Mar 09

How can you win if the rules have changed?

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Although many job seekers today are struggling to find their new jobs. Many are frustrated by the lack of results of their efforts. You respond to job postings, please send more letters and resumes, recruiters calls through the network and expects to further expand the results. Unfortunately, most have yet to achieve the desired results. The environment scenario has changed. Although the activities described above have not been very effective in economic terms, areparticularly effective in the past ten years. There are some specific changes that this environment has been created.

The companies have changed dramatically. Downsizing, rightsizing, and re-engineering of corporate structures have changed. Where there are many people in a particular department, there is now less. But the workload and expectations are the same or, in some cases even increased. As a result, positions have become multi-dimensional than ever. The title ofThese positions may have remained the same though.

The result is that when the tracks have remained the same, the complexity of the change of position. It is for a company to a person in a certain position in place of a great challenge. The challenge is that of a person who needed all the skills and the ability to replace the person meets the previous year. At the highest level of this position is a challenge even greater.

For the person new jobs, which is notmean? It helps to understand what happens when a company is looking for the right person for a job.

Many businesses get on the scale 400-500 candidates for the position today as a response to job offers. Total number of firms are obtained 6000-7000 applications per week as a whole. Many of them are in positions where the company does not have a side opening. This situation poses a problem only for the company and people looking for work.

Companies with whom I spoketo say that they are going to spend the resources they have to review at any time in the chair. Also, many times is not an abstract in this group that seems the qualifications they are looking to have. Although most applications, the person, the review can not be qualified audit for the complete set of requirements of the hiring manager has had in mind. As a result, if there is anyone qualified to be rejected by others.

Many people are now sendingyour resume to every job vacancy in their opinion even remotely within their capabilities. Unfortunately, what we see is a body that does not reflect the skills necessary to complete multidimensional. Or send the lack of information or desperation to resume their work. The level of frustration in seeking employment, as the rockets continue to reach a bad or no results. To change this, they tend to react more jobs, more advertisers call and send me another letter andApplications for the company.

The question is whether this is how it really is, as any person who is in an environment of today to succeed? A completely different approach is taken by the search for new employment. The person who has his new job today to take responsibility for their research. You can not expect more information, please send someone to fit the situation. The first step alone includes:

A self-assessment of skills
The creation of presentation materials
References for development in a certain way
Heavy research on industries and businesses
Establish contacts with companies in some sectors
Development Goals Results

That seems very likely that for most foreigners. That's understandable.

Almost no one has been taught the ability to reach even this first step. There are four steps longer than the first, which is necessary to achieve the kind of success expected by all.

Nobody is taught how to find itEmployment in education. Traditional "advice" is everywhere. The Internet has literally millions of sites, each library and online bookstore, which seems unlimited sources of the same "advice". Most of the friends, family, colleagues and former employees, who all have the same "advice" because they read the same information that is available. Support groups, candidates have the same "advice".

Career counselors have the same advice.Depending on the price for the "advice" you can pay packaged differently. Boil down and the "advice" is the same. The "advice" is for some. This does not mean it will work for the next person. It 'been shown to be true.

The rules of the road, have a job, factors that have a weak economy, the availability of jobs. If you're like most people, unaware and sure of themselves about the work that you want the country to recognize that the construction of the same old gamea resume, please send a resume and wait for a call does not work. These steps were created in the mid-twentieth century as a response to growing demand for talent. Job seekers can now quickly in an attempt to go from the process are not thrown to the Internet. The answer lay in not doing more and more with the benefits of technology. As Einstein said: "The definition of insanity is the same thing over and over again expecting different results."

Thehealthy (and effective approach), in holding that:

Develop a database or a list of potential employers and to seek contact with them.
Make rent direct contact with decision-makers can
Developing a relationship with these important human resource managers
Discuss your credentials with people on a solution based
As has always been so, to ask for the interview!

Recognizing that an efficient search of work will not be simplified into simple steps, but requires the mastery of a processthat implement the best professionals. If you work, it's easy to take the job, do not leave, how to find a job, if you do not work. Finding a job is more than just a job today. This is a process that requires that affected art full of energy and creativity of opportunities.

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Mar 09

The Bloody Service Desk

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You know the scene … Is 9:15; employees are secretly eating bread and drinking tea (there is one, do not eat at his office desk in the office) and one of the workers with a good old moan to his colleagues …

"I just called the service desk for an update on this issue I raised yesterday, and they can not even tell if someone take a look at it! Bloody Service desk, they are all useless!"

His colleague answers …

"I know you best, just the kind of… or require that an engineer will be with long hair, he just arrived and I do it. I do not know where they get this game, from … ! Turbid "

Strange, right? They often think when hearing this kind of feedback that IT managers a gift, the selection of those most useful to the world, and she sat on their front doors to our service! I do not agree with this view. As someone who has direct responsibility for staff recruitment service desk used, I think weOfficials of the desk employees with bright, enthusiastic and motivated. So where does it all go wrong from there?

First, support front-line is largely a thankless task. It takes a special kind of person who does not really do justice. Resilience is certainly necessary, and it is something that most people internalize to support and extend the lashes, as the completion of the dangers faced daily.

However, support is a good man needs more strength. ThereA number of important factors that will help you in your search for great staff and, finally, an acclaimed Service Desk.

Lets face, the staff are not uniformly taken as "useless". I admit that not always, but because it is right that we often hear statements of our employees? As an IT manager, when taken from us, we have chosen in preference to other candidates because he has demonstrated an adequate level of skill, common sense andProbably because we have a lot. What happens in the meantime? It is the act of working on the desk of the service, you weaken your ability?

I would not recommend! I was a manager service desk for many years, and are passionate about service desk. For me there is a formula for creating a great team and takes much more to make sound personnel decisions and a good manager.

The question is, in many organizations habit. Let's face it – whether as actors or users of aService Desk, we tend to expect a lot and only give very little. I know the old saying, 'It's better to give than to receive ", but the poor old desk service I give to wear their underwear outside their clothes for all kinds of possibilities that are right!

The key is the commitment of senior management and the passion Line Management. I know, I know … You all have heard of, but let's be honest, if not choose the right people to pay their salaries to the right, train –give them the tools to do the job right and what is more important to them the autonomy they need, they can always give us the type of service users expect?
Choose the right people!

Let's be honest, to begin with, sometimes get the wrong people, in the first place – still young graduates who are looking for people in Italy or staff available on time. Not that they sound the bells? For me, the bells of despair! Really good service desk staff have a wide range of skills, manyof which are not "only someone had to be internalized,"

We want to be a good communicator, active listener, have excellent problem solving skills and be able to manage our events and requests from beginning to end. This is an enormous number of editions. Our expectations are high, we must ensure that we do not choose people who have little chance to meet under these conditions.

So choose, because not only good people? Now there are two reasons. Very often a factor in a service The writing is very much appreciated. It is often considered a 'necessary evil' – something to bear to support a first step in the field, technically qualified and rewarding 2nd and 3rd line roles. The result is that most people do not want to rely on a bank of service for the entire period of most of the time. Why? Well, because they expect it will be boring, and usually this type of work is never honored. For most people who do not intend to 'cut the mustard "when you try to establish a sound> Career.

Pay them adequately

The second reason is that sometimes having the wrong people, that many organizations, not their service desk to pay employees well enough. Good service desk staff to be in command of the salaries that you pay your desktop engineering or any other 2nd line support groups inside. If you're on the right begins to pay salaries, you get good people, and even e-mail you a very clear message to your users and other support, service desk staff are at leastimportant as they are!

Support Tools and Technologies

My third real anger at the way we interact with our customer service desk is that they are often the tools to do the job. A computer and the phone will not make a person's service desk! Expect to be able to answer the phone quickly and politely, to understand and translate your request, the priority appropriately, resolve, and if not send it to someone who can, and quickly. During this process, you canwant regular updates, a source of escalation, if not according to plan and solve the problem (in time) You want to be able to unite the closure of the case. Furthermore, when the incident was important, you will enjoy knowing that someone is, if not repeated.

Do you still think the phone, the PC and the file card tips and tricks of the service desk is scrawled confess that manage the game? Even without her panties!

In fact, agood service desk must have the correct level of investment. I mean, tools, information, business knowledge, and the right edge of technology. Our desk staff should not be technical gurus, but we expect a certain level of skill, because, as also able to solve some incidents, the service desk, there is a real chance to understand a user request and Enlightenment in something useful, so that someone else might solve the problem.

As a user of the service desk, we alsoexpect that they know who we are and not ask the same ten questions each time we ask a simple question. Give them a good customer database, preferably a database of configuration management concerns them, they will realize that can get this information, who you are what you are doing, what technologies are and how fast you need to get your problem solved.

Also, if you make a good rate to set the first time, you must have knowledge of issues and problemsYour service desk is replaced, as well as the mechanisms that allow them more ability to affect a resolution. Script diagnostics, frequently asked questions (FAQ), a "known bug", database and diagnostic tools are also excellent ways to help fix the first time the rate of increase.

Training

Make sure that, as the technical skills that may need them, who know your business. I do not mean small bits of information they managed Induction Day, whichspent most of the nostalgia for the free buffet and ask, when was the Chief Exec to stop the merits of the company. I mean, that may be involved in your initiatives and projects aimed at testing new applications that are using the main system, be sure to spend some time with the important business functions and make this work in progress.

Respect

Give them a little '! A good way to earn permitted for your personal desktop, is easy. Make sure that the mainPeople in every department and your senior mangers were required to spend at least one day a year on your desktop. After they are your employees really appreciate. Believe me, there is nothing sharpens the mind to the situation of the service desk, as the experience of taking a call from a user, or even heard one. You can observe a revival of magical understanding. Former critics suddenly see the reality and for a short period of time at least, is a newfound admiration for the Service Deskborn.

Governance

Then there are the tasks to consider. All IT functions need to supply their expectations of what they should do to know for whom, how fast and when. The best way to consolidate this information is through the service and operational level agreements (SLA and OLA). These define the expectations and needs of users and customers that can help IT staff and the service desk can reasonably be achieved (with their resources and capabilities) and can be measured against.

ManyOrganizations take advantage of "best practice" and have agreements in place to govern the expectations of IT vendors, but tend to documents provided by people who use the service, and do not really know what its users have been formalized to enable them to implement their business processes. Furthermore, they define the expectations that are neither accessible nor measurable SLA, which is completely lacking. The final insult is that these documents are often locked in aSenior Manager briefcase or a closet and was also signed, and never see the light of the world, are obtained or reviewed by the user, have been designed for them!

How can you be anything but a nuisance for service desk, whose objectives and activities are shrouded in mystery?

The key is to define efficient that "lives" SLA and OLA will be reviewed and that these countries meet the business requirements and to be achievable and measurable. So that is accessible to all(including users and service desk employees), is also necessary.

The management of commitments

Finally, management commitment, I know I already said, but to ensure that the service desk will be fulfilled according crucial. Through the commitment of management, I think that, in addition to the financing of the desk. After the initial investment is essential that senior managers "walk the path not only 'talk the talk' in the name of the service desk function. Support ServiceWrite, understand and respect their jurisdiction. Previous decisions to praise its virtues, and correspond to a fair trial, like all other users.

The Service Desk will not succeed if those responsible (and not their pas!) It shall respect its position. The service desk is a defined task of having to bear the critical services and non-critical in order to respect the agreements that require priority and a range of activities to keep the lever in motion. Senior managers should not be allowed to'jump the queue "for non-critical questions. It is committed to developing and maintaining a good banker, executives and agreements governing support is essential. If the service desk is the provision of services in line with the SLA then should meet the needs of all parties, including the senior management team, so there's no need to practice nepotism, that would only deliver the wrong message to the rest of the organization.

The greatService Desk

In summary, the main factors influencing the creation of a large desk service:

> People Correction

> A proper compensation

> Tools

> Lifelong Learning

> Compliance

> Give Governance

> Show Management Commitment!

So the next time you hear someone complaining about "blood service desk, you wonder …

Why is the service desk is often perceived in this way? The employees are truly uniqueempty and dull on purpose or is it really because we did not choose the right people or where they can, with the skills, tools and support they need in order to provide service to meet the needs of users.

Never underestimate the importance of the service desk. The proper level of investment in this important function can only organization with an exceptional heritage.

If you're right, they are able to provide good services, not only to answer callsIT support. It is indeed a wide range of services, everything from training and coordination issues, providing a communications portal, the collection and measurement of information management that all important perception of the user.

If the investment in the Service Desk can be adequately achieved so much, a valuable help function, the window of IT services. Let's get rid of the desk "blood service" once and for all!

www.nes.co.uk

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Mar 09

What need Construction Management Jobs

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If you are interested in applying for the processes of construction management, there are many different online accounts, which can help you achieve your goals quickly and your career. The best part is that you can earn this degree from the comfort of your home and create a program that works for you and your work and the current time commitments.

To be a strong candidate for most of the processes of construction management, you should earn money onlineDegree of construction or operation of a civil engineer online, as well as gain practical experience in an education or training in the field. Whatever the choice, it is very important to ensure to ensure that publications online university is accredited. This is the only way to ensure your degree is to be recognized by future employers and other institutions of higher education, which is important if you ever need to transfer your balance.

TheDo not provide courses in construction management who are committed to the achievement of your degree you will have all the necessary skills, experience of your site. Furthermore, many degrees are required for the employment of construction management, you can have different priorities, you can specialize in different kinds of work, of course, you can choose to include business and financial management, contract management, estimating, construction andStandard, information technology, process control, site planning, engineering and sciences, architecture, training project construction management. Another central element of your degree can provide technical training, how to use 's most modern software industry in the field of construction management.

After the expansion of the online course, you can, what kinds of processes of construction management is right for you and determine the skills that have worked hard to putbuild. Some processes, construction management, you must be involved in every project from the beginning until construction is complete. This means that not only supervise the staff, but also all materials, tools, equipment and security measures that are required for each phase of the project, too. Other construction-management jobs you can afford to have chosen the position offered to make fire. For example, if you've completed the workApprenticeship and belong to the architecture and engineering, you should consider looking for jobs in construction management, where you directly manage or interface with architects and engineers of the project.

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Mar 09

Land The Job You Want With The Targeted Approach

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An important part of your career management is to understand there’s a much better way to land the job you want than mailing or e-mailing unsolicited resumes.

That better way is called the targeted approach to finding a job quick.

Why is it so hard to find a job?

Because you’re sending out resumes that nobody asked you to send. So stop broadcasting your resume. It’s a waste of time. And you extend the amount of time it takes to find a job quick.

So how do you find a job?

Studies show only a single job is offered for approximately every 1,500 hundred resumes mailed or e-mailed. With reduced staffs caused by downsizings and layoffs, busy executives don’t have time to read your unsolicited resumes. Besides, a resume tells very little about your talents or whether you’ll fit in with the rest of the staff.

I’m not suggesting you stop posting resumes on internet job boards or sending them with cover letters in response to help wanted ads. You need to cover all bases. We’re talking about sending out resumes, willy nilly, to companies in hopes a job will be uncovered.

The six step targeted approach to looking for a job

1. Carefully select prospects for your resume mailings by targeting a number of companies you want to work for; places where you believe your skill set, or what you do, will fit in.

2. Gather information about each company and its executives. There’s so much information about corporations on the Web that can be obtained easily by visiting a company’s website, there’s no excuse for not doing your homework before every interview.

3. Find the name of the executive at each company who you think could hire you if there were a job.

4. Then customize cover letters to each person you’ve selected. Your mission is to explain the reason why you’ve targeted his company and to request a brief meeting to discuss your background and the company’s future needs in order to determine if you can be of help someday should a job become available.

5. Call each prospect for an appointment three days after you think your letter or e-mail was received.

6. Repeat steps 1 – 5 each week by selecting five or more targeted companies a week, customizing cover letters to go with your resumes.

This targeted approach is also called the “the indirect approach” because you’re not asking directly for a job but for a meeting to discuss your background and how you can make a contribution in the future.

This approach is one of the best ways to find a job quick. Why? Because in bypassing human resources, you’ll uncover a job before it’s posted.

This is how to beat the competition for the job you want. With the targeted approach, you’ll also shorten your job hunt by doing the six steps each week as you customize letters and follow up five or more targeted companies by phone to request appointments to discuss your background and an organization’s future needs.

When you can not find a job, or feel discouraged because recipients of your resume failed to contact you, try the targeted approach to land the job you want.

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Mar 08

Enhance Your Career: 3 Simple Strategic Tips for Improving Your Career Plan

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So you want to enhance your career. You are on a look out for what you can do to greatly impact your career path. Are there simple strategies that you can implement that can immediately have a positive influence on your career? If there are, what are they?

The answer is – yes, there are simple strategies that you can do in order for you to enhance your career. This is a self-reflective strategy. I refer to it as simple because you alone can do this. For as long as you are truthful with yourself then this is as simple as it gets.

However, there is a word of caution. Nothing can enhance your career if you feel that there is not much you can improve on already. And while these strategies are simple, they can only be achieved IF you are willing to make that change.

1. Attitude

When it comes to attitude I have always championed that you can define your attitude as one of pride, passion and belief. In everything that you do, do it with pride, passion and belief. And remember to back these up with skills and knowledge, direction and action.

Let’s take these further. To enhance your career, hardworking, humility and honesty is essential. Hardworking is fairly straightforward. It just means nothing comes easy. There are no rewards in the working world that comes without hard work. In fact, there is nothing in life that comes without hard work.

Humility comes with maturity. When you know you do not know enough then you begin to be a student again. You will want to enhance your skills and knowledge, which will in turn enhance your career.

Do you conduct your work honestly? How do you deal with your colleagues? Is it with integrity? Do you admit to your mistakes and not blame anyone for it? Honesty is not just about dealing with others. It is also being honest with yourself. Can you face your own ghost? Are you afraid to face your weaknesses without being defensive? Are you afraid to confront your lack of strengths? Being honest with yourself leads to an awareness. Step one to enhance your career is to define your attitude.

2. Awareness

An awareness of your strengths and weaknesses is a necessary step if you want to enhance your career. This awareness is one that is self-reflective. One that makes you feel a sense of inadequacy. This sense of inadequacy creates an intrinsic need for improvement.

The energy generated from this awareness is a positive energy that propels you with the confidence to improve.

If you want to enhance your career, ask yourself – do you have this awareness? One that is clear about where you are, why are you there, where you can be and how do you get there? An awareness of the need to improve and an awareness of what you truly want is a simple strategy that can enhance your career. But how many of us can truly claim that we have this awareness? And how many can claim, with this awareness there is an action that works on it?

Many sit around all day lamenting why are they not progressing? They feel unappreciated.

Hard work is not being rewarded. Let me point out something. According to the Webster’s Universal College Dictionary – appreciate is to be fully conscious of; be aware of. If you want to be appreciated, start appreciating your strengths and weaknesses. Then only can you begin to talk about how to enhance your career.

3. Action

So, you have a positive attitude and a positive awareness of yourself. But do you act upon them? If you do act upon them, do you do it at a pace that is right for you? Knowing the pace that is right for you is all about self-awareness.

There are two parts to this action, one is patience and the other persistence. Patience is about proceeding calmly or moving slowly with zero anticipation. No plans to enhance your career can be successful without solid action from your end. And solid action from your end means hard work.

Which is the other part of action, one that is persistent. One that is doing incessantly or progresses with dogged determination.

As you can see these are truly 3 simple strategic tips you can implement immediately that can positively enhance your career. Each is inter-related to another and feeds upon each other. If you can get it smoothly into motion there is no telling how far you can go.

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Mar 08

The Forcast For Healthcare Management Jobs

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As the U.S. population ages, healthcare management jobs are likely to increase greatly, both in number and in remuneration. This also includes careers in healthcare such as administration and allied health occupations in which business skills are more important than a medical degree.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), health care was the nation’s largest industry in 2004, providing 13.5 million jobs nationwide. About 411,000 of these health care workers were independent, self-employed professionals. 40% of the fastest growing occupations consist of careers in healthcare. Such healthcare management jobs include traditional fields such as nursing and physician’s assistant, but can also include medical secretaries and home and personal home health care aides.

Even if the U.S. finally joins the rest of the industrialized world by offering free, single-payer universal health care to all its citizens (by no means a foregone conclusion given the financial power of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries – but increasingly, a possibility with rising anger and frustration on the part of working Americans over a dysfunctional “for-profit” health care system), the job outlook should be unaffected. In fact, it is even likely to improve; contrary to corporate media propaganda, health care professionals in countries with socialized medicine enjoy a high standard of living and substantially greater job security as government employees than their U.S. counterparts.

Most healthcare management jobs are in hospitals (over 41%). Nursing homes and residential care facilities make up the second largest source of employment, with private medical and dental offices a close third.

In any event, the DOL now predict that most of the new wage and salaried jobs created over the next seven to ten years will be in healthcare management. Most of these workers have jobs requiring no more than an associate’s (two-year) degree; nonetheless, those with careers in healthcare are among the most educated in the nation.

Whatever shape health care takes in the U.S. during the coming decades, healthcare management jobs will be plentiful. If you are going to take advantage of the growing opportunities in careers in healthcare, you’ll want to make sure you are enrolled in, and receive a good quality health care management education.

Healthcare management education is offered at most major universities; there are also many schools that specialize in such courses of study. These train prospective students for careers requiring no more than an associate’s degree, such as dental hygienist, or anesthetists, which require more advanced training but do not need a medical degree; health care marketing; and even physical education for young people. Some institutions offer healthcare management education online. Before starting on your healthcare management education, you’ll want to check out several of these institutions to find out which is the best for you.

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Mar 08

Stress and Burnout – 10 Simple Steps to Avoid Career Stress and Burnout!

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Almost everyone experiences job related stress and burnout. From highly paid executives, to entrepreneurs, to the self-employed to an entry level hourly employee all are subject to pressures that can lead to stress and burnout.

Regardless of the job or career all require you to perform at a high level and deal effectively with co-workers and customers and make proper timely decisions. If you feel the pressure of every decision, that one wrong step will mean your career and job or the loss of your business, here are some actions you can take to regain control and reduce stress and eliminate the chance for burnout:

1. Make it a priority to look after yourself. If you get run down, you health will suffer and your abilities to make proper decisions will be reduced. Get plenty of rest and sleep, watch your diet and eat the right foods, and get regular exercise.

2. Reduce the pressure by taking time to relax or do nothing. Take breaks during the work day and try to keep regular hours. Take a full day off and do nothing-enjoy a walk or read a favorite book, turn off your cell phone. Take regular vacations and enjoy a different outlook and perspective.

3. Reassess the things you value. Is your career or business giving you a feeling of satisfaction and meaning? If not now would be a good time to reassess your direction. Are there any things that need to be eliminated? With priorities matching your values stress will be reduced and you’ll be doing what is important to you.

4. Add some challenges to your life. This may seem contradictory but if you are in a rut the challenge is to find new and innovative ways to do things. Spending time getting the creative juices flowing by thinking of ways to improve performance or perk up what you do best and make it better will improve self-confidence and move you closer to your career goals.

5. Are you overall career and personal goals realistic? If they are unrealistic now may be the time to readjust your expectations. Is that to-do list so long that you never get it finished? Shorten the to-do list and prioritize the action points.

6. Improve you communication skills. Work at being clear and concise on your communications and how you say it. Concentrate on active listening to those around you. With less misunderstandings, conflicts will be reduced, and with it your stress level.

7. Effective time management is a skill that everyone can learn. Work normal hours and make time for yourself to get things done. Learn to say no and guard the value of your time. Keeping your workplace neat and tidy will pay dividends in time management.

8. Look forward not back. Blaming yourself or others on what happened in the past will not reduce stress. The past can’t be changed-we can only learn from it and make appropriate changes so things will be better next time. Look forward, plan your future for success, lay it out in detail and work for it. Celebrate each success as you move forward.

9. Manage your emotions. Work at keeping your attitude positive. If you experience negative emotions, acknowledge your emotions and look at the underlying causes. If you need help, and everyone does, ask friends and associates for help. If needed get professional help.

10. Fun and laughter are the best medicine. “Life is to short eat dessert first,” so enjoy the little things in life. Look for ways to make your work fun, enjoy the success of others, and laugh at the jokes. Bring fun into your personal life-if you enjoy the three stooges-when you feel down put a CD of their greatest hits in your DVD player. Your mood will instantly improve.

Working at these ten simple steps will help generate both career and personal success. They will reduce stress and make life more enjoyable. Possible career and job burnout will be nonexistent as your job and career become more in tune with your values and goals.

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Mar 08

Career Coaching – How Does it Work

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Career coaches don’t have a magic formula for helping their clients (if we did, we’d be bottling it and making millions!), but why has career coaching received so much press lately? Pick up any magazine and you’re likely to see a reference to coaching: Oprah, Redbook, Self, Fast Company, Health, Inc., and many other business magazines. What career coaches do offer their clients is an easier way to career success than if they were to try and do it on their own.

Unlike traditional career counseling or even therapy, career coaching is action-oriented and future-focused. A coach is trained to ask the right question at the right time, listen to what’s being said (as well as what’s not being said), and offer unconditional yet objective and honest support and feedback. A coach is like having a trusted advisor, mentor, consultant and cheerleader who’s only agenda is to support you in getting what you want.

If you’re unclear about where you’re headed, a coach can help clarify your purpose, values, and goals. If you know where you’re going and what you need to do but find yourself getting off-track, a coach can help you focus and find more effective ways of getting results. And if the very thing that you’re longing for — change — scares you, and you get stuck, a coach can help you move beyond resistance.

You’re probably a good candidate for career coaching if:

You’re interested in exploring your values and goals. This is the foundation on which all else is built.

You have the capacity for self-exploration. Clients with an open mind and willingness to explore and self-assess will likely see better results.

You have a willingness to get uncomfortable. If you’re willing to step outside your comfort zone, you’re ready for coaching.

You’re ready for change. Change is hard and sometimes, it’s just a matter of being ready to do it.

Worried that your career might be passing you by? Worried that the little voice in your head telling you that “This isn’t it” might be right? You just might be a candidate for career coaching.

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Mar 08

Exploring A Sales Career

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If you’re a recent college graduate and are getting ready to launch your career and are thinking about pursuing the field of sales, congratulations! It’s a great profession. Here are some practical considerations that you should think about as you explore whether or not sales is right for you. First of all, in terms of preparation, sales like any other career can benefit from many different tracks of educational background and you don’t have to be a marketing major in order to get into sales. The most important attributes of a good sales person are that they have good critical thinking skills and that they’re very strong at both verbal and written communications. If those are part of your DNA, then even if you’re biology major or have a degree in science, you still may very well be at the aptitude that’s necessary in order to be good at sales.

What’s It Like To Work In Sales?

Well, it’s a great profession, and the reason why it’s a great profession is because you get an opportunity to stay very active and to meet lots of people, to travel and to solve problems for people. So if you have a high degree of interest in doing these kinds of things in your day job, you may be well suited for sales.

On the other side, if you are going to pursue a degree in sales, you need to be aware that it’s not all fun and games, and its not easy. Sales is one of the most difficult games out there and isn’t just for anyone. It requires an incredible dedication to the pursuit of excellence, continuous learning, to facing rejection, to developing your technical knowledge and to long hours in the trenches. There’s a number of different things that you have to be good at in order to be a professional in sales, particularly in today’s day and age.

One of the most important things that you can do for yourself to determine whether or not sales is an appropriate career move is to talk to different sales people — people who are already in the profession. Find out what their daily routine looks like. Understand more clearly the kinds of challenges, problems and issues that they face in their work. Spend a day job shadowing with them to understand their daily routine.

So, if you’re thinking about exploring a career in sales, make sure to do a lot of information interviewing with different types of sales people to get their feedback and to understand really what their jobs all about.

Another thing that you can do is get yourself prepared by taking a course in sales or a sales training course or consider getting yourself into a routine of reading some books on sales. There are many great books out there that cover the topic and will easily give you an idea and an appreciation of what sales is all about.

If you are thinking about moving into sales directly out of college, one of the most important things to do is to find a good sales team to work with and a particularly good sales manager who you can learn from. If you can’t find a good sales manager, make sure that you pair yourself up with somebody who has a lot of sales experience and is a true professional so they can mentor you. Why is this important? Well, just like any other career pursuit, becoming successful in sales is all about learning from the best and developing positive work habits and behaviors. Sales is not something that you can do just any old way. Its requires a certain methodology and system. A successful sales person and management knows that building and executing that system day in and day out is what produces consistent repeatable results.

So, if you want to get into sales, make sure that you find a place where you can learn from the best. It’ll make all the difference in terms of your achievement, you earning power, and your ability to advance in your sales career with some of the best companies out there.

Also, if you are thinking about a sales job, make sure that your first one is in a place where you can get lots of training. Why is this important? Because most employers actually don’t offer good sales training programs, but the good ones do. What are some of these companies? Well, IBM is legendary for its training, so is Xerox, just to name a few. The point is that you want to be looking for a company that has strong entry level sales training programs, and where you can get the education you need in order to learn the right skills to become successful in a sales career.

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Mar 08

8 Tips For New Workforce Realities

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Worker dissatisfaction is at an all time high among the U.S. workforce. With the national unemployment rates close to 10 percent, workers who have jobs are staying put – temporarily. Estimates of up to 65 percent will consider changing jobs when the economy picks up. Here are 8 tips for staying grounded and navigating the new workforce landscape.

1. Expect multiple jobs

The full-time job is becoming less common. Expect to have many jobs throughout the course of your career. The average person entering the work force today can anticipate 4 – 5 different careers by the time they are 38. That is different careers, not jobs. In addition to the more frequent turn over, positions are increasingly more volatile. People can expect more part-time work, more freelancing or consulting work to supplement their full-time employment.

2. Always be prepared for change

Whether you currently have a job or not, be prepared to make a change at all times. Last year we saw a tidal wave of layoffs. Workers were expected to do more with less, job responsibilities shifted, there were mergers and acquisitions, and pay cuts. Make sure you know your marketable skills.

3. Have a personal risk management plan in place

Know what you will do in the event of an unexpected lay off. It is a good idea to venture into freelance or some consulting work while you are employed. Do not allow the unexpected to catch you totally off guard.

4. Manage your network effectively

If you are not a member of a professional association, you should consider joining one. You will keep your skills sharp through the continuing education opportunities as well as meet new people in your industry or field. Associations also offer opportunities to volunteer for positions that can further enhance your resume.

5. Know your personal brand

Do you know how you are perceived as a professional? What makes you stand out from the crowd as a high-performing employee? You need to be able to articulate your value-proposition. Don’t rely on potential employers being able to intuit what you bring to the party. Leave no room for doubt through focusing on benefits, not features..

6. Have a killer resume

Your resume is your most important marketing material about you. It should be contemporary, fresh, kept up to date, and showcase your most desirable attributes to potential employers. Make sure it presents you in such a way that you look appropriate for your target. Control what the reader notices. Remember, most resumes receive only a 10 – 20 second glance to determine if they are worth further consideration.

7. Build your testimonials

Every time you get a complimentary note, acknowledgment, or thank you, for a job well done, be sure to keep track. You want to be able to share the great things your colleagues, managers, and subordinates say about you.

8. Pay it forward

Take opportunities to help others. You will find that pouring into the lives and successes of other people will return to you. Where you find yourself right now, is usually the result of actions you have taken over the course of the last two years.

Make a habit of being a good example in the workplace and demonstrating a positive attitude. Make the most of your current work situation, but don’t assume it will last forever. You will be much better off if you be the best employee you can be, but be ready for the unexpected.

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