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?

It’s a Stressful Time—Take Care

During these unsettling times, it is important to take care of yourself and your loved ones as best you can.

·         Take care not to let little aggravations overshadow what’s truly important.
·         Take care to count the things that are going right in your life rather than those going wrong.
·         Take care not to take on too much, especially with all the extra time extended during this crisis. Don’t wait until you feel yourself getting stressed or are overwhelmed before you take a break.
·         Take care to enjoy the interruption in the same old routine by doing something you enjoy like reading, meditating, baking cookies, enjoying family time, and the like.
·         Take care to use extra patience since people are under more pressure and stress at this vulnerable time. Kind words often work wonders in trying situations.
·         Take care of old negative business—mend relationships, forgive grudges, forget about unattained goals, and forgive yourself for personal failings.

What are you doing to take care of yourself?

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?

Thinking Positively in a Negative Economy

How is your work attitude? Being out of work or stuck in a dead-end job is not the way most of us envision our work life; but in a poor economy, every employee must work hard to maintain a job or to land a new one. Unemployment or underemployment, however, can be devastating to self-esteem. That means each person in these situations will also have to work harder at maintaining a positive attitude. There is no other choice if you hope to be successful at work.

• Do not berate yourself if you have no job or a low-level position; rather, remind yourself that most people go through several jobs and careers.
• Do not tie your self-worth solely to your work; consider the sum of your talents, skills, and unique experiences.
• Believe in yourself and your competency; upgrade your skills if needed.
• Develop positive work habits.
• Strategize ways to find more meaning in your work or more meaningful work.
• Tell yourself you can conduct a successful job search.
• Display enthusiasm during an interview and while you are working.
• Set goals and persist in achieving them.
• Be grateful.
• Surround yourself with upbeat, positive people.
• Call on your network when you are feeling down or when you need help with a job search.
• Be positive; a positive attitude will help you move forward; replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Become a problem solver.
• Do something to improve your situation.
• Make friends on LinkedIn and other professional networking sites.
• Focus on what you have control over; forget about what you cannot control.

Time to Assess Your Career

The last month of the year is here—a good time to reflect on how our careers have progressed throughout the year. Through evaluations your boss and your company will hold you accountable for your workplace behavior and accomplishments. Be proactive and access your own behavior and accomplishments. Ask yourself if you have:

• Performed your tasks to the best of your ability, completing them efficiently and in a timely manner
• Done your fair share or more
• Maintained a positive attitude daily
• Encouraged and mentored coworkers
• Adhered to a strict code of positive personal behavior
• Kept skills up to date and learned new ones to increase personal performance
• Become an expert in your field
• Used good judgment
• Spoken kindly and tactfully

Assessing your career and taking personal responsibility for your actions and words will preserve your value to the boss and company.

Enjoy the Holiday Season

The holiday season is once again upon us. It seems it comes around more quickly each year. Perhaps that is a clue that our lives are too busy. This holiday season, take time to enjoy the companionship of family and friends. Children grow up and move away, parents and other loved ones pass on. Don't look back one day and regret not having enjoyed the precious moments.

Take time to enjoy the holiday season.

• Listen to your favorite Christmas carols and holiday music.


• Enjoy the festive decorations.


• Bake cookies and fudge.


• Instead of thinking about all you have to do, sit back and relax for a few minutes.


• Visit shut-ins and the elderly.


• Dress in your holiday attire and accept those party and dinner invitations.


• Spread cheer wherever you go.


• Adopt an animal from a shelter.


• Attend to your spiritual side.

Balancing work, play, spirituality, and health is the best way to enjoy the holidays and every day.

Tis the season. Slow down and enjoy it.

Time to Assess Career Accomplishments

As we begin the ending month of the year, it is a time to reflect on how our careers have progressed throughout the year. Your boss and your company will hold you accountable for your workplace behavior and accomplishments. Go one better and hold yourself accountable. Ask yourself if you have:

• Performed your tasks to the best of your ability, completing them in a timely manner


• Maintained a positive attitude daily


• Adhered to a strict code of personal behavior


• Kept skills up to date and learn new ones as required


• Became an expert in your field


• Used good judgment


• Spoke kindly and tactfully

Taking responsibility for your actions and words will preserve your value to the boss and company.

Thinking Positively in a Negative Economy

How is your work attitude? Being out of work or stuck in a dead-end job is not the way most of us envision our work life; but in a poor economy, every employee must work hard to maintain a job or to land a new one. Unemployment or underemployment, however, can be devastating to self-esteem. That means each person in these situations will also have to work harder at maintaining a positive attitude. There is no other choice if you hope to be successful at work.

• Do not berate yourself if you have no job or a low-level position; rather, remind yourself that most people go through several jobs and careers.


• Do not tie your self-worth solely to your work; consider the sum of your talents, skills, and unique experiences.


• Believe in yourself and your competency; upgrade your skills if needed.


• Develop positive work habits.


• Strategize ways to find more meaning in your work or more meaningful work.


• Tell yourself you can conduct a successful job search.


• Display enthusiasm during an interview and while you are working.


• Set goals and persist in achieving them.


• Be grateful.


• Surround yourself with upbeat, positive people.


• Call on your network when you are feeling down or when you need help with a job search.


• Be positive; a positive attitude will help you move forward; replace negative thoughts with positive ones.


• Become a problem solver.


• Do something to improve your situation.


• Make friends on LinkedIn and other professional networking sites.


• Focus on what you have control over; forget about what you cannot control.