How To Wow at a Job Interview

The resume gets you in the door but it’s the interview that gets you the job. For the inexperienced job hunter an interview can be intimidating but it’s really not so bad as long as you follow the simple guidelines listed here.

Here’s How:

1. Show up 10-15 minutes early for your scheduled interview. Do not show up too early as this may be an annoyance to an interviewer especially if waiting room space is limited. Never show up late.
2. Dress neatly, conservatively but also casually. Avoid trendy clothes, jeans, or personal identity statements (like a Mohawk or political t-shirt) unless they are fitting to the job, for example; trendy is OK if the job is in a trendy clothing store. For more see jobsearch.about.com
3. Remove piercings that may be objectionable and obvious to an employer such as a facial piercing and keep tattoos covered. It is unlawful in most regions for employers to deny you a job because of these things but it can still happen.
4. Know your resume inside out. Nothing looks worse than an applicant who keeps reading off of their resume. If there is an application form take your answers from your resume so you won’t stumble when asked about your qualifications.
5. Shake hands and remain standing until offered a seat. Clearly and confidently state your name and thank the interviewer for seeing you.
6. Avoid giving speeches when asked questions. Keep your answers concise and to the point. If you don’t understand a question or you didn’t hear it do not be afraid to ask to have it rephrased or repeated.
7. Whenever possible prepare your answers in advance. There are some standard interview questions you can expect. Examples of these types of questions can be found at jobsearch.about.com
8. Know a bit about the company you are applying to work at and details about the job you are after. Answer any questions you are asked with references to these things whenever relevant.
9. Do not be afraid to ask questions of your own. In fact, many interviewers consider the “do you have any questions” part of an interview to be very telling about a potential employees work ethic and job expectations.
10. If it hasn’t been stated it is OK to ask about the rate of pay, bonus structure and advancement opportunities within the company. If the company is very large, like McDonalds, ask about any employee scholarship programs that may be available.
11. Never lie about your availability. If you can only work weekends, say so. If you can’t work any later than 9pm make it clear right away.
12. Ask when the interviewer expects to have made a decision and if they will be contacting all applicants or only those who are hired. Make a point of following up via telephone 2 business days after your interview.
13. Before leaving thank the interviewer again and shake hands. Smile and make eye contact as you leave.

From Jessica Stevenson, former About.com Guide

Justify your salary–and your job–by adding value

Takeaway: Dodging the layoff bullet has never been easy. For anyone wondering what you can do to make yourself irreplaceable in your organization, check out this Artner’s Law column on ways to add value to your job.

Let’s talk about job security. There isn’t any. The technology boom is long over, and most of us have had to endure one or more rounds of layoffs at our companies. In fact, not a few of us have been laid off and have had to start over somewhere else. It’s not clear that things will get better anytime soon.

Wow, what a depressing lead paragraph. In fact, what I have to say isn’t really grim—in fact, it’s good, possibly uplifting advice. In this column, I want to talk about how you can make yourself less vulnerable to being downsized or passed over. I’m going to talk about the concept of “adding value,” and how it increases your worth in the eyes of your boss—and your boss’s boss.

The science of adding value
Being a favorite of motivational speakers and business writers, the concept of “adding value” is well on its way to the graveyard of overhyped phrases. It also suffers from multiple, contradictory meanings.

Here is what I mean when I talk about adding value: performing your duties in such a way that you are perceived by your superiors to offer an advantage to the organization over the “typical” manager in your job.

That’s kind of wordy, so to clarify consider this example. Suppose you’re running the Microsoft Exchange infrastructure for a Fortune 500 company. You manage a group of 10 administrators, spread out in six locations and three countries. How do you add value in that situation? Not by just doing your job well—presumably, that’s basic performance.

You add value by giving your employers something extra, something tangible (if sometimes hard to define) that makes your boss think your salary is money particularly well spent.

There are many ways you can “add value” to your employer. None of them is relevant for every situation, and some aren’t a good match for every IT manager, but they are all worth considering. Here are some of the more common:

• Working your butt off: Most of us have been here before. Eager to prove ourselves, particularly in a new job, we vow that no one is going to outwork us. This technique is commonly used because it’s effective. After all, if you had to lay off one of two employees, who would you be more likely to keep (everything else being equal): the one who’s willing to stay late to fix a problem, or the one who’s fixated on the clock, counting down the minutes until it’s time to leave? On the other hand, you need to make sure that your supervisor doesn’t end up assuming you’ll always put in all those hours, and routinely overburden you, serene in the knowledge that you’ll put up with it. There is a difference between being accommodating and being a doormat.
• Institutional knowledge: If you’re like most managers, the longer you do a job, the better you get at it. More importantly, that experience allows you to build up a store of institutional knowledge—the undocumented ins and outs of a job that make you more effective than someone just thrown in that same job. This kind of knowledge can be even more useful if your supervisor is relatively new to the organization; it can give you the opportunity to educate your boss on potential pitfalls to proposed projects. The downside of institutional knowledge is that for it to be useful, you have to share it with others. Too many technical managers try to hoard their information like a miser hoards his gold. (Here is a column that addresses the topic at greater length.)

• Working cheap: If the going rate for a position is x, and you’re willing to work for 90 percent of x, aren’t you adding value? Well, yes and no. It’s certainly true that working for below-market rates will allow your company some budget freedom, and in these tough times, that’s something. On the other hand, there are several problems with this approach. First, the cost-cutting logic implied in this equation never ends. What if you’re up against a job candidate who’s willing to work for 80 percent of x? What about overseas outsourcing—are you ready to compete on price with Bangalore’s best and brightest? I don’t think so. Second, while IT executives enjoy saving money when possible, they are also rightly suspicious of something that looks too good to be true. Price yourself too low against the market, and companies are bound to start asking why. Finally, consider your own attitude. Wouldn’t you end up resenting a company that paid you considerably below market wages for your job, even if you agreed to it when you were hired?
• Knowing what not to do: Sometimes you can add value by knowing when you can’t add value. This allows you to concentrate on tasks that play to your strengths. For example, here at TechRepublic, we create books and CD-ROMs for IT professionals. However, we didn’t buy a printing press or a CD duplicator. Why not? Because we can’t really add value by doing our own printing or duplicating. Instead, we contract out with a printing company, and spend our time trying to create the best possible content—that’s how we add value.
• Inspired leadership: IT managers are leaders. Leadership isn’t just the ability to keep a project on time, or under budget. Those skills are essential but not sufficient. One way to stand out from your peers is to develop and showcase your ability to inspire people to follow you—not because they have to, but because they trust you and believe what you tell them. This is different from simply getting your team to like you. While always nice, that’s not what I’m talking about here. Inspired leadership is the ability to motivate a team or group to perform feats they didn’t believe were possible. If you can do that, you’ve proven your worth to just about any employer.
• Creative ideas: When I was a kid, one of my coaches’ favorite sayings was “You can’t teach quick.” The jury is still out on whether or not you can teach a manager to think creatively. (I’m skeptical, but that’s another story.) Perhaps someday you’ll be able to learn how to think creatively in the same way you can learn how to migrate to Active Directory. Unless and until that happy day comes, however, creative thinkers will always be at a premium. If you’ve got the gift of conceiving new solutions for tough problems, then make sure your boss knows about it.

That’s not an exhaustive list of ways you can add value, by any means. Further, as I said earlier, none of us have all these gifts, nor are all of them appropriate for every job. Perform a skills assessment on yourself, and find out which of these plays to your strengths. Then continue to develop these “value-adding” skills, and make sure your supervisor knows about your efforts. After all, there’s no point in “adding value” if no one knows about it.

 by Bob Artner

The Value of a Mentor

Looking for a boost in your job search or working life? Find yourself a mentor — or let one find you. A mentor is that one person who can guide you, help you, take you under his or her wing, and nurture your career quest. A Yoda to your Luke Skywalker. A Glinda the Good Witch to your Dorothy Gale. What separates a mentor from the average network contact is long-term commitment and a deep-seated investment in your future.

Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor’s office. A mentor is often in a position you’d like to be in and has the clout and connections to guide you to a similar position. He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn’t afraid to criticize constructively.

Finding a mentor
Check first to see whether you current employer, your college alma mater, or other organization with which you’re associated already has a formal mentoring program in place. In these structured arrangements, participants are sometimes given personality assessments so that “mentees” can be matched with compatible mentors. Other organizations have found that when mentors and mentees are very different, greater opportunities for discovery emerge.

To find a mentor on your own, identify someone you admire and respect. You can chose someone from your own place of employment or outside it — or both; some people have more than one mentor. “Serial mentors,” those with whom you have a short-term relationship, one after the other, work well for some people. In an article on the CareerJournal.com Website, authors Beverly Kaye and Devon Scheef describe short-term mentoring relationships that comprise “mentworking,” a process combining mentoring and networking and enabling participants to give and receive in relationships in which everyone is both learner and teacher. “You’ll … be sharing your knowledge and abilities with others,” the authors write, “serving as a mentor to many. In other words, each ‘mentworker’ receives and gives brain power to others, creating multiple short-term learning teams.”

Decide what you need in a mentor — what skills you’d like to develop with your mentor’s assistance. Consider your goals in choosing a mentor. Think about what characteristics you’re looking for in a mentor. You may want to do a bit of sleuthing to find out what the prospective mentor is like. What is his or her communication style? Ask the would-be mentor’s co-workers and subordinates for their insights.

It’s a good idea to choose someone working in the same functional area as you are, as well as someone who shares your values. Professional organizations in your field, whether they offer formal mentoring programs or not, can be excellent sources of mentors. Test the waters by asking advice. Be sure to reveal as much of yourself as possible. Mentors are most likely to invest themselves in those in whom they see a little of themselves, which is why you should never approach a prospective mentor in state of desperation or helplessness.

Don’t ask your direct supervisor to be your mentor; it’s better to have someone with whom you can talk freely about career and workplace issues. Some mentees prefer an older, more experienced mentor at a higher organizational level so they, too, can aspire to the upper echelons of the career ladder, while others benefit from peer mentors. Fast Company magazine offers the story of Lourdes Townsend who worked with 20 peer mentors as part of a program sponsored by her employer, Stride Rite. “I never thought about learning from someone on my level,” Townsend says. “I always looked two to four levels above me and wondered what I had to do to get there. But the people who have the best solutions to the problems I face are often the people facing those problems themselves.”

As Townsend’s experience suggests, mentoring is sometimes conducted in groups. Women Unlimited, a development program for achievement-oriented women, employs a model in which pairs of mentors are assigned to three mentees.

What to look for in a mentor
A mentor wants to work with someone he or she can respect. He or she may even desire to mold the protégé in his or her own image, which is fine as long as the mentor is not too obsessive about it, and you are comfortable with the image into which you’re being molded. In that sense, a mentor can be a role model — someone you’d like to model yourself after — but does not have to be. Women and members of minorities that are underrepresented in the workplace may find it especially helpful to seek out mentors/role models of the same background so they can identify with the success of someone who has made it in a diverse workforce.

You should have a good feel after a few meetings as to whether the rapport is right for a mentoring relationship. At that point, you can either come right out and ask the person to be your mentor, if that feels appropriate, or you can simply tell him or her how much you’ve benefited from wisdom imparted so far and you hope he or she will continue to share it with you.

You should bring trustworthiness and the ability to keep confidences to the mentoring relationship, suggests Women Unlimited. The group also suggests that mentored relationships benefit when the mentee approaches the mentoring with openness, honesty, introspection, realistic expectations, accountability, and the ability to admit mistakes and share failures. Look for similar qualities in a mentor, the group advises, as well as a sense of humor, good listening skills, a high comfort level in giving feedback, and the ability to discuss a wide range of issues. Jeffrey Patnaude, author of Leading from the Maze, also suggests that mentors possess emotional intelligence, intuition, a drive to keep learning, and a desire to bring about change. Avoid a mentor who is too controlling, judgmental, or a know-it-all. Look for a positive, upbeat attitude — someone who will become invested in and celebrate your success. The mentorship is especially productive when the mentor believes he or she can learn from you, and the relationship is a two-way street.

Nurturing the mentoring relationship
Talk with your mentor about mutual expectations for the mentoring relationship how it will work, what it will look like, and how often you’ll communicate. You and your mentor may want to agree at the outset that either of you can end the relationship at any time with no hard feelings. Also be sure not to overburden your mentor by demanding too much time and attention or becoming overly dependent on your mentor. Some experts suggest monthly meetings supplemented by regular e-mail and phone contact. Your meetings can be in the workplace, over a meal, at the gym, or anyplace that’s conducive to a productive exchange of ideas. Set boundaries relating to confidentiality, time commitments, and the areas you mutually feel the mentor can most help you with.

The mentor may tend to give a lot more than you do to the relationship, so be sure to express regularly that you value and appreciate your mentor’s guidance. The feeling of being needed and making a difference in a protégé’s life will often be a rewarding payoff for the mentor, but don’t be afraid to supplement that reward with a token gift, flowers, or by picking up the check when you share a meal. You could also send a note to the mentor’s supervisor praising his or her contribution to your professional growth.

You’ll know if the mentoring relationship is working if your mentor encourages your goals, provides honest and constructive feedback, helps you develop self-awareness, challenges you to grow beyond your perceived limitations, introduces you to movers and shakers, motivates you to join professional organizations that can help you advance, and above all, listens to you and is easy to communicate with.

What do mentors do?
Your mentor can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses, as well as help you develop skills for success and a long-range career plan. If you and your mentor share the same employer, your mentor can foster your sense of belonging within the organization, help you navigate the company culture and politics, as well as let you know who the organization’s key players are. You can also work through career and workplace problems with your mentor’s assistance. A mentor can provide a fresh perspective — a new way of looking at a problem or issue. You can bounce ideas off your mentor. Look for a relationship in which the mentor is more coach than adviser — one in which the mentor facilitates your decision-making process by suggesting alternatives rather than telling you what to do. Ideally, your mentor will motivate you to do your best work.

Mentors for college students
Find out if your university has a formal mentoring program (alumni often serve as mentors), and if not, ask faculty members, the university’s career-services office, and the alumni office for suggestions about possible mentors.

The value to a college student of being partnered with an alumnus/alumna or other professional in his/her field as a mentor is priceless according to Marcia Merrill, career adviser at Loyola College, MD. “Students (mentees) get to ask their mentors questions about the ‘real world.’ Mentors report that it’s very rewarding to help someone, remembering what it was like when they were trying to decide on a career.

“They invite the students to job-shadow them in the workplace to see how it really is and experience firsthand what it’s like to be an attorney, doctor, or counselor/psychologist,” Merrill continues. “Having a mentor can be the first step toward deciding on pursuing a given career.” A mentor can also help a college student make connections between theories read in books and real-world applications of those theories in the workplace.

“Many students begin with making networking contacts and grow into working part- or full-time for their mentor or their mentor’s contacts. Internships often result as the student gains the experience needed to make a career decision,” Merrill says.

For an inspiring first-person story of how one college student benefited from a mentor, see Meet Your Mentor from Time.com’s College Center.

 

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker’s Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). Visit her personal Website or reach her by e-mail at kathy(at)quintcareers.com.

 

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Job Interview Techniques: Preparing For Your Interview

Looking for a new job? Some job interview techniques may prove helpful before you walk into the lair of a hiring company. Here are some general tips on preparing for your interview.

For many people, the interview is the most stressful part of getting a job; something like asking the girl you love to marry you — or if you’re a lady, it would be like lending your guy an ear. It’s a serious commitment, although few candidates take it as such, and even fewer prepare adequately for the big moment. Getting a job interview means that the company is interested in pursuing a relationship with you, after culling your resume out of hundreds of applicants (especially in today’s market).

Image from BetterMondays

Preparing For Your Interview? Apply These Job Interview Techniques

Did you just find your dream job? If you haven’t gone through an interview process before, or feel that you’re rusty, then here are a few things to do to get ready. Some points to keep in mind while you rehearse for that big day:

1. Remember that the interview is not really about you.

The interview process is about what the company will gain by employing you. So the main arguments at your disposal are related to what you bring that will benefit the business. Yes, they have your resume in front of them, but they are interested in hearing from the proverbial horse’s mouth what special skills you have that will make a difference for them.

2. Prepare to fill in the blanks.

Those resume writing tips may have paid off, helping you secure your job interview. But your resume may not be able to provide the full picture. It may fail to explain why you didn’t work for 2 years or what the real reasons are for your dismissal from X company. Be prepared to be honest — brutally, if necessary.

Try “I couldn’t find work because I wasn’t willing to move to another state” or “I decided to take a sabbatical to forge my character by exploring the Amazon”. Or “I’ve had philosophical differences with my company” can really mean that “my boss and I didn’t get along because he wouldn’t accept my suggestions”.

You can be as euphemistic as possible about the gaps you leave in your resume, but if they do come up in the interview, it’s strongly recommended that you come clean. Falsifying information will eventually bite you in the end.

3. Check the mirror.

Common sense says to dress for the occasion, and an interview certainly qualifies as a formal affair. There are however, some exceptions: I once interviewed a young man who showed up wearing a gaudy t-shirt; he was hired immediately because his talent as a software programmer was top of the line.

Most employers in the corporate universe frown on beards, Pancho Villa type moustaches, long hair (for guys), short dresses, and low-cut blouses (unless it’s an audition, not an interview). So dress appropriately for the job and act naturally. What’s that cliche again? Dress for success. Even if it’s just to snag the job. You can ruminate over your company’s dress code after you get the job!

 

4. Sell yourself!

One of the most important techniques to get that coveted position is to sell yourself well, in my opinion. You must suddenly become somewhat of a salesperson, which isn’t easy for a lot of job seekers to do.

But here are some basic tips: assume a good posture when facing the interviewer and remember that he/she is waiting to be convinced that you are the best candidate. Beyond marching down your resume, job history and past work experience, make sure you’re prepared for the “softer” questions which can be some variant of:

• Why did you leave your last job?
• Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
• What do you bring to the table that other candidates don’t?
• Why should we hire you?

If you work in a technical field, you’ll have more questions to wrestle with that are pertinent to your specific career. You’ll sell yourself well by acing those questions!

5. Stay relaxed.

One way to keep the pressure off? Try to be yourself and show a bit of personality in your interviews. I challenge myself by trying (operative word here) to spice up a technical or dry interview with a little humor. Charm can get you far, although not everyone has the natural ability to be witty. But being relaxed during the interview can help draw more of your personality out, and will avoid those unsightly underarm perspiration stains, awkward handshakes, or nervous shifting that plague many an interviewee. Deep breaths or yoga before the interview, perhaps?

6. Make the first impression count.

I’d strive to make a good first impression, but this comes automatically when you project positive energy with a positive and confident demeanor. So look at your interviewer in the eye, and use a firm handshake. If he/she feels that they grasped a wet noodle, your chances of being hired could plummet. A little formality works (until you know your colleagues better) — I’d wait till the other is seated before taking a seat, and I’d avoid slouching.

A few more tips from the trenches: try to speak clearly and to put some emotion into your answers. Show how much you’re interested in the job by displaying enthusiasm. Hopefully, you don’t have to fake how excited you are about the position. But avoid being dramatic as well, as your body language can reveal more than your words to a trained interviewer; a lot of them can tell when you’re pulling their leg. Smile when appropriate, but never use laughter, especially the guttural kind. And overall, be as passionate as you can about getting the job, without going overboard.

by Jacques Sprenger for The Digerati Life

2009 World’s Largest Staffing Companies

Ranked based on global staffing revenue in U.S. $ billions. The list, published in alphabetical order, appeared in the October 19, 2009, issue of Workforce Management. To enlarge the view, click on the image below.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.  Workforce Management, October 19, 2009, p. 16 — Subscribe Now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Keys to Stay Motivated And On Top Of Your Game at Work

What do you dream about? Do you have dreams of building a blockbuster business, material wealth, taking great vacations, writing the next bestseller, or contributing to the lives of others? Whatever dreams you have big or small, staying motivated can sometimes be a challenge.

Initially, many people hit the ground running towards their goals with great enthusiasm and determination. They keep up the momentum for a period of time and often lose steam, (emotionally, psychologically, physically, and spiritually) for a variety of reasons. That’s just part of being human!

Below are 10 ways to help you stay motivated and moving forward:

1. Create a vivid and compelling vision of the dream you wish to achieve. Consider all the aspects of your life as if you were looking through a wide-angled lens. See your vision take form as a picture in your mind. Write down all you see, think, and feel. See yourself in that vision of having what you want. Now, you must make the decision to say YES to have what you want. Making the decision is the first step to committing to a dream. In other words, how bad do you want it and what are you willing to do (or be) to have your dream?

2. Identify what stimulates and motivates you. It might be certain music, movies, books such as Lance Armstrong’s amazing success story, exercise, magazines, places or people (heroes, role models) that get you juiced and pumped. Notice the people and things that drain and de-motivate. See #4.

3. Be passionate. Webster’s dictionary defines passion as “A powerfull emotion or appetite; boundless enthusiasm”. Passion is a great motivator and if you are motivated you are passionate! These are three strategies to keep your passions strong:

• Revisit your vision, goals, and dreams daily so they stay up front in your heart and mind.

• Design a “rough day” strategy. We all have days when it seems nothing is going the way we want. When faced with “one of those days”, having a strategy on how to stay positive will be key to sustaining motivation. For me personally, I meditate to quiet my mind so that I feel more centered. Reaching out to a close friend also helps me regain perspective to recommit to my dreams.

• Take control of your environment. We make choices everyday about the people we associate with, where we live, the work we do, and where we go. If your environment isn’t supporting you, identify three actions you will take immediately to improve your situation so that you can move forward. See #4

4. Decrease and eliminate energy drains. What are you tolerating and putting up with that drains your energy? We put up with, accept, take on and are dragged down by: clutter, people’s behavior, unmet needs, unfinished business, repairs, avoided conflicts/confrontations, and negative thinking. Clearing out clutter and energy drains will dramatically free up energy and lift your spirits.

5. Practice extreme self –care. I use extreme because taking the best care of YOU is serious! Give yourself permission to make self-care a priority. When needs are not being met, negative thoughts and reactions intensify. When we feel replenished, we handle situations with strength, clarity and focus. Make a list of the people and things that energize and recharge you and commit to adding them into your life with regularity.

6. Monitor your self-talk. Self-talk is the constant commentary of things we say to ourselves (internally) and repeat to others (externally). Our self-talk can be supportive or non-supportive, positive or negative (the stories we tell ourselves that cause pain and stress). Observe your self-talk. Watch for opportunities to replace your negative thinking with empowering language that comes from your heart. Choose your attitude. You are the source of your thoughts, beliefs, assumptions, opinions, judgments, and feelings. Your viewpoint affects your decisions and actions; therefore your attitude directly affects the outcome. In this way, you can become a powerfull self-motivator. Choose to see challenges and problems as opportunities, possibilities, and learning experiences that help you evolve as a person.

7. Meet your fears head-on. Fear is fueled by negative beliefs and self-talk. Remember, you are the source of your thoughts. Fear can be a powerfull motivator or a detractor. If you’ve been working with the tips on this list and still feel overwhelmed by your fears, try these additional strategies to regain control.

• Breathe!
• Be present. Are you in the present moment of focusing on the future?
• Be grateful. Focus on everyone and everything that brings you joy.
• Connect with your Source (your spiritual connection) for peace and comfort.
• Separate the facts (your reality, what’s true) from the story (what you are telling yourself in your head).

Transforming fear is a process, so stay with it!

8. Surround yourself with people who positively support you. We are influenced and impacted by the people in our lives especially within our inner circle. Choose to be in close affiliation with those who bring out your best.

9. Draw on past successes to calm discouragement, doubt or fear. What are you most proud of having accomplished? Recall specific challenges (big and small) that you have overcome, especially ones that initially felt insurmountable.

10. Celebrate! Acknowledging and rewarding yourself for your accomplishments (benchmarks) along the way is a great source of motivation and inspiration to help you go the distance. Make sure you’re having fun!

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” – Anonymous
Author: Lorraine Cohen

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40 Job Interview DO’s and DON’Ts – See them

Here are the keys to successful job interviews. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting. However, do not forget the 3Ds, Plan, Prepare and Practice.

40 Interview DO’s and DON’Ts

Here are the keys to successful job interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.

1.    Don’t just rely on your application, cover letter or CV to do the selling for you. No matter how qualified you are for the position, you will need to sell yourself/skills to the interviewer.

2.    Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be encountering. And do prepare and practice for the interview, but don’t memorise or over-rehearse your answers. (See my old postings to see some of the best collections of interview questions and answers.)

3.    Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview — or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.

4.    Do dress the part for the job, the company, the industry. And do err on the side of conservatism. If you’re not sure, you should consider dressing conservatively.

5.    Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable. If you are running late, do phone the company.

6.    Do greet the receptionist or assistant with courtesy and respect. This is where you make your first impression.

7.    Don’t chew gum during the interview.

8.    Don’t excuse yourself to go for a cigarette and don’t ask for tea or coffee unless you are offered.

9.    If presented with a job application, do fill it out neatly, completely, and accurately.

10. Do bring extra CVs and your skills Portfolio to the interview.

11. Do greet the interviewer(s) by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name if you are sure of the pronunciation. (If you’re not sure, do ask the receptionist about the pronunciation before going into the interview.

12. Do shake hands firmly. Don’t have a limp or sweaty handshake!

13. Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. And do remember body language and posture: sit upright and look alert and interested at all times. Don’t fidget or slouch.

14. Don’t tell jokes during the interview and don’t do any impressions.

15. Do make good eye contact with your interviewer(s).

16. Do show enthusiasm in the position and the company.

17. Don’t smoke, even if the interviewer does and offers you a cigarette. And don’t smoke beforehand so that you smell like smoke. And do brush your teeth, use mouthwash, or have a breath mint before the interview.

18. Do avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words (such as “like,” “uh,” and “um”).

19. Don’t be too soft-spoken. A forceful voice projects confidence.

20. Do have a high confidence and energy level, but don’t be overly aggressive.

21. Don’t act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.

22. Do avoid controversial topics.

23. Don’t say anything negative about former colleagues, supervisors, or employers.

24. Do make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner, remember evidences to support your skills claim.

25. Don’t ever lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and succinctly. And don’t over-answer questions.

26. Do stress your achievements. And don’t offer any negative information about yourself.

27. Don’t answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no.” Explain whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself that showcase your talents, skills, and determination. Give examples.

28. Do show off the research you have done on the company and industry when responding to questions.

29. Don’t bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems.

30. Do remember that the interview is also an important time for you to evaluate the interviewer and the company she represents.

31. Don’t respond to an unexpected question with an extended pause or by saying something like, “boy, that’s a tough/good question.” And do repeat the question out loud or ask for the question to be repeated to give you a little more time to think about an answer. Also, a short pause before responding is okay.

32. Do always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on an opportunity until you are sure about it.

33. Don’t answer mobile/cell phone calls during the interview, and do turn it off (or if you must, set to silent).

34. Do show what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you.

35. Don’t inquire about salary, vacations, bonuses, retirement, or other benefits until after you’ve received an offer. Be prepared for a question about your salary requirements, but do try and delay salary talk until you have an offer.

36. Do ask intelligent questions about the job, company, or industry. Don’t ever say you have no questions to ask — it shows a lack of interest.

37. Do close the interview by telling the interviewer(s) that you want the job and asking about the next step in the process. (Some experts even say you should close the interview by asking for the job.)

38. Do try and get business cards from each person you interviewed with — or at least the correct spelling of their first and last names. And don’t make assumptions about simple names — was it Sam or Simon — get the spelling.

39. Do immediately take down notes after the interview concludes so you don’t forget crucial details.

40. Do write thank you letters within 24 hours to each person who interviewed you. (You can see some sample thank-you letters here.) And do know all the rules of following up after the interview.

7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress

Quick, by a show of hands, how many of you have workplace stress? Almost everybody, great. Now, how much of that stress do you think is self-imposed? What, no hands? Well, I’m not surprised, but you may be in for one.

You see, most people make their own stress. Why do they do it? How should I know? I’m not a shrink. So how do I know it’s true? I don’t; you tell me if any of these 7 Signs You’re Creating Your Own Workplace Stress resonate with you:

1. Not making enough money? Join the club. Nobody, I mean nobody makes enough money. Work hard, be smart, do great things, learn how to negotiate, and the money will come. That’s how it works.
2. Underappreciated, nobody loves you? Boss treats your co-worker better than you? Did you ever think maybe it’s you? Maybe you’re always whining. Maybe you treat them like crap. Maybe you never grew up. Who knows? 
3. Your group gets no respect. IT is always getting dumped on. Sales and marketing has it easy. Guess what? The other group probably feels the same way. It’s called Silo behavior and it’s destructive, period. Grow up.
4. You have a psycho boss? An abusive self-hating jerk who acts out his childhood drama on poor unsuspecting employees. That sucks, but the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, so you don’t get to pick your boss. Fighting battles you can’t win generates stress.
5. Too much work, too little time. This is usually self-imposed. Are you sure your deadlines are real and not just you feeling self-important, pushing yourself too hard because you haven’t got a life outside work? Slow down; what’s the worst that can happen?
6. Peer problems. There’s a coworker you just don’t get along with and it’s really stressful, right? Well, guess what? I’ll bet she feels the same way about you. It happens to everybody. Try a little detente. Offer an olive branch. Swallow your pride and give in. It won’t kill you.
7. Executive management doesn’t listen or care. Did it ever occur to you that executive managers are people too? They have their own issues and they’re not perfect. Some companies are well managed, some are managed by idiots. On the outside chance they’re not idiots, did you ever think that maybe, just maybe they know more than you do?   

If you think this post oversimplifies things, think again. You may be overcomplicating things. 

Try a little experiment: If you experience an issue or two and it changes when you jump companies or groups, then you were probably in a dysfunctional workplace. Welcome to the real world. Don’t whine and complain. Don’t give in and don’t give up. Be optimistic. Continue your search for a passionate, fulfilling job at a great company. You’ll find it.

But if it doesn’t change, if it’s always the same, then it’s probably you. You might want to see somebody about that.

By Steve Tobak

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Need a Job? See 12 Surefire Ways for Recruiters to Find You

You are in a panic. You need a job fast and recruiters won’t return your call. You don’t have anything on the back burner because you thought you could just call the recruiter and get set up. After all everyone knows a recruiter or two. Well, times have changed. Recruiters hold the cards now. So how can you prevent this from happening to you? How can you achieve the star status necessary to ensure that recruiters are calling you before you need them to? First, it’s important to understand the recruiter mindset. A recruiter makes money through placements. Translation – they make their living by placing you in the highest paid position possible – the higher the level of the placement, the higher the fee.Ergo, the more marketable you are, the more recruiters want to work with you.It’s a numbers game. A successful recruiter spends time with the most marketable resources first. The key is to make you the most marketable resource. Want to make this happen? The process itself is easy, however, it requires planning and consistency in order to implement a solid and productive marketing plan. The more of the following action items you apply the more high profile you become. Get a Recruiter Hunting YOU. 12 Action Items -Surefire ways to get in the spotlight and have the recruiter “dialing for dollars” to get to you!! 1. Become A Speaker Or Present A Workshop. Learn to become a public speaker or develop an industry workshop in your field of expertise. Recruiter’s peruse industry conferences and program schedules for the names of experts in a given field. * Start small by speaking at local activities as. As your confidence grows take on engagements at industry functions. Everyone has to start somewhere. *Gain training and experience by attending a local Toastmasters meeting or group. * Speak at your local industry association meetings. * Sign up for a speakers bureau 2. Become An Expert. This one will take awhile to accomplish, but your ultimate goal is to become the “Go To Person” in your field. You want colleagues to know your name. The more people who know you (and OF you) the more references you will get. Recruiters call their list of contacts to find good matches. If you are widely recognized, the recruiter will hear your name repeatedly and be compelled to call you. * Make one day a week an information day or commit yourself to an hour a day to keep informed. Ask your colleagues if they uncover something of interest to forward you a copy. * Subscribe to a clipping service that sends you “customized” news delivered to your in box. You can also set up these accounts through Yahoo, AOL, etc. 3. Get An Interview. All major industry publications have opportunities to be interviewed. Position yourself as the spokesperson or the focal person in the interview. Recruiters will track you down because of your name and your notoriety. * Learn the key editors in the industrys most important publications. Let them know you are available to be interviewed. * Go to the publications booths at trade show and introduce yourself to editors. It always helps if they know you personally. 4. Write Articles. Having a byline in an industry publication is an immediate signal that you are an expert. Writing for industry publications should be a regular part of your personal marketing plan. * Do some research into the publications in your field. Find out the guidelines for submitting content. * Write short article to get started then expand. Letters to the editor are also good to submit. You can showcase yourself as an expert. TIP: Dont expect to get paid at least initially. 5. Volunteer For a High Profile Assignment. When issues are in the news, it is time to be on that task force. Say Yes! Yes, I can. Yes, I can do that. Accept new project requests if they are related to your area of expertise. TIP: Don’t volunteer for issues that are controversial. You want your image to be positive not negative 6. Accept a Leadership Role In An Association. Professional organizations are the first place many recruiters call when looking for qualified candidate. If you are an officer, the association will be more likely to give them your name. * Be involved in SIGS (Special interest groups), especially in areas where you can lend your expertise or gain some. TIP: Many search professionals attend local chapter meetings hoping to network. Remember the #1 rule in networking-You have to show up! 7. Attend Trade Shows. Recruiters are always searching for candidates at major industry trade shows. Many times they will volunteer in industry association booths to meet the members. * Check out the industry conferences and training sessions at the show. Plan to attend at least one every six months. * Be on the lookout for interesting new technologies or innovations that might impact your career. TIP: Be a badge scanner. When you see someone from an executive search firm initiate a conversation. Ask them why they came to the show or what did they think about it 8. Register For Conferences. The higher the profile of the conference the more recruiters will be attending. It is events like this that bring them hoping to bump into a key executive. *Go to the room early and stay late. Make a point of meeting the presenter and engaging in a few moments of conversation. Ask if you might follow up after the program and stay in touch. Many times search professionals will also be waiting to speak to this same person. TIP: Big shots usually show up at the show the first business day, unless they are the speaker scheduled at the end of the week. 9. Keep Connected With Your Colleagues And Associates. Make sure your peers know where you are and about your current business. You want them to think of you first when the recruiter calls them for a contact. * Send out regular press releases to your resource list. Remember, serious stuff only. Keep it short and to the point. Watch for more later on how to write a personal press release. * Be on the lookout for ways to help your associates. Newspaper & magazine articles are great when you notice a colleague’s name. Clip it out and send it to them along with a quick personal note including your contact details. They will want to return the favor someday! * Make one day a week a telephone day, or commit to an hour a day to be on the phone and reconnect with the people important to you. 10. Become An Award Winner. Enter industry competitions. Every one loves a winner. This will gain you both company and industry press. It translates into major visibility. *Get your name in the spotlight by submitting, promotions, awards, relocation’s, etc. *Tip: Send a copy of your press release to the recruiters with whom you are most interested in working. 11. Research Recruiter Websites. When you find a site you like, ask for an article that has been written or get more information about the company. Start a dialogue before you are actually looking for a recruiter. Make sure they know you are networking and not looking presently. You don’t want your current employer to hear about it and misunderstand. * Ask to be added to the mailing list or email list. Most firms have one. Use this as a door opener to get a dialogue started. * Find out what organizations they belong to. Make a point of attending those association meetings. 12. Get a Personal Business Website. Not one that includes friends and family. Make it your online portfolio. List your skill sets, accolades, attributes and area of expertise. Showcase your success. Paint a picture that makes people want to know more about you. * Hotlink industry associations to your site. Many times search professionals will discover you through that method. In today’s faced-paced, ever-changing business environment it is important for you to keep your connections active. Remember the old adage “Out of sight out of mind”? Well, it’s doubly true today.

Author:JoAnn Hines JoAnn Hines is a packaging diva. She has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry including her work as the packaging expert to the U.S. Small Business Administration and traveling to China to lead a packaging delegation. Recognizing her expertise NBC TV featured her on their consumer segment, Can you open it? Her advice and articles appear in virtually every US packaging industry publication, numerous business and international publications, and website portals including “PackExpo.com”, “PackagingUniversity”, “Packaging Business”, “Packaging Network”, “Packaging Horizons Magazine,” “Packaging World,” “Packaging Digest,” “Shipping and Distribution Magazine,” “Warehouse Management,” “Traffic World”. As a featured keynote speaker at trade shows and conferences, she educates thousands of people around the world about intricacies of packaging. Joining the packaging industry in 1976, Hines worked in sales for several years and began consulting during the 1980s. She is an accomplished author, speaker, publisher, marketer, and e-commerce expert. She has won numerous leadership awards and among other honors was named “One of the 50 most influential packaging leaders in the 20th century.” She is the founder of Women in Packaging, Packaging Horizons Magazine, Packaging Career Hotline, Packaging Coach and Packaging University.

The Lazy Worker’s Way to Success

Do you know your share of slackers at work? Mostly, they are intelligent people who could easily upstage everyone else’s efforts if they applied themselves a bit more. Yet, while everyone else is in panic mode trying to get ahead, while the slackers know how to fulfill their obligations, get decent feedback and enjoy a relatively stress-free existence.

Certainly, we shouldn’t all strive to be slackers. The balance between laid-back and high-strung workers is probably beneficial to everyone. But in a culture where we’re constantly being told to be better than everyone at everything, slacking off can be the right way to go for your health and your career.

Manic workplace

Once upon a time, work was a busy place. You showed up, worked hard, stayed late during your busiest periods and then went home. Today, many people don’t escape work. Before they even arrive at the office, they’ve already sent a dozen e-mails from their phones and held teleconferences with people all over the country. Once you’re actually at work, things are even crazier.

The workplace is different today than it was 10, 20 and 30 years ago, but you should be able to pull back in some areas. You don’t need to overextend yourself to the point that you never relax.

Here are some ways you can be a “slacker” at work and benefit from it:

E-mail can wait. No, really, it can. You don’t have to answer an e-mail the moment it pops up on your screen. Unless you’re waiting for that one message that could make or break your career, you should designate time to check e-mails so that you don’t get distracted while doing other tasks. You can even disable the new message icon and noise alert to help with this.

Saying ‘no’ won’t get you fired. If the boss or someone comes to you with a task that’s part of your core job duties, by all means accept it. If you’re drowning in work, however, telling co-workers that you just can’t get to their request right now won’t necessarily hurt you. Tactfully explain that you’d like to help them but you’ve got too much on your plate shows you care about the quality and promptness of your work.

Don’t multitask. The ability to simultaneously talk on the phone, send an e-mail and heat up the meatballs for the monthly potluck is an admirable quality but not necessarily the most beneficial. Multitasking has become the de facto approach to daily operations in many workplaces. The problem is that we often end up doing a little of everything and never making much progress on any one task.

Give yourself a break. Literally, just get away from work for five minutes. Take a walk around the floor or step outside for some fresh air. Without Saturday and Sunday off, you’d probably go a little stir-crazy. Think of brief breaks throughout the day as small-scale versions of weekends. You’ll return with a clear head and produce better-quality work.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Eating at your desk can be an occasional necessity, either because you’re close to a deadline or you’re in a productive zone that you don’t want to interrupt. Having your lunch in front of a computer every day, however, doesn’t give your eyes or your mind time to relax. You might feel like a slacker if you’re the only one taking your sandwich outside for 30 minutes, but your mental health is worth it.

Schedule some “me” time. Go into your calendar and block off a period of time for whatever work you need to do without interruption. Treat that time as if it were an important appointment with your boss and consider it non-negotiable. If someone tries to schedule a meeting with you, tell him or her that you’re busy but can try for another time. If possible, book a conference room so you won’t be interrupted by a chatty co-worker or a phone call.

Fitness Test – A tool to be More Successful at Getting a Senior Level Job

It’s time to be better prepared to get the job you want and this involves thinking like your “customer” = your potential employer. By thinking about what each of the people who will interview you will be looking for you can give yourself a competitive edge over other candidates. If you fit all their requirements and interests you have a very strong chance of getting the job and so we could say you passed the “fitness test”. Before we go onto to examine what are the key areas in these fitness tests it is worth noting that, usually, the more senior the job the more extreme the fitness test will be.

Here is a potential fitness list

1. Fit the people who interview you. Can you establish rapport with them, can you relate to their values, have you got the “look” and can you persuade them you will fit in with their style and culture? Many of the interviewers could be in your peer group, if you get the job, and will be looking at you to decide if they can work with you. Do you know their backgrounds, previous roles and employers? Be ready to discuss any common contacts or colleagues where your working history may have crossed with the interviewers.

2. Fit the job role and its requirements. Can you show the type of achievement, skills, experience and knowledge specified in the job role description? Are you able to provide references of previous managers, peers or even customers or suppliers you have worked with? Have you specialist knowledge in areas the job requires?

3. Fit the team you will manage –and the one you will be a member of. What is that team like, what is their experience of leadership so far? What is good about the team that needs to be reinforced and expanded and what are weaknesses and need developing or changing? What was the previous person to do this job’s management style?

4. Fit the organization and culture. What values, behaviours and standards do their people practice? Do many of them come from the same background or previous employer? Interaction with other superiros, peers and colleagues will be conducted based on the organization’s culture; an employer will be looking to see if you will fit into it.

5. Fit your future manager’s requirements. This final area is critical and is most likely to win you the job, how does your future manager want you to report up to them, what is the type of formal and informal interaction that is required of you?

Is this a complete list or are their different areas of fitness we should be aware of?

Richard Lowe
www.lets-begin.com

The CV Black Hole – What Happens When You Hit Send?

Even though economic conditions may be stabilizing globally and in Britain, economists expect unemployment to continue rising this year, as financial uncertainty persists. “In the real world of Britain’s workplaces people are still losing their jobs and finding it harder and harder to get new ones”, TUC General Brendan Barber said. Not only is unemployment constantly rising, figures show that the number of jobs available has also fallen to a record low of 429,000 in the three months to June, according to the ONS.

This number is just a small share compared to the number of people looking for work, currently 2.26 million. The consequence is evident — companies that have a few job openings receive hundreds of CVs. You immediately wonder: How many of those applications actually get read?

Few jobs, many CVs, busy hiring managers

In a perfect world, hiring managers would have plenty of time to thoroughly read every single CV that comes across their desks and contact each person to explain why the company is choosing someone else. In reality, the job seekers outnumber available positions in today’s job market, and hiring managers are too busy to hold your hand through every step of the process.

In fact, you’re lucky if you hear back at all. Many companies contact you only if they want more information or to schedule an interview. You never know if you didn’t qualify for the job or if your CV was ever even looked at.

The CV black hole

With so many people applying for jobs, it’s easy to discard a CV based simply on a typo or unpleasant formatting. Of course, job seekers should do anything to avoid typos with proofreading. But the bigger fear is that powers out of their control could sabotage their job prospects.

CVs submitted online can also disappear into the cyber black hole. These online abysses are often the result of generic e-mail addresses, which can mean all applications funnel into one account even if they’re for separate positions. Or worse, applications and general business questions go to the same destination.

Even if you can’t prevent the black hole from existing, you can do your best to get your application out of there. Here are a few tips:

Be proactive
Rather than take your chances with the proverbial CV black hole, you should be proactive when you apply for work, says Justin Honaman, author of “Make It Happen! Live Out Your Personal Brand.”
“There is no doubt that hitting the ’submit’ button and hoping or  praying is probably not the only way to approach an opportunity,” he says. “When positions are posted on a company’s web site, my experience has been that I receive a huge number of submissions, and at times, more than 80 percent of the applicants are not even qualified for the position. Most recruiters follow a multistep evaluation approach.”

Recruiters and hiring managers ask three questions when they receive applications from job seekers:

- Does candidate meet the minimum criteria for the position?
The minimum criteria might include a certain level of education, years of experience or certification.
- Is the candidate still in the running even after she has stated her requirements or wishes for the position?
If an applicant’s salary requirements or unwillingness to relocate conflicts with the needs of the job, then the employer might remove him or her from consideration.
- Does the candidate bring more to the table than the defined position requirements?
Employers are happy to have someone who fulfills the requirements of the position, but they’re even happier to hire someone who brings additional assets.

Why do you care about this? Because once you submit your application and it passes these hurdles, it doesn’t mean you’re out of CV ‘neverland’. You’re still just one of many applicants who can get lost in the shuffle, even in the most efficient hiring department.

A multiprong method of attack is the best way to guarantee you’re not overlooked:

1. Online CV submission
Most companies require this to ensure internal company recruiting processes are followed. Plus, it is the easiest way to get your name in the hands of someone at the company.
2. Make a personal connection
Networking with someone in the company can be ideal to get an edge over other applicants. If you can speak with a knowledgeable source who can offer information about the hiring manager, the team or the position, you’ll have more insight on what the employer is looking for.
3. Appropriate follow-up
Once you’ve submitted your application, contact the company again, as long as you’re respectful and professional. Don’t hound anyone about the job, just check in to see where the process stands.

10 Jobs That Pay £50,000

Since the start of 2008, companies have been embroiled in a so-called ‘war on talent’ as the jobs marketplace enters its most challenging and competitive period for several years. It’s predicted many industry sectors will lose more jobs in 2009 and budgets will be slashed as a result of the testing economic conditions.

Despite this, many organisations are keen to hold onto their best staff, whilst workers will be tempted to switch employer, lured by the potential to earn a higher salary doing the same job elsewhere. As such, the last year has seen more people earning around £50,000 a year than ever before in jobs that would have paid less just a few years ago.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average salary in the UK is £31,969 (August 2008) with the likes of chartered accountants, college lecturers and quantity surveyors typically earning this amount. But what about those people who earn significantly higher than that, say £50,000?

Using salary data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS), we have searched the web to find the top ten jobs that are currently available and pay around £50,000 a year.

1. Head of Communications
Bill Gates once said, “If I had just one dollar left, I’d spent it on PR”. With many organisations cutting their advertising and marketing spend, public relationsis fast-becoming the preferred alternative for companies to communicate their message and raise their brand appeal. As a result, demand for skilled writers and creative bodies are at an all-time high and this demand has pushed salaries upwards. If you want to know where the war on talent is most fiercely fought, then the PR industry is your answer.

Entry requirements: Degree is preferred but not essential. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a pre-requisite as is the ability to respond positively in a crisis coupled with experience of managing a public relations department.
Pay: £49,000

2. Commercial Solicitor
The legal profession has been found to be one of the most stressful occupations in the UK, accentuated by the compensation culture that has emerged in this country in recent years. Commercial solicitors act for businesses of all sizes on cases ranging from general company and commercial work to large complex corporate transactions. They advise on law and represent clients in disputes.

Entry requirements: Degree or via the legal executive route.
Pay: £51,579

3. Air Traffic Controller
With a number of airport expansion programmes taking place across Britain equating to three new Heathrow’s being constructed over the next few years, demand for controllers is at a premium and salaries are at an all-time high. Their job is to manage the safe take-off and landing of several aircraft at the same time by monitoring and controlling an aircraft’s height, speed and course.

Entry requirements: Despite being dominated by university graduates, a degree is not a pre-requisite. Minimum requirement is five GCSEs (grades A-C including English and Maths) in addition to two ‘A’-Levels/GNVQ advanced level. Most people enter the profession via the National Air Traffic Services (NATS).
Pay: £51,911

4. Purchasing Manager
When times are hard and budgets are stretched it is the job of the purchasing manager to identify the most cost-effective means to procure goods and services for an organisation. This could mean changing suppliers or opting for an alternative product line with a degree of project management thrown into the mix.

Entry requirements: Typically this role will require a minimum of three years experience within a similar role or one involved in supply management and the negotiation of supply contracts.
Pay: £49,258

5. Personnel and Industrial Relations Manager
Managers plan and oversee all policies relating to employee activity; including recruitment, pay negotiations, grievance, transfers, and disciplinary, health and safety issues.

Entry requirements: None required. Managers enter the profession as a human resources assistant and can reach manager level within five years.
Pay: £48,258

6. Strategy and Planning Analyst
The role of an analyst is to focus on planning and reporting the results of database-driven marketing initiatives. In other words, to develop a system that enables departments to assess the effective of a direct mail or broadcast advertising campaign, for example, and then use this information to create an improved and more effective set of processes to maximise a company’s return on investment.

Entry requirements: Degree in a statistical/analytical discipline such as engineering, social sciences or economics.
Pay: £48,787

7. Sales Manager

If you want to know how tough the market it, ask a sales manager. When economic conditions worsen, sales people are often the first to feel the pinch — targets inevitably increase and so too does the pressure placed on the sales manager who not only needs to ensure that he hits his own target but also that his team of representatives hit theirs too. This could involve recruiting managers, organise product promotions, conduct regular business reviews or write reports and deliver presentations.

Entry requirements: Entrants start at trainee level upon graduation and can quickly move up the career ladder to senior management if consistently achieving targets on sales and profits
Pay: £48,258

8. Coroner

Coroners direct and conduct the post-mortem investigation to determine the cause and responsibility for an accidental, unexplained or violent death.

Entry requirements: Degree and must also be a qualified barrister, solicitor or medical doctor.
Pay: £52,049

9. Management Consultant

Consultants are employed by organisations to perform an audit of its day-to-day operations, the results of which will then be used to analyse current practices and determine a plan of action to maximise the growth and improve the overall business performance of their clients. This could involve a number of departments, from human resources and accounting to marketing and supply chain management.

Entry requirements: Degree in any discipline with fully fledged consultants working their way through the ranks.
Pay: £47,517

10. Police Inspector

Also known as ‘detective’, inspectors work within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on serious crimes. They act as middle managers who are responsible for supervising the ranks of constable and sergeant and acting as a link between the investigating team and senior officers.

Entry requirements: No formal requirements, entry is open to anyone with a clean criminal record.
Pay: £54,241

By Paul MacKenzie-Cummins for CareerBuilder.co.uk

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8 Ways Not to Get the Job You Want

I saw this post on MSN this morning and I thought I should share it with you all. It captures the things not to do when you want a job. Please enjoy reading it. Well, not only that, make sure you don’t do the things highlighted there if you want to secure a job.

Everybody knows how to get the job they want, don’t they? It seems easy, in fact so easy that few people bother to prepare for getting the job they want. Perhaps it would be more interesting to describe how not to get the job you want.

So here are eight steps that will ensure you do not get the job you want.

Step 1: Getting a job, how can you affect your chances?
There is no need to spend much time on it then, no need to train yourself to handle interviews. Just show up and hope, what else can you do, after all “It’ll be alright on the night” won’t it? The best way is to single out the one job you want and hope you will get it, easy isn’t it?

Step 2: Don’t try to personalise your CV to highlight aspects of your skills that suit the job you will be interviewed for.
Just leave it in the same old format for every single job.  Try and include a few spelling mistakes, out of date email addresses or phone numbers and gaps in your working experience.  Don’t waste time by asking a friend to check yourCV for accuracy and “readability”!

Step 3: No need to add a cover letter with your CV.
It’s a waste of time, detail, who reads it anyway? Why bother describing your key skills or working experiences that fit this job in a covering letter.  They can read your CV and – eventually – discover for themselves what a perfect fit you are for their job.  People who interview must have lots of free time to read CVs of applicants. It’s not like they have any other work to do, is it?  Anyway if they aren’t sure about your CV well they are going to phone you up and check anyway so no worries here.

Step 4: After you have sent in your CV just sit back and wait for the organisation to contact you.
Don’t bother calling them to make sure they received your application safely – of course they got it, didn’t they?  Emails never go missing or ever sit in someone’s inbox overlooked, do they?  Anyway even if it did get lost they will let you know so that you can resend it. No point in phoning up to confirm your interest in the job and ask for an interview?

Step 5: Interview preparation, what is that anyway?
If you have been asked to come for an interview, just turn up, ask what the hours are, when you get holidays and what the pay is. Even if you could guess at what kind of questions you may be asked and prepare some answers to avoid the stress of having to think of them during the interview, you may as well just leave it to the interview. Why find out, or think about, the top three requirements that will decide who will get the job, how could that help you to prepare for the interview?
Don’t bother to find out about the employer or the interview process or the people who will interview you, if they are expanding or have new projects that have created this vacancy.
How could it help you to phone up and ask who will interview you and what they will be interested in about you and yourexperience? What possible benefit is there in finding out if there is just one interview or several with different people?

Step 6: The interview itself is easy
In fact the night before you can even go out, have a few drinks and stay out late. Try to arrive at the interview on time or slightly late, no need to get there early. Traffic will be fine, trains always run on time and if you get lost or delayed they will understand and delay all the other interviews to wait for you. Rushing in looking stressed and hassling the person on reception to quickly sign you in is always a great sign of a highly capable future employee.
Don’t take a copy of your CV or application form with you the interviewer will always have a copy, they never get mislaid and anyway you don’t need a copy of your CV use in the interview to describe your working experience and skills – you can remember it all – can’t you?  You also won’t need a pen and notepad to write down key points.
During the interview no need to ask what key skills and experience are required or trying to explain how your own capabilities match the job’s requirements.
At the end of the interview don’t ask for feedback, or if there are any areas that need more explanation. Don’t ask when you will hear about the next step or results, just get out quickly and be ready to wait for days without knowing what is happening.

Step 7: After interviews don’t bother to send a thank you note confirming your interest in the job
If an organisation wants to hire you they will call you anyway, won’t they? There’s no need to plan your time out using a schedule and diary system, you can just keep it in your head and remember everything you have to do and when to do it, can’t you?  It’s just a few phone calls and the occasional email, and if you forget to send the email it’s not that important.

Step 8: There’s no need to apply for more than one job
Why bother to get active with several applications, it’s just more work, isn’t it?  You only need one interview to go well to get the job you want. Applying for more than one job is just creating unnecessary activity.

Of course there is another way. LET’S-BEGIN courses are built on a unique range of working experiences from over 30 years in job roles that required very strong inter-personal skills in sales, sales management, general management and organisational leadership. Check out www.lets-begin.com

Richard Lowe, CEO, LET’S-BEGIN

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Tips for Dealing with Difficult People

Friendly, welcoming, and good communicators are great people to converse with. They are emotionally uplifting. If you have a problem with them, it is easily worked through. Unfortunately, the world isn’t filled with great communicators; it is more dominated by difficult people. Dealing with difficult people is a must to be happy and successful in your career, family, and social life.

Here are list of tips for dealing with difficult people to transform their attitude and prevent them from infecting your attitude with their difficulty:

Rights and Responsibility

It’s important to distinguish between rights and responsibilities when dealing with difficult people. Sometimes we feel obliged to work through difficult problems, solve people’s personality problems, or develop solutions beyond our capabilities. Other times we unnecessarily forgo our rights letting the difficult person trample over what they have no right to ruin.

Rights

Rights typically define the actions that you and the difficult person need to follow. The rights are usually based on laws and rules. A list of rights include:

• Law – Any unlawful problems such as physical abuse or sexual harassment should never have to be accepted. Let the law solve these illegal problems.
• Rules – There can be rules in a family, amongst friends, or at a social venue. Rules are often implied rather than explicitly stated. People are usually aware of rules, but when dealing with a difficult person, it may help to mention the rules as not everyone will be aware of them. Generally, people know that you shouldn’t shout in a public building. There are no signs which tell us this, yet most people should be aware of this rule. Making the difficult person aware of the rule – in a friendly and non-overbearing manner – may be enough to solve the problem. You and other people have a right to follow the rules.

Responsibility

Responsibilities “go the extra mile” to rights. Unlike rights, you don’t need to fulfill your responsibility. Responsibilities are optional, but highly recommended if you want to successfully handle the situation. The folllowing responsibilities should provide you with concepts and a framework in handling the situation:

• Do not reciprocate the difficulties the person is giving. Treating them with respect is an important tip to deal with difficult people and is your responsibility. Once you prevent yourself from stooping low and reciprocating the bad behavior, you will feel proud, empowered, and in control of your life – regardless of whether you successfully handle the situation.
• Listen to the difficult person and let them express their point of view. It will help you understand more about why they are difficult. This tip alone can be enough to deal with the person as you allow the person to let off some steam. Listening honestly, actively, and empathically will make the person feel understood and bridge the interpersonal gap between the two of you. You gain little or zero information about the situation by talking.
• Extroverts and introverts need to be handled differently. Encourage extroverts to talk while you listen to them. Your focus with introverts is to get them opening up.
• Remain focused on the problem and not the person. Difficult people have a difficult problem and are trying to fulfill their need in the only means they know possible. Disassociate the problem from the person is a great tip for dealing with a difficult person.
• Difficult people have an unmet need. Whether somebody is angry, unhappy, depressed, loud, or anxious, they are trying to fulfill a need. The Nonviolent Communication Process is a great technique that gets you focused on other people’s needs as well as your own.
• You don’t need to solve all problems by yourself. It sounds simple, but talking to a parent, manager, or human resource department, is very powerful. Other people will bring knowledge, skills, and more persuasive power in handling a difficult person. However, you do need to be beware of making a private problem public. It’s your responsibility to respect the other person’s privacy concerns, but at the same time you need to request another’s help when necessary.

Stop Becoming a Victim

It is a vital to stop feeling victimized by a difficult person’s behavior. Blaming them for making you feel miserable is only damaging to you and will not assist you in solving the problem. You give people access to your emotions. Eliminating blame allows you to free yourself from the person’s difficult behavior. The great Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing external to you has any power over you.”

Take responsibility for how you feel, stop blaming, and remind yourself that the person’s difficulty is their problem. Eliminate the feeling of being burdened by people’s problems. You’ll work towards a solution faster and it’ll be less emotionally exasperating when losing your victim mentality.

Being a part of the problem

A discussion on dealing with difficult people usually has a focus on the difficult people. That’s understandable seeing that “they are the problem.” However, more often than not we play a role in a difficult person’s behavior.

I’ll admit that some people are difficult for the strangest reasons. A guy sees a successful and happy guy which can cause the first guy to be filled with rage. There’s not much you can do to prevent being apart of the problem if you’re the happy and successful guy because the difficult person obviously has his own issues.

If the person isn’t difficult to everyone, then you could be contributing to the problem. Find out why they are behaving the way they are towards you. What do other people do that you aren’t doing? What do other people not do that you are doing?

The person could be an extrovert and treats you poorly because you are an introvert. Maybe the person is angry at you about an event that took place the other day. There are thousands of possible reasons that you can discover by following the responsibilities mentioned above. Identify the person’s unmet need and empathically listen.

Like the previous tip, take responsibility and look at your weaknesses, mistakes, and improve on them. Practice the Japanese principle of Kaizen where you make small continual improvements for an overall large change. You could be tipping fuel over the fire and removing your contribution to the problem will reduce the person’s difficult attitude.

Keep an Open Mind

When we see someone in a negative spotlight it can take a while to shift that negative understanding into a positive spotlight – even when the person has not been difficult for sometime. Being forgiving by keeping an open mind as to why they are being difficult is a great tip. It prevents you from jumping to conclusions and portraying the problem as the person’s difficulty.

Perhaps you are the problem, their father was diagnosed with cancer, or they are in financial trouble. Acknowledge that you do not – and will likely never – know all the tidbits of information as to why they are being difficult. Having an open mind that allows for the other person’s point of view and possible explanations for their behavior creates a “cushion” by preventing you from being overly harsh. You give the person some slack instead of abruptly judging.

Control Criticism

Feeling burdened by someone can unleash the damaging communication barrier of criticism. Criticizing people does not work towards conflict resolution. It works against resolving conflict and often intensifies the problem. People feel diminished, unworthy, and less important when criticized. Thomas Stearns Eliot, a poet who won the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature, said, “Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.” Do not criticize, yet if you must give criticism, here are strategies for giving others criticism.

Behavioral Conditioning

Condition the difficult person’s behavior by rewarding the good and punishing/ignoring the bad. Let’s say you have a manager who is rude to you and other people. What you can do is let the other people know together it is possible to eliminate the difficult person’s behavior. Each time the manager compliments, encourages, or says something positive, you can condition the manager to continually give positive feedback when it is due. Saying “thank you” and directly appreciating the positive feedback by saying “I much appreciate it when you give me good feedback” conditions the manager to give more emphasis on positivity.

On the other side, when the manager yells or does other something you dislike, you can ignore the behavior or directly address the issue to the manager by stating you do not like the behavior. Referring back to your responsibilities, you still need to actively listen, seek to understand your manager, and not become overbearing. In fact, it is even more important to actively listen in such cases. Be specific by mentioning the exact behavior and its effects on you. Behavioral conditioning rarely changes the behavior overnight because it is about consistent reinforcements changing the behavior over time. However, keep conditioning the person’s behavior, and you will soon see a change.

Walking Away

If all the above tips have failed it is probably best to walk away and leave the difficult issue for a later time. You are not giving up on resolving the conflict or ignoring future problems, because you are recognizing that you haven’t been able to deal with the difficult person at the present time. Another day can bring different possibilities. Emotions, thoughts, and attitudes change all the time and having some downtime is often beneficial for healthy communication. Giving the two of you some space gives both of you time to think the problems through and cool down your emotions.

Unsuccessfully resolving conflict or an issue you have with a difficult person can often escalate the problem at hand. However, follow these tips for dealing with difficult people and you are bound to make the difficult more manageable. Difficult people are everywhere so you can probably begin using these tips today!

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A discussion on dealing with difficult people usually has a focus on the difficult people… However, more often than not, we play a role in their behavior.

16 Tips for Better Time Management

Every day has just 24 hours – and this applies to all people. Some people are constantly pursuit and pushed by time. This article is about how we can learn to manage our valuable time more effectively.

In reality we cannot manage time, we can only manage ourselves and our relationship with time. After all, how we use (or utilize) our time is largely a matter of habit. And habits are not that easy to change.

To organize and manage our time – and generally our life- we need to clarify what are our objectives, this means we need to identify what to organize and make sure we know where we want to be and be ready to accept the possible ‘cost’. In order for us to be able to change how we operate, we first need to ‘consider’ and understand how we use our time now.

How do you usually spend your time:

• Interruptions from others (telephone calls – visits)
• Doing work that should be assigned to others
• Indecision
• Lack of adequate information about what you have undertaken to do
• Unclear priorities
• Lack of planning
• Stress and tiredness
• Inability to say «no»
• Lack of organization in your surroundings, and that also disrupt you
• Lack of flexibility – very tight, rigid and unrealistic planning, etc. are some factors that have the ability to swallow your time!

In addition, disorganization and misuse of our time is supported and maintained by the following perceptions:

• ‘Leave it for one more day’, never mind we will do everything tomorrow
• I perform better under pressure
• Others are delayed, why not me?
• I cannot start something if I do not know exactly how to finish it
• I cannot be under pressure, I want to be free
• I cannot deny to others my help
• Better to do everything myself, I have to be in control
• I do not have time to deal with the organization and management of my time

The «chaos» and the disruption may mean lack of motivation or even avoid lack of accountability.

In these cases the problem is not as «obvious» as one – small or large-difficulty in organizing and managing time, so you may need to locate and review your perceptions about the responsibilities, incentives and priorities and wonder who is the one who «loses» besides you by this attitude.

If you are resisting the idea of time management because you prefer to be more free and spontaneous, it might help to think that the effort is not aimed at making us ’slaves’ to one more schedule, but rather to liberate us from stress and inconvenience created from the bad management of our time.

Below there are 16 tips that can help you manage your time better. Do not forget that you can also join life coaching courses that can also help you manage your life better, not only in terms of time management.

What you can do to manage your time better?

The skills needed for time management are planning, organization, self-control and delegation (delegating responsibilities to others). In that respect the following 16 tips can be useful:

1. Log your activities

Keep a weekly log of activities in which you will record for 2 -3 weeks everything you do per hour when you’re awake, how much time you allocated for everyone, how much time you did nothing special or important, how much time you rest, sleep etc.

2. Clear out what are your obligations

Locate the points on which you could make some changes and clear out which of these are actually your obligations and responsibilities or if they are obligations you undertook without having enough time either by habit or because you did not say no.

3. Indentify your deadlines

Record in an initial list what you should do and when it must be completed, divide the activities per day / week and long-term goals, to get a clear picture of what you have to do and when.

4. Do you forget personal and social activities

The activities and objectives should not only include professional activities or other obligations, but also personal and social activities, so your program should cover all your needs.

5. Organize your goals

Organize your goals based on two criteria: degree of urgency and importance:

a) Should be done today – tomorrow, etc.,
b) Should be done at ‘that date’. Set a date,
c) Can postpone it for so many days,
d) Can ask someone else to do it

Start from the most important and urgent

6. Delegation

When you delegate something to someone else, you need to decide what is it, who is best qualified to undertake it, what information you would pass, but mainly you have to undertake the responsibility together and accept the fact that it will not be executed as exactly you would have done it.

7. Identify your priorities

Locate deadlines, expire items, etc. These should be in the top of your list!

8. Clean up your list

Make a list of everything you think that they are not helping / benefiting you and do not do them!

9. Focus

Concentrate only on one goal at a time. Otherwise, if while dealing with something you think everything you can do after (tomorrow, the rest of week, next month, the rest of your life…), most likely you will get bored and disappointed. It is like every time you eat you think all meals you must eat in your life! The bored ness is guaranteed only with the thought!

10. Work environment

Create a suitable environment to work, one that fits your way.

11. Be realistic

Make sure that your objectives are realistic and do not try for the impossible.

12. Plan for the unpredicatable

Include in your programme (schedule) unpredictable items and situations (e.g. problems with the computer): allow an extra time gap to adjust your program if necessary.

13. Motivate your self

Do not let boredom to discourage you if what you have to complete is boring, find motivation: consider the advantages when you finish, like the feeling of satisfaction, relief and freedom that will get when you complete this obligation, and that you can have your self under control! Do not underestimate the boring obligations (eg home cleaning and other tasks related to running your home). When neglected they tend to become a mountain!

14. Say “NO”

Learn to say «no» in other activities, requests, people who eat (utilize) your time (unless indeed that very moment is necessary for your to help them). Turn off your phone and lock the door, to avoid unnecessary interruptions from others.

15. Utilize your capabilities

Use your biological rhythms to guide you: locate and utilize the hours of the day you’re most active and fruitful.

16. Compromise

Give yourself the right and excuse that in some days you may not be productive. If nothing else, you will have the change to be more productive in other days!

Time management is a skill that needs time to know, master and begin to work! Ultimately, time management will give you the extra time you need to be able to enjoy what is most important for you!

Want to read more articles like this? Then see:

12 Ways to be More Creative At Work

In today’s rapidly changing business environment everyone is looking for ways to become more effective in their thinking. An important way to promote effective thinking at the office, is to foster a creative work environment. Having fun is a big part of developing a creative work environment. In fact, humor makes up an essential part of effective thinking; and is the one basis of creativity. It allows us to break away from predictable, set patterns opening up the floodgates to unconventional, innovative solutions.

Using toys allows you to inject humor into your work environment. As a child you used toys to express your creativity and expand your imagination. Now, you can use the same toys to introduce the spirit of creativity and innovation to your work environment. When you bring toys into your meetings you give people powerful resources to rediscover the child within themselves and integrate creativity into their work, stimulating innovative ways of thinking. Toys not only bring the spirit of fun into the work environment, but by strengthening the link between play and energy, the flow of blood to the brain increases, which stimulates fresh thinking. Designed to help participants through difficult periods, toys are often just the thing to break the ice, ease through a tough issue, and curb the egos.

Michelle Mink, Market Manager at US WEST Communications, uses Toys for Thinking, especially in long meetings. “If we’re working on a project that requires us to be (in a meeting) for a day or two, it helps people to relax a little bit more. They can focus. (Playing with toys on the table) keeps their hands busy, and they listen better.” Michelle also finds that using different colored markers, as opposed to blue and black only, helps keep groups focused, and the occasional impromptu tossing of toys across the room breaks up the monotony of a long, intense meeting, giving participants a chance to stretch.

It’s important to remember that you can convert the fun you are having into powerful outcomes. Recently, the presidents-elects of an international association were generating ideas for fund-raising events for the year to come. While playing with toy cars and having an outrageous conversation, the ideas of hosting a family sports car rally emerged and developed into a very concrete and down-to-earth possibility.

While the thought of how to achieve creative results can seem daunting, you can start by integrating creativity into your work environment one step at a time. If introducing toys to your office seems like too large a step to start with, here are 12 other suggestions on how you can invite creativity into your workplace:

1. When presenting information, look for ways to add a graphic such as a funny picture or a drawing to illustrate your point. Leaders at Owens-Corning use pictures to illustrate their visions of leadership. They post hem on the wall and describe which picture they selected and why. Or try this, during a performance review, which is usually a very stressful time, have your employees draw a picture of their past performance in addition to the formal write-up.
2. Leave fill-in-the-blank sections on your reports; ask for volunteers to complete your thoughts.
3. Think in opposites: present from the back of the room, start the meeting from the end of the agenda, or give a series of answers and ask what the questions are.
4. Call a daily recess; take time out to laugh. Read a book of jokes for a few minutes or call a dial-a-joke number. Appoint someone to be the “Director of Levity”.
5. Take time just to doodle; see what happens. Start with a clear sheet of paper and doodle continuously for ten minutes. Use a lot of colors. Post this on the wall and ask your colleagues to add their “doodles”. At the end of a week go back and talk about what you see. Then draw “connections” between the emerging images and a potential challenge you’re dealing with at work. See what solutions can be created. A manager at PetroCanada recently had his group draw a picture of their expectations. They discussed what images surfaced from the drawings before proceeding with their meeting.
6. Stop time: take off your watch and turn the clock around. Go all weekend without wearing your watch. Go all week without wearing your watch. You’ll be surprised at the way your internal clock works.
7. Experiment! Try doing something different. Go to an ethnic restaurant that you’ve never visited before. Go to a movie on Thursday afternoon. For the next budget review, serve chocolate covered coins!
8. If your company will allow it, dress casually one day each week. If they don’t, change the rules!
9. Use music. Try playing background music while holding a performance review; create a song to deliver your next financial report. At Mattel Corp. in the early 1990s rap tunes were part of the lore that helped turn the company around.
10. Wear a pair of kid’s funny glasses for a complete day. This will inspire you to see things in a new light and alter your perspective.
11. Write all your memos using crayons.
12. Design and wear your own thinking cap for a week. A group of product managers, at US WEST Communications, designed their own hats to wear while creating new products for their specific division. The hats all reflected one or two aspects of their clients “brains”.

Creativity is an attitude that demands that you manage your thinking. It’s a way of blending together data based research, which is logical and rational thought, with outrageous exploratory know-how that comes from your intuitive wisdom. When you integrate this intuitive ability with learned information and knowledge, you operate using all your resources which provides flashes of insight and recharges your thinking. Creative thinking has always been the driving force that has moved our country forward. To remain competitive, businesses must effectively use their most valuable resource: brainpower. Any organization that can harness the limitless potential of their people’s creativity is powerful and unstoppable.

by Grace McGartland
As seen in PR Tactics!

Three Ways to Cope with a Looming Layoff

I’ve been surprised by the number of people I’ve met who, like I did, quit their jobs after the recession took hold last year. Of course, most people don’t want to quit — or can’t. For many of those job-keepers, the prospect of layoffs is all too real, even as the recession officially winds down. They want to know what they can do in the face of the ongoing threat, and my fellow blogger Daisy Wademan Dowling provides useful tips in her post “How to Sell Yourself When Your Job’s at Risk.”

But there are also less self-promotional things you can do to feel stable when the future seems shaky. The methods I’ve seen work involve, oddly, a bit of risk-taking, or at least breaking your routine. By initiating your own disruption at work, you can make externally driven change seem less threatening. Here are a few small things you can try:

1. Choose a task to do your own way. Chances are, like every frontline worker and manager, you have at least one routine duty that you always perform according to a tacitly understood set of expectations. You don’t openly question the method because it seems to fit the M.O. of the organization or of the folks in charge, even though there’s no formal rule about it. Identify one such task and start doing it the way that you always thought would make more sense. The change obviously should not be something that amounts to insubordination or that would create chaos for coworkers. But in a climate where layoffs seem imminent, there can be room for small, refreshing changes of this sort. Your initiative might even be praised. And if it isn’t noticed at all, you’ll have at least shown yourself that change wasn’t as risky as it had initially seemed to be.

2. Rethink your order of operations. Organizing your workday is obviously more of an art than a science. You’ve probably settled into a particular pattern because it fit the bill when you started the job or because it was just easy to adopt. But when your pattern is threatened by external disruption, you can mitigate anxiety if you shake up your own world before it’s shaken up for you, even if at first that seems like a hassle. Change the sequence of things you do each day, and feel what it’s like to inhabit a new, self-authored routine. If your job is one that requires reacting to others, change the way you react so that things feel fresh to you (without acting fresh toward other people, of course).

3. Lay yourself off for a day. Ok, not literally. But take a day off in the middle of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) and inhabit the workaday world outside the office as an observer. The key is not to run errands or get some other practical thing done, and certainly not to sit (or work!) at home. It’s to actively look around you and soak in the big picture when most everyone else is focusing on minutiae. The hum of the world when others are at work and you are not can be a liberating one to hear. And it can make the prospect of a layoff seem much less scary. Bring a souvenir back from your outing and place it on your desk or your wall at work. Let it remind you that you were out there already and that you can, if push comes to shove, go out there again.

STEVEN DEMAIO

Steven DeMaio teaches English and math to adults at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences in Somerville, Massachusetts. Prior to taking this role, he worked for more than a decade in publishing, most recently as an Associate Editor at HarvardBusiness.org. This blog chronicles his life after he made the decision to leave his publishing job just as a terrible recession took hold. His first post on the topic, “I Just Quit My Job…Am I Crazy?” still brings in new comments every week, many months after it first appeared. This blog continues the conversation.

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Harvard Business Publishing

An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day

Yesterday started with the best of intentions. I walked into my office in the morning with a vague sense of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and checked my email. Two hours later, after fighting several fires, solving other people’s problems, and dealing with whatever happened to be thrown at me through my computer and phone, I could hardly remember what I had set out to accomplish when I first turned on my computer. I’d been ambushed. And I know better.

When I teach time management, I always start with the same question: How many of you have too much time and not enough to do in it? In ten years, no one has ever raised a hand.

That means we start every day knowing we’re not going to get it all done. So how we spend our time is a key strategic decision. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a to do list and an ignore list. The hardest attention to focus is our own.

But even with those lists, the challenge, as always, is execution. How can you stick to a plan when so many things threaten to derail it? How can you focus on a few important things when so many things require your attention?

We need a trick.

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, knows all about tricks; he’s famous for handcuffing himself and then swimming a mile or more while towing large boats filled with people. But he’s more than just a showman. He invented several exercise machines including the ones with pulleys and weight selectors in health clubs throughout the world. And his show, The Jack LaLanne Show, was the longest running television fitness program, on the air for 34 years.

But none of that is what impresses me. He has one trick that I believe is his real secret power.

Ritual.

At the age of 94, he still spends the first two hours of his day exercising. Ninety minutes lifting weights and 30 minutes swimming or walking. Every morning. He needs to do so to achieve his goals: on his 95th birthday he plans to swim from the coast of California to Santa Catalina Island, a distance of 20 miles. Also, as he is fond of saying, “I cannot afford to die. It will ruin my image.”

So he works, consistently and deliberately, toward his goals. He does the same things day in and day out. He cares about his fitness and he’s built it into his schedule.

Managing our time needs to become a ritual too. Not simply a list or a vague sense of our priorities. That’s not consistent or deliberate. It needs to be an ongoing process we follow no matter what to keep us focused on our priorities throughout the day.

I think we can do it in three steps that take less than 18 minutes over an eight-hour workday.

STEP 1 (5 Minutes) Set Plan for Day. Before turning on your computer, sit down with a blank piece of paper and decide what will make this day highly successful. What can you realistically accomplish that will further your goals and allow you to leave at the end of the day feeling like you’ve been productive and successful? Write those things down.

Now, most importantly, take your calendar and schedule those things into time slots, placing the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. And by the beginning of the day I mean, if possible, before even checking your email. If your entire list does not fit into your calendar, reprioritize your list. There is tremendous power in deciding when and where you are going to do something.

In their book The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz describe a study in which a group of women agreed to do a breast self-exam during a period of 30 days. 100% of those who said where and when they were going to do it completed the exam. Only 53% of the others did.

In another study, drug addicts in withdrawal (can you find a more stressed-out population?) agreed to write an essay before 5 p.m. on a certain day. 80% of those who said when and where they would write the essay completed it. None of the others did.

If you want to get something done, decide when and where you’re going to do it. Otherwise, take it off your list.

STEP 2 (1 minute every hour) Refocus. Set your watch, phone, or computer to ring every hour. When it rings, take a deep breath, look at your list and ask yourself if you spent your last hour productively. Then look at your calendar and deliberately recommit to how you are going to use the next hour. Manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours manage you.

STEP 3 (5 minutes) Review. Shut off your computer and review your day. What worked? Where did you focus? Where did you get distracted? What did you learn that will help you be more productive tomorrow?

The power of rituals is their predictability. You do the same thing in the same way over and over again. And so the outcome of a ritual is predictable too. If you choose your focus deliberately and wisely and consistently remind yourself of that focus, you will stay focused. It’s simple.

This particular ritual may not help you swim the English Channel while towing a cruise ship with your hands tied together. But it may just help you leave the office feeling productive and successful.

And, at the end of the day, isn’t that a higher priority?

Peter Bregman speaks, writes, and consults about how to lead and how to live. He is the CEO ofBregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, and advises CEOs and their leadership teams. He is the author of Point B: A Short Guide To Leading a Big Change. You can sign up to be notified when he writes a new post or email him atpbregman@bregmanpartners.com.

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Harvard Business Publishing

50 Interview Questions and Answers

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would
answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some
strategy suggestions with it.

(Excerpted from the book The Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D, published by The Management Advantage, Inc.)

1. Tell me about yourself:
The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short
statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound
rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise.
Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to
the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest
back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major
problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers
or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep
smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an
opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking
reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for.
If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?
You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good
explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are
on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?
Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific
statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith
Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It
is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?
This question is one reason to do some research on the organization
before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are
going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide
variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement.
Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus
on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is
a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the
research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely
important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term
career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This
can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not
relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought
of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if
you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like,
That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?
In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not,
say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide
range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready.
Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather
than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag,
just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like
it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you
like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the
right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the
individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the
organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in
force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?
The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here.
Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the
type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a
benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type
of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying
negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization
You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to
highlight your best points as they relate to the position being
discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not
mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made
Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted
and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work
applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?
This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with
anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get
along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples:
Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability
to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your
professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job.
Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you
are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another
job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with
this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something
like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and
can’t wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization,
violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will
label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is
no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities:
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise,
Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of
your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former
boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and
develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?
Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:
Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did
not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an
example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want
another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are:
Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures:
You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a
success.Your boss tell you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?
You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if
you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get
the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems
later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself
future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead ofyour own?
This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about
the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive,
salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions
depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational
style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the
situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make
it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An
example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and
thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind
spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do
their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well
qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about,
bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working
quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of
humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All
bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute betweenothers.
Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique
and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic.
Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to
get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show
acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?
Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are
examples.

How to Behave at Work

WorkEtiquette contains over 60 articles written by their experts who continually update and add new content…

How to Fit into a New Workplace

Swearing in the Workplace

What Title Should I Give if I Only Have a Name?

Videoconferencing Etiquette

Instant Messaging Etiquette In Business

Etiquette When Transferring A Phone Call

Making Presentations to Colleagues: A Case Study

To read more, please go to WorkEtiquette

Get Noticed at Work: See These Tips…

Office life can be downright unfair sometimes. Some workers breezily sail through their careers, collecting accolades and promotions for their efforts, while others seem to have an uncanny knack of missing out. No matter how many hours overtime they put in or extra miles they walk to get a project up by deadline, their work falls strangely under the radar of the bosses. The pats on the back, the warm greetings and bonuses all go elsewhere.

Busy working too hard and not adding value to your work?

If this all sounds depressingly familiar, don’t despair. Just as hairdressers, the cosmetics industry, fashion boutiques and sellers of hot little red sports cars can get people noticed out of work hours, there are tricks that can help raise your profile at work.

One of the most elementary is understanding why you’re being passed over. It’s probably not because you’re not working hard enough.

“Unfortunately, just being industrious and doing quality work isn’t enough,” says psychologist Erica Frydenberg, associate professor at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. “An intent to be noticed is also important, so set yourself that goal.” Frydenberg says getting recognition means selling yourself at work, a process that is similar to making a favourable impression in a job interview. As an exercise, she often gets her students to imagine placing an ad for themselves in a newspaper so they can gain a better appreciation of the assets they bring to a job.

It can also help to assess any weaknesses in your professional skills – you’re awful at doing PowerPoint presentations or can’t get your head around your budget – and work on them. “An important part of contemporary professional life is knowing what help you need and where you can get it,” Frydenberg says.

Thinking about who you spend your time with at, and away from, work is also important.

Frydenberg has interviewed young corporate high achievers and she found that all had support networks outside of work – people they could trust and with whom they could discuss workplace issues. All felt networks were an important part of their continuing success.

“The company you keep inside of work also matters,” she adds. “Are these people going to be helpful in achieving your goals? Ultimately, getting noticed at work is about setting those goals and making small steps towards them.”

Scott Jacovou-Johnson learned the hard way how to get himself noticed at work. Now a consultant, in 2004 he started work as communications manager with a national retailer. He worked hard and assumed that his efforts would reflect well on him.

“I was always the sort of person who thought actions speak louder than words,” he says. “I wasn’t particularly skilled in promoting myself. I wanted to contribute, rather than tell people what I was doing.”

After a year a new managing director arrived who couldn’t see what Jacovou-Johnson’s role contributed to the business and made the position redundant. “To be fair,” Jacovou-Johnson admits, “I never actually sat down with him and said, ‘This is what I do.”‘

Jacovou-Johnson’s final day eventually rolled around and to his surprise the managing director asked him to continue in the job. He agreed and held the position for a further 14 months, having picked up a valuable lesson about getting noticed.

“What had happened in the interim is that my actions had been observed and they’d realised what I did,” he says.

“It’s changed how I interact with my colleagues. I’m very conscious now, for example, of the need to be fully prepared for meetings. I now make sure that everyone knows exactly what I’m doing and what the outcomes are for the business.”

Jules Collingwood, trainer and business consultant with Inspiritive, says if you feel overlooked you should try to see things from the boss’s point of view. Is there a problem with information about your performance getting to the boss? Does he or she know you’re the first in in the morning and last to leave at night? Is the boss overworked or just slow to pick up on things?

“If you feel unnoticed at work, identify how you would know if you were noticed and who can help you do something about it,” she says. “Decide what you want and tell them.”

Peter Tobin, director of career development solutions provider Worklife, says: “Look for external support, either from the HR department, or someone outside [the organisation], like a mentor or a career coach.”

Sometimes, though, Tobin believes the problem of “not getting noticed” can become a diversion from addressing what you really want to do. “There could just be a lack of ‘cultural fit’ between you and the organisation. Ultimately, you need to accept that you need to drive your career. No one else will do it for you.”

Stand out

How to get noticed at work.

* Be good, or better still, the best at what you do. This will usually require continuing development and learning. Most large organisations will provide this but you have to make it clear you want it.
* Understand how you are being measured and assessed, and the importance of performance reviews and key performance indicators.
* Understand the importance of networking internally within your organisation and externally.
* Put your hand up. Volunteering for that tricky assignment or that unpopular secondment is a way to get noticed.

Source: Peter Tobi

———————————————————————————————————————–

n today’s economic climate, it’s never been more important to be appreciated by your boss. But if you feel your potential or skills are undervalued or overlooked, perhaps it’s time to get noticed at work.

“Now is not the time to be invisible at work and let your work fall under your boss’ radar,” said Chris Mead,General Manager of Hays in Singapore, who offers the following five tips to help you get noticed:

1. Make a positive impact

“Remember when you first started the job? You were out to make a good first impression at every chance you could through the quality of your work. It’s time to get into that frame of mind again and assume every opportunity is an opportunity to impress your manager with the good work you produce. What’s important though is that people notice your positive impact. Sell yourself at work by using the positive results you achieve. For example, in meetings make sure everyone knows what you’re working on and what the outcomes are for the business.”

2. Add value

“Businesses are understandably looking at increasing revenue as well as process and cost improvements, so look to where you can add value. For example, if you work within construction then demonstrate business development or bid skills.”

3. Upgrade your skills

“Take every opportunity to volunteer for additional tasks that will not only improve your own employable skill base, but make you even more invaluable to your employer.”

4. Made a mistake?

“Don’t panic, or worse, try to hide it. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s how you handle the aftermath that can show your real strengths. Be honest with your manager, and go to them with a plan of how you intend to rectify the error.”

5. Finally, remember the basics

“Arrive for work on time, show enthusiasm, look and act professionally and be organised. Don’t watch the clock and be prepared to do that little bit extra – it does get noticed,” Chris

Source: JobsDB.com

The Seven Laws of Networking: Those Who Give, Get

Ever been to a reception following a talk or a meeting and felt it was a dreadful display of people begging to each other while pretending to be best friends? To be fair, most of the people present were probably friends. But, during these gatherings people too often forget about the seventh law of networking: the paradox of profit. In other words, the fact is you have to give first in order to receive. And when I say you should give, I mean freely, without the hidden intention to get anything in return. This will get you further in the end. Read on to see how you can implement the paradox of profit in your own life.

Those who have given also receive.

The paradox of profit is far from being a new concept–just open a Bible and you?ll find it: “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance” (Matthew 25:29). This is still true, maybe even more so today in our network-based society than 2000 years ago. Give to your social networks, and you will be given valuable pieces of information and ideas, but also personal tips, moral support, and any other kind of help. Giving without demanding or even expecting anything in return is in actual fact the only way to benefit from a network.

Why is that?

Consider the three driving forces behind the paradox of profit:

1. Reciprocity

2. The network effect

3. Reputation

1. Reciprocity: Trading support

Of all the forces, this is the simplest one: If you give to someone, however little this may be, you are bound to get something back. Look at Figure 1: A gives support to B, and therefore B will return the favour to A in his or her own ways. Barry Wellman and Kenneth Frank1 looked at 845 adults in Toronto, Canada, and the way they were trading support within their own networks.

Figure 1. Mutual support interaction

Their conclusions regarding reciprocity were that women tend to give back with moral support, friends at work with day-to-day professional support, and close friends with both everyday and emergency support. Everyday support is more like giving an idea, a helping hand, a listening ear, a tip. Emergency support is, for instance, bringing someone home when his or her car is broken or lending a person a considerable amount of money to get a business started. This is no big surprise, but stick around and let me tell you about the network effect.

2. The network effect

Part 1: When knowing each other also means helping each other

Could social networks have an intrinsic quality that calls for support without demanding reciprocity? In other words, when it comes to getting help, does it make any difference if you are in a clique or simply trading support as you would in a reciprocity scenario? Wellman and Kenneth came to the following conclusion: “The data show that an alter who has many ties with other members of an ego?s network is considerably more likely to provide everyday support to this ego and marginally more likely to provide emergency support.”

The word “alter” stands for somebody other than the examined person, whereas the word “ego” means the examined person in question. We will skip to our usual A, B, C and so forth.

Figure 2. Giving support in a network

OK, let me explain what this all means in plain English. Let?s say that A in Figure 2 is the alter. She knows B, C, and D, and she also knows the ego, E. Wellman and Frank found that C will naturally give more support to E than would for instance F, who only knows E in this network.

Wellman and Franck concluded that those who have personal connections in common feel a stronger bond and are thus more likely to be supportive of each other.

Now this is nice, and it gets even nicer in the second part!

Part 2: When giving is getting

While it does help to know people to get support, would investing time and effort in your network turn it into an even more supportive one? In other words, if you give support only to certain people within your network, are you likely to receive support from other individuals from that very network? The most interesting conclusion of Wellman and Frank?s research, in my opinion, provides the answer to this question: “Egos who have provided emergency support to many alters are more likely to receive emergency support from a given alter.”

Figure 3. Emergency support in a network

In this case, the alter who gives support to the ego is not necessarily one of the alters to whom the ego gave support in the first place! Let?s apply this to our example: If A gave emergency support to C, D, and E, she may just as well get emergency support from B. The help is not necessarily directly reciprocal! Frank and Wellman concluded about this in so many words: “When the network owes support to an individual, the individual doesn?t need to depend on ties with specific other individuals who owe reciprocity.” In brief, those who give, get!

3. Your reputation travels ahead of you

Vincent Buskens2 explored the way trust relationships are managed. He found that “actors (individuals) receive information about the behaviour of their partner from third parties and use that information to decide how they are going to behave themselves.” A friend of a friend is more likely to be your friend. So imagine what the reputation of being a supportive person does for you in your relationships with others, be they new acquaintances or lifelong friends.

Receptions don?t work. Or do they?

Let?s go back to our reception. Why do people often not get as much out of them as they could have, wished they had, or had hoped for? First you need to recall the five modes of human interaction:

1. Steal

2. Beg

3. Deal

4. Like

5. Love

Most people at receptions, symposia, or meetings adopt the second mode of behaviour: “Give me a scholarship. Give me funding. Give me time, ideas, information, give, give, give.” But still, they pretend to be in mode 4: “Let?s all like each other, let?s be friends.” This approach does not work, because it is inconsistent.

Now, if you go to the market to do some shopping, everybody there is in mode 3 of dealing and behaves in such a way. Both the shoppers and stand owners get what they want out of their interaction, because their approach to each other is consistent. Similarly, even though you may not like it, a beggar is in mode 2 and doesn?t hide it: “Give me a dollar.”

Now, you may wonder how you may recognise consistency when interacting with others. Let me reassure you that in networking, you just know. Only a small part of all communication is verbal, the rest being related to facial expression, appearance, muscular tonus, and stature. Human beings have a physical ability to feel the emotional state of another person. Howard Friedman?s 2-minute ordeal3 provides proof of this.

The 2-minute ordeal

Imagine spending 2 minutes in a room with a stranger, without either of you saying a single word. Once you?ve left the room, what are the chances that the other person?s mood will have an effect on yours, even if you never see this person again?

Well? Howard shows that it could be up to 100%, depending on the person you are and the person you?ve been with! Some people are highly sensitive to someone else?s mood, and others are very effective in transferring their mood to others. The obvious conclusion is that body language does exist and people are definitely able to sense it. You may not be aware of it, but it does affect you!

This holds true in any situation: People who are communicating verbally are also attuned to each other physically.

William Condon4 spent a year and a half analysing a 4.5-second shot of people talking with each other. He showed that people not only talk, they move in synchrony: A head movement is met with a shrug of the shoulder, which invites a smile, which in turn provokes a slight movement of the hand, and so on. Of course, none of the people were aware of this.

Well, this is how you recognise somebody who is begging while pretending to be a friend, at a reception, a symposium, or anywhere else. You feel it in your spine, which is where the shivers come from.

Let?s put it into practice

OK, those who give get. So what do you have to do now? Go out and give it all away to the first person you see? Stop going to receptions altogether? None of the above. You only have to keep in mind a networking law I have mentioned previously: The fit get rich. In this case, being “rich” means getting some support, and being “fit” means having some good friends who also have special friends of their own. If this sounds like it could be your network, you and your friends are a valuable source of information to each other. Your friendship also guarantees you good mutual support through reciprocity.

Now that you?ve seen how being fit also means being able to give, and that you should interact with other people at least through the third mode of dealing, but preferably through the mode of liking or loving, let?s revisit the first law of networking: the law of the small world. Consider the whole world as a large clique of friends: Extend your offer of support to everybody, and expand your reputation as far as you can.

Yes, I?m calling upon you to be a good person. Be nice; help your friends, family, and others; and you will be helped. That way, not only will you go further in life, you?ll also be more fun to hang out with at receptions.

References

1. B. Wellman and K. Frank, Network capital in a multi-level world: Getting support from personal communities. InSocial Capital: Theory and Research, N. Lin, K. Cook, R. Burt, Eds. (Aldine DeGruyter, Chicago, 2001), pp. 233-273. Available online.

2. V. Buskens, Social networks and the effect of reputation on cooperation (1998). Originally prepared for the proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Social Dilemmas. Available online.

3. H. Friedman et al., Understanding and assessing nonverbal expressiveness: The affective communication test.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39, 333 (1980).

4. W. S. Condon, Cultural microrhythms. In Interaction Rhythms: Periodicity in Communicative Behavior, M. Davis, Ed. (Human Science Press, New York 1982), pp. 53-76.

By Dick van Vlooten

See INDEX OF ARTICLES at ScienceCareers.org

10 Things You Can Do to Get a Promotion

Very few people hire on with any company or organization with the intention of remaining indefinitely at the position for which they were hired. Just because you started as the grunt who had to fix the copy machines doesn’t mean you don’t someday want to be CIO. At most companies, this could entail half a lifetime of climbing the corporate ladder. Each step up that ladder is generally going to involve asking for and receiving a promotion. The thought of asking for advancement is usually pretty frightening, but these tips will help you be more prepared.

 

Note: This information is also available as a PDF download.

#1: Show them the numbers

When you make your pitch about what a great job you’ve been doing and your value to the company, it will help your case if you can show your employer or supervisor specific results. Prepare documentation showing how and how much your brilliant ideas have helped them. This can be especially useful in the common scenario in which the person you’re dealing with doesn’t have the power to grant you a promotion. If that person has to fight on your behalf with his or her boss, you had better provide the best ammunition you can.

#2: Ask for more responsibilities

When asking for a promotion, it’s best to avoid that “P” word. If instead, you tell your boss you’re ready to take on more responsibilities, it will show that you’re prepared to tackle a larger or more complicated workload and aren’t just looking for a bigger office and fatter paycheck. It also gives your boss the option of gradually giving you the more important duties rather than just dumping you in a new position. Just make sure that if, after a few months, your tasks no longer resemble your job description, you bring that up and (with luck) get the new job title and paycheck.

#3: Invent a new position

If you feel that your skills are best suited to a position that doesn’t exist at your current organization, and you think you can make a strong argument for a need for that position, by all means, do so. Even if they won’t (or can’t) make the new position happen, you will have earned points for creativity while at the same time making it clear you are looking to advance.

#4: Bring up the topic in an informal setting

If you have the opportunity to meet with your boss outside the workplace, this can be a good way to make use of the occasion. Whether it’s at the bar for a drink after work, a big conference, or the company picnic, people will naturally be in a more receptive mood when they aren’t busy busy busy. But be careful in these settings. If you press too hard and your approach falls flat, you could be left in an awkward place for a couple hours with no easy means of escape. Phrase things lightly and back off if you don’t make any headway.

#5: Schedule a private meeting

Obviously, the alternative approach to having the promotion talk is to ask during regular work hours. Since during this time your boss is generally going to be busy, it’s a bad idea to just ask for a couple of minutes of his or her time. If you try to talk about a promotion like that, you could get shot down without your boss even looking up. Instead, schedule an appointment so that a block of time is set aside specifically for listening to you. Also, if possible, try to avoid revealing the specific topic of the meeting beforehand. Don’t go too far with this; you don’t want to annoy your boss by making the purpose of the meeting too mysterious. It’s just a bit harder to articulate a reason to say no to you when you’re in the room.

#6: Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn

Just make sure to play the right notes. It’s okay to brag a little — as long as it doesn’t sound like bragging. There is nothing wrong with reminding your boss of your accomplishments, since even if they were great, he or she might have forgotten about them. Mentioning that you’ve done this, this, and this, and that there are 15% fewer incidents in your department since you have started the job is great. Saying you’re the best system admin in the company is much less persuasive. Also, don’t forget that this is about you, so concentrate on all of your positive aspects and not on anybody else’s negative ones.

#7: Don’t make threats or demands

Be careful not to make your request for promotion sound like a demand. Don’t threaten to leave if you don’t get what you want (especially if you don’t intend to follow through on it). If you have been offered a new job somewhere else, you shouldn’t throw it in anyone’s face or try to use that offer to leverage a better deal where you are now. Doing so can potentially damage your reputation with both places. Remember to stay calm. Even if you really are fed up with your current position, try not to show it.

#8: Make friends in higher places

Before you actually ask about advancement, it’s a good idea to find somebody in the position you’re aiming for who is willing to take you under his or her wing. This offers four benefits:

• Prior to making your pitch for promotion, it will give you the opportunity to see what’s in store and make sure that it’s what you want.
• It will show your boss that you’ve taken the initiative to learn the ropes already.
• It will give you a buddy on the inside — one who may have some influence in deciding whether you get the position.
• After you get the promotion, it will give you a friendly ear you can go to for advice if things get hard.

#9: Learn new skills

It should go without saying that any time you have the opportunity to learn something new, you should take it. In particular, when you’re seeking a promotion, you’ll impress your boss if you can show that you’ve learned new skills that go beyond your current position. You might consider earning additional industry certifications or maybe go back to school for a higher degree. Taking on these things while working full time can be quite taxing, but with the ever-increasing availability of night classes and self-study materials, it’s definitely possible.

#10: Excel at your current position

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. The best way to show that you deserve advancement is to simply shine where you are now. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Get to work early every day and stay a few minutes late. Try to come up with solutions to problems that haven’t been addressed yet. If your deadline is Friday, try to have everything done by Thursday.

Finally, remember to be a team player. Make sure that you aren’t irreplaceable. If you’re at the top among your peers, take the time to ensure that you aren’t the only one who can keep things running. This will show your superiors that you can be a proper leader, and it will help curtail the disastrous response to a request for promotion: “I’m sorry, but you’re doing such a great job, we just can’t afford to lose you where you are now.”

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Kristoffer Littlejohn is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, distinguished by its large population of nerds and lack of a football team (almost unheard of in Texas). He builds computer systems, does network consulting for small businesses, and teaches chess. He grew up in a home that had four times as many computers as people, and has been trying to tame the beasts for most of his life.

 

Resource:

TechRepublic

Job Applications: Selling Your Skills

• What can you offer?
• Transferable skills
• Relating skills to opportunities
• Graduate vacancies and skills
• Sample job advertisement – The High Roller Group
• Sample job advertisement – Innovative Car Hire
• PhD vacancy example
• Presenting the evidence

What can you offer?

Employers ask for evidence that you have the:

• motivation for the role;
• ability to adapt to and share the organisation’s vision and ethos;
• skills and competence relevant to the post.

While some vacancies do require specific qualifications, specialist skills or experience, over 40% are open to graduates of any discipline. Graduate employers are mostly interested in your potential to develop rather than your existing knowledge. Even for those jobs that require specific technical or scientific expertise, the successful candidate will be the one who demonstrates motivation for the job and the personal and transferable skills needed to succeed.

The application procedures of many major graduate employers have become explicitly focused on motivation, organisational fit, and competency. It is not uncommon to have a personality profile as a part of the initial application process and to be asked to provide very detailed examples of competencies such as ‘teamwork’ or ‘problem solving’ on the application forms.

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Transferable skills

The competencies or transferable skills that are particularly popular with graduate recruiters include:

• communication – ability to communicate orally, in writing, or via electronic means, in a manner appropriate to the audience;
• teamwork – being a constructive team member, contributing practically to the success of the team;
• leadership – being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the lead;
• initiative – ability to see opportunities and to set and achieve goals;
• problem solving – thinking things through in a logical way in order to determine key issues, often also including creative thinking;
• flexibility/adaptability – ability to handle change and adapt to new situations;
• self-awareness - knowing your strengths and skills and having the confidence to put these across;
• commitment/motivation - having energy and enthusiasm in pursuing projects;
• interpersonal skills - ability to relate well to others and to establish good working relationships;
• numeracy – competence and understanding of numerical data, statistics and graphs.

Additionally, private sector employers like to see that applicants have some commercial awareness – an insight into how firms operate, what is happening in the business world and the impact this could have on their organisation.

For further information on competencies, refer to What Do Graduates Do?. Employers often have set criteria when selecting applicants. These may be laid out clearly in the person specification for the job or be identifiable from the job description, the vacancy advertisement or the organisation’s web pages.

Alternatively, if there is little information about the role, you could draw up your own. The job profiles in explore types of jobs, have useful sections on the skills and qualities usually required for entry into particular careers.

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Relating skills to opportunities

How do we know what skills to highlight when compiling a CV, covering letter or application?

• Consider how your motivation, personal qualities and aspirations reflect the ethos of the recruiting organisation and the opportunity on offer.
• Understand the skills and competencies required for the role. This will be transparent where a job specification is made available. It may be more difficult when there’s only an advertisement to go on. The latter is more common with small to medium sized employers.
• Decide on the best way to sell your skills. Which CV format will you use? What should you to put in your covering letter? See CVs and covering lettersfor advice on making effective applications.

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Graduate vacancies and skills

The following two advertisements are typical of the opportunities you’ll see advertised in graduate directories. Imagine this is the only information you have on which to base your CV application. See beneath each vacancy how they can be analysed in terms of skills, attributes and qualities.

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The High Roller Group has for 20 years been the consulting service of choice for the life insurance and pensions markets in the financial services sector.

Our approach to client service delivery is to translate strategic vision and objectives into systems and processes that succeed. High Roller’s ethos and success is based on the ability to focus our expertise on the knowledge and experience of the client. To enable them to grow and deliver, we develop strong and ongoing relationships with our clients. Our business and tradition is based on ‘partnership for progress’.

Work offered: Trainee Decision Maker; Data Gatherer/Investigator

Subject of Study: 2:1 in any degree discipline, (ideally supported by ‘A’ Level Maths, but not essential). 2:2 graduates will be considered on an individual basis.

Locations: London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh.

Apply: Please send your CV and Covering Letter to Ms L Groom.

When preparing your reply, note:

• Organisational ethos: focus on a ‘partnership’ with clients.
• Skills required: numeracy; problem solving; customer focus; communication and interpersonal skills; sector knowledge and understanding.
• How might those be expressed? This vacancy has some very specific requirements in terms of numeracy level and degree performance. It expects candidates to have an interest in the financial services sector. The financial sector often prefers a ‘traditional’ approach to CVs. See the sample CVssection for an example of how this vacancy might be addressed using a chronological CV.

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Sample job advertisement – Innovative Car Hire

Do you want to join a company that will make the most of your talent and put you behind the wheel? Do you want to work for a company that believes in rewarding success? We’ll give you the chance to take early responsibility and earn a high salary as early in your career as you want.

We are ‘Innovate Car Hire’, an international car rental company with a multi-billion pound turn over. We want graduates who are self-starters with the ‘drive’ and ambition to run their own section of the business within three years.

You will want to learn about how to run a business from marketing and customer services to operations and finance. You will want promotions and earnings that will be accelerated by your performance. You will get the opportunity to succeed.

Graduates of all disciplines are welcome to apply. What you don’t know we will teach you. Put yourself in the driving seat by sending a CV and covering letter to ich@btinternet.com.

When preparing your reply, note:

• Organisational ethos: expects staff to want to build the business and achieve personal success.
• Skills required: initiative; drive and ambition; business orientation; leadership qualities.
• How might these be expressed? This is a vacancy which focuses on the personal qualities of the candidate rather than sector, customer or business knowledge. You may want to consider a skills-based CV (see sample CVs) to highlight the personal qualities required.

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PhD vacancy example

The vacancy below is one for which a PhD student might apply.

Post Doctoral Position – Business Strategy/Regulation of Urban Utilities

Belgian Federal Institute of Technology

Located in Bruges, Belgium, the Federal Institute of Technology consistently ranks among the best universities in Europe and the World. The Chair Management of Network Industries within the College of the Management of Technology invites applications for a post doctoral position in business strategy for urban utilities.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD in management, business, economics, or political science;
• Research and publications in business strategy/regulation in one or several of the following industries: energy, communications, transport, and/or environmental services;
• Fluency in English. A working level understanding of written and spoken French will be a distinct advantage.

Main responsibilities:

• Organize a new Executive Master (EM) in Urban Utilities Management (UrbUtil);
• Manage the administration, logistic and curriculum of the EM in UrbUtil;
• Conduct research on business strategy in network industries;
• Participate in international conferences in academic and business circles;
• Contribute to teaching in the EM in UrbUtil.

An initial one-year contract will be offered with the possibility of a permanent position depending on the success of the Executive Masters programme. Please send letter of application, curriculum vitae, and names of at least three referees to Dr Michele Berryman.

When preparing your reply, note:

• The skills set required is very academic and specific.
• The transferable and soft skills that might be useful are present in terms of organisational, administrative and teaching skills.
• See the sample CVs section for how this vacancy might be addressed by an academic CV.

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Presenting the evidence

Your primary concern should be to present evidence of the skills and qualities that the employer is seeking. This could be in the form of your academic projects and achievements, responsibilities during work experience or voluntary activities, involvement in societies, or management of sporting activities. The key is to match the evidence in your application with what the employer wants. Recruiters want to read about the skills and qualities that are of interest to them and their selection criteria.

When examining your past involvements more closely, perhaps consider:

• What exactly have you done?
• What were you responsible for?
• What were the outcomes?
• How did you achieve success?
• Is there evidence of ‘how’ you have demonstrated relevant skills?

Although it’s important to be concise, simply listing your skills is not enough. Where is the evidence? Employers can’t simply take your word for it.

Thinking about how to demonstrate your responsibilities can also be a challenge. Focus on active verbs. The descriptors of responsibilities and language suggestions in power words may help.

Resource:

(Graphics – VCU School of Business)

Aaargh! iVillage’s Top 10 nightmare bosses

If you’re suffering working for a boss from hell, be comforted by the fact that you are not alone. Check out the boorish bosses below. If you think you can top our list, click here to tell us all about it.

1 The Weakest Link
The worst boss I ever had wasn’t bad – just terribly weak and scared of anyone more senior to him. I started as a junior counter assistant in a shop, and after a couple of months my boss made me Stores Manager. Great, so far (apart from being on the same pay). I more or less ran the stores side of the business. All was well until a semi-retired senior manager came to us to end his working days, and resented my position at my age. He constantly found fault, and eventually my boss became too scared to back me up on any of the imagined mistakes. I was called in and sacked on the spot, without references, because this elderly senior had told him if I didn’t go, he, my ‘brave’ boss, would be on the scrap heap.

2 The Toy Soldier
About four years ago, I had a boss who was in the territorial army and – you’ve guessed it – brought his toy army persona to work with him. He couldn’t stand being contradicted or challenged. After a disagreement over a pretty insignificant issue, he took me by the elbow into a private room, backed me up against the wall, banged his fist on the table and screamed, ‘What is your problem?’ I made a complaint and took him through grievance procedures, but sadly, nothing much has changed. Human resources are obviously scared of him too!

3 The Hypocrite
I work for a man who unfortunately doesn’t realise I don’t have the super power of mind-reading. There are different rules for me and my colleague. She gets to take 10-minute smoking breaks six to eight times a day, while I get dragged across the coals forchatting to someone for a few minutes. My boss even dragged me into his boss’s office once to complain I wasn’t doing enough overtime, and that I worked too fast. I exposed him this time though. Each year during my appraisal he praises the quality of my work. So, when confronted, I argued that he couldn’t complain that I do the work too quickly if he’s already said that it was done well. Was he embarrassed when HIS boss agreed with me!

4 The Shirker
My old boss was a right waster. He was so lazy that he employed a new office manager to do all his dirty work for him. He never paid bills, so it meant us office staff got all the complaints from people he owed money to. He even bought his wife a big car out of the company’s budget! I’m glad I left that company to work for a more honest manager, who pulls their weight.

5 The Stinker
My old boss used to go jogging at lunch-time, and come back and eat his lunch – still dripping with sweat. Yeuk!

6 The confidence zapper
My boss is driving me mad and I’ve only been working here seven months. The only training I have had is for things I will never need to do and I’ve had no training whatsoever for what I’m actually doing. My boss completely humiliates me by pointing out my mistakes at the top of her voice. She makes people spy on me and if I do anything wrong – no matter how small, they tell her and she has another go at me. Due to all of this, I’ve completely lost my confidence and feel I’m useless at my job. She has done this before to people who have eventually left because of her. Now I’m looking for a new job because I really can’t take any more – she is making me physically ill.

7 The Promoted ‘Friend’
The publishing company I worked for won a new account and a ‘friend’ of mine was promoted to head this project. From day one it became obvious she didn’t have a clue. Trying to hide the fact that she couldn’t handle the job, she had several people sacked, blaming them for her mistakes. After going way over budget she asked people to take a pay cut, which we refused. I put myself out of this misery by sending a polite letter to the publisher, asking to be put on another project. A few months later, this boss-from-hell was asked to leave. I went to her leaving party to celebrate. I have now left the company and started a business with my husband. We’re doing fine!

8 The Bully Boy
In the last place I worked, my line manager was an alcoholic and frequently took time out for mental health problems. I needed sick leave after damaging my vocal chords due to my job – I had to lecture to 300 students without a microphone. When I returned, the bullying started. The next few months were hell and in the end I took him to Personnel for bullying. It was all very unpleasant and it was suggested to me by the female HR officer that I would probably like some time off ‘to do some shopping to help calm me down’ (can you believe it!?). It was also suggested that as I lived alone I probably had no one to talk to and this would have made me feel more bullied. At the end of this fiasco, the bully kept away from me but picked on other people. Many of them then blamed me for making them the target! I found that my route to promotion was blocked and so I left the job a year ago. However, in my new job I find it difficult to trust others and struggle to feel ‘part of’ the place. The thing that gets me about these bullies is that they change how you feel about yourself. I’ve just heard that my ex-bully was admitted to a psychiatric institution, but how many ‘victims’ go the same way?

9 The Mutterer
My current boss is trying to push me out of the company after joining 18 months ago. She has attendance of about 40% due to various issues. She constantly reshuffles staff due to personality conflicts and I am her current victim. I made a request for some extended leave next January. This was declined and has been used since as a means of proving my ‘lack of commitment’. Her superior is incredibly weak and also unwilling to admit his mistakes. Another, much better, manager has recently been put into a position below my boss to do the work she is supposed to do. I am currently seeking alternative employment. I know this is petty and uncaring, but the fact that she constantly mutters to herself is probably the biggest reason I want to get away from her!

10 Mr Wrong
My last boss always insisted he was right. The thing was, he couldn’t spell and his grammar was terrible. Nothing wrong with that if he was willing to learn, but he always said both me AND the dictionary were wrong. Aaargh!

Courtesy: iVillage

Learn to sell yourself

Sell Your Skills

Many people dream about interesting work and challenging career. They try hard to be promoted and do the darnbest to attain this goal. Many employees try to impress their bosses by their hard work, responsibility and efficiency. It leads to overstrain, constant stress and lack of free time.

People are often ready even to sacrifice their personal life for the sake of career and success at work. But it turns out that only a handful of employees get their desired promotion. Why does it happen so? Why does it often turn out that your dedication to work leaves your boss cold and doesn’t lead you to higher position? In such situation many people begin to suspect their bosses in biased attitude towards them, because they don’t find any other sensible reason for this. They feel underestimated and humiliated and finally voluntary terminate of their employment contract. Offence is often stronger than the ability to put up with injustice. But should we always find fault with our bosses for not being promoted for a long time. Maybe we should take a sober view of things and look carefully at ourselves? Maybe something is wrong with us?

It is sometimes a very difficult task to treat ourselves critically. We tend to regard ourselves all so goody-goody. We think that we have done everything to be appreciated by our boss, but he/she ignores us for some reason and gums up the works. Of course our promotion depends on subjective attitude of our boss to us. There is nothing for it and we have to put up with this situation. The only thing we can do is try to change this attitude for the better. How can we do it? Here we proceed to the main thing. The most important at work is not your overwork and even your productive efficiency. The first priority is self-advertisement and the ability to sell yourself. It sounds a little bit cynical and unpleasant as it resembles prostitution in a way, but such is the law of our life. You shouldn’t think much of cynicism in this case, but learn how to sell yourself at a high price. The first and foremost in this matter is to learn to talk sensibly, These abilities affect your boss directly and can amaze him/her. This is the quickest and most effective way to attain his/her favourable disposition. It is your ability to speak that is crucial for your reputation and career. Oratory is an art, and it can be mastered by a handful of people, but the ability to learn to talk sensibly is available to everybody. You must believe in yourself, your aptitude and begin to practice. Watch how politicians and public figures speak. Observe their behaviour, gestures and facial expression.

When you are going to discuss important matters with your boss and it can influence your future career, think your speech over beforehand and try to take into account all possible questions, imagine different variants for setting fourth your arguments in order to sound convincingly.

Mind that the ability to sell yourself is the main key to success.

Resource: aboutjobonline.com

Mistakes on the Way to Success

Many people dream about promotion and meteoric career. Unfortunately our dreams don’t have such a strong power to come true automatically. In order to achieve success we must do something ourselves and not sit on our hands. Even if you possess wonderful professional qualities, work hard and efficiently, you may remain on one and the same position for rather a long time. You can’t put up with this situation, as you are dissatisfied with monotonousness of your work and with your current wage rates. Why does it happen so? What is wrong in our actions, when? Let’s talk about our mistakes we make that prevent us from making our career.

The most widespread mistake is our passiveness. We often wait when our boss notices us himself. We think that if we work hard and honestly, fulfil all our tasks in time, our boss will inevitably appreciate our positive features and we will be advanced by all means. But the boss is usually too busy to notice our hard work and dedication and can leave it unnoticed. In this case we should try to attract attention to our personality, because we need it and not our boss. That is why we must take care of ourselves and not to wait till everything happens by itself.

Our next mistake is our self-underestimation. We are often ashamed to admit our efficiency and mastery. This prevents us from starting a conversation with our bosses about our promotion.

The next widespread mistake is too deep concentration on details without holistic approach to our work. In order to fulfil our current tasks ideally we often spend too much effort for nothing and are not able to see the situation in general.

One more possible mistake is our excessive honesty. It usually prevents us from getting a good job. Our excessive honesty does a lot of harm during interviews. When we are asked if we have worked with something or fulfilled certain tasks, we usually answer sincerely and easily give negative answers. You should avoid negative answers at all. You’d better say that you will learn how to do it, and that you are always ready to get new experience and something else of this kind.

The last widespread mistake is our indecision when it comes to the talks about wage increase. You must understand that your employer is not a benefactor and your salary is not a handout. Your work is an article of trade and it should be sold at its real price. That is why you shouldn’t hesitate and put aside all your doubts and talk to your boss about your promotion.

Like this article? See more like this at aboutjobonline.com

How Do You Network When Your Network’s All Laid Off?

It’s a little harder, but it’s also crucial for finding a new job.  Everyone says the key to finding a new job is networking. But how do you do that when so many of your contacts are also out of work?

First, you need to expand your circle of contacts. But even before that, develop a career plan that maps out what you’d like to do professionally two, five, 10 and even 20 years down the road. Once you’ve got that, you’ll have a better idea of what types of jobs to seek and ultimately how to describe them to your network.

“If you don’t have a career plan, then networking is a complete waste of time,” says Promise Phelon, founder and chief executive officer of UpMo.com, a career Web site that helps users plan their professional trajectory. “Networking is like the game of telephone. You’re telling people a message. If you don’t have a career plan, you don’t have a message. Your network can’t help you in a strategic way.”

In Pictures: Seven Steps To Better Networking

Next, reconnect with people beyond your daily circle of colleagues and friends. The people you see every day at work–or used to see–are likely in the same dilemma as you. Reach out to people you went to college or graduate school with, or who you worked with several jobs ago. The Web sites LinkedIn, Ryze and Facebook are ideal tools for this. (UpMo.com offers a free tool for gauging how well you network.)

Never open a conversation by telling someone you’ve been laid off and are looking for work. Catch up as you would with any friend. Your professional status is certain to come up.

There are many ways you can use LinkedIn for networking. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, get one. It’s free. Once you’ve done that, send an invitation to connect with everyone you can think of from your professional and social lives. Don’t worry about forgetting people. Once you fill out the education and past employers section of your profile, the site will provide you with a list of others who went to school with you or were at previous jobs with you.

LinkedIn also allows you to search for people with the same skill set. Enter words and phrases such as “pharmaceutical salesperson” and “Boston” in advanced search and a list of names will come up. That way you may find not only individuals but also companies you hadn’t thought of that hire people like you, says Kay Luo, a LinkedIn spokeswoman.

Another tool on the site: Click on the company tab and enter the name of a firm you’d like to work for (you can also browse through companies within a given industry). A list of people with LinkedIn profiles who work there will pop up. Best of all, the list will tell you if you’re connected to any of them, even with a degree or two of separation, through mutual acquaintances.

Once you’ve located such a person, know how to use the connection properly. If you’re linked through a third person, see if that person feels comfortable making an introduction.

When you first speak to a new contact, avoid asking directly if they know of any job openings. Phelon says a good way to do this is by offering them assistance first. It not only gets the conversation going but also makes them want to return the favor.

For instance, when she started UpMo.com, Phelon needed both advice and investors. Someone introduced her to a woman who had helped the founders of eBay (nasdaq: EBAY – news - people ), an invaluable resource. “I opened my conversation with her by saying, ‘I know you’re trying to write a book about international leadership. How can I help you?’” Phelon says. “I gave her some contacts and then followed up, trying to build currency with her. It never happens in the first meeting, but she eventually asked how she could help me.”

If you find someone who has worked at a company you’re interested in, ask if you can chat briefly with them about the firm, maybe on the phone for five minutes or so. “Keep what you’re asking for very easy for the person to give,” says Liz Lynch, author of Smart Networking. Ask them things like what their experience has been and what types of responsibilities they’ve had.

“Questions like those open people up,” Lynch says. “They feel more engaged and will likely be more inclined to offer help if they can.”

Whenever you learn of an attractive job opening, try to find a connection to someone who works at the place. You’ll have better luck drafting a cover letter if you’ve got inside information. Ask whether the job sounds like a good one to them, and if they know anything about the hiring manager. “Never ask, ‘Can you refer me to the hiring manager?’ Lead up to that,” Lynch says.

After someone connects you to a source or refers you to a job, send a thank you note or e-mail. This does more than show your appreciation–it keeps you fresh in their mind, which means they may think of another person to introduce you to or they may call you when they hear of a relevant job.

Finally, you should have a job search profile, a one-page document that lists companies you’d like to work for and titles of jobs you’d want. You can refer to it when someone asks what kind of position you’re looking for or when you want to ask a contact if they know anyone at those firms.

Joyce Maroney, director of the Workforce Institute at Kronos, a provider of workforce management software, says this kind of networking is essential: “If you’re strictly relying on sending resumes to open positions you find on the Internet, that’s the path of least resistance.”

By

Tara Weiss,

Are you reaching your full potential?

Its been there for many years. All you have to do is reach out and touch it. A carrot just dangling out of reach. Such a great shame about that chasm yawning below, oh and the rope bridge with the rungs missing, not to forget the forest at the other side. Then there is the vast lake and acres of maze to get through.

Of course the chasm, the rope bridge with missing rungs, the forest and the maze are not really there but merely representative of everyday obstacles that stop us reaching our goals. We say they are stopping us reaching our goals.

Actually it is more likely to be ourselves that stop us getting to where we think we should be, something out of the comfort zone. It has also been said that within us is our own self-saboteur
while all the pluses outweigh the minuses- better car, easier lifestyle – we have a tendency to lean toward the minuses. Lack of money, lack of time, lack of self belief, lack of conviction?

All the best guides tell us to stand in front of the mirror and tell ourselves how what we want is truly possible. A technique referred to as affirmation. Or you could attend workshops and learn methods of positive thinking to get you where you could be. Choose a book in the self-help section of the local bookshop, the titles are there for the reading. But while you are going to these lengths to learn how to get to your goal you could already be taking steps to get there. Use your energy in a productive and proactive manner.

Don’t you just love those careers talks you get at school when it seems we all could be window dressers, or are suited to work with children or work with machinery at high rates of decibels (though actually the second and third of those are not mutually exclusive) Still we yearn for our dreams to come true each is possible if we are willing to persue it. Having a source of information such as the World Wide Web to research paths of entry to your chosen destination is obviously a great help obtaining further education through a local college or distance learning programme.

So what should we do? Write down exactly what it is you wish to achieve and by when. Well we can all do this. At first it may seem insurmountable, because it is being perceived as too much to aspire to as a whole. But what would happen if you broke it down to bite size chunks and set a realistic time line. Suddenly you begin to see that it is well within the realms of your capabilities. If you were to sit and compile a list of things you have achieved since you were born, it would be very long and you would probably still be going now. Clever aren’t you?

Now, how about that carrot?

Learn more about this author, Jo Orbell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

HeliumAre you reaching your full potential?

Jobs: Tips from Jobsite

Interviews can reduce even the most confident among us to quivering wrecks, but no more! Jobsite’s interactive tool, BeMyInterviewer, shows you how to take on the most challenging interviewer with confidence – see their feature for more. This month they also show you how to expand your job search away from the 9-5, how to avoid howlers on your CVand how to make job applications that really work.

Interviews can reduce even the most confident among us to quivering wrecks, but no more! Jobsite’s interactive tool,BeMyInterviewer, shows you how to take on the most challenging interviewer with confidence – see their feature for more.

The best interview answers

New ways of working

Make your job application count

What NOT to put on your CV

Are you entitled to sick pay?

Why Project Managers are in demand

For more, please visit:

The Portfolio: Creatively Showcasing Your Skills

(Image: Tidyup.co.uk)

WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO?

• A collection of samples that can be used to both communicate your interest and give evidence of your talents and experiences.
• Visually shows what you have accomplished, learned or produced.
• A creative way to showcase a unique special-purpose autobiography.

WHAT SHOULD THE PORTFOLIO LOOK LIKE?

• A portfolio should be displayed in an attractive and professional manner.
• A 3-ring presentation binder with plastic dividing sheets is a good start but it is recommended that you purchase a professional portfolio case from any office supply or art store.

WHAT SHOULD I INCLUDE?

Typical Portfolio Elements 
You can pick and choose from the list what is appropriate for the positions you are applying.

1. Title Page
   
2. Table of Contents
   
3. Confidentiality & Originality Statement
   • Statement of Originality & Confidentiality
     This portfolio belongs to (Your Name)
     Please do not copy without permission. Some of the examples within this portfolio are the property of organizations that have granted permission for these items to be used in a demonstration of my work.
4. Personal Statements: mission, values, goals (link)
   
   • Clearly state your unique purpose: define who you are, what you do & why you do it (your “brand”)
   • Guiding principles for your career
   • Management, counseling or teaching philosophy (depending on your focus)
   • Make it original, simple, honest & direct
   • Your mission statement should be one sentence, easy to understand and to memorize. Example: “My mission is to build relationships and empower others toward reaching their full potential.”
5. Resume (link to Writing a Resume section)
6. Reference Materials / Quotes from others / Employer Evaluations
7. Education & Training – Diplomas/Certificates/Grades/Transcripts/School Projects
8. Experience & Skills Section
9. Achievements & Awards
10. Community Service
11. Professional Affiliations
12. Personal interests and hobbies
13. Captions/Reflections
14. Photographs
15. Printouts (posters, flyers, brochures, etc.)
16. Articles
17. Personal Web Site or e-portfolio address

HOW SHOULD I SELECT ITEMS FOR MY PORTFOLIO?

• Choose recent examples
• Quality is ALWAYS more important than quantity!
• Avoid redundancy
• If you dislike using a skill or knowledge, don’t feature it
• Always ask permission to use work samples, if you have signed a confidentiality agreement

WHAT SUPPLIES WILL I NEED FOR MY PORTFOLIO?

• A file box and hanging files
• A Professional-looking zippered 3-ring binder (D-ring is best)
• Clear, no-glare sheet protectors
• Divider tabs
• Creative paper: use for title page, section dividers & summary pages. Generally a colourful, professional-looking card stock found at a craft supply store gives a coordinated look to the portfolio. Card stock can also be used for mounting photos & creating captions
• Post-it tape or glue
• A scanner & digital camera

HOW SHOULD I ORGANIZE MY PORTFOLIO?

• Sort items into functional categories
• Insert items into non-glare sheet protectors
• Lead with your strengths
• Sort in a way that enables you to easily retrieve items
• Create a title page
• Design a table of contents
• Create section divider pages & tabs
• Develop captions
• Strive for consistency and visual identity or theme
• Don’t use more than two typefaces on layout pages
• Artwork & clip art should accentuate, not decorate
• Keep a back-up copy of your portfolio

HOW TO USE YOUR PORTFOLIO

• To support your answers to interview questions with samples from your portfolio.
• Review and know both your portfolio and the job announcement before going to the interview in order to stay focused.
• Do not show the portfolio page by page to a hiring manager. The purpose of the portfolio is to hold all your documentation, show only what is appropriate for that specific interview.
• Do your best not to lose control of your portfolio. At times the interviewer may try to look ahead or take the portfolio and leaf through it. Try to tactfully avoid this.
• Bring your portfolio each time you interview even if you go for a second or third interview with that employer.

COMMUNICATIONS, DRAMA AND ART

Match your portfolio to best fit your studies and your occupational focus.

Drama

• Photographs of the shows you have been in.
• Programs or posters from the shows you have worked with.
• Articles that critique your performance or role in the production.
• For directors, collect reviews. These give an objective review how successful the show was.
• For designers within the realm of drama, collect are your drawings done for designing any show.
• Display photographs throughout the construction of the set including the finished set to show the development that took place.

Art

• Include a variety of mediums and styles.
• Include works in progress and study projects to show your process. Large photographs work best.

Communications

• Emphasize skill areas: Use tabbed sections containing information on your skills with work samples, class projects and letters of recommendations.
• A skill set checklist of critical skills related to the field of Communications may be included. As you attain different levels of competency with each skill, an instructor or employer can sign off on your ability to perform the skill.

A TEACHERS PORTFOLIO: SECTIONS & ARTIFACTS

• Credentials
  • Resume
  • Copy of your degree
  • Transcripts
• Reference Letters
  • Letters from supervising teachers
  • Letters from faculty from the School of Education
  • Letters from Parents of students you have taught
  • Letters/cards from students from your classroom
  • Letters from former employers
• Philosophies
  • Philosophy of Education
  • Philosophy of Classroom Management
  • Philosophy of Discipline
  • Philosophy of Pedagogy
• Planning/Organizing
  • Curriculum & Unit Plans
  • Thematic Units
  • Lesson Plans
  • Event Planning; Field Trips
  • Bulletin Boards
  • Cooperative Learning Strategies
• Evaluation
  • Explanation of grading system
  • Sample tests & assignments
• Student Engagement
  • Innovative ideas & activities
  • Examples of adapting lessons for students with special needs
  • Individualized plans
  • Appreciation for diversity, ability to develop rapport with a wide array of students
• Parent Involvement
  • Letters to parents; progress reports
  • Parent/teacher conferences
• Subject Knowledge
  • Lessons, assignments, projects & activities that demonstrate content knowledge
• Extracurricular
  • Coaching, advising, & tutoring
  • Volunteer/Community Services
  • Involvement with children
  • Camp counselor roles
  • Advisory Boards
• Awards/Honours:
  • Awards
  • Certificates, letters, photos
• Professional Development
  • Professional memberships; leadership roles
  • Publications
  • Conferences attended
  • Goal statements
  • Meetings & Workshops

RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THE STUDENT SUCCESS CENTRE ON PORTFOLIOS:

• Portfolio Power: The New Way to Showcase All Your Job Skills and Experiences. Kimeldorf, Martin. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s, c1997.
  B260 K45 – 1997 c.1
• Proof of Performance: How to Build a Career Portfolio to Land a Great New Job. Nelles, Rick. Manassas Park, VA: Impact Publications, c 2001.
  B260 N45 – 2001 c.1
• Creating Portfolios: For Success in School, Work and Life. Kimeldorf, Martin. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc., c.1994.
  B260 K56 – 1994 c.1
• The Career Portfolio Workbook. Satterthwaite, Frank and Gary DOrsi. New York: McGraw-Hill, c.2003.
  B260 S28 – 2003 c.1
• Creating Your Career Portfolio: At a Glance Guide for Students. Williams, Anna Graf and Karen Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall., c2001. 
  B260 W55 – 2001 c.1

Resource:

8 Ways to Thrive at Your New Job

You think landing a great job is important? Even more critical is what you do to make the most of it. Here’s how:

1. Don’t let the cement dry. When you start out on a job, your feet are in wet cement. If you don’t get out fast, you’ll probably be stuck there a while. So when your boss says you’ll be doing tasks you could have done when you were 12–as often happens, even to college graduates–aim higher.
   

   Thrive at Your New Job

    (Neil Hendrickson–Photodisc Red/Getty Images)

   Say something like, “I’m willing to pay my dues, but believe I could contribute more. I’m a pretty good researcher and writer.” Planting that seed often results in an upgrade to your job description. You’ll do more interesting work, plus honchos and coworkers will see you as an up-and-comer.

2. Be time-effective. The most productive employees have a little voice on their shoulder, whispering in their ear. It doesn’t ask, “Is this the fastest way to do the job?” Or “Are you pursuing quality above everything else?” It says, “Is this the most time-effective way?” You want to work in a way that produces the most benefit per minute spent. For example, when filling in numbers for a spreadsheet, ask yourself, “Is it worth it to dig up the exact numbers, or will estimates do?” When you’re writing a report for the boss, is it worth interviewing one person, five people, or basing it purely on your own experience?
3. Get credit. Find tactful ways to get recognized for your good work. Have a great idea? Don’t just tell your boss–he might steal the credit. Bring it up at a meeting. Have you created a draft work product you’re proud of? Consider sending it to respected colleagues for feedback–and to show them that you’re hot stuff. At evaluation time, say, “I’ve kept a list of some work efforts I feel good about. Would you like to see them?”
4. Get the truth–about yourself. Garrison Keillor, host of A Prairie Home Companion, speaks of the imaginary Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average. In real life, that’s how most people think of themselves–which is one reason employees who get fired are often shocked. So from Day 1, ask for candid feedback, not just from your boss but from respected coworkers, customers, and others. When you get that feedback, you may or may not decide to change, but think hard about what people are telling you.
5. Train for your promotion. What’s the next job you want? What skills and knowledge don’t you yet have? Get them. If your company is expanding its Beijing operation, should you download those Learn Chinese lessons? If your nonprofit needs some help with fundraising, should you bone up on the best donor-tracking software?
6. Recruit a dream team of support. Identify a half-dozen people you admire, at your own workplace as well as at other places you might like to work next: potential bosses, that overworked computer genius whose attention is hard to get, the political mastermind who seems to get whatever she wants. They can support you in your current job or help you get your next one. But remember the old Chinese warning: Ask before you’ve developed a proper relationship, and you will be denied. So build relationships with them: Ask them out to lunch; offer to help them; invite them to a party.
7. Confront problems quickly. If you put problems off, they can metastasize. So when you feel clueless about something important, don’t fake it. Ask for help from your boss, a coworker, or an outsider. Afraid that someone hates your guts? Tactfully address it. For example, tell the person, “I’m worried that I’ve somehow gotten off on the wrong foot with you. What can I do to make things better?” Dislike your job description? Politely ask for a change. Do it now.
8. Ask for what you want. Want to tackle a special project that you’d find fun? Ask. Want an exemption from the reporting requirements? Ask. Deserve a raise? Ask. Most people know that asking is key to happiness and success, but they’re too wimpy to speak up. Don’t be like them. 

By Marty Nemko

How to Get Along With Your Boss: 10 Tips

Get along with your boss

At one point or another in your career, you will report to a manager, the person you fondly – or not – call boss. The relationships that you create and manage, with both your immediate boss, and other company employees, are critical for your work success and career progress.

And, face it, whether you like it or not, you’re in charge of your relationship with your boss. No one will ever share as much concern as you do that the quality of the relationship helps you achieve your goals. At the same time, your boss has information that you need to succeed. He can’t do his job or accomplish his goals without your help.

So, your manager shares a critical interdependence with you. If you don’t accomplish your work, your manager will never shine for his or her overall responsibilities. You won’t progress without the information, perspective, experience, and support of your manager.

Despite knowing this, managers do come in every size and with all possible levels of skill and effectiveness. Some managers are just plain bad bosses; others are unaware of what you need from them. Managing up is challenging, but ultimately, worth your time.

How to Develop an Effective Relationship With Your Boss

These steps will help you develop a positive, ongoing, supportive relationship with your boss – a relationship that serves you well, your manager well, and, as a consequence, your organization well.

1. The first step in managing up is to develop a positive relationship with your boss. Relationships are based on trust. Do what you say you’ll do. Keep timeline commitments. Never blind side your manager with surprises that you could have predicted or prevented. Keep her informed about your projects and interactions with the rest of the organization.Tell the boss when you’ve made an error or one of your reporting staff has made a mistake. Cover-ups don’t contribute to an effective relationship. Lies or efforts to mislead always result in further stress for you as you worry about getting “caught” or somehow slipping up in the consistency of your story. Communicate daily or weekly to build the relationship.Get to know your manager as a person – she is one, after all. She shares the human experience, just as you do, with all of its joys and sorrows.
2. Recognize that success at work is not all about you; put your boss’s needs at the center of your universe. Identify your boss’s areas of weakness or greatest challenges and ask what you can do to help. What are your boss’s biggest worries; how can your contribution mitigate these concerns? Understand your boss’s goals and priorities. Place emphasis in your work to match her priorities. Think in terms of the overall success of your department and company, not just about your more narrow world at work.
3. Look for and focus on the “best” parts of your boss; just about every boss has both good points and bad. When you’re negative about your boss, the tendency is to focus on his worst traits and failings. This is neither positive for your work happiness nor your prospects for success in your organization. Instead, compliment your boss on something he does well. Provide positive recognition for contributions to your success. Make your boss feel valued. Isn’t this what you want from him for you?
4. Your boss is unlikely to change; she can choose to change, but the person who shows up to work every day has taken years and years of effort on her part to create. And, who your boss is has worked for her in the past and reinforced her actions and beliefs. Instead of trying to change your boss, focus instead, on trying to understand your boss’s work style.Identify what she values in an employee. Does she like frequent communication, autonomous employees, requests in writing in advance of meeting, or informal conversation as you pass in the hallway. Your boss’s preferences are important and the better you understand them, the better you will work with her.
5. Learning how to read your boss’s moods and reactions is also a helpful approach to communicate more effectively with him. There are times when you don’t want to introduce new ideas; if he is preoccupied with making this month’s numbers, your idea for a six month improvement may not be timely. Problems at home or a relative in failing health affect each of your workplace behaviors and openness to an improvement discussion. Additionally, if your boss regularly reacts in the same way to similar ideas, explore what he fundamentally likes or dislikes about your proposals.
6. Learn from your boss. Although some days it may not feel like it, your boss has much to teach you. Appreciate that she was promoted because your organization found aspects of her work, actions, and/or management style worthwhile. Promotions are usually the result of effective work and successful contributions. So, ask questions to learn and listen more than you speak to develop an effective relationship with your boss.
7. Ask your boss for feedback. Let the boss play the role of coach and mentor. Remember that your boss can’t read your mind. Enable him to offer you recognition for your excellent performance. Make sure he knows what you have accomplished. Create a space in your conversation for him to praise and thank you.
8. Value your boss’s time. Try to schedule, at least, a weekly meeting during which you are prepared with a list of what you need and your questions. This allows him to accomplish work without regular interruption.
9. Tie your work, your requests, and your project direction to your boss’s and the company’s overarching goals. When making proposals to your boss, try to see the larger picture. There are many reasons why your suggestion may not be adopted: resources, time, goals, and vision. Maintain strict confidentiality.
10. In your relationship with your boss you will sometimes disagree and occasionally experience an emotional reaction. Don’t hold grudges. Don’t make threats about leaving. Disagreement is fine; discord is not. Get over it. You need to come to terms with the fact that your boss has more authority and power than you do. You are unlikely to always get your way.

Use these tips to build a powerfully effective relationship with your boss. Have tips to share? Post your tips for all to see.

Resources: Susan M. Heathfield, About.com

How to Get the Promotion You Deserve

We all know a thing or two about unrewarded effort. The fastest way to get a promotion you’ve earned or a position you want is to be pro-active about the process. I’ve followed the steps below and it’s netted me four promotions in seven years on the job.

1) Determine Expectations
Identify the goals for the position you have and the position you want. Find out what your boss and your company expect from you in return for your current salary and the salary you desire. Many companies have a list of expected skill sets and duties for each job.

2) Perform a Gap Analysis
Find the gap between what you do today and what needs to be done to get promoted. Using the expectations for your current and desired role, make a list of the skills and responsibilities required for the next level that that you don’t currently possess or perform.

3) Communicate Your Desires & Intentions
Schedule an hour long meeting with your boss. Bring along your list of skills and responsibilities that are needed to earn a promotion. Start off by letting your manager know that your goal is to get to the next level. Then walk through your list and come up with projects you can work on that will help you achieve a promotion.

4) Monitor & Prioritize Your Work
Compare all new work that you’re assigned or that someone asks for help with against your list of skills and responsibilities. Focus your efforts on the work that will help you meet your career goals. This might sound a bit petty or selfish but in the corporate world, you have to be your own advocate because it’s likely one else will. As you finish projects and learn new skills keep track of these accomplishments, documenting them as you go.

5) Cash In Your Chips
Once you feel you’ve achieved the items on your list setup another meeting with your boss. Don’t jump the gun. Make sure you really have mastered what is expected of you and met any timeframe requirements that were discussed in your initial meeting. Bring along a document summarizing how you achieved each goal along with examples. After delivering your spiel, ask for the promotion.

If the meeting ends with your boss agreeing you’ve earned a promotion, send them an electronic copy of your summary. Most managers have to submit some type of recommendation to their boss to secure your advancement, which requires time they often don’t have. You’ve basically written the justification for them so give them a head start and take away any reason they have to delay your promotion.

Progress Takes Time
Notice that some period of time will pass between 3 and step 5. This is where you must prove yourself competent or even extraordinary. This is the hard part, doing the actual work. The great part is if you follow these steps then you won’t feel like all the hard work is for nothing. You’re working towards a goal and your effort should pay off.

Growth Opportunities
One thing to consider at the beginning of this process is the amount of room for growth in your current environment. I started my career in a new product group that has grown from 8 to 50 people. As the product grew, there were opportunities for career advancement for its members.

If your current group does not offer much opportunity for growth it may be time to look for another job. If you follow all the steps above but there are no openings to fill then it will be tough for your manager to promote you.

Promote Yourself!
Planning and patience will help you get the promotion you deserve; ensuring your hard work does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. The best way to get promoted is to promote yourself!

Written by Ben · Filed Under Career, Career Tips for

Get The Promotion You Deserve – Add Value To Your Organization

Your organization has hired you for the results you can achieve with your talents and abilities. The organization believes that by using those talents and abilities, you will “add value.” You solve problems, you help the organization meet the needs of its clients, you contribute ideas that are valuable, etc. Those types of things add value.

In order for the organization to give you value—your salary and your position—it needs you to add value. It’s that simple.

How can I add value to my organization today?
The value you create is what you are paid for. The more value you create that is recognized by the company, the more you can earn in salary and position.

The key thing to remember is your compensation is a portion of the value that you create. You should aim to add ten times as much value as the compensation that you desire to be paid.

Do something that other people don’t know how to do.
Value is created out of scarcity. Gold is precious because it is relatively scarce. Iron costs less because it is more plentiful. Value derives from scarcity!

This principle of scarcity applies in the workplace as well. When you can do things that other people cannot do, what you can do has great value! Your skill is scarce! This creates a wonderful opportunity for you.

You get paid more for doing things other people can’t do!

Constantly learn new skills. Never stagnate Read books, attend courses, and build your skills. Look for the “missing skills” in your company. Look for skills and knowledge that are relatively scarce in your society. What is missing? What can you learn to fill the gap?

If everybody is studying French and German, you can study Chinese or Japanese. When I left college and joined a major electronics manufacturer, I was paid twice as much as other college graduates because I could speak Japanese and English and understood the basics of computers.

If you are a welder, you might notice that very few welders are qualified to work with copper or to weld exceptionally thick pipes. I once new a welder who owned two Rolls Royce’s because he had learned to weld materials that very few welders could handle. He could name his price, and he did.

By the way, don’t expect this to be easy. If it were easy, probably someone else would already be doing it!

Author’s Bio
Mark Victor Hansen, best known as the co-creator of the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ empire (which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling non-fiction book series ever), Mark is a walking success magnet! Between his books and speeches, Mark has helped countless millions of people become their very best. Visit Mark’s 101 E-Book Library at www.IdeasThatCanChangeYourLife.com.

If you find this article useful, please share or save:

Thank you,

Catherine

Do you deserve promotion?

Take this quiz: Do you deserve promotion? Courtesy: FunQuizCards.com

7 Habits of Highly Innovative People

Have you ever looked at super creative or innovative people, and felt they are special beings blessed with gifts? Have you felt that you are not as fortunate? I used to feel this way. I have since learned that creativity is more about psychology than intellect, and there are no secrets to being creative. Actually, there is no such thing as “being more creative”, you are already a creative being.

I’m sure we can all relate to moments when we felt stuck trying to tap into our own creativity. Did you know that this block is merely your mind at work? Your mind is creating all sorts of assumptions, self-imposed constraints and self-limiting inhibitions. I have found that we can remove these assumptions just by being in the moment; start doing, and stop thinking.

Here are seven habits found in highly innovative and creative people that I’ve organized and summarized from Scott Berkun’s “the myths of innovation“.

1. Persistence – Innovation involves more than just great ideas. We need faith, hard work and a laser sharp focus for the end result to keep persisting for our vision in the face of roadblocks. We tend to see the end result of a creative idea in awe, but what we don’t see are the actions, hard work and persistence behind the scene to make the vision a reality.

“Invention is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration“,

–Thomas A. Edison

2. Remove Self-Limiting Inhibitions – Under the spell of inhibition, we feel limited and stuck. We need to free ourselves from these mind-created constraints by removing assumptions and restrictions. This is what we refer to when we say “think outside the box”. Encourage ourselves to be open to new ideas and solutions without setting limiting beliefs. Remember, innovation is more about psychology than intellect.

3. Take Risks, Make Mistakes – I believe that part of the reason why we create self-imposed inhibition is due to our fear of failure. Expect that some ideas will fail in the process of learning. Build prototypes often, test them out on people, gather feedback, and make incremental changes. Rather than treating the mistakes as failures, think of them as experiments. “Experiment is the expected failure to deliberately learn something.” (Scott Berkun). Instead of punishing yourself for the failures, accept them, then take your newfound knowledge and put it towards finding the best solution. Live up to your goal of producing the best result, but understand you might hit roadblocks along the way.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.“

–Thomas A. Edison

4. Escape – Our environment can and does effect how we feel. The more relaxed and calm we are internally, the more receptive we are to tap into our flowing creativity. This is why ideas sometimes come to us in the shower or while we’re alone. Each of us have different triggers to access our creative energy. I get into the ‘creative zone’ from sitting at my dining table, with a warm cup of chai, and my noise-canceling headphones. Many great thinkers go on long walks to help them solve problems. Experiment and find what works for you.

5. Writing Things Down – Many innovators and creative people keep a journal to jot down ideas and thoughts. Some keep a sketch book, scrap book, post-it notes, loose paper. They all have a method to capture their thoughts, to think on paper, to drop their inhibitions and start the creative process. Leonardo Da Vinci’sfamous notebook was purchased by Bill Gates for $30.8 Million dollars.

6. Find Patterns & Create Combinations – Ideas come from other ideas. Did you know that Edison wasn’t the first one who came up with the invention of the light bulb? He was the first to build a workable carbon filament inside a glass bulb, that made light bulbs last longer. You can increase your exposure to new ideas, look for patterns and see how you can combine ideas to improve upon existing solutions.

7. Curiosity – Many innovators are just curious people who are inquisitive, and like to solve problems. Practice seeing things differently. For example, When seeing the solution to a problem, ask yourself, “What are some alternative ways to doing this?”. Ask a lot of questions and challenge the norms or existing methods.

Here are some techniques you can apply to cultivate creativity:

• Keep a Journal – Practice writing every thought, idea, and inspiration down. Practice, brainstorming and thinking on paper.
• Solve the Opposite Problem – Scott talked about this technique. The idea is to invent and brainstorm by solving the opposite problem that you are trying to solve. So, for example, if you are trying to create “The best laptop design”, then start with ideas to create “The worst laptop design”. For each idea you come up with, flip it. For example, if “heavy and clunky” is one idea for “The worst laptop design”, then flipping that might give me “light and sleek” which can be used in “The best laptop design”.

  This technique works especially well when brainstorming in a group.The technique sounds so silly that people will become playful when answering. Humor brings down inhibition and encourages people to say things out aloud. People feel less insecure and more open.

• Find A Creative Environment – Find a relaxing or inspiring environment that triggers your creativity. Try different spots until you find some that really bring out the best in you. I alternate between my living room (which I have carefully decorated) and a couple of local coffee shops.
• Do something fun – If you’re stuck on something, shift your thoughts by going to do something fun and completely different. Come back to it with a fresh mind.
• Partnering - Find creative partnerships with another. New ideas can surface as a result of two forces that would not have been arrived by a single person. Brainstorm together.
• ‘Commit to Failure’ - “Commit yourself to taking enough risks that you will fail some of the time. If you’re not failing, we’re not doing something sufficiently difficult or creative.” -Scott Berkun
• Talk to Someone About It - I have found that when I try to articulate a particular problem to someone, that I’ll somehow articulate my solution, as well. When explaining my situation, I’m not expecting them to solve my problem, but rather act as a ‘bouncing board’ for ideas.
• **Plan for Roadblocks -Commit to efforts to overcome potential setbacks. It’s worthwhile to identify and have a plan for non-creative items that may inhibit creative thinking. Scott talked about the most common roadblocks people face: Loss of motivation, ran out of money, unable to convince key person.

What do you think are some common trait of innovative people? Share your thoughts below.

If you find this article useful, please share or save:

Thank you,

Catherine

Courtesy:

9 Jobs That Don’t Require A Degree in the UK

The economy may have imploded somewhat over the course of the past 14 months, but you still have bills to pay, a mortgage/rent to take care of and a healthy drinking habit to support, which means you need money. “I’m not qualified for anything, I don’t have my degree,” you might say to yourself. In the words of Dizzee Rascal: “Fix Up, Look Sharp”. Whoever said that you need to write the letters B.A. after your name to earn good money was full of BS.

The obvious answer to your problem is “entrepreneur,” or “rock star”, but we’ve decided to leave that off the list since we haven’t seen too many postings for either of those gigs on Totaljobs or Monster lately. In other words, you can’t apply to be an entrepreneur or a chart-topping artist — you just have to do it.

Jobs(Image credit:ridgetoreef)

Here are the nine best jobs that you can apply for and build a career around without earning a degree. Plus, you might just get a parade in your honour with one of these. Try and guess which one.

1- Firefighter

Starting salary:  £20,896 (trainee); £21,766 (development);  £27,851 (competent)

Being a firefighter is pretty much the embodiment of a hero. You’re out there saving lives and property. You’re the saviour to everyone who didn’t pay attention to the level of oil required to fry a turkey and you’re first on the scene when people need rescuing from vehicles which have been involved in collisions.People even call you to rescue cats from trees. All the while, you’re keeping in top physical shape.

With a GCSEs, a little relevant experience and the ability to perform strength-draining exertions under intense pressure, you’ve got a future in firefighting.

2- Police officer

Starting salary: Between £21,534 on commencing service and £24,039

If being in close to firefighter condition when you start out is something you enjoy, but that penchant for sweet, fried pastries is a vice you just cannot control, starting out as a police officer might be more up your street.

Due to high application rates it’s long-winded process to serve as one of the boys in blue, but basic GCSEs, lack of a criminal record are a must. You might also consider becoming a Police Community Support Officer for a year.

3- Mechanic

Starting salary: Around £25,000

Want to be the envy of all your worthless liberal arts degree-having friends? Become a mechanic. Being able to fix cars around these people is like having a license to print money. Plus, it’s a damned respectable and professional career choice: everyone needs one.

Starting as a mechanic usually involves being an apprentice. You know, how useful education used to be passed along before everyone decided you should have letters after your name?

4- Appliance repairman

Starting salary: £24,000 – £40,000 (Varies widely)

Everyone has appliances that break around the house. It seems like every two months the clothes dryer decides that “blowing hot air” is no longer a part of its job description. Used to be that you’d just throw that under-performing piece of garbage out, but not in this economic maelstrom.

Working in the world of appliance repair is a lot like working in automotive repair. There are no specific education prerequisites, as most of the skill is acquired on the job. An extremely skilled repairman who isn’t strictly on salary might bring in close to £40,000.

5- Plumber / Electrician

Starting salary: £25,000 - £26,000

Again, we’re talking about learning a trade, so no matter how badly you screwed up in school, it doesn’t matter. Granted, you can’t be a moron and learn complex, potentially dangerous skills (in the case of working with live electricity) but it’s virtually guaranteed that you’ll be in high demand. Not surprisingly, men aren’t exactly lining up to work with high voltage or in sewers, so you should be able to find a niche in either, both of which are respectable trades.

Decent welfare benefits and becoming licensed are a few of the perks you have to look forward to.

6- Salesman

Starting salary: Who knows?

Earn what you’re worth, not a penny more. You don’t need a formal education to be a salesman — you need a brass personality and thick skin. Infrequent pay checks, constant rejection and an almost immediate repulsion from anyone you let know you’re in sales are just a few of the givens of the profession.

That being said, earning potential is usually unlimited and setting your own hours can be a perk. Success or failure, this one is all on you.

7- Web designer

Starting salary: £25,000 – £32,000

Half computer hacker, half unappreciated artist, the web design field is an interesting blend of left and right brain skills that doesn’t really translate into a relevant degree. If you have these seemingly opposite skills, you’re in demand. With commerce, networking and research all being done on the web in large scales, the design of a website is absolutely crucial to success.

8- Occupational therapy assistant

Starting salary: Around £15k. NHS staff working in or near London receive extra allowances.

If you genuinely enjoy helping people (and not just saying that you do), then this might be a job to consider. Learning this position can be done either on the job, via a distance learning or at a junior college. Rehabilitation can be a rewarding experience in and of itself.

9- Truck driver

Starting salary: £12,000 – £30,000
The lure of the open road can be the biggest perk of all. Not only that, but truck drivers are responsible for just about everything that happens in the economy. Sure, you can buy it online, but how are they going to get it to you? The truck isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Most truck drivers have at least their GCSEs. And of course you’ll need a car driving licence and LGV licence.

Resource: James Griffin

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Catherine

GREAT CAREERS DON’T REQUIRE DEGREES

Here, we’re not saying that a university degree isn’t worth getting. After all, a BA degree nets around £141,500  more than you’d otherwise receive over a lifetime. If you can get it – great. But if you haven’t gone onto higher education, there are plenty of respectable careers that don’t require it, careers that are in demand and really make society tick along. 

How to Change People’s Perception of You at Work

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.“
- Warren Buffet

Other people’s perceptions are very important in business. First impressions are made within seconds and office gossip has the potential to damage a reputation almost beyond repair. Do you know how your colleagues perceive you?
WHO, ME?

Have you overheard someone’s negative comments? Has your boss reprimanded you during your evaluation? Has a friend said something about your behavior? Perhaps people’s body language or tone of voice changes when you join a conversation, or maybe you just have a gut feeling.

If you want to find out how you’re perceived, ask someone you can trust and listen carefully to their comments, without taking offense.

Other people’s perceptions of you may be wrong, but rather than wasting time complaining, getting even or defending yourself, take action to change their opinion. Just keep in mind that your actions in the first few months at a new company or in a new position will set the tone for how others perceive you.

Here are eight common misperceptions, and ways you can turn negative impressions into positive ones.

Make a Change

TAKE AIM

1- They think you’re lazy

Take initiative
Ask for more responsibilities and go above and beyond your call of duty at work. No matter how full your schedule is, you need to be seen working harder.

Show your accomplishments
Don’t brag; use a little creativity to turn the office gossip from criticism to praise. People like to be thanked. Try saying something like, “thanks for the figures you gave me; that really helped me get my report ready for the Board of Directors.”

Watch your body language
Don’t slouch or lean against the nearest wall or desk. Keep your feet off the desk — literally and figuratively. Approach your work with energy and enthusiasm to counteract any suggestions that hard work goes against your nature.

2- They think you’re unprofessional

Master etiquette
Courtesy is contagious. When you’re respectful and polite, it makes it more difficult for people to judge you unfairly, blame you unjustly or otherwise disrespect you.

Accept criticism
Don’t be defensive when you receive feedback or when you overhear things about you that are inaccurate. Being open to comments and listening to constructive criticism is a sign of maturity and professionalism.

Filter your comments
To avoid putting your foot in your mouth, think carefully before speaking. No matter how angry you are or how sloppy someone else’s work is, hold back. Watch what you say and whom you say it to.

Look the part
Dress appropriately and speak well. Know the corporate policies and lingo. Be prepared for meetings and be sure your workspace looks organized.

3- They think you’re the office clown

Shut up
You’re there to work so stop telling jokes and trying to make people laugh. There’s plenty of time for humor over a beer after work. When your colleagues pressure you to entertain them, put the focus on someone else. “I can’t think of anything funny today. How about telling your joke, Charlie?” deflects the attention on to someone else without alienating anyone.

Laugh less
It’s great to be known as an open and fun-loving kind of guy, but there’s a limit. Leave a crowd of employees who are laughing it up, by saying you must return to work.

Tidy up
Maintain a professional-looking workspace. Take down the cartoons and limit the number of e-mail jokes you forward.
You might want to remove that lampshade from your head…

4- They think you’re a party guy

Tone it down
Don’t talk about your experiences. How late you stayed out and how much you drank is no one else’s business. Don’t consume alcohol during working hours and behave at corporate functions like the annual holiday office party. Treat after-work gatherings as networking opportunities instead of a party and you will change people’s impressions.

Get serious
No matter how valid your excuse is, don’t show up late unless you want people to speculate about your extracurricular activities. Arrive on time, and be alert and ready to be productive.

5- They think you’re a womaniser

Be discreet
Don’t boast about your sexual conquests. No matter how tempted you are, never flirt, your boss, your staff, or your clients.

Clean up your act
Don’t use any sexual innuendoes, don’t forward jokes of a sexual nature and, of course, don’t surf pornographic sites at work.

6- They think you’re always late

Be on time
Get up earlier and be the first one to arrive at work. Be realistic with your schedule and build in extra time. You’re setting yourself up for criticism if you routinely neglect to plan for travel time between appointments. Being late is perceived as a sign of disrespect and disorganization.

Plan ahead
Prepare and follow a to-do list, updating it regularly. To be safe, overestimate the time it takes to perform your tasks. Don’t procrastinate. Plan your timeline well and you’ll be able to hand in your projects before the deadline, no matter what unexpected problems arise.

7- They think you’re unethical

Be honest
Be careful what you propose. Don’t suggest stealing the competition’s ideas or plagiarizing someone else’s research. Be sure that any claims you make about your products are accurate and proven.

Demonstrate integrity
Follow corporate guidelines to avoid any perception that you’re abusing the company’s fringe benefits (for example, making personal long-distance calls or using the company photocopier for multiple personal copies). Know the policy on accepting gifts from customers or suppliers, and don’t get caught on the golf course when you call in sick.

Be responsible
If you make a mistake, admit it. Take ownership instead of blaming someone else or making excuses.

Make the right decisions
If you are asked to do something you feel is wrong, reflect on the long-term impact it will have on your image and professional reputation.

Be community-minded
Donate money to charity in the company’s name. Suggest doing a fundraiser at work to help a charitable organization or ask employees to bring in non-perishable goods for a local food bank.

8- They think you’re not a team player

Be friendly
Learn and use people’s names. Take the time to get to know a little about your coworkers’ business strengths and outside interests.

Be dependable
Don’t poach ideas from colleagues and always give credit when it’s due. Offer to help a colleague if you can and praise your teammates for a job well done. When upper management hears your colleagues saying how much they enjoy working with you, you’ll be seen as a natural leader.

Focus on your goals
Whether or not their perceptions are accurate, what your colleagues think and say about you can potentially make or break your career. Ask for feedback from a trusted colleague or your boss on a regular basis. You want to turn negative comments into positive ones. Many of these suggestions are interchangeable; just remember not to be defensive.

By trying to change people’s perceptions of you, you’re not necessarily admitting to any of these shortcomings; you’re simply trying to get those you work with to see you in better light. So don’t try to change your personality. Remain sincere and true to your values. And if all else fails, start fresh at a new company.

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Thank you,

Catherine

Resource: Edward Chalmers

For more articles like this, see AskMen UK

Your 24 Possible Personal Strengths

Many people feel frustrated because they are not using their personal strengths to make a living or contribute to the world.

If I asked you “what are your personal strengths?” would you be able to answer with conviction? If so, are you already using those strengths in the work that occupies most of your waking hours?

My own answers to those questions tended to be vague, until I came across this excellent framework for identifying personal strengths.

The 24 personal strengths listed here are based on research by psychologists Peterson and Seligman in their book Character Strengths and Virtues.

What are your strengths?

Personal Strengths of Wisdom and Knowledge

1. Creativity

Do people come to you for novel solutions to tricky problems? Do you enjoy seeking alternative ways of doing things? Is your mind constantly challenging the status quo and looking for a better way?

2. Curiosity

Do you ask lots of questions and stop only when the other person is obviously tired of answering? Have you had your fair share of accidents and injuries because you just had to try something out?

3. Open-Mindedness

Are you able to hold two contradictory thoughts at the same time while others are taking sides? When presented with a radical idea, do you consider it a possibility instead of judging it right away?

4. Love of Learning

Is there always a book in your bag so you can pull it out to read when you have a few spare minutes? Do you get an adrenaline rush from learning new skills or attending classes or seminars?

5. Perspective

Can you see things from different points of view without making a conscious effort to? Do people tend to respond to your thoughtful comments with “I never saw things that way…”?

Personal Strengths of Courage

6. Bravery

Do you readily go where angels fear to tread? When everyone is holding back, are you the one who stands up to volunteer with words like “what the heck” or “you never know until you try”?

7. Persistence

When others are ready to quit, are you the one who encourages them to try just one more time? Have you doggedly worked at a problem until you find the solution instead of giving up or passing the problem on to someone else?

8. Integrity

Have you ever told the truth knowing that it would cost you money, friends, and perhaps your reputation? Do you do the ‘right’ thing all the time, even when no one is watching?

9. Vitality

Do you inject energy into the projects you’re involved in? Do things seem to somehow pick up speed when you around? Do people give more of themselves when you are working alongside them?

Personal Strengths of Humanity

10. Love

When you look at people, do you see what they look like or do you see who they really are? Do you feel a deep appreciation for everyone you meet because each is unique and special?

11. Kindness

Are in incapable of walking past a street busker without dropping a few notes or coins into his box? Have you done good deeds for strangers on a regular basis because you saw the difficult situations they were in?

12. Social intelligence

Can you sense the mood of people in the room the moment you walk into it? Are you able to tell who gets along and who does not after a quick observation? Do people readily ‘click’ with you even when they don’t get along with each other?

Personal Strengths of Justice

13. Citizenship

Are you proud to be a member of an organisation or nation? Are you an ambassador for your company or country? is loyalty to this group very important to you?

14. Fairness

Were you the child who kept saying “that’s not fair”? Have you given up your share of something because you felt it was not right that other people didn’t have the same privilege? Do you see everyone as having equal rights?

15. Leadership

Do people look to you for guidance in chaos or in general? Does a group seem to ‘gel’ only when you’re there to hold it together? Do those in your group excel under your tutelage when they weren’t making it elsewhere?

Personal Strengths of Temperance

16. Forgiveness

Are you able to let go when people have repeatedly hurt you? Do you understand that harbouring a grudge hurts you more than it hurts them? Do you accept the frailty of human nature and allow people space to make mistakes?

17. Humility

Do you constantly learn from other people, even those who are younger or less educated or experienced than you? Can you accept praise graciously while not taking personal credit and walking on air immediately after?

18. Prudence

When given two options, do you usually choose the less risky, less expensive, less high-profile one? Do you tend to view others’ excesses as flamboyant or extravagant, and often advise people to ‘tone down’?

19. Self-Control

Are you able to deny yourself what you want because of a higher purpose or objective? When tempted to spend or eat beyond your plan, can you smile and say no most of the time without feeling deprived?

Personal Strengths of Transcendence

20. Appreciation of Beauty

Do you pause often to take in a view, gaze skywards, or observe animals in motion? Does a sense of awe sweep over you often when you contemplate the vastness of nature and the intimate details of life?

21. Gratitude

Are the words “thank you” on your lips and in your heart practically everyday? Is your reaction to people, events and things one of appreciation and gladness that this wonderful thing came your way?

22. Hope

Can you always see the silver lining when others see only a dark cloud? Is your mantra ‘tomorrow will be better than today’ or ‘don’t worry, everything will be ok’ or ‘things will work out, you’ll see’?

23. Humour

Can you see the lighter side of almost every situation? Do you see the folly of human self-importance? Do people relax around you because you help them to take themselves and life less seriously?

24. Spirituality

Do you feel connected to a source that is higher and deeper than yourself? Are you detached from things of this world? Do you feel that the ‘real’ world is inside you rather than outside?

Shortlist Your Personal Strengths

If you’re like me and feel that many of the 24 strengths apply to you, then you can cross out ‘Humility’ right away. That leaves only 23! Then keep on eliminating those that you think are probable, until you’re left with those you absolutely cannot cross out because they are YOU.

Ideally you should have a list of about 3 to 5 personal strengths to be able to meaningfully work with these. A ’shortlist’ should, after all, be short!

Innate vs. Acquired Personal Strengths

There may be some ’strengths’ that you’ve worked hard to acquire. Those are probably skills you have learnt, rather than personal strengths per se.

For example, I had to learn to be grateful. It took practice and became natural only after months of keeping a gratitude journal. However, I never had to learn how to be curious. All my life I’ve wanted to understand, to know how things work, to find the truths of life.

Play to Your Personal Strengths

‘Playing to your strengths’ has a literal as well as a figurative meaning. You’ll know something is a strength when it’s play to you, when you’re enjoying the process, when you would pay to engage in the process.

The figurative meaning is, of course, finding work and pastimes that build on your personal strengths. Patching up your weaknesses may help you level up; playing to your strengths can help you shoot for the stars.

What are your strengths and are they captured on your CV? Let us know.

If you find this article useful, please share or save:

Thank you,

Catherine

Want to read more articles like this? See Joyful Days