NOTES ON CAREER MANAGEMENT TIPS

(From Free Management Library Website)

Career Advancement (and Dealing With a Boss)

This topic is about advancing in the same career field. If you are interested in planning your career. What Is a Self Assessment? Using a Self Assessment in Career Planning By Dawn Rosenberg McKay What Is a Self Assessment? Self assessment is the process of gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. It is the first step of the Career Planning Process. A self assessment is often conducted with the help of a career development professional. Anatomy of a Self Assessment What should a self assessment look at? A self assessment should include a look at your values, interests, personality, and skills. Here is an overview of the tools you can use to accomplish this. * Value Inventories Value inventories measure how important different values are to you. Examples of these values, which play an important role in one's job satisfaction, include autonomy, prestige, security, interpersonal relations, helping others, flexible work schedule, outdoor work, leisure

time, and high salary. # Interest Inventories The questions in an interest inventory ask about your likes and dislikes regarding various activities. The premise of this self assessment tool is that people who share similar interests will also enjoy the same type of work. Examples of interests are reading, running, playing golf, and knitting. # Personality Inventories A personality inventory looks at one's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes. The most frequently used personality inventory is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI). Skills Assessment In addition to determining what you're good at, a skills assessment also helps you figure out what you enjoy doing. The skills you use in your career should combine both characteristics. You can use the results of the skills assessment to make some changes by acquiring the skills you need for a particular career. Career Decisions: Self Assessment Part 1: Values and Interests The most common question I'm asked is this one: "I don't know what I want to do. Is there a test or something that can tell me what career is right for me?" The answer is no. You can't take a test that will, as if by magic, tell you what to do with the rest of your life. You can however use a combination of self assessment tools that will aid you in your decision. This article will demystify the self assessment phase of the career planning process. First I will tell you what self assessment is and then I will give you an overview of the various tools used to help you learn about yourself. Self assessment is the first step of the career planning process. During a self assessment you gather information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. A self assessment should include a look at the following: values, interests, personality, and skills. * Values: the things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy * Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e. playing golf, taking long walks, hanging out with friends * Personality: a person's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes * Skills: the activities you are good at, such as writing, computer programming, teaching Many people choose to hire a career counselor who will administer a variety of self assessment inventories. What follows is a discussion of the different types of tools you may encounter, as well as some other things to consider when pursuing a career change. Value Inventories Your values are possibly the most important thing to consider when you're choosing an occupation. If you don't take your values into account when planning your career, there's a good chance you'll dislike your work and therefore not succeed in it. For example, someone who needs to have autonomy in his work would not be happy in a job where every action is decided by someone else. There are two types of values: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic values are related to the work itself and what it contributes to society. Extrinsic values include external features, such as physical setting and earning potential. Value inventories will ask you to answer questions like the following:

* Is a high salary important to you? * Is it important for your work to involve interacting with people? * Is it important for your work to make a contribution to society? * Is having a prestigious job important for you? During a self assessment, a career counselor may administer one of the following value inventories: Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ), Survey of Interpersonal Values (SIV), or Temperament and Values Inventory (TVI). If you want to get a feel for what you'll be asked, take a look at the Work-Related Values Assessment, which is a printable list of work related values, with a definition of each one. Read More About Work Values Interest Inventories Interest inventories are also frequently used in career planning. When you complete an interest inventory you are asked to answer a series of questions regarding your (surprise) interests. E.K. Strong, Jr. pioneered the development of interest inventories. He found, through data he gathered about people's likes and dislikes of a variety of activities, objects, and types of persons, that people in the same career (and satisfied in that career) had similar interests. Dr. John Holland and others provided a system of matching interests with one or more of six types: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. He then matched these types with occupations. The results of your interest inventory are compared against the results of this study to see where you fit in are your interests similar to those of a police officer or to those of an accountant? A very popular interest inventory is the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), formerly known as the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. The SII is administered by a career development professional, who also scores it, and interprets the results. If you want to try using an interest inventory on your own, a low cost option is the Self-Directed Search (SDS), by John Holland. You can take it online for a small fee. After completing the assessment, you will receive a printable report containing a list of occupations that most closely match your interests. Career Decisions: Self Assessment Part 2: Personality and Skills By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Personality Inventories Many personality inventories used in career planning are based on a theory by psychologist Carl Jung. Jung divided people into eight personality types extroverts, introverts, thinking, feeling, sensing, intuitive, judging, and perceptive. Career counselors often use results from tests based on Jungian Personality Theory to help clients choose careers. Career counselors contend that those of a particular personality type are better suited to certain careers. An obvious example would be that an introvert would not do well in a career that requires public speaking. However, a personality inventory alone shouldn't be used to predict whether you would succeed in a particular career. It should be used in conjunction with other inventories, such as those that look at interests and values. Career development practitioners frequently administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for the assessment of personality. It measures differences in traits between individuals. It looks at how one energizes (Extroversion vs. Introversion), perceives information (Sensing vs. iNtuition), makes decisions (Thinking vs. Feeling), and demonstrates his or her lifestyle (Judging vs. Perceiving). When the test is scored, the individual is given a four letter code, i.e. ENFJ (Extroversion Intuitive Feeling Judging), indicating his or her preferences. Each preference is also assigned a number to show how strong that preference is.

Skills Assessment When deciding what field to enter, you need to determine what skills you have. You should look at what you're good at, as well as what you enjoy doing. You may be very adept at a particular skill, but despise every second you spend using it. Generally speaking, though, you usually enjoy what you do well. While you're assessing your skills, you should also consider the time you are willing to spend on acquiring more advanced or new skills. A question you could ask yourself is this if a career holds all the qualities I find appealing but it takes X years to prepare for it, would I be willing and able to make this time commitment? Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Assessments There are several computer programs that can help you with self assessment. Programs like SIGI 3 (System of Interactive Guidance and Information) and Discover require users to answer a variety of questions about interests, skills, and values. Based on those answers, the software comes up with a list of career the user may be interested in. There's a component that allows users to gather information about these careers. Computer-Assisted Career Guidance programs are often found in career centers at high schools or colleges. Some job and career centers at public libraries also make these programs available. Additional Considerations When going through the self assessment process it's important to take into account other considerations that will influence your career choice. For example, you should consider your family responsibilities and your ability to pay for education or training. You also have to remember that self assessment is the first step in the career planning process, not the last. After completing this phase, you have to go on to the next one, which entails exploring the options you have before you. With your self assessment results in mind, you will have to next evaluate a variety of occupations to see if there's a match. Just because your self assessment indicates that a particular occupation is suitable for someone with your interests, skills, and values, it doesn't mean it is best for you. Similarly, just because your self assessment doesn't indicate that a particular occupation is appropriate for you, it doesn't mean you should discount it entirely. You just need to do some research to learn more about it. Ten Tips on Career Advancement Many career experts agree that the best time to look for a new job is while you are still comfortably in your old one. If youre starting to feel unchallenged in your present position, you may be ready for a promotion to the next level. If there arent many career advancement opportunities where you work, the best next job may be waiting for you elsewhere. Nowadays, its up to you to take control of your professional future and make sure that you are progressing wisely down the right career path. Here are 10 proven strategies to help you get started: 1. Talk to your boss. Sit down and have a very direct and pointed conversation with your boss about your future in the company. Stress that you want your job performance to meet the companys goals. Share your own career goals with him or her. Your boss will respect this display of confidence and maturity. 2. Ask for more. Volunteering to help out other departments or teams or simply asking for more responsibilities increases your value within the organization. Asking for additional work shows an interest and desire to help your department and company to succeed. It also puts a spotlight on your value to the business. 3. Volunteer for boards. If you have your career set on something beyond what you are doing in your present position, seek out opportunities to volunteer or serve on advisory boards, where you can build a reputation as someone who is passionate and dedicated to your particular industry. 4. Sharpen your people skills. Strong interpersonal skills play a crucial role in gaining the respect of your boss and coworkers; they will also attract the notice of outside influencers who

might open new doors of opportunity for you. Be friendly, outgoing, and personable. Listen carefully to people, and practice being a clear and effective communicator. 5. Be innovative. Never be afraid to think outside of the box and put your business acumen to work. Stay on the lookout for creative solutions to problems that will make you and your boss look good. 6. Find a mentor. Develop mentoring relationships, either inside or outside the company. Recent studies have shown that four out of five promotions are influenced by a mentor higher up in the company. Mentors are also great sources of information and career guidance. 7. Sell yourself. Learn the fine art of self-promotion. If you have had major accomplishments or created successful programs, make sure people know about it especially those in influential positions who could help you advance professionally. Let it be known that you are seeking a promotion or the next step up in your career. 8. Keep learning. A proven way to advance in your career is to be continually acquiring new knowledge. Stay on top of trends or developments in your field and make sure that your current rsum reflects those needed skills. 9. Network. Strengthen your personal network and join professional organizations, attend industry conferences, or even volunteer. The more people who are aware of your strengths and abilities, the better your chances of hearing about any new opportunities that might arise. 10. Build your reputation. In business, your reputation is the most valuable thing you own. Be known for being dependable, professional, and cooperative. Act and look the part by dressing professionally. Make a name for yourself by attending conferences, delivering speeches, or writing articles. Career Advancement in Tough Times Experts say: Focus on helping the company, don't attack rivals, and know the pressures on your boss By Michelle Conlin The recession we are heading into promises to be brutal and long-lasting. Once the pink slips start piling upas they surely willthe workplace will become increasingly Darwinian. In times like these, the default setting for many people goes something like this: I'm going to keep my head down, avoid drawing attention, and hope to be standing when the destruction passes. That's one strategy, for sure. But the hard times can also be an opportunity to advance one's careeror at least show the boss that you are worth hanging onto. Because if there is one thing you can be certain of in this treacherous season, it's that team leaders will be watching everyone a lot more closely than before. Career guru Marcus Buckingham, whose latest book is called The Truth About You, puts it bluntly: "Now bosses get a chance to see who is really good and who isn't." First, a few don'ts. This is not a moment for sudden moves spurred by panic. "When people feel a lot of anxiety, they either shut down or do things impulsively to reassure themselves that they are doing something," says Ben Dattner, an executive coach who consults to such companies as Credit Suisse (CS), Pfizer (PFE), and Goodyear (GT). "But that can backfire." Under this category: rushing to the boss to tell her that one of her favorites is an incompetent lout. Another no-no: unseemly ambition. Sure, self-promotion can grate at the best of times. But when the boss is cutting peopleand feeling horrible about itmaking demands can seem almost sociopathic. A few weeks ago, having just laid off two people from her high-end Manhattan publicrelations shop, Jennifer Hawkins gave one of her associates a raise. This person proceeded to ask for even more money. Bad move. "I was like, 'Are you watching TMZ and not CNN? Do you not understand?' " says Hawkins. "Next time, she could be on the block." TAKE THE INITIATIVE So what is considered appropriately ambitious behavior in a time of savage retrenchment?

Making yourself indispensable. Ashley Howard is a 22-year-old manager at Denver-based FoodServiceWarehouse.com, an online outfit that supplies kitchen equipment to restaurants nationwide. Months ago, the crumbling economy spooked her. Howard wanted to make herself bulletproof. The world was going green; so would she. Howard got her company to pay her tuition to become accredited in sustainable business practices. Guess what her employer's next big initiative isand who became the go-to employee? Since reinventing herself, Howard has received a big raise and two bonuses. At a time when it's easy to assume that everyone else is putting his own needs first, candor and self-effacement can be tactical weapons. One executive at a Midwestern industrial products business actually argued a few weeks ago that his job made no sense. That honesty so impressed his boss that the executive was rewarded with a different positionat a higher salary. While many people lose themselves in the calamity unfolding around them, survivors pull themselves back and calmly survey the landscape for ideas that can help their employer. Sam Brace works for Caliber Group, a Tucson marketing firm. Since the economy started faltering, says his boss, Linda Cohen, Brace has been tireless in his efforts to help his clients get new business in a tough environment. The clients are happy and so is the boss. "When employees can help our clients in these economic times," says Cohen, "their job security increases." How To Ask for a Job Promotion: Career Planning Learn What You Need to Do to Advance Your Career By Elizabeth Grace You've been working hard and feel that you are ready to take a step up the corporate ladder. It's time to ask for a promotion. In any case, I can't tell you how to settle the butterflies in your stomach, but I can give you a few pointers on how to ask for the promotion: 1. Before you approach your employer, do a little preparation. Documentation of your achievements will help you to show that you've been a valuable asset to the company and ready for career advancement. Make copies of your last reviews and make notes on company improvements that you have implemented while in your current position. If sales have grown in your department, productivity is up, and employee morale is at an all-time high under your direction, be ready to point that out. This is not the time to be modest about your accomplishments--be ready to toot your own horn to advance your career. 2. Attitude matters as much as aptitude. Be sure that you are viewed by both management and coworkers as a positive thinking individual. This is especially important if you hope to be in a management position. People take direction and are more inclined to work hard for a boss that is upbeat and encouraging. Make a conscious effort to be an energetic optimist. 3. Prove yourself in your current position before you expect to get a promotion. Your track record will matter, so build a solid reputation for yourself of hard work, responsibility, teamwork, and innovative thinking. To this end, I recommend the effective How to Become a Rising Star in Your Career in 60 Days or Less - this guide has numerous workplace and career planning techniques, tips, and strategies that will give you a decided advantage when it's time to ask for that promotion. 4. Make an appointment with your boss to discuss your promotion. Don't knock on her door, ask for a minute of her time, and expect to have her full attention. By scheduling a block of time to talk, you can be sure that her mind will be on your conversation and not on whatever business you may have interrupted. # When you meet with your boss, be ready to explain why you deserve the promotion as well as what you hope to achieve in the new position. Have a few solid ideas for company growth and improvements, and be prepared to explain how you would go about putting these improvements into action. # Be a team player. Stress that the well-being of the company is forefront in your mind and that

you believe that you have much to offer. # Be prepared to show what steps you have taken to ready yourself for the responsibilities of the new position. If you have taken any classes or attended work-related seminars since your last promotion, be sure to mention them. # Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. If you are denied the promotion, politely ask for a reason, if one is not automatically offered. Inquire as to what you can do to put yourself in contention for a promotion in the future, and make a commitment to take the necessary steps to advance your career. Sometimes, even deserving candidates are not promoted because they have reached the highest point possible at their company. If this is the case, you may have to apply at a larger firm in order to take your career to the next level. # Offer thanks. No matter what the outcome of your meeting may be, be sure to extend your hand for a handshake and thank your boss for the opportunity to talk. Even if the meeting didn't result in a promotion for you at this time, you want to leave your boss with a good impression--you need to be professional and even-tempered. If you did get the promotion (good for you!), ask to set up a time to work out the details, if they haven't been fully discussed. Create Your Own Path: How to Promote Your Work Contribution By Brenda Koritko Tired of watching other workers advance their career as you continue to exceed all expectations, without promotion, in your current position? Successful workers create their own path to promotion; they don't rely on luck. Self-promotion is key to your career success. If you have experienced this situation, even once, you know that you can't continue to wait for others to decide when you should be offered a promotion. Even if you are not ready to make a job or career change today, you will benefit from knowing how to put into action a successful selfpromotion plan. Unfortunately, if no one knows how much you contribute to the company, you will continue to miss the next great promotion opportunity. Letting people know that you are interested in advancing your career is the first step in an effective self-promotion plan. You can simply advise your immediate supervisor or a representative from your human resource department, but remember the old adage that "actions speak louder than words", and plan to make a lasting impression. Create a Career Opportunity One successful technique is to single out an unresolved challenge that exists in your company. Try to pick a situation that will benefit from your combination of experience and skills. Write a memo that outlines the need you've discovered. Highlight how you will use your skills to resolve the problem and contribute to the immediate objectives of the team or department involved. Send your memo to the person that would benefit most from your unique approach, for example, your boss or a human resource representative. Don't wait for your organization to discover the same need. By waiting, you take the chance that they may decide to post the position. (If posting positions is policy in your company, at least your name is on the promotion list first.) Without your proactive approach to your career and potential promotion, they may decide to promote one of your peers. By being proactive, you create a win-win situation. You may gain a challenging, enjoyable career opportunity and eliminate the need for a competition. Even if a new career or promotion opportunity does not result from your actions, you have successfully created an opportunity to demonstrate your value to the organization. You have increased the likelihood that they consider you for the next rewarding opportunity. More Career and Promotion Tips Volunteering is another way to promote your career and demonstrate your value while expanding

your knowledge in critical areas of your company. Volunteering also provides a great way to earn a reputation for being reliable, professional, and cooperative, worthy of a promotion. Keep in mind that while you are volunteering, you may discover a need that you have the skills and experience to resolve. A great advantage in this situation is that by being involved, you know the right person to contact; it may be the person you are working with in your volunteer position. The more you know about yourself, the more you will communicate about your value to the right people at the right time to promote your career. Record everything that you do to enhance the company's bottom line. Start today by dividing a blank sheet of paper into three columns with three separate headings: action, result of action, and impact of action. Keep this paper with you as you do your job. Your key accomplishments are probably actions that you take for granted. For example, if you are responsible for accounts payable, in column one write "paying invoices"; in column two write the result of this action, for example, paid in time - no interest payments, and in the third column write the impact of this action, for example, a decrease in the cost of production. Did you think of this action as related to decreasing cost, or did you think of it as doing part of your job? How do you think others view this action? Scheduled performance development planning meetings provide the perfect opportunity to showcase your accomplishments for career promotion. By being proactive and creating opportunities, you improve the likelihood that you will gain the attention of your employer and the promotion that you deserve. Career Advancement By Tom Silver People with experience in different areas of business are more valuable to themselves and their company. In Big, the hit movie from the late 1980s, star Tom Hanks rises from a clerk in data processing thats what technology was called back thento become vice president of product development for a toy company. That quantum leap in status and pay took him all of a week to pull off. Some would-be fast-trackers might call that the ideal job rotation. Some companies have always encouraged ambitious employees to rotate out of their discipline technology, finance, marketing, operations, etc.and into a different department, often one in which theyd have to push themselves to succeed. The rationale is simple: By seeing how other areas of the company operategetting the proverbial big picturean employee becomes more valuable, and the organization as a whole gains. Six to 18 months in a new assignment arms an employee with additional knowledge and layers of skills. For example, CIOs and other technology leaders who can fine-tune the operations of a line of business are a tremendous asset in directing long-term operational strategy, regardless of whether or not that strategy is technology-oriented. That type of experience should provide leadership for a technology manager or director to rotate as well. Those who gain experience in different areas of business can be much more adept project managersan in-demand job that takes a combination of business acumen, managerial skills and technical know-how. Professionals who have gone through a rotation can make better business decisions, based on helping the company reach its overarching goals, not just its departmental ones. Equally important, theyll be networked with other employees and executives, which in many

companies is the key to getting things done. So job rotation isor at least it can bea win-win for both technology and line-of-business leaders. The trouble is that formal job-rotation programs are uncommon, if not outright rare. Thats particularly unfortunate because, in this economic environment, senior technology professionals are eager to boost their value to their employer, and IT organizations are under pressure to provide business leadership. Its clearly time for a change. So senior technology professionals, from managers on up, must push their companies to embrace job rotation. If your company does not offer a rotation program, start one in your own IT organization, where the business case is easiest to make. A manager or director moving from, say, software development to network architecture will be more rounded professionally, and the crosspollination of professionals and ideas will foster better communication within the organization. The rotation can be short-term, say, three to six months, or it can last a year. The next step on the rotation ladder is to move into a business unit for an extended period. Some CIOs have gotten their top spots after working as CFOs or COOs (and vice versa), and that broadening of skills and knowledge makes sense for tech managers and directors as well. This is particularly true now, when senior technology professionals are increasingly expected to bring to the table the same level of business analysis, planning capability and people-management skills as their peers in finance, operations and marketing. In an organization with-out a formal rotation program, a top tech professional who wants to move into product development or finance may, as a pioneer, have to clear several hurdles. Not the least of these obstacles is making the head of the business unit understand the value this person (as opposed to someone homegrown in the department) would bring to a crucial role. Looking broadly at the demonstrable skills a tech professional has, Id list the ability to analyze complex situations and information, create clear plans to get from point A to point D, and organize resources in support of that goal. There are more, of course, but that set of abilities alone should be valuable to anyone elsewhere in an organization. So start the push for rotation, but expect some roadblocks, especially if youre setting a precedent. Always keep your eye on the prize. One way that technology professionals at all levels become more valuableand IT organizations as a whole get strongeris to maintain technology proficiency while building business know-how. Thats the real payoff of rotation. Creating Powerful Strategies for Career Advancement By Lisa Claycomb Employees today desire high paying jobs, flexible working hours, rewards, recognition, and opportunities for career advancement. Instead, most are struggling with mediocre pay, demanding hours, little respect, and limited promotional opportunities. Today's career environment is rich with talent and incredibly competitive, providing limited hope for workers to achieve their desired career level. In order to rise above the rest, workers must have a strategy to stand out and be unique by offering something that other workers don't have. Innovative Ideas Create Success Stories In today's economic climate, large companies, small businesses and independent contractors are all about money. They seek innovative people who can help them figure out new ways to increase their bottom line. Commodity businesses do this by inventing new products, improving existing products, and decreasing the weight or volume of the product while continuing to charge the same price. Service businesses do it by adding specialty services to their basic service or

creating new or enhanced services. While these are not novel strategies, workers who can put a new spin on something already in existence will move ahead of others who are content with the status quo. But to create real success stories, having new and innovative ideas will certainly put their creators above the rest. Competition in Business Creates Success Companies today need to stay competitive to stay in business. That means that they need to be continuously changing and improving. Knowing what the competition is doing and offering something better to the consumer is a very important component of most business plans. Workers who want to stand out among the rest can improve their chances for success by getting savvy in their field. This will require effort and research, but exploration and networking can also help workers rise to the challenge. The important thing is to bring something innovative to the table. Creating Career Success Employees who want to be more successful in their careers, be recognized by management and have more opportunities for advancement can create career success through innovation and ingenuity. Career advancement, salary increases and other company rewards will be realized by those who can come up with better, faster and smarter ideas for the company to improve its bottom line. Coming up with new and creative ways to increase company profits by finding a new market, inventing a new product, enhancing existing commodities and other innovative ideas will put an employee on the company radar as someone who stands out and is deserving of a higher position with the company. The Two Faces of Career Management Charles Coy Until recently, it was the sole responsibility of employees to plan their career management strategies. They might quietly seek out new positions outside an organization or hope to be among the select few groomed for a higher position internally. Inevitably, those who did not want to follow the lockstep path of advancement within large organizations often among the most talented and highly qualified voted with their feet. A confluence of economic and demographic factors has given new urgency to reversing this phenomenon. According to a 2006 survey by the consultancy Knowledge Infusion, 6 to 10 percent of the workforce will retire by 2010, putting considerable pressure on organizations, particularly those with more than 10,000 employees. This emerging global shortage of talent driven by fast-growing economies, increasing competition and the first wave of retirements among baby boomers is forcing organizations to seek out new strategies to retain top talent in a tight labor market. Offer Formalized Career Development One proven strategy is collaborative career management: helping your best people develop their talents and skills for positions within the context of your organizational needs instead of watching helplessly while your competition lures them away. Leighanne Levensaler, director of talent management research at Bersin & Associates, has defined a framework in which career management can be thought of as an umbrella term containing several core elements or processes. First, from the perspective of individual employees, the notion of career planning indicates employee-driven choices and career exploration. Second, and from the perspective of the organization, career development points toward formalized programs intended to drive

employees along closely defined and strategic career paths. Thoughtful management of these two sides of career management can make or break any workforce planning strategy. Keeping talent engaged, providing opportunities for development, helping them steer along a self-directed career path and striving to align their daily activities with company goals is crucial to retaining your human capital. "In this intensely competitive knowledge economy, talent can be the biggest differentiator and the most critical factor in driving a company's performance," Levensaler said. "Looming gaps in the talent pool threaten every company's ability to execute on their current and future business plans." Research shows gaps will persist across job functions necessary to compete in a knowledgebased, industrialized economy, especially in areas such as sales and customer service, IT, finance, marketing and research and development. Yet, despite widespread acceptance of the growing talent shortage as a real business problem, few are taking action to formally assess or counteract it. You Made a Mistake, Now What? By Marcia Zidle While we accept that mistakes are inevitable, no one likes to make them. We believe that people will see a faux pas as incompetence. We fear that we will lose the respect of our manager or others and that our reputation will be tarnished. The good news is that mistakes, even big ones, dont have to leave a permanent mark on your career. Heres how you can recover quickly and use the experience to learn and grow. 1. Fess up. Trying to hide a mistake or downplay its importance can be fatal to your career. Be candid about the mistake; take responsibility for your part in it; and start rectifying the situation. If the mistake is a big one, its best to schedule a one on one meeting with your boss as soon as possible to brief him / her on what happened, why it happened, and what you are planning to do. The key is to not get defensive, point fingers or blame others. 2. Learn from it. According to Paul Schoemaker, co author of Brilliant Mistakes, If you are going to pay the price for making the mistake, you need to get the learning. Take time, after the storm, to reflect on lessons learned: What was the situation? What did I, or my team, do? What was the outcome? What could have been done differently? If the error was a result of a poor decision, explain to your boss and other interested parties how you will avoid making the same, or a similar misstep, in the future. You have to respond quickly before people make judgments about your competence or expertise. You need to get on top of it, get ahead of it and deal with it. 3. Get back in the saddle. Its hard to rebuild confidence after slipping up. The key is to not let your errors make you afraid of being innovative, taking risks and finding better ways to do things. If the mistake made people question your expertise, get out there to rebuild their trust. Once the mistake is behind you, focus on the future. Winners win more frequently than losers because they stay in the game. Heres what one manager I worked with said about employees, especially new ones, who make a mistake because of lack of experience. Who among us doesnt make mistakes? I love employees who fess up, treat the mistake as a learning moment and move on. I dont want them

to stop experimenting or holding back because of fear of making another misstep. Therefore, I have to accept a mistake now and them so that they will keep learning and performing well. 4. Turn your mistake into a valuable moment of personal leadership. * What recent mistake have you made at work or in your personal life? * How would you rate that mistake on a scale from 1 (minor, little fall out) to 5 (that was a whooper)? * What did you learn about yourself and perhaps others? * What might you have said or done differently? * How can you incorporate this learning going forward? Is It Time To Ask For a Raise? By Suzanne Lucas Dear Evil HR Lady, Ive been with a very new, small financing firm for almost 1 year, and in that time have learned a lot and have been regularly praised for my work. There have been a number of growing pains in the companys first year of operations, including layoffs for employees who werent quite up to snuff and some financing deals that fell through (so I know the company isnt as profitable as it would like to be). Im now at 11 months with the company, and was promised a review at month 9, but considering the company troubles, I was told by my manager that the timing wasnt great and to wait a bit. My question is, how long should I be waiting for my review (i.e., to have a conversation about pay, which has sat for 7 months at nearly $7000/yr less than what I was led to believe Id be making when I accepted the job last year). Is there ever a good time to ask for a raise when the company is doing less-than-amazingly? You know, companies have totally bought into the idea that because they arent doing well, they can treat their valued employees terribly. Im not sure how they led you to believe youd be making $7,000 more than you are now, but thats not very nice of them. Its also not very bright of you to accept a job based on a promise of a future raise. Granted, we all accept jobs that arent perfect in the hopes that theyll get better. But, when you join a company you need to be willing to do what they want you to do right now for what they are paying you right now. You always have to assume that any promises about the future will fall through. But, is it time to ask for a raise? Well, that depends on three things: 1. Are you a high performer or not? 2. Are your coworkers leaving for new jobs? 3. Are other companies in your industry hiring? I know, I know. Youre a high performer. Everybody thinks that he or she is a high performerin the top 10 percent, if not the top 5 percent. Those of you who passed 5th grade math see the problem here. Clearly, 90 percent of us are not in the top 10 percent; we just think we are. Which is why you want a review before you start freaking out about how they should give you a $7000 raise. Even for someone making a good sized base salary of $100,000, thats still a 7% raise, which is a big raise, even in good times. (Of course, for all I know, youre making $350k a year and want the extra $7k because youre dying to buy a new handbag.) Businesses would be wise to start looking at their top performers now. Yes, I know that your particular business hasnt picked up yet, but who will be doing the hard work of getting it

profitable? Let me tell you, its not the bottom of the barrel. Its the top performers. You know, the ones that have done a bang up job even though they havent received proper raises for the past few years? The Wall Street Journal is reporting that those top performers are now out looking for new jobs. Employers who snapped up top talent on the cheap in the depth of the recession should start worrying about defections, recruiters and management watchers say. Companies that continued to hire during the slump found they were able to nab talented but recently laid-off workers at bargain salaries, or into jobs for which they were overqualified. Now, as the job market slowly loosens upand those overqualified hires become more frustrated some of them are considering greener pastures. Ive been warning people for years that you need to treat your best employees right or theyll leave. Well, that time is starting to come and they are going. So, this makes now a pretty good time to ask for a raise. I know that your particular company is not thrilled with its overall performance right now, but they want to be. If you truly think you are a stellar performer, Id ask. Id point out my contributions, what I expect to accomplish in the next year, and how it is in the businesss best interest to keep me happy. If your boss balks on any discussion of salary and performance, ask for a performance review anyway. If some of your coworkers have left recently for new jobs, it shows that, even if your company isnt on top of the world, there are other companies that are hiring. They should not want to be losing their best employees to the competition. Likewise, even if everyone at your firm is staying put, if your competitors are hiring its a sign that wages should be going up. If your review shows youre not a top performer, you will know what you need to work on. If you are a top performer, then ask bring up the following with your boss: Boss, my evaluation shows that Im performing above expectation. If this business wants to be successful you need people like me. People who can and do perform well. People who are an asset to the company. Bob and Karen have already left and [competitor] is hiring. I would like to stay here. What steps is the company willing to take to make sure they keep me on board? This conversation only works if you are a high performer. If you just think you are, well, its kind of an embarrassing question to ask. But, if you are a high performer, and a raise doesnt appear to be forthcoming and either you have coworkers leaving or competitors hiring, now is definitely the time to start asking. How to Reinvent Your Personal Brand by Dorie Clark What are you known for? What do people say about you when you leave the room? (They are talking about you, aren't they?) How can you burnish your reputation to win that promotion or land that new client? You've diligently focused on your personal brand for years but what if you now want to reinvent yourself? It happens all the time. A financial services executive moves into retail. A techie wants to try marketing. A VC wants to jump ship and become a life coach. Your path may make perfect sense to you, but how can you convince others to embrace your new brand and take you seriously? Here are five steps to reinventing yourself for the business marketplace.

1. What's Your Destination? First, you need to develop a detailed understanding of where you want to go, and the knowledge and skills necessary to get there. If you've been a techie for the past decade, you may understand every new marketing toy out there, from Facebook to Foursquare. But can you effectively convey that knowledge to a non-technical audience? Learning the skills you need will help you gain the confidence necessary to start identifying (and publicizing) yourself in your new identity. 2. Leverage Your Points of Difference. In marketing, we call it a USP a "Unique Selling Proposition." What makes you different from anyone else? That's what people will remember, and you can use it to your advantage. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter, as the New York Times recently reported, has reinvented herself after losing popularity to newer, even more right-wing talking heads. Leveraging her unique blend of blonde vixen and conservative firebrand, Coulter is now courting gay Republicans who enjoy diva-style smack talk. You probably won't find Sarah Palin hitting that circuit anytime soon, so it looks like Coulter owns it. 3. Develop a Narrative. You used to write award-winning business columns and now you want to review restaurants? It's human nature to have many interests, to seek new experiences, and to want to develop new skills over the course of your life. Unfortunately, there's a popular word to describe that profound quest: dilettante. It's unfair, but to protect your brand you need to develop a coherent narrative arc that explains to people in a nice, simple way so they can't miss it exactly how your past fits into the present. "I used to write about the business side of many industries, including food and wine," you could say. "I realized my big-picture knowledge about agricultural trends and business finance made me uniquely positioned to cover restaurants with a different perspective." It's like a job interview you're turning what could be perceived as a weakness (he doesn't know anything about food, because he's been a business reporter for 20 years) into a compelling strength that people can remember (he's got a different take on the food industry because he has knowledge most other people don't). 4. Reintroduce Yourself. The vast majority of people, regrettably, aren't paying much attention to you. That means their perceptions are probably a few years out of date and it's not their fault. With hundreds (or thousands) of Facebook friends and vague social connections, we can't expect everyone to remember all the details of our lives. So we have to strategically re-educate our friends and acquaintances because, especially if we're launching a new business venture, they're going to be our buyers and recommenders. That means a concerted effort to phone or email everyone on your list individually to let them know about your new direction and, where appropriate, ask for their help, advice, or business. (Blast emails are a start, but too often go unread.) 5. Prove Your Worth. There's a difference between my knowing that you've launched a new graphic design business and trusting that you'll do a good job for clients. I may like you a lot, but unless I see proof of your skills, I may hesitate to put my own reputation on the line by sending you referrals. That's where blogs, podcasts, videocasts, and other forms of social media come in. It's critical to let potential customers see what you're about and test drive your approach before they make a large commitment. Checking out your image gallery and seeing a roster of attractive corporate logos you've designed may allay my fears enough to send you that major new account. How NOT to ask for a raise by Patty Azzarello When I was in my early 20s I learned an important lesson. I was working in a start-up company and had gone 3 years without a raise. The wrong way I went to the CEO and asked for a raise. He said, Why? Among other things, I said that I had been working for 3 years without a raise, and that I had taken on more and more responsibility over that time, and that I always delivered and often

exceeded expectations. I told him it was becoming un-motivating to feel I was working so hard and not moving forward in pay, and peers in other companies were making more money than I was He said, I dont care. Its not my problem. I only care about what the cost is to replace you, and I could replace you for your salary or less so no raise. Your job is a contract with your company You dont get a raise for good attendance, or because you feel like you deserve one. You earn a raise by increasing the value of your contribution. And if you want to get that raise, you need to re-negotiate your contract on terms that are relevant and valuable to your company, not based on what you want or need. And you have to ask. 1. YOU Drive the process If you are uncomfortable having this conversation with your boss either get comfortable with it, do it anyway, or dont be disappointed if you get overlooked. Know that you are at a disadvantage by not having this conversation. It is vitally important that you and your boss share a common view of your performance and your expectations for promotion and compensation, even if your boss does not drive this discussion. Of the 20-something years I worked in a corporation for a boss, I did my own performance review 17 times, just to make sure that there were never any disconnects. 2. Understand how you and your role are perceived It is important to know if you are perceived as a high, average or low performer. Dont ever guess about this. There should never be any surprises about this. Find out. Even in an economy where there are not a lot of raises going around, you still need to be communicating with your boss about your performance and what it is worth, so when there is money, you have done all the groundwork. Also make sure you know how much your ROLE is valued by the company. For example you dont want to be the superstar performer leading the support team for an obsolete product. You may be great, but need to move into a higher valued role to get a raise. Once you confirm that you are a high performer then go on to build your case for what you want. If you are not perceived as a high performer fix that first. Understand what it takes, and focus on adding value, before you start asking for things. 3. Discuss your raise as part of a business outcome The basic premise here is: If I do this, what is it worth to the company? Here are some things you can say: * Last year, this is what I accomplished and this is my current compensation. * I would like to raise the bar for the upcoming year, and deliver more value to the company. * And If I were to add these additional business outcomes, exceed these goals, etc, would that be worth more to the company? How much more? * What business outcome would I need to accomplish that would be worth this level of pay, or this promotion? * Can we agree that if I deliver this, you will give me that?

4. Follow up on the specfics * 9 months ago, we agreed on performance objectives which if accomplished would result in increased compensation. * I believe I have delivered on all of these and then some, and I also took on this additional project which has benefited the company by increasing our margin on this product line. * Do you agree? Can I get your feedback on my accomplishments? (Assuming its very positive then..) * Will you be increasing my compensation for next year, per our agreement? If the answer is, No, for some reason outside performance, you need to get a next agreement. As long as you keep focused on business outcomes, you are on the high ground. * If your hands are tied right now, I would like to understand the timeline of what is possible, and if its not a raise, is there [stock, bonus, promotion, etc.] that could be possible? * Im very motivated, but I think you can understand that at some point this level of performance will be hard to keep delivering if it is not recognized by the company, what do you advise? * You have my commitment to keep delivering for you, but I can you help me understand what I can expect over time in terms of the company being able to hold up our prior agreement about my performance and compensation? Moving Into Management By Marcia Zidle on September 23, 2010 How can you ramp up quickly and start getting results? There are few career moments as exciting, and these days as perilous, as being promoted from an individual contributor to a manager. Here are seven career tactics with quotes from professional who have successfully moved into management. 1. Begin your transition before you start the job. What are the key challenges? Which functions are strong, and which ones need to be overhauled? What are your expectations in the first month, after 6 months, within a year? Use that information to develop an action plan from day one. The interview process is where you start. Thats where you begin asking questions to find out what it will take to be successful. 2. Acknowledge what you dont know. Identify those around you who are the experts and dont be afraid to lean on them. No one expects an incoming manager to know everything. And there is nothing more off-putting to a future team than a know it all boss. I had lots of credibility as a manufacturing engineer. But suddenly I was responsible for tool design, fuselage definition, all kinds of areas that werent in my background. I had to get up to speed fast. 3. Be an elephant hunter not an ant stomper. You cant fix everything at once despite the pressures that are on you as the new manager. Everyday you must go out hunting elephants, those high priority goals, rather than stomping ants, those tasks that are quick kills but do not put much meat on the table. Typically, you cant do everything you want to do, so you need to make some strategic choices.

This is where you begin to align your goals around your organizations key initiatives. 4. Target a few early wins. Nothing succeeds like success. Its critical for a new manager to create momentum during the transition. Pick some problems the organization has not been able to solve and figure out a way to fix them quickly. I didnt want to solve world hunger in the first three months, but I was looking for a couple of things that would pay immediate dividends. Where I could get the attention of my boss and show her I can be effective. 5. Keep an eye on the clock. Make sure your time is used to its best advantage. If youre like most hard-charging managers, youve got a well-articulated to-do list. Now take another look: Wheres your stop-doing list? Weve all been told that managers make things happen and thats true. But its also true that good managers distinguish themselves by their discipline to stop doing anything and everything that doesnt fit. 6. Fix your mistakes faster than you make them. Taking over a top job exposes a new leader to all kinds of pitfalls. Accept that you cant know everything in your first six months and cant insulate you from making mistakes. The key is to assess yourself and your progress and to be prepared to make your own course corrections as you go along. 7. Balance the big picture with front line views. Go where the action is. Get out of your office and walk the shop, retail, plant floors. Talk with your front-line people, your peers, your customers and even your suppliers. They generally will give you the real scoop rather than what you tend to hear from your direct reports . During my first six months, I visited more than 50 stores and met with more than 500 team members. I knew they could tell me, better than headquarters, what the company needed to do in order to keep on growing. Career Strategies: New Boss, New Job, New Company By Marcia Zidle on October 7, 2010 Whether you get a new job or a new boss or a new company, you must realize you have to change. The worst thing you can do is cling to the old ways or ignore whats happening right before your eyes. To deal effectively with change, you need to pay attention to four stages of workplace transition. Stage 1. Somethings Up: What To Do Before The Change If you sense something is happening, get out there and keep informed. Dont stay buried behind your desk or in your office. Be visible inside and outside your company. Just because youre doing a good job, dont assume youll be taken care of. Keep your antennae up for news of openings in your field. Pass the word discreetly among colleagues that youre thinking of trying something new. You may not need to or want to change jobs, but its important that you know whats out there. Stage 2. Getting Acquainted: The First Couple of Months In the first weeks of the transition, take extra care to be visible, productive and open to change. If you have a new boss, ask for a meeting to discuss your background, to provide an update on your projects and to find out about the new goals for your team, department or division.

If its a restructuring, try to understand the reasons behind it. What is the company dealing with now, that it wasnt dealing with in the past? What goals is it trying to accomplish in the reorganization? In what way can you contribute to these new goals? You need to be perceived as adding value not just taking up space. Stage 3. Settled In: The Six Month Benchmark Now that the dust has settled, its the time to gauge your career health. Do I feel like an active participant or am I on the sidelines looking in? Have I gotten reassuring comments or positive feedback? If you are in the dark, take the risk and request a meeting with your boss to discuss your performance. You need to be direct. Say, Ive been working hard to cooperate and adjust to the changes. So how am I doing? Are there things I need to work on to be more effective? You may get an indirect response such as: Youre doing fine, keep up the hard work; or Lets set a time to discuss this further. However, dont be satisfied with an evasive or avoidance answer. Performance feedback is essential during times of organizational transition. If all the signs are looking good, you can start breathing a sign of relief. But, dont let your guard down completely. The next six months are also very important. Stage 4. A Year After: Is The Coast Clear? By the time youre a year or more into a major change, its reasonable to wonder: Has my work life settled down at last? Has the sense of crisis passed? Is my new boss getting results? If this is the case, great! Youve come through the storms of change and now are going on to calmer times, at least for the short term, long term who knows? Or is the atmosphere still very hectic despite many attempts to try to fix whats not working? Or, is everything on hold again for the nth time waiting for someone to make the decision? Or your workload is not easing up but getting worse? Sad to say, sometimes things never calm down especially in troubled industries or rapidly changing ones. If this is your scenario, you may decide that you need a break from the relentless change. You can try to find a calmer port within your company or you may need to seriously consider finding a new position somewhere else. Taking control of ones career sometimes means making some very hard decisions. But once a decision is made and action is taken, then you can get on with your life. Isnt that what career management is all abouttaking charge of ones destiny? Manage Your Career Competitive Edge By Marcia Zidle Career success does not happen just because one does good work. That is expected. To get ahead and stay ahead, you must excel. Here are three strategies to manage your competitive edge. 1. Become a Career Entrepreneur The business of career management is thatan independent business that you manageeven if you work for someone else. In this changing world of downsizing, restructuring, buyouts and mergers, you not the company must be in the drivers seat of your career. The key question is not where do I now stand on the organization ladder? Who knows if there will even be a ladder tomorrow? But rather: What do I know how to do? How well do I do it? Where else can I do it? Who is willing and able to pay me for it?

Look at your workplace as a marketplace of buyers and sellers. You are the seller-providing skills, experience and knowledge to people who need what you have to offer. For example, if youre an accountant then what is it that you offer that a buyer will pay for? In other words, what do you bring to the employment table? 2. Have Skills, Will Travel You carry with you, wherever you go, a large portfolio or suitcase that holds all of your skills and accomplishments. Whats in your portfolio? Is it heavy with many skills or light with only a few? Do you know if it would be valued in lots of different places or just a limited number? To be competitive, you must periodically audit your portfolio. How do you compare with your peers in terms of education, experience, training, career progression? Are you new and improved? Or, are you just the same person you were three, five, ten years ago? Do you have the right mix of skills, knowledge and experiences to position yourself for the future? Or, do you need to repackage yourself in some way? Getting ahead tomorrow means getting better today and throughout your work life. 3. Play the Career Game What will keep you in the race as the rules of the workplace road continue to change? Initiative, adaptability and visibility are the foundation for career success. First, exercise leadership. You cant afford to crouch behind your desk, buried in your everyday work and hope for the best. Go beyond your job description and direct your energy to the top priorities of your boss, your department, your team. Make yourself indispensable. Next stand up and be seen. Promote yourself, not by your title, but by the outcomes or results of what youre doing. You can start making a name for yourself by being involved in successful assignments that allow you to be visible to a wide range of people who could have an impact on your career. Your reputation can either pave the way or get in the way of your success. Five Career Challenges You May Face By Marcia Zidle Career transitions bring career challenges as well as career opportunities. * Ive started a new job in a company thats so different from the one I came from. I feel it might be a mistake. * Ive been promoted from supervisor to project manager, and Im struggling to know what to focus on. * Ive moved from an operating role to a regional HR position and feel like Im wading in quicksand. Michael Watkins, author of The First 90 Days, presents 5 types of challenges that professionals and leaders can face during their career. 1. The promotion challenge: Moving to a higher level in the hierarchy and understanding what success looks like at the new level, including issues of focus, delegation, credibility and leadership. 2. The leading-former-peers challenge: Managing a team of former peers with the inevitable dilemma of establishing authority and altering existing relationships. 3. The diplomacy challenge: Moving from a position of authority to one in which influencing others and building alliances is critical. 4. The on-boarding challenge: Joining a new organization and needing to quickly understand and

adapt to a new culture, new people and a new political arena. 5. The international move challenge: Leading in an unfamiliar culture while at the same time moving ones family and creating a new support system. What does it take to succeed in each of these career challenges? 1. Increase self-awareness. Its imperative you understand your response to challenging siituations. How do you deal with stress? How do you learn in novel situations? How do you prefer to make decisions? Leadership and personality style assessments can help you gain insight and direction. 2. Embrace change. What it takes to succeed in any new situation is a matter of learning new ways of working and, most importantly, letting go of old ones even if theyve driven your career success up until now. 3. Leverage networks. In every career move, you need both knowledgeable insiders and impartial outsiders to provide you with realistic feedback and political advice. Five Ways to Make a Bad Job Bearable By Suzanne Lucas Since the economy started going downhill, I swear some companies have dumped relentlessly on employees. Their attitude seems to be something like: Here, let me give you 3 zillion extra tasks and stop whining, at least you have a job! And by the way, pick up my dry cleaning on the way into work. Its unpleasant, and mark my words, as the economy begins to improve, people who have been treated poorly will seek new jobs. But what if you are in one of those jobs right now, with no foreseeable new jobs popping up? Youre also not the type to go start your own company, so youre stuckfor the time being. Here are 5 tips for sticking it out in an unpleasant work situation. * Give positive feedback to others. Positive feedback doesnt just have to come from the boss. If youre miserable, its very likely that many others are as well. So start saying, Great job with that report, and Wow, you handled that crazy lady from accounting so well. It will make the general atmosphere better. * Stand up for yourself. Im afraid that wont be possible is a great phrase to say when youre asked to do the impossible. With everyone being overburdened, some things have got to go. If your boss pushes back, say I would love to be able to do that, but something has to give. Here is a list of my responsibilities. Please let me know what your priorities are. * Focus on something outside work. I know, you spend most of your day there. But, one of my cousins recently pointed out the following to me: There are 24 hours a day and 365 days a year: 365*24=8760 hours. Assume you sleep for 8 hours a day, work/commute time is 50 hours a week, and you get 2 weeks vacation. From that 8760 hours, 2920 is spent sleeping and 2500 is spent at work. That leaves you 3340 hours left or 139 days to do other things. Yes, you have to go grocery shopping, help with homework, do the dishes, change diapers and teach Sunday School, plus pluck the ticks off dogs. (And question why you got dogs in the first place.) But my point is, you do have some extra time. Choose wisely what you will do with that time. And dont tell me you dont have extra time because somebody out there has been watching Dancing With the Stars. * Look for ways to make things better. Good ideas can come from anyone. So, dont sit around and wait for management to make things better. Figure out how things can be better and present the ideas yourself. Depending on your job and your responsibilities you can probably just start doing some things differently. Be willing to ask why you do something instead of just can we

do this better? Sometimes there is no good reason for why something is done at all. * Stop whining. I know, I know, I love to whine. Its sooo fun and easy to sit around with your coworkers and complain about everything from workload to your managers personality quirks. However, nothing good ever comes out of that. Seriously, it just makes things worse. None of these suggestions directly change the attitude of the people who are making your life miserable, but they can begin the process of making the work place less threatening and can, eventually, change management attitudes about employees. Yes, you should be Thankful you have a job, but thats no reason not to make it a better place to work. And managers, if youre reading this, make sure you show your employees that you value them. Without them, youre out of a job too. So, quit whining as well, at least you have employees. How to Bring Out the Best in Your Boss by Liz Wiseman Why do some leaders drain intelligence and capability from their teams while others leaders amplify it? That question prompted me to spend years researching the two types of bosses I now classify as "diminishers", who get less than 50% of the capability of people around them, and "multipliers" who get virtually 100%, as outlined in my May 2010 HBR article. Diminishers are all too common in the workplace. Analysis I've done with several large companies has shown that approximately 20% of managers are under-utilizing their employees. Five hundred executives enrolled in a recent webinar indicated that an average of 43% of leaders in their organizations qualify as diminishers, compared with 10% per cent for multipliers and 47% who fell in between. And the anecdotal evidence is everywhere. As one frustrated high school science teacher wrote in an email to me: "The principal of our high school is a diminisher. At meetings he does 90% of the talking, always has to have the last word, and will usually say something that puts the listener down. He walks into classrooms while instruction is being given and interjects his thoughts on how the lesson could go differently. How can I help him become a multiplier?" It's important for people in such circumstances to realize they do have the power to fix the problem. While you might not be able to transform your diminisher boss into a multiplier, you certainly can change the dynamic of the relationship. The secret is to multiply up. Most corporate managers are multipliers "down" to their direct reports and staff, but not out to their peers or up to their bosses. Yet, my research has shown that people can serve as multipliers from any direction, even to a diminisher. Here's why: Diminishers want to be valued for their intelligence and ideas; in fact, many are overly fixated on this. Multipliers find other people's genius and engage it. So, instead of trying to change your boss, focus on trying to better utilize your boss. Here are two ways to be a multiplier to your manager and thrive, not just survive. Exploit your boss's strength. Tap into his or her knowledge and skills in service of the work you're leading. You don't need to cede ownership, just use his or her capabilities at key junctures. If she has a critical eye, could you use her to help diagnose an underlying problem in a project? Or, if he's a big-picture thinker, could you have him share his vision to help win over a key customer? Ron, a senior executive widely regarded for his own creative genius, was asked to build a new, highly strategic business for Apple. He could have let Steve Jobs, the company's notoriously hands-on CEO, dictate the details of the project, or he could have tried to keep Jobs out of the process as much as possible. Instead, Ron sought out his insights at critical development points.

He took the product design to Jobs and openly asked, "How can we make this even better?" Jobs responded not with criticism, but by rattling off numerous ideas for how good features could become great. Ron allowed his team to do their best work without interference, then used the strengths of his boss to take it to the next level. Even if you don't work for a genius like Steve Jobs, you can do the same. Listen to learn. A common mistake people make in interacting with diminisher bosses is dismissing their criticism too easily. In my years in senior management at Oracle, I watched numerous people present to Larry Ellison, the company's brilliant and often mercurial CEO. Those who struggled (and barely survived) got into intellectual standoffs with him. Those who thrived shared their ideas with confidence, backed them up with data, but then stopped to really listen to Larry's reactions. They didn't do this to placate him or merely to find a better angle for selling their idea. They listened to learn. One of Larry's executive staff said, "Too many people don't take the opportunity to really see what Larry can teach them." If you are stuck working for a diminisher, you can change the dynamic by figuring out how he or she can still help you succeed. Influencing Your Boss By Marcia Zidle How can I sell this idea to my boss? Thats a question I often hear as a career and leadership coach. It usually comes from someone seeking to lead from the middle. Influencing up to obtain additional resources, or to impact a staffing decision, or to extend a deadline, or whatever requires both a business rationale and an artful pitch. Here are four steps for influencing your boss and convincing him that it makes good sense to consider your idea or request: 1. See the world as you boss sees it. Its impossible to sell an idea without understanding your audiences perspective. What matters to your boss and to your bosss boss? If they are under the gun to cut costs, then frame your idea in terms of reducing expenses. If customer satisfaction is a hot issue, then frame your idea as a means to improve customer satisfaction. Remember the focus of your pitch depends upon the bosss priorities, not yours. 2. Tune into your bosss communication style. Think about how your boss likes to receive information. Does he want to hear a narrative of the idea or does he prefer to see the numbers first? Develop a presentation that plays to his needs. Also be aware of what are good times and bad times to make your pitch. Be attuned to his schedule, his demands and how much is on his plate. 3. Make it real and relevant for your boss. There is nothing more powerful than taking your boss to the heart of the action. If you want to improve customer service, invite her to a customer focus group to hear the need first hand. If you are pushing to purchase new equipment, bring him to the factory and show how it can cut waste. 4. Be the messenger they believe not kill! If you want to lead up, you must be perceived as competent, capable and connected. So, how are you perceived by your boss, your bosss boss and even your peers? Are you considered a rising or falling star? What can you do right now to increase or enhance your personal credibility? Do you have a great idea that you want to pitch to your boss or to a key decision maker? Test it out on this blog and get my feedback. Saying No to Your Boss Why and How to Say No to Your Boss

Your boss just assigned a new project to you and you can't imagine how you'll get it done. Can you say no to your boss, though? You can if your reasons are good. Now, you have to decide if they are. First here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide. Following that are bad reasons to say no, and then good reasons. Then once you've made up your mind, there's advice on how to present your decision to your boss. Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Decide to Say No to Your Boss * Am I already working on several important assignments that leave me no time for this one? * Can I delegate some of my other work to make room for this assignment? * Can I put some of my other assignments on the back burner while I work on this one? * Will taking on this assignment cause harm to my other work? * Do I absolutely lack the skills necessary to complete this assignment? * Am I the only person who can successfully complete this assignment? Bad Reasons To Say No to Your Boss Turning down an assignment from your boss is not something you should do on a whim. While the reasons listed here may seem important to you, they probably aren't good enough for your boss. * The project looks too difficult. * It isn't part of my job description. * I'm in the middle of planning my wedding and can't focus on anything right now. Good Reasons to Say No to Your Boss Though you should give an assignment careful consideration before you turn it down, if your boss is fairly reasonable, he or she should be able to understand these reasons. * There simply aren't enough hours in a day to work on it, even if I get to work early and stay late. * My other work will suffer if I take on this assignment. * I don't have the necessary skills to complete this project and I will not be able to attain them in time. How to Say No to Your Boss If you decide to turn down an assignment, be prepared to offer a good reason for doing so. You will have to explain your reasons thoroughly so your boss realizes you considered the situation carefully. Give your boss ample warning so he or she has enough time to assign the work to someone else or can help you delegate some of your other projects to one of your co-workers so you can work on this one. * If your reason for saying no to your boss is that you don't have enough time to work on the project, prepare a list of the other projects on which you're working. If he didn't delegate the other assignments to you, he may not even be aware of them. If he did assign the other projects, he may want you to work on the new one instead. * If you think your other work will suffer if you take on another assignment, explain that to your

boss. She will appreciate your honesty and your dedication to your other projects. * If you don't have the necessary skills to complete this assignment, admit this to your boss. It would be worse to pretend you can do something you can't. Ask him if future assignments will require this skill. If his answer is "yes," let him know you will work to attain it. Top 9 Ways to Make a Good Impression at Work By Dawn Rosenberg McKay It is important that you make a good impression at work. If you make a good impression on your boss, he or she is more likely to give you more responsibility which can lead to promotions and raises. Here are nine ways to make a good impression at work. 1. Use Proper Office Etiquette Using good manners will help you make a good impression with your boss and also your coworkers. Office etiquette includes everything from the proper way to use email to knowing when, where, and how to use your cell phone while at work. 2. Face Up to Your Mistakes When you make a mistake at work, which everyone inevitably does at some point, face up to it. Don't ignore your error or place the blame on others. Take responsibility and come up with a solution to fix your mistake. Your boss may not be too happy about it, but she will at least be impressed with your response. 3. Know When to Call in Sick to Work Do you think coming to work when you are sick instead of staying at home will impress your boss? Reasonable bosses know that a sick employee not only isn't productive, he or she can spread an illness around the office rendering everyone else unproductive. Call in sick when you need to. 4. Come Through in a Crisis When the unexpected happens at work, who will make a better impression on the boss -- the employer who wrings his hands and does nothing or the one who springs into action? Of course it's the employee who deals with the crisis quickly and effectively. 5. Know What Topics to Avoid Discussing Avoiding inappropriate topics may not help you make a good impression at work but it will keep you from making a bad one. Subjects that do not make for good workplace conversation include politics, religion, and health problems and other personal issues. 6. Manage Your Time Effectively Your ability to complete projects in a timely manner will help you make a good impression on your boss. You should demonstrate that you know how to manage your time effectively by handing in projects when, or even before, your deadline. 7. Dress Appropriately Make a good impression at work by wearing the right clothes. You should dress the right way for the "role you are playing." If you aspire to be a leader at work, dress like one. 8. Avoid Offending Your Co-Workers Make a good impression or avoid making a bad one by not doing things that offend your coworkers. Always show respect towards your co-workers. The last thing a boss wants brought to his attention are the uncivil actions of one of his employees. Top 6 Topics to Avoid Discussing at Work By Dawn Rosenberg McKay 1. Religion You shouldn't discuss your religious beliefs or your thoughts about other religious beliefs at work. Religion is a very personal issue and people are very sensitive about it. They don't want to hear that you disagree with their religious beliefs or that you believe your religion is the one in which everyone should believe.

2. Politics This is another sensitive issue, particularly around election time. While you may feel very strongly about your political party or candidate, or have negative views about the opposition, you should not try to win your co-workers over to your point of view. 3. Your Sex Life Why shouldn't you talk about your sex life? Simply because it's no one's business other than yours and your partner's. Other than that, it makes people uncomfortable. Taken to the extreme, it may even border on sexual harassment. 4. Problems With Your Spouse, Your Children, or Your Parents When you discuss problems you are having with others, your co-workers and your boss may wonder if those problems are distracting you from doing your job. Talking about your problems with your family will reveal your weaknesses. You don't want to do this, especially if you are in a position of authority. 5. Your Career Aspirations Talking about how you want to move on to something bigger and better will certainly, for good reason, make your boss and co-workers question your loyalty to your current job. If you are interested in moving up within your current organization, your actions will speak louder than words. Do your job exceptionally well, and of course, let your boss know you want to move up, but don't make it the topic of workplace conversations with anyone who will listen. 6. Your Health Problems Don't dwell on your health problems at work. If you do, you will give your co-workers and boss reason to wonder if an illness will keep you from doing your job. Of course, serious health issues that will cause you to take time off, must be discussed with your employer. No one, however, needs specific details about your health. How to Deal With Personal Issues at Work Keep Personal Issues from Harming Your Job and Career By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Personal issues including family problems, life changing situations, emotional difficulties, illness, and even one's sexual orientation, can impact your job and ultimately your ability to advance your career. Try as you might to keep your private life separate from your work life, inevitably one may begin to run into the other. Learn how to keep personal issues from negatively affecting your job and career. Don't Share Too Much Information With Co-Workers Prevention is the best medicine. Your co-workers and boss will only know as much about your personal life as you share with them. If you don't want those with whom you work to know about things going on outside work, then learn to keep a secret. Manage Your Anger Everyone gets angry from time to time. Some people react very quickly, in a negative manner, to anger. Others manage their anger and approach it in a calm and reasonable way. Obviously, especially in a workplace setting, the latter is a much better reaction. Deciding Whether to Come Out at Work If you are a gay, lesbian or transgender person you may wonder if it's a good idea to share this information with your boss or co-workers. Some people make this decision based on how they think others will react -- will your life at work change for the better or worse, or will it remain the same? Overcome Shyness

Shyness can hinder one's career advancement. Fortunately, many people can overcome shyness and eventually have successful careers. Cope With the Death of a Co-Worker When a co-worker dies it impacts all the people with whom he or she worked. Everyone will be affected on a professional level, but some will be affected on a personal level as well. While work can be an escape for those who have lost someone in their private lives, one will be reminded of the loss of a co-worker each time he or she goes to work. Beat Job Burnout Job burnout can result from working too hard because you are concerned about losing your job. Ironically, it can lead you to become less motivated about work and actually threaten your job, in addition to causing some serious mental and physical health issues. Before that happens, there are things you can do to turn things around. Toward a More Civil Work Place Avoiding Offensive Behavior on the Job By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Who Let the Dogs In? Barbara quit her job last week. She just couldn't take it anymore. What made her quit? Was it a difficult boss? Was she bored with her work? Did she just feel it was time to move on? No, no, and no. None of the above. Barbara's boss insisted on bringing his dogs to work. Barbara, who had always been afraid of dogs, found out that she was also allergic to them. Her boss refused to leave the dogs at home so Barbara found another job. As if the allergies weren't enough, her boss's disrespect for her pushed Barbara over the edge. Unfortunately, disrespect for one's co-workers (or subordinates) isn't that uncommon. And it often causes people to leave their jobs. For employers this means losing good people, and then having to hire and train new ones. For co-workers it means having to get used to working with new people, and picking up the slack until new employees can be found. The saddest part of the lack of respect in the workplace is that many people don't realize they are being disrespectful. They aren't trying to hurt someone's feelings. They just aren't trying to not do that. Barbara's boss, for example, was doing what he felt was best for his pets. He thought leaving them at home was cruel. He may have even felt that his employees would enjoy having the dogs there. He didn't consider the negative effect the dogs might have on someone. The Actions to Avoid How can we avoid offending the people we work with? It seems as if it should be blatently obvious. But if it were I wouldn't even be writing this article. Let's take a look now at actions that may offend your co-workers (in no particular order). * Having loud telephone conversations * Not cleaning up after yourself in the staff kitchen * Showing up late for meetings * Looking at a co-worker's computer screen over his or her shoulder * Taking supplies from a co-worker's desk * Neglecting to say please and thank you

* Wearing too much perfume * Chewing gum loudly * Taking the last of something without replacing it * Talking behind someone's back * Asking someone to lie for you * Blaming someone else when you are at fault * Taking credit for someone else's work * Asking a subordinate to do something unrelated to work, i.e. run errands * Trying to convert others to your political or religious beliefs * Opening someone else's mail * Sending unwanted email * Telling offensive jokes * Smoking in common areas * Not pulling your own weight * Complaining about the company, boss, and co-workers * Having a condescending attitude toward others Turning Negativity into Positive Action How to Use Workplace Negativity to Implement Change By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Negativity at work can be harmful. Negativity often results in a loss of productivity and a high rate of turnover. Negativity is contagious. The expression "misery loves company" rings true when it comes to spreading negativity around the office. Those who have negative feelings will first seek out others who feel the same way, and then try to influence those who don't. Negativity isn't always bad. It sometimes brings existing problems out of the darkness. With the problems out in the open, they can, hopefully, be resolved. Here are some tips to help you turn negativity into something that can actually help cause positive change in the workplace. * Make Sure Your Criticism is Constructive: Don't just complain, be ready to offer solutions to the problems you are pointing out. * Take Action: Take it even one step further than offering solutions to the problems about which you are complaining. Offer to help implement those solutions. * Don't Try to Fix What Isn't Broken: There are some people who think everyone else is doing things the wrong way. They want to make changes just for the sake of having input. Concentrate your energy on fixing thing that are truly in need of repair.

Cures for Negativity You Must Work with Others Who Are Negative By Susan M. Heathfield If the negativity emanates from an individual, you can: * Inform the employee about the negative impact her negativity is having on co-workers and the department. Use specific examples that describe behaviors the employee can do something about. * Avoid becoming defensive. Dont take the employees negative words or attitude personally. * Focus on creating solutions. Dont focus on everything that is wrong and negative; focus instead on creating options for positive morale. If the person is unwilling to hold this discussion, and you feel you have fairly heard her out, end the discussion. * Focus on the positive aspects and contributions the individual brings to the work setting, not the negativity. Help the employee build her self-image and capacity to contribute. * Compliment the individual any time you hear a positive statement or contribution rather than negativity from her. If none of the above is working and the employees negativity is impacting productivity, workplace harmony, and department members attitudes and morale, deal with the negativity as you would any other performance issue. Recognize Your Potential Part in the Negativity Cycle * Recognize that you are human and occasionally experience situations in which you must uphold decisions you don't entirely support. You don't want to contribute to the negativity by your words, actions, non-verbal behavior, or voice. Yet, you want to act authentically so you are trustworthy and credible. * Know yourself well enough to recognize internally when you are becoming negative. * Become aware of work situations in which you typically find yourself becoming defensive or negative. Because you are aware of them, try to recognize when you are reacting and avoid your typical negative reaction. (Some people figure out exactly how to get you going and push your "hot buttons" deliberately, so to speak.) * Take a time-out or walk away by yourself when you have dealt with a stressful situation. * Spend some time alone thinking every day about the positive aspects of your work and life. You don't want to spend all of your time on negative thinking. If there is nothing positive to think about, examine the life you are choosing to create. * Treat yourself with care. Don't beat yourself up or second-guess yourself over decisions or mistakes. You are human. You learn; you grow. Focus on the big picture; don't get bogged down in the day-to-day. Recognize that the only thing you are truly in charge of is how you choose to react to and in any situation. I trust that these ideas will help you in addressing the negativity in your workplace. Negativity often occurs when people are impacted by decisions and issues that are out of their control. Examples of these include: corporation downsizing; understaffing that requires people to work mandatory overtime; budget reductions; and upper-management decisions that adversely impact members of your staff. Under these circumstances, try some of the following ideas. * Identify any aspects of the situation that you can impact including providing feedback in your organization about the negative impact that is occurring. (Sometimes decisions are made and no one understands or predicts their outcome. Sometimes you can influence an issue or a decision if you practice personal, professional courage and speak your mind. * Listen, listen, listen. Often people just need a sounding board. Be visible and available to

staff. Proactively schedule group discussion sessions, town meetings, "lunches with the manager," or one-on-one blocks of time. * Challenge pessimistic thinking and negative beliefs about people, the company, and the work area. Don't let negative, false statements go unchallenged.If the statements are true, provide the rationale, the corporate thinking, and the events that are responsible for the negative circumstances. Share everything you know about a situation to build trust with the workforce. * Ask open-ended questions to determine the cause, and the scope of the negative feelings or reaction. Maybe it's not as bad as people think; maybe their interpretation of events is faulty. Helping people identify exactly what they feel negatively about is the first step in solving the problem. You can't solve a fog of unhappiness. Help people create options, feel included, and feel part of the communication and problem solving. (Do all of the items mentioned in Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity.) * Recognize that, sometimes, a negative outlook may be appropriate. If the negativity emanates from an individual, you can: * Inform the employee about the negative impact her negativity is having on co-workers and the department. Use specific examples that describe behaviors the employee can do something about. * Avoid becoming defensive. Dont take the employees negative words or attitude personally. * Focus on creating solutions. Dont focus on everything that is wrong and negative; focus instead on creating options for positive morale. If the person is unwilling to hold this discussion, and you feel you have fairly heard her out, end the discussion. * Focus on the positive aspects and contributions the individual brings to the work setting, not the negativity. Help the employee build her self-image and capacity to contribute. * Compliment the individual any time you hear a positive statement or contribution rather than negativity from her. If none of the above is working and the employees negativity is impacting productivity, workplace harmony, and department members attitudes and morale, deal with the negativity as you would any other performance issue. Recognize Your Potential Part in the Negativity Cycle * Recognize that you are human and occasionally experience situations in which you must uphold decisions you don't entirely support. You don't want to contribute to the negativity by your words, actions, non-verbal behavior, or voice. Yet, you want to act authentically so you are trustworthy and credible. * Know yourself well enough to recognize internally when you are becoming negative. * Become aware of work situations in which you typically find yourself becoming defensive or negative. Because you are aware of them, try to recognize when you are reacting and avoid your typical negative reaction. (Some people figure out exactly how to get you going and push your "hot buttons" deliberately, so to speak.) * Take a time-out or walk away by yourself when you have dealt with a stressful situation. * Spend some time alone thinking every day about the positive aspects of your work and life. You don't want to spend all of your time on negative thinking. If there is nothing positive to think about, examine the life you are choosing to create. * Treat yourself with care. Don't beat yourself up or second-guess yourself over decisions or mistakes. You are human. You learn; you grow. Focus on the big picture; don't get bogged down in the day-to-day. Recognize that the only thing you are truly in charge of is how you choose to react to and in any situation. I trust that these ideas will help you in addressing the negativity in your workplace. How to Deal With a Negative Coworker: Negativity Matters

By Susan M. Heathfield Some people exude negativity. They dont like their jobs or they dont like their company. Their bosses are always jerks and they are always treated unfairly. The company is always going down the tube and customers are worthless. You know these negative Neds and Nellies every organization has some and you can best address their impact on you via avoidance. On the other hand, sometimes normally positive people are negative. Some of the time, too, their reasons for negativity are legitimate. You will take a completely different tack with these occasionally negative people. Well deal with both of these varieties of negativity from people. Tips for Dealing With Occasional Negativity * Listen to the employee or coworkers complaints until you are certain that they feel heard out and listened to. Sometimes people repeat negative sentiments over and over because they dont feel like you have really listened to them. Ask questions. Clarify their statements. Make sure you have actively listened. * Decide if you believe the employee or coworker has legitimate reasons for their negativity. If you decide affirmatively, ask if theyd like your help to solve the problem. If they ask for help, provide advice or ideas for how the coworker can address the reason for their negativity. Short term advice that points a person in a positive direction is welcome. But, your role is not to provide therapy or counseling. Nor, is your role to provide comprehensive career advice or long term recommendations. Point the coworker to helpful books, seminars, or the Human Resources Department to solve their problem. Know your limits when advising coworkers. * Sometimes, the coworker just wants to complain to a friendly, listening ear; they dont want your advice or assistance to address the situation. Listen, but set limits so the coworker does not overstay or over-talk his or her welcome. Long term complaining saps your energy and positive outlook. Dont allow that to happen. Walk away. Tell the coworker youd prefer to move on to more positive subjects. * If you listen to the coworkers negativity, and decide the concerns are not legitimate, practice personal courage and tell them what you think. Tell the coworker you care about their concern and about their happiness at work, but you disagree with their assessment of the situation. Back gracefully out of additional conversations. The coworker will attempt to appeal to your sympathetic nature, but if you believe the negativity is unwarranted, dont spend your time listening or helping the coworker to address the negative feelings. You will only encourage long term and growing negative feelings and, potentially, behavior. You will set yourself up as a negativity magnet. Constant negative interactions will eventually permeate your interaction with your workplace. Tips for Dealing With Negative Coworkers Deal with genuinely negative people by spending as little time with them as possible. Just as you set limits with the coworkers whose negativity you believe is baseless or unwarranted, you need to set limits with genuinely negative people. Causes of their long term negativity are not your concern. Every negative person has a story. Dont impact your positive outlook by listening to the stories, or reviewing the history and the background about the grievances purported to cause the negativity. You reinforce the negativity;

negativity is a choice. Negativity mongers need a new job, a new company, a new career, a new outlook, or counseling. They dont need you. Deal with negative coworkers in these ways. * Avoid spending time with a negative coworker. * If you are forced, through your role in the company, to work with a negative person, set limits. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into negative discussions. Tell the negative coworker, you prefer to think about your job positively. Avoid providing a sympathetic audience for the negativity. * Suggest the negative person seek assistance from human resources or their supervisor. * If all else fails, talk to your own supervisor or human resources staff about the challenges you are experiencing in dealing with the negative person. Your supervisor may have ideas, may be willing to address the negativity, and may address the issue with the negative persons supervisor. Persistent negativity, that impacts coworkers work is a work behavior that may require disciplinary action. * If negativity among employees in your company is persistent, if the issues that warrant negativity are left unaddressed, and the negativity affects your ability to professionally perform your work, you may want to consider moving on. Your current culture will not support your desired work environment. And, if no one is working to improve a work culture that enables negativity, dont expect the culture to change any time soon. Don't Quit Your Job Yet Alternatives to Quitting Your Job By Dawn Rosenberg McKay You may be tempted to quit your job because of a few problems. However, it is important to note that certain issues can be resolved without quitting your job. Here are some common work place problems and possible solutions you should consider before you resort to quitting your job: * Your job is interfering with family responsibilities. or Your commute is getting to you. Alternative work options like flextime, job sharing, and telecommuting, can help you whether your job is interfering with your family responsibilities or if your daily commute is becoming unmanageable. * You have difficulty getting along with a co-worker, You have difficulty getting along with all your co-workers, or You don't get along with your boss. Bad relationships with your co-workers and boss can seem as difficult as a bad marriage. After all, you do spend many of your waking hours at work. Before you get a divorce ... um ... quit your job, find out how to improve your relationships with your boss and co-workers. * You received an unsatisfactory performance review. So, you received an unsatisfactory performance review. Does that mean you have to quit your job? If the review was fairly accurate, you should find out how to improve your performance. If you think the performance review was unfair, then you should calmly discuss it with the reviewer. * Your employer instituted some new policies with which you're unhappy. Change is difficult. You need to figure out whether your unhappiness with your employer's new policies stems from your resistance to change or if you truly feel the new policies are bad for

the company. If you find that the latter is true, you should approach your boss about your misgivings. Be prepared to present a clear rationale along with suggestions for improvement. Five Things Not to Do When You Leave Your Job Avoid These Career Busters By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Leaving a job is often upsetting, whether you were fired or finally decided to quit. You may have trouble remembering to do the right thing. Here are five things you should avoid doing. 1. Don't tell off your boss and co-workers, even if you think they deserve it. When you leave your job, your emotions may be running high, especially if you are leaving on bad terms. You may want to tell your boss or co-workers what you really think of them. Don't do it, even if they truly deserve it. You never know who you will meet down the road and who you may have to work with one day. 2. Don't damage company property or steal something. You may feel you were mistreated by your employer and you may be really angry. However, vandalism and theft are criminal offenses. Not only will your professional repution be damaged by your actions, you could end up in jail. 3. Don't forget to ask for a reference. This may sound like an odd thing to consider if you are leaving your job on unfavorable terms. However, you will have to include this job on your resume, so you should try to make sure you get either a good or, at least, a neutral reference. If you've been fired because of some horrible offense, this may be a moot point. However if your parting is due to something less serious, you may be able to ask your boss for a reference, in spite of the fact that "things didn't work out as expected." 4. Don't badmouth your employer or any of your co-workers to your replacement. First of all, it will only look like sour grapes, so there's nothing to gain here. Second, your successor will figure things out for himself or herself. Third, it may have been bad chemistry, and your co-worker will have a totally different experience than you did. 5. Don't badmouth your employer to a prospective employer when you go on a job interview. The only person who this will make look bad is you. Your prospective boss will wonder what caused your relationship with your prior employer to sour and will suspect that you could have been at fault. How to Quit Your Job By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Who hasn't gotten fed up with their job and wanted to quit? If you quit your job you will relieve yourself of some problems, like dealing with a crazy boss or difficult co-workers, but you will be facing some new challenges. Here are some steps you should take before and right after you quit your job. 1. Decide Whether to Quit Your Job If you quit your job your life will change in many ways, some for the better and some for the worse. Sure you won't have to deal with a difficult boss anymore or a job you don't like, but you will have a whole new set of challenges. Before you quit your job, make sure this is the right decision. There are several good reasons to quit your job. Find out if yours is one of them. 2. Make the Best of Your Job If You Can't Quit You may have decided you have a good reason to quit your job, but there may be something

preventing you from doing it. For example, you may not be able to live without your income, even temporarily. If you find yourself in this situation you may not be able to quit until you have a new job lined up. If you can't quit your job yet, find out how to improve your situation until you can. 3. Resign from Your Job You will obviously have to tell your boss you are quitting. If you think you are going to stick around for a while, don't resign until you know when your actual date of departure will be and don't tell anyone until you tell your boss. You should write a formal resignation letter and speak to your boss in person, unless his or her office isn't nearby. Give sufficient notice. Two weeks is typical for most jobs but professional positions require more time, generally three to four weeks. If you are currently immersed in a large project, give your employer the opportunity to have you train whoever will take it over. 4. Start Looking for a New Job You have some work to do as you begin your job search. You will have to revise your resume or write a new one, look for job openings and prepare for job interviews. You should also let your network contacts know your job situation has changed, but exercise caution here. If you have decided not to quit your job until you find a new one, you shouldn't broadcast your plans yet. 5. Protect Your Health Insurance Coverage When you quit your job your employer will stop paying for your group health insurance. There are two Federal laws that can help prevent loss of health insurance coverage: COBRA and HIPAA. COBRA lets you continue your coverage while HIPAA lets you get new insurance, either on your own, through your spouse's employer or through your new employer, without having to worry about issues, including pre-existing conditions and enrollment periods. You can be subject, however, to a waiting period imposed by a new employer. 6. Leave Your Job Peacefully Your emotions may be running high and you may be tempted to get even with an employer who you feel has done you wrong. Ignore this temptation because any spiteful acts you commit, such as damaging equipment, telling your boss and co-workers what you really think them, or badmouthing them to other people, will only reflect poorly on you. You're better than that and you have too many things to have to deal with without having to restore a damaged reputation. How to Make a Career Choice When You Have No Idea What You Want to Do Your Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career By Dawn Rosenberg McKay There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable task? It's not. Yes, you will have to put some time and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice. Assess Yourself Before you can make a career choice you have to learn about yourself. Your values, interests, and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers especially suitable for you and some particulary inapproprate. You can use self assessment tools, often called career tests, to gather this information and, subsequently, to generate a list of occupations that are deemed appropriate. Some people choose to have career counselors or other career development professionals administer these tests but many opt to use free career tests that are available on the Web. Make a List of Occupations to Explore

Look over the lists of occupations generated through your use of the self assessment tools. They are probably rather lengthy. You want to come up with a much shorter list, consisting of between five and ten occupations. Circle occupations that appear on multiple lists. Circle occupations you may have considered previously and that you find appealing. Write these occupations down on a separate list titled "Occupations to Explore." Explore the Occupations on Your List For each occupation on your list, you will want to look at the job description, educational and other requirements, job outlook, advancement opportunities, and earnings. Conduct Informational Interviews At this point you should only have a few occupations left on your list. You now need to gather more in-depth information. Your best source of this information are people who have firsthand knowledge of the occupations in which you are interested. Identify who they are and conduct informational interviews with them. Continue Narrowing Down your List Pare down your list of possible occupations based on what you learned from your research. For example, you may not be willing to put the time and energy into preparing for an occupation for which an advanced degree is required, or you may consider the earnings for a particular occupation inadequate. Set Your Goals By now you should have decided on one occupation you want to pursue. It's time to put a plan in place so you can eventually find a job in that field, but first you will need to set some goals. Write a Career Action Plan Now that you have set your goals, you will need to decide how to reach them. A career action plan will help guide you as you pursue your long and short term goals. Train for Your New Career It is likely you will have to train for your new career. That could take the form of earning a degree, doing an internship or taking courses to learn some new skills. Ten Myths About Choosing a Career Forget What You've Heard About Choosing a Career By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Do you think you know everything about choosing a career? Many people think they know the right way to go about picking an occupation, but they often wind up choosing a career that is unsatisfying. Here are ten myths of choosing a career along with resources that can help you make an informed decision. #1 Choosing a career is simple Actually, choosing a career is an involved process and you should give it the time it deserves. Career planning is a multi-step process that involves learning enough about yourself and the occupations which you are considering in order to make an informed decision. #2 A career counselor can tell me what occupation to pick

A career counselor, or any other career development professional, can't tell you what career is best for you. He or she can provide you with guidance in choosing a career and can help facilitate your decision. #3 I can't make a living from my hobby Says who? When choosing a career, it makes perfect sense to choose one that is related to what you enjoy doing in your spare time, if you so desire. In addition people tend to become very skilled in their hobbies, even though most of the skill is gained informally. #4 I should choose a career from a "Best Careers" list Every year, especially during milestone years, i.e. the beginning of a new decade, there are numerous articles and books that list what "the experts" predict will be "hot jobs." It can't hurt to look at those lists to see if any of the careers on it appeal to you, but you shouldn't use the list to dictate your choice. While the predictions are often based on valid data, sometimes things change. Way too often what is hot this year won't be hot a few years from now. In addition, you need to take into account your interests, values, and skills when choosing a career. Just because the outlook for an occupation is good, it doesn't mean that occupation is right for you. #5 Making a lot of money will make me happy While salary is important, it isn't the only factor you should look at when choosing a career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn't necessarily lead to job satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important. However, you should consider earnings, among other things, when evaluating an occupation. #6 Once I choose a career I'll be stuck in it forever Not true. If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change it. You'll be in good company. Many people change careers several times over the course of their lifetimes. #7 If I change careers my skills will go to waste Your skills are yours to keep. You can take them from one job to another. You may not use them in the exact same way, but they won't go to waste. #8 If my best friend (or sister, uncle, or neighbor) is happy in a particular field, I will be too Everyone is different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another, even if that other person is someone with whom you have a lot in common. If someone you know has a career that interests you, look into it, but be aware of the fact that it may not necessarily be a good fit for you. #9 All I have to do is pick an occupation... Things will fall into place after that Choosing an career is a great start, but there's a lot more to do after that. A Career Action Plan is a road map that takes you from choosing a career to becoming employed in that occupation to reaching your long-term career goals. #10 There's very little I can do to learn about an occupation without actually working in it While first hand experience is great, there are other ways to explore an occupation. You can read about it either in print resources or online. You can also interview those working in that field.

The Career Planning Process Taking It Step-By-Step By Dawn Rosenberg McKay What is Career Planning? Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. The Career Planning Site offers coverage of all these areas. This article will focus on career choice and the process one goes through in selecting an occupation. This may happen once in our lifetimes, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals. Career Planning: A Four Step Process The career planning process is comprised of four steps. One might seek the services of a career development professional to help facilitate his or her journey through this process. Whether or not you choose to work with a professional, or work through the process on your own is less important than the amount of thought and energy you put into choosing a career. Self Gather information about yourself (self assessment) * Interests * Values * Roles * Skills/Aptitudes * Preferred Environments * Developmental Needs * Your realities Options * Explore the occupations in which you are interested * Research the industries in which you would like to work * Research the Labor Market Get more specific information after you narrow down your options by: * Job Shadowing * Part time work, internships, or volunteer opportunities * Written materials * Informational interviews Match During this phase of the process, you will: * Identify possible occupations * Evaluate these occupations * Explore alternatives * Choose both a short term and a long term option

Action You will develop the steps you need to take in order to reach your goal, for example: * Investigating sources of additional training and education, if needed * Developing a job search strategy * Writing your resume * Gathering company information * Composing cover letters * Preparing for job interviews Transferable Skills Bringing Your Skills to a New Career By Dawn Rosenberg McKay You've had enough of your current job. As a matter of fact, you've had enough of your current career. It's time for a change. But what about all that valuable experience you've been stockpiling while toiling away at your job and the jobs that came before it? Do you really have to throw it all away and start from scratch? No you don't. That's where transferable skills come in. What Are Transferable Skills? Transferable skills are the skills you've gathered through various jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, sports, or other life experiences that can be used in your next job or new career. In addition to being useful to career changers, transferable skills are also important to those who are facing a layoff, new graduates who are looking for their first jobs, and to those re-entering the workforce after an extended absence. How to Identify Your Transferable Skills The job titles you've held may tell little about what your actual jobs entailed. In other words, formal job descriptions are often very different from reality. That is why it's important to dissect each job you've held in order to discover what skills you actually used to do that job. If you are re-entering the workforce or entering it for the first time you'll have to look at your life experiences to get this information. Use this worksheet to help you organize and rate your skills. Find Out How You Can Use Your Transferable Skills When making a career change you should do a thorough self assessment to determine what career is most suitable for you. Part of this self assessment involves finding out what careers best utilize your skills. To learn about various careers and what skills are required you can do the following: * Gather occupational information. * Read job descriptions in help wanted ads. * Contact professional associations. Selling Your Transferable Skills to a Prospective Employer You've identified your transferable skills. You know where you can use them. Now you have to convince potential employers. Simply presenting your job titles on your resume won't do the trick since those titles track your old career path. One way to do this is to write an objective that tells which skills are applicable to the position you are seeking. The other way is to write a skills-based resume either a functional or combination resume. A functional resume describes each of your skills. A combination resume combines a functional resume with a chronological resume, listing your work experience in addition to your skills. Transferable Skills

Examples By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Here is a short list of transferable skills. There are many other skills that are not on this list. Use this as a guide to help you complete the Transferable Skills Worksheet. * Plan and arrange events and activities * Delegate responsibility * Motivate others * Attend to visual detail * Assess and evaluate my own work * Assess and evaluate others' work * Deal with obstacles and crises * Multi-task * Present written material * Present material orally * Manage time * Repair equipment or machinery * Keep records * Handle complaints * Coordinate fundraising activities * Coach * Research * Build or construct * Design buildings, furniture, etc. * Manage finances * Speak a foreign language (specify language) * Use sign language * Utilize computer software (specify programs) * Train or teach others * Identify and manage ethical issues 10 Steps to a Successful Career Change From Mike Profita 1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Which aspects of your current job do you like/dislike? Are your dissatisfactions related to the content of your work your company culture or the people with whom you work? 2. Assess your interests, values and skills through self help resources like the exercises in What Color is Your Parachute. Review past successful roles, volunteer work, projects and jobs to identify preferred activities and skills. Determine whether your core values and skills are addressed through your current career. 3. Brainstorm ideas for career alternatives by discussing your core values/skills with friends, family, networking contacts and counselors. Visit career libraries and use online resources like those found in the Career Advice section of the Job Search website. 4. Conduct a preliminary comparative evaluation of several fields to identify a few targets for in depth research. 5. Read as much as you can about those fields and reach out to personal contacts in those arenas for informational interviews.

6. Shadow professionals in fields of primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days job shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. Your college Career Office is a good place to find alumni volunteers who are willing to host job shadowers. 7. Identify volunteer and freelance activities related to your target field to test your interest e.g. if you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing the PTA newsletter. If you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter. 8. Investigate educational opportunities that would bridge your background to your new field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college. Spend some time at one day or weekend seminars. Contact professional groups in your target field for suggestions. 9. Look for ways to develop new skills in your current job which would pave the way for a change e.g. offer to write a grant proposal if grant writing is valued in your new field. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can. 10. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have e.g. If you are a store manger for a large retail chain and have grown tired of the evening and weekend hours consider a move to corporate recruiting within the retail industry. Or if you are a programmer who doesn't want to program, consider technical sales or project management. Career Action Plan A Roadmap to Your Future By Dawn Rosenberg McKay What is a Career Action Plan? A Career Action Plan is a road map that takes you from choosing an occupation to becoming employed in that occupation to reaching your long-term career goals. It is also referred to as an Individualized (or Individual) Career Plan or an Individualized (or Individual) Career Development Plan. Before You Begin Developing a Career Action Plan is the fourth step in the career planning process. You must complete the following steps first: * Do a thorough self assessment * Completely explore viable career options which were identified during the self assessment * Choose an occupation after considering all the options Setting and Reaching Your Goals * Break your goals down into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals are goals you can reach in one year or less. Long-term goals are ones that are attainable in one to five years. * In order to reach your goals, you will have to get around any barriers you may face. List those barriers and your solutions for dealing with them. What to do when you don't agree with your boss by C.V.Rajan Unless you are an abominable yes-man, some conflicts of opinions, disagreement about

decisions made, subtle and not-so-subtle ego clashes etc can happen between you and your boss. When you don't agree with your boss, the way to tackle the problem can range from a simple to a dangerously complex way, depending on the complexity of the issue and the personality traits you and your boss have. There can be so many permutations of personality traits between the boss and the subordinate that can dictate the way the disagreement with the boss is tackled. The boss can be assertive, egoistic, level headed or meek. The subordinate too can be classified likewise. When there is a disagreement between the boss and the subordinate, there can be 16 ways the equation between them that can play in handling the dispute. Before giving any generic advice on what to do when you don't agree with the boss, let us just see a few sample combinations to understand how different ways of tacking the conflict can arise in case of a disagreement. == Assertive Boss versus Meek Subordinate == The outcome is obvious. The boss dictates and the subordinate agrees, burying his disagreement down his throat. If the subordinate is proved to be right at the end, he chuckles secretively and boasts about his foresight to his wife! == Meek Boss versus Assertive Subordinate == The subordinate knows well that he can manipulate his boss to bring him to his line of thinking and he can talk his way through to convince the boss; When things go awry, the boss, being the boss, will say, "I told you so; but you were adamant. I always believe in giving a free hand to my subordinates so that they learn from mistakes"! == Egoistic Boss Versus Egoistic Subordinate == A minor clash of the titans will result. For both of them prestige is more important than the facts behind the dispute. When the subordinate takes the bull by the horns, he knows pretty well that if the outcome of the disputed decision does not work to his favor, he may not be in a position to continue in his job for long. Either he has to continue to fight or take a flight. == Egoistic Boss Versus Level Headed Subordinate == The subordinates knows pretty well that he is more right than his boss but also knows that he cannot convince his boss that easily. Being level headed, he can take several recourses to handle the disagreement with the boss. Some of them are given below: * When the boss vehemently opposes subordinate's counter points, the subordinate buys time; He suggests that the matter can be reviewed afresh after a couple of days. This way, there is a fair chance that the ego of the boss cools down and he can see things more objectively in the next review. * The subordinate clearly expresses his disagreements politely to his boss at the same time adding a statement like this: "but if you still wish to proceed as it is, I will put forth my full cooperation to you, despite all my objections. You can rest assured about it." This statement is most likely to buttress the ego of the boss. He may even show willingness to review the matter now. == Level headed boss versus level headed subordinate == Most unlikely combo! But if it exists, it is the best for the organization. The subordinate freely and fearlessly discusses what he disagrees with the boss and the boss listens. They exchange ideas, argue with each other and in the end, common sense prevails.

Thus, obviously the one-to-one equation between the boss and the subordinate can offer so much of variety in tackling the conflicts between boss and the subordinate. We have seen only a few combos in the above analysis and as we saw at the beginning, there is scope for so much more combos in the duo. Now coming to generic advice to tackle disagreement with the boss. 1) If you are smart and analytical enough, your strategy should be based on what sort of combo exists between you and the boss in the above examples. 2) Irrespective of whether the boss has an upper hand or you have, the most sensible advice is: never rub at the ego of the boss. Whether smart, meek, idiotic or level headed, every person has his ego and would always like it to be buttressed. Even a cold blooded murderer has a justification for what he did and mostly remains unapologetic at that. Diplomacy is the watch word in dealing with the boss; watch your words. Never utter the following, even if you are 100% justified: "I am more experienced on these matters than you", "I am sorry to say, you are wrong". "My boss in my erstwhile company did the same mistake and he had to regret it for life" 3) Though it is very difficult, try to segregate the issue from the personality. After a heated argument and disagreement in opinions, can you exchange a very pleasant "good morning" with him the next day and cut a joke with him across a cup of coffee at the cafeteria? 4) Avoid back-biting. This is another extremely difficult instinct to curtail. Criticizing and joking about the boss with colleagues in hushed tones during lunch time is the past time for most of us. Beware. There will always be black sheep in the crowd. 5) Put it in writing. If you are 100% sure that your boss' decision or action is detrimental to the overall interest of the company, put it into record by writing in some way - a gist of discussions, or minutes of meeting, or simple hand written notes in the files, or an internal memo, whatever - with the right doze of diplomacy for the boss' review, with a copy marked to his higher ups, if feasible. This way, you make your genuine objections known to the higher powers to whom the boss is answerable. Though the boss may detest such a move, he cannot but take a fresh review to answer likely questions from his higher-ups. Even if the boss bulldozes your objections, your view points are there in the file to save your skin in case of a catastrophe. Who knows, this action may even facilitate your elevation to replace your boss! 6) Never underestimate the clout of a "the seemingly weak" boss. If you have a communication channel to subvert your boss and take recourse to higher-ups, your boss too may have his own, through which he can do damage to your career, by distorting the facts. So, unless you are 100% sure and justified, do not try to subvert your boss. To sum up, in a disagreement with the boss, the one and final test of fire is your honest answer to this question: "Is my objection based on what is good for the organization and not what is good for my selfish motives and egotistic cravings?" How to Bring Out the Best in Your Boss by Liz Wiseman Why do some leaders drain intelligence and capability from their teams while others leaders amplify it? That question prompted me to spend years researching the two types of bosses I now

classify as "diminishers", who get less than 50% of the capability of people around them, and "multipliers" who get virtually 100%, as outlined in my May 2010 HBR article. Diminishers are all too common in the workplace. Analysis I've done with several large companies has shown that approximately 20% of managers are under-utilizing their employees. Five hundred executives enrolled in a recent webinar indicated that an average of 43% of leaders in their organizations qualify as diminishers, compared with 10% per cent for multipliers and 47% who fell in between. And the anecdotal evidence is everywhere. As one frustrated high school science teacher wrote in an email to me: "The principal of our high school is a diminisher. At meetings he does 90% of the talking, always has to have the last word, and will usually say something that puts the listener down. He walks into classrooms while instruction is being given and interjects his thoughts on how the lesson could go differently. How can I help him become a multiplier?" It's important for people in such circumstances to realize they do have the power to fix the problem. While you might not be able to transform your diminisher boss into a multiplier, you certainly can change the dynamic of the relationship. The secret is to multiply up. Most corporate managers are multipliers "down" to their direct reports and staff, but not out to their peers or up to their bosses. Yet, my research has shown that people can serve as multipliers from any direction, even to a diminisher. Here's why: Diminishers want to be valued for their intelligence and ideas; in fact, many are overly fixated on this. Multipliers find other people's genius and engage it. So, instead of trying to change your boss, focus on trying to better utilize your boss. Here are two ways to be a multiplier to your manager and thrive, not just survive. Exploit your boss's strength. Tap into his or her knowledge and skills in service of the work you're leading. You don't need to cede ownership, just use his or her capabilities at key junctures. If she has a critical eye, could you use her to help diagnose an underlying problem in a project? Or, if he's a big-picture thinker, could you have him share his vision to help win over a key customer? Ron, a senior executive widely regarded for his own creative genius, was asked to build a new, highly strategic business for Apple. He could have let Steve Jobs, the company's notoriously hands-on CEO, dictate the details of the project, or he could have tried to keep Jobs out of the process as much as possible. Instead, Ron sought out his insights at critical development points. He took the product design to Jobs and openly asked, "How can we make this even better?" Jobs responded not with criticism, but by rattling off numerous ideas for how good features could become great. Ron allowed his team to do their best work without interference, then used the strengths of his boss to take it to the next level. Even if you don't work for a genius like Steve Jobs, you can do the same. Listen to learn. A common mistake people make in interacting with diminisher bosses is dismissing their criticism too easily. In my years in senior management at Oracle, I watched numerous people present to Larry Ellison, the company's brilliant and often mercurial CEO. Those who struggled (and barely survived) got into intellectual standoffs with him. Those who thrived shared their ideas with confidence, backed them up with data, but then stopped to really listen to Larry's reactions. They didn't do this to placate him or merely to find a better angle for selling their idea. They listened to learn. One of Larry's executive staff said, "Too many people don't take the opportunity to really see what Larry can teach them." If you are stuck working for a diminisher, you can change the dynamic by figuring out how he or she can still help you succeed. Top 8 things your staff hates about you Nashville Business Journal If youve ever been in management, theres a good chance you had pet peeves regarding your staff members. What you may not realize is that your employees probably have a few complaints

themselves. 1. You come to work grumpy. If the moment your staff members see you in the morning, you are rude or give off a negative attitude, it may affect their moods. 2. You micromanage the staff. Attention to detail is a positive trait, but if youre correcting every detail or do everything yourself, youll hurt your performance and that of the team. 3. You dont hold employees accountable. While micromanaging may not be a sound management strategy, its also possible to be too hands off with your staff. 4. You complain about the economy. If youre burdening them with your woes, morale will go down. 5. You bring your personal life to work. Regardless of what is happening in your personal life, keep it separate. 6. You dont deal with problematic employees. In result, others will begin acting like them or youll lose respect. 7. You are always out of the office. Its important that employees are able to count on you for guidance. 8. You overreact when approached with concerns. Its important for staff to know they can come to you with problems and keep you updated. Getting a New Boss? Interview Again for Your Job by Priscilla Claman It's been a recurring phenomenon since the beginning of the recession senior management churn. One of my clients reported to four CEOs in just eighteen months, another to three senior managers in nine months, and another to five directors in three years. What's to blame? Mergers and acquisitions? Changes in strategic direction? Whatever the cause, management churn can cause a work environment to feel chaotic and unpredictable. With such inconsistencies in the upper ranks, is there anything you can do to stabilize your own career? You can start by getting yourself "hired" by your new boss. Ever notice how bosses tend to have the closest relationships with those they hired personally? It's because they know these candidates, and have shared with them the journey of the hiring process. They poured over resumes, established a comfortable mutual relationship during the interview, and made a positive choice to bring them onboard. And the new hire made a positive choice to work with the new manager. Contrast that with being part of the team that just comes with the new territory. If management churn occurs above you, don't wait for the new boss to make the first move or worse go until hiding until the next change in management. My experience with over thirty mergers is that those who keep their heads down lose out, and those who take initiative survive. So take positive action, and get the closest you can to being hired: simulate it. First, make an appointment to meet with your new boss on your own. Even twenty minutes will do. Just be sure you stick to the time frame that has been set. Next, update your resume. Focus this activity on what you have accomplished in your current job. If possible, pull together some samples of your work, which (depending on your job function) could be strategic plans, summaries of reports, designs, presentations, or anything else for which

you were responsible. They should be recent and show what you can accomplish. If PowerPoint decks are a part of your company's culture, develop a four or five slide deck of what you and your team have accomplished recently. Treat the meeting like a job interview; or even a sales call with a major prospective client. Find out what you can about your new boss' interests and her needs. If you aren't sure that you are hitting all your points, try this handy phrase: "Let me tell you a little about..." Use it to introduce any question you would like to answer. For example use, "Let me tell you a little about my background," and you are free to talk about your work history. Or try, "Let me tell you a little about the new products in our pipeline," followed by a presentation of those products. Go over the PowerPoint deck with the new boss, just as you would a sales presentation. Use the resume and work samples as "leave-behinds," saying that you'd be happy to answer any questions about them. In all interactions with your new boss, be positive and future focused. Never bad-mouth your co-workers, your last boss, or senior management. Stay professional. Now briefly, a disclaimer: I find that the higher up you are, the less successful the "rehiring" method is. After all, if you have a C-Suite job, you serve at the pleasure of the CEO. Still, take this approach anyway. How many chances do you get to present yourself in person to a CEO, especially one who has recently been on the job market? Present to as many new (or interim) CEOs as possible. Regardless of his organizational level, follow up with any new manager by connecting online and asking for references and referrals when appropriate. Who knowseven if your new boss moves on, he might have the perfect position for you in his new organization next year. Are You the Boss You Need To Be? How are you doing as a boss? As a leader and manager, someone responsible for the results obtained by others, are you the boss you need to be? Are you getting the best from your people, and from those you need but don't control? Are you fully satisfying the ever-rising expectations of your firm and its customers? Equally important, are you meeting your own expectations? How would you like to work to develop yourself? Are you good enough to achieve your own aspirations? Are you ready for increased responsibility? These are critical questions all bosses must ask if they want to be fully effective. Why? The two of us have spent nearly 60 years in total studying and practicing management, and again and again we've made a troubling observation: Most managers grow and develop to a certain point, and then they stop. They reach the "Plateau of Good Enough." Perhaps they struggled at first as new managers, but they quickly learned how it's done in their organizations, how to cope with the challenges they typically face every day, and they've come to feel comfortable. Unfortunately, they mistake comfort for real competence. They only ask, "Am I good enough?" when they should be asking, "Am I as good as I should be and want to be?" If your answer to the second question is less than an unqualified "Yes!" we hope you'll follow us as we explore here what it means to be a great boss the boss you want and need to be. In particular, we're going to explore three critical areas: What's required to become a great boss. It's a difficult journey that requires years, not weeks or months, of learning and steady personal growth. It's difficult because most of your learning will come from your own experience, and so it will at times be painful.

What effective bosses actually do. You cannot learn if you don't know where you need to go. You need benchmarks to measure yourself against. Here we will focus on what we call the "3 Imperatives": Manage yourself, Manage Your Network, and Manage Your Team. Those are not only the three areas in which we've seen managers again and again fall short, they are also the basic ways bosses do their most fundamental task of influencing others. The 3 Imperatives are the heart of management and leadership, an action-oriented framework that encompass everything essential to being a great boss. How you can assess where you currently are. Understanding the journey and knowing what great bosses do aren't enough. The real question is this: how do you make progress on your own journey? The answer is simple in concept but difficult to do. All progress begins with a good understanding of where you currently stand. To assess yourself not once but continually, you must hone such personal skills and practices as regular reflection, honest self-assessment, the ability to admit and learn from mistakes, and the willingness to seek and absorb candid feedback. All these areas present daunting challenges for managers at all levels who are determined to make progress on their journey to mastery. As we explore different facets of becoming a great boss, we hope to hear from all of you who are facing the challenges and making progress. We hope you'll share your reactions, thoughts, experiences, and stories of what has worked for you and what hasn't, lessons you've learned, along with tips and techniques you've found helpful. There is much you can teach us and each other.

CAREER CHANGE
The 10-Step Plan to Career Change QuintCareers print-friendly Printer-Friendly Version by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. How does it happen? Perhaps you just begin to lose interest. Perhaps you find something that interests you more. Perhaps your company is downsizing. These are just some of the numerous reasons people find themselves on that precipitous cliff looking back on their career just as the dirt begins to crumble beneath them. Are you facing that career change plunge? Do you wish you were? Take it slowly and make sure what you really want to do is change careers. Then use this 10-step plan, and you will be on much more sure footing -- and on a path toward career change success. Finally, remember that career change is a natural life progression; most studies show that the average job-seeker will change careers (not jobs) several times over the course of his or her lifetime. Step 1: Assessment of Likes and Dislikes. A lot of people change careers because they dislike their job, their boss, their company. So, identifying the dislikes is often the easier part of this step; however, you will not know what direction to change your career unless you examine your likes. What do you really like doing when you're at work, when you're at home - in your spare time. What excites you and energizes you? What's your passion? If you're really unsure, consider taking one of more of these career assessments. The key is spending some time rediscovering yourself -- and using your self-assessment to direct your new career search. Step 2: Researching New Careers. Once you've discovered (or rediscovered) your passion, spend some time researching the types of careers that center around your passions. Don't worry if you're feeling a bit unsure or insecure -- it's a natural part of the career change process. How much research you do also partly depends on how much of a change you're making; for example,

changing from a teacher to a corporate trainer versus switching from a nurse to a Web designer. Step 3: Transferable Skills. Leverage some of your current skills and experiences to your new career. There are many skills (such as communications, leadership, planning, and others) that are transferable and applicable to what you want to do in your new career. You may be surprised to see that you already have a solid amount of experience for your new career. Step 4: Training and Education. You may find it necessary to update your skills and broaden your knowledge. Take it slowly. If the skill you need to learn is one you could use in your current job, see if your current employer would be willing to pick up the tab. And start slowly. Take a course or two to ensure you really like the subject matter. If you are going for a new degree or certification, make sure you check the accreditation of the school, and get some information about placement successes. Step 5: Networking. One of the real keys to successfully changing careers will be your networking abilities. People in your network may be able to give you job leads, offer you advice and information about a particular company or industry, and introduce you to others so that you can expand your network. Even if you don't think you already have a network, you probably do consider colleagues, friends, and family members. You can broaden your network through joining professional organizations in your new field and contacting alumni from your college who are working in the field you want to enter. A key tool of networking is conducting informational interviews. Step 6: Gaining Experience. Remember that, in a sense, you are starting your career again from square one. Obtaining a part-time job or volunteering in your new career field not only can solidify your decision, but give you much needed experience in your new career. You might also want to consider temping in your new field. Work weekends, nights, whatever it takes to gain the experience. Step 7: Find a Mentor. Changing careers is a major life decision that can get overwhelming at times. Find a mentor who can help you through the rough patches. Your mentor may also be able to help you by taking advantage of his or her network. A mentor doesn't have to be a highly placed individual, though the more powerful the mentor, the more success you may have in using that power to your advantage. Step 8: Changing In or Out. Some people change careers, but never change employers. Unfortunately, only the very progressive employers recognize that once happy employees can be happy and productive again - in a different capacity. It's more than likely that you will need to switch employers to change fields, but don't overlook your current employer. Remember not to start asking about a job switch until you are completely ready to do so. Step 9: Job-Hunting Basics. If it's been a while since you've had to use your job-hunting tools and skills. Step 10: Be Flexible. You'll need to be flexible about nearly everything - from your employment status to relocation and salary. Set positive goals for yourself, but expect setbacks and change and don't let these things get you down. Besides totally new careers, you might also consider a lateral move that could serve as a springboard for a bigger career change. You might also consider starting your own business or consulting as other avenues. Changing Careers in Midstream Career Change Options By Alison Doyle One thing that these career changers have in common is that they were willing to take a risk. The

other common factor is that all of them made a conscious decision not to worry about where their next paycheck was coming from. They were willing to cut costs wherever they could, use unemployment or savings to supplement their income, or lack of it, and were willing to try something new. It's not easy to walk away from a stable paycheck and job security. Sometimes it takes a push, like a layoff, to move you in the right direction. It can though, give you a shot at a new career and new life, further along in life than for most people who are choosing career options. If you're not in a position to simply up and leave your job to start over, there are other options. Consider how you do could work that interests you, and build your resume, while maintaining your current position: * Volunteer * Get a part-time job in your field(s) of interest * Pick up a freelance job or two * Use your vacation time to explore other industries or career field * Take college courses or vocational courses to expand your knowledge and skills Remember, how volunteering turned into a full-time job at the animal shelter? In many cases, a volunteer experience, internship or part-time job can help you transition to a full-time career opportunity. If you're brave enough to consider giving up your day job to start a new career or new business, there are ways you can make extra money to supplement your perhaps smaller paycheck. You could work a second job, do freelance or temp work, and cut your expenses. The savings from skipping that cup of coffee you buy every morning or going out to dinner on a regular basis can add up fast. Create a budget that seems feasible and see if you can manage to get by without a paycheck or with a smaller one. Remember, we spend a good portion of our life working and it's important to make sure that what we do is meaningful and fufilling. Regardless of your current job, take time to mull over whether what you're doing is what you want to be doing. If not, consider how to take another career path. You never know where you might end up! 10 Steps to a Successful Career Change From Mike Profita Ten Steps to a Successful Career Change 1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Which aspects of your current job do you like/dislike? Are your dissatisfactions related to the content of your work your company culture or the people with whom you work? 2. Assess your interests, values and skills through self help resources like the exercises in What Color is Your Parachute. Review past successful roles, volunteer work, projects and jobs to identify preferred activities and skills. Determine whether your core values and skills are addressed through your current career. 3. Brainstorm ideas for career alternatives by discussing your core values/skills with friends, family, networking contacts and counselors. Visit career libraries and use online resources like those found in the Career Advice section of the Job Search website. 4. Conduct a preliminary comparative evaluation of several fields to identify a few targets for in

depth research. 5. Read as much as you can about those fields and reach out to personal contacts in those arenas for informational interviews. 6. Shadow professionals in fields of primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days job shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. Your college Career Office is a good place to find alumni volunteers who are willing to host job shadowers. 7. Identify volunteer and freelance activities related to your target field to test your interest e.g. if you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing the PTA newsletter. If you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter. 8. Investigate educational opportunities that would bridge your background to your new field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college. Spend some time at one day or weekend seminars. Contact professional groups in your target field for suggestions. 9. Look for ways to develop new skills in your current job which would pave the way for a change e.g. offer to write a grant proposal if grant writing is valued in your new field. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can. 10. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have e.g. If you are a store manger for a large retail chain and have grown tired of the evening and weekend hours consider a move to corporate recruiting within the retail industry. Or if you are a programmer who doesn't want to program, consider technical sales or project management. Unconventional Midlife Career Change Tips The following are six unconvential mid-life career change change tips based on the premise that key to a successful career change transition is the integration of work, life and financial goals. * Unconvential Tip #1 Each day you remain at a like because it is not fulfilling your financial goals is another day you postpone your financial freedom. If youre over 40 you probably already recognize that making a career change when youre young is a lot easier than making a career change when youre older. Typically, the older you are the more youve invested in your current career and the more you potentially have to lose. Many mid-life career professionals remained in careers that were not fulfilling because they felt that their job was satisfactory. If this sounds like you dont let fears cause to stay in a job that isnt satifying your long term financial objectives. The risks of staying in a career that are not meeting your financial goals are often greater than the financial risks of making a strategic move to a career that you enjoy more and has the longer-term potential you desire. * Unconvential Tip #2 Tip number two is not to believe that if you love what youre doing youre bound to make money. While there is quite a bit of wisdom in the maxim Do What You Love, there is not a direct correlation between loving your job and meeting your financial goals. If money is an important consideration in your career change make sure that you thoroughly research your new career to make sure that if you become the best at what you do that the money will follow. * Unconvential Tip #3

The third unconventional mid-life career change tip is to focus on money issues not work issues. When making a mid-life career change it is important to thoroughly explore your new career to ensure that its going to be professionally and that youre qualified for the job. However, no matter how much you feel youre going to enjoy a career change and no matter how qualified you feel for a new position dont hand in your resignation until at your current job until youve solidified your financial future. No matter how much planning you do you can anticipate everything that is going to occur down the road. If you taking a large financial risk by making a career change you may just find yourself in the exact same position in the future just 10 years older without the financial resources to make another career change. * Unconvential Tip #4 Unconventional tip number four is to make sure you understand that the reason for disatisfaction with a career usually lies within. A lot of people report a bad boss, bad company, bad economy or bad work environment as their reason for job dissatisfaction when in reality theyre just ready for a change. Many people simply feel the need to pursue a mid-life career change in order to experience new things and to grow. Theres nothing wrong with this. Just make sure you know why youre seeking a career change. If you blame a career change on factors not truly responsible for your desire to change careers you may find yourself in a career with a great boss, with good company, in a good economy that still doesnt satisfy you. * Unconvential Tip #5 The fifth tip is to not be hasty. Ever heard the maxim haste makes waste? Well it applies to making a career change as well. Make sure you thoroughly explore your feelings of dissatisfaction with your current career before you start looking for solutions. One of the biggest mistakes that career changers make is that they rush into a career changing expecting their frustrations to be miraculously resolved. Many times these individuals find themselves in a new career experiencing the same frustrations as they experienced in their previous career. * Unconvential Tip #6 The sixth unconventional mid-life career change tip is to recognize that you need both a sound career plan and financial plan to have a successful mid-life career change experience. Career planning in and of itself is not enough to ensure a successful career change. Most people pursuing a career change cannot control all of the factors affecting future job satisfaction. In reality there are likely going to be aspects of a new career that are not satisfying. Financial planning by itself is not enough to ensure a successful career change. While many of us proclaim to be motivate by money, very few of us actually feel inspired by money to work at a job that is not fulfilling. Career planning combined with financial planning is the key to orchestrating a successful career change. When you have financial freedom all sorts of exciting career possibilities open up to you. Those who are able to gain significant amounts of financial freedom are able to change careers multiple times if they so choose. Find a career that you enjoy that provides you the ability to acheive financial freedom. Career Change Do's and Don'ts QuintCareers print-friendly Printer-Friendly Version by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. Here are the keys to successfully changing careers. Follow these career-change rules and you should achieve success in contemplating changing careers -- and in your career change. * Do have a well-developed plan for making your career change. And don't rush into a career change until you have thought it out and developed a strategy.

* Don't worry if you feel a bit insecure or unsure about making a career change; these feelings are normal. * Do expect to put in a great deal of time and effort in making the switch from one career to another, but don't allow yourself to get discouraged at the pace or your progresschanging careers takes time. * Don't rush into a new career field because you are dissatisfied or disillusioned with your current job, boss, company, or career field. * Do take the time to examine the activities that you like and dislike, with more focus on your likes. And do focus on new careers that center around your likes and passions. # Do leverage some of your current skills and experiences to your new career by taking advantage of your transferable skills. # Don't limit yourself to similar careers or jobs when making a career change; look for careers that take advantage of both your skills and your interests. # Do consider the possibility that you will need to get additional training or education to gain the skills you need to be competitive in your new career field, but don't jump headfirst into an educational programstart slowly. # Do take advantage of all your networking potential, including using your current network of contacts, conducting informational interviews with key employers in your new career field, and joining professional organizations in your new career field. # Don't forget to take advantage of the career and alumni offices from your previous educational experiences as well as your current school (if you are going back for additional education or training). # Do gain experience in your new career field, ideally while you are still working in your current job. Volunteer or find a part-time job in your new career field -- thus building experience, confidence, and contacts in your new field. # Don't go it alone; do find a mentor. Changing careers is challenging, and you really need to have someone who can help motivate you and keep you focused on your goal when you get discouraged. # Do brush up on all aspects of job-hunting, especially if you haven't had a need to use those skills recently. And do take advantage of all career change resources. # Do take advantage of all the career change advice available in these career change books. # Above all else, do be flexible. You're basically starting your career anew, which means you may have to make concessions about job titles, salary, relocation, etc. Career Change Decision Making Remember This Vital Piece Preparing for a career change? In getting ready for your career change decision making has probably played a big part in your ticking off some or all of the boxes. * - You know what your strengths and weaknesses are * - You've done career decision tests, used the online tools

* - You know the categories you fit into because you've done the psychometric and personality testing * - You've realised what you are passionate about

You've probably even checked out the things not to do, and you're not doing those! * - You know the direction you want to be moving in * - You've discussed your career change decision making with lots of people * - You're ready to get some Professional Resume advice and guidelines * - You even feel motivated You're ready! And yet, somehow, you're not quite there. How do I know? Because you're reading this! There is something causing you to hesitate. There is something that's not quite right. You may not be quite sure what it is. You can't quite put your finger on it. Career Change Decision "Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else." James M. Barrie

There is always that question, "Is this the right thing for me?" There are two things to be addressed in this question, 'the right thing' and 'me'. What if it is a myth that there is a right thing for you to be doing? It's well-recognised that men and women who change careers may be no better off in the new job, because they bring their problems with them. Think about it this way. People who are successful in their lives are operating in the direction of Be - Do - Have. They set themselves up to be who they most want to be. Then they do the things that they need to do (including career change decision making!), so that they can have the things they want. Most people are trying in vain to do it the other way around. They think that if they can find the right thing to do, then they will be... content... happy... satisfied... (you fill in the word). Reason For A Career Change Decision making for these folks is organised in the direction of Have - Do - Be scenarios. When they have the things they want, (and these are typically time and money), then they will do the things they really like to be doing. Then they can be fulfilled and have the life of their dreams. This

leads them to change career trying to find that thing to do, so that they can be ok. Which brings us to the second point. Do you know who the 'me' is that you are trying to find the right thing for? And I don't just mean your name, or your job description. (There are some people who confuse who they are with what they do, 'I am a doctor', 'I am a postman'). This is where the idea that "a career change will be good because I can change who I am" comes from. It's the basis for much of the career change decision making done at the time of a mid life crisis. The Vital Element In any situation that you find yourself in, one thing is always true. You are there. You are the one thing that is common in all areas of your life. If you're not leveraging yourself, you're not getting the best out of the situation. If you do not learn how to use who you are, you're not using the most powerful resource that you have. This idea was central to my own career change decision making when it came to my changing career from Plastic Surgery to studying human functioning and communication. Are You Using Yours? Is your sense of yourself tied up with things around you, material things, events, people you hang out with? Or do you have a deep felt inner sense of knowing absolutely who you are, and that you are okay? And that you are moving in the right direction for you, regardless of what's happening around you? Many people are doing things so that they can feel good about themselves. And they think that if they can find the right thing for them to be doing, THEN their life will be okay. And there are people who are 30, 40, 50 or older, who are spending their whole lives doing just this. And because the current career is not giving them what they want, they consider that if they make a different choice and change careers, then things will be different for them. Even people who work as doctors, medical students and lawyers, which are considered highly desirable positions, are caught in this loop. I'm not suggesting that you should not continue with your career change decision making. There are lots of things to consider. And an important one of these is that a different starting point will give you that edge that will make all the difference for you. Adding it in... Most people are doing things to generate that inner sense of being satisfied, fulfilled and successful. What if you start with success in place? Then you would organize your career change decision making and ideas so that you can keep it! This, of course, is the opposite way to which most people who want to change their careers are going about it. This is definitely not a quick fix. I'm talking about establsihing who you are first. Choosing to organize your career change in this way means that you get to have a life. A life that works... a life that's worth having...

Can You Change Your Career After 40? Changing your career at any age can be a little nerve rattling; however, as adults approach the age of 40 several factors keep many in jobs they would otherwise let go. These factors include age discrimination, opportunity to further education, financial resources, and much needed encouragement to get started. After working with people in their careers for over 20 years I have seen numerous people successfully change careers after 40. The key to these changes has often entailed: 1. Taking an inventory of skills Here is a simple way for you to get started. Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a very large T on the paper. Write on the left side of the T, skills or jobs you have most enjoyed over the years. On the other half of the T, skills or jobs you did not enjoy. Consider your past work history, hobbies, and volunteer experiences when filling in your "T" area. Here are a few examples: Working with people, leisure activities, working with things, data, instructing others, artistic, mechanical, scientific, managing, influencing, sales, working with your hands, job location. Be as specific as you can with your likes and dislikes. For a more precise tool in determining careers that you may be compatible with, see three examples of interest inventories and a fun career quizzes booklet on our special offer to individuals page. Also get the Quick Job Search Guide With it! Click here to go to our Special Offers Page. Here's is another handy job search tool, Your Next Career Move, by Gail Geary, JD. It provides lots of practical advice to help you succeed in the after 40 job market. Click here to learn more about this inspiring book. 2. To get additional career ideas Research the classified Ads - Even consider local businesses that you feel you would enjoy working at or even owning. Then make a note of them, and add them to your list of potential careers to further research. In the Millennium new career opportunities are opening up everyday, and many new small businesses are emerging! Consider how you may use your skills and expertise to take advantage of this growing need in society. Working from your home and starting out small can be fun, too. 3. Choose a career you can enjoy, not one that is only directed at making money You will need passion and enthusiasm to learn new things, and to push yourself to greater heights. The more you enjoy the work you choose, the more time you will spend at it. This can help you increase your income potential in the long run. Why not create a life based on the best person you want to be not what someone else tells you to be. Life really can be fun if you create income based on what you truly enjoy doing. 4. After researching careers you find interesting, narrow down your career selections. Learn more about each career you find interesting. Helpful books for in-depth career research can be located at your local library or on-line. These books include: The Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook, The O*NET Dictionary of Occupational Titles, The Guide for Occupational Exploration (EGOE or GOE abbreviated) or the New Guide for Occupational Exploration. The O*NET Dictionary of Occupational Titles is the standard of the industry at this time for research in occupations.

Click on the links above to see what these books look like so you have an idea when you go to your local library. Or you can click on the links below to go to these sites on-line to further research careers that that you may be better suited to. These occupational reference books show specific's about an occupation; necessary skills, necessary education, basic salary ranges and much more. So referencing these important guides can give you a better idea of what can be expected and skills necessary for a particular occupation. The Occupational Outlook Handbook http://stats.bls.gov/oco/home.htm (OOH) Online, O*NET Online http://online.onetcenter.org/ 5. Paint a clear picture in your mind of what it is you really would choose to do in your career. It is very important to paint a picture in your mind of the career you would like. Be very specific, right down to how close the your job is to you, along with the amount of income you would like to earn from it, down to what your office looks like, whether it is indoors or outdoors, the kind of people you would like to work around. Paint every tiny detail in your picture in your mind of your idea career, a career that you can really love. A clear picture in your mind of what you like to do will bring it to you faster, as you are the instrument that brings change to your life. See yourself doing it already, put forth strong emotion in your thoughts when you think about it, as again, you ARE the instrument that brings change to your life. So the better you research your likes and dislikes, and the specific's of certain occupations, you can then choose better what it is you would like to do, as well, pin-pointing a career you can love will help to give you clarity in bringing it to your life. See our special offers page for an interest inventory that can help you to narrow down occupations that you may be better be suited, or look on-line for one. Perhaps you already have a career in mind, in that case you are already on your way. 6. Put your plan together Take time to put your plan together now that you've done your research. Do you need more education, additional financial resources, a new resume, support from your family members, an intermediate job? Write a plan of action and then follow it step by step. 7. Financial Resources If you're struggling for income don't forget some companies have opportunities for career transition within a company, ask the human resources office if any such program exist within your company. As well, you may want to look into government grants or other government programs for financial/educational opportunities. Our government has many programs to help those out financially and educationally to promote growth in each economic development area. Ask your local workforce Center or One-Stop Center for more information on local government sponsored programs. Research on-line for possible grants that may apply to you. Changing your career at 40 is very possible. Remember changing your career can also include starting your own business. Focus on the skills you enjoy using the most, and build a career based solidly on your likes. Changing a career is a process that can be fun, self awakening, and can give you a new zeal for living. Get started today and ask the people who care the most about you to give you the support you need. Also after you get done reading this article I would also highly recommend you read another

exceptional article on career changing later in life by Sue Fredrick called "Using your Pain as Fuel." Truly inspiring and very helpful. Also if you are needing serious help one-on-one career counseling you may also want contact this site Brilliant Work click here. You can also check with other Career Counselors on-line. If you need further help contact your local college and ask if they provide career counseling or consult the yellow pages and look under vocational counseling or career counseling. Make Career Change Work For You! By Marcia Zidle on October 16, 2010 Are you looking for more than just a better job? Rather, youre seeking a more rewarding profession, one that better aligns with your skills, interests, values, and plans for the future. It will not happen overnight. It will take reflection, planning and motivation. Here are five tips for making the transition into a new, rewarding career. 1. First be sure of your reasons. Just because youre unhappy in your current job isnt a strong enough reason to make a total career break. Carefully analyze whether it is your actual career you dislike or whether the problem is your employer, supervisor, or workplace environment. If youre unhappy with your boss or the politics of the job, an option is to stay with your career choice and try to find another department or division to work in. However, after much soul searching, you truly feel you would be happier in another career, then start looking. 2. Decide whats important. Take an honest inventory of your likes and dislikes, and evaluate your skills, values, and personal interests. You may want to consider consulting a career coach or taking a career assessment to determine what is the right career for you. Many people who want to change careers do so to find a balance between their personal and professional lives; to get the juices flowing again; or to achieve a better mix of meaning, money and motivation. 3. Check your qualifications. Do you have the necessary experience and education to be considered a qualified candidate in another career field? If not, then find a way to bridge the credentials gap. This might mean making your goal more long-term while you go back to school or receive additional training. Also, dont expect to begin at the same level of seniority in your new career that you held in your old one. You probably will have to take a lower level job to gain the requisite skills and then move up the ranks. You must realize that its not starting at the bottom but really starting from a place that will give you mobility for career growth and, most importantly, career satisfaction. 4. Look before you leap. Be sure to examine all possibilities before attempting a career change. Do information interviewing with people who are actually in that career field. Test the waters to see if you would like that work by volunteering or by doing free lance work. You can also meet with a career management professional to guide you so that you make a wise career choice. You do not want to jump from the frying pan (your present career) into the fire (a career that does not meet your expectations). 5. Update your job search skills. When was the last time you looked for a job? If its been 5, 10 or more years ago, then it is especially important to polish up your job-hunting skills and techniques before you get out there. Ive seen too many good people fail because they made the following mistakes:

They quickly put a resume together without focusing on what they are selling; they primarily looked on line for open positions rather than networking; they did not prepare for each interview thinking they can wing it; and they felt uncomfortable in self promotion (its on my resume, why do I have to explain what I did?) Keep in mind that a successful career change can take several months, or longer, to accomplish. the keys are specific plan, a lot of patience and an attitude of perseverance. Job Satisfaction: Is it Time to Stay or Leave? By Marcia Zidle on November 4, 2010 Have you lost that loving feeling? Youve survived the layoffs, cut wages, reorganizations and other company changes. Youre stressed out, fed up and ready to bolt. On the other hand, the economy is going nowhere, the analysts arent sure if were in recovery, recession or something in-between and youre being told you have a job, be happy. So, should you stay or leave? Before you make that critical career decision, take a deep breath, assess your situation and do a cost benefit analysis. First, consider the reasons to stay. For example: 1. Relationships matter more than money. You may think you can find a job that will pay you more, but you will be leaving behind a wealth of relationships. When weighing your options, dont forget the value of the network, the friends and professional colleagues you have now. 2. You are doing well compared to your peers. Research shows that many people under estimate their skills and their prospects and over estimate others. Take the time to do a realistic assessment of what you have to offer and its value in todays marketplace. 3. The grass is not always greener. People, who are desperate to get out of a job, tend to see potential opportunities only outside their company. They enthusiastically take a new job and then realize theyve gone from the preverbal frying pan into the fire. Now, consider the reasons to leave. For example: 1. Your relationship with your boss is damaged beyond repair. You have tried to mend it but youre getting stonewalled. Yes, she may be a jerk but she is the boss and in a power struggle, you will probably lose. 2. Your values are at odds with the culture. For example, your company is hierarchical and you want more influence over your job. Its very hard for one person to change a culture unless hes the CEO or has been brought in to change things. 3. Your stress level is way off the charts. Its affecting your physical or mental health and your relationships with family and friends. Youre burnt out, burnt up and dread going to work. Leave Your Job the Classy Way by Priscilla Claman I'll never forget the Vice President of Sales who after only five days on the job sent a

company-wide email calling all his coworkers "complete idiots," swearing at senior management, and declaring he was walking out then and there. After that email, about 950 people who barely knew his name would forever remember him as "that guy who crashed and burned after only one week." This is the worst possible way to leave a job. This VP of Sales won't get a reference, won't be eligible for rehire, and will seal his reputation to throngs of former coworkers as the guy who lost it and walked off the job. Although sometimes it's difficult to resist going out with a bang especially if your departure is forced it's always in your best interest to part ways on good terms with the people you've worked with. If flaming out is the worst way to leave a job, fading out is the second. Don't just disappear into the sunset without taking the opportunity to maintain relationships with your work colleagues. It doesn't matter whether you were laid off, fired, or moved on to another job take the time to personally thank the people who helped you. Be sincere, because overdoing it will appear fake. A good motivator is that relationships with past coworkers will last far beyond a particular job. Someone I fired years ago just bought me lunch to talk over his latest business opportunity. A person I laid off always checks in for the latest Human Resources gossip. We continue to help each other. Networking relationships shouldn't be the only takeaway from your previous job. What samples of your work should you take with you? If you are a web designer, writer, training professional, communications expert, or marketing manager you will need samples of your work, which are much harder to get once you have left. Of course, don't walk off with strategic plans or trade secrets, or you'll be in serious trouble. Not classy. If you manage vendors or contractors, take their contact information with you too. Vendors always have a self interest in making sure you are gainfully employed, but clients are a little different. If you have had a client-intensive job and have close client relationships, it's important to ask if you can help introduce your customers to their new company representative. Even though most times you won't be taken up on it, it's the admirable thing to do. Just don't take client lists or proprietary client information with you. If there are particular clients you consider friends, in this highlyconnected world it's easy to find them. Finally, take a copy of what I like to call your Smile File. Everyone should have one: complementary emails from clients and colleagues, thank-you notes from your boss's boss, good reviews from your boss that kind of thing. You can never tell when you might need that information. Periodically you should read through the file and smile. It will remind you of who you are. The moral of this story is this: Resist the impulse to vent your frustration when you leave a job, but don't slink off with your tail between your legs, either. Think of leaving a job as an opportunity to take important relationships forward into the next phase of your career, and to demonstrate what you have accomplished and what your work means to others. Financial Considerations When Changing Jobs Taking the Right Steps Before Changing Jobs Can Keep Your Finances in Order By Jeremy Vohwinkle Whether its a planned job change or a sudden job loss, planning ahead can save you from heading into a financial disaster. Changing jobs or your entire career is an exciting, and possibly frightening journey. During this transition, it can be easy to overlook some basic financial issues that can end up costing you. Planning Ahead

Even if you arent actively seeking new employment, it pays to stay on top of your resume and skills. If youve been working in the same field for a number of years, it may be difficult to go back and think of accomplishments or other things youve learned. So, if you regularly maintain and update your resume, certifications, and contact list, youll be prepared to quickly take that first step in seeking out a new job when the time comes. Youll also want to take advantage of your benefits if you currently have them through your employer. For example, if you currently have vision coverage, but think that your next job might not offer it, or it might cost too much, consider getting your annual eye exam, glasses, or contacts before you leave and are no longer on the plan. Thinking ahead with opportunities and benefits currently available to you will help make sure youre not stuck after changing jobs. Check if Youre Vested If youre fortunate enough to have a pension plan at your existing job, nows a good time to double check the vesting schedule. Are you vested? If not, how much longer do you need to work to become vested? If you are, how much will your benefit be? The last thing you want to do is find out that you left your job with only a few months until you became fully vested. That could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement benefits. This goes for 401(k) or other retirement plans that have a company match. Most employers have a vesting schedule tied to the match, and it would be a shame to leave just prior to becoming fully vested. So, take the time to double check the vesting schedules and make sure you wont be giving up unnecessary money. Consider a Rollover of Retirement Assets Once you leave an employer, retirement accounts such as a 401(k) are generally available to you. One of the best things you can do is to roll it over into an IRA. As long as you remain invested in your employers plan, youre bound by their plan terms and whatever investments they choose to use. When you move to an IRA, you have much more flexibility. In addition, youll want to check if there are any restrictions or time limits on your funds. In some plans, if your vested balance is under a certain amount, they will automatically issue a lump sum payment if you dont roll it over within a certain amount of time. If this happens, they will withhold 20% for taxes and 10% for an early withdrawal penalty if youre under age 59 1/2. The biggest reason to roll over your retirement account is that you can continue delaying taxes. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to unnecessarily cash out their 401(k) when they leave their job. This creates a significant tax burden, and really sets your retirement savings back. Keep a Savings Cushion Even when youre planning for a job change, having a safety net of cash set aside to help through the transition is a good idea since there can still be a few weeks where you may not receive a pay check. The last thing you want to do is to find yourself unprepared and have to rely on high interest credit cards to get you through the transition. Start by creating an emergency fund as soon as possible. Its always good to have an emergency fund, but making sure youre prepared during a job transition is when its especially important. You should focus on keeping this savings in something relatively liquid such as a savings account or money market so that its easily accessible if you need it. How to Investigate a Potential Employers Financial Stability Why Its Important to Learn About a Potential Employers Financial Status Before seriously considering a new job especially if you would be voluntarily leaving a job to take another one that appears better learn everything you can about a companys financial

condition. Many job seekers in this recession have found a job, only to be laid off again. Sometimes, it was avoidable with a bit of research that pointed to red flags, Pounds explains. Questions to Ask About a Companys Financial Status Pounds encourages job seekers to ask employers questions about revenue and year-over-year growth to achieve a better understanding of the companys financial status. Many job seekers feel uncomfortable posing such questions, but as long as you ask them diplomatically, an upfront business owner or manager will credit you for being thorough, she says. Other Ways to Learn Vital Information About a Company For Which You May Want To Work For job seekers who are still hesitant to engage in such a discussion or are unable to get straight answers from employers, Pounds recommends some additional strategies for obtaining key information: * For public companies, you can get a snapshot of financials through their required filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Look at the companys revenues and earnings, and compare them with a year earlier. Look at the trend over five years. Recognize, of course, that nearly every company took a hit in the recession in 20082009. Has the company started to recover since then? * Do an Internet search to see what has been written about the company, especially in the archives of a local newspaper, which may offer more information. Consider Possibility Company Is Buying Another or Being Bought By Another Is the potential employer in acquisition mode? That could be a good sign, showing that the company is positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace. But also realize that acquisitions and mergers mean the company will likely be reorganizing certain departments for synergies, which usually results in layoffs somewhere in the combined companies. Ten Internet Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Job Search Doing a background search on the name at the top of a resume takes an average of 0.15 seconds. With a few clicks, a potential employer can find someones sexual preference, religion, what they do on weekends, and much more. Before your resume is cold on their desk, a prospective employer can know more about you than a longtime friend. And this knowledge might include a slew of reasons not to hire you. Heres a list of the ten worst web mistakes that can keep you from landing a job. They include the most common, along with a few you never may have guessed. 1. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Mistakes Everyone likes to have a good time, yet a single picture of too good of a time can keep you from landing a job. Whether out for a drink with a few buddies or even sharing a kiss with your spouse, pictures only capture a fraction of a second and are left open to interpretation. An example of the harm a photo can do is that a professional Olympian was forced to quit the American snowboarding team after inappropriate photos of him surfaced. The photos were clearly intended as a joke, but the harm was done, nonetheless. If you need a little help determining what is inappropriate, click on this Cracked.com article for great examples of what not to do. That photo of you in your Halloween costume may not be as cute as you think.

Bottom line: if unsure, dont post. 2. To Blog or Not to Blog? A professional blog that showcases knowledge and talent can actually help you land a job. But a blog can also cause one to lose a job or not get one. Be extremely cautious when blogging about your present, former, or prospective employer or your job search. 3. Facebook = Firedbook? A helpful feature of Facebook is privacy controls that allow you to restrict full access to your profile to only your friends. However, some information is still publicly available. Facebook can also be a problem if you friend people who can bring trouble for you. For example, an office back stab is even easier to do when its over the web, and friending a boss or coworker can be risky. 4. Twitter is Quicker Potentially keeping you from landing a job in 140 characters or less is Twitter, the micro-blogging sensation. Unlike Facebook, a Twitter account can be seen by anyone. Because messages, or tweets, are so easy to post and so short, a prospective boss can skim through feeds in no time and find any mistakes youve made that may keep you from landing a job. This can include pictures, graphic language, messages from your friends, and more. For information on how to make your Twitter account private, click here. 5. But I Only Use Twitter For Good Thats what Virginia thought when she interviewed at her dream job at Peoples Revolution, a high end public relations firm seen on MTV and Bravo. She was so excited about landing the job, she tweeted the experience to all of her friends. Shortly after her interview, an employee at the firm did a random search for Peoples Revolution and found the tweets. Although noting negative was said by Virginia, the prospective employer said privacy and confidentiality was too important to them. Although Virginia seemed certain to the land the job, Peoples Revolution ended up calling her shortly after to withdraw the offer because of her tweet. 6. Keep Your Comments To Yourself You may not be internet friends with someone who can keep you from landing a job, but one of your friends may be. A not-so-innocent comment can do more damage than you realize. In one story, an employee told a friend he planned to quit his job just as he was typing his two week notice. The friend then posted: Congratulations! Youve finally told that jerk to take this job and shove it! It goes without saying that after the boss who was friends with the friend read it, the two week notice then became unnecessary. 7. Lies Are Now Harder to Cover Up Have you padded your resume? Did you say you worked at a company you never truly did work for? The Internet may make it much easier for a prospective employer to track down someone there who will deny you ever worked there. 8. Pay Your Debt Many employers run background checks of employees to see if they are a good fit. If you have any outstanding criminal issues, such as an arrest warrant for failure to appear, pay fines, etc., it can definitely keep you from landing a job. If you think an arrest warrant is like a bully that will go away if you ignore it, ignore it, think again. This site discusses how to see if you have an outstanding warrant. 9. Check Yourself Before someone else wrecks you and keeps you from landing a job, investigate yourself online. An identity theft, ex-lover, or just about anyone can post anything using your name. If you find something unflattering, contact the webmaster to have it removed or at the very least censored to include only initials and one of those black squares if it is a picture. However, if your name is something like John Smith, you can face a whole new set of challenges, due to the likelihood

someone else with your name may make you look bad. 10. Beat Them to the Punch What to do if your name is John Smith or you are unable to remove something unwanted? Google now allows users to create their very own profile on their site. The page is actually similar to Facebook. Unlike FB, it allows you to control how you appear in Google. The page can include correct information, links, and photos.

CAREER PLANNING
Whos Responsible For Your Career? By Marcia Zidle on October 4, 2010 Many think of it as a 50-50 arrangement. I carry 50% of the responsibility for my career development and my employer carries 50%. Yes, in theory, but not in reality. Heres the rub. What an employer considers 50%, you may consider only 10% and be dissatisfied. And what you feel is your 50% contribution, may be considered a measly 20% by your employers. This leads to mismatched expectations and employee/employer frustrations. The Bottom Line: If you are concerned about your career advancement, as you should be, then take complete ownership of it. These are some of the things you could do to take charge of your career: 1. Build your career capital. Career capital consists of your qualifications, experience and reputation. It requires investments of time and resources to grow. Find workshops and trainings that would enhance your capabilities. Dont assume your organization has no money for professional development you wont know unless you ask. However, you may need to do it on your own time or even with some of your own money. Realize this is an investment in your future. 2. Be known and be seen. Take the initiative. Ask your manager for the opportunity to lead a task force or take on a project outside of your job duties. For example, head a committee recommending personnel policy changes, facilitate the next staff meeting or make a presentation to upper management or the board. Its not only who you know or who knows you but, most importantly, who knows and is impressed by what you can do. 3. Find a mentor. You need to have someone who can introduce you to people, give you strategic career advice and help you learn from his or her mistakes. Mentors dont have to be in your organization. Look around your community. Who is doing interesting work? Who inspires you? Develop a relationship first before popping the mentor question. 4. Work with a coach. While a mentor can help build your network and give advice, a coach can build your skills and help you develop a winning career strategy. That person can also work with you on the leadership or managerial challenges youre currently facing so that you dont make career fatal mistakes. 5. Above all, make sure you perform well. You can do all the other stuff, but if you do not deliver, sooner or later you will trip up. So step number one in your career development is to do what you are currently doing to the very best of your ability and with all your energy even if it is not yet what you ultimately want from your

career. Your career is your responsibility. Yes, of course, you manager should have your best interests in mind, but your career development is not at the top of his her daily to-do list. It should be on the top of yours. So, to take charge of you career, set time aside to answer these questions: * What can you do right now to enrich your present job or assignment? * What career options can you start exploring for challenge, variety, or greater personal satisfaction? * What internal training courses or external seminars can you participate in for professional development? * Are there off-the-job experiences that could enhance your portfolio of skills and your reputation as a leader? Career Planning: Looking At Options By Marcia Zidle on December 13, 2010 Whats your best move? Once you have completed a review of who you are, (see prior post) then focus on whats next for you. Many people think if theyre not finding career satisfaction in their present job then their only choice is to change companies or careers. Thats not the case. Before jumping ship explore these: Four Realistic Career Options Enrich your current job Grow in place Look for ways to expand or change your responsibilities to provide you with greater challenge, visibility and skill building. Here are some options to grow in place. Be part of a task force on a pressing business problem; handle a negotiation with a customer; supervise product, program, equipment or systems purchase; do a project with another function; research and report on cost cutting measures. Change your job Go for a promotion Vertical movement usually is achieved as a reward for excellence in your current position and as a result of having demonstrated performance required for a higher level position. However with todays flattened organization structure, paths may not open up as quickly as you would like. So dont limit yourself by thinking only about upward movement. Take a look at these other options. Change your job Go sideways Explore the possibility of a lateral change in job position within or outside your functional area. Ive seen marketing people do a stint in product development and visa versa. A lateral move can provide you with new skills, experiences and expertise which could be critical to your success later on. It can also help you test the water in a new career. Change your job Move down to move forward Realignment can be an effective option if you wish to move back to a more satisfying position, alleviate current job related stress or bring balance to personal live. It can also provide the appropriate experience to test out a new career. Up is not the only way to thrive and be satisfied. Two Other Career Options Cutting loose Move out In situations where you job no longer matches your current interests or you cannot find opportunities within the organization, then look into the option to see growth or better fit opportunities elsewhere. Be careful though of not going from the frying pan into the fire. Moving out requires careful examination and planning. Check out the November 4th post on Is It Time to

Stay or Leave. Make no changes Stay put. Reviewing you obligations and commitments, you may decide that this is not the right time to be making changes in your life or career and the plans for the future need to be deferred for awhile. Whatever the reason for opting for no change, it should be a positive and conscious decision instead of one arrived at from feeling but I have no choice. 7 Tips to prevent a job loss in recession Give Something Extra Volunteer to do extra tasks and become indispensable to your company. Show keen interest in taking up new assignments and responsibilities so that you become more valuable to the company. This will keep you off the list of candidates to be laid off while downsizing. Arrive early, leave late Show enthusiasm while working for the company. Always try to come at least half an hour earlier and stay late after work. This shows commitment to your work. Avoid saying no if you are asked to come on weekends when work is piled up. Communicate with your boss Maintain a good rapport with you boss and keep him/her informed of all your work related activities. Having informal meetings during lunch or tea breaks will also be very useful. A boss is always more comfortable with an employee who is easily accessible at all times. Acquire new skills Take up short career development courses every now and then and polish your skills as well as acquire new ones. This will add more value to your career. Avoid company gossip Never get involved in company gossip especially in the early stages of your job. This may harm your reputation and will make chances of success very bleak. Keep informed Gather information on the latest news about the company to find out if downsizing is to be in the near future. It will be very useful to know if company is planning expansion, taking up new projects or closing down old ones. Make contacts Develop healthy working relationships with peers, boss, bosss boss and other key personnel in the company. All these people may prove useful in saving your career. What Is Career Planning? By Marcia Zidle on December 6, 2010 To make it happen in your career, you need to plan your career. Career planning is a process of understanding oneself, exploring career options, making wise decisions and moving forward. What complicates it is that people, careers and organizations are constantly changing. Therefore, career planning is not something done one time early in your career. Rather, its an ongoing process throughout your life. It doesnt matter whats your profession, your industry or your place of employment. The reality is lives change, professions change, industries change, organizations change and so your career will change. You can bet on it! Who Am I?

The foundation of career planning, today and for the future is based on a very clear understanding of who you are as an individual and as a professional person. As a career coach, Ive found that the greater the congruency between who you are your skills, values, interests and personality and your career choices, the greater personal career satisfaction. Since everyone has a unique mix of skills, strengths and limitations that change over time, the first step in career planning is to look at who you are and what your career is all about. Also, gaining clarity about yourself will help you make better decisions in the future when challenges and opportunities emerge. Identity Questions Here are some simple, but profound, questions to start you on this journey. You may want to choose someone, or several people, to help you reflect and provide additional feedback. * What do I see as my personal strengths? * What are some of my personal limitations? * What are my core values whats important to me? * What are my abilities things Im good at and enjoy doing? * What have I done, or I am doing now, that makes me feel proud? * What are the significant influences on my life that have affected my career? * Do I have talents that I feel are underdeveloped how can I start utilizing them? * What are my current obligations or commitments? How might they affect my career? * If I could turn the clock back, what career choices or decisions would I make differently? * If I could turn the clock ahead, what are some things I would like to accomplish in my life? Career Planning: Goals and Plans By Marcia Zidle on December 20, 2010 If you dont know where youre going, any place will do. Make sure your career is not stranded on an island called, Someday Ill If you want something, dont just think about it or talk about it. Figure out a way to make it happen. To make it happen in your career you need to plan your career. The first step is goal setting. * What can you do right now to enrich your present job or assignment? * Are there opportunities for internal promotion, lateral moves or even realignment? * What are some external options for challenge, variety, or greater personal satisfaction? * What internal training or external seminars can you participate in for your professional development? * Are there off-the-job experiences that can enhance your portfolio of skills and your reputation as a leader? The next step is action planning. Napoleon Hill, motivation author, said: To become successful you must be a person of action. Merely to know is not sufficient. It is necessary both to know and to do. So start taking charge of your career. What are some things you can do? Be specific: Who, what, when, where, and how. * Identify one or two things you will do in the coming week to take charge of your career. * Identify three things you will do within the next month to take charge of your career. * Identify five things you will do in the next three to six months to take charge of your career. Then determine:

* What resources do I have to help me along the way? * What obstacles may get in the way? How can I overcome them? * How can I reward myself and others once Ive made it happen? Career planning never stops. Thats because the world around us is constantly changing. New and different employment opportunities will arise and some old ones will disappear. Also, we will evolve into different people with different career objectives, aspirations and motivations. Therefore, flexible career plans are necessary.

NETWORKING
Networking is the process of contacting people who can either give you information about potential job openings or introduce you to others who have this information. The ultimate goal of networking is to meet the person who has the authority to hire you for the job you want. Why Networking? As stated in the previous chapter, most jobs are never advertised in the newspaper or listed with employment agencies. Research indicates that one of the most effective ways of finding out about jobs is by getting leads from people you know, that is, by networking. Even if most of the people you meet through networking don't know of a job for you, talking to them about your job search can help you clarify your job goals and hone your interviewing skills. The people in your network can also give you emotional support, offer feedback on your resume and provide you with information about new careers or companies. Who is in Your Network? Anyone you know who might have information about a job opening, or who knows someone who might have a lead about a job opening, is in your network. Tell all of them that you're interested in exploring new job opportunities. Give them a brief review of your background. Be specific about what you're after. For example, say, "I'm looking for a job as a compensation analyst with a medium-sized firm," or "I'm a chemical engineer and I'd like to work in Saudi Arabia for awhile," rather than "I work in human resources" or "Do you know of any jobs?" Most people will be happy to help you if they can. If they don't know of any jobs at the moment, ask them to keep you in mind. Most importantly, ask them if they know two or three other people you can contact. Then contact those people and so on. Whenever you meet someone new, exchange business cards. Even if you're unemployed, have some cards printed; it is not very costly. Be sure to include your telephone number and profession. For example: Celia Smith Systems Analyst (313) 555-2222 Let people know how much you appreciate their help by sending a thank-you note or by letting them know the results of the information they gave you. Offer to help them in return.

How Can You Expand Your Network? Become active in a professional or trade association. Their meetings or other events are good opportunities for you to network with people in your field. Get involved with a civic, social or religious organization. As you meet new people in the organization, you can network with them and work on a worthwhile project at the same time. Follow-Up Networking Leads. After your initial networking efforts and research, you will probably have a long list of new people to contact. The next step is to meet with them to introduce yourself and get more information or job leads. If you happen to encounter someone on your list, you might be able to set up a meeting for a later date. However, most meetings are arranged by phone or mail. Networking by Phone. Most people you call will be happy to help you, but they may not have much time, so it's important to make your point directly and succinctly. As was described in chapter 5 in the section on contacting the employer by phone, write out a script ahead of time, but try to memorize rather than read it. Calling someone you don't know can be extremely stressful. If you are uncomfortable doing this, practice with a friend and get feedback on your presentation. When you're well prepared, these calls will be easier than you anticipated. You have nothing to lose by calling--if you don't make the call, you'll never find out if there was good information or a job lead at the other end. If you do call, you may be successful. At the very worst you'll feel a bit uncomfortable. Each call you make will make the next call easier and will prepare you for the more daunting task of calling an employer to ask for a job interview. Use the sample below as a guide for making a networking phone call: "Hello, Mr. Wise, my name is Bill Wynn. Martha Pabon suggested I speak to you about a career change I'm considering. "I was a financial analyst with Mammoth Bank for seven years. Since their merger, I've been exploring other options in finance and accounting. "I'd like to meet with you next week for about 20 to 30 minutes to get any advice you have to offer. Would Tuesday morning be convenient?" Networking by Mail. If you have many people to contact or are seeking a job in a distant city or overseas, developing a networking letter may be a good idea. The letter should be on your personal letterhead and include your telephone number. Like your phone calls, your letter should be brief and to the point. It is not a good idea to enclose your resume at this time as you are not applying for a specific job opening. As with your phone calls, your mailing should be targeted, based on your networking and research, to those people or companies who would be most likely to have the jobs or the information you seek. Here is a sample of a networking letter written by someone who has not looked for a job in a long time and is seeking information about the employment outlook in his field. He has been referred by someone he has met by networking. A similar letter could also be sent without using a referral: 1234 Oak Drive Albany, NY 12345 January 15, 1993 Ms. Marva Talent The Art Workshop 1515 Willow Street Buffalo, NY 14299

Dear Ms. Talent: Mark Painter of All Right Advertising suggested I contact you for advice about my career plans. I have worked as a designer for eight years at the Darling Clothing Company, which is going out of business shortly. As I have not had to look for a job recently, I would appreciate any information you can give me about the employment outlook for designers in the Buffalo area. Could we arrange a brief meeting in the near future? I will call you early next week to set up an appointment. Sincerely, Raymond Best (716) 999-2222 The sample below is a networking letter written by someone who wants to change careers and who is trying to establish a network in a new occupation: 9876 Elm Street Detroit, MI 55555 June 11, 1993 Mr. Barry Bucks President Professional Fund Raisers of America 1000 Main Street Chicago, Illinois 33333 Dear Mr. Bucks: I have recently become a member of PFA and wanted to introduce myself to you. After 20 successful years as a stockbroker, I am considering a career change. I have done a great deal of fund raising for my alma mater, Topnotch University, as well as for various local charities. I believe that my selling ability along with my interest in fund raising point toward a career as a professional fund raiser. Before I proceed any further, I would like to meet with you to get your opinion about the advisability of such a career move. I will call you next Thursday to arrange an appointment with you. Sincerely, Maria Candu (312) 899-1111 The most important part of your networking letter is follow-up. If you say you will call someone next Thursday, be sure to call! How to Keep Track of Your Networking Efforts Keep a record of all the contacts you make, what the result was and any follow-up that is needed. This will help you organize your time and monitor your progress. Use the form as a guide. You may also want to keep a card file for each person or company contacted.

Informational Interviewing When you meet with the people you've contacted by phone or letter, you are going to interview them. The informational interview consists of talking with people to get information about their occupation, company or industry. It is not a job interview although it may lead to a job offer. Informational interviewing is most useful if you are looking for your first job or want to change occupations. It also can be helpful to find out which companies are hiring and to ferret out hidden jobs in companies where you'd like to work. It is less stressful than a job interview and a good way to practice for them. However, if your only reason for visiting the company is to pursue a job lead, don't disguise your purpose by saying you want information. If you know the job you want and the companies that have these jobs, skip informational interviews and try to arrange a job interview. When interviewing for information try to speak to the person who would have the power to hire you if there were an opening, or to someone who is doing the kind of work that you think you'd like to perform. Major Social Networking Tools Blogging A blog is an online journal of information about a certain topic. The blogger, or owner of the blog, writes or publishes regular "posts," or articles, about the topic. Posts vary in size from 100 words to 1,000 depending on the nature of the topic. The posts might be published once a month or even once a day, depending on the blogger's time and energy for the blog. A blog is a powerful means for the blogger to establish relationships with stakeholders by sharing his/her opinions and expertise on a regular basis. Stakeholders could include, e.g., customers, investors, employees, community leaders, collaborators and suppliers. The stakeholders read the blog posts to learn more about the topic and even more about the blogger. LinkedIn LinkedIn is sometimes described as a "social networking service for adults". It's a very useful tool for quickly informing people about your professional experiences, skills and interests. You also can use LinkedIn to conveniently network with others who have similar backgrounds and interests. Compare LinkedIn to Facebook, below, which tends to be about more informal topics, such as personal background, interests, family, hobbies, friends, etc. Facebook People can join Facebook to share information about themselves or their organization. Information about themselves tends to be rather informal -- more so than LinkedIn. Organizations increasingly use Facebook as a public relations tool, to inform the public about the organization. MySpace MySpace is a social networking site for people to share information especially about themselves. Users of social networking often compare Facebook and MySpace and have strong feelings about which one is best. Twitter Twitter is a social networking site that allows the author to quickly share messages, or tweets, of up to 140 characters and with huge numbers of people. While 140 characters might seem quite limiting, an increasing number of people and organizations use Twitter to share opinions and

even to advertise products and services. Some news organizations use Twitter to quickly broadcast up-to-the-minute news items. YouTube YouTube provides a forum in which people can show videos about a broad range of subjects, including about themselves and their organizations. The videos usually include audio/sound, so YouTube is a very quick, convenient, low-cost way to broadcast information about yourself and your organization. It's viewed by millions of people. Success at Work : People Skills : Networking Getting along with your co-workers is critical to yourhappiness and success at work. You may find yourselfspending more time with your co-workers than with yourspouse and family. Each individual in an organization isjust a small cog in a big wheel. Without the assistance ofcoworkers, you will find your assignments much moredifficult. The first step toward getting the assistance of yourco-workers is to accept others uniqueness andidiosyncrasies. People come from many different nationalorigins, races, genders, and ages. Corporate America callsthis "diversity". You may think an individual with a different race ornational origin is peculiar or has strange habits. I findthat all people, regardless of race, national origin,gender, or age, want the same things. All people want asafe place to live and employment that gives them theability to provide for themselves and their family. Whata boring world this would be if we all dressed the same,acted the same, and had the same ideas. If you have an attitude of discrimination against aco-worker because of their national origin, race, gender,or age, I'm not going to try to change your mind. I WILLadvise you that if you want to succeed at work, you betterat least act like you are on the diversity bandwagon. The real difficulty in relating to fellow employees comesfrom differences in emotional maturity, intelligence, andlevel of dedication to the job. Emotionally immature peoplemay not want to cooperate with you because they feelthreatened. They feel that if they help you or reveal anyaspect of their job function they may lose job security. Other symptoms of emotional immaturity are the inabilityto accept criticism, feeling that the company should dothings the way that makes THEIR job the easiest, and justplain bossiness. Other people's emotional maturity is oneof the most difficult things to deal with on the job. It's also difficult to deal with co-workers who don't have,or don't want to have, the intelligence required to do thejob. Sometimes people fain ignorance in order to avoid workor responsibility. Sometimes an individual is in a jobposition that they are not suited for. Your job may provide your life with meaning and purpose.Professionalism and pride in your work may be important toyou. But don't expect everyone to have those same values.Some people are more focused on friends, family, or otherpreoccupations outside of work. They come to work only forthe paycheck. They want to make the least amount of effortrequired to get the paycheck. Your happiness and success at work requires you to acceptand embrace the uniqueness of other individuals. You needto form good relationships with any co-worker whosecooperation you need in order to perform your tasks. Thebest way to do that is to care about them. Engage in smalltalk and learn what their interests are and what motivatesthem. Approach them with an optimistic attitude, praise,and compliments. People gravitate towards other people whomake them feel good.

You must impress upon them that you are not a threat. Youwill not criticize them, nor threaten their job security.Help them understand that cooperation would be mutuallyadvantageous. Let others in the company compete and vieagainst one another, while you team up with your coworkersfor your mutual success at work. How to Make Your Network Work for You by Ariana Green Many people turn to networking when they're looking for a job, but the best time to build your network is before you need something; and the best time to keep that network strong is always. But what is the best way to do that? Simply collecting business cards and attending events may expand your number of contacts, but does not increase the likelihood that those contacts will benefit you in the future. To reap the benefits of networking when you need them, you must know how to make your network work for you, and how you can work for your network. What the Experts Say The most universally agreed upon networking tip is this: Offer to help others first, and they will return the favor. "You should always ask new contacts to tell you about a business challenge they are confronting," says Dr. Ivan Misner, PhD, lead author of Networking Like a Pro: Turning Contacts into Connections, and chairman of global networking organization BNI International. "That way, you might know someone who can help, and that's the start of a relationship." Misner teaches his clients to focus on gaining credibility, which grows, he says, when they keep appointments, act on promises, verify facts, and render services. "Failure to live up to expectations to keep both explicit and implicit promises can kill a budding relationship before it breaks through the ground," he warns. Networking well makes for a brighter future, so Misner advises people to think beyond a current need. "People tend to forget about the importance of long-term credibility because they're so focused on making an immediate sale," Misner says. "But with that approach, you only eat what you kill that day." Focus on becoming known and trusted instead; a long-lasting relationship is more beneficial to both parties. Lillian Bjorseth, author of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last, reminds her clients to share information. "One of my favorite follow-up methods is to send someone a relevant article, photo, anecdote, marketing tip, or other resource via email," she says. Followthrough on seemingly unimportant promises or casual conversations can be just as integral to business success as delivering a reliable product. Make People Know You It's not enough to be an expert on something if nobody knows you well enough to think about calling you. Creating an inviting image for yourself can generate business and opportunities. "Our research shows that people are much more likely to call if someone is not just an expert but also has initiated some sort of social exchange to make others comfortable," says Noshir Contractor, professor of behavioral sciences at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, who has done research on social and knowledge networks. While Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other online networking sites can become time drains, online networking is useful for strengthening connections. By posting Facebook or Twitter links to relevant articles, you can provide value to your virtual friends and show your engagement with pertinent business issues. Writing original articles or posting commentary keeps you on other people's minds and enables them to see how involved you are in your industry. It is an efficient way to continue a relationship with those you know.

But online communication is not enough, especially for newer contacts. The true benefit is that it often leads to in-person contact because people feel more comfortable initiating a meeting with someone they "know" electronically. It's especially important to seek and accept face-to-face meetings with newer contacts because technology can never match a human connection. Inperson check-ins are useful for contacts you already know too, but given people's busy schedules, it is most pressing to push for personal meetings with contacts you haven't spent much time with outside of a group gathering. Think About How People Feel Understanding psychology your own and other people's should factor into your strategy. "Some people are really busy and harried, or they're not quite as affable," says psychologist James Waldroop, an author and CEO of Career Leader, an internet-based career assessment used by corporations and business programs worldwide. "The point is to read your audience and know to make contact with some people less frequently." But, Waldroop points out, even the most curmudgeonly contact appreciates genuine offers of help. It's important to make emails and phone calls feel personal. For example, you could send an email saying, "I know your kids are getting out of college soon, so please let me know if I can be of help to them, even remotely." Or else something like, "I was thinking about you and remembering the time that we did such and such, and it made me laugh." Or perhaps, "I've heard through the grapevine that your business is having trouble, and as you know, I've dealt with this before, so please do call me if you want to vent or strategize or anything else." In addition, he suggests that an appropriate level of humor is a great way to emphasize that you are being genuine or to make people feel comfortable. Waldroop also offers that in certain cases it may be best to call after hours when you know the person won't be in the office to pick up the phone. That way you can leave a message, which is less intrusive, and you won't get interrupted before saying what you need to say. Grow and Maintain the Network In building your network, Professor Contractor believes that it's vital to reach out to a diverse pool of people. Those who come from different fields, different socio-economic backgrounds, and different countries can offer creative solutions and contacts that a colleague in the neighboring cubicle cannot. Contractor has his students engage in the following exercise to assess how well a person maintains her network: Students come up with a list they call their Board of Directors, a roster of people they know whom they can call up on important professional matters. Contractor then prompts his students to write out who introduced the people on the roster to the student. "They will discover that, often, there are just a handful of people who introduced them to the most important people in their lives," he says. "These are people who ought to be cultivated because they are helping to broaden a network. One must make sure to continue to connect with those people." Some of Contractor's students go through this exercise and find that they have been introducing themselves to their most valuable contacts. "That's not a good sign," Contractor says. "That means you're not using your network well and you're not tapping into the virtuous cycle." Principles to Remember Do: * Be genuine to gain credibility and keep long-term relations * Feed the network (via Twitter, Facebook, emails, etc.) to pass on useful information and show you are engaged * Offer to help using humor and tact

Don't: * Focus on getting something from a new contact immediately * Hide behind technology and avoid face-to-face networking * Forget to read your audience and provide a personal approach Case Study #1: You Never Know Who Can Be Useful When she was an executive at Allbritton Communications, Mary-Claire Burick, who is now president of her own strategic communications firm, went to a D.C. Chamber of Commerce event and was seated next to the associate publisher of DC Magazine. "I didn't think much would come of it at the time, but I thought I'd keep in touch in the spirit of networking," she recalls. Instead of just talking about superficial topics, she steered the conversation toward specific business issues and scheduled a follow-up meeting. In return, he invited her to company events where they continued to talk. Her strategy was to be generous with her contacts and to get to know the magazine community's interests. A few months later, the publisher and Burick ended up having the idea to create a segment for a show Burick's company was launching. "We were able to brainstorm successfully because we had cultivated our relationship," Burick said. The editor from DC Magazine would appear every Friday on an Allbritton television program, helping Burick fill content spots and giving DC Magazine exposure. Burick's bosses were thrilled that she was able to launch the new show on a short timeline and the editor introduced additional interviews to the show. "The relationship has also helped me in my new business because I've met new clients through magazine events," Burick says. "You just never know who you are going to meet and how you will help each other in the future." Case Study #2: Job Search Equals Lifelong Network Creation Meghna Majmudar was distraught when she heard the news that Katzenbach Partners, where she worked as senior associate, could no longer retain her. But a few days later, the managing partner of the firm sent her an email saying that he wanted to meet for an hour to help her strategize about her job search and connect her with the right people. By the end of the meeting, she was given five names of people he would introduce her to in the coming weeks. From there, Majmudar spent the summer honing her networking. If she attended an event, she would make sure to meet the organizer and email feedback and thanks, which at least once led to a dinner with an important person in her field. If she went to a party, instead of asking for job titles, she'd ask people about their experiences to try to figure out if she could help them. "As needed, I shared my professional credentials and tried to find ways to connect on a personal level," she says. "I realized that after a certain point of seniority, when someone likes you but has no open positions, they are really happy to offer career advice and introduce you to others." Majmudar found that by being warm and discussing her passion for her work, she could get the right power players on her side and could make use of high-level leads. "The people introducing me had a lot of cachet on their own, so I was able to draft off their value in my conversations." After three months, Majmudar landed a job she describes as "great," and felt a renewed sense of confidence. "After a summer networking, I have so much more energy and resources to draw upon for future projects," she says. Smart Networking: Advancing Your Career By Marcia Zidle on October 14, 2010 Do you play bumper car or smart neworking? Bumper car networking is when you show up at a meeting or social function, bump up to someone for a couple of minutes, talk about this or that, hand out your business card and say something like: Lets get together some time.

Now smart networking is different. Its focus is on building relationships, not just contacts. Here are seven tips to help you connect with people, develop meaningful conversations and, most importantly, advance your career. 1. Come prepared. Have two or three openers that you can use with a variety of people you meet. That way, you wont fumble for something to say when you first meet someone. Some examples: What drew you here today? Have you seen any good movies lately? What did you find particularly interesting about the presentation? 2. Create an agenda. People often dread small talk situations because they say, I dont know what to talk about. Actually the problem is that there have too much to talk aboutan entire universe of topicsnot nothing to say. Narrow down your conversation options by making two lists. * On the get list put who you want to meet or what you want to learn more about. * On your give list put your areas of expertise, interesting information, people you know, etc. 3. Listen and learn. Once youve asked your opening question, listen patiently to the persons answer. Allow the speaker to elaborate without rushing to jump in. Be thinking, What does this person need? Whats on my give agenda? 4. Focus your attention. Avoid the canned nod-and-smile approach with eyes roaming the room to see who else is there. Continue to ask engaging questions. If youre friendly and genuinely curious, others will feel comfortable talking with you. 5. Find common ground. Only after the person has told his story, then share your thoughts and experiences. If you find something you both can relate to, that establishes a bond that can lead to further exchanges. Be open to the magic of where the conversation can take you. 6. Ask for their help. Most people enjoy helping others. Therefore what is it that you want to get? Use your agenda to find someone who has written an article youve enjoyed, or can introduce you to the speaker, or give you ideas for your upcoming project. 7. End with the next step. If you want to continue the relationship, conclude with what youre going to do next or what you expect of the other person. * Ill send you the article weve been talking about. * Lets set up a time when we can get together to talk further. Preparation, a focused agenda and a genuine interest in others are the keys to smart networking that builds relationships, not just contacts. How to Reach Out After Losing Touch What's worse than having the perfect person to reach out to about a job opportunity, a career switch, or an impending move to Asia, and not being able to do so because you've lost touch? How many people have you come across in your life who suddenly might help your cause, personally or professionally, but whom you haven't seen or spoken to in ages and perhaps you

just feel guilty about popping up now that you need them? The bad news is that it happens more often than you might think. The good news is that it's entirely possible to reconnect with people, even if it seems preposterous after months or years gone by. The passage of time is not a good enough reason to let a potential connection go to waste. If you have someone you've been meaning to reach out to or someone you're dying to reconnect with, here are three easy steps to make that potentially awkward exchange much less painful and potentially even fruitful: 1. Acknowledge the lapse in time 2. Explain the "Why now?" 3. Offer a quid pro quo Acknowledge the Lapse in Time There's arguably nothing more awkward (or annoying) than receiving a call or an email from someone you haven't heard from in ages who acts as if you're best buds or assumes you know (or care) about their current life. It's disingenuous and ineffective. On the other hand, glossing over a long-term lapse in communication is akin to ignoring the elephant in the room. You both know it's out there. Instead, acknowledge the lapse of time up-front and center and give that time period some rationale or context. Have you been off at university completing your studies? Working or traveling abroad? Did you leave your profession to try something new? Did you have a family, get married or change careers? Or, have you just been completely busy and self-absorbed? Whatever the reason, you need to acknowledge it. * Lance, I wanted to reach out to say hello. I know it's been ages since we've spoken but I've thought of you often over the years and I've always wanted to reconnect. * Patricia, how are you? I'm sure you're surprised to hear from me the last time we spoke I was headed off to graduate school. I wound up moving to Washington D.C. shortly thereafter, where I've been for the last five years. * Sean, hello and I hope you're well! I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch sooner, you've been on my mind for months and I've just been completely consumed by a crazy work schedule. Explain the "Why Now?" There are infinite reasons why you'd need or want to reach out to someone after losing touch. Presumably, you either have an agenda to pursue, you want to reconnect just for the sake of having them on your side if and when you do have an agenda, or you actually owe them something that you never followed up on. In any of the above cases, it's important to think about why you're reaching out now, after all this time, and be transparent about your motive. The "why now" should include both the transition or event that prompted you to get in touch and your agenda, if you have one. To wit: * I wanted to reach out to you to let you know that I'm headed to Asia next month to work in GE's plastics division. Last I heard you were working in Tokyo. I thought you might be a great person to reach out to before heading abroad. * After leaving the firm following the birth of my daughter, I recently came back online and I'm thrilled to be working with the consumer retail sector again. I was hoping you'd have time to sit down for coffee and catch up, I'd love to hear your perspective on how the industry has changed. * I've just begun the application process to graduate school and I know you had a great experience at Duke. I was wondering if you might have some time to talk about your MBA experience with me.

Offer a Quid Pro Quo Finally, throw in an offer of help or reciprocity for good measure. Be gracious and generous (thanks so much in advance for your help, I look forward to hearing from you) and emphasize that you'd like to be helpful to them as well to the extent possible. You're much more likely to get a response when you think about a two-way benefit and not just how you can take advantage of the other person's expertise or connections. Network Your Way to a New Job or Career Connections Made by Networking Are the Key to Finding a Job When Cookie Burkhalter relocated from Colorado to Wilmington, Delaware three years ago, she thought finding a new job would be easy. With first-rate qualifications and more than twenty years of professional experience at Fortune 500 companies, she figured she would land a new position quickly by surfing a few Internet job boards and sending out her rsum. But Burkhalter, an IT project manager, quickly discovered that it wasnt going to be so easy. After months of applying for open positions, I never got a single interview from a posting on the Net, she declared. Applying for all those jobs was a complete waste of my time. Her job search began to turn around for Burkhalter when she realized that the missing element in her job search was the human factor. Even though I grew up in Delaware, I had been living out of state for a long time, she recalled. I had almost no local contacts, so I was relying on postings and ads to find out about available jobs. But by the time I saw the ad, so had thousands of other people, and one of them was always just a little more qualified than me. Network Your Way to A New Job So Burkhalter set about rebuilding her business and social network. She joined two womens groups made up of others who shared some of her personal interests and hobbies, and began to meet new people. When she let her new friends know about her job search, all of a sudden, she began to hear about jobs before they were advertised, and interviews started to materialize. When she finally did land a new job, it was the direct result of a referral from a friend. You may not recognize what Burkhalter did as business networking, but thats exactly what it was. Many people think of business networking as circulating around a room and exchanging business cards. But a broader view of business and social networking is that it creates a pool of contacts from which you can draw leads, referrals, ideas, and information for your job search. You can network without ever attending an official business or social networking event, although attending events is useful in networking. Texas resident Maria Elena Duron found an executive job as a result of working as a community volunteer. I was volunteering at the Midlands MexTex Fiesta, and I found myself flipping burgers side-by-side with a board member of the Austin Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation," Duron remembers. "He asked me if I had ever been involved in fundraising, and when I said I had, he asked for my rsum. He forwarded it to the Foundation with his personal recommendation, and three weeks later I was hired as Executive Director for the West Texas Region." Find Your Job and Career by Business Networking Your career network can and should contain current and former co-workers, alumni from your school, a wide range of people in your industry, and personal friends. Making time for lunch or coffee with these people can be much more productive for your job search than reading the want ads or surfing the web. In fact, surveys consistently show that 80-85% of job-seekers find work as the result of a referral from a friend or colleague, and only 2-4% land jobs from Internet job boards. If you have been out of touch for a while with people you already know, dont let that stop you

from re-establishing contact when you start your job search. Everyone you speak to will have had to look for work at some point in their career, and most of them will be sympathetic and helpful. To spread your business and social networking net even wider, you may need to start making the acquaintance of new people also. Every time you talk to a friend or colleague about your job search, ask for suggestions of other you might speak to, and follow up on their referrals. Use Organized Events for Business Networking Attending organized events may also play a role in your business networking and job search, since this can be an easy way to expand your business network quickly. Here are some popular choices for business and social networking events: * Chamber of Commerce mixers, * Service clubs such as Rotary and Kiwanis, * Trade and professional association meetings in your industry, * Lectures, workshops, conferences, and fundraisers hosted by educational institutions, community organizations, and affinity groups, * Social, cultural, and sporting events that include receptions or other mix-and-mingle time, * Private gatherings organized for the purpose of meeting new people and schmoozing, and * Job clubs. You will have more success at this kind of business and social networking if you go back to the same groups over and over than if you keep going to new groups all the time. Find two or three that seem to have the right mix of people, and keep going back. Follow-up Is the Key to Business Networking If you don't follow up with the people you meet, though, you are wasting your time in meeting them. You may think that once you have told someone what type of job you are looking for, if they hear of something, they will call you. The truth is that if they have met you only once, they probably don't even remember you, and it's even less likely that they will remember where they put your number. After meeting someone new, send them a nice-to-meet-you note and invite them to attend another event with you or make a date for lunch or coffee. Find out what the two of you have in common, and see if there is an activity you could share. Building relationships likes this takes time and effort, but relationships are the core of networking. The people in your network should be people you truly enjoy interacting with, because if youre doing it right, youll be spending a lot of time with them. Says Duron, "Don't limit yourself to just networking in your industry; everyone is interconnected. Getting to know a day care director makes sense even if you don't want a job in day care, because she knows so many people. Waiters and hairdressers are often the first to hear about coming changes that lead to open positions. As long as you have your antennae out and listen, you can connect with anyone." Dont expect business and social networking to be a quick fix for your job search. It can take time for your relationship-building efforts to pay off. You need to put in the effort to get to know people, and trust that you will see results from it. But the best time to begin building your business and social network is while you are still employed. Your Image Is You Communication and Appearance in Networking By Susan M. Heathfield

Successful people believe their success is attributable to a pattern of mutually beneficial interpersonal relationships, as much as it is due to technical skills or business knowledge. Your communication and the image you present create the first impression - often the lasting impression - on the people you meet. Want a more professional image? How you present yourself is the first step in building that mutually beneficial network of contacts. Studies about people meeting reveal that most people make decisions about a new acquaintance within the first thirty seconds to two minutes of interaction. This does not give you much time to make a good impression. Let's look at four areas that have a huge impact on your image and how you present yourself Professional Appearance Counts The standard advice given by mentors and managers to people who want to advance their career has always been to dress for the job you want, not the job you have currently. Even in this day of more casual dressing for work, your professional image will serve you well when promotions, lateral moves, choice assignments and departmental visibility are available. A professional appearance sets you apart from coworkers who are less concerned about projecting a successful, professional image. Here are Guidelines for Business Casual Dress and for Business Casual Dress in a Manufacturing Work Environment. These dress code guidelines will serve you well in any workplace that espouses today's casual environment. Speaking to Groups to Enhance Your Image Do you know that studies have demonstrated that more people claim to be afraid of public speaking than they are of dying? Yet, public speaking, presentations at meetings and speaking eloquently in small groups can do more for your career visibility and promotability than almost any other opportunity. This is a good series of easy-to-learn from articles about speaking. I like the authors clear, simple style. She also focuses on the finite few, yet most important, issues that keep many people from comfortably speaking with groups of people that range from four to hundreds. Your self-presentation via written reports, email, correspondence, and all other forms of written communication is the face you most frequently present your workplace or professional community. With email correspondence, informality usually rules. Thats a mistake. Email at work is a formal communication tool and should look like formal communication with a greeting (Dear Mary), a closing (Regards) and a signature file that tells who you are, your title, department, work address and telephone number. Your successful professional image, projected through your speaking, face-to-face meetings, written communication and appearance, will result in more opportunities for networking. Networking is building professional, mutually serving relationships for the purpose of helping both parties obtain goals. The term originates in a dictionary definition: a system of elements (as lines or channels) that cross in the manner of the threads in a net. (Merriam-Webster) Your image and communication are critical in advancing your networking success. People have always built professional networks informally, but attention in recent years, has focused on systematically building relationships with professional friends and friends of friends. In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell describes a person who knows many other people as a connector and he credits connectors with facilitating much of the interaction people have with each other. Whether it is a business associates knowledge, a job, a restaurant

recommendation or a good book to read, connectors help others get what they need by connecting people who dont know each other. This is also how you build a professional network. It is difficult to find resources related to networking online because computer networking is such a popular topic. And, much of what is available is targeted to job hunters or self-employed individuals. These resources should supply the professional person, who is seeking networking opportunities, useful background information. If you've successfully developed a professional image through your face-to-face, written and spoken communication; your appearance and your presence, your career will soar. I trust these resources will help take you anywhere you want to go. The Art of Career and Job-Search Networking Critical career networking tools and resources for all job-seekers. Networking is one of the most important -- if not the most important -- activities that job-seekers need to master to be truly successful in your job-search. Because the vast majority of job openings are never advertised, job-seekers need to have a network of contacts -- a career network -- that can provide support, information, and job leads.

JOB SEARCHING
Job Search Methods for the 21st Century THE JOB SEARCH The first step in looking for a job is to decide what type of a job you are looking for. Determine what skills you have that are marketable and match them with available jobs. A variety of methods for determining what job is best for you are described by Athanasou and Hoskiug (1998), Carney and Wells (1994), and Martin (1998). Job leads can be found through employment agencies, career centers, the public library, the newspaper, on the Internet, and through networking. It may be necessary to use more than one method when looking for a job ("Tips on Finding and Getting a Job" 1998). Many public libraries, universities and colleges, and high schools have job/career/occupational centers that include a variety of books and materials related to the job search. Information about choosing the right career, finding information about available jobs, applying for jobs (application, resumes, and cover letters), and interviewing will be available at these centers. Although titles may vary, these agencies will all have materials similar to those listed here. In addition, they may have people who can assist you either in workshops or on a one-to-one basis. State-sponsored, one-stop career centers provide the resources necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace. They offer services such as unemployment benefit application, state employment agency registration, free job search assistance, and training program information (Mariani 1997). DEVELOPING A RESUME Resumes offer information about you that a typical application form will not. In addition to information such as your name, address, and phone number, a resume should include a job goals statement; your educational history; work history including student employment, volunteer experiences, and military service; and any memberships that relate to your job objective. The purpose of a resume is to sell yourself to a potential employer--make it positive and short because "the average employer will spend 7-10 seconds reading your resume" ("Tips on Finding and Getting a Job" 1998).

In today's job market, an online resume is essential. Many job websites provide assistance in preparing electronic resumes and will post them at no cost (Wagner 1999). One source for information about submitting an electronic resume is America's Talent Bank <atb.mesc.state.mi.us/atb/seeker/index.html>. APPLYING AND INTERVIEWING Once you have found a job opening that sounds promising, you must apply for it by filling out an application form or sending your resume with a cover letter. A cover letter is an introduction to the person who will hire you. You should have a strong opening statement that gives your strengths. Look at the interview as a sales job; a typical employer will make a hiring decision within the first 7 minutes of the interview. Helpful steps for the interview include the following (Tips on Finding and Getting a Job" 1998): --Prepare -anticipate questions -organize answers --Make a good first impression -dress conservatively but one step up from what is usually worn on the job -be well-groomed -be on time or even early -use a firm handshake --Be positive -do not discuss negative feelings --Ask questions --Convey information about yourself that you want the employer to know --Close the deal -find out next steps in the process --After the interview, send a thank-you letter -restate why you would be good for the job -mention your strongest skills -mention what you liked about the company -call (but only once) to find out about the status of the hiring process How to Evaluate a Job Offer Part 1: Salary, Office Environment, and Corporate Culture You've spent the last few months answering help wanted ads, visiting recruiters, and networking. You've sent out your resumes and gone on a bunch of interviews. And now the moment you've

been waiting for is here. It's your turn now. You have some job offers to consider. During those long days pounding the pavement, you didn't think making a decision would be this difficult. But this is serious business. The job you take now may be yours for a long time to come. What's the most important thing to consider? Is it salary, health benefits, or vacation time? Or could it be the corporate culture or the length or your commute? What about your boss and coworkers -- will working with them be pleasant? As you can see there are a number of factors to take into account and only some are negotiable. You can try to get a higher salary or more vacation time. However, health benefits are often standard packages. The corporate culture isn't going to change for you, and your boss and co-workers aren't going anywhere. Each of us, of course, is different. And what carries a lot of weight for some of us is insignificant to the rest of us. A great example of this is a survey I conducted on the Career Planning site. I asked the question: "What gives you the most job satisfaction?" Given three answers to choose from, 20% chose "Respect from my boss," 17% said "The amount of money I make," and 62% said "I love what I do." As you can see, while the majority responding to the survey felt that loving what they do is the most important thing, there are those whose opinions differed. Evaluating the Offer Salary Even if money isn't what gives you the most job satisfaction, no one can argue its importance. You need a certain amount of money to pay the bills, for example. Most of us also want to make sure we are being paid what we're worth and what is the going rate for jobs similar to ours. It's important to find out what others are making for related work in the same industry, and in the same geographic region. You can start gathering this information by looking at salary surveys and other occupational information. And don't forget, if other aspects of the job appeal to you, you can try to negotiate the offer. Office Environment Every office has a different feel to it. Some feel kind of "dark pin-striped suit" while others feel a little more relaxed. Years ago I interviewed for an internship in a public relations firm. From the second I set foot in the office I knew I wanted to work there. There was a big bubble gum machine in the corner and colorful pictures hung on the walls. A few years later I interviewed for a job at a large investment bank. The office was the complete opposite of the one I just described. I was interviewed in a formally decorated conference room and given a tour of the department I'd be working in. It was brightly lit, yet furnished in dull colors. I was offered and accepted both positions and loved both jobs. As you can see, you can be happy in two totally different environments. You just need to know which environment you'd be unhappy in. Corporate Culture Defined by Merriam-Webster as "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation," corporate culture should be an important factor in your decision whether to accept a job offer. If you value your time away from the office, a company with a corporate culture that encourages late hours may not be for you. Is the potential employer's philosophy "win at all costs?" Is your philosophy "always play clean?" This company isn't for you. Are you an ardent proponent for animal rights? Through your research you learn that one of the company's subsidiaries does animal testing. Although this won't affect the day-to-day activities of your job, it may not be a situation in which you'll feel comfortable. How to Evaluate a Job Offer Part 2: Other Things to Consider and How to Accept or Decline an Offer By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Commute Time When you're considering a job offer, take into account the length of your commute. What may have seemed like an okay distance to travel for a job interview may begin to wear thin when you

have to make that trip twice a day, five days a week, in rush hour traffic. Your Boss/Co-Workers I was once being interviewed by the director of an organization and the head of the department I'd be working in. In the middle of the interview the director yelled at the department head. When I was offered the job, I didn't even ask how much, I just said "no thank you." While I wouldn't have daily contact with the director, I knew I would have enough contact with him to make my life miserable. The same could be said of co-workers who are difficult to get along with. They may not influence your job, but they will influence the quality of the time you spend at work. Generally an interview will involve a tour of the office. Try to notice if people seem friendly and happy. This may be difficult to ascertain, but it's worth a shot. This is where networking comes in handy. Start calling people on your list of contacts to see if anyone knows something about the company. Each of these factors taken alone may not make or break your decision to accept or decline a job offer. When you put them all together, though, you will have the information you need to make an educated choice. And then it will be time to let the potential employer in on your decision. Accepting or Declining the Offer Whether you choose to accept or reject a job offer, you must inform the employer who made that offer. This should be done formally, in writing, and if you wish by telephone as well. If your answer is "yes" it's obvious why you'll want to make a good impression with your future employer. But, why is it important to be polite to someone you don't plan to work for? Well, you don't know where your future will take you. You may at some point wind up with that employer as a superior, a colleague, a client, or even your next door neighbor. You certainly don't want to leave a bad impression. Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Accept a Job Offer By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Before you do, here are some questions you should ask yourself. Have I Been Offered a Fair Salary? Is It Comparable to What Other People in the Same Position Are Making? While money won't necessarily bring you happiness, you should be paid what you're worth. Find out what others in your field are making. Take into account your experience and your location. Salaries differ by region. Have I Met My Potential Boss? Does He Or She Seem Like Someone With Whom I Can Have a Good Working Relationship? You don't have to be buddies with your boss and in almost all cases you shouldn't be. However, you do want to get along with him or her. First impressions aren't always accurate, but you should trust your instincts. What Do I Know About My Potential Co-Workers? You probably haven't had the opportunity to get to know your co-workers, but if you were given a tour of the office during your interview, you at least got to see them. Did they seem friendly and happy to be there? If you consider the amount of time you will spend at work you will realize how important it is to have an amiable relationship with your co-workers. If you haven't had any contact with them yet, it may be time to access your network to find out if anyone in it knows any of them. Will I Be Comfortable in This Office Environment? Some offices are prim and proper while others are more relaxed. While you may be more comfortable in one type of environment over the other, neither may be the wrong place for you to work. If you do think you will uncomfortable in a particular environment, consider looking elsewhere though. Is The Corporate Culture In Line With My Own Values, Attitudes, And Goals?

Does the thought of working an eighty hour work week make you want to cry? Does animal testing make you cringe? Do you always play it straight even if it means you may lose sometimes? Well, a job with a company that requires very long hours, supports animal testing, and encourages their employees to win at all costs isn't for you. Can I Handle the Commute to This Job? Driving an hour to a job interview is one thing, but making that trip twice a day, five days a week may be too much. Before you accept a job offer, consider the amount of time you will spend in your car or on a train or bus. Dos and Don'ts of Salary Negotiation How to Succeed at Salary Negotiation By Dawn Rosenberg McKay Most people wouldn't put salary negotiation high on their lists of desirable activities. Even though you may prefer getting a root canal to negotiating your salary, if you want to get paid what you're worth, you better learn how to do it right. These dos and don'ts of salary negotiation can help you get the salary you deserve, whether you're entertaining a job offer or asking for a raise. Don't Look at How Much Money Your Friends in Other Fields Are Making: You may be envious of your friends who are earning more money than you are. If they aren't working in the same field you shouldn't make those comparisons. Do Research Salaries in Your Field: Look at recent salary surveys, talk to others working in your field, and contact your trade or professional association to find out what other people are paid for doing the same work. Remember that salaries differ by geographic region. Do Consider How Much Experience You Have: Those with more experience can hope to earn more money. Remember to talk about the amount of experience you have if it will help you negotiate a higher salary. If you don't have a lot of experience, be realistic about the salary for which you can ask. Don't Talk About How Much Money You Need: When you are going through salary negotiations, don't tell your boss (or future boss) that you need to make more money because your bills are high, your house was expensive, or your child is starting college. Do Talk About The Salary You Deserve: When presenting your case during a salary negotiation, talk about how you will earn the salary you are requesting. Highlight what you have done, or will do, for the company. Also discuss the salaries in your field (based on your research). Do Be Flexible: When going through a salary negotiation you aren't likely to get the exact amount of money you want. You will probably have to compromise. The trick is to figure out how much you are willing to compromise and what you will do if your boss doesn't offer you a salary you find acceptable. Salary Negotiation How to Negotiate a Compensation Package Before you start talking pay (and salary negotiations) with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job (and you) are worth. You will need to take the time to research salaries, so, you are prepared to get what you're worth and a job offer that's realistic and reasonable. Salary Negotiations Once you know what you should be earning, how do you go about getting it? Start by being very

patient. When interviewing for a new position, do your best not to bring up compensation until the employer makes you an offer. If you're asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are open based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or tell the employer you'd like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary. Another option is to give the employer a salary range based upon the salary research you've done up front. Once you've received the offer you don't need to accept (or reject) it right away. A simple "I need to think it over" can get you an increase in the original offer. And if you're ambivalent about the position a "no" can bring you a better offer too. I turned down a position I knew I didn't want, regardless of salary, and received three follow-up phone calls upping the compensation package. Be careful though, if you do definitely need that new job there's a risk that the employer may accept your declining the position and move on to the next candidate. Negotiating a Raise If you are currently employed and want a raise, start by being prepared. Gather your salary survey information, recent performance appraisals that document the job you're doing, and any other relevant information. Be aware of company policy regarding compensation. Some employers are limited by budget constraints and can only give raises at certain times of the year, regardless of the circumstances. Have a clear idea of what you want. Determine the salary range you're looking for and justification for the increase and have both ready to review with your supervisor. Be flexible. Would you consider an extra couple of weeks vacation instead of a raise? I know someone who's regularly taken time-off instead of money and now has six vacation weeks a year... Then, ask your supervisor for a meeting to discuss salary. Present your request, supported by documentation, calmly and rationally. Don't ask for an immediate answer. Your boss is mostly likely going to have to discuss it with Human Resources and/or other company managers. Despite your best efforts, there may simply not be enough money in the budget to increase your salary or compensation package offer. The company may also not want to create inequities by paying one person more than others in a similar position. In that case, you can at least know you tried. Plus, if this is a job you really think that you're going to love, consider whether the company culture, the benefits, and the job itself are worth it - regardless of the salary. Compensation How Much Are You Worth? By Alison Doyle Research Salaries So, what to do? How can you tell if the job you've just been offered pays enough or if your current salary compares to the market rate? It's going to take some time and some research to equip yourself with the information you'll need to successfully negotiate the salary or raise you deserve. So while you're conducting your job search, research salaries for the career field and the geographic area you're interested in. It's important to be prepared when a prospective employer asks you your salary expectations or makes you an offer. Even if you are contentedly employed, it makes sense to know what you should (or could) be earning. Review Salary Surveys Start by reviewing salary survey information. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to start. The Occupational Outlook Handbook includes national and state wage projections and data for seven major occupational divisions which include hundreds of occupations. Focused salary survey information delineated by industry and job function is available online. Review several surveys to get an overall perspective of the career field you're interested in. Keep in mind that the

cost-of-living varies widely throughout the country. If you earned $25,000 a year in Boulder, CO for example, you would need to earn $50,000 to live in New York City just to break even. Enter some cities into HomeFair.com's Salary Calculator and you might be surprised at what you find out. It's almost important to know what you need to make in order to pay your bills every month. Use this salary calculator, online cost-of-living analyses, and other compensation tools to determine how much that offer is actual worth. Then prepare to negotiate a salary both you, and your employer, will be comfortable with Before you start talking pay (and salary negotiations) with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job (and you) are worth. You will need to take the time to research salaries, so, you are prepared to get what you're worth and a job offer that's realistic and reasonable. Salary Negotiations Once you know what you should be earning, how do you go about getting it? Start by being very patient. When interviewing for a new position, do your best not to bring up compensation until the employer makes you an offer. If you're asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are open based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or tell the employer you'd like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary. Another option is to give the employer a salary range based upon the salary research you've done up front. Once you've received the offer you don't need to accept (or reject) it right away. A simple "I need to think it over" can get you an increase in the original offer. And if you're ambivalent about the position a "no" can bring you a better offer too. I turned down a position I knew I didn't want, regardless of salary, and received three follow-up phone calls upping the compensation package. Be careful though, if you do definitely need that new job there's a risk that the employer may accept your declining the position and move on to the next candidate. Negotiating a Raise If you are currently employed and want a raise, start by being prepared. Gather your salary survey information, recent performance appraisals that document the job you're doing, and any other relevant information. Be aware of company policy regarding compensation. Some employers are limited by budget constraints and can only give raises at certain times of the year, regardless of the circumstances. Have a clear idea of what you want. Determine the salary range you're looking for and justification for the increase and have both ready to review with your supervisor. Be flexible. Would you consider an extra couple of weeks vacation instead of a raise? I know someone who's regularly taken time-off instead of money and now has six vacation weeks a year... Then, ask your supervisor for a meeting to discuss salary. Present your request, supported by documentation, calmly and rationally. Don't ask for an immediate answer. Your boss is mostly likely going to have to discuss it with Human Resources and/or other company managers. Despite your best efforts, there may simply not be enough money in the budget to increase your salary or compensation package offer. The company may also not want to create inequities by paying one person more than others in a similar position. In that case, you can at least know you tried. Plus, if this is a job you really think that you're going to love, consider whether the company culture, the benefits, and the job itself are worth it - regardless of the salary. More Tips for Negotiating Salaries for Tech Jobs From Patricia Pickett The Best Time to Negotiate Salary

Most career experts will say you have the most leverage in negotiating a salary after you have been offered the job; at this point, the employer is certain they want to hire you. However, avoid trying to negotiate immediately after receiving the offer and before getting additional details on the rest of the compensation package. You need to take some time to consider everything being offered. Also, try your best to avoid bringing up salary or, if asked, giving specific figures during the job interview. That time should be used to find out more about the job and to determine whether you want to work for the employer. Know the Job Description and Requirements You can't be expected to negotiate fairly if you don't have all the information you need. If you have any outstanding questions about what you will be expected to do, the results you will need to produce, and any other benefits or perks the employer offers, find the answers to those questions before you start talking about how much you'll get paid. Research is Key to Salary Negotiation Make sure you do some background research to find out what the going salary is for the type of job you are being offered - one with similar responsibilities. Consider Other Forms of Compensation Being Offered If the salary you are offered falls short of what you had been hoping for, don't overlook other benefits the employer may offer. Some of the following benefits could save you money and make up for what may seem like a salary shortfall: * health, dental and life insurance; * day care benefits; * telecommuting options Also consider vacation time, any other bonuses, and opportunities for professional development, including tuition assistance. As an IT worker, keeping your skills up-to-date is very important, so any opportunity for skills development should receive significant consideration when making your decision. Raise the Salary Bar a Little Higher Some employers will try to low-ball you, but others may not. Ask for a salary that is somewhat higher than what you would really like (but not unreasonably high), so you have leeway to negotiate down to a number that will still work for you and will not be below your value or expectations. Also try to demonstrate to the employer why you are worth the salary you are requesting by continuously reminding them of what you can bring to the table to help save money, make the IT department more efficient, or implement new ideas. Stay Positive in Your Negotiations At all times, remain polite and positive in your discussions about salary. Even if you're excited about the job but insulted by the initial offer, don't express your disgust to the employer and sound off about how much more you are worth. Focus instead on communicating to the employer how interested you are in the job, and how much you know you can contribute to the company, and then mention that that are certain areas you would like to discuss before coming to final salary agreement. Be Polite and Don't Try to Manipulate the Negotiation Process

The main idea is to arrive at a win-win situation: one where the salary is acceptable to you, but also leaves the employer assured that they are hiring someone who is worth the money they will be paying. Avoid making outright demands, giving ultimatums or trying manipulative tactics at any point. For example, if you receive a few job offers at once, it's not a good idea to pit employers against each other in the hopes that they will try to outbid one other. This may leave a sour taste in the employers' mouths and may cause them to be less flexible than they normally would be if you had stayed positive. Patience is a Virtue When Negotiating Salary Try to take things slowly, so you have enough time to do your research and prepare for the negotiation process. If you don't rush, you'll feel more confident throughout the whole process, and you won't make any impulsive decisions that you will later regret. Also expect negotiations to happen in several stages, and don't be surprised if they take days or even a couple of weeks to be finalized. Get Your Job Offer in Writing Once you've come up with a mutually acceptable salary, make sure the employer gives you a written copy of the job offer, stating the job description, expectations, other important details, and the salary. Don't try to go back and negotiate for more after you've accepted the offer, as you will have little to no leverage at that point. Do all of your negotiating work before saying "yes" to the job.

RESUMES
One size does NOT fit all. Choose the resume style that suits your job history and target position: Chronological Functional Electronic Resume Curriculum Vitae Chronological Resume : The chronological resume is organized by job titles with the most recent position listed first. Employer Rating: Employers tend to prefer the chronological resume because the format lists prior positions beginning with the most current. Employers perceive this resume style as fact-based and easily skimmed. Works Best For: For job seekers with solid experience and a logical job history, the chronological resume is the most effective. Career changers and those who lack formal on-the-job experience (like new graduates) find this resume the most difficult to write.

Functional Resume: The functional resume rearranges employment history into sections that highlight areas of skill and accomplishment. Employer Rating: Some employers dislike functional resumes IF they find it difficult to match up skills with actual job titles, level of responsibility and dates of experience.You can, and SHOULD, avoid or minimize

this objection by including the company name in the "bullet" describing each accomplishment. For example: Program Coordination * Coordinated the logistics of opening two HILLCREST Residential Treatment Centers, which included the hiring and training of staff, supervising the set-up of the physical plant, and developing programs. * Oversaw the computerization of the BEHRING CLINIC accounting unit from initial planning through successful implementation, with no disruption in service. If you want to take advantage of the benefits of a functional resume, you MUST make it EASY for employers to visualize your overall chronological work history and link your accomplishment statements to it. NEVER omit at least a bare-bones chronological listing of your work experience, in your functional resume. Works Best For: The functional resume might be thought of as a "problem solving" format. The functional resume gives you latitude to "make sense" of your work history and match up skills and accomplishments that might not be obvious to the employer in a traditional chronological format. If any of the descriptions below apply to you, you may want to investigate the functional format: * You have a "mixed bag" work history: no clear thread uniting positions held. * You are a new graduate or entering the workforce. You must show how the skills you have used in the past (in volunteer or coursework) apply to the job you are seeking. * Your job titles, such as such as "Administrative Assistant" or "Marketing Coordinator," do not clearly reflect the level of skills you used. * You are making a career change--either changing industry (from Hospitals to Pharmaceuticals) or changing occupation (from Manufacturing Technician to Sales Representative.)

Electronic Resume: A resume (chronological or functional) formatted to read well when submitted as a data file or scanned and searched by optical scanning systems. Employer Rating: Many large employers use electronic resume processing systems (or "automated applicant tracking systems") to handle large volumes of resumes. Job ads may direct applicants to email a resume to their company or visit their website and submit a resume in electronic format.

Electronic resumes are used by Resume Banks to match applicant qualifications with employer needs. The resume now resides in a database that the personnel department or the hiring manager can search by keyword. For example, a department manager may search the database for a candidate with 4 years of Teleconference Training or 8 years of JIT (Just-In-Time) Inventory Control. Not only must your resume include any relevant keywords, you must avoid fonts and formatting that will not scan properly into the system such as italics, bold and fancy typefaces. Works Best For: It is certainly quick and convenient for both applicant and employer to work with resumes in electronic formats. The problem for the employer is sorting through hundreds or thousands of resumes to find a few good candidates for the job at hand. The problem for the candidate is to stand out as one of the few good candidates. Writing a good electronic resume is often as much about strategy (keywords) as content The Internet-Ready Resume Resume Versions to Prepare || Why Plain Text? || What about HTML? Many people still think the resume you put online is not the same document that you created to print out and mail to prospective employers or hand to interviewers. This is untrue. You do not need a different resume, you only need to alter the format of your resume to make it easy for you to post, copy and paste, or email it to employers. When done correctly, your well-written, well-prepared resume will contain all of the necessary keywords to attract attention whether it is being scanned into a resume system, indexed and searched online, or read on paper by a real human. PREPARING RESUME FOR THE INTERNET Resume Versions to Prepare Job search experts recommend you keep duplicates of your resume in each of these versions or formats. 1. A Print Version, designed with bulleted lists, italicized text, and other highlights, ready to print and mail or hand to potential contacts and interviewers. 2. A Scannable Version, a less-designed version without the fancy design highlights. Bulleted lists are fine, but that's about the limit. 3. A Plain Text Version, a plain text file ready to copy and paste into online forms or post in online resume databases. This might also be referred to as a Text-Only copy. 4. An E-mail Version, another plain text copy, but this one is specifically formatted for the length-of-line restrictions in e-mail. This is also a Text-Only copy. This is the same document presented in four ways, each formatted for a specific delivery purpose. Why Plain Text? You could just use the forms most databases provide to build your resume in their system, but resume experts like Susan Ireland don't recommend you do this for several reasons. 1. Spell-check: Preparing your resume in advance using your own word processing program allows you to spell-check your resume and revise it as needed until you are happy with it. 2. Format: Most online forms and builders insist on a chronological resume, which focuses on work history. Career changers who would prefer a functional resume with its emphasis on skills will be at a disadvantage. 3. Reusability: If you build it in their database using their form, you've done a lot of work for only

one site, which means you will have to repeat your effort for every database you encounter. That's a lot of typing! Prepare it in advance on your own computer and you have it to use as much as you like. What About an HTML Version? Many job seekers are creating "webbed" resumes in the hopes of being discovered or as a place to refer an employer who might want to see more than what is usually found in a resume. An HTML version of your resume works particularly well for persons in the visual arts or programming, but it could serve anyone, provided it is done right and for the right reasons. * Doing it right means starting with a basic HTML version of your designed resume, not an overloaded page of Shockwave and Java effects, huge graphics, and audio files that takes more than 2 minutes to download on your DSL line and blasts out your computer speakers. * Doing it for the right reasons means turning your resume into a portfolio, complete with links to former employers or projects already publicly available online. Be sure you are not violating any copyright or confidentiality clauses by putting information online without prior approval. The biggest problem with HTML resumes is TMI - "too much information". Many people make their resumes part of their personal web site, loading it where there is all kinds of information an employer does not need to know before you are hired, like your marital status, ethnic background, religious affiliations, personal interests, past or present health problems, and much more. Allowing an employer to learn so much about you can lead to potential discrimination problems that you may never be aware of for the way you look, your political or religious beliefs or any number of other reasons. I know some career management professionals advocate the use of photos plus personal biographies for executive clients, stating this is the same information you would find in an executive bio released by the company for publicity purposes. However, I still urge job seekers to be both conservative and conscientious about what you are telling prospective employers before you actually get called into an interview. Always remember, your resume presents the image you want employers to see. For this reason, it is important that you keep your presence entirely professional, never linking your resume to any personal information. If you decide to add an HTML resume to your campaign, post it in a location separate from your personal web site, and do not link between the two. Top of Page | Site Navigation Links Rules for Responding Online The fastest way to respond to Internet job listings is to e-mail your cover letter and resume to the person or organization indicated. However, there are some simple rules to follow before hitting the "send" key. Look at it this way. You have 15 or 20 seconds to get someone's attention using email. In that time, you must convince the recipient to * open your email * read your message * not delete your email Do it wrong, get into the wrong mail box, or make someone's job harder, and the best resume in the world from the most qualified person in the world will be trashed. Getting your email opened, read, and actually considered really comes down to some simple rules. 1. Use the right Subject. "Seeking employment" is not an acceptable subject. If you are

responding to an advertisement, use the job title or job code cited in the advertisement to make it easy for your e-mail to be recognized and routed to the appropriate person. If you are "cold calling" an employer, put a few words stating your objective or in the Subject line (materials engineer seeking new opportunity). 2. Include a cover letter in your email and address it to the recipient. "Here's my resume, please tell me if you have any jobs I might fill" is not a cover letter and does not encourage anyone to look at your resume. Whether or not you are responding to an advertised opening, the cover letter will introduce you, specify how you meet the needs of the employer, and will encourage the recipient to read your full resume. 3. Always send your resume in the body of the e-mail message, not as an attachment. Force someone to open an attachment just to get to know you and your 20 seconds are over before they even start. Put that resume right in the message so the recipient will see it as soon as he or she opens the message. This technique also helps you get through e-mail systems that reject all attachments in this day of rampant computer viruses. 4. Make sure your resume is properly formatted for e-mail. Plain text resumes not formatted for email can be unreadable, and unreadable resumes will most likely be deleted. Take the time to make sure it will look as good on all computers and in all email systems as it does on your screen. This means shorter text lines, spacing between sections, and text-based highlights. 5. If responding to an advertisement, read the application instructions and follow them. Failing to follow application instructions not only delays your resume, it labels you as someone who doesn't take direction well. It's the Trash bin for you. They might specify an email address and job code to use. They might even actually ask you to send your resume as a Word attachment. Whatever they want, you do. Always remember: It only takes a second for someone to delete an e-mail message. Don't give them a reason to trash you! Think before you respond! Top of Page | Site Navigation Links Posting your Resume: Placement vs. Privacy Staying Cyber-Safe With all of the possible posting sites available online, you can saturate the Internet with your resumes. Is this a good thing? There are two issues to consider when posting your resume online. 1. Placement: where should you post it? 2. Privacy: how public do you want it to be? What's the problem? The more exposure you get, the better, right? Not necessarily. Recruiters get tired of finding the same resumes for the same people in every database they search. If you get labeled a "resume spammer," you won't be considered for job openings they are working to fill. Also, the farther your resume spreads, the less control you have over it and the more likely it is to be discovered by someone you had hoped wouldn't see it, like your current employer. And yes, people do get fired. Some problems can be avoided by merely limiting where you post your resume (Placement), others by limiting the information in your posted resume (Privacy), but the two issues must be addressed hand-in-hand. It is possible to be visible but private online, but how visible you want to be vs. how comfortable you are in public is a question only you can answer. Staying Cyber-Safe

Limiting your posting is a good way to protect your privacy, but it is also important to select those few sites with care. Susan Joyce, author of Job-Hunt.org, encourages job seekers to carefully evaluate the job sites used and to be aware of the information presented in the resume. The following tips include information excerpted from her articles on Choosing a Job Site and Your Cyber-Safe Resume. This information was used with her permission. I highly recommend a visit to her site to read the full articles. 1. Limit where you post. Post your resume in the databases of only one or two large popular job sites. At the same time, post it in the databases of one or two smaller job sites targeted to your specific industry, occupational group, or geographic location. This will give you both "maximum exposure" (many employers crossing industries and regions) and "targeted exposure" (employers looking for a smaller yet more highly qualified candidate pool.) 2. Read Privacy Policies. Note what personal or "individually identifiable" information they will collect, how it may be handled, and whether or not they reserve the right to sell it. Some sites are good and promise to never sell your info, but others reserve the right to sell your personally identifiable information to third parties. 3. Avoid sites that force you to register a full profile (i.e., your resume) before you can do any search of the job database. You should be allowed to evaluate a site to make sure it's a good fit to you before adding your information to their database. 4. Avoid sites that offer to "blast" your resume. Such wide distribution may offer little, if any, control on where a copy of your resume could end up. 5. Limit access to your personal contact information. Options range from blocking access to just the contact information to keeping your resume completely out of the database searched by employers. Choose the option that works best for you. Remember that if you go for full confidentiality, it may be up to you to remember to delete contact info from your resume. Many job seekers trip up here because they fill out a form with their contact info, then cut and paste the whole resume into the box, forgetting about the contact info here. The database's protection of your contact info only refers to what you put in the form, not in the box. 6. Modify the contact information you put on your resume. Remove all standard "contact information" -- name, address, phone numbers -- and replace your personal e-mail address with an e-mail address set up specifically for your job search. This is where those services like Yahoo! email come into play. Make sure you use an appropriate e-mail name like MEngineer@Yahoo.com. Names like "JustLooking@Yahoo.com" or "DumbBlond@HotMail.com" are not good names for serious job seekers. 7. Modify your employment history. Remove all dates from your resume. Then, remove the names of all employers and replace them with accurate but generic descriptions. "Nuts n' Bolts Distributors, Inc." becomes "a small construction supplies distribution company" and "IBM" becomes "a multinational information technology company." If your job title is unique, replace it with an accurate but generic title, so "New England Regional Gadget Marketing Director" becomes "multi-state marketing manager of gadget-class products." 8. Don't let your resume sit there. Since many databases sort resumes by date of submission with the newest first, renew your resume every 14 days. If you don't get any response to your resume within 45 days of posting, remove it from that location and post it elsewhere. It could be that employers are not looking for people with your skills in this particular database, but it could also be that there is too much competition between candidates with the same skills and your resume is not rising to the top. 9. When your job search is over, delete all resumes out there. Do not continue to "dangle the hook" and see what offers may come up. Your new employer may find you still fishing and

demand an explanation. Some people are adding a "posted DATE" on the bottom of resumes they register online, but you will still have a tremendous amount of explaining to do if your resume is found to still be circulating. Whether or not you were planning a fast exit, you may find yourself on the way out the door. Always remember that most job sites make their money by selling access to the resume database! Many want you to post your resume in their database, but few really work for you. When it comes to posting your resume, You Rule. Be choosy. Curriculum Vitae: A detailed, lengthy and structured listing of education, publications, projects, awards and work history. A curriculum vitae for a mid-career candidate may be as long as twenty pages. Employer Rating: Rather than a resume, a curriculum vitae (often called a "C.V." or "Vita") is required for certain positions: educators and scientists most commonly. Works Best For: Job seekers with extensive academic and professional credentials applying for positions in education or research. Check with an advisor or others in your field if you are unsure whether a C.V. or a resume is expected. 44 Resume Writing Tips by Daniel Scocco 1. Know the purpose of your resume Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!). 2. Back up your qualities and strengths Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things. 3. Make sure to use the right keywords Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesnt have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts. These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resumes Effectiveness. 4. Use effective titles Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example:

Bad title: Accounting Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping 5. Proofread it twice It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary. If you dont know how to proofread effectively, here are 8 tips that you can use. 6. Use bullet points No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives. 7. Where are you going? Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You dont need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic. 8. Put the most important information first This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first. 9. Attention to the typography First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good choices. 10. Do not include no kidding information There are many people that like to include statements like Available for interview or References available upon request. If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think no kidding! 11. Explain the benefits of your skills Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your chances. 12. Avoid negativity Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You dont need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last company. 13. Achievements instead of responsibilities

Resumes that include a long list of responsibilities included are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements. 14. No pictures Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume. 15. Use numbers This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Dont merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on. 16. One resume for each employer One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters. 17. Identify the problems of the employer A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems. 18. Avoid age discrimination It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume. 19. You dont need to list all your work experiences If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to help you land that executive position. 20. Go with what you got If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer jobs or volunteer work. If you dont have a degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not. 21. Sell your fish Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you dont go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an advantage over the other candidates.

22. Dont include irrelevant information Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Just skip it. 23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your gender. 24. No lies, please Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good. 25. Keep the salary in mind The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and responsibility level that you are aiming for. 26. Analyze job ads You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented. 27. Get someone else to review your resume Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions. 28. One or two pages The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better. 29. Use action verbs A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list of action verbs divided by skill category. 30. Use a good printer If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper is the preferred one as well. 31. No hobbies Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid

mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers. 32. Update your resume regularly It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer. 33. Mention who you worked with If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume. 34. No scattered information Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people. 35. Make the design flow with white space Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can improve the legibility of your resume. 36. Lists all your positions If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it. 37. No jargon or slang It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for the first time might not have any technical expertise. 38. Careful with sample resume templates There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and paste one of the most used ones. You certainly dont want to look just like any other candidate, do you? 39. Create an email proof formatting It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms. Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer having the resume on the body of

the email itself. 40. Remove your older work experiences If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough. 41. No fancy design details Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at the sight. 42. No pronouns You resume should not contain the pronouns I or me. That is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant. 43. Dont forget the basics The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than one). 44. Consider getting professional help If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money. Twelve Things Employers Want To See in Your Resume & Interview 1. Results Can you cite specific accomplishments, not just duties? 2. Figures and numbers How did you impact the bottom line? How productive were you? Etc. 3. Awards and accolades Have you been recognized as a success in any way, from employee of the month on up? 4. Blog or website Do you have one with a professional subject, tone, and content? 5. Staying power Hopefully, you can show the opposite of job-hopping (multiple jobs with less than two years

tenure tends to raise a red flag with HR). 6. Up-to-date skills and education Have you had any relevant continuing education and training? 7. Ideas and initiative How can you show the potential to generate good ideas and be a self-starter? 8. Attitude How can you show you will stay positive and flexible and not be a complainer or whiner? 9. Leadership skills Can you think of situations or activities in which others have followed your lead? 10. Growth potential Can you show you have done more than expected in past jobs, have moved up, and that if hired you will seek to learn and do more, beyond the position you seek? 11. Creativity Can you think of examples of creative problem-solving? 12. Hobbies Do you have hobbies or interests that can help create interest in you by showing other dimensions of your life?

INTERVIEWING FOR A JOB

INTERVIEWING TIPS Well, its that time again. Time to prepare yourself for the journey that lies ahead. It can be a little scary, but with the proper preparation you will do much better. Below are some general tips to get your focus on track. With a few interviews you'll be on your way! Interview Tip 1: Plan Ahead - Do a little homework! Research the company and the position if possible, as well, the people you will meet with at the interview. Review your work experiences. Be ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the companies needs. Have your facts ready! Interview Tip 2: Role Play - Once you have finished studying, begin role playing (rehearsing). Use the general questions provided below in the Interview Preparation Area. Write down answers if it helps to make your presentation more concise. Try to keep your answers to the information your new employer will want to know. Interview Tip 3: Eye Contact - Maintain eye contact with your interviewer. Show you want the job with your interest.

Interview Tip 4: Be Positive - In particular, avoid negative comments about past employers. Interview Tip 5: Adapt - Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer. Pay attention to those details of dress, office furniture, and general decor which will afford helpful clues to assist you in tailoring your presentation. Interview Tip 6: Relate - Try to relate your answers to the interviewer and his or her company. Focus on achievements relevant to the position. Interview Tip 7: Encourage - Encourage the interviewer to share information about his or her company. Demonstrate your interest. Questions you may be asked in the interview Tell me about yourself? (try to hold your response to 2 minutes) What do you know about our company? Career Connections Jr. Career Assessment Software for Middle school Why should we hire you? What can you do for us that someone else can't? What do you look for in a job? What skills and qualifications are essential for success in the position of ______? How long would it take for you to make a meaningful contribution? How does this assignment fit into your overall career plan? Describe your management style. What do you believe is the most difficult part of being a supervisor of people? Why are you looking for a new career? How would your colleagues describe you? How would your boss describe you? How would you describe yourself? What do you think of your present or past boss? What were the five most significant accomplishments in your last assignment? What were the five most significant accomplishments in your career so far? Can you work well under deadlines or pressure? How much do you expect if we offer you this position? Career Exploration Inventory

Why do you want to work for us? What other positions are you considering? Have you kept up in your field with additional training? What are your career goals? What are your strong points? What are your weak points? How did you do in school? What position do you expect to have in 2 to 5 years? If you took the job what would you accomplish in the first year? What was wrong with your current or last position? What kind of hours are you used to working or would like to work? Do you have your reference list with you? (Remember don't give it out unless it is asked for). Can you explain your salary history? What questions didn't I ask that you expected? Do you have any question for me? Questions you may want to ask the Interviewer 1. Why is this position open? 2. How often has it been filled in the past five years? What were the main reasons? 3. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this position? 4. What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job? 5. What is most pressing? What would you like to have done in the next 3 months. 6. What are some of the long term objectives you would like to see completed? 7. What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face in this position? 8. How do you think these could best be handled? 9. What type of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances. etc? 10. What freedom would I have in determining my own work objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurement? 11. What advancement opportunities are available for the person who is successful in this position, and within what time frame?

12. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years? 13. What significant changes do you foresee in the near future? 14. How is one evaluated in this position? 15. What accounts for success within the company? 16. These questions are presented only as interviewing guidelines. They are meant to help you prepare for the interview. Some questions may or may not be appropriate for your interviewing situation. 17. By practicing your responses to some of these questions, hopefully you will not be taken off guard if asked one of them. Most importantly, relax, go with the flow, and before you know it, you'll be in your next job. Five Potentially Revealing Interview Questions Suggested by Business Development Author 1. Tell Me What Youve Done or Continue to Do to Educate Yourself What someone has studied since college is is a good indication of a continuing interest in learning. Further education shows the candidate is interested in continuing to learn, is improving skills constantly, and will probably continue to keep reading and learning. 2. Does Your Present Employer Know Youre Looking? Candidates who respond with a Yes seem to be more forthright overall. Theyve spoken with their employers about their positions and their interests. Theyve made every attempt to adjust their current job to their liking, and they have openly involved their employers in that process. Obviously, their employers could not accommodate them and they are now looking elsewhere for a better fit. As their future employer, Id like the opportunity to discuss their situation and work something out before they jump ship behind my back. 3. What Did You Learn From Your Parents? Wouldnt you like to know what influences not shown on their resumes applicants grew up around? You never know what extra benefits a potential employee may bring to your party from this informal education. It also gives an indication of what influences his or her thinking or point of view as he or she approaches the job with you. 4. Tell Me About a Mistake You Made and What You Learned From It. A good candidate should smile and admit he or she has several doozies to choose from. A healthy attitude and answer to this question demonstrate that the person isnt afraid of being a little vulnerable and has plenty of self-confidence. It also shows that he or she is willing to face his or her mistakes and learn from them. This kind of person can bring a lot of good experience mistakes that dont need to be repeated to your business. 5. Tell Me About Your Vacations. What someone chooses to do on vacation provides tremendous insight into other interests he or she may have. Instead of hearing about fantasies and something this person may like to do someday, you hear about what someone actually did and what experiences he or she actually had. Vacations represent peoples freest choices and give you some further insight into their natural tendencies. Make an awesome first impression

What to wear As you can imagine, clothes help you make a great first impression, but they shouldnt speak louder than you do. Dress professionally and let your skills and knowledge make the impression. Watch Your Body Language Its all about confidence. Offer your interviewer a firm, dry handshake and watch your posture. Also, make eye contact with your interviewer. Dont answer questions by looking around the room. Its also a good idea to use hand gestures in moderation and refrain from fidgeting. Focus on Your Past Behavior Your interviewer will be interested in what youve done in previous jobs or in school. We want to hear about specific situations. Let us know how you handled them and what results you achieved. Tell us about success stories, but it also doesnt hurt to include a time things didnt go quite right, but you still learned from the experience. Describe Your Qualifications What makes you unique? Are you the type of person who enjoys working in a certain type of environment? During your interview, your job is to convince us that you have the right attitude, experience, skill set, and qualifications for the position. "Why Should We Hire You?" This may seem obvious, but try to answer this question out loud right now. Was your answer confident and concise? Think of yourself as a product. Why should the customer buy you? Let us know that you have been listening to our needs and have what it takes to do the job. Let us know that you are the solution. Tough Questions Like we said, our interview focus will be on what you have done in previous jobs. You can prepare for the interview by thinking of and perhaps jotting down a list of past accomplishments. Also, think of tough situations you have handled well, and maybe some you didn't handle as well as you could have. Ask Questions Surprisingly, most people don't take advantage of the chance to ask questions of their interviewer. This is a missed opportunity to find out information about the position. It is important for you to ask questions -- not just any questions, but those relating to the job, the company and the industry. Go ahead and ask. Thats what were here for. Other Information In most cases you will complete an employment application online before you come in to meet with our Staffing Team or Hiring Managers. Just in case, be sure to bring with you the names, addresses and dates for where you went to school, where you've worked for the past five years, and where you've lived for the past seven years. Closing Points Leave your interviewer with the right picture of you. Think of at least five skills or traits you want remembered after the interview. Ask if there is anything else you can provide, such as references,

background information or work samples. These will all help you make the right impression. Also, dont forget to state your interest in the position. Again; this sounds easy, but remember to act interested and remember to mention the added value you can bring to the job. What now? Once your interview is over ask about the next step in the process. It's important for you to know what to expect. Ask for the decision date and what date well contact you. Also, find out how to contact us and who to contact. If you don't hear back, youll need to know who to contact and whether they will accept calls to check your hiring status. Job Interview Preparation Tips 1. Job Interview Tips > Interview Preparation Preparing for a job interview takes time, careful planning and thinking, so it is important to schedule in some preparation time at least one week before the interview itself. This will enable you to ensure you have all of the information to hand as you start to consider how you best convey to the interviewer your skills and attributes necessary for the job you are applying for. Company information: Gather as much relevant information on the company as you can. Most companies have their own web site which will provide you with information on the products they sell; how the company is structured, its people and their values. Demonstrating in the interview that you have done some research into the company demonstrates to your prospective employer that you are genuinely interested in working for them. It also enables you to ask some relevant questions at the interview. Job requirements: At this point you should have some idea of the job requirements, either from the company's advertisement or what the recruitment agency has told you, dependent upon how you heard about the job. However, most companies will have a written job description that they can provide you with if they haven't already. Review the job description and any other documentation you have been provided with. What does it tell you about the knowledge, skills, desired behaviours and personal attributes for this job? Consider how you match up to these requirements. What are your key strengths/talents that you need to highlight well in the interview? What are the knowledge, skills or behaviours that need developing? How could you develop these? For example, if the job requires the skills to use Excel and you are not familiar with the use of the package, you could find someone you know to teach you or consider a local college course. Showing a prospective employer you have considered your own development needs demonstrates personal drive and commitment. Evidence of past achievements: At the job interview you will need to demonstrate to your prospective employer your most relevant achievements to date, so consider what documentation you could take with you to the interview that could provide evidence of those achievements. These documents could include: * Certificates of qualifications * Internal company league results tables (subject to confidentiality issues) * Emails or letters with customer or colleague feedback * Appraisal documentation * Presentation slides * Awards * References Past examples: Many companies now use interview techniques such as competency based

interviewing that ask you to share a specific example of how you have demonstrated a particular skill or behaviour. So consider in advance the best examples that demonstrate the skills and behaviours needed in the job. For example, most jobs require a degree of personal planning and organisation. Back to top Think about how you plan and organise yourself each day. * What tools do you use to help you, such as a diary, electronic calendar, to do lists etc.? * How do you use these to help you achieve your goals and objectives? * How do you prioritise the tasks that you need to achieve during the day? * What happens when things don't go to plan? * What have you learnt about planning and organising your day? Think about a project or a big task that you have had to plan and organise in the past. * What did you personally do to ensure that the project or task was achieved within the agreed timescales? * What worked really well? * What could have been planned or organised better and why? * What did you learn from the experience? * How have you applied that learning to later projects or tasks? Career plan: Most employers will want to know about your career path to date, the choices you have made and your rationale, as well as the career ambitions you may have for the future. Therefore, we suggest you take some time before the job interview to plan how best to convey this to your prospective employer. Consider what potential concerns or interests your potential employer may have with the choices you have made in your career to date. * How can you counteract their concerns? * How can you promote your best career moves? * What have been the benefits of each career move? * How has each career move helped you to be where you are today and where you want to be in the future? If you are a graduate, consider the various experiences, both inside and outside work that have helped you acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes you have today and how you can promote the most relevant experiences to the job application and your planned career. Difficult questions: During a job interview there may be a question you find difficult to answer, either because you genuinely do not know the answer, or you haven't previously given any thought to the issue. If you do not know the answer, do not bluff your way through. A good interviewer will pick this up very quickly, and as many employers have Integrity as part of their core values, you will not help yourself. However, it may be helpful to identify any potentially difficult questions you think you may be asked, and consider your likely response. Back to top 2. Job Interview Tips > Preparing yourself for the interview Having spent time preparing the factual information for an interview, it is advisable to spend some time preparing yourself to look and feel confident on the day. In this section of job interview tips we look at the most crucial considerations in getting yourself personally prepared in advance for that all important meeting and avoiding last minute panics. Look the part: It may sound obvious, but planning ahead what you will wear to the job interview

and ensuring that the whole outfit is clean and presentable before you go to the wardrobe on the day will avoid any last minute panics! Feel the part: However well you physically prepare, most people feel nervous and apprehensive about attending job interviews. Taking time out to rehearse how you will introduce yourself, respond to the interviewer's questions, and ask questions about the job and the organisation will help you to become more 'polished' and exude confidence. You could ask a colleague or family member to ask you some likely job interview questions to practice your responses. They could then give you some feedback on how you came across. Alternatively, sit infront of a mirror and watch yourself as you practice your words. You've heard the saying 'mind over matter'. It is also helpful to visualise the job interview going well with you looking really confident and the interviewer responding positively to you. Visualise yourself walking away from the interview with a warm confident glow. Remove any negative concerns from your mind that hinder your belief from things going well. This helps train your mind so that when you get to the actual job interview, your body follows your mind's belief that the interview will go well. Try it. You may be pleasantly surprised! Experience from past interviews: Think about what you have learnt from previous interviews and identify what you will need to do differently this time to make your interview go well. If you have very little experience of job interviews, then ask a few colleagues of their experiences and take their learning into consideration when preparing yourself. Plan the logistics: To avoid any last minute panics, plan your journey to the job interview and the things you may need to take with you to ensure you are sufficiently nourished and alert on the day, for example: * Location of interview * Map and directions for driving * Car parking facilities * Cash including change for parking and other incidentals * Local station if travelling by train and distance to interview location * Local transport options if needed to get to interview location * Refreshments * Documents for reference at interview If you don't know the area well, as part of your job interview preparation ask a colleague who is more familiar with the area to establish the accessibility of the interview location. Alternatively, ask someone inside the prospective employer, for example, the telephonist. Back to top 3. Job Interview Tips > What to expect during the interview Each job interview you attend will vary in its style and content. However, it is helpful to be aware of the basic job interview structure and some of the techniques widely used. The interview structure: A good interviewer will always have a clear structure planned for their job interview to ensure they acquire all the information they need to whilst you are with them. A simple way of structuring interviews that is widely used is called the WASP structure: * Welcome: This will usually last about 5 minutes whilst the interviewer greets you, offers you some refreshments and asks some easy, less job relevant questions to relax you, such as "how was your journey?" This is also your opportunity to generate some good first impressions. * Acquire: The main part of the job interview will be spent in this stage of the interview with the interviewer asking you a wide range of questions to find out about your potential suitability to the job role and the organisation.

* Supply: Time is normally allocated here to provide the interviewee with information about the job as well as the opportunity to ask questions to the interviewer. Should you feel at this stage, the interviewer has not asked you questions about an aspect of your past experience that is relevant to the job you are being interviewed for, it would be relevant and appropriate to mention it here. You could also provide any evidence of past achievements here focusing on the key points and without taking up too much time. The interviewer may also take you around the organisation so that you can see the facilities and potentially meet some of the people you could be working with. The format and style of information giving will vary from employer to employer as well as the stage of job interview you are attending, i.e. you are more likely to receive more information at a second interview as opposed to the first initial interview. * Plan and Part: Once the interviewer has answered all of your questions, they will usually inform you of the next steps in the interview process, including how and when you should hear the outcome of your interview. If they omit to tell you, then ask the question. Back to top Biographical interviews: Most interviewers will want to ask you questions about your career to date, particularly around jobs that you may have had that are particularly relevant to the job role or specific behaviours and skills they are seeking. If you have had experiences outside the world of work that may be relevant, the interviewer may also enquire about these experiences. If not, and you think they are relevant, you may wish to highlight this at the appropriate stage in the job interview. Competency based interviews: Many employers today use a technique known as competency based interviewing to help them acquire evidence of your past performance, based on the premise that past performance is one of the best indicators of future performance. The evidence they seek centres around the core competencies (skills and behaviours) that are critical to the success of the job. You may be told which competencies these are in advance of the interview allowing you to effectively prepare. Whilst using the technique, the interviewer will ask you to describe a past situation you have been in, for example, when working on a team based project and then ask you more specific questions about how you worked as part of that team. The key here is to stay focused on this specific example and fully answer the question. Here are some example questions: * Can you think of a specific occasion when you have had to work as part of a team? * What were the goals of the team? * What was your role within the team? * What did you personally do to ensure the team goals were achieved? * How effective were you in being a team member? * What in hindsight could you have done differently to help the team achieve its goals even quicker? * How have you applied this learning when working in other teams? With questions around teamwork it is very easy to fall into the trap of saying "we did this" when the interviewer wants to know what your specific contribution was. So starting your answers with the word "I" will help you to avoid falling into this common trap, except for situations where you are describing a collective effort with one person contributing more or differently. Whilst the interviewer asks you competency based interview questions, please be aware that they are likely to ask you questions around occasions when things went well and when they didn't go quite as well. They are looking to see how you have dealt with the difficult issues, what you learnt from the experience and how you have applied the learning. Assessment methods: There are a number of different assessment methods in use that will enable your interviewer to measure your potential ability to do the job. These could include:

* Psychometric questionnaires and tests (see our SHL Candidate Help Page for further information) * In-tray exercises, case studies, role-plays (see SHL's website page at www.shldirect.com for further information) * Making a presentation on a job related matter * Preparing and presenting a written report on a job related matter * Conducting a job related task Whatever the task, it is advisable to find out as much as you can beforehand about the task, and provide sufficient time for you to practice the task. Panel interviews: Panel interviews where several interviewers interview an individual at the same time, still take place in some organisations. Whilst they can be quite off putting to the interviewee, they can save time if managed effectively. A good job interview panel will ask their questions in sequence and you should be able to focus on the particular interviewer asking the questions at the time. More frequently, you are likely to come across job interviews where there are two interviewers with one taking the lead in asking questions whilst the other takes notes. Back to top 4. Job Interview Tips > How to create a favourable impression during interview As this is your best opportunity to make a great impression, the following job interview tips relate to all-important interview etiquette: First impressions: You may already have heard of the four minute rule. It takes four minutes for a person to form a view, positive or negative, of another person when they meet for the first time. This means that the first impressions you create in the interviewer's mind are crucial. Thinking in advance what and how you will introduce yourself is therefore important. Rehearsing with a colleague or family member can help. Focus on: * Your handshake - firm but not overbearing * Your eyes - directed at the interviewer when shaking their hand * Your body - upright, open and facing towards the interviewer * Your voice - clear and concise, stating your name * Your mouth - smiling towards the interviewer and any other employee in contact with * Build rapport with the interviewer by continuing the conversation or asking questions about the organisation or their role Follow the interviewer's cues: Follow the interviewer's lead and cues to ensure you do not offend them in any way, e.g. * Sit in the chair the interviewer guides you to * Follow the structure of the interview e.g. ask questions when invited to do so * Answer the question honestly and concisely * Use humour with caution especially where you do not know the interviewer and do not therefore know how the interviewer will respond * Provide specific examples of past behaviour when asked to * Ask your pre-prepared questions when the opportunity arises * Ask the interviewer if there is time to show them some examples of past successes * Thank the interviewer/s for their time 5 Steps To Success In Job Interviews Prepare For The Interview

Lets face it. Jobseekers get nervous about job interviews. We feel as if the pressure is on. Especially if weve been unemployed for awhile. No need to worry. Here are some steps to take to be ready for the interview. Interviewing is just another skill. The same as learning your last job, you can learn to interview. It just takes practice. Practice Makes Perfect. Thats what I was taught growing up. Whatever skill you learn in life, the more times you do it the better you are. The same applies to an interview. Prepare yourself by practicing the answers to the following questions until you are very comfortable with them. These are questions that you will be asked in almost every interview. * Why did you leave your last job? (Never, ever, speak bad about former bosses itll get you no where) * What were your responsibilities at your previous job(s)? * What do you consider to be your three strengths? Weaknesses? * What did you like the most about your previous job? The least? * Give me an example of how you created teamwork at your previous job. 5 Steps To Interview Success 1. Prepare your answers to the above questions. Have a friend ask the questions, practice in front of a mirror, or use a video recorder. 2. Dress appropriately for the job you are interviewing for. 3. Do Not Be Late! Arrive early. This always shows that you are sincere about the job. 4. Have an ink pen or pencil. If you dont, this shows sloppiness and insincerity. 5. Be prepared to ask two or three questions about the job but not about pay! This shows your interest in the work not just a paycheck. If you arent familiar with the duties of this type of job, do research on the web or ask someone that works there. You should also know a little about the company background: how long in business, products made or services sold, etc. The interviewer will most likely ask if she/he can do a reference check with your previous employer. Always answer yes unless you are still employed there. Reference checks are critical to some companies. If you are worried about what the interviewer might learn about you, call or drop by your previous employer and let them know to expect a call and how important it is that your best traits are pointed out. Lastly, always be courteous and respectful to the interviewer. Sit up straight, speak clearly, and dont doodle! How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews Posted in Careers, Jobs & Employment Advertisment Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate questions, develop your answers, and practice, practice, practice. There are plenty of websites that offer lists of popular job interview questions, and knowing the types of questions to expect can be very useful. But knowing how to answer those questions can mean the difference between getting the job and getting the "reject letter."

HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS First, know these important facts: 1. There is no way to predict every question you will be asked during a job interview. In other words, expect unexpected questions they'll come up no matter how much preparation you do. 2. Treat any sample answers you find, such as in discussion forums, books or on Internet job sites, as GUIDES only. Do not use any sample answers word for word! Interviewers can spot "canned" answers a mile away, and if they suspect you are regurgitating answers that are not your own, you can kiss that job goodbye. You must apply your own experiences, personality and style to answer the questions in your own way. This is crucial, and it will give you a big advantage over candidates who simply recite sample answers. 3. Job interview questions are not things to fear, they are OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL. They allow you to show why you are the best person for the job, so instead of dreading them, look forward to them! The key is to give better answers than anyone else, and that's where your preparation comes in. Now, take these actions: 1. Make a list of your best "selling points" for the position. What qualifications, skills, experience, knowledge, background, personality traits do you possess that would apply to this particular job? Write them down and look for opportunities to work them into your answers. 2. In addition to any sample job interview questions you find through various resources, you absolutely must develop your OWN list of probable questions based specifically on the job for which you are applying. Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes? what kinds of questions would you ask to find the best person for this job? 3. Write down your answers to likely questions. Study the job announcement carefully. (If you don't have one, get one!) Note the phrases they use when describing the desired qualifications. You'll want to target these as much as possible when developing your answers. For example, if the announcement says they want someone with "strong customer service skills," make sure you include "strong customer service skills" in at least one of your answers. That will make a better impression than saying "I helped customers." 4. Review and edit your answers until you feel they are "just right." Read them over and over until you are comfortable that you know them fairly well. Don't try to memorize them; don't worry about remembering every word. Practice saying them out loud. If possible, have a friend help you rehearse for the interview. Be A (Short) Story Teller Make use of this old marketing tip: "Facts tell but stories sell." During a job interview, you are selling yourself. Whenever possible, answer questions with a short story that gives specific examples of your experiences. Notice I said "short." You don't want to ramble or take up too much time; you want to be brief but still make your point. For example, imagine two people interviewing for a job as a dog groomer are asked, "Have you ever dealt with aggressive dogs?" Candidate Joe answers, "Yes, about 10% of the dogs I've groomed had aggressive tendencies." Candidate Mary answers, "Oh yes, quite often. I remember one situation where a client brought in his Pit Bull, Chomper. He started growling at me the moment his owner left, and I could tell from his stance he wasn't about to let me get near his nails with my clippers. I think he would've torn my arm off if I hadn't used the Schweitzer Maneuver on him. That calmed him down right away and I didn't have any problems after that." (NOTE: I know

nothing about dog grooming; I made the Schweitzer Maneuver up for illustrative purposes.) Don't you agree that Mary's answer is better? Sure, Joe answered the question, but Mary did more than that she gave a specific example and told a quick story that will be remembered by the interviewers. In today's job market where there are dozens of highly qualified candidates for each opening, anything you do that will make you stand out and be remembered will greatly increase your odds of getting hired. Keep the Interviewer's Perspective in Mind; Answer His "What's in it for Me?" Question While many questions asked during job interviews appear to focus on your past accomplishments, here's an important tip: they may be asking about what you did in the past, but what they really want to know is what you can do NOW, for THEM. The key is to talk about your past accomplishments in a way that shows how they are RELEVANT to the specific job for which you are interviewing. Doing advance research about the company (such as at their website or at www.hoovers.com) and the position will be extremely helpful. Here's another example with Joe and Mary. The interviewer asks, "What is the most difficult challenge you've faced, and how did you overcome it?" Joe answers with, "In one job I was delivering pizzas and I kept getting lost. By the time I'd find the address, the pizza would be cold, the customer would be unhappy, and my boss was ready to fire me. I overcame this problem by purchasing a GPS navigation device and installing it in my car. Now I never get lost!" Mary answers, "In my current job at Stylish Hounds, management ran a special promotion to increase the number of customers who use the dog-grooming service. It was a bit too successful because we suddenly had more customers than we could handle. Management would not hire additional groomers to help with the workload. Instead of turning customers away or significantly delaying their appointments, I devised a new grooming method that was twice as fast. Then I developed a new work schedule. Both efforts maximized productivity and we were able to handle the increased workload effectively without upsetting our customers." Joe's answer shows initiative and commitment (he bought that GPS gadget with his own money, after all). But Mary's answer relates specifically to the job they are applying for (dog groomer). And Mary had done research about the company and discovered it was about to significantly expand it's dog-grooming operations. So she picked an example from her past that addressed an issue the interviewer was likely to apply to a future situation in his company. See the difference? Here's one more example. Joe and Mary are asked, "What's your greatest accomplishment?" Joe answers, "I won two Olympic Gold Medals during the 2000 Olympics in the high-jump competition." Mary answers, "I was named Stylish Hounds's Dog Groomer of the Year in 2003 for increasing productivity in my section by 47%." Joe's accomplishment is pretty spectacular. But remember the interviewer's perspective. He might be impressed, but he's thinking "What's in it for me? What does being a world-class highjumper four years ago have to do with helping me to increase sales in my dog-grooming department?" Mary's answer is much less spectacular than Joe's, but it's relevant to the position and indicates that she has what it takes to be successful in this particular job. It tells the interviewer, "I have what you're looking for; I can help you with your specific needs." Looks like Mary has a new job! Do Not Lie

Last but not least, tell the truth. It's sometimes very tempting to "alter" the truth a bit during a job interview. For instance, say you quit instead of being fired. But the risk of being discovered as a liar far outweighs the potential benefit of hiding the truth. If you are thinking about telling a lie during the interview, ask yourself these questions (this technique has helped me make many major decisions): "What is the BEST thing that could happen? What is the WORST thing that could happen? Is the best thing WORTH RISKING the worst thing?" In this instance, the best thing would be getting the job. The worst thing would be getting discovered as a liar, which could lead to getting fired, which could lead to unemployment, which could lead to more job searching, which could lead to another interview, which could lead to the stress of deciding whether to lie about just getting fired, and so on? a cycle that can go on indefinitely. Is all that worth getting the one job, perhaps on a temporary basis? Always consider the consequences of your actions. In Summary, Here's What You Need To Do When Preparing To Answer Job Interview Questions: 1. Study the job announcement. 2. Research the company. 3. Anticipate likely questions. 4. Prepare answers to those questions that are relevant to the position and the company. 5. Promote your best "selling points" (relevant qualifications, capabilities, experience, personality traits, etc.) by working them into your answers. 6. Practice. Practice. Practice. 11 Best Job Interview Strategies Interviews are not difficult if you take the trouble to do a little preparation beforehand and the truth is that the interviewer actually wants you to do well because it makes her job a lot easier. The eleven strategies I've laid out below, won't take a lot of preparing for because they are mostly just good commonsense, but too many people seem to insist on 'winging it' which is not a very good interview strategy. Most of all, there is every reason to succeed because the hiring organization has already told you what it wants either in the 'help wanted' ad or in the job description package they send out to applicants. 1. Study the company One of the best job interview strategies that most candidates ignore is to study the current events of the company. Knowing what the current events of the company is important so that you can ask pertinent questions. Doing so will show the interviewer that you have done your homework, and also have a genuine interest in the company. This strategy will definitely help your job interview. 2. Know your resume As a candidate, you should be very familiar with your CV or resume. In any job interview, anything on your resume is at the interviewer's disposal. Implementing this job interview strategy will help build credibility with your interviewer. It is your responsibility to convince the interviewer that you can come in and do the job. Speaking intelligently about each of your previous positions will help do this, and is one of the best job interviewing tips to follow. Check this Resume

Example 3. Prepare an interview emergency toolkit Many candidates don't properly prepare for a job interview. Getting together a "job interview kit" is a great job interview strategy to follow. Suggested items for the kit include extra copies of your resume, directions to the office, a bottle of water, eye drops, pens, and notepad. But you should only bring the extra copies of your resume into the office with you, preferably in a portfolio. To help you with your administration, there is a free, printable version of the pre-interview checklist and interview toolkit available here. 4. Study job description After landing an interview, you need to study the job description to truly understand what the interviewer is looking for. If the description calls for attentiveness to detail, you will want to tailor the discussion accordingly. Knowing this, you can navigate the interview and discuss examples from previous jobs that will exemplify this trait. Do this for all significant traits or qualities that you identify in the job description. This is one of the best job interview preparation techniques I have used, and know that it can bring you success. Learn more about the importance of your Job Description 5. Build rapport You know the saying, "There's never a second chance to make a first impression?" That holds very true in the case of job interviews. That is why building rapport is such an important job interview strategy. Shake hands, make eye contact, and smile. Put those three together when you first meet your interviewer and it will set a positive tone for the rest of the interview. 6. Make eye contact Making positive eye contact is one of the best job interview strategies to follow. Eye contact is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. A person's qualities and personality can be detected simply based on eye contact. Making direct eye contact communicates confidence and high self-esteem, two key qualities employers look for in candidates. Thus, it is very important that you make eye contact when you first meet interviewer and shake hands. And during the interview, it is important to make eye contact, not only when you talk, but also as you listen. Simply doing this job interview strategy will greatly help your chances of success in an interview. Click for more great interview tips. 7. Body language Just as eye contact speaks volumes about you, so does your body language. Proper body language conveys confidence and high self-esteem. During the interview, things like sitting up straight with your chest out and keeping a pleasant demeanor on your face will project confidence. The interviewer will be aware of this, and it will help you stand out in his/her mind. Read these interview body language tips. 8. Prepare for the most common interview questions An interview should be a 2-way conversation, so you must both talk and listen. Find some way to make the interviewer remember you as an individual who interacts with others. Listen closely to the answers to your interview questions and be equally attentive to the questions that you are asked. If youre unsure on any of the interview questions, don't be afraid to ask for clarification, but don't waste time. Be specific with your answers and relate each answer to the job you are seeking. Its best to prepare answers to the common questions that you will almost certainly be asked Top 50 questions The interviewer can't read your mind, so prepare to make your own case. Think about how to

present your skills as benefits and be ready with your answers to interview questions In my experience some interviewers dont allow enough time to prepare and you can turn this to your advantage - you can be better prepared than your interviewer If you both fail to prepare, youve both wasted your time. If you make sure youre ready, it can be a terrific interview. 9. Display your skills with concrete examples When it comes to discussing their skills, many candidates make the mistake of "telling" instead of "showing." One of the best job interview strategies is to use concrete examples to demonstrate their skills to the interviewer. For example, if one of your skills is successfully handling multiple tasks at once, providing an example of how you do that will help paint a picture for the interviewer. It also gives the interviewer something to "hold on to" once the interview is over, and helps him/her remember you when it comes to decision time. Get more insights into the different ways that your work skills help your career. 10. Be yourself A common mistake that many candidates make is not being themselves. Some feel that they need to fit a certain mold and act accordingly. This will only end up hurting both parties in the end when your "true" personality comes out. You will be surprised how easy it is to detect insincerity during an interview. Thus, it is important to be professional, but also maintain your true essence. When you do this, your sincerity and genuineness will be picked up by the interviewer. This is one of the best job interview strategies to implement, and will go a long way in determining your success. Learn how to present your personal attributes in the most effective way. 11. Follow up quickly After the job interview, send a thank you note to the interview. These days, an email is fine, but traditionally a handwritten card is sent. Whatever method you choose, do it promptly after the interview. The correspondence should be sent the next day after the interview. Many hiring decisions are made quickly these days, so timeliness is very important.