Promote Career Success

Spring is coming. Don't be fooled by thinking career success will automatically happen without input on your part. Career success needs to be cultivated and attended to daily. Here are some things to do every day to make sure you are promoting career success:

• Plan for your advancement by writing down your goals.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Do something every day to add value to your company. This can be as simple as doing the best job you can do each day.
• Do more than required.
• Look for solutions to problems.
• Maintain a professional demeanor.
• Be a results-oriented employee.
• Make yourself valuable to your boss.
• Hone your leadership skills.
• Ask your boss to evaluate your work and provide feedback.
• Ask if there is anything else you can do be valuable to your boss.
• Steer clear of gossips and troublemakers.
• Get along with everyone in the workplace.

By maintaining a "success" mindset, you can steer your career in the right direction. What steps have you taken to ensure your career success?

Polish That Resume - Meet Employer Needs

The unemployment rate dipped slightly this week. 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. What do you do best? What is the company looking for in a job candidate? Do you match the company's needs? You should concentrate your search where your skills match the employer's needs.

Think about your work 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?

By thinking about what employers want from their employees, you can better prepare a resume to fit those needs and perhaps score an interview.

Job Search Tips

If you are searching for a job or thinking of switching jobs, begin by creating a few good lists.

• Make a list of everyone you know who can help you in your job search, including former bosses and coworkers, HR personnel, instructors, friends working in companies where you would like to work, and so forth.


• Write down your strengths, your skills, and your personal characteristics. Be sure to include transferable skills--those that you learned somewhere along the way that could be useful to an employer; for example, customer service, sales, problem solving, etc.


• List any skills or personal characteristics you need to work on improving. List ways in which you can accomplish this; for example, take a class, attend a seminar, read a self-help book, etc.


• List specific achievements and positive results you have accomplished while on the job. Include specific amounts of money you saved the company or the percentage of increased sales you had.


• List at least six reasons why an employer would want to hire you over other job candidates. Give specific examples of your worth to an employer.


• Write down questions you think an employer might ask you and your answers to those questions.


• Make a list of people you can use as a reference to attest to your work history and personal attributes.


• Make a list of places where you can apply for a job.

Now that you have created these lists, use them in your job search.

Make Yourself Indispensable on the Job

Continuing with the "hang onto your job" theme, I have added more ways to keep your job and get ahead in the workplace.

• Speak kindly to everyone--every day.


• Go above and beyond for your customers. If there is something special you can do, do it.


• Go above and beyond for the boss by making yourself valuable to him or her.


• If you must offer criticism, say something positive first.


• Update your professional image.


• Maintain a positive attitude at all times.


• Maintain a "successful" mindset.


• Make a plan for your advancement and write steps you can take toward that goal.


• Look for solutions to problems.


• Hone your leadership skills.


• Stay away from troublemakers and gossips.


• Be a results-oriented employee.

Taking appropriate steps today can lead to a rewarding career tomorrow.

Give Employers What They Want

In keeping with the theme of getting a job, let's take a look at what employers want. Employers want to hire dependable, enthusiastic people who will give a full day's work. Here are some tips to convince an employer you are the right person for the job:

• Maintain a record of dependability and good attendance at your current job.
• Be able to convey your assets and accomplishments within a few minutes.
• Match your skills to the employer's needs.
• Research the company and be prepared to discuss your findings during the interview.
• Demonstrate your willingness to try new things.
• Practice time management and organizational skills.
• Maintain a positive attitude and demonstrate your willingness to get along with others.
• If you working in a multi-generational workplace, mention your ability to get along with people of all ages.
• Take an active part in your self-development through training and updating skills.
• Join a professional organization in your field.

Push yourself to the top of the competition by showing the employer you are the right person to hire.