Job Search Resolutions for 2014, and JibberJobber recommended in US News again

Job Search Resolutions for 2014, and JibberJobber recommended in US News again Check out Arnie Fertigs US News article: Job Search Resolutions for the New Year I agree with all six resolutions, and think that if you are taking time to strategize your career management for 2014, these six things should be in your strategy.  I especially appreciate #2, not just because he recommends JibberJobber, but also because its about time that career coaches talk more seriously about really tracking activities as well as contacts (Note: LinkedIn is not a or the tool to track your contacts!). Thanks for the list and the mention, Arnie Job Search Resolutions for 2014, and JibberJobber recommended in US News again Check out Arnie Fertigs US News article: Job Search Resolutions for the New Year I agree with all six resolutions, and think that if you are taking time to strategize your career management for 2014, these six things should be in your strategy.  I especially appreciate #2, not just because he recommends JibberJobber, but also because its about time that career coaches talk more seriously about really tracking activities as well as contacts (Note: LinkedIn is not a or the tool to track your contacts!). Thanks for the list and the mention, Arnie

How to Escape From Management Hell

How to Escape From Management Hell Are you frustrated with your job or has your workplace become unbearable because of your overly-demanding, demeaning, controlling, intrusive, ineffective, criticizing and ultimately bad boss? Bad bosses or managers are those that create a divide within the team, intimidate, bully, mistrust or disrespect employees and are the main culprit for job dissatisfaction and low morale. These behaviours are defeating and demoralizing, eroding employee self-esteem, physical and psychological wellbeing, and lead us to question and doubt our self-worth, personal and professional skills and aptitudes. However, although bad bosses can loosely fit into two categories: those who know they are bad and continue the behaviour intentionally and those who are oblivious to just how bad they are â€" it is not always easy to bring up into discussion how our boss’s behaviour or leadership style is affecting us, inside and outside the workplace. But what are some leadership styles and how do employees respond to these? The laissez-faire leadership This is one that embraces a hands-off approach. Bosses and managers that adopt this way of working tend to fail to provide employees with any direction and underemphasise the importance of performance and progress feedback.  These bosses and managers often fail to empower their employees and expect them to thrive or succeed with minimal management support or involvement. The autocratic leadership Here is one that embraces a dictatorial approach, one that gives orders and step-by-step directions and fast-tracks results. To a competent and self-directed employee â€" or to any employee for that matter, the autocratic, aggressive and aloof stance, paired with the persistent direction and micromanagement can be straining and blatantly insulting. The democratic leadership This is one that embraces equality amongst team members, emphasises collaboration, encourages and welcomes ideas and suggestions. This leadership style tends to be more effective by comparison with other leaderships behaviours and with this approach employees feel valued, listened to and appreciated. But what could cause your boss to be so bad at his/her job? How are you going to tackle the boss dilemma? If your boss’s behaviour is a reoccurring problem, this could indicate s/he is experiencing high levels of occupational or personal stress. S/he might be overwhelmed by job requirements or lack the skills or training required by such a role. However, trying to tackle the ‘bad boss’ dilemma leaves little room for crisis management. Public disputes over your boss’s shortcomings often prove counterproductive and therefore should only be discussed privately. Throughout our employment history we might have come across a bad boss or manager that perhaps made us forget we deserve a civil and professional work environment; we deserve a boss or manager that contributes to our self-esteem and helps our professional confidence grow; one that helps us to advance in our career and facilitates the opportunity for a positive workplace experience. Have you ever left a job because of your boss or manager or request a transfer to another department within the company or organisation you worked for? Related: So You Want to Leave a Job You Hate. Author: Ioana Lazarov is guest writer and collaborator with Clinical  Psychologist Fernando Tarnogol  and blogger for Express  and Star. She is a University of Wolverhampton  Psychology graduate, who also studied Life Coaching. Her career pursuits and passions  include psychology and mental health rehabilitation, retail and automotive electric  systems manufacturing and engineering.

Live in the Moment Because its Never too Late - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Live in the Moment Because its Never too Late - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I just had dinner with my good friend Theresa who works at one of the Big Four Accounting Firms.   She doesnt love her job, but she doesnt absolutely hate it either because it pays the rent.   Times are tough, and her firm is going to have a massive layoff next week, and she might be walking the plank. Im so scared because I dont know what to do if I get laid off. How will I find another job? she opens up to me. Theres something positive in everything Theresa.   Maybe this is an opportunity for you to pursue something that you absolutely love to do.   What would that be? I ask her. Well, I worked in a PR internship while I was an undergrad and absolutely loved helping our clients interact with their customers and get their name out there.   But, Im an accountant now, I feel its too late to go into PR. Its never too late. Its never too late to chase your dreams, aspirations, and to do what you love. And most importantly, its never too late to start building your personal brand. Sure, my friend is currently branded as an accountant.   Shes been working at a Big Four Accounting Firm for one year, but that doesnt mean she cant mix it up and start branding herself as a public relations expert. Build your brand in an industry Here is the advice I gave to Theresa so that she can build her personal brand in an industry that is currently NOT her full-time career: 1. Fully understand what it is that you love to do Understand that this is going to take a lot of work.   If you want to build your brand outside of your current career, youre going to have to work harder than youve ever worked before.   So before you embark on your new personal branding journey, you need to know for sure what you love to do. Its a tough question: What do I love to do?   Not many people can give an honest answer.   In order to find out what I love to do, I asked myself this simple question: When I die, how do I want to be remembered? Its a little extrememe, but it really put things in perspective because no one wants to feel unfullfilled on their death bed.   Think about how you want to be remembered, and youll figure out what youre supposed to do in life. 2. Research the industry and figure out who the current experts are Before you jump in and start building your personal brand, take the time to find out who the current experts are.   Figure out why people read their content and what makes them an expert.   Analyze their writing styles and figure out how you can be different and carve your own niche.   Preliminary research is just as important as good writing because if you position yourself well from the very beginning, then youll never have wasted time due to having to change directions. Focus on demographics that these experts are ignoring and figure out how you can capture this demographic with your writing. 3. Its time to start your blog There are over 100 million blogs out there in the world!   Every 90 seconds, there are 100 more blogs created!   How can you compete in such a saturated market? To be perfectly honest, the market is not saturated.   Yea, there are over 100 million blogs, but only a small percentage really focusing on building a personal brand.   All the rest are personal diary blogs are company blogs.   Second, few people actually take the time to write quality content and to go above and beyond for their readership. Let me give you a awesome example: My good friend Adam Baker recently started Man vs Debt, a blog about personal finance.   The personal finance blogging world is HUGE because there are so many people writing about it, and it is extremely difficult to stand out against the big players in this space.   But you know what, Adam has only been writing for a couple of month, and he already has over 400 subscribers on his blog and has already hit the front page of Digg! How was he able to do it?   He cares, he listens, he writes quality content, and he reaches out to people in his community to build relationships with them. Theresa is scared of trying and failing.   She feels that creating her personal brand in PR will be too difficult for her, and she doesnt want to put in the time and effort and only to watch herself fail. But shes wrong.   When you put your heart and soul into doing something you love, you can never fail.   You see, success isnt measured by the amount of money you make, its measured by the quality of life that you live.   If Theresa builds her brand and is able to reach 7 people in the very beginning, then she should feel proud that 7 people actually care about her writing and what she has to say. Its never too late.   Dont let fear hold you back.   You can do it and the time to start is now. Author: Jun is the Founder and CMO of Viralogy, the platform that ranks all of the best blogs.   His personal blog, How to Succeed as a Young Entrepreneur, gives a real, unfiltered view of the Startup Life so that current and aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his successes and mistakes.

5 Things to Consider When You Want to Quit

5 Things to Consider When You Want to Quit When you want to quit your job there is more to consider than just putting in yourtwo weeks notice. If you are in a leadership position there is more to take into consideration.Here are five things to consider before givingnotice to leave a job.1. Are They Going to Let You Stick Around for Two Weeks?There are companies that will help you out of the building the very day you give the two weeks notice. It may seem like a cold thing to do after years of service and building trust in a company, but in the world of business, it is best to take little chances with people who have control over valuable information. The last thing they want is a leader in the company to leave“with a big bang”. It is nothing personal.2. Plan for Your TransitionLet’s say that after giving your two weeks notice,they ask you to stay on longer to help transition out of the company. This is done to help the company have an easy transfer of leadership. If you have to givethe two weeks notice because an offer was accepted elsewhere, there is nothing you can do but leave the company in two weeks. However, if you can, try the classy approach of sticking around as long as they need you (but no longer than a month). All of these dates and information to be transferred should be considered, first, before giving the notice to leave a job.3. Get Your Story Down StraightWhen you want to quit, never ever ever ever (yes...never) plan to burn bridges by telling people the harsh reality behind why you are unhappy and want to leave. Give the company you are about to leave a nice, good story about how tough the decision was to leave, but you firmly believe it is in the best interests of the company that you take this new opportunity. You may resent your company or some of the people in it, and maybe you really have a valid reason for burning bridges. Still, please, do not do it. It is a decision that will tarnish all your years of hard work and dedication. You cannot see past choices you never made, s o just trust the words of people who have made the mistake. When you want to quit...again...do not burn bridges.4. Have Something Nice to Say for EveryoneThe greatest sign of class and respect you can show the people you work with is to have plenty of nice things to say about each of them when you announce the two weeks notice. This is the time to talk about your successes together, how important everybody was to you, and why they will be missed. This is when you can show numbers of how well you all did together while at the same time showing some emotions of appreciation. Make it more about “them” than about “you”. This is a great way to cement your reputation as a “leader”. You will be their leader after you leave because you had such an impact on their careers.5. Consider Who Should Find out FirstWhen you want to quit, and you know you are about to give the two weeks notice, take your close friends and mentors out to lunch. Talk to them and let them know what you will do after lunch. If these close co-workers happen to be your bosses and mentors, that is great. If they are your assistants, you had better be sure they will keep the news quiet until you announce it. You want your bosses to know, first. If the word gets out to the boss, first, it may taint your reputation with other leaders in the company. It makes you look like a gossip and leaves your other leaders feeling in the dark about important company decisions.OverallGiving notice to leave a job is both a business and emotional decision. You have to consider the feelings of the people you lead, the best decisions for your careerand your company. You have a great responsibility to leave the company in a better place and an equal responsibility to leave yourself in a better place.

Resume Writing Service - Do They Provide High Income Prospects?

Resume Writing Service - Do They Provide High Income Prospects?There are a lot of companies out there that offer to write your resume, but is there one that provides high-income prospects? I have researched several different resume writing services in the past, and I have noticed a couple that do not provide good income prospects.One of the main reasons you need to look for a resume writing service that offers high-income prospects is because the company will be offering you an opportunity to work with them. If they are going to have some sort of sales pitch on your resume, then it is not going to help them sell you as a professional or a good candidate. They will never be able to sell you on a resume that they wrote, unless they pay you off, which is where most companies rip you off.When you are trying to get a good price for your resume writing service, you need to be sure that they are going to give you value in return. They should provide you with an opportunity to be able to sel l yourself or your skills to companies that want to hire you. They should be able to help you get a quote that you can afford.The next thing that you need to look for in a resume writing service is that they offer training programs and certifications for your resume. If they do not offer any of these, then you may have something that they are going to be wanting to use in order to sell you. Many times, the person who will be selling you does not have the background necessary to write a quality resume.You will want to do some research in order to find a company that offers a service of a professional resume writer. A lot of these services will charge per resume that they produce, so you need to take the time to look at some of the other services that are offered. A lot of the bigger companies will offer a full service, including just about everything that you need in order to get a good result.With all of the competition out there, the best way to find someone to write your resume is to write it yourself. This will provide you with the freedom to hire the services of the best service out there. You want to make sure that you are using someone who can provide you with quality results for you.A professional resume writer is a must, but if you can pay for their services and they turn out poorly, it is not going to help you get a good job or increase your income. This is why it is important to check out as many resumes as possible before you begin writing your own. Even if you end up not getting hired, you want to write a high quality resume that shows your abilities and experiences.A company that has a complete service for you to write your resume is one that is willing to work with you in order to get you the best price. These types of companies are usually the best. If you are going to spend money on your resume writing service, it should be your money well spent.

How to Navigate Industry Change as an Executive - Hire Imaging

How to Navigate Industry Change as an Executive - Hire Imaging Look at growth industries. Many of my executive clients change industries. Today’s executives must be prepared to market their skills and talents to employers in multiple industries. Those who see themselves as specialists, or in one industry, may erroneously believe they are confined to one type of business. Others may feel they lack available choices because they are generalists. The reality is that executives of all ages and stages in their careers are moving into new industries. I find that people often overestimate their potential barriers and underestimate their abilities to make contributions â€" frequently in a short timeframe. So, what steps might ease your transition to an executive opportunity within a new industry? Use both online and offline methods of following and tracking growth industries. Review major and lesser-known resources, ranging from LinkedIn, to company websites, to trade journals. Talk to people. Your goal is to pull out traits of industries that are a fit with your background. Track the industries you find in three categories: Comfortable (easy possibilities) Close (next best) Far (stretching) Look at growth industries. Look at growth industries. Why? Because a fast-growing company generally means faster promotions, higher compensation and more valuable stock options. Why join a firm in a printing business that is contracting or a mature industry where stock options may be insignificant? Growth companies are typically propelled by shareholder value. If private, employees often receive options to buy stock at a low percentage of the price extended to venture capitalists. Of course, there are restrictions regarding tenure with the company. But executives joining a growth company often have potential at any age for compensation in stock options that can go far beyond their salary. And while I do advocate checking growth industries, don’t overlook two other potential opportunities. Distressed industries can present turnaround opportunities for the right executive who has worked under pressure to navigate struggling organizations to healthier status. Perhaps you control major accounts that would give an industry new business. Or, you’ve cut millions in expenses, and can do it for a new industry. Learn what you don’t know. The more due diligence you conduct on an industry, the easier it will be to get interviews.  If you don’t have knowledge about a particular industry, comb every piece of informative resource you can access. Trade publications are a great start. They make it easy to communicate on new products, data on specific firms, and the major industry TOPS (Trends, Opportunities, Problems, and Solutions). Three of my executive clients landed in new industries, late 2014 and early 2015, because they conducted roll-up-your-sleeves targeted research. Brent was a marketing executive with a pharmaceutical firm who joined a soap manufacturer. Why? They had comparable marketing approaches. Joan was a COO of a company that produced biological products. She was recruited to become President of a smaller firm that provided medical testing services. Why? These two industries had similarities in operational methods and business development. Sean, a security specialist with a U.S. Navy and management consulting background, was hired by a startup technology company with a global footprint. Why? Sean had built and nurtured a strong network with his new employer’s CEO, whom he had impressed with his knowledge of insider threat and external global security issues. Market your value to help them with what you’ve learned. Sell your flexibility. I’ve found that just about every person can work in a different function that is broader, narrower, or in some way related to a prior position. Again, examples from my clients’ stories: Jeff, a director from 3M, became the SVP of Sales for a firm in the medical device industry. Susan, an executive, went from the Minnesota Department of Education to CEO of a religious publishing house. Jack, general counsel from a printing company, became EVP of an engineering firm. When you’re communicating to folks about your knowledge and abilities, don’t be hesitant to cover the entire scope. A CFO frequently has a grasp of the entire business. A sales executive often knows marketing, product management, distribution, and other areas of the business. Market your unique selling points. Minimize your subjective obligations. When talking about the obligations for a position, differentiate between subjective obligations and those that actually align with outcomes. Subjective obligations might include titles, degrees and industry experience. Emphasize your unique selling proposition. The final hiring decision seldom has to do with stipulations. If you can come across as one able to make a positive impact with results, you’ll likely land the job. If you think you can bring results to this new industry and company, own it. Now’s not the time for modesty. And whatever you do, do not take a lower-level position than you should. And don’t take yourself out of the running because you’ve not done it before. Could you do it? How? Tell them. Shoot for low barriers. When changing industries, you can often find more opportunities in small and mid-sized companies. There are not the layers of management waiting to fill new opportunities. And their executives tend to be less specialized. I recently wrapped up work with a delightful executive client, Barry. A month after our last session, I received an email from him. “Your model of approach to changing industries took the mystery out of the scenario. It became a linear, logical process, albeit one that required me to face unknowns, reach out, and roll up my sleeves. But if I had not had you to turn to and brainstorm with, I think I would have had a hard time pinpointing my industry options. You rather dramatically helped me find and reframe possibilities. I have now moved gracefully and happily from a career in higher education nonprofit, to senior leadership in the business world.” If you are an executive contemplating a change to another industry, it’s not as foreign a land as you might think; nor as daunting a mission as you might fear. If you have a story about shifting as an executive or professional from one industry to another, I’d love to hear from you! Photo: Robert Couse-Baker

3 LinkedIn Strategies Youre Probably Not Using

3 LinkedIn Strategies You’re Probably Not Using 3 LinkedIn Strategies You’re Probably Not Using LinkedIn Profiles While I occasionally meet someone actively looking for work who doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile, most job seekers are smarter than that. They’ve heard having a LinkedIn profile is important so they spend a few hours putting one together. Some job seekers make an effort to complete their profile. Most put up a “skeleton” profile that doesn’t include much more than their name, title, employers, and job titles. That’s just not enough. Putting up a LinkedIn profile with just the basics will not help your job search. Here are 3 LinkedIn strategies that will make your profile more engaging. Strong Summary While your resume needs to showcase your qualifications, your LinkedIn profile needs to do double duty. It needs to convey your value and give readers an idea of who you are as a person. Your Summary is an opportunity to tell your career story in a more personal way. Perhaps, you will want to share the impetus behind what you do or your management philosophy. Unlike your resume, your LinkedIn profile should be written in the first person. Some resume writers make an effort to infuse your LinkedIn profile with your own words to provide authenticity.   This can be particularly effective in your Summary. (Here are some tips for your Headline) About Contacting It’s always surprising to see LinkedIn profiles that do not have an About Contacting section. But, what’s more incredible are profiles with an Advice for Contacting but no contact information. This is particularly unexpected when the person has written “contact me anytime” without including even an email address. If you want people to have a way to contact you, but you don’t have an Advice for Contacting section, add one today. Be sure to include your email address. If you don’t want to publish your personal email get a new email just for professional networking. Status Updates Many people have a “create it and forget it” attitude when it comes to LinkedIn. Even those who take the time and effort to complete their profile often neglect to use the status update feature effectively. If they use it at all. Utilizing the status update feature is important for a few reason. First, it keeps you top of mind with your connections. Second, what you post gives readers additional into who you are. Finally, it helps you stay top-of-mind with your connections. So if your dream job does come up they will think of you. Throwing up a “skeleton” profile with basic information only will not serve you well. Profile viewers are there to learn more about you. If they find your profile compelling they will want to get-in-touch. Don’t rely on recruiters and employers contacting you via InMail. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool. But only if you actually use it. Let recruiters and employers know who you are. Make it easy for them to contact you. Make it a priority to keep yourself in front of your connections.