Paradigm Shifting Job Search vs. Career Management

Paradigm Shifting Job Search vs. Career Management I frequently think about how we think of our job transitions we are supposed to have lots of them during our career. Im completely intrigued by the people who have forgotten what a forced transition is like, or by those that feel totally secure in their job (or their ability to find a new job) and their reactions to a job search. Before I get to some differences that I have brainstormed, I have to admit one of my personal characteristics. As a trained computer programmer I tend to try and figure out how to create a process that can be duplicated. So, if Im going to change jobs nine more times what can I do that I can reuse during any of those nine job changes? (yes, JibberJobber is based on this idea, thats why I call it a career toolset and not a job search tool.) so with that introduction, I share my thoughts on the job search vs. career management: Job Search: I will start to look when I need to (unemployed, completely fed up, can see the writing on the wall, etc.) Career Management: I am always in career management mode I regularly do things that I need to in order to navigate quickly (and be in control of) future job transitions. Job Search: I network to find immediate job opportunities, and hope that my network isnt too stale (or what network??). Career Management: I have a very strong set of relationships and continually strive to add value to people that are in different circles than I am in. Job Search: I find networking to be frustrating and non-beneficial to my search (and it takes too much time). Career Management: As I nurture various relationships I find great satisfaction in watching my contacts succeed, congratulating them when I can and offering to help as appropriate. Job Search: I dont have time to volunteer Im too busy looking for a job. Career Management: I actively volunteer in areas where I can contribute considerably to an organization and where I will meet other professionals that I want to get to know better. Job Search: I have spent considerable time on my resumes and have the perfect resume. I hope I dont have to do this again any time soon because it took a long time to tweak it just right. Career Management: I keep a Job Diary (see Liz Handlins post on what a Job Diary is). Job Search: I share my personal brand through my resume, interviews and my business cards I just got for free from VistaPrint (um, its not exactly free). Career Management: I know what my value proposition is and I find ways to share this in various mediums. I have various elevator pitches (for different events), I know what a Google search on my name will produce, I have (or will have) some kind of strong presence online (Im buying a URL with my name, I will start a blog once I figure it out, etc.). Job Search: I dont have time to read one more article or book on the job search because its time to find a job and I need to apply, apply, apply. Career Management: I have a list of books (and other resources) that I read to help me understand my own career options including job search stuff (interviewing, resumes, etc.), personal branding, etc. I am not hurried through these books and mix in my own favorite reading, but make it a point to keep abreast on career issues. Job Search: I hope my next job is at least as good as the last one (or way better). Career Management: Each job change I have will (should) be a stepping-stone to my ultimate career goals. Job Search: I need something NOW (you know, mortgate, bills, mouths-to-feed, etc.) and am prepared to sacrifice what I really want to get what I need for now. Career Management: My career is planned out with flexibility. I wont have control over everything but I know that my career is mine to own, and Im making sure that I do everything I can to work towards my end goals. Job Search: I hate recruiters why dont they ever call me back??. Career Management: I have a handful of recruiters that regularly contact me. Im interested in hearing what they have to say and have no problem selectively opening my network to them. Job Search: I cant wait until this is over so I dont have to do this stuff anymore! Career Management: My career management is never over its a part of what I do.Care to add your views? Disagree on any of these? Add a comment and if you think you are a career management type and dont have an account on JibberJobber yet, you need to click here to see what its all about Using the Internet can help expand your job search to reach many regions you normally wouldnt have access to. With all of the tools available online, searching for anything, even people is incredibly easy. By using a people search engine such as USA-People-Search.com youll be able to people searches in millions of public records such as criminal records or marriage records. Paradigm Shifting Job Search vs. Career Management I frequently think about how we think of our job transitions we are supposed to have lots of them during our career. Im completely intrigued by the people who have forgotten what a forced transition is like, or by those that feel totally secure in their job (or their ability to find a new job) and their reactions to a job search. Before I get to some differences that I have brainstormed, I have to admit one of my personal characteristics. As a trained computer programmer I tend to try and figure out how to create a process that can be duplicated. So, if Im going to change jobs nine more times what can I do that I can reuse during any of those nine job changes? (yes, JibberJobber is based on this idea, thats why I call it a career toolset and not a job search tool.) so with that introduction, I share my thoughts on the job search vs. career management: Job Search: I will start to look when I need to (unemployed, completely fed up, can see the writing on the wall, etc.) Career Management: I am always in career management mode I regularly do things that I need to in order to navigate quickly (and be in control of) future job transitions. Job Search: I network to find immediate job opportunities, and hope that my network isnt too stale (or what network??). Career Management: I have a very strong set of relationships and continually strive to add value to people that are in different circles than I am in. Job Search: I find networking to be frustrating and non-beneficial to my search (and it takes too much time). Career Management: As I nurture various relationships I find great satisfaction in watching my contacts succeed, congratulating them when I can and offering to help as appropriate. Job Search: I dont have time to volunteer Im too busy looking for a job. Career Management: I actively volunteer in areas where I can contribute considerably to an organization and where I will meet other professionals that I want to get to know better. Job Search: I have spent considerable time on my resumes and have the perfect resume. I hope I dont have to do this again any time soon because it took a long time to tweak it just right. Career Management: I keep a Job Diary (see Liz Handlins post on what a Job Diary is). Job Search: I share my personal brand through my resume, interviews and my business cards I just got for free from VistaPrint (um, its not exactly free). Career Management: I know what my value proposition is and I find ways to share this in various mediums. I have various elevator pitches (for different events), I know what a Google search on my name will produce, I have (or will have) some kind of strong presence online (Im buying a URL with my name, I will start a blog once I figure it out, etc.). Job Search: I dont have time to read one more article or book on the job search because its time to find a job and I need to apply, apply, apply. Career Management: I have a list of books (and other resources) that I read to help me understand my own career options including job search stuff (interviewing, resumes, etc.), personal branding, etc. I am not hurried through these books and mix in my own favorite reading, but make it a point to keep abreast on career issues. Job Search: I hope my next job is at least as good as the last one (or way better). Career Management: Each job change I have will (should) be a stepping-stone to my ultimate career goals. Job Search: I need something NOW (you know, mortgate, bills, mouths-to-feed, etc.) and am prepared to sacrifice what I really want to get what I need for now. Career Management: My career is planned out with flexibility. I wont have control over everything but I know that my career is mine to own, and Im making sure that I do everything I can to work towards my end goals. Job Search: I hate recruiters why dont they ever call me back??. Career Management: I have a handful of recruiters that regularly contact me. Im interested in hearing what they have to say and have no problem selectively opening my network to them. Job Search: I cant wait until this is over so I dont have to do this stuff anymore! Career Management: My career management is never over its a part of what I do.Care to add your views? Disagree on any of these? Add a comment and if you think you are a career management type and dont have an account on JibberJobber yet, you need to click here to see what its all about Using the Internet can help expand your job search to reach many regions you normally wouldnt have access to. With all of the tools available online, searching for anything, even people is incredibly easy. By using a people search engine such as USA-People-Search.com youll be able to people searches in millions of public records such as criminal records or marriage records. Paradigm Shifting Job Search vs. Career Management I frequently think about how we think of our job transitions we are supposed to have lots of them during our career. Im completely intrigued by the people who have forgotten what a forced transition is like, or by those that feel totally secure in their job (or their ability to find a new job) and their reactions to a job search. Before I get to some differences that I have brainstormed, I have to admit one of my personal characteristics. As a trained computer programmer I tend to try and figure out how to create a process that can be duplicated. So, if Im going to change jobs nine more times what can I do that I can reuse during any of those nine job changes? (yes, JibberJobber is based on this idea, thats why I call it a career toolset and not a job search tool.) so with that introduction, I share my thoughts on the job search vs. career management: Job Search: I will start to look when I need to (unemployed, completely fed up, can see the writing on the wall, etc.) Career Management: I am always in career management mode I regularly do things that I need to in order to navigate quickly (and be in control of) future job transitions. Job Search: I network to find immediate job opportunities, and hope that my network isnt too stale (or what network??). Career Management: I have a very strong set of relationships and continually strive to add value to people that are in different circles than I am in. Job Search: I find networking to be frustrating and non-beneficial to my search (and it takes too much time). Career Management: As I nurture various relationships I find great satisfaction in watching my contacts succeed, congratulating them when I can and offering to help as appropriate. Job Search: I dont have time to volunteer Im too busy looking for a job. Career Management: I actively volunteer in areas where I can contribute considerably to an organization and where I will meet other professionals that I want to get to know better. Job Search: I have spent considerable time on my resumes and have the perfect resume. I hope I dont have to do this again any time soon because it took a long time to tweak it just right. Career Management: I keep a Job Diary (see Liz Handlins post on what a Job Diary is). Job Search: I share my personal brand through my resume, interviews and my business cards I just got for free from VistaPrint (um, its not exactly free). Career Management: I know what my value proposition is and I find ways to share this in various mediums. I have various elevator pitches (for different events), I know what a Google search on my name will produce, I have (or will have) some kind of strong presence online (Im buying a URL with my name, I will start a blog once I figure it out, etc.). Job Search: I dont have time to read one more article or book on the job search because its time to find a job and I need to apply, apply, apply. Career Management: I have a list of books (and other resources) that I read to help me understand my own career options including job search stuff (interviewing, resumes, etc.), personal branding, etc. I am not hurried through these books and mix in my own favorite reading, but make it a point to keep abreast on career issues. Job Search: I hope my next job is at least as good as the last one (or way better). Career Management: Each job change I have will (should) be a stepping-stone to my ultimate career goals. Job Search: I need something NOW (you know, mortgate, bills, mouths-to-feed, etc.) and am prepared to sacrifice what I really want to get what I need for now. Career Management: My career is planned out with flexibility. I wont have control over everything but I know that my career is mine to own, and Im making sure that I do everything I can to work towards my end goals. Job Search: I hate recruiters why dont they ever call me back??. Career Management: I have a handful of recruiters that regularly contact me. Im interested in hearing what they have to say and have no problem selectively opening my network to them. Job Search: I cant wait until this is over so I dont have to do this stuff anymore! Career Management: My career management is never over its a part of what I do.Care to add your views? Disagree on any of these? Add a comment and if you think you are a career management type and dont have an account on JibberJobber yet, you need to click here to see what its all about Using the Internet can help expand your job search to reach many regions you normally wouldnt have access to. With all of the tools available online, searching for anything, even people is incredibly easy. By using a people search engine such as USA-People-Search.com youll be able to people searches in millions of public records such as criminal records or marriage records. Paradigm Shifting Job Search vs. Career Management I frequently think about how we think of our job transitions we are supposed to have lots of them during our career. Im completely intrigued by the people who have forgotten what a forced transition is like, or by those that feel totally secure in their job (or their ability to find a new job) and their reactions to a job search. Before I get to some differences that I have brainstormed, I have to admit one of my personal characteristics. As a trained computer programmer I tend to try and figure out how to create a process that can be duplicated. So, if Im going to change jobs nine more times what can I do that I can reuse during any of those nine job changes? (yes, JibberJobber is based on this idea, thats why I call it a career toolset and not a job search tool.) so with that introduction, I share my thoughts on the job search vs. career management: Job Search: I will start to look when I need to (unemployed, completely fed up, can see the writing on the wall, etc.) Career Management: I am always in career management mode I regularly do things that I need to in order to navigate quickly (and be in control of) future job transitions. Job Search: I network to find immediate job opportunities, and hope that my network isnt too stale (or what network??). Career Management: I have a very strong set of relationships and continually strive to add value to people that are in different circles than I am in. Job Search: I find networking to be frustrating and non-beneficial to my search (and it takes too much time). Career Management: As I nurture various relationships I find great satisfaction in watching my contacts succeed, congratulating them when I can and offering to help as appropriate. Job Search: I dont have time to volunteer Im too busy looking for a job. Career Management: I actively volunteer in areas where I can contribute considerably to an organization and where I will meet other professionals that I want to get to know better. Job Search: I have spent considerable time on my resumes and have the perfect resume. I hope I dont have to do this again any time soon because it took a long time to tweak it just right. Career Management: I keep a Job Diary (see Liz Handlins post on what a Job Diary is). Job Search: I share my personal brand through my resume, interviews and my business cards I just got for free from VistaPrint (um, its not exactly free). Career Management: I know what my value proposition is and I find ways to share this in various mediums. I have various elevator pitches (for different events), I know what a Google search on my name will produce, I have (or will have) some kind of strong presence online (Im buying a URL with my name, I will start a blog once I figure it out, etc.). Job Search: I dont have time to read one more article or book on the job search because its time to find a job and I need to apply, apply, apply. Career Management: I have a list of books (and other resources) that I read to help me understand my own career options including job search stuff (interviewing, resumes, etc.), personal branding, etc. I am not hurried through these books and mix in my own favorite reading, but make it a point to keep abreast on career issues. Job Search: I hope my next job is at least as good as the last one (or way better). Career Management: Each job change I have will (should) be a stepping-stone to my ultimate career goals. Job Search: I need something NOW (you know, mortgate, bills, mouths-to-feed, etc.) and am prepared to sacrifice what I really want to get what I need for now. Career Management: My career is planned out with flexibility. I wont have control over everything but I know that my career is mine to own, and Im making sure that I do everything I can to work towards my end goals. Job Search: I hate recruiters why dont they ever call me back??. Career Management: I have a handful of recruiters that regularly contact me. Im interested in hearing what they have to say and have no problem selectively opening my network to them. Job Search: I cant wait until this is over so I dont have to do this stuff anymore! Career Management: My career management is never over its a part of what I do.Care to add your views? Disagree on any of these? Add a comment and if you think you are a career management type and dont have an account on JibberJobber yet, you need to click here to see what its all about Using the Internet can help expand your job search to reach many regions you normally wouldnt have access to. With all of the tools available online, searching for anything, even people is incredibly easy. By using a people search engine such as USA-People-Search.com youll be able to people searches in millions of public records such as criminal records or marriage records.

Creative Writing Resume Examples - How to Spot Fakes in Monster

Creative Writing Resume Examples - How to Spot Fakes in MonsterWith so many creative writing resume examples out there, how can you tell the right ones from the fake? If you have the right kind of skills and personality you will be able to spot a bad resume easily, but if you want to impress everyone, you should write a very good one as well.Monster.com is one of the best places to find creative writing resume examples. Monster is a membership site, and you can pay only for services you need, rather than having to pay to get all the services at once. Membership to Monster is a one time charge, and you can use the site for a lifetime.Monster has listings of thousands of freelance writers, as well as job boards that recruit writers to fill certain positions. If you are interested in writing as a career, or if you want to become a freelance writer, this is a great place to look. With so many writers are posting their resumes, you can learn a lot by reading through the listings and picki ng out the best resume examples.The creators of Monster know the importance of quality in resumes, and they make sure that these examples are extremely polished. Monster's website is extremely user friendly, and the writing style of the site is very high-standard. For this reason, it is usually easy to spot a faker from a professional writer.Another good resource for writing resume examples is the Writers Guild. They have writing samples that you can download. You can also find the Guild on Facebook, Twitter, and on several other social networking sites.Good examples of creative writing resume examples are not hard to find, but it's important to make sure that the examples you find are not fakes. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of the examples you find, ask a member of the Writers Guild if the site you are looking at is a legitimate member of the Guild.You can also join a writer's forum to see what other writers are talking about when it comes to writing resume examples. When yo u see a resume on a writer's site that you are interested in, make sure that you talk to the author to see if he or she can give you an example of their writing style. When you speak with an author, remember to be polite, and be honest about what you want to do with your writing career.By taking advantage of the help available to you from Monster and other websites, you can be better prepared for your interviews. Whether you are looking for a full-time job, or a freelance writing position, creative writing resume examples are a great way to get started on your career.

How to love the job you have right now Focus on one good thing

How to love the job you have right now Focus on one good thing I am coaching Kate. She is 19 and she wants help with her resume. I do not have her resume in front of me, but it’s okay. I remember it. And anyway, her resume is not her problem. Which is true with  most people who ask for help  with their resume. Also, I’m late for the call. Remembering coaching calls at what seem like random times throughout the day is nearly impossible for me. I tell Kate, “Look. This is not a resume.   It’s like a list of odd jobs your mom asked you to do around the neighborhood. You don’t have a resume. She says, “So then what should I do to get a better job?” I like this about her. She is composed. Not upset that her resume sucks. She just wants to solve the problem. I pause. I already know that Kate is working for her aunt, so I say, “What about the job you have now? How about doing that to save some money and move to a bigger city? “I work for her but she doesn’t pay me.” “You get room and board? Maybe you could increase the hours and get paid some cash so you could eventually leave. I already work fifteen hours a day in the house.” “What? That’s not a job. That’s slave labor. Put your aunt on the phone. Your aunt just needs to get you a job. That’s what people do for 19 year olds who need jobs.” I have done some work with Kate’s aunt before, so its  fine telling her  to get Kate a job. The  aunt says okay. Fine. The  aunt says thank you. We are done. In record time. Good.  Because I didn’t charge the aunt for the call and I have to stop  telling people who are not really friends of mine that I will coach their relatives for free. Everyone is a relative of someone. Then another call. A week later. The aunt does not have a lead. I make a note to myself to not work with her again because she told me she was very well connected. I think she is maybe delusional. The aunt says she is going to sell Kate her car so she can buy a new car. Kate has no money. She cannot make payments. And she cannot get a job unless the aunt will give her the car. And the aunt makes a lot of money, so this makes no sense. I eat while I am on the phone and I tell myself that if I were my career coach I’d say I need a job that doesn’t make me so anxious. I don’t want to eat on calls. I want to be relaxed with no food issues. So what am I doing with these calls? This job is ruining my life because soon, I won’t fit into my clothes. I say I have to go. I tell Kate she needs to be okay relying on her aunt to get her a job. That’s what all teenagers dothey use their parents’ network to get a job. It’s fine. I make two grilled cheeses to transition to alone time. Then it’s the next week. It’s Kate on the phone. I say, “How’s the job hunt?” She says, “Not that good.” “It takes time,” I say. “Give it a few more weeks. Did your aunt get you any interviews? You only need one. You’ll get the job if you get the interview. I can tell. You’re good on the phone.” “I can’t really wait a week. I need something now.” “Why? What’s wrong?” “I don’t have anywhere to live.” “What about your aunt? “ “She threw me out.” “What do you mean?” “She packed all my stuff into garbage bags and took a picture of them sitting at the end of her driveway.” “Why?” “I don’t know. I have her car to pick up her husband at the airport. She told me to pick him up at the airport then give him the car.” “Then what?” “Then I am supposed to just leave. She kicked me out.” “What about your parents?” “It’s just my mom. And I can’t live with her.” I think back to the aunt trying to sell Kate her car.   I decide garbage bags are something my messed-up mom  would do. And I think about all the  grilled cheeses  I’m going to burn trying to figure out how to help Kate. “I’ll just buy you a plane ticket. Just come to my house. Silence. “Okay?” “Yes. Okay.” “Have you ever been on a plane?” “No.” “Take a cab to the airport and there will be a ticket waiting for you.” Silence. “Have you ever been in a taxi?” “Yes.” “Do you have money?” “Yes.” “How much?” “$120.” “Okay. Go to the airport.” At dinner I announce that  Kate will be here  at 11pm. “She is 19 and she’ll be at the house a few weeks,” I tell my husband. “I am getting her a job,” I tell the kids. The kids ask me why I didn’t give them more notice. It’s a good point. I say nothing. My husband says, “You said that about Melissa and she stayed for a year. Its another good point. Again  I say nothing. Kate arrives. She has a very small suitcase and nothing else. She looks tired.   I show her our guest room. Which until one minute ago we called Melissa’s room. All my stuff is in the drawers and cabinets, but who cares because she is leaving soon and anyway she has basically nothing with her. She sits down on a chair. I say, “Where are your parents? Why do you have nowhere to go? Why were you living with your aunt?” Kates  earliest memory is when she’s in fifth grade. She is living with her mom and sisters at her grandma’s. The grandma won’t let Kate’s sisters eat in the house, so Kate makes sandwiches and sneaks them to her siblings. Her step-dad is an alcoholic who beats up her mom. Her two older sisters left at 15 and both went into prostitution. Kate tried to stay but her dad hurt her when she tried to protect her mom. And her mom yelled at her when she called the police. I could only ask disorganized questions. When I could think. I said,  â€œWas there a gun in the house?” Kate said, “Yes. But it wasn’t a problem because when my step-dad was drunk my mom hid the gun under my bed.” Kate lived at her sister’s house for a bit. Her sister’s boyfriend beat her sister until she passed out. Kate called 911 and the boyfriend grabbed her phone and threw it against the wall. Kate went to her other sister’s house. Kate didn’t know her sister was dealing drugs until she called Kate from jail. The sister didn’t want to tell the police that she had two kids, so she asked Kate to take care of the kids while she was in prison. Kate was 17. She didn’t graduate from high school because she didn’t go enough days. She lived at lots of friends’ homes for a week at a time. “But,” she said, “they weren’t friends. I always knew I didn’t want to hang around them. But no one I wanted to be around would be friends with me.” An hour has passed telling me all this. She is in the same chair the whole time. She is crying. She says, “I never cry. I can’t remember the last time I cried. I never cry. I’m sorry.” I tuck Kate in as best I can. I give her some of my clothes to wear. I go upstairs and wake my husband up. “She’s a mess,” I tell him. “Worse than my childhood.” He is asleep. Then he pops up from his pillow and asks what could be worse than my own childhood. He sees we are in a different league with Kate. Then he says, “She’s lucky to have found you. You can help her.” I take a Xanax to fall  asleep. The next morning Kate asks if I have something she can use to write down things so she wont forget them. I give her a notebook. At breakfast I tell the boys. “Kate will be living at our house for a long time. She does not have a place to go.” “She’s homeless?” I look at Kate. She looks down at her forkful of eggs. “Well. She has a home now. We are her home.” We are driving. The boys ask questions. All day long. Kate tells them she hates the word homeless because she never was homeless. “I always found a place to sleep,” she says. “But I always worry so much about being homeless so I hate hearing the word. We go to buy food Kate likes. And shampoo. My younger son takes her to HM, his favorite store. He picks out a coat for her. She has never had a winter coat, but her instincts are good. The coat he wanted for her is made for a punk rocker look, someone who is probably about to be homeless. Kate picks conservative blue, button-down. She is a magnet to my boys. They go where she goes. They don’t want to miss anything. I cook dinner while my husband  finds boots for her to wear so  she can help find a lost calf. Kate  has a sixth sense for where to look and she  finds him in record time. We all sit down to dinner and  my son says, “Kate, what do you want to be when you grow up?” And Kate says, “I want to be my own person. I look over at her and I want to hug her but I’m scared I will scare her. Has anyone ever hugged her? I don’t want her to run. There are many things about career coaching that I don’t like. I miss calls, my kids overhear too much, and most people don’t have career problems, they just wish they did because career  problems are  so much easier than life problems.  But I actually love career coaching. I love finding out the problem, and I love helping people solve their problems, and I am so happy to be able to help Kate.

How Employee Advocates Can Transform Your Business [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Employee Advocates Can Transform Your Business [INFOGRAPHIC] What on earth is an employee advocate? According to  our friends at SocialChorus: Employee advocates are socially engaged employees  who create and share their employers brand content on their own social networks. This means you basically have an army of marketers within your organisation and now its up to you  to equip them with the correct training, tools and content to share. Interesting  employee advocacy stats: Social media provides a pool of 1.7 billion people your employees could engage. 92% of people trust individuals they know, whereas advertising is only trusted by 14% of people, and employees are twice as trusted as a C-level executive. 77% of customers are more likely to buy a product when its recommended by a trusted source. Employees can reach an audience 10 times larger than what your brand is reaching. Content shared by employees receives 8 times the engagement of content on branded channels. 1,000 employee advocates can reach 1 million customers, drive 50,000 social engagement and create 5,000 unique pieces of content. 78% of sales people who engage in social selling beat their quotas and outsell peers. More on this topic at  Employee Advocacy: The Ultimate Handbook.

Idiots Guide to Writing a Resume

Idiot's Guide to Writing a ResumeIf you are looking for a good work experience and education qualification, the Idiots Guide to Writing a Resume can be very helpful. I was also looking for this product and the reviews were not very good so I figured I would do a review of it myself. You will learn how to write a strong resume that will stand out from the crowd.First of all, it was a major problem to me that there were two versions of the guide. One was free and one was a paid one. The only thing I really liked about the free version was that you could print it out and bring it anywhere you went. It just doesn't have all the information that you get when you buy the guide.This might be true for some people but what I would like to see is if the two free versions could be combined and put together to make one book that would include everything in it that the paid version does. I guess that is what would be best.The Idiots Guide to Writing a Resume is a guide that is quite a lot of help . I just wish I had known about it sooner. I hope that other people learn from my mistakes because I know they are there.If you need to get a head start on your skills, etc, the most important thing is the areas that you list as your skills and education. It should be fairly straight forward.I always think that a resume needs to be longer than the average one, but even though the average is three pages long, I think it should go on for about four or five pages. That is much better than leaving off some information or adding some unnecessary stuff to it. That would be like writing a website and adding no information at all.I think the biggest part of a resume is the attention to details that needs to be listed. If you just want to get a job, you don't need to have the details of what you did but if you want to move up to a higher level or something, it should include those details.So, it is pretty obvious that if you are looking for the Idiots Guide to Writing a Resume then you shoul d buy it. The authors really did put some time into their work.

Earning a College Degree How to Make the Right Choice - CareerAlley

Earning a College Degree How to Make the Right Choice - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. True career planning starts before you even begin your post-secondary education. Anyone who applies for college without a solid (yet malleable) career plan will find that it is difficult to choose a degree of study without first deciding on a career path. There are several tools and resources out there that were designed to help students and professionals narrow down their natural talents and interests and guide them to the best careers for their personalities. Before you choose what to study, make sure you analyze your career interests and choices by using the following tools. Job Shadowing If there is a job you would like to know more about, look for someone in your community who works in that field and ask if you can shadow them for a few weeks. This is an excellent opportunity to find out whether or not a particular career is right for you. Make sure you go prepared; bring along a notebook and pen and notate any questions you may have for your mentor. Shadowing is about more than just observation; you need to also interview your mentor about why they chose their career and how they achieved their goals. Career Guides There are literally thousands of books on the market that contain career advice and industry data. Some of the best guides out there provide valuable, in-depth information on types of jobs, education needed, salary paid and outlook for the future. By using these guides, you will be able to learn about all the different types of specialty jobs, many that you probably never even knew existed. You will also be able to compare required education and salaries to see which career fits your needs best. Other types of career guides share important career and job seeker advice that may help you make smarter decisions, in terms of planning your career and setting personal life goals. The true value in reading career books is that they help people realize things that were hidden to them before. Career Interest Tests Some career guides contain tests that help test takers narrow down specific fields of interest. These tests usually question what your preferred working environment is, if you enjoy working in a group or by yourself and what fields of industry you hold the most interest in. Although these tests cant tell you the exact job you should pursue, they do help guide you down the correct path. Most career tests suggest fields or a list of related careers that your personality is in harmony with. To ensure accuracy, take many tests more than once. Career Counselors Most governments provide free career resources for their citizens. In the United States, all public high schools have a career counselor to provide students with the resources they need to make good post-graduation choices. The U.S. government also provides the unemployed with free career resources at local unemployment centers. Career counselors and career centers offer strategic help for anyone looking to make a career plan. Counselors usually provide their clients with free career guides and testing, as well as additional information on how to apply to a college or university and find education funding. Although higher education is valuable, going to school is expensive and time-consuming. The last thing you want is to graduate with a degree that you cant use or arent interested in using. Choosing a degree and career path is a serious decision that must be planned and calculated, lest you end up working a job that is far from your liking. Samantha Gray is a freelance writer/researcher for www.BachelorsDegreeOnline.com.Her articles cover issues related to both online and traditional education, as well as student lifestyle, parenting and careers. Please send any questions or comments her way at [emailprotected] This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Want a Promotion You Have to Own the Process

Want a Promotion You Have to Own the Process Want a Promotion? You Have to Own the Process An increasing trend in corporate America today is the feeling of being “stuck” with little-to-slow opportunity for promotion. More executives are staying in place because of economic conditions, fear of the unknown, or valuing what they have even though they may be bored. Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults say that they have held the same job for at least five years. That’s up from 46 percent in 1996, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal. Don’t be one of the “stuck” ones. Cut the crap, get promoted! Here’s how to go about it: Plan for a promotion. Map out your approach â€" who, what, when, how. Write down your target month for promotion (be realistic), put together your plan of action, identify the supporting materials you will need to prepare, and list the staff you will need to engage with. Remember: Nobody is planning your promotion for you. Own it. Do your research. Study your company’s Intranet, HR website, guidelines, and metrics. You will find an amazing amount of material on your Intranet site or available through your human resources department. Most employees don’t read it. Don’t be one of those. Be prepared to cite appropriate company information during your effort to get promoted. Seek insights. Find three people to share your thinking and get feedback. Select three very influential and insightful people who will be direct, yet helpful. Share your written plan and ask for their perspectives. Host a preliminary talk with your manager. What does he or she look for in promotions? Prepare a solid agenda for a meeting dedicated to the topic so you won’t stray into “work stuff.” Listen more than you talk. This is just for investigative purposes; do not ask for the promotion… yet. Secure the promotion form your manager needs to complete. In most companies, there is a form that your manager needs to fill out to justify your promotion. Get a blank form, study the questions, and do more research to complete it. Fill out the form for your manager and hand deliver it, don’t e-mail it. If your company is looking for examples of scope growth, show how you have increased revenue, grown and developed your team, or made an increasing impact on the company’s bottom line. Do not just say what a great employee you are. Book a dedicated one-on-one meeting with your manager to discuss your career. Communicate the purpose, prepare an agenda, and send it to your manager in advance. Show that you are focused on your next career move now, rather than 5 years out. Script your “pitch” to demonstrate why you are ready for a promotion based on concrete examples. Run an amazing meeting. Follow your agenda and discuss the promotion form and the next steps. Have hard copies of the agenda, the promotion form (or a facsimile if it is an online form) and a list of specific questions to discuss after you have made the “pitch.” Take notes throughout! Follow up the conversation with a thank you note, summarizing the discussion and making note of action items. Regardless of the outcome, show a huge dose of appreciation! Be persistent in your follow-up by scheduling actions in your calendar. Your manager may say, “I need to research and I’ll get back to you.” However, you can take the initiative to send a “meeting invitation” for a date 3 or 4 weeks out, depending on your one-on-one meeting. You may need to reschedule multiple times before you get the specific insights you need or get that promotion! The “good old days” are gone; employees are no longer rewarded with surprise promotions! It takes work, deep insights, proactive communications with your manager, great networking horizontally and vertically in your company, and much more. Promotions today are rarer than ever and you need to be that much better to get promoted.