Polish That Resume - Meet Employer Needs

With the current unemployment rate, now might be a good time to dust off the resume and re-circulate it. Whether you are looking for a new job or hoping to snag a better one, you need to be able to bring value to the company in order to be considered for an interview. Take a good look at your skills.  Where do your strengths lie?  What training and experience do you have to offer?  Should you consider obtaining more education or training? Think about your employment history.  Have you included all tasks you have completed that bring out your best talents and abilities?  Did you receive any special recognition or awards?  Were you promoted?  How was your attendance and punctuality?  Were you a team player?  Can you work with little or no supervision? Match yourself to the job.  What is the company you are applying to looking for in a job candidate?  Do your attributes align with the company's needs?  Does your resume reflect how you can be an asset to the company? Concentrate your search where your skills match the employer's needs. Where will you begin your job search?

Focus on Those Goals

I have blogged extensively on goals and goal setting. We can set all the goals we want, but if we do not do something to achieve them, they become worthless. One of the main ways of attaining goals is to focus on their outcome. By focusing, we can see where we want to go and what we need to do to get there. Here are some tips on achieving focus:

· Minimize external distractions as much as possible
· Turn off negative thoughts—recite positive, motivational affirmations
· Find successful role models and imitate them
· Commit, commit, commit—do whatever it takes to reach a goal
· Schedule time to work on your goals—discipline yourself
· Keep up the forward momentum
· Take risks
· Face challenges and setbacks head-on
· Change your approach if it doesn’t work
· Visualize success
· Create a poster board of what your success will look like 

What can you do today to focus on your goals?

Set Goals to Achieve Success

Whether you are searching for a job or hoping to advance in your current position, set goals. To increase your success, make sure your goals are:

·         Specific – What exactly do you want to achieve? Be as precise as possible when stating your goal.
·         Measurable – How will you know when you have reached your goal?
·         Achievable – Is it possible for you to reach this goal? Your goal must be attainable, or you will set yourself up for failure.
·         Realistic – Can you reasonably achieve your goal? Assess your skills, abilities, and circumstances. Be honest with yourself.
·         Timely – What is the specific date by which you hope to attain your goal? Set a time limit.

Once you establish your goals, keep in mind they are not set in stone. Goals should be reviewed and tweaked as needed. Sometimes we outgrow the goal and need to set a new one.

What goals are you setting for yourself?

Career Advancement

To advance in your career, demonstrate your value to your employer and those around you. Be highly visible and take charge of situations when warranted. Continuously challenge yourself and members of your team. Act like management material by following these guidelines:

• Take advantage of every available opportunity to learn and grow.
• Establish behaviors that stand out positively in the minds of supervisors.
• Develop excellent critical thinking skills.
• Be a self-directed worker who performs duties with proficiency.
• Act professionally at all times and display integrity and ethical behavior.
• Take on extra responsibilities and help others.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Participate in lifelong learning to keep your expertise up to date.

Take a long, hard look at your personal qualities and adjust your strategies to align yourself closer to the way management-level people behave. With an inner drive and a determination to achieve, you can position yourself to rise to a higher level. What steps will you take to advance in your career?

Find a Mentor to Ensure Career Success

Finding the right person to be your mentor can significantly increase your chances of career success. If possible, find a mentor who is willing to teach you what you need to know to reach your goal(s). This mentor should be someone who has the character traits you admire and who is in a position you aspire to attain or who is doing what you hope to do. He or she should give you straightforward information and honest, positive critiques. You don’t want someone who says, “Yes, you are wonderful,” without providing proper guidance and criticism that will mold you into the person you hope to be.

How do you find a mentor?

·        Network, network, network. You have to put yourself out there and ask for help. Most people are willing to support others.

·        Join relevant groups and seek out the successful members.

·        Observe people in the workplace. Who would be the best person from which to learn?

·        Take a class, get a tutor, or hire a coach.

Your mentor should be an expert in the area in which you want to learn. In addition, he/she should be able to teach; that is, get information across in an easy-to-understand way. Some people are experts in their fields, but they cannot convey information to others clearly.

Modeling successful people who have achieved what you want provides a readymade road map to reach your goals.

Who will you choose for your mentor?

Motivate Yourself for the Job Search

People searching for employment must keep themselves motivated throughout the job search. It's sometimes hard to get or remain motivated in the face of rejections.

Here are a few motivational tips to help:

• Determine what you want. What type of job? What industry? What location? What tasks? Be specific rather than saying, "I'll take anything."
• Visualize being in your dream job. See yourself going to work, sitting at your work space, performing tasks you love.
• Prepare yourself for employment. Update your skills if necessary. Take an inexpensive or free class at a reputable school or agency if necessary.
• Prepare a modern resume. Get help if necessary.
• Practice interviewing with a friend, all the while visualizing that you are interviewing with the company of your dreams.
• Get up everyday and do something to move yourself closer to getting a job. Inertia causes boredom and depression.
• Find a mentor to help in your job search.
• If you still have a hard time motivating yourself, find a cheerleader who will cheer you on and keep you motivated.

Take action every day even if it is a small step. It’s by taking those daily steps that you can reach your goal of getting a job.

What action will you take today?

Where Does the Time Go?

With fall coming, it's a good time to take stock of where our time goes and how we can make the most of it. Soon we will be facing another holiday season and all the time crunches that come with it.

Take stock of your activities to be sure you are spending sufficient time in all the important areas of your life--work, family, spiritual, and extracurricular activities

• Establish priorities and eliminate things that do not add value to your life
• Meditate
• Exercise
• Devote time to your hobby or favorite activity
• Start a gratitude journal and write in it every day
• Read a few good books
• Listen to uplifting music
• Take it one day at a time

Do yourself a favor and take time to enjoy life.

Where do you spend your precious time?

DEVELOP A PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

A personal mission statement serves as a guide to keep your life on track. A personal mission statement provides an opportunity for you to align your goals with your core beliefs and values and focus on what you want to accomplish. The best mission statements are a brief three or four sentences long. 

Develop a personal mission statement through self-assessment and planning. Answer the following questions to determine your core beliefs, values, and goals:

·        Who do you want to become?

·        What do you wish to accomplish in life and why? (Consider all areas of your life such as family, work, spirituality, community, hobbies, etc.).

·        What have you accomplished so far? Consider all areas of your life.

·        What do you stand for; what values are important to you?

·        What character traits do you consider important?

·        What do you treasure most in life?

·        How do you want to be remembered?

·        How can you make your life and the lives of others better?

·        What actions can you take that will have the most positive affect on your life?

Example personal mission statement: To live each day to the fullest and appreciate and enjoy the blessings I have been given. To use my talents and skills to better my life and that of my family. To treat others with respect. To never stop learning.

What will your personal mission statement say about you?

Spring Cleaning for Career Success

Spring is the ideal time to clear out the old and give everything a good cleaning. Take the time to unclutter your office and your desk. We all work better in a pleasant environment.

·         Purge old hard copy files

·         Throw away outdated notes and useless materials

·         Take everything out of desk drawers and wipe them out

·         Organize desk drawers

·         Discard old pens, markers, rubber bands, and other worn out supplies

·         Clear your calendar

·         Delete old, worthless emails

·         Throw out old business cards and magazines

·         Clean up old files on your computer

·         Clear everything from your desk that you don’t need that hinders your work habits

·         Rearrange your work area in the best way for you to complete your tasks

·         Give the surface of your desk a good cleaning; wipe down the phone, computer, lamp, and desk accessories.

In addition to clearing clutter from your desk, clear the clutter from your mind by using a to-do list, a tickler file (for dated material), a pending file, a calendar, and an easy method for you to remember all the hundreds of things you need to do.

Spring Has Sprung--Spruce Up Your Career

Winter is ending. I can honestly say I am happy to see spring coming. Many people get the urge at this time of year to do spring cleaning and clear out the old clutter. Now might be a good time to do some professional spring cleaning, too, and get your career in shape for spring.

Consider the following tips to spruce up your career:

• Sit down with your supervisor and discuss ways you can become more of an asset to your company.
• Ask for feedback on your performance; do not take criticism personally, but rather use it to grow professionally.
• Think about ways you can positively set yourself apart from coworkers by performing your tasks more efficiently and offering positive solutions to problems.
• Update your skills.
• Look for ways you can add value to your company by saving money or time or by increasing profits or productivity.
• Keep up with industry news and developments in your field.
• Take a class or attend a seminar.
• Find ways to get along with everyone in the office, including those hard-to-deal-with coworkers.

A little spring cleaning can go a long way to improving your career.

Resumes that Increase Interview Opportunities

Looking for a new job or wanting to change jobs? Here are some tips for preparing a resume that will get you noticed:

• Use a heading that includes your name (typed in bold and capitals), address, phone number (where you can be reached easily), and a professional-sounding email address.
• Limit the resume to one or two pages--employers do not have time to read through several pages no matter how much experience you have.
• Use a current style--check one of the many resume books or find a sample online.
• Add a summary of your skills and accomplishments in two or three sentences at the top of your resume in place of a job objective.
• List your work experiences chronologically backwards, highlighting accomplishments instead of just listing tasks. Limit work experience to the last ten years. Do not include irrelevant work experience.
• Make sure your achievements stand out--you don't want them to be overlooked.
• Show that you can deliver results and solve problems--demonstrate your skills through examples.
• Use numbers, dollars, and percentages where possible.
• Customize the resume to the specific ad you are answering or to the position you want.
• Make your resume internet friendly by eliminating bullets, underlines, and fancy fonts.
• Eliminate personal information such as health and marital status.
• Proofread carefully and then have someone else proofread for you.

Once you polish your resume, send it out to as many places as possible. It cannot do the job if it is not circulated.

Meet Deadlines - Increase Your Efficiency

Meeting deadlines is a workplace priority. Here are some tips on meeting deadlines and sticking to those busy schedules.

• Prioritize. No one has time to do everything he or she would like to accomplish in a limited amo9unt of time, so it is necessary to arrange a to-do list according to one’s priorities.
• Work on one task at a time until it is finished if possible. Switching from one task to another causes a lull in productivity. The mind has to re-familiarize itself with each task when switching.
• Eliminate distractions. This includes internal and external distractions.
• Work efficiently. Is there a better way to do a task than the way you have always done it? Can you prepare in some way before beginning the task?
• Make decisions quickly. Explore all options and commit to a plausible action to resolve the problem.
• Develop your skills and keep up with technology that will help you complete tasks.
• Just do what needs to be done.

 Taking the initiative, working efficiently, and doing everything necessary to meet deadlines will pay off in a big way.