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Job Search Lessons from 2014 Olympics

By leidson on Friday, February 21, 2014

Do you have aspirations of getting a better job or growing your career? Watching the Olympics could help. Every time the Olympic Games roll around, I enjoy watching different athletes from across the world compete, and I anticipate seeing my favorite athletes win gold. This year, that was not the case for one of my favorite sports to watch: snowboarding. But instead of turning off the TV as soon as I realized my favorite snowboarder and two-time gold medalist, Shaun White, wasn’t going to place, I decided to stay tuned in to see who won. Here are some of the lessons I learned.

Get Back Up and Don’t Give Up

It’s a tough fact of life to learn; you don’t always win, no matter how hard you try or how far in advance you prepare. That fact was made evident during the final halfpipe competition in Sochi. While watching the Olympics, I was reminded that no matter how much a professional athlete prepares, they may not win, but that doesn’t mean they give up. Soon after the halfpipe competition was over, Shaun was interviewed and asked what happened. Instead of blaming it on the snow or the conditions, he said he’d be back next time and he was happy for the guys who did well! What a great attitude to have! We can learn so much from that statement itself. Just because you haven’t landed a job or moved up in your company as fast as you’d like, it doesn’t mean you need to give up or stop trying. The agony of defeat is never easy to handle, but getting back up, working hard, and trying again will help improve your skills and chances of getting that new job or promotion you’ve been looking for.

Learn from Your Mistakes

Unfortunately, making mistakes is a normal part of life. Failure even happens to the best of the best. What’s important to learn from Olympic winners and even those who won’t be taking home a medal is that these athletes don’t let mistakes defeat them. In fact, you’ll probably see many of the same athletes in four years at the next Winter Olympics. It’s important to learn from your mistakes, make the corrections that are needed, and use those lessons to help shape your future. If you’ve been looking for a new job for a while or if you’re ready to go to the next level in your current job, take a look back at what has been slowing you down in the past or getting you off track and work to take care of those mistakes so you won’t drag that baggage with you to the next level. Also, seek feedback from co-workers or friends and make necessary changes.

What are some lessons you’ve learned from the Olympics? Share with us in the comments section below!

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Presidential Advice on How to Manage Your Career

By leidson on Monday, February 17, 2014

Anyone who wants to grow in their career has to take the time and make the effort to manage it. Probably no other individuals know this as well as those who’ve served as President of the United States. To reach that point in their career took years of hard, focused work, not to mention the career management it required while they were actually serving as president.

Even if you don’t have aspirations of being the next leader of the country, you owe it to yourself and your future to actively manage your career. So, in honor of President’s Day, here is some advice from past presidents to help you manage your career so you can be successful in achieving your professional and personal goals.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Self-confidence and faith in your abilities are the essential ingredients in laying the foundation for a successful career. President Roosevelt knew that securing those two things were half the battle toward achieving dreams. After all, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.

“Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time.” – Gerald R. Ford
President Ford very nicely summed up the qualities of a successful individual in this one simple statement. Hard work and an unwavering understanding of what’s truly important are vital to obtaining a successful career. It takes a little career management to ensure you don’t lose sight of these qualities.

“If you treat people right they will treat you right… 90% of the time.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Much of your career is tied to other people – what they think of you, how you treat them, what they say about you to others. And President Roosevelt was wise to realize that treating people right rarely ends badly for you. It’s no guarantee, but chances are that you’ll be successful much quicker if you’re known as a person of character.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
President Adams knew that being a leader had nothing to do with your title, and everything to do with your actions. Don’t let your current position make you feel like an inadequate leader. Becoming a leader is a vital aspect of career management, and it’s probably not as complicated as you might think.

Social scientist, Amy Cuddy has coined the term “power posing,” which means standing in a posture of confidence, even when you don’t feel very confident. Amy believes as your posture and body language improves, your thoughts will soon change for the better as well. Our body language affects how others see us, but it can also change how we see ourselves.

“Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
As you manage your career and achieve your dreams of being successful, you must remember that it really is all about the journey. Success is a life journey, not a destination you reach and never leave. President Eisenhower understood that embracing where you’re at each day, including the struggles and difficulties, is the key to achieving the life and career you want.

No matter what you hope to achieve in your professional life, you’ll never reach it if you don’t actively manage your career. So take a cue from these men this Presidents’ Day and learn from their experiences. Their wisdom could set you on your own path to success.

What are some of your favorite quotes from past presidents? How are you managing your career to ensure to you accomplish your dreams? Let us know in the comments section below.

Quotes were pulled from Entrepreneur’s 10 Inspirational Presidential Quotes article.

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Fall in Love with Your Job: Whether it’s a New Job or Your Next Job

By leidson on Friday, February 14, 2014

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress or if you’re not loving your job anymore, it’s probably time for something new or a fresh perspective. Changing your job could be just what you need, but there’s more to it. Changing your job won’t fix everything. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when looking for a new job.

Make the Most of Things

Analyze your day and “to-do” list to determine what tasks you prefer to do the most and what tasks you put off until the last minute. Find ways to make unpleasant tasks more enjoyable. Don’t lose yourself in the everyday monotony of your work. If you struggled at your old job with meeting deadlines or if you didn’t enjoy your work at all, try looking at things in a new light. Figure out more efficient ways to get your work done at your new job. Don’t fall back into the rut of hating your job; make the most of where you are.

Have a Good Attitude

Having a good attitude will help you stay positive going into your new job. If you struggle with being positive don’t let a negative mindset ruin your new job. If you’ve ever thought your job doesn’t matter, remember everyone in the company plays a role in its success. Your individual job is important to the business you work for. So have confidence and pride in your work and do your best to keep a good attitude.

Having Fun

Having fun does not mean to neglect your duties, but rather, change your attitude so you don’t see every job you do as a tedious task. Doing your job with a more positive attitude and focusing on the parts that are more fun for you will help you become more productive and help lighten your overall mood. Make your job fun by setting goals for yourself or incorporating friendly competition into your work. Competing with co-workers not only improves the overall performance of work in many instances, but by having someone to compare yourself against, it will highlight your strengths and weaknesses. If you find a way to work together, you can help compensate each other’s weaknesses and build on both your strengths.

Do you love your job and have your own tips to share with us? Let us know in the comments section below.

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How to Ask Your Friend for Job Help

By leidson on Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Have you ever heard, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” That statement is true more times than not when it comes to looking for a job. “Research tells us that between 60 – 80% of jobs are found through personal relationships,” says John Bennett, director and assistant professor at McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. These days, having a personal relationship is a key in getting hired.

What’s Appropriate While Still Employed?
If you’re searching for a job while currently employed you may keep your search private at work. And if you’re currently employed but recently got asked to come in for an interview, keep it quiet until you get the job. It’s in your best interest to keep this kind of information to yourself, because if that news got to your boss you may need a new job quicker than you thought.

You Never Know Until You Ask
Asking a friend for help finding a job can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, but don’t be afraid to contact your friends and ask for advice on finding a job. How do you ask a friend for help finding a job? It’s simple, make a list of friends, then start off by asking if they know of any openings at their workplace. Be prepared to have questions ready to ask if they say yes or no. Since your friends know you well and probably have nice things to say about you they may tell their hiring manager or recruiter about you the next day. So have a resume ready for your friend to give to their hiring manager and ask if they can let the manager know you’ll be calling. There may be a hiring manager at your friend’s company that is looking for someone just like you. You never know unless you ask.

Remember, networking is key in finding a job and your network is much bigger than you think. With social networking sites like LinkedIn, you’re sure to make connections and have the opportunity to ask someone for a job. If you’re serious about wanting a new job, do what it takes to get it.

Timing
Keep in mind that just because you have a friend that works for a great company or you have a connection on LinkedIn that you’d love to work with doesn’t mean getting a referral from them will help you land a job with their company. While personal connections are a good way to get your foot in the door, you may have to wait awhile for a job to open up. Timing is very important in finding the right job. During the waiting period, use the time to build relationships with your friends and LinkedIn connections that are in the workforce.

Follow Up
Looking for a job can be a daunting task, but don’t let that be the case for the following up process. Call to check up with your friends to see if they’ve let their hiring manager know about you yet. Don’t give up and don’t stop following up until you get that new job!

Have you ever asked a friend for job help and got it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Cut the Fat In Your Resume

By leidson on Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Chances are if you wrote out your 2014 resolutions, “cut down,” “trim,” or “shape up” appeared somewhere, in some form or another on your list. Most people apply those words and phrases to bodily health, but they are also great concepts you should be applying to your resume this year! With the high number of resumes hiring managers receive every day, it’s vital to your job search that you shape up your resume so you’ll get more than just a first glance.

Less is usually more, and in the realm of resumes you want less fluff and more differentiating information. As stated in a Forbes article, “Every word—yes, every word—on that page should be working hard to highlight your talents and skills. If it’s not, it shouldn’t be on there.” So, trim the sugar-coating off your resume and consider these tips.

Slim Down
If the average hiring manager looks at a resume for a minute before deciding whether to keep it or discard it, then you want yours to be as pleasing to the eye as possible. While this involves using the proper layout, font, and text size, it also means you need to keep it focused and cut out unnecessary parts. Yahoo Small Business recommends deleting such areas as the career objective, previous salaries, and that famous final line “References available upon request.” The article also pointed out that “a general rule of thumb is to include employment history dating back 10 years. If you have anything relevant to include beyond this, you can list it under “additional experience,” but only include the company, years, and job title.

Tone Up
Your resume should convey the maximum amount of relevant information in the most compact way possible. That means you need to tighten up your language and avoid certain words. “The average resume is chock-full of sorely outdated, essentially meaningless phrases that take up valuable space on the page,” as detailed in the Forbes article. “Eliminate them, and you’ll come off as a better, more substantial candidate.” Some of the top phrases to cut include experienced, team-player, people-person, energetic, seasoned, well-versed, and dynamic.

Be Flexible
Even once you’ve done all this cutting out and trimming up of your resume, your work still isn’t finished. Every time you apply for a different job, you need to tweak and sculpt your resume to fit the position and company. Highlighting your skills and experiences that align with what the employer is looking for is how you will stand out from the crowd. You’re not changing your work history or misrepresenting yourself – you’re simply showing how things you’ve done in the past relate to this particular job opportunity.

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Inside an Employer’s Mind: What They Look for in a Resume

By Rachel Rudisill on Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Resumes can make or break a job search. It’s a critical element in getting an interview, which is a necessary step in landing the job. We asked a few current and former recruiters what stands out most to them in reviewing resumes and we want to share that insight with you. We’ve also linked to a few great articles on crafting the perfect resume to make this your one-stop shop for job search success.

Read on for the three most common things employers look for in a resume.

Is this resume a match?
The single most important factor in reviewing resumes for David Lewis, an expert in the recruiting industry with more than 10 years’ experience is, “Does the resume ‘resonate’ with the actual job description?” He advises job seekers to submit a customized resume to each job that is tailored to mirror the job description.

Keep in mind, hiring managers are reading your resume along with a stack of others at the same time. This environment lends to them scanning and looking for similar keywords and skill statements that are resonate with the job requirements. It’s important that you are using standard terms to describe your abilities so your resume stands out as a match. Creatively describing your abilities can hurt you in this instance, not to mention if the company is using an applicant tracking system to screen your resume the keywords will need to be identical.

Casie VanRuymbeke, a contract and search specialist, said “Make it clear that your experience is a match – don’t assume the person reading your resume will infer that you have the right skills based on your previous job titles.”

What is the work history on this resume?
Having the skills required for the job is essential, but your experience can be the most important part of your resume. Blake Whisenant, a former recruiter, said “I checked resumes to see who they worked for in the past, this can make the candidate more or less desirable considering the reputation of that company.”

Another thing employers look at it is your longevity in past positions. If you’ve experienced several short-term jobs, you may want to consider a functional resume format to draw less attention to your timeline while still showcasing your abilities.

Jonathan Thom, a professional with more than 20 years in staffing and recruiting, says he looks at the work history on a resume to demonstrate a “consistent direction in title growth” as well as “stability and tenure.” One thing he advises job seekers leave off their resume is personal information, like irrelevant hobbies.

Besides just the length of time worked in a position, highlight specific accomplishments within that job. Demonstrate your capabilities by sharing examples or milestones to paint a picture of how you can impact a potential new workplace.

Is this resume formatted clearly?

If you have the skills and the experience that make you the perfect person for the job, make sure your resume presents all this information in an easy to read manner. Keeping your formatting clean and simple is important. Check out this information on trimming up your resume.

If you are customizing resumes to shine a light on your relevant qualities for each job opening, make sure you are reviewing each resume and making necessary edits before submission. Keeping your resume free of typos and grammatical errors is an ongoing process and it should be reviewed each time you alter it.

In closing, check out our article 3 Resume Elements to Land an Interview for more tips on perfecting your resume.

What advice have you received to help make your resume stand out? Share with us in the comments section below.

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What to Learn About Quitting from a Super Bowl Commercial

By leidson on Monday, February 3, 2014

If this Super Bowl commercial was shocking to you, you’re not the only one who felt that way.

While funny, it does bring up an important point about how to quit a job – the wrong way. Not only did she quit her job, she quit in front of millions of people on national television! There are many ways to quit your job with class. Here are some tips on how to quit your job without burning any bridges, embarrassing yourself, or demeaning your employer.

Don’t Burn Bridges

“You may work for that person again,” says Lynne Allen, a career coach who formerly worked in recruiting and staffing at Colgate-Palmolive and Time Inc. Your behavior as you leave a job shapes your colleague’s lasting impression of you. Before you make that final walk out the door, remember whatever you say and do is how you will be remembered. That’s a great reason to think about how you’re going to give your boss the news that you’re quitting. Just remember to not burn any bridges along the way because you never know where they can lead. It’s always important to stay classy.

Always Give a Two Weeks’ Notice

Giving at least a two weeks’ notice is a polite thing to do. It allows your boss to be on the lookout for someone to fill your shoes, and if your replacement is hired within your final two weeks, your boss may ask you to help train them. When the time comes to quit a job, make it one of your professional goals to quit with class.

Take Time to Talk

Quitting can be tough not only for you but for the person receiving the news. So, be sure to schedule a meeting with your boss to give your two weeks’ notice. This will give you time to talk face-to-face about the reasons you’re quitting. Don’t ever just tell your boss to shove it!

Be Prepared to Leave

If you’ve been contemplating leaving your job, but haven’t given your two weeks’ notice yet, you need to be preparing to leave. Clean up your work space and make sure your work is organized. Depending on your boss’ reaction after you give them your two weeks’ notice, they may ask you to leave immediately, so you need to be ready for that response also.

Changing jobs can be exciting, rewarding, and a great step for your career, but breaking up with your employer isn’t something to be taken lightly. What factors do you consider before making a job hop? Share them in the comments section below.