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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

Be Enthusiastic About Your Career

If you watched the recent Academy Awards, you got to see enthusiasm up close and personal in the form of acceptance speeches. The smiles, the tears, the laughter--all reflective of the heart and soul poured into a career. What would make you gush about your job in the same way? What would it take to get that feeling?

Think about ways in which you can muster the same kind of enthusiasm for your career as the actors, actresses, directors, and producers who won awards.

• Look for ways to project enthusiasm through your attitude, smile, and personality.
• Surround yourself with upbeat people.
• Find ways to enjoy your work--no matter what it is.
• Embrace your work and workplace with an open mind and flexibility.
• Create passion in all you do and say.
• Excite others about what you do and how you do it.
• Rejuvenate yourself when your enthusiasm wanes. Take time to have fun, enjoy time with friends, and appreciate your past accomplishments.

Let your enthusiasm show with your excited voice, winning smile, and zest for life.

Spring is Here--Spruce Up Your Career

Winter officially ends this weekend. 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 and dirt from winter. Now might be a good time to do some spring cleaning at work, 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.
• Think about ways you can positively set yourself apart from coworkers by performing your tasks better, updating your skills, offering solutions to problems, etc.
• 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.

Summer Fun and Career Success

During the summer it's easy to get in the fun-in-the sun mode and or take a vacation at work. Guard against slacking at work if you hope to achieve career success.

• While on the job, do your work and give it your all.
• Complete assigned tasks with efficiency, accuracy, and expediency.
• Keep interruptions you can control to a minimum.
• Avoid complaining and complainers.
• Periodically assess yourself and how well you complete your tasks. Determine if you need to increase productivity.
• Track where your time is spent and use time management techniques.
• Observe others who do similar jobs, and compare your productivity to theirs.

There will be days you may feel tired, irritable, or bored. Professionals move past these feelings to continue performing at top-notch levels.

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 professional 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.