Career

Has it been more than 10 years since you launched an executive job search campaign? If you are among the few fortunate executives who have enjoyed a long, consistent career with the same company, an unexpected thrust in unemployment or career transition can really turn your world upside down. Even if you are Internet savvy, you can easily become overwhelmed by the growing maze of job search boards, company databases, and online recruiting networks unless you have a solid job search strategy plan. It is essential to understand while it is critical to engage in online job search activities, it should only be a portion—not the entire component—of your job search strategy plan. There are several job search strategies you can engage in right now to re-brand yourself, revive your network and personal contacts, and re-position yourself for top-paying career opportunities. 1. Identify Your Target Position Before burying yourself in a frenzy of resume-writing and cover letter activities, determine what your ideal job target is. Do you want to stay in the same field, are you using this opportunity to pursue your dream job or are you only interested in lateral movement until retirement. Maximize resources like www.hoovers.com, www.wetfeet.com, and www.vault.com to find critical “insider” information on companies in your target industries. 2. Define And Promote Your Personal Brand Your job search is not worth the effort unless you have clearly identified your personal brand and unique value proposition for potential employers. You must be able to articulate why a company should hire you and highlight the consistent theme of achievements from your overall career. Are you the cost savings guru, have you been repeatedly called upon to lead high-profile initiatives or can you be classified as the turnaround agent? A manufacturing executive’s personal brand could be: SENIOR MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVE Engaging cutting-edge technologies to advance corporate-wide initiatives that expedite manufacturing processes and achieve aggressive revenue growth, cost-cutting objectives, and profitability margins. 3. Develop An Achievement-Focused Executive Resume Your executive should be a strategic career marketing document not a career obituary. Focus on relevant content supported by career-defining “WOW” achievements throughout the resume. Use the Situation-Task-Action-Results formula for development achievement statements for your resume with the goal of having at least five achievements for each position listed on the resume. For example: Situation: As Chief Financial Officer – synthesize finance and operations departments following the recent merger of two manufacturing companies. Tasks: Eliminate duplication of resources, increase operational efficiency, and boost work productivity and results. Action: Developed short-term strategy and execution plan by developing team with key representatives for technology, finance, and operations divisions. Results: Reduced company’s overhead costs by $5 million in 6 months and improved efficiency 25%. Achievement statement for resume: Shrunk annual overhead costs by $5 million in six months by assembling core operations team that further eliminated duplication of resources and increased operational efficiency by 25%. 4. Compile An ROI-Based, Brand-Focused Portfolio In order to generate success in today’s job market, you have to go beyond a standard executive resume. Invest in an entire portfolio of career marketing documents including a networking resume, career biography, accomplishment summary, and cover letters for both employers and recruiters. The networking resume works well for quick introductions to executive recruiters and personal contacts and the leadership profile is a powerful leave-behind document for interviews. 5. Have A Memorable 30-Second Commercial Once you get to the networking phase of your job search, you need to display confidence and value in your verbal presentation. Build upon your personal

“It’s not our failures that determine our future success, but how we explain them to ourselves.” —Dr Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology A great way to expedite your personal and professional growth process, is to adopt strategies to get out of your comfort zone. Marge Warrell ‘s recent Forbes article Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial to Success sums it up well.  She says that playing it safe inhibits growth and that the common thread among leaders is that they all are willing to embrace change and risk the discomfort of failure. People who are more driven by what inspires them than what scares them challenge assumptions and push the boundaries of possibility.  They don’t allow the fear of failure to hold them back. Being willing to take a risk and try something new allows you to accomplish more in life.   As John F. Kennedy once said, “Nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished with a guarantee of success.” Nothing ever will be. In order to break out of your routine and reach a new plateau you need to step out of your comfort zone. Experts say that making a move from a position that has become routine is critical to furthering a career.  Even tackling a new project within the same company can help.  When trying to reinvent yourself, change can mean anything from taking on new responsibilities to switching departments. Stretching yourself at work (assuming new responsibilities or a new role) or in your personal life takes gumption but the pay off can lead to your becoming more competent, confident and add depth to your personality. Here are some ways to step out of your comfort zone that can help you reach a new plateau: Acknowledge that getting out of your comfort zone is good for you Pick an activity or role that is uncomfortable but has value e.g. Training for a marathon or traveling to a foreign country and volunteering there Identify new skills:  constantly look at how your helping the organization improve Get Involved: participate in the companies community activities Make time for career research:  Set aside time to explore new paths that will challenge you Un-plug a tech gadget Find a role model who overcame big hurdles to do what you want to do Get intentionally lost and try to find your way back using maps.  Do it when you’ve got some extra time, Roizen says Write a book, a blog or create a podcast on your area of expertise  Take an Improv class or ceramics class Whenever you assume a new role or challenge yourself to overcome a fear, may it be in sport, social or travel you may experience initially some discomfort.  Embrace the discomfort.  The struggle that ensues is where the growth process begins and eventually gives birth to new capacities and greater fulfillment. Here are more ways you can challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone.  There isn’t one right choice but each one could afford a breakthrough in finding new talent and new abilities that you otherwise couldn’t access. Volunteer…Give!  Climb a mountain  Travel to a foreign country and try to exclusively get around in a foreign language  Become a mentor Focus on acknowledging the value of breaking out of your comfort zone, push through your fear and lean into the experience. Don’t over-think it. Jump in with both feet. Once you’ve taken the risk and tried the new experience, be sure to celebrate the victory and express appreciation to those who helped make it happen.  This will increase your joy and develop a new pattern for trying other new things that could lead to positive growth. Lastly, pause to reflect:  process your experience.  What did you do well?  What would you do differently next time?  What did you learn that could help you in your next challenge? Too often we let our mistakes and setbacks define us. Be sure to avoid focusing on the areas that didn’t go as well and concentrate on what you learned from becoming open to new experiences. The end result is that you will appreciate how cap

Some time ago, I was interviewed by the website MainStreet.com for a story about weird interview questions. Subsequently, they invited me to come to their offices to record some of my answers. As I explained, my favorite question is, “In what direction would you run if there was a fire at work?” Some people respond that they would leave the building in accordance with company policy. I’ll give them a pass; they are following the book. But what if there is no policy? Now, it’s a question of character. Candidate Number One replies, “I’d immediately leave the building. I’d get out of the way of the fire fighters. I’d wait outside for instructions.” Candidate Number Two replies, “I’d head towards the fire. I would want to help anyone who needs assistance and make certain everyone gets out. I’m a team player. I don’t leave my colleagues in the lurch.” Who would you hire? Neither said anything wrong. There is no wrong answer. Candidate Number One is getting out of the way. Cynics would say, “He’s sticking his tail between his legs and running for the nearest exist.” I actually disagree. He doesn’t believe he has anything to offer so he’s simply getting out of the way of those who can help. What’s the point in standing around? Of course, Candidate Number Two is showing leadership. She believes she has something to contribute. Some might say, “She’s just trying to play the ‘hero.’” I disagree here as well. If there is a fire, a fool wouldn’t be “playing” anything. As far as I am concerned, Candidate Number Two gets the job. Leadership trumps everything else. Here’s what really happened: I was conducting a search for fundraiser for a school for special needs children. My candidate arrived. The interview began with the principal and director of Business Affairs. Not ten minutes later a teacher came running into the principal’s office. A water pipe had broken and the place was flooding. My candidate could have done a number of things – He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and wait patiently in the principal’s office. He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and wait patiently in the Reception area. He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and call them to reschedule. He did none of those things. What did he do? He grabbed his overcoat, wrapped a drenched child in it, and helped. He ran towards the fire! And for the record, he got a second interview and the job. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Use Weird Interview Questions To Your Advantage appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

Our thoughts are magnets that attract the thoughts we are thinking. Even if you want something desperately, if your thoughts say you will never get it. Guess what? You won’t. However, if you change your thoughts on achieving it, you will. Mostly because if your thoughts are laser focused on getting it, you will do the right things in order to attain it. This principle can be applied to many areas of your life. Whether it is getting well, losing weight, quit smoking, competing at peak levels or finding a job, your attitude is crucial to success. Believing you can do something provides the strength and stamina to overcome the obstacles in your path. Positive thinking propels a small engine successfully up a mighty hill and you to landing your dream job. This principle can be applied to your job search. By changing your thoughts, you will reach your goal. Notice the attitudes of successful candidates. They are positive and enthusiastic. They keep their heads up high and smile. They believe from the bottom of their being they will get a job. The unsuccessful candidates walk around saying there aren’t any jobs, they will never find anything and other such thoughts. How to use the Law of Attraction in your job search: Think positively. Deep down positively not just on the surface. You can’t just say you are thinking positively. Believe in you. Don’t allow others bring you down. You have the power. Align what you think and what you do to what you want. It won’t work if your actions and thoughts are contradictory to the goal. If you don’t think you will get it, you won’t do what it takes to get it. Know you are going to get a job. Talk about when you get a job rather than if you get a job. Write down what your ideal job is. Concentrate on it. Imagine doing that job. Use guided imagery to assist in this step. Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged. If you do, look for all the positive things in your life, and focus on them. As with all things, practice makes perfect. If you aren’t used to thinking this way, it will take some getting used to but continue working on it. Career success will be yours if you do. “You are a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts.” – Brian Tracy Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Use The Law Of Attraction In Your Job Search appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

Information technology is a unique field that has the privilege of being both highly-specialized and broad in its scope as new technologies develop and evolve. As a member of this field who is also seeking employment, you are likely to face candidates who bring a lot of expertise to the table. So, how can you ensure you stand out from other candidates? A great way is to develop your brand, then write a resume incorporating a quality personal branding statement that solidly defines your role as an expert IT professional. What’s A Personal Brand? A personal brand is not unlike a brand used by a company to associate a product with a business. For instance, in order help customers remember the McDonald’s company name, owners developed Ronald McDonald, who represented a fun way for people to identify the company, its name, and its food. Many professionals have searched for similar ways to make their names synonymous with a specific field or job position, which they’ve been able to accomplish by creating a personal brand. As an IT professional, a personal brand can ensure that others quickly associate your name with your specific role in the world of information technology—so when a person says, “I’m looking for a quality programmer, developer, and so on,” someone can immediately say, “I know the perfect person: [insert your name here]!” Branding Yourself In Your IT Resume There are a number of ways to brand yourself as a specialized IT professional. One of the easiest is by using the Internet. By setting up professional profiles that incorporate your title and resume/bio via sites such as LinkedIn and Google Plus you can effectively associate your name with your field. But if you’re actively applying for jobs, another way to brand yourself is by creating a branding statement. This statement is used to define a product similarly to a company’s use of branding to define its products. The only difference is that the product is you. Here are a couple of great examples of branding statements you might use as an IT professional: APPLICATIONS DEVELOPER with 10 years of success developing, testing, implementing, and enhancing numerous applications to meet and exceed diverse business objectives. NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR with eight years of experience managing hardware and software, providing expert troubleshooting and problem resolution, and utilizing a diverse technical skill set to successfully manage shifting business priorities. Branding statements are almost always listed at the top of your resume beneath your name and contact information. In other words, you want this statement to impressively summarize who you are and what you can contribute to a company in an amazing first impression. There isn’t a specific formula you need to use to create a branding statement. So, take time to think about your role as an IT professional and what contributions you want to make to the field, then creatively define how you will make a difference for any company that hires you. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Creating A Personal Branding Statement For An IT Resume appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

Do you have career ADD? A few days ago, I had a great conversation with my old next door neighbor. He is a guy I connect with when it comes to business and brainstorming ideas. He has ADD like me, and has always been happy and excited about his life and about his work. I want to share a few of the tips I learned from Marco that might benefit some of us who tend toward career distractions. Marco knew early on that he loved sales. He manages tee shirt accounts through a company that caters to “big box” retail stores as well as mom and pops. When the economy took a nose dive, he used his outside-the-box creativity and “I need to keep working or doing something so I don’t get bored” ADD skills to help bring in a good income for his family – although they have had to make some changes. He also owns (and his wife operates) another company in our town that is reasonably profitable. You can see just by the description of Marco’s life that he has multiple streams of income which require a wide variety of skill sets and activities that keep him busy. True to ADD form, his work day is never linear. For example, he makes lists of what needs to be done, and instead of going down the list, skips around so he’s doing the tasks he enjoys the most first, and hopefully getting to the least enjoyable tasks later on. He is very much aware of his nature, and although he has not been formally diagnosed, he embraces his idiosyncrasies and exclaims to his wife, “If I weren’t like this, our life would be boring.” She agrees. This is key. She is very organized and absolutely thrives on the details. Marco, on the other hand loves to throw out the task at hand as if it were as simple to accomplish as a smile. Although this has been a source of some irritation for her (as well as mild arguments), she willingly helps him to manage it all in both businesses! I have often thought those of us with ADD should be born with a personal assistant to take care of the details… but I digress. Not bad if you can find that in your life partner or maybe just hire someone. Marco explained he uses a timer every day. He understands he can spend more time on tasks that are not profitable just because they are fun, and less time on those that require a bit more focus. The timer helps keep him on track and also allows him to get up and take a breather so he can return refreshed and ready to tackle another task. Notice I didn’t say “the next task.”  Try as we might, this is almost impossible for those of us with the distraction factor wired into our brains. Even now, I am tempted to switch activities and am amazed I’m still writing this article without getting another cup of tea. One of the key factors in Marco’s success is he LOVES and THRIVES on the variety in his work – “I never do the same thing every day. It is always new and fresh.” He enjoys traveling to new places. When he comes back to his home office, he is ready to throw orders out to his wife to take care of the details. Marco’s office is something to behold. He has a desk piled with papers (disorganization is something that is part of our make-up – the key is knowing where to find everything). But the most surprising and key element of his office are the two drum sets in either corner. One is so he can get up and break the day up with a completely new activity that is somewhat physical. The other is for when his son comes home from school and they can take a break and play together. It was so fun to get caught up with Marco, and so enlightening to finally understand our connection. He wholeheartedly labels himself as ADD, although he’s never had a true diagnosis. However, he embraces his finely tuned brain and uses it to his benefit to live an amazing life. Tips To Embrace Your Career ADD: Love what you do by working in a field that allows you to switch activities often and offers enough variety in your work to keep you from getting bored. Define and design your workspace so that you maximize yo

Do you have the sneaking suspicion that you’re interviewing for a dead-end job? Not sure how to tell? Here are the top 10 signs you should run for the door after an interview. If you see even a hint of any of these signs, it’s a dead-end job. Number 10: The position for which you are interviewing is vacant for a long time. Well-run companies don’t create vacancies. Before letting someone go or sensing if someone wants to go, they will be ready with a replacement. Number 9: When asked how the company measures its success in the market, the interviewer offered a self-constructed analysis based purely on unclear assumption, meaning… he’s making it up! Number 8: Interviewer could offer only vague generalizations about where the company would like to be, concluding with, “Hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” The correct thinking: Better improve it before someone else does. Number 7: When you bring up Internet Marketing or SEO his or her eyes start to close. Number 6: When asked who they feel are their main competitors, you’re fed the old unsubstantiated line, “We don’t have any.” Number 5: When you ask how the position has changed over the years the response is, “It hasn’t.” Number 4: When you ask the interviewer to tell you something about the particulars of the job you hear, “Very steady work; lots of job security.” In other words, you’re not going anywhere from here! Number 3: When you ask if the interviewer has any tips before you leave and he or she says, “Just make sure you have some fun out there.” Number 2: When you ask the interviewer, your would-be boss, how long he or she has been in their job and you hear, “Since the company started.” And finally, THE NUMBER 1 REASON YOU WILL KNOW IT’S A DEAD-END JOB AND SHOULD HIGH-TAIL IT TO THE DOOR… When asked if happy with where the company is today, he or she replies, “Hey, it pays the bill at the Club and keeps the kids in tennis lessons!” Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Tell If It’s A Dead-End Job appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

So you have decided to part ways with the 9 to 5 lifestyle and venture out on your own. You are now your own boss and living your dream of being an entrepreneur. You set up shop in your home and relish the fact that you can avoid the rush hour madness every morning. Ah, this is the life! But here is the wake up call. After some time, you discover the distractions of working at home. The TV calling you, the sound of your partner or kids, or the complete and utter deafening silence. Time to head off to Starbucks for free wi-fi, coffee, and PEOPLE! Wake up call #2! There are too many other distractions, you cannot plug-in your laptop, and the staff keeps giving you the evil eye for ‘squatting’ over 3 hours for only a cup of joe. What can you do? Suddenly you start wondering if the life of an entrepreneur is all it is cracked up to be. Why cowork for your personal brand? Humans are social creatures. And I don’t mean social media creatures! We need and almost crave real social contact. This is where ‘coworking’ enters the picture. Coworking allows anyone working independently to work with others in a shared office space without having to worry about an office lease or utility expenses. The key benefit of coworking is the tremendous flexibility in terms of ‘membership’ and the collaborative community that organically grows when like-minded independent workers gather in a common space. Here are three reasons why coworking will work for your brand. 1. You have a community and a network Solopreneurs are “solo”, and 1 is a lonely number. Your success as an independent worker is ultimately based both on your ability to communicate your unique promise of value AND a community and network who magnify this value to others. Gone are the days when we say “It’s who you know that counts.” We now live in a world where the new saying is “It’s who knows you that matters.” If you only focus on “tooting your own horn,” you are likely to continue down a path of isolation. If you tap into the power of “we” you have a support structure willing to tout the value you bring to the table. Coworking is one of the best ways to be part of a community of “1s” who by nature are looking for others to help build their brand value. 2. You become part of an indescribable “energy” A Coworking space has a special energy that you will not find elsewhere. It is neither the bland energy of a typical office nor the retail energy of a coffee shop. Of course the entrepreneurial spirit of one is always strong. We would not venture out on our own if we did not possess a mind-set that most others either do not have, or are not willing to act upon. Now imagine being in a space with 20 or more people with the same spirit and mind-set? The energy of each single person feeds off of all others and the force it produces is intense. It is truly visceral and once you experience it there is no turning back. 3. You have genuine social interaction In his bestselling book, Tribes, Seth Godin explains it is human nature to seek out and be part of a tribe. People have been doing it for centuries. Today the traditional barriers of forming a community have been eliminated and countless new tribes are springing up each and every day online via social media. Building a successful brand requires an active social media presence to ensure you are digitally distinct, but this must not replace the physical human interaction that is in our bones. Before social media, we socialized in and identified ourselves by our offline social clubs, sport teams, community groups, etc. Coworking ensures we retain the human side of interaction. It gives us a space to be genuine and real. It offers a place where we can reach out and physically shake hands and verbally say you “like” an idea rather than simply clicking on a thumbs up icon! Are you an independent worker

These days, employers and recruiters are using every means available to help make their hiring decisions -- which includes looking through resumes, of course, but also checking out social media sites. Before calling a candidate to set up an interview, most employers are going to do their due diligence, checking out the candidate on Facebook and ensuring there are no obvious "red flags." Of course, if your Facebook page is plastered with drunk, slovenly photos or crass content, you're probably not going to get that interview! As such, articles explaining what not to post on Facebook are a dime a dozen, and for perfectly good reason. Here's a reality that does not receive nearly enough attention, though: While Facebook can absolutely hurt your career prospects, it can also help your career prospects. The answer, then, is not to remove your Facebook page altogether, or to turn your privacy settings on high. The answer is to use Facebook to enhance, promote, and brand yourself -- to present yourself as a job applicant of immense potential and appeal.

A simple motto say. Yet much harder to follow. I was meeting with a friend the other day and he mentioned these three simple words. He had heard these from an admiral while he was serving the US Navy. I thought about these three words for a while and can see why the US Navy and the admiral use them to set priorities. Priorities are there for a reason. If all three aren’t in balance you have a problem. However, if the ship is not taken care of first there will be no shipmates or self. Of course, self-preservation has it’s place too. Yet, self-preservation takes a back seat to the duty and honor of supporting your shipmates and the ship itself. Applying these three words to your daily life When interviewing or thinking about extending your career these three words can help define and describe what you should be thinking about as you seek to build your career, the careers of your colleagues and that of your business. Where self, shipmates and ship can be used in reverse order to set priorities. This is true in entrepreneurial environments and large companies. Reality Check: The US Navy is a huge organization with thousands of men and women serving all over the world and supporting hundreds of ships…and these three words seem to work quite well for them. The next time you are planning and thinking about what you should be doing next take a few minutes to think about these three words. Think about how you can make sure all is right with the ship first. Then make sure all is right with your shipmates. Then think about your self. Seek to find a balance across all three. Make sure you have your priorities right so that all three can succeed. Author: Jeff  is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.