Career Workbench

2010-08-18T14:41:00.001-05:00

Think and Grow Rich 8: Take charge of your career before someone else does. http://ping.fm/oS9Yo

2010-08-16T17:09:00.001-05:00

Think and Grow Rich 7: Planning is at the heart of your jobsearch http://ping.fm/hRRlS

2010-08-13T10:30:00.001-05:00

Do you have the education you need for a new job or career? http://ping.fm/RLNQK

2010-08-11T08:56:00.001-05:00

Think and Grow Rich 4: Convince your subconscious you already have the job: http://ping.fm/IKlVu

2010-08-10T10:02:00.001-05:00

Think and Grow Rich 3: Keeping the faith to attain your career goal: http://ping.fm/CaNyg

2010-08-04T14:46:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, psyche up to reach your career goal: http://ping.fm/jynM2

2010-08-02T11:51:00.001-05:00

Think & Grow Rich 2: Finding a job starts with desire http://ping.fm/wL1Zc

2010-07-26T11:29:00.001-05:00

Step up to management from technical job by refocusing resume http://ping.fm/6ujmp

2010-07-26T11:25:00.001-05:00

Increase confidence to apply for first management job by refocusing resume http://ping.fm/7riMW

2010-07-26T10:36:00.001-05:00

Keep your jobsearch on track with a careercoach http://ping.fm/4xoCd

2010-07-22T08:33:00.001-05:00

Career changers, refocus your resume: http://ping.fm/ZV3ZW

2010-07-19T17:28:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, don't know what you want to be when you grow up? http://ping.fm/k4xog

2010-07-15T11:02:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, only 1 day left to get ready for hirefriday. http://ping.fm/cdMbp

2010-07-14T10:16:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, you have two days to get your tweet ready for hirefriday: http://ping.fm/TJ5qj

2010-07-12T11:37:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers: If you feel like the world is against you - stop! http://ping.fm/ZC7jP

2010-07-08T09:06:00.001-05:00

Job seekers: Do you act on your desire or wait for a crisis? http://ping.fm/Wt2XD

2010-07-07T09:19:00.001-05:00

Holy job opportunities, Batman! http://ping.fm/bHcas

2010-07-02T08:40:00.001-05:00

How to retire to a new job or career http://ping.fm/Ifmf1

2010-07-01T09:43:00.001-05:00

Where the jobs are (and will be) http://ping.fm/b4zDk

2010-06-30T09:03:00.001-05:00

Are you ready to be a resume client? http://ping.fm/g9pzj

2010-06-29T09:47:00.001-05:00

Results DO matter in your resume http://ping.fm/h5l9e

2010-06-25T17:57:00.001-05:00

Jobseeker, know thyself http://ping.fm/ugqMM

2010-06-25T14:44:00.001-05:00

Is the problem with the job or the jobseeker? http://ping.fm/t2dEc

2010-06-25T08:46:00.001-05:00

Is the problem with the job or the jobseeker?
http://ping.fm/FJrNx

2010-06-24T16:01:00.001-05:00

Breathing instructions for jobseekers
http://ping.fm/BROU6

2010-06-24T13:30:00.001-05:00

Calm job search anxiety with yoga breathing http://ping.fm/EHSs1

2010-06-24T09:53:00.001-05:00

Breathe through your job search panic http://ping.fm/M5RR9

2010-06-23T15:00:00.001-05:00

Job search step 1: Panic? No! Breathe...breathe
http://ping.fm/UvOUi

2010-06-23T11:28:00.001-05:00

Panicking about your job search? Remember to breathe http://ping.fm/6sbsA

2010-06-22T16:01:00.001-05:00

Does your resume target match your job target? http://ping.fm/Cf3XW

2010-06-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

Is your resume climbing the job ladder with you? http://ping.fm/8EvJr

2010-06-22T09:04:00.001-05:00

Your job search targets the next level. Does your resume? http://ping.fm/OIL5v

2010-06-22T06:39:00.001-05:00

Does your resume attract positions at the right level? http://ping.fm/5LZaz

2010-06-21T17:28:00.001-05:00

Use your resume to aim high
http://ping.fm/s8c5W

2010-06-21T13:34:00.001-05:00

Ready to move up? Make sure you write your resume "up," too http://ping.fm/BQAya

2010-06-21T08:40:00.001-05:00

Rewrite your resume to target the next level http://ping.fm/Nyq5G

2010-06-18T14:32:00.001-05:00

If U have 2 career targets, U need 2 resumes. http://ping.fm/JXIw6

2010-06-18T07:39:00.001-05:00

Applying for a different job? You need a different resume. http://ping.fm/KpEHM

2010-06-17T14:02:00.001-05:00

Use different resumes for different job targets http://ping.fm/kbWXC

2010-06-17T06:40:00.001-05:00

Can I get by with one resume?
http://ping.fm/ogSW4

2010-06-16T21:55:00.001-05:00

Are you stuck in a job you no longer have? http://ping.fm/2SIQ6

2010-06-16T07:02:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers: R U stuck in a job you no longer have? http://ping.fm/6HJZA

2010-06-11T09:09:00.001-05:00

Laid-off jobseeker looks forward. Are you? http://ping.fm/Rb7KF

2010-06-10T14:34:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, need to make sure you're not getting a monster boss? http://ping.fm/gUDju

2010-06-10T08:29:00.001-05:00

Check your future boss' background BEFORE you're hired http://ping.fm/y8d01

2010-06-09T14:12:00.001-05:00

How is a job search like a new baby? You'll change, change, change! http://ping.fm/csOgS

2010-06-09T08:51:00.001-05:00

A new job search is like a new baby (cute photo alert) http://ping.fm/wVfMe

2010-06-07T14:28:00.001-05:00

Don't let your job search hold you back http://ping.fm/13S3M

2010-06-07T07:58:00.001-05:00

Is your job search holding you back? http://ping.fm/PiVEO

2010-06-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

Do you sparkle in your job search? Might be time to spring clean your attitude. http://ping.fm/AI3X6

2010-06-02T18:53:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers: Turn around recruiting techniques to work for you http://ping.fm/jsJ15

2010-05-24T08:11:00.001-05:00

Jobseekers, when obstacles appear, learn from them http://ping.fm/RIZv2

2010-05-07T14:03:00.001-05:00

What if your job loss is nobody's fault? http://ping.fm/0TtUz

2010-05-05T15:27:00.001-05:00

Envision your target, not your search http://ping.fm/DQssi

2010-05-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

First, own the job you want http://ping.fm/LCEAO

2010-05-04T12:48:00.001-05:00

Focus on your desire for a great career. http://ping.fm/T7kEf

2010-05-04T06:41:00.001-05:00

Decide on the career you really want: http://ping.fm/jAeJY

2010-05-03T13:18:00.001-05:00

Change your OK job into the career you love. http://ping.fm/MYSPt

2010-05-03T09:25:00.001-05:00

What do you really want in your career? http://ping.fm/BIqrw

2010-04-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

Have "just" a job? Want a great career? http://ping.fm/zXtdn

2010-04-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

Let your emotions and spirit inform your career choice. http://ping.fm/u2CIA

2010-04-29T10:18:00.001-05:00

Change ur OK job into a great career http://ping.fm/0gIot

2010-04-28T15:11:00.001-05:00

The final frontier: Job search can lead to inner space: http://ping.fm/l5FIS

2010-04-27T06:44:00.001-05:00

Collaborate with your new boss to get your dream salary http://ping.fm/Q2I17

2010-04-26T14:17:00.001-05:00

Use collaboration in win-win salary negotiations http://ping.fm/YPamL

2010-04-26T09:13:00.001-05:00

R U wrestling or collaborating in salary negotiations? http://ping.fm/Zz7jN

2010-04-23T09:12:00.001-05:00

Get ready for the new interview style (new post) http://ping.fm/s4cWU…nterview-style/

2010-04-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

Resume writing using collaboration model http://ping.fm/WawCj…-resume-writer/

2010-04-22T07:09:00.001-05:00

4 tips for getting the most out of your professional resume writer http://ping.fm/g4WWE…-resume-writer/

2010-04-21T17:31:00.001-05:00

How to get the most out of your resume collaboration http://ping.fm/ixC3h…-resume-writer/

2010-04-21T09:49:00.001-05:00

Collaborate with your resume writer for best products, experience http://ping.fm/DfD5j…-resume-writer/

2010-04-19T06:59:00.001-05:00

Universal Living Wage demonstration shows irony of NIMBY regarding homeless. http://ping.fm/bx0GC

2010-04-16T16:28:00.001-05:00

Universal Living Wage demonstration shows irony of NIMBY regarding homeless. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-16T14:49:00.001-05:00

Tax Day demonstration showcases challenges of homeless. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-15T13:50:00.001-05:00

Survey: New college grads look for jobs on FaceBook first. New post today on www.workwrite.net

2010-04-15T08:42:00.001-05:00

Economic worries have students worldwide focusing on job security. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-13T09:48:00.001-05:00

What to do instead of giving up on your job search. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

What to do when your job search gets snarled. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-09T07:36:00.001-05:00

Key to interview success is more than "right" answers: www.workwrite.net

2010-04-08T09:59:00.001-05:00

This interview candidate has the magic ingredient! www.workwrite.net

2010-04-06T18:05:00.001-05:00

Accountability is key element in job search. www.workwrite.net

2010-04-05T10:12:00.001-05:00

You know WHAT to do. Do you follow through? Try accountability coaching. (new post) www.workwrite.net

2010-04-02T08:34:00.001-05:00

Talk about jobs with BLS on Web chat NOW at www.bls.gov/chat

2010-04-01T09:02:00.001-05:00

Global hiring outlook trends downward. www.workwrite.net

2010-03-31T08:56:00.001-05:00

Doot do-doot do-doot doot do-doot doot, Do you know the way to San Jose for least job competition of major U.S. cities? www.workwrite.net

2010-03-30T11:08:00.001-05:00

Make a monthly date with your resume: www.workwrite.net

2010-03-29T10:26:00.001-05:00

Online job search networking (part 2): Here's how to work with your contacts. www.workwrite.net (new post)

Does your job hold enough possibilities for growth?

2010-03-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

Gretchen Rubin has a Happiness Project. (I am so glad other people have fun jobs, too.)

Her most recent post has to do with work and quotes John Ruskin:
"In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it."

I agree wholeheartedly and would add a fourth requisite: that there be a way to grow in it or into something else.

It seems that even in difficult economic times, humans need to feel success and, just as important, possibility. I have been hearing from clients who outgrew their jobs. One management wizard has been through successive positions in which he turned around a company, had it running like a top, was looking forward to managing a humming machine and was let go because the company decided someone less expensive could manage it now that he'd shaped and molded it.

If he wanted to be a consultant, he'd have the perfect resume. He doesn't. He likes staying with a company, growing with it, and bringing even more success.

I'm wondering if companies are trending toward treating permanent managers and directors as consultants, regardless of their employment status. Is anyone else seeing this phenomenon?

Online job search tools: Job Matching

2010-03-03T08:19:00.002-06:00

Job Matching is another resource for the jobseeker, particularly if you're considering a career change.

Odinjobs.com is a beta site they call intelligent job matching.

They claim to come closer than the average job board to matching you with opportunities you actually want.

Give it a try, and let me know how you like it.

Not getting interviews? Pay your employer to hire you

2010-02-22T08:44:00.000-06:00

You've probably tasted the samples of the new cracker in the grocery store, smelled the new perfume in the department store, or tried out the new detergent you received in the mail.

Those companies know that samples work.

One of the most savvy businesspeople in history knew that, too. When Napoleon Hill graduated from his one-year course in business, he was qualified for a position as a secretary, the most common entry-level position in the early 20th century.

He knew that without experience he would have difficulty finding a job - a state that continues to plague recent graduates today.

Napoleon chose the one place he wanted to work, the bank of a very wealthy businessman. He wrote a proposal that acknowledged his lack of experience. To make up for that deficiency, he told the banker he would pay him any sum he asked for three months, so long as at the end of that period, Napoleon would be paid the same monthly amount as his salary. The banker was immediately impressed by Hill's ingenuity and self-confidence. He was hired.

Before you dismiss this strategy as a century-old story, think about how you can apply it to your job search. Have you:

Chosen a job you want to do in industry that fits you?
Researched businesses within that industry at which you would like to work?
Obtained the name(s) and contact information for the person or persons making the hiring decision for that position?

Yes? You're ready to write your proposal. Let me know how it turns out.

If not, let me know you'd like some help.

Here's an "app" for the integrity gap

2010-02-18T08:24:00.002-06:00

Career strategist and workplace consultant J.T. O'Donnell of CareerRealism blogged recently about the integrity gap each of us faces. Her aha moment came when she read Collin Nanka's blog about his own gap.

Both use leadership developer Robin Sharma's definition of the gap:

There can be no lasting happiness if you daily schedule is misaligned with your deepest values. If there is a gap between what you do and who you are, you are out of integrity. An integrity gap. The bigger the gap, the less your life will work and the less happiness you will feel. Some people would describe this concept as being congruent (the state achieved by coming together, the state of agreement) or having your video aligned with your audio. Internally, the values that lives deep inside you, your conscious will see it if you are misaligned. Too many people talk a good game, but talk is cheap and it really shows in your schedule and what you do.

This ties in so closely to what I do with my clients and with myself. The more focused I become on the priorities in my life, the more closely aligned I feel with my own integrity, and the better my life becomes. I coach my job-seeking clients in the same direction. Find your direction, your purpose, your dream, or at least get a sense of what it might be. Then, and only then, move forward with a job search and resume.

I am always studying this and have been for as long as I can remember. So, it's not unusual that I found a course along those lines. What is unusual is that four months later, I am working that system even harder than I did the day after the seminar.

It's called LifeWoRx by Design, by founder, author, and presenter Don Cote of The Center for the Creation and Preservation of Wealth. In a nutshell that does not do it justice, LifeWoRx helps the student put into practice the rules and processes found in Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, the best-selling business book of all time.

Hill's book is invaluable for anyone who wants to get their life and career on a better track. What Don has done is codified the work. That's the app. If Hill suggests a process, Cote has a worksheet. For now, it's on paper, but they're working on an electronic version, as well, for those folks like me who live and die by their smartphone and Outlook.

If you're interested in a seminar that really does work, one that you'll take home and DO, contact Don.

The next LifeWoRx seminar is the weekend of March 19-21, 2010. Online registration is available.

If you want to find out more about the seminar from a student's standpoint, email me at jeri@workwrite.net.

When you work for a non-writer

2010-02-17T08:03:00.000-06:00

So, here you are, working on your reference sheet, and you'd like your supervisor to give you a letter of recommendation. The problem is, great supervisor that he is, the guy can't write his way out of a paper bag. Any recommendation he gives you is going to be full of half sentences and misspellings that render it useless.

Here's the plan:

Ask him for the letter of recommendation.
Acknowledge that he's busier than any two people you know.
Offer to edit his notes or talk with him for 10 minutes about what he'd like to say and then write the recommendation yourself.
Mention any promotions and what they were for, if they were tied to specific projects or actions.
Remember to include your major accomplishments in that position, and quantify them.
Use excerpts and rankings from performance reviews.
Write the recommendation on company letterhead.
Present it to him to read and edit or sign.

This will give you the information you need in a form that a hiring manager will welcome.

Rich people keep more jobs

2010-02-15T09:12:00.000-06:00

The comments that followed Barbara Kiviat's recent Curious Capitalist blog, Rich people still have jobs; poor people don't offered only top-of-the-head reactions to the numbers and possible reasons for them.

I thought it more curious that it seemed to bear out what Napoleon Hill claimed in Think and Grow Rich, that if the same number of rich people and poor people receive the same amount of money, the rich people will end up with all of it fairly soon.

Rather than insulting the rich people for being unrelenting capitalist pigs and thieves or the poor people for being lazy, no-good welfare-dependent thieves, we need to observe the difference in their thought processes.

What are those making $138,700+ thinking? Who are they being? What are they doing? What is their attitude toward money? How do they use their riches?

What about those making $12,160? Who are they being? What are they thinking? What are they doing? How do they think of money? How do they use the little money they have?

Where do you fit? Where do you want to be? What if you started being that person today? I don't mean go out and buy a yacht. That sort of doing is for later, and only if that is what you decide to do with your riches. But for today, who would you be if you were rich? What would your life look like?

If you have not yet found your next job, are you being a jobseeker, or are you being the person who already has a job and knows it just hasn't yet arrived?

Microsoft offers training vouchers for developers

2010-02-12T10:36:00.001-06:00

When you're looking for a job, differentiation is key. You need to make a positive impression that lasts. You need to bring to the table something that sets you apart from your competition.

Often, that element is continuing attention to training and education. For technology positions, this is especially true because of the pace at which the field changes. Now, when companies are cutting out everything that's not bolted down, continuing education is particularly valuable and hard to come by.

Microsoft for some time has made certain developer training more affordable through vouchers, but they haven't gotten a lot of buzz for awhile, so here's your reminder.

They've also made a guide for training vouchers available to help you figure out if you are eligible and if so, how to take advantage of the voucher.

When your job search feels overwhelming

2010-02-11T08:24:00.000-06:00

If your job search is getting harder instead of easier, consider that your why may be overwhelmed by your how.

Each of us has a reason for doing what we do. In this case, we have a reason, or maybe a few reasons, for engaging in a job search.

It's not because you got a pink slip. That's in the past, and while it certainly colors your perception of the events surrounding your job search, it is not why you are searching. For example, you could have gone home and pulled the covers over your head. You have the choice not to search. (I know, there's the mortgage, but you still have the choice.)

If you are feeling like there is just too much to do, you may be concentrating on how everything must get done instead of on why you are doing it.

To find out, take an hour today when you can sit and write without being interrupted.

Write "Why am I job hunting?" at the top of your page. List your whys. But there's one rule. They have to be in the present or future. Like I said, it can't have anything to do with getting laid off or hating your boss.

So, why are you searching?

Here is your next Senior Software Engineer/Architect

2010-01-28T08:44:00.000-06:00

A friend who had just found a nice IT contract has learned the funds are running out prematurely, so he is job hunting.

He has most often worked as a Senior Software Engineer, Architect, Supervisor, and Tester, but is willing to consider other possibilities. You can catch his current and active profiles on LinkedIn, Dice, Monster, CareerBuilder, or FreeLancers. If you have leads, contacts, a job opening, or the kindness to wish to distribute his resume, please contact him on one of those social networks. He is a Canadian citizen with permanent residency status in the US and currently applying for US citizenship. He remains open to relocation elsewhere in the US, Canada or overseas.

Forecasts high on cloud computing; tech certs, not so much

2010-01-28T08:26:00.000-06:00

Toni Bowers at Tech Republic reports on a couple of 2010 IT forecasts. One makes a few commenters throw their pen protectors across the room. The other is slightly more optimistic.

IT career: What's hot (cloud computing) and what's not (tech certs)

Europeans have mixed employment expectations

2010-01-22T09:42:00.000-06:00

Here is futurist Joyce Gioia's take on the transatlantic view of the next decade.

Expectations are often self-fulfilling. That is why when a recently released Financial Times/Harris Poll compared next decade expectations for the five largest European countries and the United States, we decided to share the results. (Two weeks ago, we actually devoted an entire Herman Trend Alert to US expectations. http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_1-06-2009.html)

Not surprisingly, the French and the British were the most pessimistic (44 and 36 percent respectively), while Americans (43 percent) and Spaniards (41 percent) were more optimistic about what the new decade will hold for them financially. Over 40 percent of Italians polled were on the fence (neither optimistic nor pessimistic; we wonder how their recent unrest among migrant farm workers might affect this poll, if taken today).

You may remember that all of these European countries have struggled with lowered birthrates and increasing in-migration of workers to fill the open jobs local employers could not fill with nationals.

Looking ahead, 10 years into what people think their standard of living will be, it is not just the French who are pessimistic. Over half of French adults (56 percent) say their standard of living will be worse as do many Germans (42 percent), Italians (41 percent), and Brits (38 percent). Spaniards are split as 35 percent each say their standard of living will be better and worse.

When it comes to spending money, most report they are spending more money than they did 10 years ago; Spain (61 percent), Italy (58 percent), France (57 percent), Great Britain (51 percent) and Germany (51 percent).

Global increases in terrorism may explain why very few people feel safer. Most people also believe that the US and its allies are unlikely to win the war on terror.

Most Europeans agree (between 54 percent and 75 percent) that over the next 10 years the government will do less for them and their families financially than it has in the past decade. Also, the current economic uncertainty is hitting home with citizens of these six countries, especially the French, and many people are taking a wait and see approach to what this new decade will bring. This attitude will negatively affect the recovery.

From January 20, 2010, 'The Herman Trend Alert,' by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group of Companies, Inc.

Try meetup.com for networking

2010-01-12T10:29:00.000-06:00

ne place to find like-minded people is www.meetup.com. It's like Facebook for groups. You wander through a world-sized party and overhear conversations. Some are about business; some are about families, some are about food or bird watching or food and bird watching. You stay longer when they sound interesting and move on when they don't. What makes the difference is that these people intend to get together in the real world.

Their motto is "Do something. Learn something. Share something. Change something." So, whether you're looking for a group to join or looking to start a group and want to find other people interested in the same thing, here's a good place to start.

Futurists: Consumers expect better times, more jobs

2010-01-11T07:44:00.001-06:00

usiness futurists Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia of The Herman Trend Alert reported last week that most people in the United States are looking up, according to recently released surveys from The Conference Board and the Pew Research Center.

As Herman and Gioia have reported in the past, consumer confidence plays an important role in forecasting the future. Consumers' optimistic expectations have a positive effect on many aspects of the economy.

According to the Pew survey, while only 27 percent of Americans had a positive feeling about the 2000s, most (59 percent) think the coming decade will be better than the last for the country as a whole, a view held across most political and demographic.

At the same time, a significant minority - 32 percent - believes that things will be worse in the 2010s than in the 2000s. Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats (42 percent versus 20 percent) to offer a pessimistic assessment of the next decade. Only a third (34 percent) of independents holds a gloomy expectation.

The outlook for the labor market was also more upbeat. The percentage of consumers expecting more jobs to become available in the months ahead increased to 16.2 percent from 15.8 percent, while those expecting fewer jobs decreased to 20.7 percent from 23.1 percent.

These positive expectations will support higher levels of consumer spending and therefore, drive retail sales as well as the labor market. Expect the labor market to tighten even more for in-demand skill sets.

Generationally, the most optimistic group is young people, ages 18 to 29, 65 percent of whom feel positively about the next decade. On the negative side, people between the ages of 50 and 64 are the most pessimistic about the 2010s---42 percent think things will be worse. This statistic compares with 30 percent of people under 50 and just 26 percent of those ages 65 and older.

In both November and December, The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, rose. The Index now stands at 52.9, up from 50.6 in November. The Expectations Index increased to 75.6 from 70.3 last month. Expectations for the short-term future increased to the highest level in two years (Index 75.8, Dec. 2007). A more optimistic outlook for business and labor market conditions was the driving force behind the increase in the Expectations Index.

Source: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc."