Once an employee gets hired (whether it is as a regular employee or a temporary employee through an employment service), the company strongly encourages their new employees to begin interviewing around the company to make sure they are in the best job for them. They do this often within their first month of employment.
Nike is sending a very clear message to their employees with this policy. “Don’t be afraid to venture out. We want you to find the perfect job for you, even if it means that you’ll leave the job you just got into.”
Why Don’t More Companies “Just Do HR” the Way Nike Does? They Should!! | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog
Am I Too Old To Make a Career Change? - Blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career
If you are making a career change and are thinking and feeling like you are either too old or too young to do it – don't! You are never too old to make a career change. You are never too young to make a career change.
If you are feel 'old' – this implies that you are wise – so you have had experience, you have seen the world and had a career of some sort for several years. With your many years of experience you have gained some key skills, some great knowledge, insight and expertise that you can use in the next role. You have not missed the boat, nor have you run out of runway. Use the experience, skills and natural talents and strengths that you have – to show that you are right for your next career move.
You will need to take a deeper look into your career, actions and activities to date. Sit down and review your career. Analyse it. Think about the roles you had and the projects you were involved in. Also look at what you did outside of work. What skills did you gain from all of what you have done so far? What were you good at? What did you enjoy? How do these relate to what you are looking to do now?
At first what you have done may look, sound or feel completely irrelevant – but actually when you dig deeper – there will be a whole host of skills, interests, talents, passions that are consistent across all of what you have done and where you are looking to go. There will be ways to transfer the skills you have gained to date – into the next career. Your next career move is your chance to start aligning your real passions, interests, strengths and goals into one. However, do not forget what you have achieved or accomplished so far. None of it is irrelevant. You are simply building and growing from what you have done – even if you are to take a slightly different direction now – there will be a link, you just need to find it!
Sample Interview Questions and Answers – How to Prepare For These Tough Questions | EmploymentDigest.net
One of the big fears of going into a job interview is being asked a tough question and having no response except a blank look on your face. This would be the worst case scenario, of course, but it plays out in many people’s heads. Unfortunately, this scenario could become a reality unless you prepare ahead of time for a challenging interview.
Here’s an example of some tough sample job interview questions:
Tell me what you enjoyed about your last job? What you didn’t like?
Why did you leave your last job?
Give an example of how you made an impact at your last job?
Describe your biggest challenge and how you handled it?
Describe your decision making process.
How would you describe your management style?
What is your greatest weakness?
What assets and talents do you feel you can contribute to our company?
Read the answers at employmentdigest.net
Searching For a Job? Network and Stand Out From the Crowd! - Secrets of the Job Hunt Career Podcast
Networking is the best way to find a job in our current economy and it helps you to stand out from the crowd. Although it may take time to establish a network of colleagues, networking has great rewards if done correctly. The Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines Networking as: "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business."
There are many websites where can go to network, but I feel that LinkedIn is the best tool for professional networking. LinkedIn gives you access to CEOs, recruiters, hiring managers, and other individuals whom you usually would not have access to. You can target and research specific companies, then follow up by searching LinkedIn to find and connect with someone in the target company.
Most people feel that networking for a job simply entails contacting friends or former coworkers. However, it involves much more than that. Do not depend solely on your current network of friends; keep reaching out to new people and expand your network. I have met wonderful, and might I add, helpful individuals on LinkedIn. Make a network plan and first think about what you can share with others in order to help them. Always bring something valuable to the table and others will be willing and ready to assist you. It could be something as simple as giving advice, sharing a great career article, passing on job or business leads.
In addition to networking, you can stand out in other ways. When you respond to a position on a job board, always look to see if a phone number is included in the job ad. Assuming the ad doesn't preclude contact with the company, call and follow up in a few days. Companies receive so many resumes and cannot respond to each applicant; your resume might not even reach its destination because of being automatically filtered by resume scanning software. I recently called a recruiter to follow up on a position I had applied for. When the recruiter could not find my resume, he asked me to resend it while I was on the phone with him. My follow-up phone call resulted in an instant interview.
Most people are applying for jobs online; so why not try faxing your resume if a fax number is provided in the job posting? If the company provides an address and doesn't have any restrictions, send your resume with a cover letter via snail mail (U.S. Postal Service).
When searching for a job, remember to be flexible. You may need to take a position that pays less or something out of your chosen field, but at least you will get your foot in the door and generate income.
Networking can be intimidating when you first start out, but put aside all your fears and go for it! In tough times, there will be fierce competition for any available job; networking might give you the edge that you need to get your foot in the door or at least help you to gain access to a decision maker. Be sure to include all forms of networking in your career search, including professional/social online networking, and in-person networking; do not rely on any one method. Online networking on LinkedIn is great, but don't exclude face-to-face networking.
So are you ready to stand out from the crowd? Get out there, network, and land that job!
Author Bio:Marleen is a multi-faceted Information Technology professional, with numerous transferrable skills. For the past few years, she has been in a role of a UNIX Systems Administrator; but she also has a vast background in technical, and application support as well. Marleen’s strong technical, customer service, and interpersonal skills have afforded her the opportunity to assume different roles over the years.In her spare time, Marleen likes to write articles or various topics such as careers, job search, social/professional networking and one day she hopes to write a book. In 2008 Marleen learned that it is very important to have a “Plan B” (backup plan) career plan, and she found a way to turn her writing hobby into an additional income stream. Now she writes for business owners and content sites, which pay to write articles. As a result, Marleen’s articles have been published in magazines, and numerous company & association newsletters.
If you would like to keep up with Marleen’s writing, please feel free to visit her article-bookmarking site at http://www.xomba.com/user/redy2assist (scroll all the way to the bottom to view articles).
You may also wish to subscribe to her articles on Google FeedBurner at feeds.feedburner.com/xomba/xdpC
How to Use Personal Branding to Get a Life, Not a Job | Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
I just finished reading Get a Life, Not a Job: Do What You Love and Let Your Talents Work for You by Paula Caligiuri, PhD. As a career book, Get a Life, Not a Job was fabulous – full of bullets, lists, summaries and exercises. Overall, it was an incredibly easy and useful read. But more specifically, Dr. Caligiuri got me thinking about how the book can be applied to personal branding.
What Are “Career Acts”?
Dr. Caligiuri explains the concept of career acts like this:
I believe people should have multiple sources of income – or career acts – based on the things they truly love to do or enjoy. Ideally, you should think about managing your career in the same way you’d manage your investment portfolio – diversify.
If you receive all of your income from one source – the classic 40 hour per week employer – you should make sure it is secure and be sure you are doing something you enjoy. Most people need greater diversification for commensurate satisfaction and financial security.
Sound familiar? I’ve discussed this before in my post about dueling personal brands.
On Any Given Day, 75% of Working Americans Would Consider Changing Jobs. Are You One of Them?
I think we’ve all been there.
No matter your reason for wanting to add a career act – financial security, boredom, etc. – Dr. Caligiuri gives many great tips for getting their successfully.
Approach 1: Leverage Your Expertise or Talents
What do you do or know that would be valued by others? What is your area of expertise, something you know more about than others? What skills and abilities do you have that you can leverage?
If that doesn’t scream “personal branding,” I don’t know what does! So, if you want to add a second career act, one approach is to leverage what you’ve already got going for you – and a brand you’ve likely already started building.
Approach 2: Expand a Hobby, Interest, or Passion
What do you enjoy as a hobby? Do you have any passions or interests that could be expanded into a side business?
Chances are, this approach is going to be a far cry from your “day job” and/or current personal brand. But, if you’ve built a personal brand before you can do it again. Or, if you’re a personal branding newbie, PersonalBrandingBlog.com is definitely the place to be for advice!
Approach 3: Pursue an Occupation
Occupations are a series of related jobs within job families that share a set of knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Here Dr. Caligiuri is talking about something that might involve you going back to school to get additional training. This approach could be extremely costly and time-consuming, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it in the end.
Approach 4: Generate Sources of Passive Income
How much time do you want to spend engaging in career acts?
If the answer is “little to none,” then this approach is probably best for you! Examples of passive income include royalties, affiliate marketing, and rent.
I put out a new e-book approximately every six weeks as a source of passive income. While the e-books take time and money to produce originally, once they are out there, I can pretty much just sit back. I’ve built a strong enough personal brand that people (1) know when my next one is coming out and (2) trust the content I provide.
Do you currently have multiple career acts? Do you feel multiple career acts are right for you?
Author:
Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.
TheWiseJobSearch: “Forget my past… I can do this job!”
That’s a phrase many hiring managers live by when evaluating candidates for a job opening. HR Managers often preach that mantra, and it certainly is the safest route to take when they want to be sure of making a good hire.
Job seekers, on the other hand, often want the company to overlook their track record and see the unproven potential they have for a particular role. Their mantra often is “Forget my past… I can do this job!”
So, what if you’re past performance hasn’t been stellar, or you haven’t had a great deal of related work experience that’s required for this role? How do you stay in the running even though you’re not what they think they are looking for?
There are no “magic bullets”, however, here are some ideas and suggestions that can improve your chances…
Know your strengths and weaknesses – you can’t emphasize appropriate strengths to them well, if you’re not confident about what they are. Take the time to assess yourself in multiple ways… for help, read: “Know Yourself!”
Gather up your applicable skills – Compile a list for yourself of the skills, traits, talents, and experiences you’ve had (in a job or outside a job) that are directly relevant to the position you are pursuing. Document specific examples and testimonials you may have received. Know what you have or what you’ve done that would be of value to the employer for this role.
Script it! – Don’t rely on your ability to ‘wing it’ when you make your case to the hiring manager. Write out exactly what you will say when presenting your qualifications. Read it, edit it, hone it, practice it, memorize it, try it out on a spouse or a friend, hone it some more, practice, practice, practice. Even if you’re someone that speaks very well ‘off the cuff’, you will be much better if you’re well prepared. Write scripts for yourself and you’ll make a better presentation.
Find the sizzle! – A great steak tastes good… but it’s the sizzle when it’s first served that really gets your taste buds interested. The same is true in an interview. The company is probably talking to multiple people that have the skills for the job. Some are likely to have a job history that backs up their claim that they will do well in this role. In order to intrigue them enough to consider you over the others, you must help them understand the value you will bring that no one else can. What makes you unique? How will you solve their problems or fill their needs better than the others? What do you offer that the others don’t?
Demonstrate professional enthusiasm! – Companies want to hire people that are passionate about their work, show initiative, show creativity, and show they want to be there. Make it clear that you are that person. Be careful not to exhibit false, or over-the-top enthusiasm, however, in a well communicated, professional way make it clear that you will bring more, do more, and contribute more each day than anyone else they are talking to.
Even if your resume doesn’t show the ideal background or record of success for a particular role, you can be the one they select if you can credibly demonstrate that you know yourself well, can relate appropriate skills and experiences, are well prepared, can show how you are unique, and express it professionally!
Job Search Marketing Toolkit - Target Job Market - Secrets of the Job Hunt Career Podcast
Reposted from CareerAlley
Sun Tzu, the Art of War, Target Job Market, it kind of all fits together. But the key is strategic advantage and the only way to gain that is to target your job market and focus your search. What does that mean? Target market includes your preferred industry, your preferred line of work (skills, experience and education), your preferred company (large, small, private, public), market impact on your industry and compensation requirements versus the market.
Find your Industry:
- Career and Job Resources by Industry - This list of industry sites is provided by Quintcareers. The page starts with a list of links to the most popular industries. Click on an industry link to a full page of specific industry links. There is a search box on the right hand side of the page where you can also search by industry. The bottom of the page has related links to Company Career Centers and Job Sites by Category.
- Industry Job Network - This site provides links to industry job sites and is provided by nationjob.com. The page provides an overview with a link to their industry job site at the start of the overview (center page). There are links on the left hand side of the page for industry testimonials. Click on Industry Job Sites to view a comprehensive page of links for almost every industry you can think of. Click on any of the industries and you will be led to a list of jobs in that industry.
- Self-Assessment Resources - The Riley Guide, one of the best career resources available, provides a page of resources for self-assessment. The page includes definitions, followed by links to related information (such as a table with assessment tools). There are links to Interest Inventories, Skill Surveys, Values Inventories and more.
- Skills Center - Careeronestop provides this resource. The page has links at the top for Assess Your Skills, Review your Skills and Skills Standards. This is followed by links for resources in each of these categories. There are additional links for Skills Shortage (which is what you need for specific job types). Could could definitely spend all day on this site, checking all of the resources available.
- Worth Your Weight in Gold? Know Your Bottom Line - CareerAlley's links to Salary Surveys (one for IT jobs, links to sites with hundreds of surveys and salary guides by industry). Following this are links to salary calculators (type in your title and location to get a read on your salary) and salary comparisons.
- Career Salary - This article provides a complete overview of salary surveys. The site, by employer.com, provides a brief overview of what a salary survey is, followed by links to salary surveys and salary data. There is also coverage of online salary calculators.
