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6 Tips To Foster Creativity

By Job Journey on Friday, July 29, 2011

Creativity. I wish it were something that could be easily turned on. At the flip of a switch, life and work could become so much easier. But in the real world, working at fast pace day in and day out can be a challenge. Even for the most creative employees, the flow of ideas dries up sometimes.

How can you stay creative when your mind just doesn’t want to cooperate? Here are a few ideas that might help you shrug off the monotony of the daily grind and open your mind for innovation.

Identify Your Work Patterns
You know yourself better than anyone. When you’re faced with a challenge that needs a creative solution, take a look at your work. Is your mind fresh and ready to go as soon as you step foot in the office or do you need to go through your emails first? Make sure you slot time when your mind is at its best and your energy level is high to tackle a tough project.

Morning Routine
A bad routine can stop your productivity before the workday even starts. While creativity needs freedom and room to breath, having a morning routine can help harness and reel in those creative juices and put them to work. If you need a cup of coffee and to peruse through emails to jumpstart your brain, just be sure to allocate your time wisely. There’s work to be done and procrastination can add stress and hinder your creativity.

Don’t Be Distracted
Allowing yourself to lose focus can slam the brakes on your creativity. Instant gratification is the way we do business, and with the power of the Internet at our fingertips, distractions can be a mouse click away. Social networking, viral videos, news, and games can quickly take your attention away from work. If you’re easily tempted to check what’s going on in the Twitter world, try disabling your Internet to be more effective with your time managemet.

Get Feedback From Others
Listen to criticism about your work with an open mind. Critics with valid points can take your idea and help mold it into creative genius. Plus, as you learn to grow from criticism, you won’t be afraid to put your ideas out there and start proposing new solutions.

Allow Yourself to Be Inspired
Look for inspiration all around. Creativity can cease when you’ve been focused on the same thing for too long making it hard to think outside the box. You might find movies or listening to music a good way to get your creative juices flowing. Not all of us can pop in a movie when trying to approach a new project, but when you are out and find inspiration, jot down your ideas or leave yourself a voicemail at work to check into something further.

Take a Break
Sometimes all the tips and tricks cannot prevent the momentary loss of your creativity. There are times when the only cure is taking a breather in the form of a day off from work, taking a vacation, or using a weekend to rejuvenate, can help your mind recover. Rather than calling in sick, call in well. It’s best to plan this type of time off a bit in advance to prevent the stress of an unexpected absence. Taking a step back and allowing your mind to relax can help revitalize your creativity.

Being continuously creative and working at a high-level during the daily grind can be difficult. But by implementing a few tips, you can keep productive and generate creative ideas.

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Master Résumé Writing in Three Easy Steps

By Job Journey on Monday, July 4, 2011

Writing your résumé is one of the first and most difficult steps you will take in your job search. One of the toughest challenges in résumé writing is condensing all you want to say into a few, short sentences. But, in order to approach the task like the best of the résumé professionals, you’ll need to rethink the goals and rules of a résumé.

Don’t Focus on Your Responsibilities
A résumé is not your life story. The only thing you should include on your résumé is achievements. Think of it this way, anyone can do their job, but only a small percentage of the population can do their job well.

The best way to showcase that you did your job well is from your achievements. Strive to make your achievements quantifiable, meaning they can be measured. Your accomplishments should be specific to your former position but also valuable to your new employer.

It’s hard to see you were a “good team player” on your résumé unless you can say you “joined an under-performing team and helped that team beat production delivery dates by two weeks.”

Don’t feel pressure to put anything other than achievements on your résumé. Think of anything that isn’t an achievement as a waste of space. Because you don’t know what a hiring manager will look at first – and if you have 10 great achievements and three previous job descriptions, the hiring manager may only read those three lines and toss your résumé. Think big and remove non-achievement statements.

Think of Your Résumé as a Marketing Document
Your résumé doesn’t need to be a historical statement but, rather, a marketing document. The best marketing documents show the product in the very best light, which means using objective tactics to make you look great.

Here’s an example: You join a retail store that just launched a new product. The product, being new, has a multitude of problems and the company is forced to hire someone to handle customer questions and calls. You start fielding the calls, work quite a bit of overtime, and eventually increase customer service satisfaction by 10%.

When writing the résumé, market your ability to perform customer service, be flexible during company crises, and increase customer satisfaction. Notice how much more effective that is than simply saying you “answered phones for a retail company?”

Remember, marketing requires some creativity and thought. Although it is important to quantify your success, be sure not to exaggerate or lie during this process. You are marketable enough without needing to stretch the truth.

Don’t Give Everything Away
The point of a résumé is to get someone to call you. Although you want to show your best on a résumé, you don’t want to show it all.

Hopefully, your résumé is not the only chance you’ll have to sell yourself to a hiring manager. During an interview, you will have a much more in-depth opportunity to highlight your strengths, achievements, and goals.

Knowing this, only put your very best achievements on your résumé. Leave the hiring managers intrigued, with questions that still need to be answered. This is the perfect way to impress and snag that follow-up phone call.

Crafting the perfect résumé is not an overnight thing. Résumés should be updated and maintained throughout your career. Remember to focus on your greatest achievements, market yourself, and leave your audience wanting more, and you’ll be sure to land your next interview.

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Top Elevator Speech Blunders

By Job Journey on Thursday, June 30, 2011

The term “elevator speech” has become widely used in the business world yet many job seekers are still unsure of its meaning. The idea of an elevator speech is to have a prepared presentation that grabs attention and says a lot in only a few words. Your core message should market yourself and/or your business in a way that makes your audience want to know more, rather than less about your professional endeavors.

With the pressure to craft something that conveys a huge impact in a short amount of time comes the opportunity for some mistakes. However, by being aware of these common elevator speech blunders, you’ll be well on your way to gaining the attention and respect of your next audience.

Not trying
The most common mistake is also the most simple to avoid; when it comes to elevator speeches, not trying is simply not good enough. Typically the thing that holds individuals back the most is their nerves.

Nerves can be addressed by practicing your elevator speech as much as possible. Your speech doesn’t have to be the exact same each time, but it should include key points that captivate your audience. These points can be researched, prepared, and shaped as you progress in your career. Remember that you are not guaranteed a perfect elevator speech simply by practicing – but the more thought and time you put into your elevator speech, the more likely you are to yield successful results.

Not preparing
Oftentimes, when someone asks what you do for a living, the response is typically your job title or position, “I’m an artist – or a teacher – or a receptionist.” Your audience will most likely say, “That’s nice,” and discontinue conversation. Instead, use words that interest your listener and force them to ask more questions.

Instead of simply saying you work in IT, respond with something that highlights your accomplishments like, “I work with small businesses that are struggling with computer problems.” Your audience’s ears will perk up immediately. Make each line you deliver effective. Remember, you only have a few seconds with your audience, so make sure your time is well spent.

Not relevant
Although stating you work for a company that has been in business for 60 years and it’s located off Main Street may identify your business’ location, it doesn’t tell your audience what you do to bring value to the company or how the business impacts the community. Remember, you have a very limited amount of time during an elevator speech. Avoid details that don’t add value to your position or that are irrelevant to your job duties.

If you open your speech with broad, vague information, your audience is likely to tune you out and may potentially miss something of interest to them.

Elevator speeches are becoming more and more common in business’ fast paced environment. Although the idea of describing your career in a few short moments may be daunting, it is something that will be easier if you practice, prepare, and know the relevancy of your message.

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Ramp Up Your Stalled Summer Job Search

By Job Journey on Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Today marks the official first day of summer with many individuals still looking for that perfect summer job. The national unemployment rate has risen to 9.1%, leaving many seeking seasonal or part-time jobs feeling frustrated and lost.

So, what can you do to reignite your stalled summer job search? Whether you’re looking for a seasonal position, or a career in your desired field, keep the following tips in mind.

Your job hunt is your job.
When on the lookout for a job, treat your job hunt as if it’s your full-time job. The majority of job seekers send out a number of résumés and then wait for companies to contact them.

Be proactive in your search and follow up with organizations you haven’t heard back from. Sometimes all it takes is a simple phone call to check on the status of the open positions to get the hiring process started.

Treating your job search like a full-time job will encourage you to build momentum, become more invested in the process, and even get a few offers from interested companies.

Revamp your résumé.
Reassess your cover letters and résumé to highlight specific skills you’ve developed in previous positions, rather than just listing work history. Tailor each cover letter and résumé you send for the specific position or company you are applying for. Taking a little extra time during the application process will add a touch of sincerity employers will not take lightly.

Quantify your achievements on your résumés. For example, if you helped reduce costs or increased sales at your last position, say so. Naming your achievements will be far more impressive than only listing former employers.

Work on your online presence.
Broaden your networking contacts online to ramp up your job search. Having a LinkedIn profile can be an excellent tool to refer hiring managers to during the interview process. However, know that your online presence will be viewable by potential employers so manage it closely.

Use social media to expand your contacts, but avoid the pitfalls that typically come with it. Don’t publish suggestive pictures of yourself, offensive tweets, or even status updates complaining about your current employer. Remember that anyone interested in hiring you has the ability to find your online presence, so use social media with caution.

Summer is associated with relaxation, heat, and seasonal jobs. Knowing that employers will have many candidates to choose from, it’s important to not allow a few stalls in your job search to keep you down. Persevere throughout the bumps and trials that come with job hunting and you’ll have much to celebrate this season.

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Mentor Up: How to Pick the Right Mentor

By Job Journey on Thursday, June 16, 2011

Whether you’ve been working for several years or are just preparing to enter the career world, traveling the path alone can be risky and hard. Surrounding yourself with people who can directly and positively impact your career is one of the key steps to take in any employment opportunity. Research shows protégés report more promotions, higher incomes, higher job and career satisfaction, and greater job involvement and commitment to a company than those not being mentored. Considering the benefits of having a mentor, the next question is how to get one. But, before asking someone to be your mentor, you need to know what to look for. So, here are some important aspects to consider in your quest for a great mentor.

Finding the right mentor.
A mentor is meant to challenge you. Do some research and find high-level managers or peers with more work experience than you. These individuals should be successful in their field, highly respected, and an all-around positive role model. Although it may be intimidating to approach such an esteemed and experienced professional, it’s important to surround yourself with people who have more knowledge than you do. The purpose of a mentor is to teach, counsel, and guide you to intelligent and beneficial career moves. Find someone who can help do just that.

Asking to be mentored.
Obviously, when selecting someone as your mentor, you need to ask them first. Begin by sharing with your potential mentor how they’ve already impacted your career, how you respect them, and why you want to learn from them. The more interest you take in a potential mentor, the more likely they will be to return the favor. However, you aren’t just asking them to guide you – you are asking for a major commitment. Make sure your mentors are willing to share their skills, knowledge, and expertise with you. Select people who seem to take a personal interest in helping you succeed rather than people who will toss you aside when their schedule gets hectic.

Having multiple mentors.
Because you’ll be choosing mentors for different qualities that put them at the top of their field, choose several. Leaders, although they may tell you different, have very little spare time to devote to full-time mentorship. Consider looking for someone in your own department, someone in another department of your company, someone in your field but with a different company, or someone that leads a charity organization you’re involved in. Having diversity in your mentors will provide you with relevant, yet different, opinions. Consider your group of mentors as your very own board of advisers.

Giving back.
Finally, remember that people don’t mentor just to be friendly. Mentoring can take a considerable amount of time, energy, and effort. Ask your mentor what you can do to help them. For some, simply seeing your appreciation and loyalty may be enough. For others, they may want to see you volunteer your time to mentor someone too. What’s most important is showing the initiative to give back to the mentor rather than simply taking from the relationship.

Moving up in an organization is increasingly challenging, however, having the right mentors by your side can help you climb the corporate ladder to success. Surround yourself with the highest quality people to create your own network of professionals.

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Risky Business: Six Risks You Should Take When it Comes to Your Career

By Job Journey on Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Finding and keeping a job can be two scary and challenging feats. Although there are steps you should take to do both of these, some risk is involved. Implementing some of the following risks to your career should provide some much needed direction and guidance.

1. Negotiate: Negotiating can be a risky situation because it needs to be approached with the correct attitude. Appearing too demanding or confident during a negotiation may leave the wrong impression, while allowing yourself to be pushed around is unsatisfying as well. Approach any negotiation with a calm, confident demeanor, understanding the fact that your request may be denied. However if you take the risk of losing a job offer – or job – to ask for what you want, you might just get it! That being said, if you are happy with where you are in your career, don’t negotiate for the sake of negotiation.

2. Disagree: Office disagreements can be difficult and awkward, but only if you allow them to be. Sharing your differing opinion with your employer and co-workers will establish yourself as an invested employee contributing to your company. Should a time arise when your disagreement is not appreciated, don’t panic. Collect your thoughts, attempt to explain yourself in a clearer manner, and keep your cool. Your office should appreciate your professionalism and voice.

3. Do what you love: Although this isn’t a foreign concept, not every individual applies it to their life. Discover your passion and go after it. You may falter along the way, but pursuing what inspires you is a great risk with an even greater reward.

4. Switch careers: As we mentioned above, loving your job is key. Leaving your current job for one more focused on your passions can give you a renewed sense of purpose and zest for life. Don’t be afraid to make the leap, even if it means taking a pay cut or starting at the bottom, again.

5. Vacation: Society has trained us to think of time away from work as an immediate career-killer. However, taking time for yourself allows you to reassess career goals and objectives, refuel, and come back refreshed. If you work hard while in the office, no one will question your taking a much-needed vacation.

6. Speak up: Volunteering to give presentations in or outside of the office will give you an edge. Countless researchers have found that individuals fear public speaking more than anything else. Although you may not enjoy the experience, being willing to speak publicly when others allow their fear to hinder them will gain you instant recognition in your employer’s eyes.

Although you may still have concerns about the above career risks, doing nothing can be just as damaging to your career and work-life balance. While you don’t need to do all of these things, accomplishing at least one in a timely fashion will give you beneficial insight into your career.

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New Ways to Grab Your Boss’ Attention

By Job Journey on Friday, May 20, 2011

We have all heard similar tips on how to gain and retain our employer’s attention. But standing out from the crowd isn’t easy. Check out these new twists on ways to grab your boss’ focus to give you a little bit of an edge.

Be Different.
At work, everyone wants to fit in. To feel happy and engaged, fitting in is important, but it’s okay to be different too. To grab your boss’ attention, showcase your own personality. So don’t just always go with the general consensus. Share your own ideas too. This will display self-confidence and allow your employer to see your interests, strengths, and abilities. Your transparency will make for better job placement, tasks, and relationships. For example, if you enjoy taking photos during your spare time, your hobby could translate into a way to help your company produce cost-effective yet quality photographs to use in marketing materials. And, you’ll be able to hone your skills and impress your boss.

Give more.
Since so many people have been burnt out from heavy workloads and added stress after the recession, for some it’s all they can do just to survive the week. While giving more may not seem like a new idea, it will be refreshing for your boss to see and help you stand out. Your servant’s heart can also motivate your teammates to give more of their time and effort. Ask for more responsibilities if you feel you have the time and energy to dedicate to them. Showing your boss that you’re willing to help when the going gets tough will only benefit your career and workplace. Another fresh way to stand out is volunteering outside of the office. Devote your time to something that is meaningful to you, and you’ll find that giving back to your community will refresh your mind, body, and soul. If something doesn’t immediately come to mind, search local databases to better match your interests to a cause. Volunteering displays your characteristics by showing your employers you have interests other than your own. It gives you a chance to network and, it allows your employer to see you are truly invested in your community and, thus, planning on staying in the area for a decent amount of time. Your selflessness and investment in your community will be two great selling points for any potential promotions you may be up for.

Have a no excuses policy.
With busy schedules and deadlines, there are valid reasons why tasks don’t always get completed. Your boss is more than likely used to hearing a wide variety of justifications on any given project. Stand out by having a “no excuses” philosophy to your job. If you find a roadblock, find a solution to go around it. If you are having trouble finding a solution, seek advice from seasoned co-workers or even your boss. Never settle for “can’t” until you have exhausted every possible option. Your employer will soon see your work ethic, strengths, and ability and know you are on the path toward great success within the company.

Today’s professional world is competitive, challenging, and even a bit frightening. Being equipped with noteworthy characteristics, both traditional and non-traditional, will help you stand out in the pack and get ahead in your career.