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July 30th, 2010 | by Administrator | Tags:

In the present climate, the situation is extremely difficult when it comes to work. Those who have jobs, often feel fortunate to possess them, and are often desperate to hold on, as they know that the number of those unemployed usually rise by the week.

The current recession has taken a hold, and many firms have either downsized or completely collapsed.

If you’re among the many unfortunate ones who’s lost there job during these times, I am hoping this post can help you in staying positive, and getting you back on your feet again. Firstly, I wish for you to realise that losing your job may come as a drastic shock to the system, but it isn’t the end of the world, it really isn’t. And to get back in the working world again, you’ll need to stay positive, be dedicated, and to be focused.

You’ll need focus, as getting yourself another job should be your prime priority. Forget anything else, particularly when your funds aren’t in the greatest of shape, and you’ll be struggling to pay the bills eventually. You ought to be dedicated, as trying to find a job, is a job by itself, and this is how

I’d like you to structure your job hunt.

If you are unfortunate enough to be dismissed from a job immediately, you must hit the ground running, and by that I mean the day after you get sacked,

I’d like you to wake first thing in the morning, before 9am, and get job hunting. This depends a good deal on your profession, but generally it might mean, printing up a large quantity of CV’s, applying online via a job agency website, walking the streets handing out CV’s etc.

You understand what position you’re in search of, and you ought to know what steps it needs to take to get a job interview. I really want you to work solidly on this day after day until you get a job. Starting at 9am everyday, working thoroughly until 12pm, lunch time. Having 1 hour to eat and relax.

Then getting back on the grind again until 5pm, resting thereafter until the following day. Lastly, although not in the least, you must stay positive. You must stay positive, as unless you’re extremely lucky, you’ll receive many knock backs on your way to getting another job.This could be immediately, as in being told instantly you’re not needed, or this might come later on down the road, perhaps in an interview.

In any case, you’ll need to stay positive so that you can stay on the needed path, and also so your future employer sees you in a positive light. Nobody wants a miserable person working for them, so be positive in every interaction during your job hunt.

I hope that these steps assist you in your journey, as I understand how hard it can also be. Best wishes for your future.

July 29th, 2010 | by Administrator | Tags:

By Katherine Moody

The Inner Dialog of Networking
What are you thinking to yourself when someone you’ve just met asks you to introduce them to people you know? Are you thinking about whether you feel comfortable passing this person on to your network? That’s exactly what other people are thinking.

Just as you value your contacts, so does the person you’re talking to. But if you don’t know what to ask people you’re meeting, you will not make a great impression. And they may be even more reluctant to refer you to anyone in their network.

Reassure Them You Won’t Embarrass Them
The more specific you can be in your requests, the more professional you sound. You sound as though you will have an intelligent conversation with anyone they sent you to. You sound like you’ve got your act together and won’t embarrass them.

This evaluation and inner dialog are going on all the time with you are talking to people. This is another place that having your job search strategy thought out can give you an advantage in your networking.

How to Land more Introductions
Here’s an approach to take when you want to ask someone to introduce you to a specific person in their network. Even if they don’t ask you why you want to meet their friend, volunteer that information.

Tell them how you see that person will be able to help you. Tell them what you want to discuss and/or the questions you will ask. It will go a long way to assuring them that you won’t embarrass them!

Example from My Experience
Someone I met recently asked me to introduce him to a few people I know. Even though I had been impressed with him in our brief conversation, I was asking myself whether I would feel comfortable introducing him to my valued network connections. I never wanted to hear them say, “What were you thinking sending that person to me? It was an awful conversation!”

So I asked specifically what he would like to know from them. And he couldn’t tell me! Yikes, does that mean he would have gone into those meetings without preparation and without having good questions?

What kind of impression would he have made if he didn’t come across as crisp and professional? And what would my contacts have thought of me to send them someone who didn’t really know why he wanted to talk to them?

I knew he was a smart and friendly guy, but that still wasn’t enough for me to take the risk.
So I asked him if he could tell me the kinds of things he would like to find out so I could make sure I was introducing him to the right people. Of course that wasn’t the whole reason I was asking for details, as you can probably tell. It actually took him a couple of days to come up with the specifics of what he wanted to know.

That might seem extreme, but I know I’m not the only person who values and guards their network. Once he had thought about how they could assist him, I was only too happy to make those introductions.

Because of his preparation, when I called my contacts to see if I could refer him to each of them, I was able to tell them what kind of information he was looking for and why I thought they would be perfect to talk to him. It just made the whole process go much easier, everyone felt more comfortable, and he made three fabulous new contacts who are now referring him to other people.

How to Build a Great Network
They liked that he was so prepared, asked great questions, and didn’t waste their time. Because he was prepared, he created some great relationships that will be important to him for the rest of his career, not just when he’s looking for a job. Plus each of them was willing to give him a referral to someone in their network. Now he has six great new connections, and is building a great network!

Tip to Try: Do Your Prep Work so People will Feel Comfortable Referring You

Admitting to being the original reluctant networker, Katherine Moody would do almost anything, including hiding out in the ladies room, to avoid a networking event. So she interviewed some networking masters to learn their simple and rarely discussed secrets. Then she went on to get her last 4 jobs by networking her way into the hidden job market with those simple secrets. Katherine shares those insider techniques on her job secrets blog. http://hrjobsearchsecrets.com While there, get her free report: How to create a memorable brand for your networking. You’ll love what it does for your networking!

July 28th, 2010 | by Administrator | Tags:

By  Jeff Altman, The Big Game  Hunter

Have you noticed how old your boss is? How about your boss’ boss?

Do you think they’re going anywhere or are they in it for the long haul?

According to a survey, the number of baby boomers is 78.2 million. With all the fear that existed in American business circles about the potential loss of labor and their intellectual capital, we now have a new problem and, if you are in your 30′s, you may be acutely aware of it.

The number of workers in their 30′s is only 40 million, This means that if you are a Gen-X worker in your 30′s, your career path is blocked by a boomer (like me) in their 50′s.

The good news is that companies caught discriminating against an aging worker will get hammered by the government, the bloggers and a million other constituents. They will embarrassed in the media and run the risk of losing access to valuable potential workers.

The bad news is that where do you go? What is the upside for you? If you’re a Gen-X worker, how do you advance your career?

Republished with permiksion

July 27th, 2010 | by Administrator | Tags: Cover Letter, Cover Letters, Cv, Resume Preparation 

I have seen many hundreds of Professional resumes during my career in human resources. Very nice, competent, and well intending people sometimes sent resumes in which they made one or more “little” mistakes. Whether it was a misspelled word, the wrong prefix on a word, or fragmented sentence, how many resume mistakes does it take to prevent getting a job? Many hiring managers have a zero tolerance when it comes to such mistakes on a resume. Following are more resume writing tips inspired from things seen on people’s resumes.

Tip 1: Resume cover letters must communicate. Review your letter to be sure it does the following:

* Makes the case that you are the solution to the employer’s problems.

* Gets to the primary subject quickly.

* Solidly connects employer’s job requirements with your background and experience.

* Is written such that all sentences and paragraphs are short and easy to read.

* Makes a solid connection with the needs of the prospective employer.

* Has repeated use of the word “you” (i.e., remember that the theme of your resume is what you can do for them, not the other way around).

* Minimizes number of fonts used. One is preferable to me, with sparing use of italics and “bold.”

* Uses a clear and easy to read font that is no smaller than a size “10″ or “11.”

* Makes a simple but clear case that you would like to work for them.

* Expresses a reason why they should contact you.

* Factors in a reason to act sooner rather than later.

* Starts the letter by stating your conclusion upfront.

* Supports your position by presenting a quantifiable objective(s) and briefly mentions why is/are relevant.

* Restate major conclusion in a sentence or two at end of letter.

* Makes it easy to reach you: provides multiple ways that you can be contacted (i.e., home telephone, email, street address, and/or cell number at minimum).

Tip 2: If in doubt, keep it simple. Use an English word equivalent rather than French or Latin terms, and single-syllable words rather than multi-syllable terms. Examples include: “per day” instead of “per diem,” “per year” instead of “per annum,” “essential” instead of “sine qua non,” “genuine” instead of “bona fide.” An exception is if such terms are common in your industry.

Tip 3: Use specific, measurable terms versus those that are unclear. Examples: “we received numerous inquiries,” versus “we received 170 inquiries.”

Tip 4: Eliminate use of repetitive and unnecessary words. Example #1: “assisted in the preparation of…,” versus: “assisted in preparing.” Example #2: “responsible for the directing of…,” versus “directed.”

Tip 5: Use first-person and second-person words (e.g., “I”, “we,” “my,” “our,” “you,” “your,” “yours,” etc.), as appropriate, to personalize your resume and cover letter.

Tip 6: Sometimes it is possible to be too familiar with a document to see it objectively. Consider having someone else review your resume for you, such as a close friend, family member or a resume service.

July 26th, 2010 | by Administrator | Tags:

By Daffodil Kelly

1. Looking deeply into yourself you can truly identify your real place

It will take a lot of wisdom, insight and courage to peer into your own self. Even then you may be blind to your strengths and weaknesses that are obvious to people around you. This is why you need both insight from both yourself and others in order to look deeply into yourself.

2. Be open and honest with yourself whilst identifying your true value

Nobody wants to believe that they are flirty sluts, useless brown-nosers or impossible klutzes, but one of the biggest mistakes you can do is to fool yourself. If you want to find out your true value, then be prepared to swallow some bitter pills when assessing your own value.

3. Identify who you really are and where you want to be

You have to be able to see your destination before you can get there, otherwise you will just end up going around in circles. Set goals for yourself, and you will be able to create some semblance of structure and order in your pursuit of value.

4. You deserve to be treated fairly and you must stand up for yourself

Self-confidence is an essential factor in a person’s value, which is why you have to know when to put your foot down. Stand up for your rights when people try to trample them, and you will prove that you know how to take care of yourself.

5. Always be prepared to learn new things and undertake new tasks

Never refuse an opportunity to better yourself. This is a two cardinal rule of professional growth, especially in today’s cutthroat professional environment where every edge counts.

6. Understand the long-term benefits and growth of your work

Think in the long term, not just for today or tomorrow. This will allow you to see where you are going in your line of work, whether you will find a stagnant or flourishing career.

7. Remain patient, attentive, courteous and reliable

Be patient with failures and shortcomings, be attentive to what is going on around you, be courteous with all people and be reliable enough to get the job done. Cultivate these values, and you will raise your own value in the workplace.

8. Be a good employee and a good person

Set high ethical and professional standards for yourself and your work. These standards will differentiate you from the “average” people around you – those that are too absorbed in themselves to be a good employee and person.

Remember that your value is not determined by one or two factors. It is a complete appraisal of your net worth, from your personal development to your on-the-job performance to your professional growth. Keep this in mind, and you will be better prepared to boost your value without stumbling over some of the more common obstacles in life.

Apply the aforementioned tips in your life, and you will effectively raise your value from a holistic point of view.