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?

ELIMINATE PROCRASTINATION

The only way to stop procrastination is to take action. Begin by figuring out why you procrastinate. Some common reasons people procrastinate and ways to remedy the situations are listed below:

·         No clear idea of what to do. If you are not sure what to do, ask yourself how you can find out what action you should take. For instance, has someone else performed the task? Can you ask that person for guidance? Are there directions for performing the task that you can access? Can you research an answer? Can you brainstorm with others or have someone train you?

·         The size of the task is overwhelming. Break tasks into manageable pieces and take small bits of action. Work on one part of the task at a time. Whenever you have a spare few minutes, do something that brings you closer to your goal of completing the task. If possible, delegate portions of the task or else have someone work with you.

·         No clear priorities. Decide what you want to accomplish. Write down your goals. Create a to-do list and prioritize it. Create a plan of action complete with the steps you can take to perform each task. Ask for guidance when needed.

·         Too much to do. Get organized and learn to manage your time well. Forget about pleasing everyone; learn to say no. Align your to-do-list tasks with your priorities. Concentrate on the most important work first. Combine like tasks. Eliminate unnecessary tasks. Attempt less. Avoid perfectionism. Know when you are in over your head, and ask for help when you need it.

·         Distractions. Eliminate as many distractions as you can by closing your door, turning off the radio or television, regulating the temperature, getting comfortable, and the like. Temporarily turn off the phone, email alerts, and social media sites. Avoid situations where you will be tempted to socialize whenever you do not have the time to spare. When people drop by to talk, tactfully tell them you have to complete your tasks and will talk with them during break. Discourage socializing by continuing to work and not making eye contact or engaging in the conversation. Stand up when someone comes into your office, or else meet visitors outside your office. Be unavailable.

·         Indecision. Do your research; get the facts. Brainstorm ideas. Consult others if necessary. Weigh the risks and consequences of possible decisions. Implement the decision. Learn from any negative consequences of your decision. Re-evaluate the decision and change what needs to be changed.

It's Goal Setting Time Again

Yesterday started a new year, which means many people will be looking to make a fresh start. If you plan to set 2016 goals for yourself, there are a few steps you can take to ensure success. Start by making sure your goals are attainable, measurable, and specific to you. 

·         Create your goals. What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? Goals must be something you really want and are able to attain or you are setting yourself up for defeat. State the goals in specific terms. Write down the goals. People who write goals are more likely to achieve them.

·         Break the goals down into specific steps. Large, time-consuming tasks are daunting. It’s easier to work on goals when you can take them a step at a time.

·         Create an action plan so you know where you must focus your energy to attain the goals. Take the steps you’ve listed for attaining your goals and develop an action plan for completing each of them. What is the first thing you will do? What comes next? Take your personal strengths and preferences into consideration.

·         Create a timetable for reaching the goals. By creating a timeline and setting a deadline, you will be able to determine if you are on target to reach the goals.

·         Create a daily to-do-list and copy the steps from your action plan onto it. Prioritize and work your way through the list.

·         Determine how you will hold yourself accountable for reaching the goals. Who will you tell about the goals? How will you motivate yourself? What will you do if you fall short? Don’t let setbacks keep you from achieving your goals.

·         Be positive and flexible.

·         Assess how you are doing periodically regarding the achievement of the goals.

·         Change what is not working. 

It’s a fact that people who set goals achieve more. Why not give yourself all the breaks you can get in 2016? With set goals and enough of the right action, you can achieve your dreams.

Meet Deadlines

Since it is tax day, I thought I would give some tips for meeting deadlines. One of the biggest obstacles to meeting deadlines is procrastination. It is one thing to know you have to do something, but it is another thing entirely to motivate yourself to do it. If you are not passionate about doing the task (and I assume you are not passionate about doing your taxes), you will have a difficult finishing the task on deadline.

Here are questions to ask yourself when you have a deadline looming:

• Can I break down this task into smaller parts?
• What will I gain by putting off this task?
• What will I gain by completing this task?
• What will happen if I miss the deadline for this task?
• What would make me take action on this task?
• What one step can I take to start this task? (Oftentimes getting started is the hardest step.)
• Can anyone help me with the task? (If so, solicit his or her help.)
• Can anyone else cheer me on?
• How will I feel when this task is completed?

Actions to take include:

• Find a reason to get excited about doing the task. (This can even be as simple as rewarding yourself in some way when the task is completed.)
• Create a to-do list and set priorities.
• Schedule important work first.
• Take a step toward completing the task and then take another one.
• Focus on one task at a time.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Hold yourself accountable.
• Do something; get started.
• Find a way to push yourself to complete the task.

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?

2013 Career Assessment and Setting 2014 Career Goals

Where did 2013 go? I mean literally where did it go? How did you spend your time in 2013 while on the job? Did you:

• Contribute to the best of your ability?
• Manage your time and keep yourself organized?
• Value learning and embrace new technology?
• Perform each task with efficiency and in a timely manner?
• Make yourself stand out in a positive way?
• Connect positively with the boss, coworkers, and customers?
• Accomplish everything you set out to do career wise?
• Advance appropriately on the job?

Your answers to the above questions can help you prepare for a stellar 2014 career.  As we head into the new year, I will be blogging about making yourself indispensable at work—giving yourself that edge over the competition and earning a rewarding career.

Evaluating and Keeping in Balance

As summer winds down, it’s time to reap what has been sown for the season. Did you accomplish what you wanted? Think of what you have been reaping with your goals, plans, ideas, and daily activities. Have they been moving you closer to your hopes, dreams, and aspirations? Now is the time to take a look at your harvest and separate the good from the bad. Keep what is working and amend or get rid of what isn’t with an eye always on that future goal/dream.

Don’t forget to find time for the things that are important to you as well as those that are necessary. Attend to that part of you that likes to be nurtured by reading, writing, meditating, visiting friends or relatives, and so forth. Only when we have balance in our lives can we achieve our best. Balance is best attained by attending to our physical, mental, and spiritual selves.

POSITIVE LANGUAGE PROMOTES PERSISTENCE

One of the ways we can sustain persistence is by using positive language, both when speaking and when thinking. Negatives tend to wear us down and erode our persistence; whereas, positive language keeps us in a healthy state of mind—something necessary for pursing goals until they are realized.

Become aware of negative language. Whether you are listening to negative comments or speaking/thinking them yourself, tune them out or mentally replace negatives with positives. It may seem like an insignificant step, but it is one with a huge impact.

When the going gets tough, don’t tell yourself the path is too difficult. Tell yourself you can overcome difficulties and setbacks. Believe you can. You may have to adjust your goals and the steps you take to reach them, but positive thoughts and speech can help you make those revisions and persist in reaching the goals.

Become committed to all things positive. Instead of saying, “I give up,” say, “I’ll do it another way." Instead of “I might try…” say, “I will.” Instead of saying, “Probably…”, say, “Yes,” or “Definitely.”

A little tweak of your language may make a big difference in your ability to stick with something until you have accomplished your goals and dreams.