CareerWorx

Personal Branding – What Is It And How To Create Your Own Brand

2012-02-20T21:46:00.000Z

Personal branding has become one of the biggest buzz terms overrecent years. If you haven’t bought into the hype but now wonder if you shouldhave, here’s an overview of personal branding and why it could work for you.

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is about creating a brand for yourself just as a you would when marketing a product. In personal branding, you are the product.

Why do I need a personal brand?

By developing your personal brand, you set yourself apart from others.

How do I develop my personal brand?

Personal branding guru Dan Schawbel has developed four-step personalbranding process to help you develop your own personal brand:

Four step personal branding process:

Discover – figure out who you are and how you can brandyourself
Create – create a personal branding tool kit
Communicate – communicate your brand regularly
Maintain – maintain a positive image on an ongoing basis

The first step is to identify how you can differentiateyourself from others. What are your unique selling points? What makes youbetter value to an employer or client compared with someone else?

Finding your own niche is an important personal brandingstrategy. If your current qualifications, skills and experience don’t offer youthe opportunity to develop a niche, what can you do to change this? What nichewould you like to fill? What steps do you need to take to achieve your niche?

Although not everyone aspires to be an expert in theirfield, becoming one automatically boosts your personal brand. If you’re seriousabout building your brand, it’s wise to do whatever it takes to become anexpert who is sought out by the media, employers, clients and others.

There are a number of personal branding tools that can beused to communicate your brand. Social media has become an effective way tolaunch and manage your personal brand. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube andblogs are just some of the tools commonly used in personal branding.

A crucial part of personal branding is ensuring your brandis accurately, uniformly and continuously communicated. It’s important to keeptrack of where and how your personal brand is being communicated and this iseasy to monitor online. You can for example, create a Google alert at www.google.com/alerts to be notified wheneveryou are mentioned on the web.

It's also important to regular review your brand to ensure it meets your needs, and accurately reflects you. Be sure to update your brand as you career develops, for example when you attain new qualifications, skills and experience.

Dilbert on personal branding...

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

CV and Resume Formats

2012-02-10T16:54:00.000Z

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) or resume, is a vital marketingtool in your job search toolbox. The aim of your resume is to provide anoverview of your qualifications, skills and experience that will entice anemployer to invite you to interview for a position. There are three main resumeformats or styles you can choose from when creating your CV/resume.

Chronological

As the name suggests, chronological resumes are arrangedchronologically. In a chronological resume, youreducation/qualifications and any other information is listed after youremployment history. Employment history is listed in reverse chronologicalorder meaning you begin by listing your current or most recent position. Thisis a traditional format which many employers favour as it is easy for them tosee how your career progression.

FunctionalResumes

In contrast to a chronological resume, a functional resume isarranged to highlight your skills, experience and attributes through thepresentation of your abilities, achievements and perhaps the projects you haveworked on. Afunctional resume is a good option if you have gaps in your employment history and for career changers.

CombinationResumes

Combining elements from a functional and chronological resume hasbecome increasingly popular particularly since it has been established thatmany resumes are only skimmed for a matter of seconds by employers andrecruiters. By combining the best of both formats, you can create a powerful,high impact resume that effectively showcases your skills, qualifications andexperience. The most relevant informationshould be included on the first page to make sure it doesn’t get missed.

Which format do you prefer? Tell us in the comments section below.Feel free to also ask any questions you might have about CV/resume formats.

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Protean Career: Become a Master of Change

2012-01-20T12:45:00.000Z

"The career of the 21st century will be protean, a career that is driven by the person, not the organization, and that will be reinvented by the person from time to time, as the person and the environment change."
D.T.Hall (1996) in Protean Careers in the 21st Century

During my career, the most traumatized clients I have worked with have been those who have been the victims of change. These clients are referred to me for career counselling by employers wanting to support their employees as they transition out of the organisation. It’s common for these individuals to have been made redundant after many years, even decades, with the company. These individuals suffer trauma for a number of reasons. In some cases they didn’t see the change coming and didn't have time to react. But more often than not, they were aware of the impending change but rather than prepare for its arrival, reacted in denial or conflict.

How could these individuals have better prepared themselves?

Protean career theory was first introduced by Douglas T. Hall in 1976 in his book Careers in Organizations. Inspired by the Greek sea god Proteus who could change forms at will in the face of oncoming opportunities or threats, protean career theory asserts that in order to succeed, individuals need to be highly flexible and adaptable to change or what I like to call, masters of change.

American motivational speaker and career coach Jay Block defines being protean as the ability to ‘anticipate, adapt, and act’ suggesting we need to anticipate changes before they occur, equip ourselves to adapt to the changes when they arrive, and to act in the face of change when the time comes.

A protean careerist, someone who adapts a protean career approach, is also committed to their own ongoing personal and professional development. By developing their career competencies including interpersonal, communication and transferable work skills they become well-equipped to cope with change.

Here are some practical ways you can prepare yourself for change:

commit to your own ongoing professional development by attending courses, workshops, seminars and conferences
diversify the breadth and range of your experience by engaging in new projects when the opportunity arises
network extensively to increase your connections and be kept in the loop about what's going on in your industry
seek out a mentor who can become a valuable support and help identify areas for development

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable to change."
Charles Darwin

An aspect of protean career theory I am particularly fond ofis the focus on psychological success. As you will see from the table below,psychological success is the key success criteria in protean career theory.That’s right, in protean career theory, your psychological success is moreimportant than merely your position or salary level. Who wouldn’t want psychologicalsuccess? But the truth is, many of us still strive for those traditionalsuccess criteria of position and salary. This fits nicely with the belief that the key to real success and happiness is to ensure your career development plan aligns not only with your career goals but your personal goals too.

‘Elementsin the protean career ‘ in Careers in Organizations (Hall, 1976)

Are you a protean careerist?

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Ten Popular New Year’s Career Resolutions and How to Achieve Them

2012-01-10T13:31:00.000Z

The new year provides the perfect opportunity to reassess your
career and resolve to make changes

The start of a new year prompts us to think about what we want to achieve in our lives. As we assess our current situation, we may decide it's time to make some changes. This might be as simple as gaining new skills, improving performance or asking for a pay rise, or as major as changing careers.

Here's my list of ten of the most popular new year’s careerresolutions along with some tips on how to achieve them:

Find a better job– If you’re unhappy in your current job it could be time to make a move. Justbe sure you are making the move for the right reasons and that your decision isa rational and practical one. Ask yourself what you want you want in a new jobthat you current job doesn’t provide. It may be that those things your currentrole lacks can be achieved with some effort on your part. Seek advice ifnecessary to make sure you consider all your options and make a sound decisionyou won’t regret later.

Change careers – Thereare times throughout our careers when we wonder if we’re on the right path. Itcan be a difficult crossroad to be at, particularly when you’ve alreadyinvested so much into your current career. It’s a good idea to get help from aqualified career counsellor/coach who can help you identify your interests,transferable skills, attributes and life goals. Most importantly, you should conductan audit of your current values; it’s possible your values have changedprompting you to question your career. With this understanding, you’ll be in thebest position to make sound decisions.

Get a promotion –Gaining a promotion is at the top of many people’s lists. For some it’s animpossible dream in their current role, for others it may take some performanceimprovement, extra training or gaining a certain qualification. Identify whatit will take to achieve your goal and go for it!

Earn more money –If earning more money is at the top of your list of new year’s careerresolutions, you’ll need to think about how you can practically achieve yourgoal. Can you earn more in your current role? Do you need to change jobs, get apromotion or become more qualified? Perhaps there are other areas outside ofyour main job where you can focus your attention to generate more income. Thiscould be taking on a second job, turning a hobby into a profitable sidebusiness or becoming a freelance consultant.

Get qualified – Thenew year is a common time for us to think about how we can gain a newqualification. If you are already working and can’t take time off from work,consider distance learning. Many colleges and universities now offer distanceeducation, online learning or blended learning solutions.

Learn new skills– Leaning of new skills is a great way to enhance your career. It can lead tomore responsibility, a promotion, increased salary, higher job satisfaction andnew opportunities. You can learn new skills from a mentor, by working on aspecial project, job shadowing or from structured workplace skills training.

Better working conditions– If the conditions in your workplace are less than ideal why not set out to changethem? We often become complacent and accept things the way they are,particularly if we’ve worked for the same employer for many years. Some of theconditions you might consider improving are those related to workplace healthand safety, physical environment, policies & procedures or work-lifebalance.

Eliminate conflict– Experiencing conflict at work can be hugely detrimental not only to yourperformance but to your emotional and physical health too. The most commonforms of conflict result from personality clashes, poor teamwork and bad management.If you’re unable to effectively manage the conflict yourself, speak to yoursupervisor or team leader, manager or a specialist workplace counsellor.

Working less hours– Working excessive hours can really take its toll. The problem might not be thatthe work is unpaid, but the hours spent at work are excessive taking away from valuablepersonal and family time. If your new year’s resolution is to work less, thinkabout how you can achieve this. Perhaps you can work smarter by delegatingtasks or streamlining processes. Brainstorm potential solutions then workthrough them to see which is the most practical.

Better work-lifebalance - Our poll, which you’ll find at our www.careerworx.com.au and www.careerworx.co.uk websites, showsthat more than 50% of you value work-life balance. That’s not surprising since it’sthe most common thing on the wish-lists of my clients when developing a career actionplan. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is vital for our psychologicaland physical wellbeing and there are practical steps that can be taken toachieve an ideal work-life balance.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways our work lives canbe improved and the new year provides the perfect opportunity to reassess your career and resolve to make changes.

If you need help from a professional, why not visit www.careerworx.co.uk or www.careerworx.com.au

Which of these new year’s career resolutions is on yourlist?

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx

The Best Free Online Organisation & Time Management Tools

2012-01-02T21:24:00.001Z

With the arrival of the new year, a common resolution is to find ways to be more productive and work more effectively. I thought it the perfect time to share some of my favourite online organisation and time management tools. I might even resolve to use them more frequently myself!

Ta-da List is asimple but highly effective to-do-list application that can help you create alist of tasks for completion which you then check off once completed. With asimple click you can also email your to-do-list to yourself which is great whenyou’re on the go. The email, which you might pick up from your smart phone,contains a direct link so you can access the list online to modify it.

Google Calendaris an effective calendar application which will help you remember importantdates and create schedules.

The PomodoroTechnique is an amazingly simple but powerful and strategic time managementtool. Based on the concept of the egg timer, you can gain control byeffectively allocating chunks of your time to certain tasks and activities.

Mind42 is abrilliant mind mapping tool you can either use alone or in collaboration withothers. What I love about Mind42 is its simplicity and visual nature. Even ifyou hadn’t thought of using a mind map to generate and arrange ideas and tasksfor your project/s, you’ll find Mind42 a powerful way to engage your mind andget results.

Checkvist is acollaborative task management tool where you can collaborate with others. Thisis handy if you work remotely with others on a common task or project.

Toggl is afantastic time tracking application ideal for those who want to be able to keeptrack of time spent on specific projects/activities. Toggl is perfect for thosewho spend fragmented amounts of time on a variety of tasks and enables you toaccurately log and charge for time spent on tasks.

Evernote enablesyou to store and synchronize information across multiple devices such as yourcomputer, tablet, and phone. You can use it to save web pages/clips/images,take notes, plan events or collaborate with colleagues or friends.

TripIt is a travelmanagement tool where you save all your travel itinerary details in oneconvenient location. You can keep track of the weather, personalize your maps,schedules, photos, and even interact with other TripIt members if you want.

Workrave is ahandy time management tool that will remind you when to take break from yourcomputer. With the rate of RSI and other computer/portable device injuriesrising, it’s important you give your body and mind regular breaks away from thescreen.

RescueTime allowsyou to monitor how you spend your time at your computer helping you identify timewasted, enabling you to take action to spend your time more wisely. (Be aware that in order to monitor your activities and provide analytical reports on how you spend your time, RescueTime records your activities back to its own website.)

Which online time managementtools do you regularly use and recommend?

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

How to Tailor Your Resume Effectively

2011-12-01T21:50:00.000Z

The key to tailoring your resume effectively is making sureit matches the requirements of the position you are applying for. The best way to identify the requirements, is togather as much information about the position, the customers/clients and thecompany as possible. You can gain this information from the job advertisement, positiondescription, selection criteria and doing research via the company's website, staff profiles and the media(including social media).

Once you have all the information about the position, youcan begin tailoring your resume. I’m not suggesting you fudge the facts aboutyour skills, experience, knowledge and personal qualities; rather it’simportant you clearly define how you meet the requirements. Your jobis to quickly convince the reader that you’re an ideal match for the role. Hereare some sure fire ways to tailor your resume effectively:

Skills

A potential employer will want to know what specific skillsyou bring with you. The best way to highlight your skills is to:

Summarise your skills in a section of their own;
If your skills are extensive, categorise them eg. group together computer/IT skills;
Be selective. Consider whether you need to include all of your skills. The last thing you want to appear to be is a jack of all trades - master of none;
Likewise, ask yourself if your Reiki Master skills are a marketable asset on a resume you are tailoring for a Sales Manager role.

Experience

Your relevant experience should be quickly evident from the first page of your resume. Be sure to:

State your years of experience in your career summary and back it up throughout the resume with practical examples;

Don’t just list the duties, wherever possible talk about your special achievements;

Provide a brief description of the organisations you have worked with and an overview of your roles.

Knowledge

You can demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding in a number of ways:

Use language specific to the position and industry but avoidexcessive use of acronyms;
When using acronyms, write the words in full in the first instance followed bythe acronym you will use throughout your resume;
State your exposure to the industry, company or program. This can be done in the summary section and again throughout the resume;
Provide details of relevant education andtraining including the name of the award/course, the institution/training provider and the date completed/attended.

Personal qualities

Highlight your personal qualities and (positive) attitude:

List them and providing specific examples where possible;
Include quotes from past supervisors, colleagues or clientsas evidence of your claims;
Make sure your resume is upbeat and appealing (just likeyou!).

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Work-Life Blur and Web 2.0

2011-11-24T10:14:00.000Z

I read an interesting report recently entitled Work Life Web 2011 by Clearswift. The report is the result of research that surveyed employees and managers from organisations in the UK, US, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan, examining the use and management of the ‘new social Web’ in the workplace.

This insightful research found that although Web 2.0 technology is acknowledged as ‘a potential tool for corporate success’, social media growing pains exist posing a challenge for employers and employees alike. It also looks at the blur that occurs between work and personal lives as a result of the use of web 2.0 technologies and the social web in particular.

An area of the report I found particularly interesting was the statistics emerging from the research:

80% of managers see the business benefits of the new social Web.
48% of managers have identified Web 2.0 usage as an issue of concern.
Concerns about security and data loss are preventing technology adoption to some extent in 87% of the companies surveyed.
68% of managers say they monitor employee Internet activity and 56% block access to particular social networks.
57% of employees report an overlap between their work and personal lives.
55% of both 18-24 year olds and 25-34 year olds believe that employees should be entitled to access Web 2.0 at work for personal reasons. Only 37% of 45-54 year olds and 30% of 55+ feel the same.

(Clearswift Work Life Web 2011 Report)

Since the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies, employers have responded with increased internet security in the form of blocking and monitoring. This has impacted on employer/employee relations as a big brother approach erodes trust in the workplace.

A growing challenge for organisations is the increase in the use of smart phones with managers reporting a 40% increase in the use of the technology. The research found that 24% of managers actively encouraged the use of personal devices such as smart phones for work purposes. This poses a challenge as only 55% of managers reported having a company security policy covering personal device use at work, while 71% have a policy in place to cover social media.

One statistic I found intriguing was that ‘43% of employees report that their work and personal lives are completely separate’. Given the modern day work-life blur that occurs in many of our lives, it’s hard to believe this statistic. Perhaps the surveyed participants were less than realistic with their responses? Could it be a generational divide with a younger generation of workers understanding and accepting the interconnectedness of work and life versus an older generation of workers who see work and life as separate?

Most of us have taken the odd personal phone call or responded to text messages or emails from friends or family at work. Likewise, many of us have found ourselves responding to work emails, telephone calls and text messages out of hours. Updating one’s LinkedIn profile, participating in a work related online forum or researching a competitor over the weekend would also constitute work spilling into our personal lives. To say that work and personal life are completely separate would be a stretch even for the most vigilant work/life separatists among us.

Not that I object to the blurring of boundaries between work and life. It's my belief they are inherently linked, that an overlap is inevitable. The concept of work/career being completely separate to ones’ self seems unfathomable to me. This is a discussion for another post but what I enjoyed most about the report was how it illustrates my point. Work life blur exists and so long as we are human it will continue to exist. It's up to us to learn how to manage it effectively.

What are your thoughts about work-life blur and the impact of web 2.0?

Lisa LaRue, DipCareerGuid, BSocSc(Couns), MCareerDev, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Work-Life Coach at CareerWorx Careers & Transitions www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Types of Job Interviews and How to Handle Them

2011-11-09T11:13:00.003Z

The way in which candidates are interviewed has changed. You are just as likely to be interviewed over a cappuccino or Caesar salad as you are to be video-interviewed by an interviewer who happens to be working in China this week. It’s a good idea to become familiar with the different types of job interviews so you can be prepared no matter what comes your way.

Panel interview

When more than one interviewer conducts the interview it isreferred to as a panel interview. The interview panel could be made up of anynumber of key persons including supervisors, managers, team members, boardmembers, HR staff or an external consultant. The number of interviewers willdepend on the organisation and the role but typically a panel interview is madeup of 3-4 people.

Tips:

Ask who will be on the panel before your interview so you can learn about them. Knowing who is on the panel can give you an idea about what they will be looking for and can help you anticipate the kinds of questions they will ask.
Greet all panel members as you enter, shaking each of their hands if appropriate.
Maintain eye contact with all panel members as you answer questions, even those who haven’t asked the question.
Thank all panel members at the conclusion of the interview, take business cards if offered and follow up with a thank-you email.

Video interview

A video interview using a computer and web camera technologycan be used when an applicant is geographically distant from the interviewer/s.This kind of interview is usually conducted from the interviewer’s office withyou at home using your own computer and web camera. It can also be used if a key interviewer is locatedin another office, enabling them to interview you at a distance or toparticipate in a panel interview remotely.
Tips:

If interviewing from home using your own equipment, be sure to download any necessary software and test everything well before the scheduled video interview.

Close down all unnecessary programs to optimise your computers download capabilities.

If you are using a common program such as Skype or Messenger, change your status to ‘busy’ or ‘do not disturb’ so you won’t be interrupted or disturbed by others trying to contact you.

Make sure the area you will be interviewing is free from any background noise. Close all doors and windows, switching off/unplugging telephones, arranging childcare if you have children, silence any alarms/clocks that might make noise during the video interview.

Have a pen and paper handy to take notes.

Get yourself a glass of water in case you need it during the video interview.

Be ready at least ten minutes before the scheduled time.

Telephone interview

A telephone interview might be used to initially screencandidates before being invited to a formal interview. Telephone interviews arealso used when a candidate is geographically distance from the interviewer/s.It can involve more than one interviewer by using speakerphone or callconferencing.

Tips:

Use a land-line telephone over a mobile since the connection and call quality are likely to be better.
If your telephone is battery powered, make sure it is fully charged ahead of time.
Prepare a quite space to conduct the call by closing windows and doors, switching. off/unplugging other telephones, arranging childcare if you have children, silencing any alarms/clocks that might interfere with the call.
Have a pen and paper handy to take notes.
Have a glass of water at the ready in case you need it during the call but be aware that although the caller on the end of the line can’t see you they can hear you.
If you are receive a call from an employer or recruiter only answer the phone call if you are in a quiet, appropriate location (do not answer your mobile telephone in the bathroom, at a childcare centre or in a busy shopping centre environment). It’s best to get the message from your telephone’s message centre and call back rather than risk looking unprofessional.
Be ready at least ten minutes before the scheduled call.

Group interview

A group interview is often used by employers and recruiterswhen they have more than one position to fill and enables them to interview andassess large numbers of applicants at once. A group interview is likely toconsist of a number of stages including an information session, assessment andone to one interview. After a group interview applicants might be invited to attend a second interview.
Tips:

Arrive at least 10 minutes early to demonstrate you are keen and reliable.

Sit closer to the front and middle of the room rather than at the back.

Don’t be intimidated, be your confident, capable self allowing your personality to shine.

Be careful not to be too social with the other candidates, remember it’s an interview not a social gathering.

Listen carefully to instructions so you don’t have to ask for clarification.

If you are asked to complete any forms or assessments, take time to read everything before you begin writing anything. It’s very easy in a group interview to feel you need to competitively race through tasks to stand out from the crowd. Take your time. If you rush and don’t complete tasks properly, you will stand out but not in the right way.

Social interview

Social interviews can take the form of a lunch or dinner meeting where a seemingly less formal interview is conducted by one or more interviewers. A social interview might also take place at a coffee shop or other public venue. This can be a double edged sword, depending on the level of structure and the interviewer’s strategy. A common fear of interviewees is falling into the trap of becoming too relaxed during a social interview.
Tips:

Visit the venue beforehand to familiarise yourself with the environment and menu.
Order something easy to eat/drink and never order anything larger/more expensive than your interviewer/s.
Avoid ordering alcohol. It might make you feel relaxed but your interview performance will suffer.
Make sure you turn off your mobile telephone beforehand.
Take care not to let the casual atmosphere affect your behaviour, remain business like at all times.

Have you been interviewed differently? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Lisa LaRue, DipCareerGuid, BSocSc(Couns), MCareerDev, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Work-Life Coach at CareerWorx Careers & Transitions www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Accessing the Hidden Job Market

2011-10-28T16:22:00.000+01:00

Not all jobs are advertised and the hidden job market is thought to contain up to 80% of the available jobs. You might be inclined to think this is a new phenomenon, but the reality is, the hidden job market has always existed.

There are a number of ways to access these hidden jobs including:

Informal Networking/Word-of-mouth
Informal networking or word-of-mouth is when you let family, friends, friends of friends and colleagues know you are actively seeking work in the hope they let you know about job opportunities. This kind of approach can have the added advantage of the informer being in a position to recommend you for a role they become aware of.

Formal Networking
One of the most common ways to find a job is through networking activities. Here is a list of networking activities that can help you access the hidden job market:

Developing professional relationships

Joining and participating in an industry association

Attending industry events such as trade fairs and conferences

Joining and participating in online professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn

Attending industry training courses, workshops and seminars

Many job seekers however, fail to network effectively resulting in limited success. Just showing up or participating in these activities won’t land a job in your lap. You'll need to learn the art of networking which requires you to be proactive in your approach. By connecting and communicating with people, you can develop professional relationships which with the potential to open doors to available job opportunities.

There are many books and resources to help guide you in developing your network skills or you can consult a career counsellor/coach. One book I recommend is “A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market” by Katharine Hansen.

Recruitment Agencies and Head Hunters
Recruitment agencies and head hunters act on behalf of employers seeking out specialist talent. If you have specialist skills and experience, it's wise to develop an alliance with a recruitment agent who specialises in your industry. Even if they don’t currently have a suitable vacancy, they may be able to call upon their own contacts to seek out opportunities on your behalf.

You can identify recruitment agencies in your industry area through job search sites where they often advertise hard-to-fill vacancies. You may also be able to learn about reputable recruitment agents and head hunters through contacts gained from your networking activities. If you already have contacts in the industry, ask them if they can recommend a recruitment agent or agency.

Work Experience Placement
Undertaking a work experience placement with an employer can be an excellent way to get a foot in the door with a company. Once through the door, you'll have the opportunity to prove your worth as a potential employee and gain valuable contacts. Make sure you are on your best performance during the placement by demonstrating reliability, integrity and a good work ethic. At the very least, you can ask for a reference from your work experience placement supervisor and list the experience in your resume/CV.

Graduate Recruitment Programs
Many large organisations conduct recruitment drives at universities and colleges at certain times of the year. It’s a good idea to keep in contact with the career advisory service at your university or college early on so you can be kept in the loop as to when these events take place. A company’s own website can be a good place to research graduate recruitment programs. You can also contact a company’s human resources department directly to ask about their graduate recruitment program which will demonstrate a genuine interest in the company and its graduate opportunities.

Direct Approach
Contacting potential employers directly can be a good move particularly when you have information about upcoming projects and increased staffing needs. The first step before approaching potential employers is to spend some time researching them. It’s a good idea to learn about the company, including the products and/or services they offer, current staffing, the history of the company and plans for the future. Much of this research can be done online via the company’s own website and through some strategic online searches.

Your research will also enable you to effectively tailor your cover letter using the right terminology relevant for the position you are putting yourself forward for. Although sending a letter or email is typical, you can also telephone or visit a potential employer in person. The approach you choose will depend on the company, geographical location and the position being sought. It is also acceptable for your first approach to be via letter or email and to follow up by telephone.

Whichever approach you take to access the hidden job market, it’s recommended you keep a detailed log of your activities so you can monitor your activities and progress. Keep a journal or computer spreadsheet containing contact details, follow-up dates and outcomes.

Accessing the hidden job market should be viewed an exciting challenge rather than a daunting task. Embrace the challenge, follow our tips and you’re bound to land the job you want!

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Researching Careers

2011-10-21T11:47:00.000+01:00

Researching careers is a vital stage in the career development process. Our knowledge about different careers can belimited making it necessary to undertake some research activities to learn moreabout duties and tasks, skills and training required, typical work environments,necessary or desirable attributes, as well as wages and conditions.

Often we develop a short list of career options and might like to compare them to see which suits us best. Until you have researched different careers, it can be difficult to make an informed decision. Here are some activities to help you learn more about careers:

Internet searches

The internet has becomeone of the most popular ways to research careers. Using a search engine likeGoogle you can find a wide variety of career informationquickly. From a general internet search you are able to access a vast amount ofinformation from company and industry websites, careers websites, education andtraining provider websites, blogs, forums and online job boards.

Job guides and occupation profiles

There are many job guides and occupational profilesavailable in print and online. These guides and profiles provide descriptions ofoccupations including typical duties and responsibilities, skills andattributes required, education and training levels along with average wageinformation. In Australia try the Job Guide and MyFuture websites, in Canadarefer to the Working in Canada Tool, in the USA visit O*NET OnLine or CareerInfoNet, and in the UK, Next Step’s Job Profiles or the Prospects website.Your own country is bound to have its own job guide or occupational profile withlocal career information. Check with your government careers service ordepartment of labour to see what resources are available.

Informational interview

Interviewing someone who works in a career you areinterested in is a great way to gain first-hand information. You can interviewpeople in person, by telephone or via email asking questions like "How didyou enter the industry?", "What qualifications did you require?"and "What are the best and worse parts of your job?" Be prepared witha list of relevant questions and take notes.

Industry journals and newsletters

Reading industry journals and newsletters canprovide valuable insight as they contain information about issues,opportunities, future trends and threats to the industry. Most industries havepeak bodies which produce quarterly or biannual journals and/or regularnewsletters discussing current and emerging issues in the field. Thesepublications can help you identify the nature of a particular industry alongwith its advantages and disadvantages. Industry journals and newsletters arealso a good source of information about events and professional developmentopportunities such as conferences, forums, training and workshops.

Volunteer work, work experience placements

By volunteering or undertaking a work experienceplacement, you get the opportunity to try out an occupation in an unpaidcapacity for a period of time. Your volunteer work or work experience placementwill be subject to workplace safety and insurance, and if the host employercannot arrange this for you, it will be necessary to have an agent (such as avolunteer organisation, school/ college or employment program) coordinate thison your behalf. If you are a student,check with your career guidance centre about work experience opportunities. Itmay be possible for you to undertake a number of placements over time to allowyou to experience a number of different careers. There is an added advantage tovolunteering and work experience placements; they can be added to your resumeor CV to demonstrate your dedication to a career in the field.

Job forecasts/occupational outlooks

Job forecasts and outlooksprovide statistical data to help predict the future demand for differentoccupations. This can be very useful by helping you understand if an occupation isviable to enter into. The information provided can include current and futureemployment prospects, wages and conditions. These can be obtained from a numberof sources including industry bodies or government departments such as theAustralian government's Job Outlook website, Canada’s Working in Canada Tool, USA Bureau of Labor Statistics’Occupational Outlook Handbook or in the UK the Industry Insights section of the Prospects website .

Observation/job shadowing

Observing people on the job, performing their roles can be a great way to learn about careers. Job shadowing is a more formal arrangement that allows you to shadow someone going about their usual job tasks. You are likely to learn about duties performed, interactions involved and general work environment. Some roles are solitary in nature with little opportunity for interaction with others whereas others might involve a high level of personal contact. You may not have realized the career you are interested in is so demanding or at the other extreme, less challenging than you would like.

Conferences/Meetings

Attending conferences,meetings and other events offers you a good opportunity to network with thosealready employed in an industry area. You will learn about the industry you areresearching and find yourself in a unique position to gain valuable contacts.

Employment advertisements

Employment advertisements can be very helpful inproviding information about an occupation which can help you determine if acareer is suitable for you. Many advertisements identify duties and responsibilities,hours of work, rates of pay, qualifications required and the need for speciallicences etc. Obtaining a position description and selection criteria will alsoprovide an detailed description of the role.

Television/Movies

Television shows (eg. CSI, Law & Order or ER) canprovide a rare insight into life in certain careers. Although the media is notrenowned for always painting a completely accurate picture of occupations, there’sno doubt it has some value. Given the nature of the information gained by thismethod of career research, it shouldn’t be your primary method of careerresearch. In fact, you should aim to undertake as many research activities aspossible to ensure the information you obtain is balanced and to increase itsvalidity.

Keep a record of your career research findings either in a dedicated journal or on your computer. It’s also a good idea to create a positives and negatives list for each career option you are researching. This will enable you to see which aspects of a job you think you would enjoy and those you wouldn't.

Career research can go a long way towards helpingyou find a career that will suit your own interests, attributes and abilities.Don't automatically discount a particular occupation because you currently lackthe necessary skills or qualifications. You can always gain the skills and/orqualifications. To get help with career decision making, goal setting andplanning consult a professional Career Counsellor.

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.

Five Common CV/Resume Mistakes People Make

2011-10-14T11:35:00.000+01:00

1. NOT TAILORING YOUR CV

The biggest mistake people make is not tailoring their CV to the job they are applying for. Many job seekers develop one version of their CV, which they submit for every position. By sending the same version of your CV for each type of role, you risk falling short of the mark when it comes time for the employer to sift through the pile of CVs on their desk. Only those CVs that directly match the role will be considered and if yours doesn't match, you won't be invited for an interview.

Although your qualifications, skills and experience remain the same, the way in which you present the information for different positions will vary. When applying for a senior role, for example, you'll need to highlight your supervisory and management experience. Applying for a lower level position, however, will require you to tone these down.

2. INCLUDING UNNECESSARY PERSONAL INFORMATION

Including personal information such as marital status, date of birth and religious affiliation is not required in most English-speaking parts of the world. Anti discrimination legislation means employers are not allowed to discriminate on the basis of marital status, age and religion so there is no need to include such information in your CV.

The only exceptions would be in the case of applying for a specialised role such as a pastoral counsellor, for example, where including details of your religious affiliation and training would be beneficial and may even be part of the selection criteria.

3. NOT USING KEYWORDS

The use of keywords in your CV is essential, particularly if you are applying for a role via a recruitment agency or larger company. Many recruitment agencies and large companies use specialised software that can scan CVs looking for keywords that relate to the role they are seeking to fill. If your CV fails to contain the necessary keywords, you won't be considered for the role at all.

Check the job advertisement for the keywords and be sure to include these in your CV. If the job advertisement doesn't contain enough information about the keywords, contact the recruiter and ask them exactly what they're looking for. Keywords should be included throughout your CV including in your CV's job title, objective, skills summary, overview, task descriptions and education/training sections.

4. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS

If you are preparing your CV on your own, be sure to use spell check to correct errors and then have it checked by at least two other people. Relying solely upon spell check can be disastrous since many words contained in CVs are not recognised or can be misinterpreted by spell check.

If English is your second language, poor grammar is a particular issue you may need to be aware of. Having a native English speaker check the grammar in your CV is vital. An employer will immediately pick up on your less-than-perfect English-language skills even if your spoken English skills are superior.

5. INCLUDING HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

With the exception of students or teens looking for their first part time job, including a section in your CV about your hobbies and interests is not recommended. Employers don't need to know you enjoy crocheting, archery and travelling in your spare time.

If the position you are applying for calls for someone with knowledge and experience in one of your hobby and interest areas, highlight this in the summary or overview section of your CV rather than under a 'Hobbies and Interests' heading.

For students or teens with limited or no previous work history, it can be useful to include hobbies and interests as these can demonstrate desirable qualities to an employer. Involvement in a sporting team demonstrates team-work skills, an interest in animals can indicate compassion and an interest in cycling can show you are fit and healthy. It is not advisable to include hobbies and interests that could be detrimental such as listing 'going to parties' or 'hanging out with friends' since these add nothing to your application.

There are many resources available online to help guide you through the process of creating a professional resume. If you need help, consult a career counsellor or resume/CV writer. They will be able to develop a professional CV taking into account your qualifications, skills and experience together with the kinds of roles you will be applying for.

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au..

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - What It Is and How to Record It

2011-10-07T17:15:00.000+01:00

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development or CPD, is any career related activity undertaken to increase your knowledge, skills or qualifications. The underpinning principle behind CPD is that lifelong learning is necessary to ensure our workplace skills and knowledge remain up-to-date. CPD can take the form of:

Formal or informal education and training
Work-based learning
Professional activities
Self-directed learning

Why do I need to keep a record of my CPD?

There are a number of reasons why it is necessary to keep a record of your CPD including:

Maintain a record of your professional development activities that can be transferred to your CV. Including CPD activities in your CV demonstrates your up-to-date knowledge and skills;

Keep track of and provide evidence of professional development activities for inclusion in your career portfolio (or e-portfolio). Your career portfolio provides tangible evidence to back up your CPD claims;

Most professional and regulatory bodies require you achieve a certain number of CPD points annually in order to retain your membership status. You can also use your evidence to prove necessary competencies to attain certification;

Contribute to your CPD log as part of your workplace performance review. Keeping detailed CPD records can help you gain a promotion and/or a pay rise and demonstrate your commitment to your own career development.

Helps you reflect on your own career development, identify skills and knowledge gaps, as well as recognise when qualifications/certifications may be required. This can help you decide upon future CPD activities. It can also be useful to examine your CPD as part of career counselling to determine which activities you have (or haven't) enjoyed.

How do I keep a record of my CPD?

If you are a member of a professional association or your occupation is regulated, there will usually be an online CPD system in place making it easy for you to record and manage your CPD. Online CPD recording systems are generally referred to as e-portfolios or digital portfolios.

Your employer is likely to have a CPD policy together with CPD recording and management system. If your workplace doesn't have an active CPD program, you can establish your own CPD log. To record your CPD on your computer, you can create a basic CPD activity log by recording activities in a spreadsheet. Supporting evidence documents can be scanned and added to the document. It is advisable to also keep a hard copy of your CPD activity log in your career portfolio along with original evidence documents.

Some prefer to write down their CPD, using a journal or book to record and reflect upon their CPD activities. Office diaries often have a section at the end of each week with space for notes where you might like to jot down details of the week's CPD activities. These can then be transferred to a spreadsheet or other CPD recording system.

The most important thing is that you keep a regular log CPD activities undertaken and gather evidence documents to support your activities log. It can be useful to set aside time at the end of each week to identify and reflect upon any CPD activities you have undertaken and record them. Once you get into the habit of recording your CPD activities and collecting evidence documents, it will become second-nature.

If you are new to CPD, it can be useful to consult a career development specialist who can guide you through the process of setting up and managing your CPD. A career development specialist can also guide you in developing a high impact portfolio to showcase your CPD activities.

CareerWorx Careers & Transitions provides CPD management assistance and is available to assist you by email, telephone and online.

Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, BSocSc(Couns), DipCareerGuid, CDAA, MICG is a Career Development Consultant & Career Counsellor/Coach at CareerWorx www.careerworx.co.uk and www.careerworx.com.au.