I am reminded daily of how much the workforce has shifted. We have minimum wage workers fighting for increases even as those jobs become less plentiful and far less fulfilling. There is an ever widening gap between low and high wage earners and the middle seems nearly non-existent in this day and age. A degree or two no longer guarantees employment let alone a high wage. Working today even in traditional employment requires more than job specific skills. We all benefit from a robust and active network, an entrepreneurial approach to work, technological skills and a savvy to create and maintain a personal brand.

In my view, we can all learn a lot from the independents whether or not you choose to join them.

MBO Partners Self-Employed Infographic

I would love to hear from you. Are you now or do you plan to work independently in the future?

Today’s job market is more competitive than ever. Job seekers search for any competitive edge to stand out in a crowded field of well qualified candidates. So what do employers look for today? All employers will seek education, experience and technical skills for positions.  These needs are clearly outlined by the job description.  However, beyond the standard skills, employers also look for other skills which are not limited to the type of job or industry.   Listed below are the most sought after skills employers identified in studies and surveys.

• Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written). This skill earned top honors for all employers.  In business, communication is critical.  Every employee is required to write, speak and listen.  Being able to do these things well definitely makes an employee more attractive.
• Analytical/Research Skills. The ability to identify issues and assess systems and processes is a valuable skill.
• Leadership/Management Skills. Leadership is valued in every organization.  The ability to lead/manage teams, or projects is an in- demand skill.
• Teamwork. Working with others, and the ability to collaborate are key skills.  Rarely can an employee accomplish the company’s objectives without the involvement of other employees.
• Computer/Technical Literacy. It is the rare company that is not automated to some degree.  Email, word processing, developing spreadsheets and presentations are basic skills that all employers desire.
• Adaptability / Flexibility.  This is the ability to handle change – in work environment, priorities, responsibilities and to do it all with a great attitude.  Employers do not want employees who will respond negatively to a shift in assignments or that have a “that’s not my job” mentality.
• Organization. Refers to being able to organize, design and plan.  Setting objectives and systematically working to achieve them.
• Problem-Solving / Critical Reasoning. Ability to critically think through problems, issues toward resolution by applying reason and innovation.
• Interpersonal Abilities. An ability to work well with others – team members, colleagues, management.
• Sensitivity to Diversity. This is being aware and sensitive to other people, lifestyles and cultures.

According to the 2011 Small Business Saturday Consumer Spend Survey, 89 million people said they plan to shop “small” Saturday.

According to industry experts there are approximately 27.9 million small businesses in the United States. Many of these businesses are solo businesses with no employees. Shopping small this Saturday is a great way to support your local and online small business communities. When you support small local businesses a greater percentage of the money remains in your local economy.

Shopping small benefits everyone. Shop your local mom and pop business this weekend, support an indie or small business online, shop Amazon via your favorite website or blog or take your family out for a meal at a local non-chain restaurant. Your support will go a long way with a small business.

You can shop small with Get Career Help this weekend by taking advantageof the Small Business Saturday Special . If you are employed and considering a career change in 2012, this special will help you take charge of your career and promote yourself to happiness.

Enjoy Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but I hope that you will also pledge to support at least one small business this weekend. Your small support can make a big difference!

I am so thankful for every reader of this blog. I am humbled that I have the opportunity to share my experience and expertise with you. I hope that you have a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving, and may the coming days bring you even more reasons to be thankful.

Image by bennthewolfe via Flickr

Image by sziliotti via Flickr

Your career is one of the most important aspects of your life.  It provides you with the economic means to live your chosen lifestyle, provides you with a sense of purpose and fulfillment, and is likely a large part of your overall social network.  Few things in business just happen.  Strategies are developed, tactics are executed and outcomes managed.  Your career deserves the same careful attention and management that you give to actually performing your job.

Although you may be employed by a company, your career should be treated like a business.  Your product is “you” and it your job to ensure that your product keeps pace with the changing market and that it is marketed to the right customer base with the right message.  In managing your career there are a few strategies that we can take from business and apply to career management.

1. Innovation and continuous improvement – Invest in your value by keeping your knowledge and skills fresh. What skills can you add that will make your more marketable? How can you apply your current skills in fresh new ways?
2. Competitive Intelligence – This includes business/industry competitive intelligence as well as hiring decisions and trends.  Knowing the industry and being able to identify trends is important as this can help you to spot unmet needs as well as emerging sectors.  Competitive intelligence will also aid you in demonstrating your knowledge to potential employers in the interview.
3. Identification of Target Market – A critical aspect of career management is taking time to identify who would benefit from your unique experience.  Without clearly profiling your target, you will be unable to develop a clear and compelling market message.
4. Strategic Marketing Plans – Once you have identified your target market you can develop a strategic marketing plan to reach them.  This is your roadmap for the route that you will take and resources needed to get there. A key component of your plan will obviously be your résumé.  Your plan however should also detail the tactics for achieving your goals – i.e. working with a career coach, contacting executive recruiters, networking.
5. Unique Selling Proposition – What makes you different from your competition?  What unique skills, knowledge, or experience do you have that separates you from others?  You will use your USP to demonstrate to employers why they should choose you.

Your career represents more than your source of income, it is a significant part of your identity.  You have invested time, money and resources into achieving your current success.  If you are like most, there was a fair amount of personal sacrifice along the way as you pursued your goals.  Given the priority of career in one’s life it would be unreasonable to leave it to chance.  How can you position yourself for career leadership if you are unwilling to lead your own career?

Before you begin writing, it is a good idea to assemble the information you will need to write your resume. Do not be daunted by the amount of information you gather, you may need only bits and pieces from documents but it will be much easier to have it ready at your fingertips. The checklist below will help you in your preparation.

Image via Wikipedia

• Last version of your resume
• Employment history (employer names, location, dates)
• Most recent performance evaluation
• Letters / Statements of recognition from employers, vendors, colleagues and/or clients
• Awards/Honors
• List of professional, social, civic affiliations
• Psychometric Assessments / Summary (i.e. DISC, Myers-Briggs)
• List of professional courses, including those offered through employer
• List of publications
• Speaking Engagements
• Patents
• List of References (5-10)
• Social Media Profiles
• Special assignments, i.e. project teams, interim assignments

It is also helpful to take some time and note:

• What do you like about your current or last job?
• What type of work environment do you desire (small, team focused, energetic)
• What things do you do well?
• What are you areas of weakness?

Image by Kirsty Andrews via Flickr

company, she had inherited the roles of two other staff members.  As staff members retired or resigned the company cut costs and eliminated the jobs but not the responsibilities.  Amanda though of herself as a team player but was beginning to feel that she was the entire team.  She was at the top of her salary range and was not close to being compensated for what she was truly doing.  She sat in her home office Sunday night working to keep up the pace, as yet another weekend passed her by.

Ron had worked at the same company for ten years.  His job was low stress; in fact he could do it in his sleep.  Each week was the same, lots of meetings and little productivity.  The organization had remained surprisingly the same.  Ron was ashamed to admit to his friends and family that his easygoing job was well, too easygoing.  Ron loved to be challenged, it energized him.  He was bored and feared that if he did not do something he would lose his opportunity to progress in the market.

If either of these scenarios ring true for you, it may be time to consider a job change.  People stay in less than ideal job situations for a number of reasons – they believe that the job market is tight; they don’t believe they can command the same salary in another position, or they just fail to recognize that they have lost that loving feeling.  It’s never a good idea to accept mediocrity and unhappiness in any aspect of your life.  There are 168 hours in any given week, you may spend 72 hours of that sleeping, leaving you 96 hours to work, eat, and spend time with family.  Do you want to waste any of those precious hours going to a place that makes you unhappy?

Now is the perfect time to begin thinking about what you want from your career in 2012. Take time to write down what you do and do not like about your job. Research new companies and markets.  Write your resume. The key is to recognize what you want and make a plan to get there.

Are you considering a job change? What obstacles are standing in your way?

Image by Sean MacEntee via Flickr

Social media is a great platform to connect with online communities and mobilize people. Our strategy focuses on creating and executing programs that bridge traditional and new media to engage with candidates and deepen relationships. –Monica Pons

You can read the entire interview here.

Employers are becoming savvier about building an employer brand online. Candidates must become equally assertive about building and managing their employee brand. Today, companies like NBCUniversal are using the social web to discover and engage with potential hires. This makes it critical to be vigilant about having a clear, consistent professional brand on and offline. The days of personal branding being reserved for the trendsetting trailblazers are over. Like it or not you are a brand and it is up to you to define and deliver your brand promise. Below are 3 tips for building and managing your employee brand online.

Profiles with a Purpose

Use your online profiles to convey your brand identity and values.  Who are you as a professional and what do you value? What can you offer to an organization? Have a clear vision about who you are and then succinctly convey it in your profiles. Remember that your profile does not have to be dry and boring. Tastefully injecting personality into your profiles will show your humanity and invite people to engage with you.

Monitor your Mentions

If an employer does a Google search for your name, what will they find? In addition to googling your name, and email address it’s a good idea to assess and monitor your mentions. Addictomatic and How Socialable are two free tools that scour the social web for your entered keywords and terms . Both will often find items not captured by Google. Negative information can be as damaging as no information at all. Many companies today place value on a candidate’s ability to navigate the social web. At the very least you should have a presence on LinkedIn.

Master your Message

Take some time to develop your brand message and align your online profiles and content with that message. You can support that message through the information you share online. If you are an expert in technology, share emerging trends, demonstrate that you are a thought leader in your field. You can use your existing profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn to share information that supports your personal brand. For even more sharing start a blog using WordPress, Tumblr or Posterous Spaces or make use of content curation tools such as Storify and Summify.

Employers are online, are you ready to be found?

Related articles

• You: How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Screen Candidates [INFOGRAPHIC] (mashable.com)

The movie takes a funny look at frightful bosses but  well known Leadership Consultant, Speaker and Trainer, Jeanne Male provides insight for those who hire Horrible Bosses. She writes:

It isn’t enough to hire leaders who pass muster with perfect credentials, competencies and due diligence. Why do they want to lead? What are their sources of motivation? Too many bad bosses use title, recognition and sucking up to medicate low self-esteem. How many are trying to feel better about themselves, live up to expectations and/or prove something to themselves and/or others? Leaders with unresolved ego issues are potentially toxic.  Read the full post here.

In 2009, Careerbuilder asked “Which  Halloween character is your boss most like?” in their Halloween Survey.  Twenty percent said their boss is  like Glenda the Good Witch, liked and respected by all while a mere  3 percent likened their boss to the Grim Reaper, constantly

Image by Miala via Flickr

delivering bad news and inspiring fear among workers. How about you, is your boss like Dracula sucking the life out of everyone in the office or Casper the Friendly Ghost, eager to help but misunderstood?

Do we live in a world of bad bosses? A 2007 Florida State University study showed that 39% of workers said their supervisor failed to keep promises and 27% said their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers.  In spite of an abundance of bad bosses, in real life, a new study reveals that only 11 percent of employees immediately quit their jobs., while 35 percent sucked it up but tried to deal with the issue. Read the study results along with great tips for managing your horrible boss here.

Sadly, many will have a bad boss at some point in their career. Bad bosses are bad for business. Toxic workplaces are less productive and can lead to health and self esteem issues for workers. Many workers cite the economy as a reason for tolerating torture in the workplace. Just as you would never tell a victim of domestic abuse to “suck it up” until the economy improves, you should never tolerate an abusive boss.  Out of control situations should be documented in writing. Do your homework so that you clearly understand your company’s policy and your legal rights.

Finding another job is not the only option for dealing with a bad boss.  Try managing your bad boss by calmly addressing the business issues. You may not be able to change your boss’ personality but you can improve your working conditions. Follow-up your discussions in writing.

The most important thing to remember is that you do not have to accept being a victim of a year long fright fest. It’s your life and career, and it’s up to you to manage it!

Do you have a bad boss story? How did you manage your situation?

Related articles

• Problem with The Boss? Helpful Hints to Make Work Successful (socyberty.com)
• How to Work with a Bad Boss
•  Five Signs You’re a Bad Boss
• Dealing with a Passive-Aggressive Boss (psychologytoday.com)