boost | Journey

Give Your Career a Boost With These Certifications

By Jared Cole on Friday, March 22, 2013

While you should always try to have specific examples of how you’ve been able to demonstrate and utilize your skills, sometimes it takes a certificate or recommendation from a credible organization to get the attention of a decision maker or hiring manager.

There are several industries and jobs that may not require a college degree, but do need a form of accreditation or certification. There are also certifications that, while not mandatory, can greatly improve your chances of getting a job, promotion, raise, or new responsibilities. Here are some in-demand certificate programs to consider that can help open doors in your career or job search.

Foreign Languages
If you work in a retail or customer service environment, having the ability to speak more than one language can make you a valuable asset to current or potential employers. It can be difficult to prove on your own, so having a certification in a language can be a significant boost. Contact your local community college, university, or distance learning center for relatively inexpensive programs in foreign languages that may result in a certificate, but not a degree.

Computer Support
Many large companies have their own IT department or specialists, but software is always changing and it can be beneficial for you to keep up with those trends through training like Microsoft’s learning and certification program s. IT workers could benefit from these programs.

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
A great alternative to spending several years and lots of money getting a college degree in the medical industry, consider looking into a critical clinical medical assistant (CCMA) program that is offered by technical or vocational schools. A CCMA offers training in clinical and laboratory procedures, and administrative training that could help give you a boost in the medical industry.

Project Management Certification
If you have much experience in project management, earning a project management professional certification (PMP) is almost required. But if you are looking to move into management, earning a PMP from organizations like the Project Management Institute can not only get you ready, but also demonstrate to your manager that you are working toward management.

Sales! Sales! Sales!
It’s difficult to find college degrees specializing in sales, but there are several worthwhile certifications that can help you prepare and grow as a salesman. Since there are different fields and industries in sales, talk to a mentor or network with sales professionals to find out which industry-specific certification program you should consider if you’re new to the field, the National Association of Sales Professionals offers a general certification that can give you a starting point.

You don’t have to rely on yourself to gain extra knowledge and experience to stay on top of your industry and boost your career. There are several options that are cheaper and less time consuming than earning college degrees. What are some accreditations or certifications you have earned that helped your career?

Networking The Job Search

How to Stretch Your Deflated Network

By Jared Cole on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Many job seekers have or are facing long-term unemployment. One of the side effects of going long bouts without work is called “shrinking world syndrome,” in which job seekers fall into repeated patterns of inefficiency. It becomes harder and harder to break out of a rut as the world feels like it shrinks.

If you feel like your professional world is shrinking, you may feel increasingly helpless when trying to connect and grow your network. You could be struggling with ideas on how to utilize the small network that you still have. Here are some ways you can take advantage of your smaller network to regrow a shrinking professional world.

Sometimes, Weak Ties are the Best Ties
Nearly 30 years ago, a study by Johns Hopkins University showed that the best leads for job opportunities are more likely to come from more distant colleagues and friends as opposed to the closest ones. This isn’t because your close friends don’t give good recommendations, but because they are more likely to know about the same job openings, while the job openings known to more distant colleagues- those with whom you don’t interact very often- are not as likely to be known to your own friends.

The Hopkins University conclusion of opportunities coming from distant connections remains true today. A recent academic study shows venture capital firms concentrated in the traditional tech centers do better than other firms primarily because they “cast a wide, public net,” harvesting the results of their weak ties. Consider reconnecting with those old contacts you haven’t talked to in a while. They may have leads for you that your current network doesn’t.

Get Out of the House
Another step to take is to get out of the house. At least once a week, make a commitment to get out of the house and around other human beings, in person and face-to-face. It doesn’t have to be a huge networking meeting, but that can be one of the possibilities. It can also be doing something you enjoy, or meeting one-on-one with an old friend for coffee. Volunteering at local charities works great as well.

The main thing is to start an interaction at some level. Our world starts to expand when we share it with others. There are several websites to help you meet others. Meetup.com is a handy site to find like-minded people, and, depending on where you live, many groups can be related to your industry. Many LinkedIn groups also meet in person. So, check with the group organizer to see if they are organizing anything. Group members often post events on LinkedIn, so look for ones that interest you as well.

Modern job searching is about making quality connections. Embrace getting to know others, and your network will get bigger. Sometimes meeting just one person can change your job search, but that can only happen if you make the effort to get out of the house. What are some ways you’ve made the most out of your network?

Career Advancement The Job Search

Unlock Your Inner Memorization Abilities

By Jared Cole on Friday, April 13, 2012

Nelson Dellis was your average guy. He never had the best memory and frequently experienced trouble remembering names, places, and other information that was quickly presented to him. Does this sound like you at times? Perhaps you go to a networking event, trade show, or meeting and get so bombarded with names, faces, ideas, and other facts that it feels like data is going in one ear and out the other.

Nelson’s grandmother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and eventually passed away in 2009. At that point, he became concerned for his future and took it upon himself to strengthen his mind. He started to research and discovered stories of people with average memory training their minds to do amazing things. Nelson became inspired to learn these techniques to see how far he could push his mind.

In March of 2012, Nelson’s hard work and determination helped him win the USA Memory Championship – for the second consecutive year. He even set the new U.S. record for speed number memory.

The key to the story is that you don’t have to become a national champion to improve your memory at work or on the job search. Being able to retain information, especially facts given to you rapidly with little time to process the information, is a valuable skill to have in the workplace or job market. You can appear more competent and intelligent when you can quickly adapt to any terms, slang, or jargon being thrown around that you aren’t familiar with.

Improving your memory can also give you a boost of confidence when networking or interviewing because you won’t be focused on remembering the details, but enjoying the conversation and connection with others instead. You can also be better engaged with those you talk to because you’ll be better able to remember comments and information given to you, and then mention them in a later interview or conversation. This will help those talking to you know you are really paying attention and care about them.

Nelson summed up the benefits of improving memory when he said, “…names and faces. I’m very good at remembering just lists of things that I have to do. It’s very useful. And when I go out into, say, a meeting, an interview, or a social setting, I know that you can give me information and I can spew it back to you, if need be. And that’s a really comforting feeling and allows me to be a little more confident.”

What are some techniques you have used to help better remember names or other types of information? Sound off in the comments section below.

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