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Your Job: Purpose Vs. Pay

By leidson on Friday, October 25, 2013

According to the 2013 Work Stress Survey, 83% of Americans reported being stressed about at least one thing at work, with the number one factor being low pay. With workplace stress on the rise, have you asked yourself – “am I working for the pay or the purpose?”

Working for Pay
Payscale, a research provider on salary and career topics, dove into how meaningful people found their work versus what they get paid. The highest paying and most meaningful rated job is a dermatologist. But what about those jobs that have high pay with low meaning? Business Insider released a summary of the Payscale report focusing on jobs that pay well, but aren’t changing the world. That list included job titles for senior and corporate counsel, fashion designer, credit/collections director, and network architect. This list proves that high pay doesn’t always lead to high job satisfaction.

If pay is the most common factor in workplace stress, can workplace stress be alleviated just with higher pay? The highest earners in the Work Stress Survey cited their number one work stress was unreasonable workload. But if your work was doing something you truly love and find purpose in, more work might really just be more fun, right? It’s something to think about.

Working for Purpose
What about jobs with low pay but high satisfaction? Topping that list are sign language interpreter, worship coordinator, two jobs in the water treatment field – plant operator and plant laboratory technician, and soldier. This article also clarifies that high meaning doesn’t necessarily correlate with job satisfaction. Meaningful and fulfilling work can be hard, but is there a payout in knowing your work is creating a better world?

Another reason people may turn to careers of purpose is to have work that creates something. Generations ago, work resulted in a product, whether it was manufacturing or farming, you could actually see and touch your end product. A recent article in Parade stated that Etsy’s (an online craft marketplace) one million sellers will have sales of more than $1 billion this year. Individuals have turned to crafting as a relaxing hobby and have also found a way to make money off it.

The Balance
Finding the perfect balance of pay and purpose might be the definition of a dream job. Simply, what is your goal in finding employment? Your career goal may center on purpose if you are at a point in your life where financial responsibilities are lower. On the other side, if financial responsibilities are your driving motivation, it’s probably more important how much your paycheck is – not necessarily what you did to earn it.

For some individuals, a career of purpose is being noted as a career built for the second act of their business life. The Halftime organization “helps individuals find their passion to help lead a more significant second half,” as explored last month in a story on CBS DFW.

What about you? Are you trying to find your passion early in your career or are you working for a paycheck now with hope that at some point you can chart a new course? Share your thoughts in our comments section below.

Career Options New Job Tips The Job Search Uncategorized

How to Re-enter the Workforce

By leidson on Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Many people are facing the challenge of trying to get back in the workforce. With the unemployment rate lower than it’s been since the recession, families are looking for ways to gain a much needed paycheck. President and CEO of The LaSalle Network, Tom Gimbel, shared tips with Fox Business News on how stay-at-home parents and people who have been without a job for a while can transition back into the workforce.

Be Honest About Resume Gaps
People may try to make up for their insecurities after being a stay-at-home parent by embellishing their resume. Some might exaggerate the time spent at a previous job or add false information, but what these people may not know is how easy it is for employers to verify those sources and references. It’s very important to be open and honest while writing your resume.

Use Family Connections
A family member could be very helpful in networking. There are many parents at your children’s school who may know of job leads or have a network that could potentially help you find one. Don’t hesitate to communicate your need for employment with family members. You may be one conversation away from a new job!

Be Open About Career Exploration
During your job search, remember the skills you have may not be as applicable in today’s economy as they were years ago. Be open to jobs that come your way even if it’s not in the same industry as your previous position. Being open to career exploration is about expanding your abilities and knowledge.

Lose Your Ego
Be aware that technology is always changing and if you’ve been out of work for more than a couple years, you may not have the technology savvy that many other people have. Maybe you aren’t going to earn what you think you’re worth right off the bat and may have to take a pay cut just to get started again, but don’t give up, be persistent. Gimbel said in his interview with Fox Business News, “You may have to take a step back to take five steps forward.”

For more information and tips on how to re-enter the workforce, check out this video.

At Work Career Advancement Career Options Leadership My Entry-Level Life Networking New Job Tips Salary and Promotions Workplace Relationships

Being A Pro At Being A Professional: 3 Reasons Why Professional Organizations Are Important

By mrsmith on Monday, August 26, 2013

So you landed the big job. You’re officially a “professional.” So, what now? It isn’t time to put your feet up and bask in your accomplishment! Your career development doesn’t just happen overnight, and promotions and raises are earned, not gifted. But, how do you develop yourself? How do you make yourself a valuable commodity not an expendable? Hit the ground running in your career by joining a professional organization. According to the Center for Association Leadership, there are more than 1.9 million organizations currently in the U.S. which means there are plenty to choose from.

Finding the organization that is right for you and your field is important. You may have to do a little research or it may be as simple as asking your coworkers or colleagues what they are a part of. Once you find the organization that covers your field, you may have to pay for a membership, but many employers are willing to pay these dues for you. If they don’t, it’s okay. Just look at the money you spend on dues as an investment – maybe one of the most important investments you will ever make. Now that you’re in and have become part of something larger than yourself, I bet your next question is, “what is this going to get me?” Below are three ways professional organizations can help you grow your career.

Network, Network, Network
Networking can give numerous opportunities to further your career. Rubbing elbows with your peers opens up a forum for idea exchange. This open line of communication can drum up new business, new friendships, great concepts, and maybe even future career opportunities.

Conventional Conventions
Many organizations have one or more conventions every year. At these conventions, there are breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and round tables where you can learn and collaborate with your peers in your industry. These opportunities allow you to grow as a professional as well as stay on the cutting edge of your field, while establishing dialogue with individuals in your field.

Developing the Leader in You
Organizations generally have boards or committees that are in charge of club operations. Becoming a member of the board is often as easy as asking current leaders about opportunities to join the board or committee in charge. Becoming a part of the leadership in an organization can develop important attributes found in great leaders that can help advance your career. Not to mention, your peers will have a front row seat to the display of your leadership skills. The amount of involvement is completely up to you. Since it’s typically a volunteer position with a “term system” similar to our own government, you decide how involved you get. If you’re interested in taking on a more time intensive positions make sure you discuss this interest with your manager, as the more involved you are, the more time intensive the position can be.

These are just a few benefits to being a member of an organization geared toward your industry. If you have another way that your experience in a professional organization has helped you, please share in the comments section below.

At Work Leadership Salary and Promotions Workplace Relationships

3 Ways to Build Influence

By Rachel Rudisill on Wednesday, July 3, 2013

When considering change and development in your career, it’s important to factor in your sphere of influence. Before you can impact a decision or bring forth an idea, you’ll need to establish a respected and involved in the process. To help define your place, it’s important to take proactive steps to develop your relationships, skills, and knowledge. Your sphere of influence is your ability to impact decisions and actions. It’s about being trusted, respected, and having a say in the decision making process. So, here are three ways you can build influence.

Be Reliable
Your ability to influence a conversation or decision begins with trust. One of the best ways to build trust is to be reliable. This includes being on time, avoiding gossip, being honest, and being consistent. Respect is earned over time and you can gain that by consistently taking care of your workplace tasks well.

Be Knowledgeable
This can be the most fun and interesting part of building your influence. Staying on top of industry trends, changes in market conditions, and technology developments in your field can lead to some great opportunities to build your influence. Make sure you’re aware of current events, legal changes that may impact your business, and your company’s current progress on its goals. By sharing what you’ve learned with your manager or applying your knowledge to your projects, you’ll demonstrate your desire to add value to the business and develop your skills.

Be Connected
Your relationships at work with your vendors, and in your professional community not only create opportunities for you, but are an asset in your sphere of influence. Make sure you’re building a network within your company. If your manager can rely on you to complete a requisition form in a short deadline or process a large shipping order because you’ve built relationships outside of your department, your ability to connect and collaborate will no doubt be an asset to the company. Additionally, by having relationships in your community, you may be able to contribute to sales development for your company. The value of connections with others is not to be underestimated.

In regards to the ideas here, how do you work to demonstrate reliability, and stay knowledgeable and connected? Share in the comments section below your personal tips for developing influence.

Career Options Resumes and Cover Letters Social Media The Job Search

Spring Clean Your Job Search

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Spring is here! The longer nights and frosty weather are making way for blooming flowers and sunshine. Many people take advantage of the beautiful weather to clean their house from top to bottom. Spring cleaning has been a staple in regions that have very strong winters and has become synonymous with general heavy cleaning or organizing.

Just like the weather, maybe your job search had been put on ice or frozen during the winter months. Now is as good a time as ever to warm up and revitalize your efforts. As the spring flowers blossom to begin anew, you can take advantage of this time to put some new life back into your job search.

While the spring weather might be a bit colder than the famous groundhog predicted, here are some ways you can spring clean your job search to help keep you focused and improve your chances of getting hired.

Brush Up on Your Reading
There is a wealth of information out there. Not just in the job market, but in your industry as well. To be a desirable candidate, job seekers must be on top of the latest issues and trends in their market. That’s why it’s important to take time out of your day for reading and learning.

Trade journals, blogs, and industry news sites are excellent and often-overlooked resources that can help you stay informed and can differentiate you from the herd of job seekers.

Dust Off Old Contacts
We’ve all been there before. The weather is getting warmer, so you start reaching back for your summer clothes, but find outfits you forgot you even had. It’s easy to be like that in the professional realm when eager job seekers network with as many people as possible. Some people probably have more business cards than pennies, which means it’s time to reorganize your network.

Go through your contacts and decide if you should catch up or discard them. It’s a great opportunity to focus your message and communication skills by catching up with a few selected connections you haven’t seen in a while. The job market changes quickly and you never know what new opportunities these contacts have learned about since the last time you talked.

Out With The Old, In With The New
Make a list of the skills or experiences that you feel are weakest, have the most desire to strengthen, or would like to learn. Research what programs your community centers, tech schools, and colleges offer that can help you learn something new and break out of your shell. Doing this will demonstrate to potential employers that you’re being proactive instead of sending out resumes from a computer all day. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet others who you can add to your job search network.

Get Insight From The Maids
Sometimes, cleaning up your job search can’t be done on your own. Having outside help can give you a new way of looking at something or some helpful knowledge to break away from your normal routine.

A mentor can be very beneficial by giving you critiques and access to job openings. Their insight can help you make needed improvements to get a job quicker and meet leaders in your industry. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you’re not familiar with. Connect with others outside of your network at networking events, industry related organizations, and online forums to gain more referrals and leads.

Another great resource to spring clean your job search would be a staffing company. Most offer free job search resources and can help you with practicing interview skills and resume building.

Scrub Down Your Resume
When was the last time you updated your resume? We all get busy and now might be a good time to add any extra experience, certifications, or skills that you’ve gained in the past year.

It can also be a good time to trim up and cut out unnecessary information on your resume so employers will see the most relevant material first, which will make them more likely to pass on your resume.

Sweep Your Social Networks
More and more employers are being influenced by content on job seekers’ social media profiles when it comes to hiring decisions. In fact, employers are also taking a more active recruiting roll on social networks as well. That’s all the more reason to connect with employers through their Facebook or Twitter profile. Build relationships now to find out about potential job postings and stay fresh on recruiting managers’ minds.

It’s also important to update your LinkedIn profile. You never know when a recruiter will see it, and you want the best professional profile possible. You can also stay on top of online job postings by setting up Google Alerts on job boards and employers’ career pages that will email new openings to your inbox.

Spring is a time of change, and if you do some simple cleaning to your job search, you can make some big changes with a new career. What are some ways you’ve spring cleaned your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.

Get and Keep a Job Videos Networking

Are You Networking Hard or Hardly Netting Work?

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Have you ever heard, “It’s all about who you know?” It’s especially true when it comes to job seeking. Many open positions aren’t posted on job boards or classified ads, but are sent throughout the organization to see if anyone knows of a qualified candidate through their network.

According to The Wall Street Journal, 94% of successful job hunters claimed that networking had made all the difference for them.

While it’s still important to have an effective resume, transferable skills, and strong interview experience, you shouldn’t ignore the great value networking can have on your job search. Check out this animated clip that illustrates the value of building a web of relationships for your job search.

At Work Networking

How to GO About Networking at Work

By Jared Cole on Monday, January 21, 2013

networking at work I can’t stress enough how important networking is. No matter your industry, personality, or situation, networking is one of the best ways to find a job. The connections you build during your job search will benefit you throughout your career.

But what happens once you get the job? Do you retire the Rolodex of connections or clear out your LinkedIn connections, and focus on the job at hand in your little workspace? NO! Developing connections and building relationships at work are just as important as building an outside network. Here’s how you can keep a strong network at work.

Go Small
We all know and work with that one person who seems to talk to everybody. While there’s nothing wrong with being social, it can be a time drain to build relationships with as many people as possible. It’s best to focus your attention on building a more efficient network of co-workers who all have different skill sets, opinions, and perspectives.

Go Outward
While it’s always good to build strong working relationships with those on your team or in your department, you should look to those you aren’t familiar with to build a good network. Keep in contact with people in other parts of your building or who do jobs that aren’t familiar to you. Networks can be powerful when you bring people together who don’t normally work with each other.

Go Weak
You may think I’m crazy for telling you to build weak ties instead of strong ones, but it really isn’t counterproductive. It feels like developing strong relationships will be the most beneficial, but binding weaker sticks together can end up being stronger than a single big stick. Those you are close to probably share the same social circles as you. Developing weaker ties with others outside of your normal circle connects you to a larger list of people you would normally never talk to.

Go to the Heart
We associate the place where everyone goes to converse as “the water cooler,” and that place can be a great resource for bringing people together. Those who frequent the hubs of conversations tend to be the ones who attract the most people. Instead of asking familiar faces if they can help you, try asking people at these casual gatherings if they know anyone who can help. It’s much easier for someone to say no if directly asked for help, but asking for a connection encourages them to think about the situation. They can stay passive while still helping out.

Go All Out
When building your network, don’t be afraid to use it to touch base with someone you’d like to meet. If you’re not the type to just barge into someone else’s workspace and introduce yourself, or if your target is just very busy and never has the door open, consider getting your boss to contact that person’s boss. Explain to your manager why you believe developing a relationship will help you in your career. If that isn’t an option, try to find out if you share the same goals or hobbies as a reason to talk.

Building a network doesn’t happen overnight. With some patience, generosity, and sincerity, you can build a great network just outside your workspace. With these suggestions, you can increase your network company-wide without wasting time or feeling pushy. How have you networked at work? Sound off in the comments section below.