Switching from Lucrative Finance Career to Teaching - The Career Doctor Blog

Anonymous writes:

I’ve been working in the finance industry for the past 8 years and at 29 years old, I make a great income. I’m at a crossroad where I don’t love what I do but I’m doing great at my job and am on a very successful path, if I want it. What I think I’d really love to be doing is teaching at the elementary-school level. The only thing about teaching is the pay is low. I can make in 1 year at my job what would take 7 years in teaching. Am I being naive here by wanting to pursue something that doesn’t pay a lot? Within my current relationship I also feel guilty that I wouldn’t be participating as greatly in the family income. I’m now expecting my spouse to bring in the money doing something he doesn’t love. Is that fair?
Should money being the driving factor in a career?

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The Career Doctor responds:

It’s funny how there are very distinct stages to life — and how those stages affect working and job-seeking. I think the two most fascinating to me right now are quarterlife and older workers, mainly because there tends to be great introspection and reflection resulting in big changes.

You are certainly facing such a time. And the Quarterlife Crisis, a time in your late mid- to late-twenties is when it occurs. There are many folks just like you — who jumped at a job or career path right out of college and found some sort of success with it, even without fulfillment.

Is money a driving factor in choosing a career? For some, yes. Should it be? For most, no. I used to teach business students, and for many of them, money is an important part of why they chose a business career.

But there HAS to be more. As you have found, you can have a successful career — and make a great salary — but at some point you are going to be very, very unhappy. Better to tackle it now than later in life, when you’ve let 28 years go by in an unfulfilling career.

I am a complete believer in following your career passion. I believe that when you follow your passion, the money will eventually follow too.

For those reading struggling in a passionless career, please take some time to visit this tutorial on Quintessential Careers: Finding Your Career Passion Tutorial: Uncover Your Ideal Career Path.

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

How to Create a Resume That Stands Out For Manger Jobs

When creating a resume for manager jobs, it is essential that you do not try to use a generic template or the same resume that you would use for other jobs. There are specific tactics that should be implemented in order to make sure that your resume stands out from the crowd (in a way that is beneficial, not detrimental). If you do create an attractive resume, then what makes you think that you are going to get the interview that you want. Your resume acts as your first impression, so make sure that it is a good one. Here are some simple tips that will help you create a more effective resume that is specifically targeted to manager jobs.

1. Clearly State Your Potential Value to Company

It used to be common practice to add a paragraph before the resume that stated want you wanted out of the job. It was essentially used to state your career goals and why this job was an opportunity that you valued. Unfortunately, this does nothing to tell the company why you would be an asset to the company. Instead of opening your resume with a career objectives section, create a qualifications summary that demonstrates your value to them. Use this quick paragraph to summarize all of the skills and competencies to the company. Essentially, this section is your 30 second pitch as to why they should be interested in you. Keep in mind that a company wants to know what is in it for them, not what is in it for you. Manager jobs are very competitive and a qualifications summary can instantly tell a company why you are a better choice than everyone else.

2. Address Your Audience Directly

When looking for manager jobs, there is a good chance that you will be applying for openings in a variety of different industries. Every industry has a unique need that must be met, which means that you need to promote different skills and qualifications based upon the industry. If this means that you have to create 10 resumes, then do it. First, it shows prospective companies that you are seriously interested in the position and not just sending your resume out to everyone (even if you are). Second, it ensures that the hiring company will be able to easily focus on the skills that you have that directly apply to the position and the industry that it is in.

3. Showcase Your Value Via Specific Accomplishments

One of the biggest mistakes that most people who are applying for managers jobs will make is not showcasing their value. It has become common knowledge that you need to include specific examples of how you were a benefit to your previous employer. However, most people will state something like “I saved the company X amount of dollars”. While this is a nice statement, it doesn’t add to your value. Instead, you can use the same example to create value by adding a few details. For example, “I increased incoming revenue by $X or decreased annual costs by $X, which allowed the company to X. This type of statement tells the hiring company exactly what you did (increased revenue or decreased costs) and what that did to benefit the company (it allowed the company to X). The reason that this is more effective is because it shows them that you pro-actively created more money that the company could use for other things and what the company can do with it. Believe it or not, simply creating some more money doesn’t inherently hold any value. It is what the company can do with the money that creates value.

There are a lot of things that you can do to make your resume more tailored for manager jobs, but these 3 tips can go a long way in improving your perceived value as an employee.

Jason Kay is a professional resume writer and regular contributor to JobGoRound.com, which provides job search tips, interview advice, and resume service reviews. Search for open property manager jobs near you.

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Reach New Heights With Powerhouse Effort | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

What do all powerhouse brands, both personal and business, have in common? Powerhouse effort.

The power of networking, combined with concerted effort and a clearly defined objective will drive success time and time again.

Ever sit by idly and watch life go by? There is a time to do this: retirement. So get up out of that seat and shake it! Figuratively, of course.

When branding yourself, you create a package deal. A gift-wrapped package, prepared for the right event and situation. Having the flexibility needed to shine in many environments will help in your pursuit of success.

Putting effort in to action

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.  Whether your goal is to become an expert on xyz or be a jack of all trades, you need to be willing to try. The effectiveness of trial and error learning cannot be substituted.

Most of all enjoy what you do. Its true that not everything you do during the course of a day will be something you leap for joy, but as a quote on a mug that I have says, “Do what you like. Like what you do.”  This can make your effort worth it.

Get out of a rut

If you find yourself dreading what you are currently doing, or have a hard time being passionate about it, then change it. Do something about it, don’t let it keep you in a rut.

Effort requires innovation, constant change, and the ability to be flexible. The payouts are great. You get results. Accomplish what you set out to do, and ultimately you can make the world a better place.

Take action now

What actions should you take to right now to get closer to your goals?

1. Put yourself out there. The benefits of social media are commonly known now as it has “gone mainstream” and is used day in and day out for business and personal use. Just knowing something and not taking action won’t benefit you in your pursuits to reach new heights with effort. Network online, and off, so you have a good well rounded network.

2. Continue becoming the best. And ENJOY it.

3. Take time to evaluate where you are now and where you’d like to be. Consider creating a life plan. Also use tools like Brand-Yourself.com to help guide you through the goal setting process and marketing of your brand.

Never run on auto-pilot, be ferocious in your efforts, and most of all enjoy.

Question: What are you doing to reach new heights?

About the Author: An avid inbound marketer, Mark Mathson puts his effort into creating dazzling Internet marketing campaigns.  He enjoys conversing on Twitter and growing and adding value to his network on LinkedIn.

(Photo credit: Jonathan C)

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Dress for Success: What to Wear in an Interview | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

You’ve heard it before. Your first impression can make you or break you when it comes to a job interview. And when it comes to making a dynamic first impression, it’s key you dress for the job you want. Making sure you look the part not only packages you as a ready-to-hire employee, but it can boost your confidence as well.

Here are five things to keep in mind when you’re choosing the right outfit for your big day:

1. Err on the side of dressing up, not down.

It’s important in a job interview that you stay more conservative and look like a professional so the employer interviewing you sees you as one. Stay on the safe side. If you’re a woman, wear a solid-colored blouse, black pencil skirt or dress pants, and black heels. If you’re a guy, put on solid-colored dress shirt, a pair of button-down dress pants and polished shoes. If you’re wondering whether you should also wear a blazer and tie, look at the industry you’re in. If it’s more creative, the blazer and tie probably aren’t necessary. But if you’re interviewing at an investment firm, it’s mandatory. And again, it’s better to be over-dressed than under-dressed; it’s pretty hard to grossly overdress (at least for people with a decent amount of common sense), as most employers really appreciate the respect you showed by taking your interview seriously.

2. Good grooming is mandatory.

You don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed after a night of partying. Take the time to fix your hair, trim your nails, iron your outfit and make sure nothing is out of place. You want the interviewer’s focus to be on you and not your bad breath and bed head.

3. Don’t distract.

Make sure when you’re planning your outfit that nothing is distracting to the interviewer. Keep in mind that employers interview multiple candidates for each open position, and if they’re too busy focusing on your bracelets clunking together, they’re not going to pay attention to what you have to say. It’s also a good idea to stay away from wearing a strong perfume or cologne. You want to leave a lasting impression, just not the kind that smells.

4. Keep comfort in mind.

Just because you dress up, it doesn’t mean you should sacrifice utility. It’s not uncommon after a job interview to have a tour of the office, and you don’t want to be the girl who can barely walk in her five-inch stilettos, or the guy who winces in pain with every step from a blister. Make sure the outfit you choose is comfortable because once it’s on, it should be the last thing on your mind.

5. Don’t forget the final touches.

It’s ok to add a little personality to your interview ensemble in the form of accessories, and it’s essential if you’re entering a creative industry where personality is king. Just make sure that the creative touches you add don’t distract. If you’re a man, a nice watch could add to your outfit. If you’re a woman, a sleek purse or pearl earrings might be the way to go.

Dressing for success isn’t all that difficult, and it could be a deal-breaker if you don’t pay attention to it. As long as you stay away from things that distract, lean on the conservative side and present yourself nicely, you’re positioning yourself for an interview that focuses solely on you. And if all else fails, turn on CNN or SportsCenter and copy what the anchors wear.
Guest Expert:

Brianne Burrowes is the editor-in-chief of CareerSparx, an online course that helps recent college graduates begin their careers. For more information, download their free 61-page guide on how to start your career and check out the CareerSparx blog. Prior to CareerSparx, Brianne was the editor-in-chief of The Montanan, the alumni magazine of the University of Montana. She also blogs at IWantHerJob.com.

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Are You A Resistor? | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

Over the past 5 years, having taught over 20 – 8 week classes on job transition skills, I’ve consistently seen many people resist applying the ideas and techniques I talk about.

Although they nod in agreement in class, they rarely, if ever, change any of their activities throughout the week. They continue doing the same things they’ve always done and expect different results (isn’t that a definition of insanity?).

Why do they do that? And how do you change if that’s been you? Do you know if you have been resisting? How can you tell and what can you do?

Here are some points that can help…

In one of my recent classes, one of the participants came had an epiphany about half way through. She said she realized that she had been resisting anything new so strongly that it was certainly hindering her from getting a new job she so desperately needed. For her, it was simply a matter of coming to the realization of how much she was fighting it that finally caused her to decide to apply some of the ideas we had been discussing.

Ask yourself some questions! Examine your attitude and your activities. When you hear or read an idea that might be helpful in your job search, how do you respond? Do you…

• …immediately think it wouldn’t work in your situation?
• …think it’s a good idea, but you don’t do anything with it?
• …immediately judge it to be a dumb, or impractical idea?
• …think it’s interesting but doesn’t fit your “style”?

If those are your responses, you may be resisting. If so, ask yourself “Why?” If you are getting exposed to potentially helpful techniques, why wouldn’t you try them? Examine whether you have fears, anger, bitterness, or stubbornness that are keeping you from stepping outside your box!

Seek out and learn effective techniques! You can’t apply any new ideas if you don’t know what they are. The internet, your local library, state job service office, and local networking groups are full of good ideas, advice, and help. Check them out. Find things that have worked for others. Learn how to apply them in your situation, and practice. The first step in breaking out of your rut, is to learn new ways to do it.

Give it a try! Particularly if you’ve been in a job search for a while, what have you got to lose by trying something new? What you have been doing so far hasn’t worked, so what is likely to be worse by applying a different approach? Don’t try something once and assume it’s not effective because it didn’t produce immediate results. Virtually nothing does. But take a new approach or technique and try it over and over again for a period of time. If it then still doesn’t produce improved results, try something else. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying something new.

Don’t sit still! One of the biggest obstacles to gaining positive results in your job search is inaction! Often, when people don’t make progress in their search it’s because they have mentally or emotionally frozen up. They are frustrated with the lack of progress, and unconsciously decide that nothing works for them so they won’t even try. The best way to overcome the problem is motion! Regardless of your emotions, keep doing things necessary to keep the job search process going. Often, one of the best ways to keep hope alive is to try something new. Keep moving and don’t allow yourself to become stagnant in your daily activities.

A job search, especially in this economy, can be a frustrating and draining activity. The more deliberate you are about keeping it fresh, being flexible and open to new ideas, the more likely you will land in your new job faster.

Don’t be a resistor! Find and apply new ideas throughout your search!

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Author:

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Job References: Don't Lose at the Finish Line | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

The purpose of providing references is to close the deal. It isn’t to discover if you are telling the truth about your dates of employment, verify that you’ve demonstrated the proper skills for the job, or even to assure the hiring authority that he’s making the right decision to hire you -- though each reason contributes.

If a company is having difficulty deciding which of two individuals to make an offer to, references are usually the deciding factor. If more job seekers understood this, they wouldn’t view the phrase “references provided upon request” so casually.

What constitutes a reference? Primarily, people to whom you have reported in your previous jobs. Secondarily, if you’ve been in your current position a longtime, someone who has left the company, or someone you trust who has reported to you or with whom you have worked closely. In some industries, providing a reference from outside the company – trades, vendors, or long-time customers –supplies an additional perspective that a former employer cannot.

A reference is neither personal nor generic. Your friend on the neighborhood baseball team may say you’re a great team member, but baseball doesn’t equate to the corporate world. References addressed to: To Whom It May Concern aren’t of much value either because they’re non-exclusive. By their very nature, generic references are positive – or they wouldn’t have been written and handed to the departing employee. Employers want to speak to the reference themselves and ask their own questions --- without the candidate knowing what was said.

As I’ve said repeatedly, finding your perfect job is about selling a product, and that product is you. If you want your references to help you close the sale, you need to help them. The standard method of most reference preparation goes as far as the job seeker calling the references and asking each person if he’ll act as one, then failing to cue them in during the process as to who will be calling. Providing your reference with the name of the company and the person phoning not only removes the unknown, but makes the call more likely to be returned faster More than one offer has been held up for need of references.

And if those two reasons aren’t enough to ask their permission, how about that it’s the respectful thing to do? Some candidates don’t even think to track down their references and ask for permission. The names and numbers are simply listed on a sheet of paper and given to the hiring authority. Would you like to know how many times I was provided with contact information only to find the person was long gone from that company? Better me -- a recruiter -- than a prospective employer.

Additionally, failing to provide the person with a copy of your most recent resume so that he has both your dates of employment and your accomplishments in front of him when the hiring authority calls is to deal yourself the ultimate wild card. And failing to tell your reference about the position for which you’re interviewing and what the company is looking for in their new hire compounds that. When you provide this additional information, you not only prompt his memory, but you give him information with which to work. It helps him speak directly to what you want addressed.

Now you’ve provided the prospective employer with verified information from a credible, objective and informed source. Effectively, you’ve eliminated the chance of your previous boss saying, “Well, he was a great employee. And he met all his goals, as far as I can remember. Sure, I’d rehire him.” About all that reference does is tell the prospective employer that you weren’t great enough to stand out in your previous boss’s memory.
All of this is equally applicable if you were fired. Under most circumstances, truth is the only path, and making sure that a reference doesn’t backfire on you is all the more reason to contact that supervisor. Just because a person or company isn’t on your reference list, doesn’t mean people don’t “know” others in that same industry.

It’s difficult to summon the courage to ask your previous employer to provide you with a reference when you were fired. But many of those references come out better than you’d suppose; the only negative tends to be the one surrounding the reason you were discharged.

When you realize the power of references and the influence they can have in securing your perfect job, then you understand how important it is to stay in touch. Then when you need them, you know where to contact them.
Put the extra work into helping your references be a reference. Since you’ve made it this far in finding your perfect job, why gamble and leave the home stretch to chance?

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Guest Expert:

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why. She’s been on PBS’s Frontline, will be in the May issue of Smart Money magazine, and has been quoted frequently in numerous articles for CareerBuilder, MSN Careers, Yahoo Hot Jobs, and the New York Times, among others. She’s also been featured as an expert in numerous career books. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.findtheperfectjob.com/

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Are You Relevant? | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

A few weeks ago I wrote about “Defining The Target Audience For Your Personal Brand” which is one of the first steps of communicating who you are and what you stand for. While the target audience is essential, it is also crucial to be relevant at all times.

Relevance is not an option, it is a must. The people you target are too busy to take a meeting with you, much less engage in small talk that doesn’t add value to their day. So you add value to their day by addressing an issue that is at the top of a target’s priority list, or by asking questions that help them evaluate themselves. Being relevant is often the one thing that separates mediocrity from success.

So I ask you again: How are you relevant? If you do not have a good answer to that, try working with these areas for defining your relevance to your target audiences.

Relevance of message

Every person on this planet has different interests, both business and personal. When I work with coaching clients, I often use the “wheel of life” as a tool to look into different areas of life for their personal development. The same circle could be used when trying to identify the interest and focus areas for your target audience. Just as you can choose what parts of your life are represented in the wheel of life, you can also figure out what different parts make up the wheel for a person you are addressing.

Relevance in space

This means location. Where do you want to get your message across? A highway billboard? Twitter? Try to think of what spots you are more probable to get the message through. It could be on the golf course, in social media or in an elevator (you have defined your elevator pitch, right?).

Relevance in time

Time is just as important as location, as the right location at the wrong moment will not get the desired effect, nor will the right message at the wrong moment. They must work together. Keep in mind that in digital space, most things will stick around for ages and that the message could be interpreted in different ways depending on when it is read. This is why it is very important to put a date on every document, post etc. for the recipient to understand when the message was created.

Do you have an example of when you achieved great results due to pinpointing the relevant factors for your target audience? Please, share it in the comment section.

Ola Rynge is an entrepreneur with a passion for the personal development side of personal branding (covered in this blog) as well as the application of personal branding and social media for entrepreneurs and small businesses (covered in The Rynge Blog).

His company, The Rynge Group specializes in strategy consulting within social media and market oriented small business and idea development.

Follow Ola on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook.

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal