and/or you’re doing work you didn’t feel like you signed up for, it may be worth looking elsewhere.
Can you afford to leave without another job to go to? If your boss, or the job, or the politics are so bad it’s beginning to affect your health and personal life, then leaving sooner rather than later may be the best move. But can you afford it? Carefully evaluating your financial situation prior to jumping ship will help alleviate regrets later on. Consider also the momentum you had in your job search prior to starting your job. Can it be easily resurrected so your time of unemployment is minimized?
The decision to stay or leave an intolerable new job is a tough one. How long to stay is also a dilemma. Many have left after two weeks, never to look back. Others have stayed, only to regret staying too long. And still others have stayed and managed to make everything work out. Only you can decide what’s best for you and your situation.
If you answer the above questions honestly, you will surely make the right decision for you. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and what the job is doing to your health and self-esteem. Recognize that the longer you stay, the greater the requirement to add the job to your resume. Know that it’s always an option to stay and look for employment on the side. If you do that, it may be valuable to evaluate your job, boss, team, and culture requirements so you can develop some insightful interview questions to ask the next time around.
Talking with a trusted friend or colleague can be helpful during this challenging time. Whether you choose to stick it out and hope for the best, or leave right away and cut your losses, trust that you’ve made the right decision. And know that regardless of the outcome, the experience has presented an excellent opportunity for learning and personal growth that will be invaluable in helping you manage the rest of your career.
"If Your Resume is the Cake, Your Cover Letter is the Icing."
Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing. The cover letter accompanies the resume at all times as the primary support document. Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or another type of electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume. There are, of course, other tools you’ll use when job seeking. Your cover letter and resume come first of course, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters for after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters. If you have good cover letter writing skills, and good resume writing skills, the other written tools should be a snap to compose.
Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different however. Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.
Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The old adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.
As an example, let’s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position. In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….
• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.
• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.
The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews. With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing. The method and format are a little different however. Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages. Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume. Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.
Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much. Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them. The old adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.
As an example, let’s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position. In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers. Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals. The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them. An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say….
• Experienced in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.
• Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.
The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews. With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume. Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview. In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position. This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.
1000 things you don’t want in your job hunt
GOING ONLY FOR BRANDING
Do you stick only to the top name job boards or portals? If yes, you are denying your chances of getting into specialized positions. Specialized groups or non-enterprise companies often steer clear of top names. Choose your resume posting based on the kind of recruiters that visit a given job boards.
OUTSOURCING YOUR JOB HUNT
If you are getting a peer or a consultant to do your job hunt to the level of making contact with a prospective employer - stop doing this now. You can get help to the level of someone gathering job order description or information for you. You make connect - use the opportunity to create an impression.
RESUME BLASTING
Do you treat your resume like a promotional mailer? Distribute it all over the place or get a group email ID and broadcast? This means (1) Your cover letter or your resume is not customized for the job order in hand - Resume customization in lieu of arranging the skill sets for the given job order. (2) You do not follow up; there are employers who seek to measure your interest with the follow up method that you adopt. Plus your prospective employer or their job consultant knows that you are hunting around, which will reduce your market value.
Another aspect of mindless blasting is clicking the APPLY FOR THIS JOB button wherever you see it. When you submit your resume to a job where you do not have minimum qualifications - and you have a reason to doing so - make an offline connect.
75% of email traffic received by a generic ID such as careers@bestemployer.com is junk. If you rely only on email to get your next job - forget it. Your resume is probably in the junk folder.
PRIVACY
Do not write a tell tale resume with private information. We’ve heard enough and more about misuse of private information. Another aspect of privacy - using Internet at work to coordinate your job hunt. Wake up - Even a mom & pop street corner store can afford a network and a firewall in it.
INTERNET JOB HUNT BALANCE
You do not want to rely entirely on the internet for your job search. You do not want to deny the abundance of information that is available on the internet either. Depending on your skills and where you want to be working next, see if your target employers and their head hunters are hanging out in Print Classifieds or Job boards.
BEING COOL
Email is new age - it has been for over 15 years now :), but an email ID such as kewldude800@xyz.com is not a great identification. Also see what your social networking page is saying about you - from the eyes of a headhunter, hiring manager or recruiter. Please blogpost here about ‘Big Brother is watching‘. Also your resume or your job hunt webpage is a business document; it is not your platform to express political views.
Balance 994 things you do not want in your job hunt come under ‘common sense application’. We do not want to question your CSA quotient by putting down all of those 994. (Actually, 6 things as a title did not sound grandiose enough to attract your attention)
Do you stick only to the top name job boards or portals? If yes, you are denying your chances of getting into specialized positions. Specialized groups or non-enterprise companies often steer clear of top names. Choose your resume posting based on the kind of recruiters that visit a given job boards.
OUTSOURCING YOUR JOB HUNT
If you are getting a peer or a consultant to do your job hunt to the level of making contact with a prospective employer - stop doing this now. You can get help to the level of someone gathering job order description or information for you. You make connect - use the opportunity to create an impression.
RESUME BLASTING
Do you treat your resume like a promotional mailer? Distribute it all over the place or get a group email ID and broadcast? This means (1) Your cover letter or your resume is not customized for the job order in hand - Resume customization in lieu of arranging the skill sets for the given job order. (2) You do not follow up; there are employers who seek to measure your interest with the follow up method that you adopt. Plus your prospective employer or their job consultant knows that you are hunting around, which will reduce your market value.
Another aspect of mindless blasting is clicking the APPLY FOR THIS JOB button wherever you see it. When you submit your resume to a job where you do not have minimum qualifications - and you have a reason to doing so - make an offline connect.
75% of email traffic received by a generic ID such as careers@bestemployer.com is junk. If you rely only on email to get your next job - forget it. Your resume is probably in the junk folder.
PRIVACY
Do not write a tell tale resume with private information. We’ve heard enough and more about misuse of private information. Another aspect of privacy - using Internet at work to coordinate your job hunt. Wake up - Even a mom & pop street corner store can afford a network and a firewall in it.
INTERNET JOB HUNT BALANCE
You do not want to rely entirely on the internet for your job search. You do not want to deny the abundance of information that is available on the internet either. Depending on your skills and where you want to be working next, see if your target employers and their head hunters are hanging out in Print Classifieds or Job boards.
BEING COOL
Email is new age - it has been for over 15 years now :), but an email ID such as kewldude800@xyz.com is not a great identification. Also see what your social networking page is saying about you - from the eyes of a headhunter, hiring manager or recruiter. Please blogpost here about ‘Big Brother is watching‘. Also your resume or your job hunt webpage is a business document; it is not your platform to express political views.
Balance 994 things you do not want in your job hunt come under ‘common sense application’. We do not want to question your CSA quotient by putting down all of those 994. (Actually, 6 things as a title did not sound grandiose enough to attract your attention)
"Take This Job and Shove It" is a Country Song NOT a Best Practice
"Find a job you like and you add five days to every week."
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Sometimes it's an easy choice to leave a company. However, one of the most important choices that you can make in your career is to leave your current employer in the right way. Like any other relationship, there are faults and virtues with every company. At the end of a relationship, people tend to focus on the faults.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
When you leave a company, it is like breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Regardless of how you do it, there will still be emotions. The longer the relationship, the deeper the feelings. Keep this in mind during the separation. People express their emotions in different ways so be prepared to respond with compassion.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD
I've learned first hand not to burn bridges. In fact, I was hired by my former boss within two years of leaving the company. He had moved onto a bigger job with another company and thought of me when a position came open in his department. Since we already had a great relationship, the interview process was both short and painless. Also, the job was a significant step up for me both professionally and financially.
TO DO OR NOT TO DO?
Here are a few do's and don'ts that may help make the transition a little easier for everyone.
DO write and give a simple resignation letter to your immediate boss and, perhaps, your Human Resources Director, if appropriate. By putting a few key items in writing, it memorializes your intention to leave the company. It also gives you a chance to pre-play the discussion with your boss. The letter should include the following: your last day on the job, open items that you need to complete prior to leaving, and any work that you will need to pass off to someone else.
DON'T say anything negative about the company or anyone working for the company. While this is a good policy to employ at all times, it is even more critical when you are leaving. Disgruntled employees may seek you out during this time to air their negative feelings about the company or people working for the company. Resist the temptation to entertain these conversations. It is likely that your comments will be shared with others.
DO give as much advance notice as possible to allow for a smooth transition. Typically, this is two to four weeks. Use your best judgment to decide how long you will need to give keeping in mind what's best for the company. Be aware that is also possible that the company will ask you to leave immediately, especially if you're going to work for a competitor. This is nothing personal and should not be considered an insult.
DO work hard until you leave. It's perfectly natural to get "short-timer's disease" as you have already mentally moved onto the new position. Whether discussing movies, books, or relationships; people generally remember the beginning and end more than the middle.
DON'T take anything that is not yours. Whether it's a stapler, a book that belongs to the company, copy paper, or paper clips; leave them behind. While you're at it, tidy up a bit.
DO make yourself available for your replacement. If the company hires your replacement before you leave, offer to train them. Even after you have departed, it's a good idea to leave a phone number where you can be reach with times that it is acceptable to call.
DON'T abuse e-mail, the telephone, or the internet during your last days. Be sure to keep your communication as professional as you have during your tenure.
There's no reason that you still can't be friends when it's over. If you are careful to maintain a good reputation with the company, their suppliers, their customers, and employees; it will pay off considerably. It may not happen right away, but your paths will cross again.
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Sometimes it's an easy choice to leave a company. However, one of the most important choices that you can make in your career is to leave your current employer in the right way. Like any other relationship, there are faults and virtues with every company. At the end of a relationship, people tend to focus on the faults.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
When you leave a company, it is like breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Regardless of how you do it, there will still be emotions. The longer the relationship, the deeper the feelings. Keep this in mind during the separation. People express their emotions in different ways so be prepared to respond with compassion.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD
I've learned first hand not to burn bridges. In fact, I was hired by my former boss within two years of leaving the company. He had moved onto a bigger job with another company and thought of me when a position came open in his department. Since we already had a great relationship, the interview process was both short and painless. Also, the job was a significant step up for me both professionally and financially.
TO DO OR NOT TO DO?
Here are a few do's and don'ts that may help make the transition a little easier for everyone.
DO write and give a simple resignation letter to your immediate boss and, perhaps, your Human Resources Director, if appropriate. By putting a few key items in writing, it memorializes your intention to leave the company. It also gives you a chance to pre-play the discussion with your boss. The letter should include the following: your last day on the job, open items that you need to complete prior to leaving, and any work that you will need to pass off to someone else.
DON'T say anything negative about the company or anyone working for the company. While this is a good policy to employ at all times, it is even more critical when you are leaving. Disgruntled employees may seek you out during this time to air their negative feelings about the company or people working for the company. Resist the temptation to entertain these conversations. It is likely that your comments will be shared with others.
DO give as much advance notice as possible to allow for a smooth transition. Typically, this is two to four weeks. Use your best judgment to decide how long you will need to give keeping in mind what's best for the company. Be aware that is also possible that the company will ask you to leave immediately, especially if you're going to work for a competitor. This is nothing personal and should not be considered an insult.
DO work hard until you leave. It's perfectly natural to get "short-timer's disease" as you have already mentally moved onto the new position. Whether discussing movies, books, or relationships; people generally remember the beginning and end more than the middle.
DON'T take anything that is not yours. Whether it's a stapler, a book that belongs to the company, copy paper, or paper clips; leave them behind. While you're at it, tidy up a bit.
DO make yourself available for your replacement. If the company hires your replacement before you leave, offer to train them. Even after you have departed, it's a good idea to leave a phone number where you can be reach with times that it is acceptable to call.
DON'T abuse e-mail, the telephone, or the internet during your last days. Be sure to keep your communication as professional as you have during your tenure.
There's no reason that you still can't be friends when it's over. If you are careful to maintain a good reputation with the company, their suppliers, their customers, and employees; it will pay off considerably. It may not happen right away, but your paths will cross again.
10 Ways To Transition Yourself Into Retirement
Let’s be completely honest. Everyone has their own dreams and expectations about retirement. Upon retirement, some folks plan to travel around the world while others simply plan to take excursions to their local beach. Whatever the retirement plan that you may have, being able to implement your goals takes a certain degree of financial security. The problem however is that financial security does not just happen but requires careful planning, commitment and yes, money.
To be a successful retiree, you must successfully transition yourself into retirement in order to meet your retirement objectives. In addition, you have to plan the amount of money you need and what you want to accomplish with your savings. After all, you’ll likely spend 35+ years in retirement so you must start planning now. In this article, we will discuss 10 ways that you can successfully transition yourself into retirement. They are as follows:
1. Debt Reduction - Make sure that you do not carry your debts into retirement. Therefore, commit yourself to paying off as much of your debts as you possibly can. Eliminate car payments, credit card debts, personal loans, etc. Do what you have to do now to squash debt and make sure that you don’t obtain any new debts either.
2. Have a Nest Egg of Emergency Funds - Have enough liquid funds in hand to cover at least a few months of expenses, without eating into your investments. Be prepared for the unexpected expenses while you transition into retirement. After all, emergencies will certainly come up but if you have a certain amount of savings, you won’t have to worry about them.
3. Adequate Insurance Coverage - Make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover your life, health, homeowners', and auto insurance policies. Reassess your insurance needs on a yearly basis to ensure that they suit your retirement needs. Be open to making changes as needed and check out your employer’s retirement coverage. Many of folks have been unpleasantly surprised to learn that their employers will no longer cover their medical expenses after they retire. So, if you find out now, you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.
4. Retirement Income Plan - To ensure that you don’t outlive your assets, develop a retirement income plan that includes your income and expenses. Keep track of your current expenses and cut back as needed.
5. Social Security Benefits - The rules for benefits are rather complex, so talk to a Social Security representative a year before you plan to retire. By doing this, you’ll be able to understand your benefits and how much you’re covered. In addition, you should apply for social security three months before you want to start collecting your benefits or three months before your 65th birthday.
6. Contribute to a Savings Plan - If your employer offers a tax-sheltered savings plan (such as a 401K), make sure that you contribute as much as you can. Not only will this substantially lower your taxes but will also make huge difference in your financial security due to the magic of compounded interest.
7. Review Wills and Trusts - Make sure that you have a valid will and/or trust. Not only will this protect your assets but will give you peace of mind.
8. Invest in IRA - By putting money in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you’ll cleverly delay paying taxes on investment earnings. If you invest $2,000 in IRA at 4% when you are 30, it will grow to $112,170 by the time you are 60. Now that’s a lot of moola for simply being smart!
9. Follow Basic Investment Principles - Just remember that how much you have for retirement depends on the type of investments you make now. Learn how to multiply your savings using mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. Consult a financial advisor for additional information.
10. Know About Medicare - Find out when it is appropriate to apply for Medicare and then apply. The Medicare application process and premiums may vary, depending on your age and whether or not you are receiving Social Security by being aware of the type of Medicare you may qualify, you’ll be ahead of the game. For instance, the two parts of Medicare are:
- Hospital insurance, which generally you do not pay. It helps to pay for hospital, hospice, and home health care.
- Medical insurance, which you pay. It helps pay for doctors, outpatient care, and other medical services.
Follow our suggested ten steps and you’ll not only improve your mental health but you’ll also transition yourself into a happy and financially secure retirement.
To be a successful retiree, you must successfully transition yourself into retirement in order to meet your retirement objectives. In addition, you have to plan the amount of money you need and what you want to accomplish with your savings. After all, you’ll likely spend 35+ years in retirement so you must start planning now. In this article, we will discuss 10 ways that you can successfully transition yourself into retirement. They are as follows:
1. Debt Reduction - Make sure that you do not carry your debts into retirement. Therefore, commit yourself to paying off as much of your debts as you possibly can. Eliminate car payments, credit card debts, personal loans, etc. Do what you have to do now to squash debt and make sure that you don’t obtain any new debts either.
2. Have a Nest Egg of Emergency Funds - Have enough liquid funds in hand to cover at least a few months of expenses, without eating into your investments. Be prepared for the unexpected expenses while you transition into retirement. After all, emergencies will certainly come up but if you have a certain amount of savings, you won’t have to worry about them.
3. Adequate Insurance Coverage - Make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover your life, health, homeowners', and auto insurance policies. Reassess your insurance needs on a yearly basis to ensure that they suit your retirement needs. Be open to making changes as needed and check out your employer’s retirement coverage. Many of folks have been unpleasantly surprised to learn that their employers will no longer cover their medical expenses after they retire. So, if you find out now, you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.
4. Retirement Income Plan - To ensure that you don’t outlive your assets, develop a retirement income plan that includes your income and expenses. Keep track of your current expenses and cut back as needed.
5. Social Security Benefits - The rules for benefits are rather complex, so talk to a Social Security representative a year before you plan to retire. By doing this, you’ll be able to understand your benefits and how much you’re covered. In addition, you should apply for social security three months before you want to start collecting your benefits or three months before your 65th birthday.
6. Contribute to a Savings Plan - If your employer offers a tax-sheltered savings plan (such as a 401K), make sure that you contribute as much as you can. Not only will this substantially lower your taxes but will also make huge difference in your financial security due to the magic of compounded interest.
7. Review Wills and Trusts - Make sure that you have a valid will and/or trust. Not only will this protect your assets but will give you peace of mind.
8. Invest in IRA - By putting money in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you’ll cleverly delay paying taxes on investment earnings. If you invest $2,000 in IRA at 4% when you are 30, it will grow to $112,170 by the time you are 60. Now that’s a lot of moola for simply being smart!
9. Follow Basic Investment Principles - Just remember that how much you have for retirement depends on the type of investments you make now. Learn how to multiply your savings using mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. Consult a financial advisor for additional information.
10. Know About Medicare - Find out when it is appropriate to apply for Medicare and then apply. The Medicare application process and premiums may vary, depending on your age and whether or not you are receiving Social Security by being aware of the type of Medicare you may qualify, you’ll be ahead of the game. For instance, the two parts of Medicare are:
- Hospital insurance, which generally you do not pay. It helps to pay for hospital, hospice, and home health care.
- Medical insurance, which you pay. It helps pay for doctors, outpatient care, and other medical services.
Follow our suggested ten steps and you’ll not only improve your mental health but you’ll also transition yourself into a happy and financially secure retirement.
17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview
Several Days - One Week Before the Interview
1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company's products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?
2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.
3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.
4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.”
5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.
6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.
The Day before the Interview
1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.
2. Get directions to the interview site. Be sure to double check the directions using a map. This will ensure that you know the way and also give you an approximate travel time – don’t forget to allow for extra time for rush hour!
3. Lay out your entire interview outfit. Check it for any spot, wrinkles, or snags.
4. Print off a few extra copies of your resume and cover letter on nice paper. Even if the interviewer has a copy of their own, it’s always a good idea to have a backup copy. This is also helpful if you end up interviewing with multiple individuals, since the head interviewer may be the only person with a copy of your resume.
Get a good night’s sleep!
1. Your brain needs fuel to run at peak performance and if there is ever a day you needed 110% from your brain, it’s today. So don’t skimp on meals. Be cautious about eating large amounts of carbohydrates right before your interview though, since carbs are know to cause sluggishness and may lead to a “post-lunch” naptime.
2. Get dressed early so you do not feel pressured to dash out the door. Pay attention to the details (brush off any lint, comb your hair, brush your teeth, use deodorant, etc.) and remember that a first impression can reveal a lot about you and your character.
3. Don’t forget to take copies of your resume, your cover letter, and your portfolio if you have one.
4. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your interview. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, it’s best to wait in the car or outside the building. Arriving too early gives off the impression that you have a lot riding on the interview (and have nothing better to do with your time), and also pressures the interviewer(s) into feeling that they have to adjust their schedule to accommodate you.
5.Smile and shake everyone’s hand when you are meeting for the first time - you should also smile and shake hands when the interview concludes.
6. Relax! If you have done your homework you are well-prepared for the interview. Take a deep breath and spend a moment collecting your thoughts if you need to when being asked a question. Ask confused about a particular question you are asked, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
After the Interview
Write a quick “Thank You” message to the individual(s) who interviewed you.
1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company's products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?
2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.
3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.
4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.”
5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.
6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.
The Day before the Interview
1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.
2. Get directions to the interview site. Be sure to double check the directions using a map. This will ensure that you know the way and also give you an approximate travel time – don’t forget to allow for extra time for rush hour!
3. Lay out your entire interview outfit. Check it for any spot, wrinkles, or snags.
4. Print off a few extra copies of your resume and cover letter on nice paper. Even if the interviewer has a copy of their own, it’s always a good idea to have a backup copy. This is also helpful if you end up interviewing with multiple individuals, since the head interviewer may be the only person with a copy of your resume.
Get a good night’s sleep!
1. Your brain needs fuel to run at peak performance and if there is ever a day you needed 110% from your brain, it’s today. So don’t skimp on meals. Be cautious about eating large amounts of carbohydrates right before your interview though, since carbs are know to cause sluggishness and may lead to a “post-lunch” naptime.
2. Get dressed early so you do not feel pressured to dash out the door. Pay attention to the details (brush off any lint, comb your hair, brush your teeth, use deodorant, etc.) and remember that a first impression can reveal a lot about you and your character.
3. Don’t forget to take copies of your resume, your cover letter, and your portfolio if you have one.
4. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your interview. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, it’s best to wait in the car or outside the building. Arriving too early gives off the impression that you have a lot riding on the interview (and have nothing better to do with your time), and also pressures the interviewer(s) into feeling that they have to adjust their schedule to accommodate you.
5.Smile and shake everyone’s hand when you are meeting for the first time - you should also smile and shake hands when the interview concludes.
6. Relax! If you have done your homework you are well-prepared for the interview. Take a deep breath and spend a moment collecting your thoughts if you need to when being asked a question. Ask confused about a particular question you are asked, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
After the Interview
Write a quick “Thank You” message to the individual(s) who interviewed you.
10 sure-fire measures to become the boss’s favorite
Any office has two kinds of people, a group that works hard but is never noticed and the other who immediately spring to mind. The second kind are the ones who are noticed and at the forefront of all activities. Career success means more than working hard, being qualified, meeting crazy deadlines, and being diligent. To be truly successful you need recognition from the boss.
In order to be remembered and noticed by the boss you will need to:
1. Be friendly and pleasant. Have a nice thing to say to everyone, ooze good manners, and have a ready smile and caring attitude. Don’t be brash and ride rough shod over others or be judgmental.
2. Refrain from gossip. It is the one thing that can make life uncomfortable. Know what’s happening in the office but stay away from discussing it or spreading things however tempting it may be.
3. Update your skills and knowledge constantly. The world today moves at a fast pace and one needs to keep up with technical innovations as well as global business trends. Make all efforts to be ahead of developments in your field of work.
4. Be efficient in your work and have facts and figures at the tips of your fingers. Always prepare for meetings well be a visionary and make suggestions that can be backed up by action. When you speak it must be “pearls of wisdom.”
5. Practice the art of listening. Analyze what others know and can tell you. Absorb knowledge like a sponge. Never restrict yourself to only your department. It pays to know other functions of the organization.
6. Be a leader in all aspects. Be the first to accept extra responsibilities, to take over someone else’s load when they have problems, lend a hand when a team is working to achieve a deadline. Make valuable suggestions. Let people know they can depend on you for just about anything.
7. Respect and obey the rules of the office. Be disciplined and spread the culture to all others.
8. Always be in control, never appear to be stressed. Keep personal life and work separate—never form a relationship with a colleague or boss. Dress well everyday and stand tall.
9. Be methodical and organized in your work. Use filing methods that anyone can use—if you are away anyone in your department should be able to locate the papers. Keep your work area neat, computer files uncluttered. Device a workable backup schedule such that under no circumstance is your work lost. Disaster management measures must be in place.
10. Be poised, stylish, and approachable. Look good and smell good—excellent personal habits are always appreciated. Carry breath mints in your pocket along with a fresh hanky. Keep a laundered shirt on hand for emergencies.
It takes more than talent to impress a boss. Be ahead in the race for success.
In order to be remembered and noticed by the boss you will need to:
1. Be friendly and pleasant. Have a nice thing to say to everyone, ooze good manners, and have a ready smile and caring attitude. Don’t be brash and ride rough shod over others or be judgmental.
2. Refrain from gossip. It is the one thing that can make life uncomfortable. Know what’s happening in the office but stay away from discussing it or spreading things however tempting it may be.
3. Update your skills and knowledge constantly. The world today moves at a fast pace and one needs to keep up with technical innovations as well as global business trends. Make all efforts to be ahead of developments in your field of work.
4. Be efficient in your work and have facts and figures at the tips of your fingers. Always prepare for meetings well be a visionary and make suggestions that can be backed up by action. When you speak it must be “pearls of wisdom.”
5. Practice the art of listening. Analyze what others know and can tell you. Absorb knowledge like a sponge. Never restrict yourself to only your department. It pays to know other functions of the organization.
6. Be a leader in all aspects. Be the first to accept extra responsibilities, to take over someone else’s load when they have problems, lend a hand when a team is working to achieve a deadline. Make valuable suggestions. Let people know they can depend on you for just about anything.
7. Respect and obey the rules of the office. Be disciplined and spread the culture to all others.
8. Always be in control, never appear to be stressed. Keep personal life and work separate—never form a relationship with a colleague or boss. Dress well everyday and stand tall.
9. Be methodical and organized in your work. Use filing methods that anyone can use—if you are away anyone in your department should be able to locate the papers. Keep your work area neat, computer files uncluttered. Device a workable backup schedule such that under no circumstance is your work lost. Disaster management measures must be in place.
10. Be poised, stylish, and approachable. Look good and smell good—excellent personal habits are always appreciated. Carry breath mints in your pocket along with a fresh hanky. Keep a laundered shirt on hand for emergencies.
It takes more than talent to impress a boss. Be ahead in the race for success.
10 Tips To Resign Your Job With Professionalism And Pride
Congratulations! You just got an offer for a wonderful new job. There's just one catch. You have to say good-by to your current employer.
Maybe you loved your job and you face an emotional farewell. Or you maybe you hated every minute and you’ve been counting the days till you could walk out the door one last time.
Clients often admit they’re nervous about making the departure announcement. They’re afraid the boss will be angry. They feel guilty about the work they’re leaving behind. Maybe someone else has to take up the slack for awhile.
But clients also wonder how to resign gracefully yet still protect their own longer-term career interests. They suspect their departure style will influence their careers for a long time,
They’re right.
Here are some guidelines to move to your next position with grace and style.
1. Give the correct amount of notice required by your company’s written policy.
Every so often my clients feel sorry for their former colleagues. So they stick around an extra week (or even an extra month). Inevitably, they begin to feel like a fifth wheel. Nearly everyone says, “Next time I’m leaving right away!”
2. After you leave, do not accept any job-related calls from your company unless you have a written consulting contract.
Your boss required two weeks notice – but belatedly realized she needs four weeks for a smooth transition to your successor.
Your boss made a business decision to require two weeks notice. When she miscalculates, she needs to accept the cost, just as she’d accept the cost of late payments to a supplier.
If your company needs additional help, offer to work as a paid consultant with a contract. But get everything in writing and make sure your new job becomes your Number One priority.
3. Study your current and future company policies regarding disclosures and no-compete agreements.
Some companies are extremely proprietary about their process and their people. Once you resign, you may have to leave the workplace immediately. Or your new company may ask you not to work for your former employer, even on a part-time basis.
4. Resign to your boss in person, if at all possible.
Phone is second best. And tell the boss before you tell anyone else – even your best friend or golfing buddy.
5. Expect your boss to be professional.
Clients often fear the boss’s reaction. However, bosses rarely are caught by surprise. Good bosses are happy to see their employees move ahead. Thank her for the opportunity to learn, which has led to your newest and most wonderful career move.
6. Thank your boss and your coworkers, even if you hate them all and can’t wait to leave.
You may regard them more fondly through a haze of memories than a glare of office lighting. You may encounter them at conventions and networking groups. And most likely you will benefit from strong references and goodwill.
7. Decline a counter-offer.
Recruiters consistently tell me, “Sixty percent of those who accept a counter-offer are gone in six months.” If you decide to stay, get a written job contract.
Exception: A few companies and industries actually demand proof of an outside offer before offering you any kind of internal raise or reward. College professors often work in this environment.
8. Treat the exit interview as a business formality, not a therapy session.
When a Human Resource professional asks why you are leaving, be upbeat and positive: “for a better opportunity.” Talk about how much you loved the company and your job. You never know where your comments will turn up, mangled and misinterpreted.
9. Resist entreaties to share the details of your future position with anyone.
Occasionally a colleague will try to assess your salary or other information “so we can stay competitive in recruiting.” Helping your company recruit is not part of your job and anyway, do you really believe this?
Details of your future employment should remain confidential, even from your close friends in the company.
10. Focus on your new opportunity – not your past expeience.
Once you’re gone, you’re history. The very same folks who loved meeting you for lunch will barely remember your name a week later.
And, if you haven’t changed jobs for awhile you may be in for a shock. Your first day in a new position can be a real eye-opener!
Maybe you loved your job and you face an emotional farewell. Or you maybe you hated every minute and you’ve been counting the days till you could walk out the door one last time.
Clients often admit they’re nervous about making the departure announcement. They’re afraid the boss will be angry. They feel guilty about the work they’re leaving behind. Maybe someone else has to take up the slack for awhile.
But clients also wonder how to resign gracefully yet still protect their own longer-term career interests. They suspect their departure style will influence their careers for a long time,
They’re right.
Here are some guidelines to move to your next position with grace and style.
1. Give the correct amount of notice required by your company’s written policy.
Every so often my clients feel sorry for their former colleagues. So they stick around an extra week (or even an extra month). Inevitably, they begin to feel like a fifth wheel. Nearly everyone says, “Next time I’m leaving right away!”
2. After you leave, do not accept any job-related calls from your company unless you have a written consulting contract.
Your boss required two weeks notice – but belatedly realized she needs four weeks for a smooth transition to your successor.
Your boss made a business decision to require two weeks notice. When she miscalculates, she needs to accept the cost, just as she’d accept the cost of late payments to a supplier.
If your company needs additional help, offer to work as a paid consultant with a contract. But get everything in writing and make sure your new job becomes your Number One priority.
3. Study your current and future company policies regarding disclosures and no-compete agreements.
Some companies are extremely proprietary about their process and their people. Once you resign, you may have to leave the workplace immediately. Or your new company may ask you not to work for your former employer, even on a part-time basis.
4. Resign to your boss in person, if at all possible.
Phone is second best. And tell the boss before you tell anyone else – even your best friend or golfing buddy.
5. Expect your boss to be professional.
Clients often fear the boss’s reaction. However, bosses rarely are caught by surprise. Good bosses are happy to see their employees move ahead. Thank her for the opportunity to learn, which has led to your newest and most wonderful career move.
6. Thank your boss and your coworkers, even if you hate them all and can’t wait to leave.
You may regard them more fondly through a haze of memories than a glare of office lighting. You may encounter them at conventions and networking groups. And most likely you will benefit from strong references and goodwill.
7. Decline a counter-offer.
Recruiters consistently tell me, “Sixty percent of those who accept a counter-offer are gone in six months.” If you decide to stay, get a written job contract.
Exception: A few companies and industries actually demand proof of an outside offer before offering you any kind of internal raise or reward. College professors often work in this environment.
8. Treat the exit interview as a business formality, not a therapy session.
When a Human Resource professional asks why you are leaving, be upbeat and positive: “for a better opportunity.” Talk about how much you loved the company and your job. You never know where your comments will turn up, mangled and misinterpreted.
9. Resist entreaties to share the details of your future position with anyone.
Occasionally a colleague will try to assess your salary or other information “so we can stay competitive in recruiting.” Helping your company recruit is not part of your job and anyway, do you really believe this?
Details of your future employment should remain confidential, even from your close friends in the company.
10. Focus on your new opportunity – not your past expeience.
Once you’re gone, you’re history. The very same folks who loved meeting you for lunch will barely remember your name a week later.
And, if you haven’t changed jobs for awhile you may be in for a shock. Your first day in a new position can be a real eye-opener!
10 Ways To Remain Connected During Retirement
One of your biggest fears of retirement may not be giving up the hustle and bustle of the working world but remaining socially connected. After all, with your coworkers, you have likely made some close personal friendships. You likely treasure them and consider them as closer (if not closer) than your family members and other friends outside the work force.
Well, we’re here to tell you that you don’t need to feel this way. You can still maintain these friendships and develop new friendships as well. You can stay socially connected during retirement and don’t have to alienate yourself. To do so, you simply have to be willing to put forth the effort. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 proven ways to stay connected during retirement.
• Stay in touch with ex-colleagues – There’s no getting around it, your coworkers are important to you and therefore you should stay connected to them. Make sure that you contact them by phone or meet your friends for lunch dates. Not only will this keep your connection strong but it will also ensure that you remain up to date on past work happenings and keep your friends from work.
• Create meaningful relationships – Besides ex colleagues, now is the time to create new meaningful relationships. To do this, you should connect with family, friends and neighbors too. Perhaps you can engage in after-retirement activities that will enable you to improve these relationships.
• Foster relationship with your spouse – Now that you’re retired, you should have more time to spend with your spouse. Take some time to get romantic with them. See if the two of you can re-spark a flame or perhaps develop mutual interests.
• Build a strong social network – This can be accomplished by volunteering at your favorite non profit organization, enrolling in a class, or joining a group.
• Join clubs – You can connect with like-minded people by joining a club or a social group. Just make sure that it is an actitivy that you would enjoy and will get excited about.
• Participate in community service – You can remain connected to people of various dimensions by assisting with some community service projects. For instance, perhaps you can arrange to clean up the parks on Earth Day or participate in the Why Me Cancer Walk.
• Participate in volunteer work – Join a worthy cause to be in touch with people. Try to help the deprived and lesser privileged. Alternatively, you can spread awareness about the burning issues that concern people around you. It will be an enriching experience for you too.
• Explore a hobby – In exploring this hobby, join a group of people who also have this interest such as a knitting club or ski club. This will increase your interaction with people with similar interests.
• Re-educate yourself – Participate in classes that you can learn something new with other people. Make sure that you keep a positive and friendly attitude and you’ll meet new people all the time.
• Connect with family– This is a wonderful way to remain connected with your children, and your grand children, with whom you may not have fostered a close relationship during your working life. You can’t start any sooner, so cease the moment right now and you’ll be happy that you took the time.
In conclusion, you can remain connected during retirement. You simply have to be willing to connect with family, re-educate yourself, join a hobby, participate in community service activities, volunteer, join clubs, build a new network, stay in touch with ex-colleagues, foster relationships with your spouse, connect with family, and create meaningful relationships.
Well, we’re here to tell you that you don’t need to feel this way. You can still maintain these friendships and develop new friendships as well. You can stay socially connected during retirement and don’t have to alienate yourself. To do so, you simply have to be willing to put forth the effort. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 proven ways to stay connected during retirement.
• Stay in touch with ex-colleagues – There’s no getting around it, your coworkers are important to you and therefore you should stay connected to them. Make sure that you contact them by phone or meet your friends for lunch dates. Not only will this keep your connection strong but it will also ensure that you remain up to date on past work happenings and keep your friends from work.
• Create meaningful relationships – Besides ex colleagues, now is the time to create new meaningful relationships. To do this, you should connect with family, friends and neighbors too. Perhaps you can engage in after-retirement activities that will enable you to improve these relationships.
• Foster relationship with your spouse – Now that you’re retired, you should have more time to spend with your spouse. Take some time to get romantic with them. See if the two of you can re-spark a flame or perhaps develop mutual interests.
• Build a strong social network – This can be accomplished by volunteering at your favorite non profit organization, enrolling in a class, or joining a group.
• Join clubs – You can connect with like-minded people by joining a club or a social group. Just make sure that it is an actitivy that you would enjoy and will get excited about.
• Participate in community service – You can remain connected to people of various dimensions by assisting with some community service projects. For instance, perhaps you can arrange to clean up the parks on Earth Day or participate in the Why Me Cancer Walk.
• Participate in volunteer work – Join a worthy cause to be in touch with people. Try to help the deprived and lesser privileged. Alternatively, you can spread awareness about the burning issues that concern people around you. It will be an enriching experience for you too.
• Explore a hobby – In exploring this hobby, join a group of people who also have this interest such as a knitting club or ski club. This will increase your interaction with people with similar interests.
• Re-educate yourself – Participate in classes that you can learn something new with other people. Make sure that you keep a positive and friendly attitude and you’ll meet new people all the time.
• Connect with family– This is a wonderful way to remain connected with your children, and your grand children, with whom you may not have fostered a close relationship during your working life. You can’t start any sooner, so cease the moment right now and you’ll be happy that you took the time.
In conclusion, you can remain connected during retirement. You simply have to be willing to connect with family, re-educate yourself, join a hobby, participate in community service activities, volunteer, join clubs, build a new network, stay in touch with ex-colleagues, foster relationships with your spouse, connect with family, and create meaningful relationships.
10 Hot Tips On How To Cope With The Prospect Of Redundancy.
It used to be the case that people could get a job and expect to stay there for as long as they wished. That is no longer the case and we should realistically anticipate 3 or 4 job changes in our working lives.
When we are faced with redundancy, we often feel as though we are out of control. Something is happening to us that we don’t want and we feel hurt, sad, anxious and resistant to that change.No matter what our thoughts about it are, we have to deal with it.
I often speak to people who are faced with this issue .What makes it much worse is when people feel that they have given their work and I quote “their all” ,”the best years of their lives”. There are those amongst us who focus too much on work related aspects and neglect personal areas of their life .In these situations, the void that redundancy creates will be so much greater.
Tips
1.Ensure that there is balance between your work and personal life.
2.It can be useful even when you are employed to periodically check out what other employment is available. Send off for job specifications as this may indicate to you what prospective employees are looking for. You will also become clearer about how marketable you are.
3.Have some contingency plan.
4.After the shock has worn off, try to look at your situation as an opportunity for positive change rather than as a problem.
5.Take control by taking action, rather than ruminating and worrying which tends to exacerbate situations.
6.Do some brainstorming exercises to generate ideas about what else you may be able to do.
7.Explore whether your skills and experience to date are transferable to other areas.
8.If you can afford to, it can sometimes be helpful to go away for a few days where you are removed from the situation and may be able to see things more clearly.
9.Sometimes sharing your concerns with others is useful as they may have had similar experiences and will be able to empathise with you and perhaps share ideas about how to manage this change.
10.Optimise your ability to cope with this change by paying attention to your general health .Ensure you eat properly, take regular exercise and have adequate sleep.
When we are faced with redundancy, we often feel as though we are out of control. Something is happening to us that we don’t want and we feel hurt, sad, anxious and resistant to that change.No matter what our thoughts about it are, we have to deal with it.
I often speak to people who are faced with this issue .What makes it much worse is when people feel that they have given their work and I quote “their all” ,”the best years of their lives”. There are those amongst us who focus too much on work related aspects and neglect personal areas of their life .In these situations, the void that redundancy creates will be so much greater.
Tips
1.Ensure that there is balance between your work and personal life.
2.It can be useful even when you are employed to periodically check out what other employment is available. Send off for job specifications as this may indicate to you what prospective employees are looking for. You will also become clearer about how marketable you are.
3.Have some contingency plan.
4.After the shock has worn off, try to look at your situation as an opportunity for positive change rather than as a problem.
5.Take control by taking action, rather than ruminating and worrying which tends to exacerbate situations.
6.Do some brainstorming exercises to generate ideas about what else you may be able to do.
7.Explore whether your skills and experience to date are transferable to other areas.
8.If you can afford to, it can sometimes be helpful to go away for a few days where you are removed from the situation and may be able to see things more clearly.
9.Sometimes sharing your concerns with others is useful as they may have had similar experiences and will be able to empathise with you and perhaps share ideas about how to manage this change.
10.Optimise your ability to cope with this change by paying attention to your general health .Ensure you eat properly, take regular exercise and have adequate sleep.
10 Career Change Myths
Career Myth #1: You can't make a living doing something you really, truly love
This is the grand-daddy of career myths, the belief that you can't have a "practical" career doing something that you were passionate about. It has to be one or the other.
This myth is rooted in fear. Fear that we have to sacrifice our happiness to make a living. Don't buy the myth that you can't earn a living by doing what you love.
When I first started coaching, I heard from plenty of people that it would be very difficult to make a living doing this work. I just decided to find coaches who were successful, and to learn from them (simple, eh?).
If you find yourself buying into this myth, consider this question - As you look back on your life, what will you regret more? Following your passion or following your fears?
Career Myth #2: It's a tough job market/economy
Even when the newspapers and other news sources say that unemployment numbers remain steady, that job growth is at a standstill, or that we're experiencing slow economic recovery, not to mention downsizing and outsourcing, don't believe it.
It's a myth because it doesn't reflect the whole story, the fact that that it's a different job market today. It's a changing economy. How we transition from job-to-job is different. Hiring practices have shifted. So the job market has changed, but that doesn't necessarily make it tougher. What makes it tougher is that we've been slower to change. We've held on to old practices and old behaviors. That's not to say that old ways still don't work, but they're just not as effective.
So I challenge you to just believe that it's a perfect job market for you to find work. I've had my college students try this, just for a week, and, more times than not, several of them find job leads or make important connections during the week.
Career Myth #3: Changing careers is risky
What's riskier than leaving what you know to pursue the unknown? Changing careers means leaving behind a piece of your identity - your "I'm a lawyer" response to the "what-do-you-do?" question. It might mean admitting to yourself that you made a mistake with an initial career choice. Or it might mean acknowledging that you're unsure of what's next. And smart people always know what's next, right?
Nope. Successful career changers often don't have a plan. In Working Identity: How Successful Career Changers Turn Fantasy into Reality by Herminia Ibarra, she provided evidence that waiting until you have a plan is actually riskier than just doing and experimenting.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is riskier than not changing careers if you're longing to do so. Here's why: The longing won't go away. It will always be there, under the surface, waiting for you to do something about it.
Career Myth #4: Always have a back-up plan
Sometimes having a back-up plan is the smart and prudent course of action. Back-up plans are so grown-up and responsible. But what happens when you're standing with one foot in and one foot out? In my experience, we usually close the door and retreat. We are reluctant to commit to ourselves, and we end up denying ourselves the satisfaction of playing full-out, getting dirty and sweaty. We end up with feelings of regret and the nagging "What if?" question.
Back-up plans diffuse our energy. Diffused energy equals diffused results. Give all that you've got to your dream/passion/risk and you've got a better chance of being successful.
Career Myth #5: There's a perfect job out there for everyone
How long have you been searching for yours? You just know, deep inside, that there's an ideal job that's perfect for you out there. It matches your personality, skills, and interests to a tee. And it pays well. If only you could figure it out. If only you knew what it was.
Is there a perfect job out there for you? No. And here's the good news - there are more jobs than you can imagine that would be "perfect" for you. Chances are you've even come very, very close to a few of those perfect jobs already. So what happened? And how do you recognize one of these so-called "perfect jobs"?
Ever see the perfect gift for someone, but it was months till his or her birthday? Then when you go to find the item later, you can't. Another lost opportunity and you, once again, berate yourself for not buying it when you first saw it.
So maybe you've run into a perfect job in the past, but because of the timing, you passed by the opportunity. Or maybe you were so focused on something else, that you missed an obvious clue. Instead of dwelling on the past, which you can't change, vow to keep your eyes open and to look beyond the obvious.
Career Myth #6: Asking "What's the best thing for me to do?" is the right question
This is one of the most common questions asked when considering a career change or a career move. It seems like a logical analysis - weigh the pros and cons and evaluate the balance.
Do not ask yourself this question!! It rarely leads you to the answers you're seeking. It will lead you to feeling overwhelmed with options (sound familiar?), or feeling like you have to choose what's practical over what seems to be impractical.
The question that will lead you to answers is simple (but not easy!!) It is "What do I really want to do?" This is a very different question than "what's best?"
Career Myth #7: If you don't like your job, you're probably in the wrong career
Cause and effect, right? One way to tell if you're in the right career is whether or not you like your job. If you're dissatisfied with your job, it's probably a sign that you need to re-examine your whole career choice. This is frequently what I hear from new clients who have decided to work with a career coach. They know something isn't right because they don't like their jobs. Their natural assumption is that their dissatisfaction is a symptom of a larger underlying issue - their career choice.
This is an example of false logic. Not liking your job might be telling you you're in the wrong job. It doesn't necessarily mean you're in the wrong career. It doesn't even mean you're in the wrong job. You could just be working for the wrong person or the wrong company. It takes a skillful approach to discern the source of discontent, and I think it's very hard to do it on your own (shameless plug for career coaches here!)
Career Myth #8: Everyone needs a mission statement
Do you know what your mission is? Mission statements are supposed to guide us, keep us on track, and help us move forward. But what if you don't have one? Does that mean you're destined to never fulfill your potential career-wise?
A client who was a successful professional contacted me because she was at a career crossroads. She felt that if only she could find her mission in life, she would know which career path to take.
She had a clear goal for coaching - find her mission! Instead, the most amazing thing happened. She decided that she didn't need a mission. She chose to trust that she was already fulfilling her mission statement, even though she didn't know what it was. After the client shifted her focus from finding her mission to living her life, an amazing opportunity came her way and she pursued it.
Here's a little tip: If your mission statement is elusive, stop chasing it. Be still and let it find you. And in the meantime, keep living your life and see what happens.
Career Myth #9: Expect a career epiphany
When you see a link to "Find Your Dream Job," do you immediately click on it to see what's there? Do you look at every "Top Ten Career" list out there to see if anything catches your interest? Do you know your MBTI type? If you do, you might be falling prey to the career epiphany myth.
I'd love, love, love it if most of my clients had a career epiphany that indicated to them, in crystal-clear terms, their next step. Instead, I see career "unfoldings" or a journey of discovery much more regularly. That is, being willing to not ignore the obvious, the pokes, the prods, and listen carefully to the whisper within. Yep, forget harp music and angels, for most of us, the career epiphany is a quiet whisper.
Career Myth #10: Ignoring your career dissatisfaction will make it go away
Oh, if only this worked in the long run!! Granted, it does work at first. When you find yourself beginning to question your career, you'll find it's rather easy to push the thoughts aside and pretend they aren't there. You know what I'm talking about: the "what ifs" and the list of regrets.
Over time, the random thoughts become nagging thoughts. You spend more and more time daydreaming about options. You build your list of reasons to ignore your growing career dissatisfaction:
With clients in this situation, we work on identifying and challenging these fears. Sometimes the fear of change remains, but there becomes a greater commitment to living than to feeling the fear.
Challenge
So now that you know that one or all of these myths have been holding you back, what are you waiting for?
This is the grand-daddy of career myths, the belief that you can't have a "practical" career doing something that you were passionate about. It has to be one or the other.
This myth is rooted in fear. Fear that we have to sacrifice our happiness to make a living. Don't buy the myth that you can't earn a living by doing what you love.
When I first started coaching, I heard from plenty of people that it would be very difficult to make a living doing this work. I just decided to find coaches who were successful, and to learn from them (simple, eh?).
If you find yourself buying into this myth, consider this question - As you look back on your life, what will you regret more? Following your passion or following your fears?
Career Myth #2: It's a tough job market/economy
Even when the newspapers and other news sources say that unemployment numbers remain steady, that job growth is at a standstill, or that we're experiencing slow economic recovery, not to mention downsizing and outsourcing, don't believe it.
It's a myth because it doesn't reflect the whole story, the fact that that it's a different job market today. It's a changing economy. How we transition from job-to-job is different. Hiring practices have shifted. So the job market has changed, but that doesn't necessarily make it tougher. What makes it tougher is that we've been slower to change. We've held on to old practices and old behaviors. That's not to say that old ways still don't work, but they're just not as effective.
So I challenge you to just believe that it's a perfect job market for you to find work. I've had my college students try this, just for a week, and, more times than not, several of them find job leads or make important connections during the week.
Career Myth #3: Changing careers is risky
What's riskier than leaving what you know to pursue the unknown? Changing careers means leaving behind a piece of your identity - your "I'm a lawyer" response to the "what-do-you-do?" question. It might mean admitting to yourself that you made a mistake with an initial career choice. Or it might mean acknowledging that you're unsure of what's next. And smart people always know what's next, right?
Nope. Successful career changers often don't have a plan. In Working Identity: How Successful Career Changers Turn Fantasy into Reality by Herminia Ibarra, she provided evidence that waiting until you have a plan is actually riskier than just doing and experimenting.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is riskier than not changing careers if you're longing to do so. Here's why: The longing won't go away. It will always be there, under the surface, waiting for you to do something about it.
Career Myth #4: Always have a back-up plan
Sometimes having a back-up plan is the smart and prudent course of action. Back-up plans are so grown-up and responsible. But what happens when you're standing with one foot in and one foot out? In my experience, we usually close the door and retreat. We are reluctant to commit to ourselves, and we end up denying ourselves the satisfaction of playing full-out, getting dirty and sweaty. We end up with feelings of regret and the nagging "What if?" question.
Back-up plans diffuse our energy. Diffused energy equals diffused results. Give all that you've got to your dream/passion/risk and you've got a better chance of being successful.
Career Myth #5: There's a perfect job out there for everyone
How long have you been searching for yours? You just know, deep inside, that there's an ideal job that's perfect for you out there. It matches your personality, skills, and interests to a tee. And it pays well. If only you could figure it out. If only you knew what it was.
Is there a perfect job out there for you? No. And here's the good news - there are more jobs than you can imagine that would be "perfect" for you. Chances are you've even come very, very close to a few of those perfect jobs already. So what happened? And how do you recognize one of these so-called "perfect jobs"?
Ever see the perfect gift for someone, but it was months till his or her birthday? Then when you go to find the item later, you can't. Another lost opportunity and you, once again, berate yourself for not buying it when you first saw it.
So maybe you've run into a perfect job in the past, but because of the timing, you passed by the opportunity. Or maybe you were so focused on something else, that you missed an obvious clue. Instead of dwelling on the past, which you can't change, vow to keep your eyes open and to look beyond the obvious.
Career Myth #6: Asking "What's the best thing for me to do?" is the right question
This is one of the most common questions asked when considering a career change or a career move. It seems like a logical analysis - weigh the pros and cons and evaluate the balance.
Do not ask yourself this question!! It rarely leads you to the answers you're seeking. It will lead you to feeling overwhelmed with options (sound familiar?), or feeling like you have to choose what's practical over what seems to be impractical.
The question that will lead you to answers is simple (but not easy!!) It is "What do I really want to do?" This is a very different question than "what's best?"
Career Myth #7: If you don't like your job, you're probably in the wrong career
Cause and effect, right? One way to tell if you're in the right career is whether or not you like your job. If you're dissatisfied with your job, it's probably a sign that you need to re-examine your whole career choice. This is frequently what I hear from new clients who have decided to work with a career coach. They know something isn't right because they don't like their jobs. Their natural assumption is that their dissatisfaction is a symptom of a larger underlying issue - their career choice.
This is an example of false logic. Not liking your job might be telling you you're in the wrong job. It doesn't necessarily mean you're in the wrong career. It doesn't even mean you're in the wrong job. You could just be working for the wrong person or the wrong company. It takes a skillful approach to discern the source of discontent, and I think it's very hard to do it on your own (shameless plug for career coaches here!)
Career Myth #8: Everyone needs a mission statement
Do you know what your mission is? Mission statements are supposed to guide us, keep us on track, and help us move forward. But what if you don't have one? Does that mean you're destined to never fulfill your potential career-wise?
A client who was a successful professional contacted me because she was at a career crossroads. She felt that if only she could find her mission in life, she would know which career path to take.
She had a clear goal for coaching - find her mission! Instead, the most amazing thing happened. She decided that she didn't need a mission. She chose to trust that she was already fulfilling her mission statement, even though she didn't know what it was. After the client shifted her focus from finding her mission to living her life, an amazing opportunity came her way and she pursued it.
Here's a little tip: If your mission statement is elusive, stop chasing it. Be still and let it find you. And in the meantime, keep living your life and see what happens.
Career Myth #9: Expect a career epiphany
When you see a link to "Find Your Dream Job," do you immediately click on it to see what's there? Do you look at every "Top Ten Career" list out there to see if anything catches your interest? Do you know your MBTI type? If you do, you might be falling prey to the career epiphany myth.
I'd love, love, love it if most of my clients had a career epiphany that indicated to them, in crystal-clear terms, their next step. Instead, I see career "unfoldings" or a journey of discovery much more regularly. That is, being willing to not ignore the obvious, the pokes, the prods, and listen carefully to the whisper within. Yep, forget harp music and angels, for most of us, the career epiphany is a quiet whisper.
Career Myth #10: Ignoring your career dissatisfaction will make it go away
Oh, if only this worked in the long run!! Granted, it does work at first. When you find yourself beginning to question your career, you'll find it's rather easy to push the thoughts aside and pretend they aren't there. You know what I'm talking about: the "what ifs" and the list of regrets.
Over time, the random thoughts become nagging thoughts. You spend more and more time daydreaming about options. You build your list of reasons to ignore your growing career dissatisfaction:
- You're too old.
- You don't want to take a pay cut.
- You don't want to go back to school.
- You missed your opportunity 5, 10, 15 years ago.
With clients in this situation, we work on identifying and challenging these fears. Sometimes the fear of change remains, but there becomes a greater commitment to living than to feeling the fear.
Challenge
So now that you know that one or all of these myths have been holding you back, what are you waiting for?
7 Ways to Network Your Way Out Of a Job and Into a Work At Home Career
Everyday you can read articles about how people network and find another job. You can find countless numbers of books and articles on how to create relationships to find jobs that might not otherwise be known. But what about people who don’t want to work?
I am not talking about a lazy person without any ambition. The person I am referring to is the unemployable, the serial entrepreneur or corporate refugee. If you are currently working in a job and what you want is not another job but to become a work at home entrepreneur networking can still be for you.
Here are 7 networking strategies you can use to catapult your work from home career.
1. Create your own Board of Directors. IBM and Microsoft are not the only ones who should have a boardroom team. As a home based business owner you want to have a group of people who you can meet with, mastermind and get advice from.
Often times they may see skills and talents in you that you might not recognize. Once you have identified what your business goal is you have the opportunity to leverage the power of six degrees of separation. Six degrees of separation is the principle that anyone on earth can be connected to another person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five relationships apart.
2. Join Networking Organizations for Entrepreneurs. Successful business owners like to connect with each and expand their relationships. Look for organizations that have business owners in the same area of interest as you. Don’t just see them as competitors. Look for opportunities that you might be able to assist them in some way. Here are a couple of groups to consider:
The Chamber of Commerce
BNI (Business Networking International
Le-Tip
Rotary International
Each of these organizations have different personalities and cultures. Attend a few meetings before you call one of them home. Know what you ultimately want. Basil S. Walsh states, “If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?”
First establish in very specific detail what you are going to achieve. Did you notice that I said going to achieve? Life will give you exactly what you expect from it. Start with the end in mind.
Now is the time to dream big and visualize what your life will look like when you are a successful business owner. Don’t worry about the how. Simply set goals by asking yourself some key questions such as:
A. What would I love to do even if I did not get paid for it?
B. How many days will I work each week?
C. What type of work from home business am I interested in?
D. Where will I live?
E. What do I like to do?
Determine what you need to happen to get out your job. Do you know how much you need to make in your business to leave your job? What is your financial freedom number? Your financial freedom number is the amount of income you need to have coming in passively each month to cover all of your expenses.
One of the reasons you want to know this is when you are looking at home based business income opportunities you want to choose one that has the profit potential you want and need. If your financial freedom number is $5000.00 per month you don’t want to choose a business that does not have the potential to net that on a passive basis.
As you are networking and meeting new people you can analyze the business opportunities that arise from a totally unemotional point of view because you are clear about your goals.
3. Remember it is better to give then receive. One of the biggest problems I see with networking is most people go in it to see what they can get first before they give. Always look for a way to be of service to the people that you meet first. There is a universal law of reciprocity. You will always get back more than you give out. As you get to know people think about how you can help to enrich their life or help them towards their goals.
If you read an article or run across something that might be of help to them send it. When you have a genuine interest in others success you are blessed through your giving.
Some people call it karma and others say you reap what you sow. My life’s experiences have been blessed more than I could have every imagined whenever I give.
So look for ways to contribute. You may be able to do this in a variety of ways:
a. Volunteer to work with them some way.
b. Introduce them to people in your network that could help them.
c. Send notes or articles that might be areas of interest or
could help to increase their business.
4. Learn how to joint venture or strategically partnership. One of the fastest ways to get out of your job, launch a business or simply make some money is to create a joint venture with someone.
Joint Venturing is a way to take either yourself or two other people who could profit from working together but simply did not have the relationship. You profit from making the connection.
For example you know a veterinarian has a large practice with a list of over 700 clients. You also have a relationship with a new pet groomer in the city who is trying to increase his business. You put the two together and every time the pet groomer gets a new client due to your structuring this deal you get paid. We call this mail box money. Money comes in your mail box whether you work or not.
5. Set up a written networking plan. I am amazed at how much time and effort people will spend to find a new job. However, when it comes to designing a plan to exit the rat race they do it almost haphazardly. You will be much more effective if you have a written plan. The plan does not have to be elaborate. Here are some of the basic things you want to cover:
a. What is my goal?
b. Who do I want to meet?
c. What events should I focus on?
d. How often should I be networking?
6. Attend seminars and boot camp events. Specialized knowledge is one of the keys to being successful in a home based business. When you attend boot camps and seminars you able to surround yourself with like minded people as well as learn from the experts.
However, if you really want to make these educational experiences profitable do three things:
a. Introduce yourself to at least 3 people and get their cards. Ask them why they are there and what they hope to get out of the event. Exchange numbers and ask, “What is the single most important thing you need help in making your business venture successful?”
When you ask this of someone else you will genuinely get to know someone and you may be able to help them. In addition, out of respect they will want to know more about you and a new relationship may be formed.
b. Go to lunch with someone you meet at the seminar and tell them the things you learned so far and will implement. There is something about speaking your goal out loud that will make it real. If you immediately implement one single action every time you learn something the results will grow exponentially.
c. Introduce yourself to the speaker. Sometimes this can be difficult if the event is large. However, if there is a book signing buy their book so while they are signing it you can ask one question. My question is, “What is the single most important skill you contribute to your success?” You might like my question or you can come up with your own. The point is you have a great opportunity to network and learn from someone who is a master at their craft. Seize the opportunity.
7.Have a goal for every networking opportunity. Simply going to an event and "working the room" almost never yields any measurable results. Before you attend any event know what you want your outcome to be in advance. Are you going to meet specific person? How will you insure your introduction? Make sure you have crafted out a plan and enlist support from someone to help you execute if needed.
For example, if you want to meet someone ask the host of the networking event if they know the person and if they would be willing to introduce you. Your chances of success are almost guaranteed due to the nature of the event.
Networking is often an overlooked opportunity to find a way out of the rat race. If you want to look for a work at home career, connections can be a key to rapid success. Get the inside tips and discover 7 ways to network your way out of a job.
I am not talking about a lazy person without any ambition. The person I am referring to is the unemployable, the serial entrepreneur or corporate refugee. If you are currently working in a job and what you want is not another job but to become a work at home entrepreneur networking can still be for you.
Here are 7 networking strategies you can use to catapult your work from home career.
1. Create your own Board of Directors. IBM and Microsoft are not the only ones who should have a boardroom team. As a home based business owner you want to have a group of people who you can meet with, mastermind and get advice from.
Often times they may see skills and talents in you that you might not recognize. Once you have identified what your business goal is you have the opportunity to leverage the power of six degrees of separation. Six degrees of separation is the principle that anyone on earth can be connected to another person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five relationships apart.
2. Join Networking Organizations for Entrepreneurs. Successful business owners like to connect with each and expand their relationships. Look for organizations that have business owners in the same area of interest as you. Don’t just see them as competitors. Look for opportunities that you might be able to assist them in some way. Here are a couple of groups to consider:
The Chamber of Commerce
BNI (Business Networking International
Le-Tip
Rotary International
Each of these organizations have different personalities and cultures. Attend a few meetings before you call one of them home. Know what you ultimately want. Basil S. Walsh states, “If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?”
First establish in very specific detail what you are going to achieve. Did you notice that I said going to achieve? Life will give you exactly what you expect from it. Start with the end in mind.
Now is the time to dream big and visualize what your life will look like when you are a successful business owner. Don’t worry about the how. Simply set goals by asking yourself some key questions such as:
A. What would I love to do even if I did not get paid for it?
B. How many days will I work each week?
C. What type of work from home business am I interested in?
D. Where will I live?
E. What do I like to do?
Determine what you need to happen to get out your job. Do you know how much you need to make in your business to leave your job? What is your financial freedom number? Your financial freedom number is the amount of income you need to have coming in passively each month to cover all of your expenses.
One of the reasons you want to know this is when you are looking at home based business income opportunities you want to choose one that has the profit potential you want and need. If your financial freedom number is $5000.00 per month you don’t want to choose a business that does not have the potential to net that on a passive basis.
As you are networking and meeting new people you can analyze the business opportunities that arise from a totally unemotional point of view because you are clear about your goals.
3. Remember it is better to give then receive. One of the biggest problems I see with networking is most people go in it to see what they can get first before they give. Always look for a way to be of service to the people that you meet first. There is a universal law of reciprocity. You will always get back more than you give out. As you get to know people think about how you can help to enrich their life or help them towards their goals.
If you read an article or run across something that might be of help to them send it. When you have a genuine interest in others success you are blessed through your giving.
Some people call it karma and others say you reap what you sow. My life’s experiences have been blessed more than I could have every imagined whenever I give.
So look for ways to contribute. You may be able to do this in a variety of ways:
a. Volunteer to work with them some way.
b. Introduce them to people in your network that could help them.
c. Send notes or articles that might be areas of interest or
could help to increase their business.
4. Learn how to joint venture or strategically partnership. One of the fastest ways to get out of your job, launch a business or simply make some money is to create a joint venture with someone.
Joint Venturing is a way to take either yourself or two other people who could profit from working together but simply did not have the relationship. You profit from making the connection.
For example you know a veterinarian has a large practice with a list of over 700 clients. You also have a relationship with a new pet groomer in the city who is trying to increase his business. You put the two together and every time the pet groomer gets a new client due to your structuring this deal you get paid. We call this mail box money. Money comes in your mail box whether you work or not.
5. Set up a written networking plan. I am amazed at how much time and effort people will spend to find a new job. However, when it comes to designing a plan to exit the rat race they do it almost haphazardly. You will be much more effective if you have a written plan. The plan does not have to be elaborate. Here are some of the basic things you want to cover:
a. What is my goal?
b. Who do I want to meet?
c. What events should I focus on?
d. How often should I be networking?
6. Attend seminars and boot camp events. Specialized knowledge is one of the keys to being successful in a home based business. When you attend boot camps and seminars you able to surround yourself with like minded people as well as learn from the experts.
However, if you really want to make these educational experiences profitable do three things:
a. Introduce yourself to at least 3 people and get their cards. Ask them why they are there and what they hope to get out of the event. Exchange numbers and ask, “What is the single most important thing you need help in making your business venture successful?”
When you ask this of someone else you will genuinely get to know someone and you may be able to help them. In addition, out of respect they will want to know more about you and a new relationship may be formed.
b. Go to lunch with someone you meet at the seminar and tell them the things you learned so far and will implement. There is something about speaking your goal out loud that will make it real. If you immediately implement one single action every time you learn something the results will grow exponentially.
c. Introduce yourself to the speaker. Sometimes this can be difficult if the event is large. However, if there is a book signing buy their book so while they are signing it you can ask one question. My question is, “What is the single most important skill you contribute to your success?” You might like my question or you can come up with your own. The point is you have a great opportunity to network and learn from someone who is a master at their craft. Seize the opportunity.
7.Have a goal for every networking opportunity. Simply going to an event and "working the room" almost never yields any measurable results. Before you attend any event know what you want your outcome to be in advance. Are you going to meet specific person? How will you insure your introduction? Make sure you have crafted out a plan and enlist support from someone to help you execute if needed.
For example, if you want to meet someone ask the host of the networking event if they know the person and if they would be willing to introduce you. Your chances of success are almost guaranteed due to the nature of the event.
Networking is often an overlooked opportunity to find a way out of the rat race. If you want to look for a work at home career, connections can be a key to rapid success. Get the inside tips and discover 7 ways to network your way out of a job.
8 Resume Editing Tips
It’s amazing what a well-written and nicely presented resume can do for your job search. Before you send yours out, follow this checklist to ensure you are sending out an excellent quality representation of yourself.
1. Grammar, spelling, punctuation - Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant "manager" when you actually typed "manger."
2. Capitalization - Use a manual such as the Gregg Reference Manual if you do not know capitalization rules.
3. Punctuation - Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons. Again, if you are unsure, refer to the Gregg Reference Manual.
4. Run-on sentences - Check to make sure you do not have run-ons that are hard to read.
5. Consistency - You must be consistent with your number usage (dates, money, numbers), plurals, and abbreviations. For example, don’t list one date as 8/2004 and then list another date as 3/15/2004. Also, be aware of listing software consistently (abbreviation use). MS Word and Microsoft Outlook are both correct, but not consistent.
6. Education section - When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree. When you list your dates, (i.e.: 9/1998 to 1/2002) many resume-scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period of time.
7. Ampersands - Ampersands (&) do not belong on a resume. There are a few exceptions. One exception is a well-known company name (AT&T). Another exception is well-known industry terms (P&L).
8. Hyperlinks - All e-mail and web addresses that you list need to be deactivated in your resume. To do this in MS Word, highlight the link, go to the "Insert" drop down menu, scroll down to and click "Hyperlink", and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says "Remove link", when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link, right click on it, and scroll down to "remove link" to deactivate the link.
1. Grammar, spelling, punctuation - Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant "manager" when you actually typed "manger."
2. Capitalization - Use a manual such as the Gregg Reference Manual if you do not know capitalization rules.
3. Punctuation - Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons. Again, if you are unsure, refer to the Gregg Reference Manual.
4. Run-on sentences - Check to make sure you do not have run-ons that are hard to read.
5. Consistency - You must be consistent with your number usage (dates, money, numbers), plurals, and abbreviations. For example, don’t list one date as 8/2004 and then list another date as 3/15/2004. Also, be aware of listing software consistently (abbreviation use). MS Word and Microsoft Outlook are both correct, but not consistent.
6. Education section - When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree. When you list your dates, (i.e.: 9/1998 to 1/2002) many resume-scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period of time.
7. Ampersands - Ampersands (&) do not belong on a resume. There are a few exceptions. One exception is a well-known company name (AT&T). Another exception is well-known industry terms (P&L).
8. Hyperlinks - All e-mail and web addresses that you list need to be deactivated in your resume. To do this in MS Word, highlight the link, go to the "Insert" drop down menu, scroll down to and click "Hyperlink", and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says "Remove link", when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link, right click on it, and scroll down to "remove link" to deactivate the link.
6 Ways to Pinpoint Your Perfect Career
Have you ever felt stuck in your career? Employee stress and burn out can account for a lot of dissatisfaction in your life. After all, you are at work some 8 hours a day or more. That’s 1/3 of your day if you don’t count sleep. That’s a long time to be dissatisfied.
If you feel stuck, here are 6 great ways to find your ideal career:
1. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper - I’ve talked about this before and it’s a strategy I use all the time. Take a pad of paper and write down at the top your objective in question form. Then, simply list out 20 answers to your question. For example, you could write “What should I be doing with my time and life?” Then stay seated for a half hour to an hour coming up with answers to that question. The key to this exercise is coming up with 20 answers - don’t quit until you have 20 answers. You can repeat every day until you get the answer you seek.
2. Ask 3 close friends - Sometimes our friends know us better than ourselves. While meeting with one of your friends, mention you are at a crossroads in your life and career. Ask what they think you’d enjoy doing. You might be surprised at how easily they can zero in to your strengths and abilities and report a perfect job area.
3. Ask your boss and coworkers - much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers most likely see you in a way you do not see yourself. In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment. Compile all the answers you get from them and see if there are any common threads you can explore.
4. Call a headhunter - If you are searching in your career, it’s likely you have a resume. Sometimes you can catch a headhunter or recruiter during their slow times and meet with them to pick through what you might be good at. I’ve done this at different times in my life and the people seem open to talking with people. After all, if you don’t get paid, they don’t either. The ideas I get are usually good.
5. Take a career assessment test - There are several sites on the Internet you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee. But using my ‘headhunter’ tip above, many headhunters have this software and don’t mind you taking the test in their office. I’ve taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough. They ask you to answer a series of questions about what you are good at, what you like to do, what you prefer doing over what you don’t. If you take one, you will likely see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.
6. Keep a journal - Do you keep a journal? If so, read through, looking for common threads in your writing. Keep your eyes peeled for trends and activities you like as well as don’t like. In fact, finding examples of what you don’t like and what frustrates you is almost as important as finding what you do like. For example, if you hate an overwhelming boss, you’d probably like a self-directed position. If you hate nosy coworkers you’d probably prefer your own office.
Discovering what you really want to do with your life is the most important decision you can make. We spend 1/3 or more of our lives at work. So figuring out the right career is important to keeping that 1/3 of our lives happy and productive.
If you feel stuck, here are 6 great ways to find your ideal career:
1. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper - I’ve talked about this before and it’s a strategy I use all the time. Take a pad of paper and write down at the top your objective in question form. Then, simply list out 20 answers to your question. For example, you could write “What should I be doing with my time and life?” Then stay seated for a half hour to an hour coming up with answers to that question. The key to this exercise is coming up with 20 answers - don’t quit until you have 20 answers. You can repeat every day until you get the answer you seek.
2. Ask 3 close friends - Sometimes our friends know us better than ourselves. While meeting with one of your friends, mention you are at a crossroads in your life and career. Ask what they think you’d enjoy doing. You might be surprised at how easily they can zero in to your strengths and abilities and report a perfect job area.
3. Ask your boss and coworkers - much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers most likely see you in a way you do not see yourself. In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment. Compile all the answers you get from them and see if there are any common threads you can explore.
4. Call a headhunter - If you are searching in your career, it’s likely you have a resume. Sometimes you can catch a headhunter or recruiter during their slow times and meet with them to pick through what you might be good at. I’ve done this at different times in my life and the people seem open to talking with people. After all, if you don’t get paid, they don’t either. The ideas I get are usually good.
5. Take a career assessment test - There are several sites on the Internet you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee. But using my ‘headhunter’ tip above, many headhunters have this software and don’t mind you taking the test in their office. I’ve taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough. They ask you to answer a series of questions about what you are good at, what you like to do, what you prefer doing over what you don’t. If you take one, you will likely see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.
6. Keep a journal - Do you keep a journal? If so, read through, looking for common threads in your writing. Keep your eyes peeled for trends and activities you like as well as don’t like. In fact, finding examples of what you don’t like and what frustrates you is almost as important as finding what you do like. For example, if you hate an overwhelming boss, you’d probably like a self-directed position. If you hate nosy coworkers you’d probably prefer your own office.
Discovering what you really want to do with your life is the most important decision you can make. We spend 1/3 or more of our lives at work. So figuring out the right career is important to keeping that 1/3 of our lives happy and productive.
7 Reasons To Search Online For Your Next Job
A job search can be hard and sometimes frustrating. In case you are considering changing your job you should consider using an online search. This will help you expand your horizons and your search for your next job can become world wide and not restricted to any one area.
1. If you are keen in continuing in your present line of work with say a better location or opportunities. Then explore the web sites of companies similar to yours. Check out their human resources pages or career links. Employer web sites are often listed at sites like Academic360, a directory of employment opportunities.
2. Undertake a search engine search. Ask any major search engine like Google to help you locate possible employers or job sites that specialize in your field of work.
3. Explore the web sites of professional associations. Being a member of an association is a great way to network with peers and many a time it is successful networking that can land you your next job.
4. You can register at an online employment site like http://www.job-hunt.org or Monster.com and reap the many benefits. They will send you possible opportunities to your e-mail, blast your resume to several recruitment personnel all over the world, offer you a professional evaluation of your resume, and you will be able to browse through all the postings on their site and apply to vacancies that interest you.
5. By opting for an online search you can be sure your application is not lost in the post or courier. When you click apply, the resume immediately goes to the email box of a possible employer. And, the job site will give you a confirmation message of your application.
6. The convenience of online means you can store your resume as well as several versions of a covering letter for use. The site will also maintain a record of applications made by you with details. This means that you will never make the mistake of applying for the same job twice.
7. Applying online means you curtail costs of postage, courier, and faxes.
Looking online for your next job means you can explore several possibilities. By surfing through several job sites you can even consider changing your line of work, moving to a new country with several new opportunities, or even starting your own enterprise. Often the World Wide Web has brought together several professionals from different fields n search of new opportunity and they have begun a business of their own quite successfully.
Another positive aspect of the web is that it allows you to research comprehensively on your new employer and the in depth information you gather on the company will help you during the interviews.
You can take expert advice in writing out your resume and ensure that it has the right key words that will place it ahead of zillion others, that the resume highlights your strengths and presents in a comprehensive way your experience.
The internet has changed the way people look for new jobs and job search has taken giant strides.
1. If you are keen in continuing in your present line of work with say a better location or opportunities. Then explore the web sites of companies similar to yours. Check out their human resources pages or career links. Employer web sites are often listed at sites like Academic360, a directory of employment opportunities.
2. Undertake a search engine search. Ask any major search engine like Google to help you locate possible employers or job sites that specialize in your field of work.
3. Explore the web sites of professional associations. Being a member of an association is a great way to network with peers and many a time it is successful networking that can land you your next job.
4. You can register at an online employment site like http://www.job-hunt.org or Monster.com and reap the many benefits. They will send you possible opportunities to your e-mail, blast your resume to several recruitment personnel all over the world, offer you a professional evaluation of your resume, and you will be able to browse through all the postings on their site and apply to vacancies that interest you.
5. By opting for an online search you can be sure your application is not lost in the post or courier. When you click apply, the resume immediately goes to the email box of a possible employer. And, the job site will give you a confirmation message of your application.
6. The convenience of online means you can store your resume as well as several versions of a covering letter for use. The site will also maintain a record of applications made by you with details. This means that you will never make the mistake of applying for the same job twice.
7. Applying online means you curtail costs of postage, courier, and faxes.
Looking online for your next job means you can explore several possibilities. By surfing through several job sites you can even consider changing your line of work, moving to a new country with several new opportunities, or even starting your own enterprise. Often the World Wide Web has brought together several professionals from different fields n search of new opportunity and they have begun a business of their own quite successfully.
Another positive aspect of the web is that it allows you to research comprehensively on your new employer and the in depth information you gather on the company will help you during the interviews.
You can take expert advice in writing out your resume and ensure that it has the right key words that will place it ahead of zillion others, that the resume highlights your strengths and presents in a comprehensive way your experience.
The internet has changed the way people look for new jobs and job search has taken giant strides.
6 Factors Of Career Success
What do employers look for in potential employees? That was the question that was posted recently on a career discussion forum online. Naturally, for each different position, the particular answers to that question would be different. However, there are some common skills that employers look for in all employees, whether the employee happens to be a network engineer or a fry cook.
In-Demand Skills for Success
1. BASIC SKILLS‚ Reading, writing and arithmetic! Believe it or not, a good portion of high school graduates (and some college grads) do not read at an 8th grade level and cannot do multiplication in their head. Employers are seeking employees who can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.) Add to that the modern basic skills of keyboarding skill, basic computer knowledge, and ability to use most computerized tools (e.g. fax machine, basic word processing program, etc.) to round out the basic skill sets needed for employment success.
2. PERSONAL SKILLS‚ Can a potential employee speak well? Can he/she answer questions of customers in a positive, informative manner? Can the prospect provide good customer service? While not everyone has an outgoing sales' personality, successful employees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their coworkers, team members, subordinates, management, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs.
3. JOB ATTAINMENT‚ Job search is a process that requires a great deal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully. It follows the old principal that many veteran programmers refer to as GIGO ‚ Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put lousy effort in, you will receive lousy results. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves in a positive manner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated on their skills and experience, but also on how they are approaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates with fewer skills have an even chance of getting the job as dull candidates with better skills.
4. JOB SURVIVAL‚ Now there's a hot topic in this period of layoffs. Who gets the ax and who doesn't is often a matter of numbers, but it is also often a matter of performance. Employees who have consistently demonstrated their worth, taken initiative, and made themselves a valuable asset to the company have lower incidences of being downsized than employees who put forth mediocre or average effort in their jobs. Surviving within a company through layoffs or moving up the career ladder is a success skill that is learned and is consciously cultivated among successful professionals.
5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT‚ As all high tech and engineering pros know‚ it's learn or burn in today's work environment. Attaining new skills, applying new concepts, updating established skills is an absolute necessity to succeed in today's work force. The successful individual is constantly attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training on new products or releases, and otherwise learning new skills that will keep them marketable in their careers. Successful people are lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who have the training necessary to fulfill their needs.
6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT‚ Career Development differs from Professional Development. Professional Development is learning while Career Development is a planning and goal setting process. Successful individuals design a career plan with written goals for short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed to move their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame C and plan how they are going to achieve those steps. Successful people have someone to whom they are accountable for their progress and who will monitor their success in achieving their goals. Employers are seeking individuals who (believe it or not) wish to commit to the company for a long period of time. Good career progression is a high selling point of candidates to prospective employers.
How do you measure up? Do you have the 6 In-Demand Skills for Success? Feel like you need some help? Give us a call!
In-Demand Skills for Success
1. BASIC SKILLS‚ Reading, writing and arithmetic! Believe it or not, a good portion of high school graduates (and some college grads) do not read at an 8th grade level and cannot do multiplication in their head. Employers are seeking employees who can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.) Add to that the modern basic skills of keyboarding skill, basic computer knowledge, and ability to use most computerized tools (e.g. fax machine, basic word processing program, etc.) to round out the basic skill sets needed for employment success.
2. PERSONAL SKILLS‚ Can a potential employee speak well? Can he/she answer questions of customers in a positive, informative manner? Can the prospect provide good customer service? While not everyone has an outgoing sales' personality, successful employees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their coworkers, team members, subordinates, management, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs.
3. JOB ATTAINMENT‚ Job search is a process that requires a great deal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully. It follows the old principal that many veteran programmers refer to as GIGO ‚ Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put lousy effort in, you will receive lousy results. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves in a positive manner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated on their skills and experience, but also on how they are approaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates with fewer skills have an even chance of getting the job as dull candidates with better skills.
4. JOB SURVIVAL‚ Now there's a hot topic in this period of layoffs. Who gets the ax and who doesn't is often a matter of numbers, but it is also often a matter of performance. Employees who have consistently demonstrated their worth, taken initiative, and made themselves a valuable asset to the company have lower incidences of being downsized than employees who put forth mediocre or average effort in their jobs. Surviving within a company through layoffs or moving up the career ladder is a success skill that is learned and is consciously cultivated among successful professionals.
5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT‚ As all high tech and engineering pros know‚ it's learn or burn in today's work environment. Attaining new skills, applying new concepts, updating established skills is an absolute necessity to succeed in today's work force. The successful individual is constantly attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training on new products or releases, and otherwise learning new skills that will keep them marketable in their careers. Successful people are lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who have the training necessary to fulfill their needs.
6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT‚ Career Development differs from Professional Development. Professional Development is learning while Career Development is a planning and goal setting process. Successful individuals design a career plan with written goals for short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed to move their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame C and plan how they are going to achieve those steps. Successful people have someone to whom they are accountable for their progress and who will monitor their success in achieving their goals. Employers are seeking individuals who (believe it or not) wish to commit to the company for a long period of time. Good career progression is a high selling point of candidates to prospective employers.
How do you measure up? Do you have the 6 In-Demand Skills for Success? Feel like you need some help? Give us a call!
6 to 20% employers look up your social networking page
Enjoying the anonymity of the internet in social networking? Are you revealing a bit more in Orkut, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, or BlogSpot? Extreme political opinions, photos, college pranks, weekend preferences and more?
An increasingly popular trend, graduates stepping out of universities and looking ahead for their first interviews are closing their social networking pages. Reason: Big brother is watching. Job hunters are increasingly conscious of anything they put into the online sphere-even e-mail, which, of course, can be forwarded to anyone.
These are not entirely paranoia. There is anecdotal evidence and some HR reports talk about corporate recruiters are Googling potential employees, having interns log onto social networking sites to check out an applicant’s profile, and using the online world as another way to check references. This trend, combined with the growing population of sites like Orkut, Facebook and MySpace, has many young people uneasy and unsure about how to navigate a new world.
B-school administrators and professors are beginning to advise students on maintaining a professional presence on social networking sites, in e-mail, on personal Web sites, and blogs. Even if it’s password protected, recruiters have profiles, too, and can get into your groups.
In a survey by AfterCollege.com a little more than 70% of the 60 students say they continue to post the same things they always did, even though potential employers might be taking a look. About 20% of the 90 employers who have so far responded to the same survey, say they investigate new hires by visiting social networking sites. A considerable 6% of employers say they’ve decided not to hire someone based on what they saw online, but another 26% responded to that same question with no comment.
To quote Roberto Angulo of AfterCollege.com Students should be more concerned than they are.
An increasingly popular trend, graduates stepping out of universities and looking ahead for their first interviews are closing their social networking pages. Reason: Big brother is watching. Job hunters are increasingly conscious of anything they put into the online sphere-even e-mail, which, of course, can be forwarded to anyone.
These are not entirely paranoia. There is anecdotal evidence and some HR reports talk about corporate recruiters are Googling potential employees, having interns log onto social networking sites to check out an applicant’s profile, and using the online world as another way to check references. This trend, combined with the growing population of sites like Orkut, Facebook and MySpace, has many young people uneasy and unsure about how to navigate a new world.
B-school administrators and professors are beginning to advise students on maintaining a professional presence on social networking sites, in e-mail, on personal Web sites, and blogs. Even if it’s password protected, recruiters have profiles, too, and can get into your groups.
In a survey by AfterCollege.com a little more than 70% of the 60 students say they continue to post the same things they always did, even though potential employers might be taking a look. About 20% of the 90 employers who have so far responded to the same survey, say they investigate new hires by visiting social networking sites. A considerable 6% of employers say they’ve decided not to hire someone based on what they saw online, but another 26% responded to that same question with no comment.
To quote Roberto Angulo of AfterCollege.com Students should be more concerned than they are.
5 Unusual Jobs You Can Get With A Nursing Degree
By the year 2014 – just eight years away – there will be 3.6 million new jobs available in the medical profession, and the bulk of those jobs – about 60% of them – will be open to those with nursing degrees of one kind or another. The demand for registered nurses is highest – the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of jobs available for registered nurses will rise by 27% by 2014 – but there will also be increased opportunities for certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and those in medical technical fields like phlebotomy and pulmonology.
And if you thought that the only jobs available for nurses were in hospitals and medical facilities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has more news for you. Less than 60% of registered nurses work in a hospital. A nursing degree opens doors of opportunity into so many fields that it’s easily one of the most versatile and useful degrees that you can acquire. Not only that – a nursing degree appeals to a wide range of people. According to the BLS, about 20% of those entering the nursing workforce are older workers starting on a second career. Many of them have been attracted by rising salaries triggered by the nursing shortage, but for many of them, a nursing degree is a chance to do something that makes them feel good.
Whether you’ve just started your nursing career, are returning to work after a hiatus, or are switching to a career in nursing as a second career, take a look at some of the opportunities that are open to you with a nursing degree.
Pediatric Home Health Care is one of the growing fields for those with nursing degrees. Every state in the Union now has some sort of Early Intervention program that identifies children under the age of three years with special needs. Pediatric home health care gives you the opportunity to work with children and parents and make a real difference in their lives.
Elder Home Health Care is the other end of the spectrum. The ‘aging of America’ means that more and more people require a little bit of help to remain in their homes. Nursing assistants, registered nurses and licensed nurses can provide that little bit extra that will allow a senior citizen to maintain a higher quality of life and remain at home when all they need is a few hours of medical care a day or week.
Working in a Blood Donor Center is an option that makes you part of the life-saving network. There’s more to blood donor centers than just starting IVs. Nurses who specialize in pharesis can command high salaries, and a nurse working in the blood collection field can be a valuable community organizer as well as a medical practitioner.
A Critical Care Transport nurse requires multiple nursing degrees, but it can be one of the most interesting and fascinating nursing jobs available. A CCT nurse accompanies patients being transported from home or a nursing facility to another nursing facility. The nurse is responsible for maintaining continuity of care for every patient – in the back of an ambulance. It’s a challenging and fun job that commands a salary commensurate with the experience required.
On Site Nursing is a wide open field for medical workers with nursing degrees. You can work at an amusement park or zoo, or in the medical office at a state or national park, or provide medical backup for the emergency workers at a beach or other recreational setting. If you choose to work on site at a camp or other facility, your benefits may include free tuition for your own family.
And if you thought that the only jobs available for nurses were in hospitals and medical facilities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has more news for you. Less than 60% of registered nurses work in a hospital. A nursing degree opens doors of opportunity into so many fields that it’s easily one of the most versatile and useful degrees that you can acquire. Not only that – a nursing degree appeals to a wide range of people. According to the BLS, about 20% of those entering the nursing workforce are older workers starting on a second career. Many of them have been attracted by rising salaries triggered by the nursing shortage, but for many of them, a nursing degree is a chance to do something that makes them feel good.
Whether you’ve just started your nursing career, are returning to work after a hiatus, or are switching to a career in nursing as a second career, take a look at some of the opportunities that are open to you with a nursing degree.
Pediatric Home Health Care is one of the growing fields for those with nursing degrees. Every state in the Union now has some sort of Early Intervention program that identifies children under the age of three years with special needs. Pediatric home health care gives you the opportunity to work with children and parents and make a real difference in their lives.
Elder Home Health Care is the other end of the spectrum. The ‘aging of America’ means that more and more people require a little bit of help to remain in their homes. Nursing assistants, registered nurses and licensed nurses can provide that little bit extra that will allow a senior citizen to maintain a higher quality of life and remain at home when all they need is a few hours of medical care a day or week.
Working in a Blood Donor Center is an option that makes you part of the life-saving network. There’s more to blood donor centers than just starting IVs. Nurses who specialize in pharesis can command high salaries, and a nurse working in the blood collection field can be a valuable community organizer as well as a medical practitioner.
A Critical Care Transport nurse requires multiple nursing degrees, but it can be one of the most interesting and fascinating nursing jobs available. A CCT nurse accompanies patients being transported from home or a nursing facility to another nursing facility. The nurse is responsible for maintaining continuity of care for every patient – in the back of an ambulance. It’s a challenging and fun job that commands a salary commensurate with the experience required.
On Site Nursing is a wide open field for medical workers with nursing degrees. You can work at an amusement park or zoo, or in the medical office at a state or national park, or provide medical backup for the emergency workers at a beach or other recreational setting. If you choose to work on site at a camp or other facility, your benefits may include free tuition for your own family.
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