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New Job on the Horizon? 4 Ways to Make an Easy Transition.

By Jennifer Kenley on Friday, May 7, 2010

The global economy is improving, according to the chairman and chief executive of Monster Worldwide Inc. in a recent article on The Wall Street Journal. And that means the job market is on the rise. Job postings across every industry, from professional to occupational sectors, are increasing on the popular job search engine website, giving experts hope that the economy is beginning to stabilize, allowing job seekers to breathe a sigh of relief.

As the job market loosens and employers start to hire again, job seekers and those looking to change professions may find themselves in a transition – moving back into a full-time career or starting a new one. This can be overwhelming, exciting, nerve racking, and stressful. If you’re about to embark on a new journey on your career path, make your transition easier with these four tips.

Know your industry. Whether you’re jumping back into the job market after some time off or just changing careers, make sure you’re up to speed on the desired industry you want to work in. Research the latest trends by attending workshops, conferences, or education seminars that are geared for the career you’re searching for. This will help you be prepared when opportunity comes knocking.

Identify your transferable skills. Once you’re updated with the latest industry trends, identify the transferable skills you need to be successful in that line of work. All transferable skills fit into five broad skill categories: leadership and management, professionalism, communication, research and planning, and relational. To help you organize and clarify your skills, check out Secrets of the Job Search: Identify Your Transferable Skills.

Update your résumé. Now that you have researched your industry and identified your transferable skills, it’s time to update your résumé to reflect the career you want. Create a standout résumé that showcases you and your skills, helping you transition from one type of job to another.

Network. Your next step is to attend every possible networking event. You can even join organizations that don’t directly align with your industry, just as long as you get out there and meet people. Focus on building strong relationships with your contacts. Use networking opportunities to your advantage.

No matter if you’re changing jobs, just starting out, or starting over in the workforce, the time has come to prepare for the job search again. And, using these four tips will help you transition from one to another. So, stop dragging your feet. Get out there and start searching for your next adventure.

At Work My Entry-Level Life Networking

What Has Your Network Done For You Lately?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, April 28, 2010

When you’re looking for a job, the importance of networking cannot be emphasized enough. Having a network of contacts is vital to ensuring your job hunt success. Yes, it’s imperative to study hard while you’re in school and do well within your field of study, but the old saying holds true: It’s not what you know, it’s about who you know that counts.

Who you know could bring about some new life-changing possibilities for you – and a job opportunity could be one. That’s why you need to make sure you’re meeting as many people as possible and focusing on building quality relationships with them. And, you always need to continue building your contact base – even after you’ve been working for 30 years. Social networking is great, and it’s definitely a must, but doing a little networking in person also never hurts. So, what are some basic tips to ensure your networking works for you?

Meet in person. Regardless of what type of networking you do, there’s still no substitute for meeting a person face-to-face and shaking hands. A direct meeting helps leave more of a lasting impression of who you are.

Start going to professional meetings. There are many professional organizations within your field of interest. Usually, they have regular meetings once a month and charge a small fee to attendees. But, it’s often worth the investment! This is a great place for you to meet several people at once and gain some new knowledge, since many of these meetings bring in guest presenters to broaden your skills. If you are unsure what professional meetings are available in your city, contact your local chamber of commerce to find out which organizations can benefit you.

Be prepared at all times. To ensure you put your best foot forward and present a great first impression, always have business cards and your résumé on hand with all of your contact information. In addition, have an elevator speech prepared. Be able to identify your skills and the type of job you’re looking for. Also, don’t avoid bragging about yourself a little. This is your chance to tell why you’d be a great employee. The goal is to show your networking contact how polished and confident you are – but just be sure to not come across as too confident because that can make you look arrogant.

Follow-up with contacts. Your networking’s not over just because the networking event ended. You have to continue building relationships with the professionals you meet. Send a quick e-mail or mail a note after the meeting to let key contacts know how glad you were to meet them. This will give potential employers a chance to respond back to you, helping open the door for more communication down the road.

Online networking. Be sure to have an online presence when it comes to networking. Create profiles on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and add the professional contacts you know. Networking is most effective when you combine both face-to-face and online options. After you meet someone in person, send them a friend request on Facebook, add them as a connection on LinkedIn, or follow them on Twitter. Just, be aware of what your social networks reveal about you and make sure you project the same impression online that you do in person.

Networking is a great way to get your foot in the door when you’re looking for work. Building a broad range of connections is a good idea – but just remember to build relationships with those contacts! Doing so takes time, but the end result is well worth the effort because the top way that people find a job is through a referral. So, get started today!

At Work Cube Life My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips The Daily Grind The Job Search Work/Life Balance

What Do Your Social Media Sites Reveal About You?

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, April 19, 2010

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. How many of these social media networking sites are you using? One? All three? More? Today, social media is a hot topic when it comes to making connections. But, these sites are not just useful for socializing with friends and peers. You can also use them to help build your personal brand and aid your job search. Employers are becoming savvy in using these tools in the recruiting process. When it comes to hiring managers, 53% use social networks to perform background checks on employees, so it’s important to keep your social media sights professional, because you never know which employer could be looking at you.

So, take a minute to freshen up on the overall purpose of the three most popular social networks and learn general rules for professional social networking.

Facebook.
Facebook is primarily a place where people can socialize and connect with friends and family. You can upload pictures, post videos, and update your status to keep people aware of what you’re doing. You can control who sees what on Facebook – to an extent. This site has developed many new features since its humble beginning as a way for students at Harvard to stay in touch. Facebook quickly expanded so that any student with a college e-mail address could participate. From there, it grew to allow anyone with an e-mail address to be able to join Facebook. Today, your friends, professors, elementary school teachers, bosses, and possibly even your parents are on Facebook. This year, Facebook beat out Google as one of the most searched websites in the U.S.

LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is more professional than Facebook. It is designed to showcase your resume, skills, and contacts. The site also enables you to stay in touch with colleagues and helps you network with other professionals in your field or industry of interest. On this site, the profile focus is primarily on you skills, experience, aspirations, and expertise. what you do for a living, or what you would like to do, and showcasing your résumé online.

Twitter.
Twitter allows you to post short messages, information, links, and more in real time to your followers. You can choose whose tweets you want to follow and allow others to follow yours as well, unless you have your profile set to private. Twitter messages “tweets” are just short – 140 characters or less. An example of a tweet is: Downtown for the marketing association’s annual convention. Each tweet is updated on each follower’s home page, allowing them to see your message, share it, or reply back to it. It’s a great, and quick way, to find information, connect with those in your field of interest, and showcase your knowledge.

General Rules.
Did you know that 53% of all hiring managers use social networks to perform background checks on employees? So, if you interviewed for a job and end up being one of the top candidates, some employer may search your online references, such as Facebook and LinkedIn to learn more about you. If they looked at your Facebook profile, what would your pictures tell a potential employer about you?

An estimated 80% of employers want employees and job candidates to know how to use social networking tools.

If you don’t have any social networking profiles created, it’s never too late to get started. LinkedIn is focused on sharing your resume and skills with others. Twitter is a great account to sign up for because it allows you to easily and quickly share information at once. Facebook is mainly used to help you connect with friends and family, so use this account cautiously as a job seeker.

The more connections you have, the better. Just keep in mind to actually focus on building quality relationships with your connections. Start placing more focus on your social media networks today and start growing your contacts.

Career Advancement Career Options Reader Surveys The Job Search

Does Online or In-Person Networking Work Best? The Surprising Results of Poll

By tiffany monhollon on Thursday, April 1, 2010

With so much focus on social networking and the job search, we wanted to know in our latest poll what you think works best – in person or online networking.

The results of the poll – posted and shared online – may be surprising.

A total of 477 readers responded to the poll, which asked “Which is most effective?”

A huge majority thought in-person networking works best.

Here’s how the results came back:

21.4 % selected “Networking online.”
78.6 % selected “Networking in person.”

But, as our readers shared, that’s not to say that networking online isn’t important. Their comments reinforced the value of balancing both in-person and online networking.

Networking Balance is Key

Reader Chuck Rice responded, “I don't know that you can do one or the other. Face to face will always continue to be important, however online networking is better for staying in touch and discussing a variety of topics to a larger audience. I've found that seeing a post or message from someone in the middle of my business day causes me to act immediately, as long as I've built some face to face relationship.”

Other commentators shared the value of networking online to expand your relationships beyond where time and travel costs allow with traditional networking.

When it comes to networking, it’s clear that balance is key. With all the focus and attention on social media and technology these days, don’t underestimate the value of meeting people face-to-face. Use both in-person and online networking tactics to get the best of both options. Putting all your eggs in one networking basket could limit your opportunities, so carefully plan time for each type of networking in your professional life.

What are your thoughts? Can you afford to rely on just one type of networking these days to build your personal brand, advance in your career, and find great opportunities?

At Work Cube Life The Job Search Workplace Relationships

Could Your Cubemate be Your Next Boss?

By Brie Hobbs on Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Eight hours a day, five days a week, you share workspace with your co-workers and peers. During the work week, you discover their habits and quirks, and they discover yours. You go to lunch together. You celebrate birthdays and company milestones. You discuss office politics and swap stories about your boss. You develop routines and adjust to the customs and dynamics of the team. And, you learn to like – or dislike – your co-workers, depending on their personality and yours. Either way, you all learn to work together. But, what happens when the dynamics change and your office comrade – or worse, your office enemy – becomes your boss?

When a peer or co-worker is promoted above you, the adjustment can be difficult, no matter how amiable your rapport has been. Following these tips could make the transition smoother for yourself, your new boss, and your entire team.

Be Respectful. Choosing to respect your superiors and co-workers alike is always a good idea. It may not always be the easiest task – especially if you’ve seen them at their worst, like during an out-of-hand office Christmas party. But, showing respect to everyone you encounter is well worth it. When you demonstrate respect, they’ll often give you the same respect in return. And, respecting your co-workers from the start will help prevent any awkwardness should one of them become your boss in the future. Even if you feel a new boss doesn’t deserve your respect, their new position demands it. So, demonstrate your respect by being conscious of your speech, habits, and attitude when you’re at the water cooler or break room, during meetings, in the cube, and throughout the day.

Be Patient. Remember that your newly appointed boss is new to their job, so cut them some slack. Even the most experienced managers and executives make mistakes. Just like you, they’re only human, and errors and oversights will happen. So, be patient while they’re figuring things out.

Your manager may feel the need to institute some professional distance from peers once they’ve been promoted. Follow their lead and allow the relationship’s dynamic to evolve. Understand that your new boss may need to establish some clout and influence with the team in the beginning. Patience is a virtue and an asset your supervisors value, so don’t sweat the office politics, changes, and adjustments. Instead, take it in stride.

Feel like you’re losing your patience? Check out these tips to regain your serenity at work.

Be Flexible. Employers want and need flexible employees because life and work often require it. Be a flexible employee who’s willing to take on tasks and projects even when they don’t fall within your job description or title. You may not be accustomed to taking orders from your co-worker-turned-captain, but be a team player and go with the flow when plans change.

When problems arise, help be the solution instead of just another roadblock. Being a flexible employee will make your boss’ job easier, which can make your job easier too! With so many work-life headaches to handle, being a helpful and flexible employee your employer can trust will help you standout from the rest.

When work relationships change, the transition can be difficult for the team. But, by being a respectful, patient, and flexible employee, you can help calm rough waters and get noticed as a valuable employee your company and your new boss can’t do without.

At Work Career Options My Entry-Level Life New Job Tips Resumes and Cover Letters The Daily Grind The Job Search Work/Life Balance

My Entry-Level Life

By Miranda Wilson on Monday, March 22, 2010

Spring is in the air. It’s the time of year when college students begin anticipating summer vacation or start preparing for life after college. Maybe you or someone you know is looking for that first job or maybe hoping to land an internship or part-time job. Regardless of what you’re looking for, we’ve got some information you’re going to want to read.

Starting next Monday, March 29, and going through the beginning of August, we’re featuring a new blog series called My Entry-Level Life. As part of this series, each week we will post different topics about finding and transitioning into entry-level job positions.

Through this series, we’ll share tips on topics like hunting for an internship or first job, what to do the first day at work, work-life balance, phone etiquette, interacting with upper management, and much, much more. Whether you’re just starting out or starting over, this series will tell you what you need to know.

Next Monday, the focus will be on beginning the job hunt. We’ll discuss the benefits of getting a full-time job versus the benefits of an internship. How do you start looking for a job or internship? Tune in next Monday to find out!

Career Advancement Reader Surveys The Job Search

The Networking Wars: Does Online or In Person Work Best?

By tiffany monhollon on Tuesday, March 2, 2010

With record high unemployment rates and the rapid adoption of social networking across generations, this past year there has been a big focus on using social networking for the job hunt. At the same time, people are going back to the basics of the job search as they attempt to uncover every avenue available to land the job.

Networking in general is one of the most important tools in the job seeker’s arsenal. And having a good mix of social networking and in-person networking is your best bet for a broad-reaching job search. But in today’s job market, we want to know what you think. Which works best?

poll by twiigs.com