Satisfying Career - Happier Life

Freedom from Fear - Satisfying Career – Happier Life is Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:23:00 +0000

Freedom from fear – fear liberates you to endless possibilities.

This post is about how I have overcome the “fear” of moving my blogger hosted blog to my own domain; but first I want to take time to sincerely thank you – the readers for your continued support and participation on this blog. THANK YOU READERS and visitors I deeply appreciate you taking time to read, comment and reach out to me in the last four years of Satisfying Career- Happier Life blog. I seek your support through this transition and I hope you will reach out to me and provide your valuable feedback and comments on all future posts of the blog.

The new residence of Careerbright.blogspot.com is http://careerbright.com

Freedom from Fear
In my observation the stepping stones to overcoming fear are knowledge and risk; we have to work hard to attain both these essential tools to help vanquish fear.

Why knowledge? Of all the fears that we fear most is the one of the unknown – the “ifs” and “buts” which in reality may not even exist. Knowledge is the key weapon to use to obliterate fear. It is the preparation step – preparation to beat fear. Gain the knowledge to understand the reasons of your doubts or trepidation and you will discover that most of them are unfounded or not so formidable anymore.

Why risk? Knowledge is power – but without action it is of little worth. Unless and until you commit to taking a risk you would not be able to conquer fear. Risk is the action step. Act to overcome fear. You cannot expect things to change or be different if you continue to do what you do – you have to take the risk to evaluate if the change can be for the better and does it accelerate you towards your goals.All this in my context was just to get over the fear of moving my blog to my own hosted domain (instead of blogger). My fears were – my readers might not like or accept the change, my blog traffic would suffer, readers are used to the look and feel of the blog, and my own “unknown” fear – what if it does not go as I want it to.

For more than a year I have delayed the process of moving my blog to my domain http://careerbright.com/ and the main reason was of course, fear. As I say above, the two step process to snub fear were gaining knowledge to understand that most of my fears are not true – there are ways to keep the traffic and redirect from the blogger blog (Thanks to all those wonderful guidelines on the internet, I followed mostly Amit of Digital Inspiration) and the strength to take the risk to see what the new change brings in.

And then there is this last very important step which ensures sustainability to any project or idea – faith. The faith that I have in myself and the readers – to you who have been the reason of the continuity of this blog. Without the readers there would be not much reason to be excited to put up that latest employment news and to inspire if no one is listening. I thank you all again for your continued support and I hope I will prove to be a valuable resource to all your career needs and issues.

Please note:

You do not have to renew your subscriptions.

You do not have to change any URL settings you have saved, there will be a auto redirect from the Blogspot web address to the new one.

The posts have been categorized at the Careerbright blog, you can have a look at the categories here.

I seek your approval, support and comments on the new look and feel of the blog, which articles will benefit you the most and please contribute to the CAREERBRIGHT blog as you wish – I welcome guest articles and also feedback on published posts and ideas for new ones.
I look forward to hearing from you.

To your satisfying career and happier life – my best wishes always!
Cheers,
Shweta @ Careerbright

5 Steps to Deal with Boring Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:51:00 +0000

If you are bored at work and have done nothing about it, perhaps this article will get you up and working on how to get out of it right now - You really can be bored to death, researchers say.
According to the report:

“Those who reported they had been very bored were two and a half times more likely to die of a heart problem than those who hadn't reported being bored,” AP reports and cites comments from cardiologist Christopher Cannon that chronically bored people may not be motivated to take care of their health or may suffer from depression, which is linked to heart disease. Cannon also told AP it was possible that when people are bored, dangerous hormones are released in the body that stress the heart.

If you are bored at work and wondering what to do about it and are not one of those who are exhilarated for not doing anything and still getting paid - like Dilbert and Wally here in the Dilbert comic picture; then this article is for you.
If you do not enjoy your current work and the thought of getting up everyday and getting ready to get to a place that bores you thoroughly makes you writhe and squirm, then follow these 5 steps that will help you deal with your current boring work and help you find a better solution to get out of it as well!

1. First- Analysis – is the work boring you or the routine
Often you will come across people who say have had a great performance record at their present job but slowly and surely they find it dwindling to the extent of getting bad reviews, disinterest in any work and not keeping the deadlines. Is it the job that they once were completely excited about a dead end for them or is it the routine that has bored them? What about you? Have you taken time to analyze why once a “to-die-for” position has suddenly lost its luster entirely?
As time goes by our priorities change and so does our interests, when the work seems dull and boring it is time to analyze the reason WHY first.
Ask questions like:

What is most boring about my job today?

Why did I not complain before?

If I were to be excited about getting up every day and going to work, what would I enjoy doing the most?

Does that translate into any positions that I am aware of in the present company?

What has changed in the recent past that adds up to the situation?

2. What’s the Problem? Boss, Team, Relationships
During your analysis stage you will find one or many reasons on why you are bored with something you loved before. It is time to answer the main question now? What is the Problem? If your supervisor if not the reason of your disliking the current work then go ahead and talk to your boss about any other projects he can recommend that interest you more. At times you are not so lucky to have a compassionate and understanding boss. Well sure enough it could be the reason why you despise work now because the human connection which perhaps you had before is not there. Your team members have moved on, the company downsized and the group is much smaller, there is a new boss with whom you do not connect. The reason could be any or all of these. Work is boring because you do not enjoy as much as you did before with the new team or leadership, they fail to motivate you. If most of the above fall in your list of reasons then it is perhaps time to explore other positions within your company.

3. Another position within your company
Give it a chance at least. Especially in the times of recession and low hiring, you stand a better chance of retaining a healthy cash flow through a steady income by not quitting your job. You can start on the informational interview with friends and colleagues who are in other groups to know more about what they do? It is the first step towards finding something that might be a better fit for your skills and personality.

4. Take a Break
A monotonous life is not for many. Perhaps it is time for seek adventure and perhaps a time to take a break. Why don’t you give it a try? When you break off from routine and let the mind rest, better thoughts may prevail, think Archimedes. But this step calls for more than just time off in your bathtub. You might consider a sabbatical to first relax and then explore on exciting possibilities to further your career or you might seek assistance of a job counselor or a career expert who can guide you through a career “rediscovery” process and you might be enlightened with some support and guidance. So irrespective of whether you have a cooperative boss, an internal opening g might be a possibility or you are planning on quitting your job, give taking-a-break a chance. I would especially recommend you to do so if you are considering quitting your job.

5. Quit your job
When nothing works then it is time to quit job and start looking for something more satisfying and that utilizes your potential and skills. Where you do not exist as a mechanical head on typing fingers. Of course follow the course of practical thinking and keep your focus on what you want not what you don’t want.
You have one life; don’t spend most of it being bored.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE/ARE BORED AT WORK?

The Workplace Changes as Recession Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:47:00 +0000

A major trend from the current recession has been a continued wave of layoffs and outsourcing and as we all have seen in the past two years, more and more companies around the world are focusing on cutting on spending that mainly results in a reduction in workforce.
As soon as there is a revenue drop or even a prediction we see major layoffs being announced. This has been a trend in the last many months and continues this year as well. Here is a short compilation of how companies have fared and used strategic tactics to keep afloat and grow during recession.

Expatica.com says:

Companies making tough choices to stimulate growth during recession

Firms focused on rapid growth are blending defensive tactics like staff cuts with offensive measures in their efforts to pass their competitors, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit.In an economic downturn as steep as the current recession, companies tend to hunker down, cut costs and seek efficiencies. But firms focused on rapid growth are blending these defensive tactics with offensive measures in their efforts to pass their competitors.
This is the main finding of a new research report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Management magnified: Strategies for revenue growth in an economic downturn, sponsored by SAS. The research is part of a three-pronged analysis of management strategies that includes an examination of decision making in a recession and an assessment of executives’ perceptions of the link between sustainability and growth.
Companies will continue to face challenges in the near term. The EIU forecasts a slow recovery for the global economy through 2013, although performance will vary by region and industry. The economies of North America and Western Europe will slowly expand, not topping 2 percent GDP growth until 2013. Latin America and the transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe will pick up in 2011, and the Middle East and North Africa will experience a somewhat stronger rebound, starting in 2010. Emerging Asia will be the fastest growing region in 2010 - 13, led by India and China.

Read on ....

Some snippets from the last year:

Computerworld reports:
HP revenue drops in tough climate

Computer industry bellwether Hewlett-Packard Co. reported a 3% drop in revenue as its major lines of business continued to be hammered by the global recession.
The company also became the latest technology vendor to resort to layoffs in order to cut costs. Over the next 12 months, HP will lay off about 2% of its work force, or about 6,000 employees, HP Chief Financial Officer Cathie Lesjak said during a conference call with financial analysts Tuesday. HP employs 321,000 worldwide.

Another major impact comes from outsourcing jobs to lower spending.
Another report from Computerworld says:

IBM, which is cutting thousands of employees in a move that it has refrained from describing as a layoff, is offering affected workers what it calls Project Match. The employees who can take advantage of the offer include those who have been "notified of separation from IBM U.S. or Canada" and "are willing to work on local terms and conditions," the company said.
U.S. workers have long taken jobs in other countries to get promotions or for the experience of living overseas, but corporate expats are typically paid on a U.S. wage scale. IBM said that as part of Project Match, it is offering workers financial aid to offset moving costs, assistance with visas "and other support to help ease the transition of an international move." But their wages may be similar to the pay of employees in the countries to which they're moving.

Read on.....

Changes in policies and long-term plans might be in place for many organizations but what they must understand that even during the tough times the most important asset of any company is its people. They must ensure that employees do not live under the fear of layoffs or termination. It is extremely difficult to thrive and be productive if you fear a sword hanging over your head. This year the focus must shift towards retaining their talent, recognizing hard working / valuable employees and appropriate changes in marketing strategies to ensure a decent ROI.

Related Posts:

Employment and Workforce News

5 Steps toward Overcoming Challenges of a Career Change

Creating New Jobs – News from the White House

Don't let your Job make you Flabby

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:26:00 +0000

I get free food at work, the cafeteria offers a range of entrées and the dessert are irresistible; but help…my job is making me fat!
Here are some tips and ideas from the web pages that talk about how to lookout for healthy habits at your workplace and how not to let your job make you fat.

From WebMD
Easy, Healthy Workplace Snacks -12 portable goodies that will keep you away from the vending machine
By Elaine Magee

Aside from the fact that it's good for mind, body, and soul to work breaks into the workday, this desktop dining habit is a potential health disaster, according to nutrition experts. Here's why:

When people snack at their desks, they tend to eat fast and furiously. And if you eat fast, you're more likely to eat more than you need.

When you eat while trying to work, it's likely to be "mindless eating." Your body is going through the motions, but your brain isn't fully aware you're eating. Again, this can lead to taking in more calories than your body really needs.

Studies have shown that when we snack because of stress or boredom (not out of hunger), the calories we consume tend to be "extra" calories. In other words, we don't compensate by eating less at the next meal or by waiting longer until the next meal. For example, a recent French study found that when lean young men were fed either a high-protein or high-carbohydrate snack 215 minutes after lunch, they ate about the same number of calories at dinner as they did on days when they didn't have an afternoon snack.
Read on…

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature on MedicineNet
How to watch your weight in the workplace
By Leanna Skarnulis

First, take a lesson from employers who are actively promoting good health habits in the workplace.
Logan Aluminum in Russellville, Ky., has an 11-year-old wellness program most workers can only dream about. The company has about 1,000 employees, mostly male. Each year the company sets company-wide goals and encourages work teams and individuals to set goals.
Last year's employee goals included reducing body mass index (BMI), exercising at least three times a week, reducing tobacco use, increasing use of seat belts, and lowering health-care costs.
"Kentucky ranks fourth among states in the incidence of obesity," says Logan's wellness director, Teresa Lovely. "Around here, people raise tobacco and eat fried food."
Last year, Logan saw a 4% increase in the number of workers whose BMI is in the acceptable range and an 8% increase in exercise. Of the 900 employees who set wellness goals, 800 met them and received $50 gift cards.
"That's very high participation," says Lovely. "The first year we had individual goals was 1997, and we awarded incentives to just 10 people."
The wellness program includes classes, a fitness center, and a policy of offering healthy alternatives whenever the company provides food. For example, in addition to hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and soda at the company picnic, there are grilled chicken breasts, baked chips, bottled water, and fresh fruit. "We've made these changes, and people accept them," says Lovely.
Read on…
From DocShop.com
Is Your Job Making You Fat? Fight Back with Work Workouts
By Amy Teeple

Taking the Fight against the Office Weight Gain to the Next Level
If you are already using the above recommendations, there are things you can do to take your work workout to the next level. Just realize that you may elicit some curious stares from your coworkers.Additional steps you can take to add physical activity to your workday include:
Use Under-the-desk Exercise Machines - These small machines fit under your desk and can allow you to burn extra calories through a pedaling or stepping motion.
Replace Your Chair with a Balance Ball - Forcing your body to balance strengthens your core muscles and helps burn more calories.
Create a Desk Workout - The typical desk workout can take about five minutes. Popular components of desk workouts include:

Wall push ups

Jumping jacks

Chair squats

Torso twist

Water bottle curls

Start a Weight Loss Support Group - These groups can take the form of true support groups or they can follow the growing trend of Biggest Loser-type competitions among coworkers.
Read on..

What do you do keep off those extra pounds creeping on at your desk job?

Related Posts:
How to Move Away from Work During Weekends
Healthy Lunch for a Working Mother
My Stress My Addiction
Top 5 Reasons why you want to Work Part-Time

How to Manage Work Overload and Fire Fighting at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:01:00 +0000

When work overpowers your life and it is work while you work and work while you play – that means no time off for Johnny; it is time to sit back and evaluate what is going wrong. Many employees around the world are prone to burning the candle at both ends and in the long run the results are hard hitting on their health, personal life and even career.
Is it just that the work at present is too much or is it that this is the norm – you are mostly in a fire fighting mode at work and the tasks at hand are taking control of you rather than being the other way around?
Until and unless the reasons are taken care there is a high probability that you will land in this situation once again sometime in future. Taking control of our habits is the first step toward getting us out of the “fire-fighting” eventualities.

Learn to say NO

When it becomes so overwhelming it is time to step back and evaluate the reasons on why you are this stage in the first place? Do you have more on your plate than you can digest? Are you in the habit of pleasing your boss and saying “yes” more often to the appointed tasks? Don’t think that doing more means you could be the good books of management and your co-workers; stress and work overload affects productivity and quality of work. What matters eventually is the quality not quantity. Your first step now is to learn to say NO to what you cannot accomplish in a given time frame or just is too much for you to handle.

Delegate Delegate Delegate

The second step is to learn to delegate – since you are completely overwhelmed and stressed out chances are you are not in the right mental stage to get all the work done in the time it is due and maybe the quality of your work might suffer. At this point it is time to delegate those tasks which others can do for you.

Break it Down

Once you are done with the evaluation stage the major task of course is to get the task done anyways. First break it down – what can be done and what cannot be done. And of course first list out what MUST be done. Once you break down the task and itemize them in your priority list the picture gets clearer. It is always a good idea to write your “sub tasks” down, anything in writing is more effective than

And yet again I want to stress the point that if you see this happening many times over then it is a habit – get out of it before it wrecks your career and personal life. Learn to say No and delegate tasks to your team right at the planning stage.

Related Posts:
Stress Management for Working Women
How to Move Away from Work During Weekends
My Stress My Addiction
How to Talk to your Boss about your Career Goals
Top Reasons for Poor Performance at Work
Work-Life Balance - as it means to others

Your Sweetheart is at your Workplace

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +0000

I can gaze into your eyes for hours together, many a times I fail to blink. I do not mind that at all, I can strain as much and would happily take on glasses or contacts but cannot think of a day when I do not look at you.
I want to take you home from work, but my wife does not like you. I sometimes sneak in around bedtime to my home office and look at you through my PC, just another hour with you completes the day’s work – I mean worth.

I wish to accessorize you with the latest adornments; I will save for you so you feel updated.
My laptop/ my computer, you are my sweetheart. You are the one with whom I spend most days and hours of my life – even more than that with my family and kids. Today with my hands in yours (keyboard) I wish you Happy Valentine’s Day!

Is your sweetheart at your workplace too?

Employment and Workforce News

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Employment, workforce news and updates from the last month and projections for the future from various sources, and as usual you will see that the reports are not so very consistent.. we all hope that the recession is behind us and the predictions make us elated or sad and so does the DOW goes up and down… more people have lost jobs in the last 2-3 months than ever before in a given month then why are we rejoicing on the unemployment rate "falling" to 9.7 percent!
Well, the bottom line is not that how many people lost their jobs but how many more jobs were created.
Here are some major news from the US on employment and new jobs created:

From CNNMONEY.COM

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The government's monthly job report on Friday showed that the disastrous labor situation plaguing the nation's economy is moderating. But the report also underlines an unsettling reality: 8.4 million jobs have been vaporized since the recession began, and digging out won't be easy.
The unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in January to 9.7%. And businesses shed 20,000 jobs for the month, far fewer than the 150,000 jobs that were lost in December.
But, at the same time, the Labor Department revised its previous estimates for the number of jobs that have been lost over the past 25 months. What they found wasn't pretty.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost 1.4 million more jobs than previously believed. The adjustments also showed losses for 2009 alone came to 4.8 million jobs, greater than 600,000 more than previously estimated.

From the WALL STREET JOURNAL

Productivity, Jobless Claims Rise
The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, indicating the labor market remains sluggish even as the economic recovery gains steam.
Initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 8,000 to 480,000 in the week ended Jan. 30, the department said in its weekly report. The previous week's level was revised upward to 472,000 from 470,000.

From the WHITE HOUSE

Back to Basics: Creating New Jobs with the National Export Initiative
The NEI is going to impact a whole array of issues that affect our ability to export, but we’re fundamentally focused on three things:

Expand the US government's export promotion efforts in all its forms. Many American companies don't export, or export less than they should, because they simply don't have the resources to identify promising new markets or the necessary contacts in foreign countries. The National Export Initiative will funnel $132 million to the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), and the US Department of Agriculture to educate U.S. farmers and businesses about opportunities overseas and directly connect them with new customers.

Improve access to credit, especially for small- and medium-sized businesses that want to export.

Increase the government's focus on knocking down barriers that prevent U.S. companies from getting open and fair access to foreign markets.

From FORBES.COM

Economic Recovery Not Translating To Jobs

Surprise jump in weekly unemployment claims has investors on edge heading into Friday's nonfarm payrolls report.
The Labor Department reported a surprise increase in first-time unemployment claims Thursday, a worrisome signal ahead of Friday's much-anticipated January jobs report.Related Posts:
Latest News on Employment from the US
Will our Jobs be more Stressful in 2010?
Creating New Jobs – News from the White House

Interview Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:41:00 +0000

A list of articles on the Careerbright Blog on interview tips and advice - prepare, present and follow-up, and there is more on how to make your next interview a success story.
Interview Etiquettes, the Preparation and Presentation Before and During the Interview
Your Non-Verbal ImpressionsYou are assessed much before you even speak the first word. A substantial amount of your impression is put forward through your body language and other non-verbal skills. If you have prepared or done a role-play earlier it might make you more confident and get your non-verbal skills up to the mark.
Read on….

Dealing with Rejection after an Interview
It is true that you have spent many months, weeks and hours over preparation and managing the interview process and you feel dejected and withdrawn when not getting a favorable response but time spent mourning is the previous time spent wasted. Use this time instead on research and analysis on what went wrong and how to deal with the rejection in the positive light.
Read on…

Dressing up for an Interview
Tips for dressing up an interview are all over the place and even though you may have been to many interviews it's very often the case that you stand in front of your wardrobe and think, “I have nothing to wear for this interview.” Or, “Would this be appropriate?”
Read on…

5 Tips to help you beat the Fear of Interviews
It is not uncommon to experience fear or anxiety before an interview, but since the interview process is your gateway to the job, you must make efforts towards addressing this issue honestly. Here are some tips that might help you in overcoming the anxiety.
Read on…

On Negotiating Going Part-Time from Full-Time
Many working women think about going part-time due to work-life balance issues, dependent care responsibilities or due to personal problems or preferences. Part-time works or flexible working hours gives many a working mothers a considerable choice to not opt-out of the workforce after having a baby.
Read on…

Sustaining a Long Interview
With some of the interviews running over multiple hours and sessions sustenance is a major issue as well. How can you be enthusiastic, attentive and energetic after 3 hours of one-on-one interviewing and 2 hours of group interviewing and more to come?The mind and body work together in tandem, if one is overworked and exhausted it affects the other.
Read on…

Interview or a Meeting – The First Impression
“The first impression is the last impression”, may or may not be true, but first impressions last. The first impression may be just your appearance that day, a simple handshake, a smiling entry or the first few words of greetings you deliver. These trivial gestures make an instant impact and even to an extent leading to a decision about your personality and your attitude. Within the first three seconds of a new encounter, you are evaluated… even if it is just a glance.
Read on…

How to Handle Work-Life Balance Questions during an Interview
If you have some priorities in life regarding flexible working or part-time work, it is good to inform of your expectations during an interview, because if you are unable to convey to the recruiters/hiring managers to what you truly want, a few months or year down the new job, you might not be satisfied with the working conditions and not able to handle the stress at work and managing family. Job hopping can be stressful and also may not be possible at all in case of a bad economy.
Read on…

Interview Question - What are your long term career goals?
How honest can you be with the answer when you are confronted with this question either in an interview or during the annual performance review? Or, how would you answer this question at an interview at a company where you see yourself working for a short time only?
Read on…

5 Tips to help you beat the Fear of Interviews
“Thinking of the interview or the forthcoming presentations makes my hands and legs tremble, I feel nervous and cannot breathe easily.” It is not uncommon to experience fear or anxiety before an interview, but since the interview process is your gateway to the job, you must make efforts towards addressing this issue honestly. Here are some tips that might help you in overcoming the anxiety.
Read on…

3 Ways to Position Your Professional Resume to Land the Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Guest Post from Great Resumes Fast

Ever worked in more than one industry or more than one position on your way to career super stardom? I thought so. Many of us get trapped by this feeling that our resume has to be a complete historical rundown of everything we have ever done and everywhere we have ever done it. Not true. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying; I’m not advising you to lie, be untruthful, or withhold information. What I am going to share with you are three ways to focus your resume so that you can optimize your opportunities for interview call backs.

DO NOT SEND A GENERIC RESUME.
Sending a generic, unfocused resume is a waste of your time and the hiring manager’s time. Instead, spend a few extra moments tailoring your resume to fit the needs of the organization to which you are applying. Review the job description and ensure that you offer what they need. Then make sure you show them that.

DO NOT LIST DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
I just rocked the boat on that one a little, didn’t I? Seriously, a list of your past duties and responsibilities is so boring. I can get that from a job description. What I can’t get from a job description is how you addressed those responsibilities. SHOW me how successful you are by using C.A.R. (challenge, action, results) statements to showcase your achievements and contributions.

GIVE THEM A REASON TO KEEP READING
Develop a relevant and effective personal branding statement that in one sentence tells the employer who you are and the value you can bring to their organization. If you can meet or exceed a need they have it makes you a very valuable resource and puts you at the top of their candidate list.

If you show the employer you are the perfect fit, that you can meet/exceed their needs, and that you can bring quantifiable value to their organization, who wouldn’t want to hire you? It is just a matter of taking the time to show them you’re the right person for the job. In our fast-paced society we sometimes feel that quantity outweighs quality, but in this job market nothing could be more critical. Instead of shooting blanks at every opportunity that comes across your path, invest some extra time in creating a document that will secure you the interview. And it is an investment because in the long run it will pay off; it just takes a little extra time up front.

For a free resume analysis send your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com. You can visit us online at Great Resumes Fast to view sample resumes and find information about personal branding and professional resume writing services.

Job Search

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:51:00 +0000

A list of articles on the Careerbright Blog that assist you during your job search.

Who all to Contact when Looking for a Job
The smarter and better you can network now the faster you will land a job. Now, who all could you contact to accelerate your job or career search process?
Read on…

Where to find Free Career and Job Search Advice
Of course, the internet being one of the largest resource for the free information on everything, count on it for your job search and career advice as well. Here are some others which you might or might be aware of:
Read on…

Online Job Boards can Help during Recession
Online job boards might be most viewed websites these days. With mass layoffs and not much employment in sight there are hundreds and thousands on these job boards scouring through the few jobs and sending resumes to even those with remote possibilities of getting a call back.
Read on…

What would you do to land an Interview?
KyNam Doan has pledged 6 hours of community service for each job interview he lands. Cassidy reports in this article that he has landed 9 interviews since he started his campaign through the social networking websites and his own, but no job offer so far.
Read on…

2009 Graduates – Tips on getting Hired this year
The economy has been predicted to be at a low point this year; recovery in the job market is always slow after a recession; most definitely this is the time for the new graduates of 2009 to be prepared for the slow hiring this year.
Read on…

Alternatives to a Permanent Full Time Job
The alternatives to a permanent full time job include part-time work, contract jobs and all, but there are other options too which you could explore and see what suits best to you.
Read on…

How to Find a Job when there are none around
If you are in a layoff as a result of the economic downturn; then you will benefit from these tips on how to find a job when there is a hiring freeze everywhere and the companies are getting our of business left and right.
Read on…

Recreate and Diversify in a Recession
If you want to live and thrive through a recession and not just survive as a either a fence-sitter or blanket sulker, then your best bets today lie in being creative and in your knack to diversify quickly in the areas that have positive cash flow. And for this the first step must be to do a smart and time-efficient research to identify areas where there is present and urgent requirement and demand, either in terms of customer satisfaction or at your present workplace.
Read on…

In a Tough Economy will Freelance Thrive
An advantage for a freelancer during the tough recession times is a somewhat cash-flow security even if you are in a layoff from a full-time job. And also even if you are working part-time on your present job you can still find time to some freelance work (to make that extra dough for the rainy days). That also makes the framework of starting your own business somewhere down the road.
Read on…

Green Jobs and Careers
All those jobs that support energy innovation, green technology and clean energy solutions come under green jobs and green careers. The term can be used in a very broad sense covering Alternative energy, Energy Saving Modules, Brushless Wound-Rotor Doubly-Fed Electric Machine, Green building, Green syndicalism, Hybrid vehicle, Solar power, Solar cells, Solar heating and technologies that retain sustainable development , for example recycling, water purification, sewage treatment, remediation, flue gas treatment, solid waste management, and renewable energy.
Read on…

Blogging as a Career
If money is the only reason then think again. The first step towards your decision to be a full-time professional blogger must be to research thoroughly on how previous successes have been achieved and what are the real life scenarios – not getting all enamored by the one page websites of all those bloggers around who want to sell their software or services and get you making a 5 figure income in a month through blogs – easily.
Read on…

Reentering the Job Market - Making your Way Back to the Previous Company
If the company you have previously worked with is willing for a re-hiring process it also shows that they support family-friendly policies and shows their support for those employees who have stepped out of the workforce to take care of their kids or for other personal reasons.
Read on…

On the Way to Reentering Workforce - Time Management
Plan your day by writing on a calendar or post-its on what milestones you would like to conquer during the week. Usually a week’s planning helps because if you can accomplish all of them you have time for some more or if not you can carefully plan out to complete during the weekend to keep to your schedule and be true to commit yourself to the schedule you planned.
Read on…

On the Way to Reentering Workforce - Conquering FEAR
For some of the re-entrants it is a similar experience as if stepping in the job market for the first time. Fear, confusion and a jittery confidence are all part of the pre-interview process.
Read on…

SAMPLE RESUME - Career Change and Re-entering the ...
The example here is a sample resume of an event planner who is a re-entrant to the job market after a few years work experience gap in her resume and also now plans a career change - from teaching job to an event planner. Learn from this resume how you can use your volunteering experience to add to your skills and present a resume in a functional form.
Read on…

Strengthening the Pillars of Self-Confidence on ...
There is no secret to success. It just needs to be re-discovered. The answer lies within you, how positive can you be towards the action? How motivated can you be to take that action into a real step? How persistent can you be to achieve what you want?
Read on…

How to be Optimistic during the Job Search Process...
Being in a job search for long can be mentally draining and physically taxing, seek support in friends, family or professional help and support with career coaches or counselors.
Read on…

Women Need Support to Reenter the Workforce – This...
In a choice to join work after motherhood, many women would choose to be stay at home moms and sacrifice their careers to bring up their kids; but for many of them it is not a choice, with the main source of income generating through them and the pressures of a higher standards of living in bigger cities it is not possible to survive and save in one income only. With no choice women have to choose working over spending more time with kids. Would that scenario change if women had a right to part-time work and flexible working hours schedule?
Read on…

Success at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Some articles on Careerbright blog that help you accelerate towards success at your workplace.

Important Tips on Seeking Recommendation

Letter of references or recommendation verify your claims of “good teamwork” “high profitability to an organization” “skilled leader” or “technically exceptional” in your resume or in the interview. So make sure that you read these tips before you seek your next recommendation and then go ahead and ask for references from those who like you and have liked working with you.
Read on…

How to avoid the 5 Major Distractions at Work

Emails, phone calls, a colleague drops in wants to go for coffee with you or just general conversations, an impromptu meeting, and again that email pop-up – 2 new emails in your inbox. You hardly realized but these little distractions have taken away around 2-3 hours of your productive time at the workplace.
Read on…

I'm not Productive Today - 5 Tips to make the best of a Lowday

Have you ever had a day when you felt like nothing was falling in place? A day when the energies are low and there is no motivation to get to work? A day when the mind and body are tired and say “no” to the workplace?
Read on…

Why is Success taking Longer to Arrive?

Is success eluding you or taking longer to arrive in this present recession?I recently discussed how the entrepreneurial bloom is all over since recession took away millions of jobs from us. Some of these new entrepreneurs, I know personally and one of their major concern that came up during a discussion was – Can I hang on to my dream when success is taking longer than ever to happen to me?
Read on…

I don’t get recognized for what I do

“For many years I have put in long hours, including many weekends. I have put my energy and soul into my job and the organization. I have brought profits to the team; but I have never been recognized for it.”AJ said and was almost ready to quit working for those who didn’t care what he had done for them; but of course is ready to change with some advice.
Read on…

How to be a Good Employee – 5 Lessons from the Gol...

Keep good company at work; collaborate with those more knowledgeable than you are and impart knowledge to new hires. Make your day at the workplace more meaningful and fulfilling.
Read on…

8 Ways to Improve Your Work Productivity Overnight...

Are you finding that you aren't as productive as you should be during your workday? Perhaps it is your boss who has noticed, which is never a good thing. Being productive can simplify your job down the line and, in many cases, will get you out of the office quicker.
Read on…

Document your Accomplishments

Being proactive in your present career is one smart move which could bring you exemplary success and satisfaction at work. Documenting your work today shows your diligence towards your career growth.
Read on…

Career Coaching as an Inherent Strategy for Performance Improvement for all in an Organization

Although career coaching and corporate or executive coaching is catching up a lot faster in the US today and seems to be a trend for this century, it is still not there. The reasons I can guess are because it is not being accepted by most of the large and small organizations as a part of an overall and continuing strategy for talent management enhancing leadership skills within a company.
Read on…

Clarify your Career Goals

Stop what you are doing now and spend time to investigate what you want to do in future. Make short-term and long-term goals, your short-term goals must be such to move you towards your long-term dreams of a satisfying career. The answers will come once you are clear on your goals on what you want to do.
Read on…

Work-Life Balance - as it means to others

In a work-life balance speech by Maria Shriver, California’s first lady says, “Follow your passion but slow down." This advice comes, she said, "after operating my life at a thousand miles an hour."She's now trying to live her life in the present. "What I'm trying to do," she said, "is not do a lot of stuff like this."
Read on…

Showing Appreciation at Work

Though appreciation and acknowledgement is an essential aspect of management feedback and helps in maintaining a healthy employee-employer relationship, employees must also use this essential skill and etiquette at work with co-workers and managers.
Read on…

7 Tips to help you Work effectively from Home

If you are telecommuting often or have a home-based business here are some great tips that will help you remain focused and organized.
Read on…

All Things At ONCE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:23:00 +0000

“Some of us are wired for work. It’s in our bones. Some of us are wired for family. And some of us are wired for all of it.” Mika Brezenski in All things at Once.

It is tough to strike a balance between work and family life and Mika tells her story in an honest and straightforward way. In fact, it is just not Mika’s story so many full-time moms around the world would relate to the daily struggles and pains that we all go through trying to have it all – or just trying to maintain a balance in our personal and professional lives.

Mika’s story relates poignantly to any working mom’s journey of growing, learning and the struggles to achieve a balance between work and personal life.
And we all connect with it easily. I admired Mika for this statement in her book: “Your job can be a big part of who you are, but it shouldn’t be the whole package. Your family and relationships should be central, but they needn’t be front and center at all times.” Wouldn’t you agree?

Discussions, blogs, articles, books when talking about the work-life balance suggest not to “have it all”, you have to give some to get some, but many women that we see around have done “all things at once”. To have a busy high flying career, a family life and a healthy marriage; but all of this comes with a trade-off – some give and take as you miss out on the kids schedules, miss out on being part of their lives when they want to turn back and say “look mommy, I did this”. For a woman managing a high flying career and family with young kids is mighty tough. Going through one mad scramble after another we miss out on the overall goals and objectives of our existence.

Mika says: “Later on, going over this frantic period in my life, trying to understand my impulse and motivation, I began to realize that women sometimes make life-altering career decisions with a kind of gun to their heads. We put ourselves in these false do-or-die scenarios that leave us thinking if we don’t overextend ourselves, or push, push, push after opportunities when they appear, that we’ll never accomplish our goals or rise in the estimation of our peers. That was me, there was the CBS night shift, only I failed to consider that I’d already accomplished my primary goals; I was married to an amazing man, with a beautiful baby girl and a career I loved.”

See a video here as Mika talks about her book.

We all have stories of our lives but not all of us can or have shared it to encourage or intrigue others to a discussion on how difficult it is for a working mother to aspire for career promotions and work hard to keep the family together. Love you Mika for sharing and inspiring – great book that many working moms all over the world will enjoy reading and learning that it is great to slow down once in a while but also sometimes “shedding your identity as a professional can be as damaging as holding it too close.”

MIKA BRZEZNSKI is a co-host of "Morning Joe" and an MSNBC anchor. She will also co-host the new WABC New York radio show, "Joe & Mika," which plans to go national next year. Brzezinski also reports on "NBC Nightly News" and is an alternating news anchor for "Weekend Today."Prior to joining MSNBC, Brzezinski was an anchor of the "CBS Evening News Weekend Edition" and a CBS News correspondent who frequently contributed to "CBS Sunday Morning" and "60 Minutes." In September 2001, she became CBS's principal "Ground Zero" reporter for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Get this book at: Amazon

(Please Note: I have not been paid to write this review, it is a sincere opinion and my wish to present the readers of this blog to get to know good books that bring value to day to day work life and overall improve our strengths)

Related Posts:

Hey boss, don’t be so Bossy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:16:00 +0000

What we all do not like about bossiness is the control and micromanagement that comes with the word “bossy”. Environment which stifles your imagination and becomes mechanical over time is not conducive to growth and innovation. In all likelihood no one likes to work under someone bossy or overbearing.

What’s wrong in being Bossy?

All in all we do not like bossy people, chances are you would have heard your little child come to you and say, “Mom/dad, I don’t like her/him in my class, she/he’s too bossy!” Children also relate bossiness to bullies – it is an intimidating act and certainly not likeable. Often people do want to be told what to do and how to do it but the way you tell them how matters the most, if you appear bossy and controlling people would not want to be around you. It is the human nature; we don’t want to be ordered around on what to do – most often. So at the workplace you have to strike a gentle note to your being the boss around – and try not to be “bossy”.

How not to Bossy and still Boss around

To be a good leader you must make sure that the work gets done and often it is not through pleasantries that you can get that accomplished, instead of high-handedness have some rules in place at all times.
Here are some examples of the written rules you can pass on to your team. Somehow written rules do not appear “bossy” if you say them out over and over again perhaps they are not taken in that effectively.

The task must be complete a week before the deadline so we can ensure a run-through of the quality of the product.

Every week you must send a detailed status report on your tasks.

Inform me of any changes to the plan immediately.

You must be present at the monthly team meeting, else propose a one-on-one if you cannot attend the next one.

Never lose sight of the fact that you are the boss and certain expectations are around this word and role. It is because of rules and a fear of unpleasant consequences (read poor performance review) that many employees get a lot accomplished in a little time.
Dos and don’ts are great and when you know how to strike a good balance in how you are asking these from your employees, you can expect more respect and work get done. And of course “being nice” always is not on your job description, you better get the work done and done well and if you can accomplish this through good team relationship then that’s where you would qualify for the good bosses’ hall of fame.

You might also want to read some articles on this website if you do not want to be listed in books of “bad bosses” – BadBossology.

What are your ways of being “bossy” the right way?

Related Posts:

I'm not Productive Today - 5 Tips to make the best of a Low Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:33:00 +0000

Have you ever had a day when you felt like nothing was falling in place? A day when the energies are low and there is no motivation to get to work? A day when the mind and body are tired and say “no” to the workplace?
The reasons might vary from physical or mental tensions or pressures, exhaustion, illness or simply an inexplicable “lowday”. What do you do that day?
All days are not the same, some days we surprise ourselves by achieving beyond our expectations and some days even the average task seems like the highest unconquerable mountain. The tips here might guide you to make the best of your lowday?
Are you feeling low today?

Prioritize

Well some things just need to be done, whether you like it or not. You must prioritize those at least. Do you have a meeting which you must absolutely attend? Do you have any deadlines for the day? Do you need to run an errand which must be done within the day? You got it; identify the “musts” first. What is urgent must move up on your priority list. Once you know what has to be done, identify the steps that you need to get that task off your plate. Ask yourself such questions:

Would it help if I get it done right away, no matter how I feel?

Would it be better to move this task a couple of hours from now so that I can give myself time to revive and feel more energized before I begin on the task?

You could choose any of these or what you find the best option, it all depends on the situation. The task might be time bound; in that case the second option might not be an option at all. Or you might not get that work done efficiently or provide quality so it would be better to choose the second option. You must evaluate first.

Inspiration Motivation

You might also need some inspiration or motivation to enliven the day and work towards some planned goals or plan some goals. You may read some tips on the above linked article and also would be a great idea to read the writings of those who inspire you. Just reading or viewing something that makes you feel happier or inspired brings satisfaction. You may not “get” something done as such but these activities help you elevate to a happier and satisfied self.

Physical Rejuvenation

At times when the mind is dull and lousy; it is time to rejuvenate the mind with physical activity or even meditation. Physical activity and meditation brings more oxygen to your brain, boosts your adrenaline levels that gives you some instant energy and you start feeling good.
Even eating and drinking the “right things” brings our energy levels up and revs us up. Although coffee and sweetened drinks might also get you on a “high” for some time, the long term rush would be better if it comes from some good workout and healthy eating. "Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours," concludes study lead researcher Jeremy Sibold, Ed.D., at the University of Vermont, Burlington.

Count your Blessings

Oh yes, you did not expect this to be on your list, but believe me it works. There could be days when you feel depressed for no reason whatsoever but many of such days do have some reason, don’t run away from the analysis; confront them. Why are you feeling low today? List all possible reasons – any incident that happened the day before, or any physical reasons? The point is once you know the cause it is easy to find a remedy; diagnosis is key to improvement of the situation. And there may be many different reasons. Now if you have fallen in the depths of low self-esteem and self-worth then just count your blessings. Think about the many people who do not have even a fourth of what you have, think about the people who love you – call them talk to them. Think about the people who need you, who respect you. Just don’t put down yourself, you are special and have a lot to do to help make this world or someone else’s world a better place. Contributing to a charity or a random act of kindness might be something you can consider doing today – it will make you feel better for sure.

Have Fun

If this is something that happens very rarely to you and the reasons are close to physical exhaustion or possible illness, then a very good option today would be to take the day off from work (If it is possible at all). Do what makes you feel happier, shopping, meeting friends, playing with your kids, watching your favorite movie, reading a great book, meditation or what-else-pleases-you-the-most. Just do it and make the best of the day. Put your expectations on the back seat and don’t whine over what did not get done, enjoy and live the moment, you’ll get that done another day.

Tip: It is also a good idea to have a document on your computer or some notes at the back of your calendar (or any PDA/phone) where you note down such tips on what to do when you are feeling "down under". Such days bring depressing feelings and often it is not easy to collect your thoughts and plan any action items, but if you have the tips ready on how to brighten up the hours and make your day productive, you can get something done and make that day count. Just keep some tips handy and choose from the list what appeals you the most that day.

What would you do or what have you done on a “lowdown day”?

Related Posts:

Now this is cool – Simply Hired and LinkedIn Integration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:30:00 +0000

If you are searching for a job and you now the power of networking, what would be the first question that comes to your mind when you see a suitable position advertised for your dream company ABC Inc. and now you want to apply right away?
Answer: Do I know someone who is currently at ABC Inc. to whom I can forward my resume or just ask something about the company?

Ok now how to find out who works there.. Email friends, ask other acquaintances.. what if no one can help. And of course it takes time?

Now folks at Simply Hired have found just the right way to get you connected – of course you must first be connected to LinkedIn and have some relevant contact there… but here it goes (source of this info is the Simply Hired Newsletter/website):
Simply Hired's Who Do I Know ® feature is the first integration with LinkedIn in the industry that instantly delivers an in-line view of your professional connections with potential employers. To activate the LinkedIn feature, click the "Who Do I Know" button at the top of the search results page and allow access to your LinkedIn account. Then, the names and photos of your professional connections appear automatically next to companies included in your results. Through this deep integration, SimplyHired.com encourages the referral hiring process through social networks, bringing traditional networking online.
Try it out for yourself and see who you are connected to and who could help you land your dream job.

Read Simply Hired Blog for more info.

Now who all do you know and who are you adding to your network? This is a cool integration and can add a lot of benefit to the Simply Hired jobs search site. Great Job SH team!

Latest News on Employment from the US

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:07:00 +0000

Here is a compilation of some recent news on job/employment news from the country.

From CNBC:
Green Jobs Success Will Take Major, Long-Term Commitment
By Trevor Curwin,, Special to CNBC.com 19 Jan 2010

The Obama administration may be tempted to wage a two-front war on climate change and joblessness by pushing for green jobs in the renewable energy sector, but such a strategy will mean committing to a long campaign. Looking for the green equivalent of an atomic bomb to obliterate ten percent unemployment, energy price volatility and carbon emissions all at once may not be the right approach, says Jesse Jenkins, director of energy and climate policy at The Breakthrough Institute, a clean energy research group.
“This looks more like the Cold War than the Manhattan Project,” says Jenkins. “There are no short-term solutions to real problems.”
Jenkins and others in the renewable energy sector see the need for the right mix of long-term technology investment—in a sector where installed power generation capacity and electricity contracts are measured in decades—and short-term job creation to keep the issue at the top of the public's mind.
On Jan. 8, President Obama announced $2.3 billion in tax credits for 183 different firms working on new energy storage and other renewable energy technologies, claiming the investment would create 17,000 American jobs.

From USNews.com
White House Changes Job-Count Rule
Posted January 12, 2010

WASHINGTON -- The White House has abandoned its controversial method of counting jobs under President Barack Obama's economic stimulus, making it impossible to track the number of jobs saved or created with the $787 billion in recovery money.
Despite mounting a vigorous defense of its earlier count of more than 640,000 jobs credited to the stimulus, even after numerous errors were identified, the Obama administration now is making it easier to give the stimulus credit for hiring. It's no longer about counting a job as saved or created; now it's a matter of counting jobs funded by the stimulus.
That means that any stimulus money used to cover payroll will be included in the jobs credited to the program, including pay raises for existing employees and pay for people who never were in jeopardy of losing their positions.
The new rules, quietly published last month in a memorandum to federal agencies, mark the White House's latest response to criticism about the way it counts jobs credited to the stimulus. When The Associated Press first reported flaws in the job counts in October, the White House said errors were being corrected and future counts would provide a full and correct accounting of just how many stimulus jobs were saved or created.

From Yahoo News:
White House says stimulus has saved two million jobs
Wed Jan 13, 1:53 AM
By Alister Bull

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's emergency spending measures last year saved up to 2 million U.S. jobs, the White House said on Wednesday, but it warned that the outlook for the economy remained uncertain.
Obama, anxious to reduce double-digit U.S. unemployment which has dented his popularity, has already called for additional government measures to boost jobs on top of the $787 billion stimulus package he signed in February 2009.
Christina Romer, head of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, said she expects positive job creation by the spring, but stressed that there was definitely a need for additional "targeted action" to aid employment.
"There is uncertainty about where the economy is going ...when will the private sector come back," Romer told reporters on a conference call to discuss a quarterly report to Congress on the stimulus package.

From the CAP Times:
Tech: Easing of tech job cuts offers hope of 2010 turnaround, report says

Planned job cuts announced by technology firms rose for the second consecutive year in 2009, reaching the highest level since 2005, but a sharp downward trend in the second half of the year offers hope of a 2010 turnaround, according to a new report.
Employers in the technology sector, which includes computer, electronics, and telecommunications firms, announced 174,629 planned job cuts in 2009, according to a report released Tuesday by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., the global outplacement consultancy that tracks job-cut announcements daily.
Meanwhile job cuts among firms in the telecommunications industry actually declined; falling 9.4 percent annually from 48,648 to 44,068.
"The recession's impact on the tech sector was inescapable," John A. Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement. "Even with the economy showing some nascent signs of recovery beginning the second half of year, many companies are holding off on investments in new technology. And, with it still difficult for small businesses and start-ups to obtain loans, there are few opportunities for tech firms to expand their customer base.
"The worst of the downsizing occurred in the first quarter, which is when the overall economy hit rock bottom. It's going to be a slow climb out of this recession, but computer and electronics firms should be among the first to see the turnaround, as companies try to postpone hiring by achieving productivity gains through technology."
Spending on information technology is expected to increase by 6.6 percent in 2010, after falling by 8.2 percent in 2009, according to an outlook released last week by industry analysts Forrester Research.
Technology spending and employment should be helped by continued efforts to move the health care industry into the era of electronic health records, according to Challenger. Preliminary data from a 2009 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics found that while show that about 44 percent of physicians are using electronic medical or health record systems in their offices and practices.

Important Tips on Seeking Recommendation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:43:00 +0000

How Important is getting Recommendation from someone?

It is that important that it is not an alternative, it is a requirement in most jobs and getting into an undergraduate or graduate school. As you progress through your career you will find the true meaning of why people say “don’t burn your bridges” it is mainly for this reason – you might want to get recommendation from your bosses or peers or customers sometime later in your career.
Letter of references or recommendation verify your claims of “good teamwork” “high profitability to an organization” “skilled leader” or “technically exceptional” in your resume or in the interview. So make sure that you read these tips before you seek your next recommendation and then go ahead and ask for references from those who like you and have liked working with you.

When should Recommendation be requested?

There are various situations in which you could be asking for recommendation, for example:

When joining in a new job, most hiring managers want to talk to some of the references you have provided during the interview or resume submission stage – they are indeed asking them if they recommend you for this job or not and also how you were there with them. It is your job to make sure that have a favorable recommendation for you.

Recommendation from Clients and Customers you have worked with adds a lot to your resume. At times people have got jobs just on the basis of good recommendations from previous clients. Never leave an opportunity after a job well done to ask for recommendation. Do not wait too long after your project completion to ask recommendation letters from clients, vendors who you think would have some words of praise or good words for you. You can add such testimonials and recommendation to a later time when you need it. In high probability they might not recall you after 3 or 4 years if you have not been in touch (or maybe if you have been) after the project completion.

One of the tricky situations in seeking recommendation is when you have to ask your current boss for reference when you are expecting a reference check while on a current job. If you feel it would not be taken in the right light and perhaps you are not on great terms with your boss, it is better to ask your co-workers on a trust notice instead. Often it is a good idea to note in your resume or inform your new hiring manager not to contact the current employer but at times it is not possible to do so.

Whom to ask for Recommendation

As someone whom you can trust and also you know well. It is not much of effect if you seek a recommendation from a company hotshot but this person hardly knows you. Those in your references list must know you well and they must also be informed personally that they can expect to be contacted to say some good words about you. And don’t forget to thank them!
Also another point to keep in mind is the timing of the recommendation; at times a supervisor or professor might be in the list of 80 students who want him/her to recommend them. It might not be possible for this person to cater to all calls, in such a situation first seek consent from your supervisor/professor and see if it would be better to contact someone else or add this person as the 4th or 5th reference. It is also a good idea to add your resume and/or just key skills in a folder marked under your name and give to this person for easy reference.

Tools that help you get recommended

LinkedIn is one for the most popular recommendation tool used these days: Click on the Recommendations link under Profile on the left. Then click on the Request Recommendations tab. Follow the instructions from there.

Some good tips on this topic you can get here:

There are some good tips on how to ask for a letter for recommendation on About.com website.

Some other good tips are on the Cornell Career Services webpage.
Another University career center website (usually most of them have great career info) is the UC Davis Internship and Career Center. Here you will also find some samples of letters which you can use during job search.

SAMPLE RECOMMENDATION LETTER REQUEST

Instead of just writing a couple of lines as “I urgently need a letter of recommendation, please can you write me one” or “can you please provide me with a good reference” you can get more creative and also note some points mentioned below to ensure that the person to whom you put forward this request feels respected and also has all the information to wrote an effective letter of recommendation for you. If the letter writer has to look for some details as – which mode the letter should be written, what were this person’s skills that I can mention in the letter, or just spends time raking his/her memory on trying to connect a picture to you name; it is time wasted and might be a big put off to this person who is not required to write a recommendation for you anyway!

Homework First
When requesting a letter of recommendation do your homework first to ensure a speedier return. You must do the following:

Request tactfully

Who are you? If it has been long since you contacted your professor or a past manager – it is important to first state who you are, when – years - you worked with this person, remind on some project details if possible.

It would be a good idea to forward your resume to the person you seek recommendation from or even a lilt of skills would work.

List the way(s) you seek recommendation, by email on LinkedIn or a snail mail or just on the phone if someone calls. Or does the recommendation letter need to go directly on a form or has to be submitted online – again do your homework first, a second request would not tell good on you.

Is there a deadline when the recommendation letter should be submitted? Make sure you convey the same to the letter writer.

Thank the endorser, sincerely (now and later once you receive the letter).

SAMPLE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION REQUEST

Note: this is a general recommendation letter request that you are sending to your supervisor, professor, client or colleague, you must edit to personalize and add details of your particular situation:

Dear Greg,
I have recently interviewed for ABC Inc. and the HR is requesting a couple of valuable references from my previous supervisors to complete the hiring process. Your recommendation would be very valuable to me in getting this position that I have applied for. I hope you can provide me with a favorable letter of recommendation that I can forward to them in no later than two weeks from today. Please do let me know by this weekend if you would be willing to do so.

Also find a recent copy of my resume attached here. Please feel free to contact me if you would require any further information.

Request: Please return the letter of recommendation to me by Email (mention your preferred email address) /snail mail (write address and also provide a self addressed stamped envelope) or through an online form (write the complete website address here)

Deadline: The recommendation letter must reach me/institution/organization by mm/dd/yy, I sincerely appreciate your positive remarks and timely response.

I thank you for your support and time.

Sincerely,
XYZ

Tip: You may even provide a sample letter from your side; there may be some whom you contact who might be very busy in their schedules, or not prolific writers – your providing a sample can lighten their tasks and ensure a faster return. However make sure that you inform them that this is a sample only, they may use if they please and edit as appropriate.

Did you find this information useful?

Related Posts:

Interview Etiquettes, the Preparation and Presentation Before and During the Interview

Following up after an Interview

Reentering the Job Market - Making your Way Back to the Previous Company

How to Talk to your Boss about your Career Goals

Saying Goodbye to Work – The Right Way

Micromanaging can be Good for the Team

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:46:00 +0000

Usually micromanaging has been seen as detrimental to business management, and rightly so. It implies distrust and tight control which of course is negative in most terms.
According to Wikipedia: In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of his or her subordinates or employees. Micromanagement is generally used as a negative term.
So how can micromanaging be beneficial? Before you nod your head in disapproval, I would strongly recommend that you read on before you totally eliminate micromanaging from your “good words” book!
This article explores some situations where micromanagement can lead to better results and improved productivity of those you manage.

When can Micromanaging be in a Positive Light?

Not all employees are the same, some flourish with limited managing and enjoy working in a free environment, however there are some who need close monitoring and coaching until they feel confident to get things done efficiently and to the quality that the work demands. For these employees some level of micromanaging is beneficial.

Some examples:

A New Employee
Take for instance a new employee who is joining your team on his/her first job; there are fears, uncertainties and inexperience that stalls this person from doing his/her best at work; it is time to step and act as a coach and also micromanage as a manager. When doing so in an efficient way, it would be good to convey to this person that during a certain time period you would be going through all process and project tasks in deep details. Your expectations would be to regularly inform on the task progress and request feedback on the short-term goals set by you. Also not a bad idea to inform this person that he/she can expect you to pop in any time in the cubicle of office to see if all is going well. When the employees expects continued intervention and has been informed that it is to assist him/her do better at the job, micromanagement is not what would be this employee’s mind. In most cases he/she feels reassured that there is someone to double check his/her work and the first job jitters are not as strong as before.

Poor Performer
And in other cases you can do the same for an employee who is not performing well and has received poor performance reports. Perhaps this person needs some help and if it could come from you or some other co-worker then again some micromanagement is worth getting this employee back on track or even finding out that perhaps he can be best suited for another job.
As you see in certain cases, micromanagement helps. But remember when treading this tricky path, tact and a goal must be in mind all the time.

Are we not all Micromanagers? And it is Good!

Also remember that we have micromanaged our kids somewhere along the way .. and it is has been beneficial for them because we wanted to see what is in their backpack, to whom they are emailing and where they are on the internet. We block out some programs that are not appropriate for their age and ask them again and again where they are going with whom and where; and we double check if they were true to their words.. all this does fall in the micromanaging category and let me tell you – this is very good for them! So all in all, this term although most often seen in the negative light has some positives to it.

Have you ever been micromanaged or have you micromanaged someone? What were your feelings and how did you respond to the situation? Do comment!

How to respond to a Bad Performance Review

How to Talk to your Boss about your Career Goals

Tips to help you be Proactive towards your Performance Review

Need for Better Communications Skills in a Collaborative Workplace
Are you Assertive or Timid at Work?
Working with a Difficult Boss

What do we need most – Inspiration or Motivation?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:06:00 +0000

We all hope for something good as the new year begins, better salary at the job, or just keeping the job this year, hoping that the kids do better at school, our savings increase, the DOW stays positive and moving upwards and overall peace everywhere. Most of us hope well and plan for the year ahead. But sometimes things don’t go right, something happens that puts you in a low gear and hope is not all that positive. We do not feel like planning and even though we want to there are not much positives on which we can base our new goals for the future.
What do you do in such a situation? You need inspiration and motivation to begin anew or to build a re-energized plan for the future. Move on we must.

What is inspiration?
According to the dictionary: Inspiration is -The act or power of exercising an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions; the result of such influence which quickens or stimulates;
or
Inspiration is arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity.
Where does it come from?
Inspiration can come from within, through change in environment, through others – friends, family, teacher or even those you don’t know but have inspired you through their work or teachings. And sometimes you really have to strain hard to find when you are feeling low. But whatever it takes, find time and strive hard to seek inspiration because it is one essential fuel that can have you rising to new heights from down in the dumps.
Sometimes just a few well-said words from the wise and the erudite can are what we need to brighten the day. Here are some that I want to share with you:

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”
-- Karen Ravn

“Every noble work is bound to face problems and obstacles. It is important to check your goal and motivation thoroughly. One should be very truthful, honest, and reasonable. One's actions should be good for others, and for oneself as well. Once a positive goal is chosen, you should decide to pursue it all the way to the end. Even if it is not realized, at least there will be no regret.”
-- Dalai Lama

What is motivation?
Motivation is when someone or something prompts you to an action or energizes or stimulates you to a goal or object.

Where does it come from?
As inspiration, motivation can also come from within, from a change of environment or through others.
There is a subtle difference between the two but either of these can invigorate action if you welcome them wholeheartedly.
Sometimes we do need a spark to ignite us and do your best this year to be in search of such a stimulus wherever you go or just when you find some time with yourself alone – inspire yourself and motivate yourself to an action or cause above and beyond yourself. It adds more meaning to life and adds a sparkle to our self. But wait, do not hold off any action in wait of inspiration or motivation, always remember that action precedes both of these – if you act well and in time there can be nothing better and even an action can inspire and motivate you to do better and carve a new path that you had not thought of before. Think about it.
Action is perhaps larger and more inspirational and motivational than inspiration and motivation alone.

I appreciate your time to share your thoughts - What has inspired or motivated you recently?

Never Fly Solo – A Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:48:00 +0000

"Many of us have an intense desire to take bold new action in our lives but never do for fear of failure. We are essentially pouring on the power with the brakes still applied. Consciously or subconsciously, we sabotage our success by living with our foot on the brakes. Releasing those brakes and simply going for it is how we grow in our personal and professional relationships."
- Lt.Col. Rob Waldman

If you are wondering what this book is about, you don’t have to look much further than the tag line of this inspiring book which says - Lead with courage, build trusting partnerships and reach new heights in business. The author Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman, MBA, is a former decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, sales manager, and professional leadership speaker.

I started reading this book some time back and every chapter had a “high flying” inspiration to it. It made me pause and think about how similar were the situations faced by this person in the cockpit talking about his fears and motivation to that of someone at a workplace or in a leadership position. For instance consider this piece from the book:

“In order for it to accelerate and remain airborne, the F-16 must overcome any opposition to lift. This opposition is any aerodynamic force that resists the forward or upward motion of the jet and is known as drag. Every flight of every aircraft is an ongoing battle between the forces of lift and drag.
Fighter pilots have to deal with two kinds of drag: induced drag and parasite drag. Induced drag is a natural byproduct of lift and is considered a “good drag”, caused by the shape of the aircraft..
Parasite drag is the opposite. It battles against the good drag, slowing the aircraft and hampering maneuverability.
No matter how skilled or motivated you are, you’re always going to have some degree of both parasite drag and induced drag in your life. And just like a fighter pilot, you must manage it and not let it hold you back from accomplishing your mission."

I sure did get to learn new “air force terminology” and gained quite a bit knowledge on how fighter pilot gains new heights.. but it all applied so well to our “civilian” lives. Some interesting story telling and motivational incidents in this fighter pilot’s life connect with you immediately. Whether you want to ace the next business contract, deal with new customers or just get along with your co-workers, you’re sure to find some impressive tips and action item to wing it all!

Watch the author’s interview on CNN here:

Waldman shares a message that is both human and business critical: we all must overcome the missiles of adversity and change and we can’t do it alone. He reveals how the same steadfast interdependence of wingmen in combat is necessary to transform relationships with colleagues, co-workers, and friends into interdependent partners for success.
Through compelling, real world stories, Waldo movingly describes how his wingmen helped him take action despite his fear of combat and a life-long battle with claustrophobia by teaching him lessons that work in a cockpit as well in a cubicle. These include:

Check Six - When wingmen cross check each other’s blind spots, they promote mutual support and build mission critical trust in times of high stress and adversity.

Chair Fly – By briefing every mission with your team and rehearsing emergencies and unexpected “what if’s,” you won’t be caught unprepared. Preparation leads to power.

Integrity First – Integrity is the #1 core value in the military. It not only means telling the truth and honoring your word, but also admitting when you’ve made a mistake.

Walk the Flight Line – Leaders must reach out to the wingmen that support the overall mission. By connecting on a personal and professional level, you build more loyal, committed teammates.

Break Right – Mission critical feedback is vital for success. To build trust with your wingmen, you must be willing to call out the missile launches to your wingmen and communicate effectively.

Whether you are a seasoned executive, entrepreneur, or new to the business world, creating a work environment based on mutual support and trust is crucial. Never Fly Solo is a flight plan for success that will help you earn your wings as a high performance leader and help you soar to new heights.

Read more about it on the book’s website. You can get this book at Amazon.

(Please Note: I have not been paid to write this review, it is a sincere opinion and my wish to present the readers of this blog to get to know good books that bring value to day to day work life and overall improve our strengths)

How do you Brainstorm?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:30:00 +0000

You are building a new app or a new gardening tool or just set to plan on a successful career or job hunt; there are several ideas that come to you as you visualize your product, or just the best possible solutions to your problem. Some of the possible solutions could be bizarre, some practical and some not-so-practical. But each of them excites you to a new possibility. How do you proceed?
Trial and error can be costly and time consuming; the most efficient way to bring your ideas to life lies in the success of brainstorming and planning on what the ultimate product or solution would be like.

Howsoever seldom you might have indulged in brainstorming, but you cannot claim that you have never brainstormed. Brainstorming is integral to our daily lives.
This article takes you in-depth on the “art of brainstorming” and how to make best out of it.

What is Brainstorming?
According to Wikipedia:
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for the solution of a problem.
In 1953 the method was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in a book called Applied Imagination. Osborn proposed that groups could double their creative output with brainstorming.
So the keywords here are: group activity, ideas, solution to a problem. Other than this explanation, brainstorming promotes exchange and reinvention of ideas as well. It promotes team building, creative thinking and simply perks up the process of evolution of your idea!

When and How do we Brainstorm

Well almost every time we have a problem. You may need new ideas or solution to a problem and brainstorming helps you to branch out on the problem and find some effective and possible solutions of which you may choose those best applicable to your particular situation. Also note that brainstorming can be done on your won also when you research, categorize and analyze the solutions to a problem all on your own. However it is most effective when done in a group or with those you trust or are important to that issue. Brainstorming in a team brings out diverse and perhaps more qualified solutions to the problem since the people in your brainstorming session may bring in fresh, experienced perspective enabling you to find a better solution to the problem. Also it is fun to brainstorm in a group, you never know where one solution or discussion may take you – to a completely new idea or just a happy healthy discussion which freshens and lightens up your day! In addition many teams encourage brainstorming sessions in groups to strengthen teamwork and to spot the leaders (or movers or shakers) in the team.

Different Brainstorming Techniques

There are various different ways that you can brainstorm either on the individual front or in group meetings; always bear in mind the outcome that you desire and give freedom for discussion and even ready to accept crazy ideas sprouts during any brainstorming session. If you have never held brainstorming sessions then it is highly recommended that you read some tips here and the additional resources at the end of the article. If you already are a pro I would suggest that first you must prepare a plan without any help, there are various techniques around but what matters most is one that works the best for you and you may have a unique solution which no one has offered before. Let your creative juices flow first and then seek to polish your plan by using some ideas mentioned here.
Mush has been said around on the different brainstorming techniques so this article will not attempt to reinvent the wheel or restate the obvious, I suggest you read some tips mentioned below and also read some relevant topics in the resources section below.

Some articles on brainstorming techniques:

There is a list of around 25 brainstorming techniques listed on the Personal Excellence blog, read for further enlightenment.

Creative Brainstorming Techniques from Entrepreneur Magazine

Brainstorming Software and Tools

In world of apps and brilliant software that can or claim to manage almost every problem in your work life, there would be some brainstorming software and tools which assist us along the way.

Mindtools: A very informative article on brainstorming comes from the MindTools website and here you can also get the Brainstorming Toolkit for free. While on this website don’t forget to look up Mind Maps, very interesting and might make your brainstorming sessions productive and efficient.

Microsoft Visio is also one of the software available that enables you to transfer ideas on paper or computer. As the MS website explains: “You’re in a brainstorming meeting. You have a ton of ideas. Members in your team are contributing even more. How do you quickly capture these ideas while creating a record you can analyze, edit, and act on later? When you create a diagram in Visio while you meet or brainstorm, you create a visual archive of your ideas. The diagram can help you quickly recognize and order themes and hierarchies, making it a snap to pull a plan of action out of a chaotic idea-generating session.”

Mindjet: According to their website: MindManager uses a free-form visual format that mirrors the way your brain processes information, so it's easy and intuitive to use.

ConceptDraw MINDMAP Brainstorming software – (according to their website) is ideal for effective brainstorming, creative thinking, idea generating, lateral thinking, creativity and problem solving. It provides powerful tools and versatile means for both personal and team brainstorming sessions.

Efficient Brainstorming

Similar to holding meetings brainstorming sessions can be very fruitful or just go off tangent without any concrete results; it all depends on how efficiently you had planned and executed these sessions – either on individual brainstorming or group sessions.
Always remember the main aim of the brainstorming session; it is to present a list of many possible solutions to your problem or idea.

Do not filter any suggestions in the first run. The idea is to have a mega list of all proposed ideas, trimming is not a priority now. Never cut short on any idea or presentation deeming it impossible, because there are very few things which are truly impossible. You can be pleasantly surprised how possible solution number 3 and 56 combined together can present the ultimate answer you were looking for.

Another tip: “Anyone can brainstorm”, you may be surprised by your 6 year old presenting a simple solution to your problem which your complex brain had never thought of before – so be prepared to be surprised and do not hold any preconceived notion about anyone – be open and receiving in your brainstorming session.

Now with the aim clear in the mind let’s explore some efficient ways to brainstorm.
Team brainstorming sessions: if you are holding team sessions ensure that each and every member of the team knows what they are expected to do during the meeting and what preparations must be done before they step in the room or telephone /web conference for the brainstorming session.

Templates or worksheets must be circulated within the team at least a week or 10 days before your brainstorming session, it gives them the time to set aside time for this task and not jeopardizing their own work deadlines. The bottom line is prepare yourself first; be clear on your expectations of the session and convey accordingly.

They must be clear on the time bound meetings expectations; if they can be given only 10 minutes to present their ideas and later on 15 minutes for general discussion – convey upfront.

Conducive Environment for your meeting is equally important. If the brainstorming sessions are going to be half day or day long, ensure that you give enough stretch time and meet other needs as good food, drinks and just relaxing-getting-to-know-each-other-time. Stressful situations most often do not result in creative results.

Tools and Software simplify the process. As mentioned above you may use some available tools and software to record and structure the session discussions. You may also poll others to find out what has worked the best for them before – if they had been in other brainstorming sessions.

Encourage the group members to form smaller groups and present ideas after certain time. Two heads together often can present a better idea when working together. The idea is to foster deeper creative thinking.

Encourage participants for follow-up. At times some of the best ideas strike to us after the session is over. Poll participants if a follow-up session would be beneficial to the group or if they would like to convey ideas individually to you later on. But make sure you have a date in mind, do not leave this proposal hanging to “any other future date”.

Resources on Brainstorming

HOW has some good tips on 14 Ways to Brainstorm More Effectively

InnovationTools has a wealth of relevant articles on brainstorming

A website dedicated to brainstorming Brainstorming that Works offers many other articles and tips on effective brainstorming (this webpage has a lot of links and with too much information there is a possibility to get lost in the information maze, so click on those that you really seek info on)

Some other good tips you can find here on BusinessBalls brainstorming technique for problem-solving, team-building and creative process

There have been numerous books published on Brainstorming and you can search these on Amazon website

Brainstorming excites creative thinking, present opportunity to think differently and provide a new twist to the solution, through brainstorming sessions arise the possibilities of something new, your ideas may find new solutions or even new ideas may sprout thereafter. So, next time when you are ready to start something new, give brainstorming the utmost priority.

So how do you Brainstorm? Please comment.

Related Posts:

Some Inspiring Quotes for the NEW YEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Inspiration can come from anywhere and as we step into the New Year, we all can do with inspiration, motivation to make our days in another year more worthwhile.
Here are some that I would like to share with you:

Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.
- Hamilton Colt

Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.
- Confucius

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
- Marian Wright Edelman

Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision.
- Ayn Rand

Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.
- Tom Blandi

This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!
- D.M. Dellinger

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Will our Jobs be more Stressful in 2010?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:57:00 +0000

With a year full of layoffs behind us, it is for sure that the employees worldwide have been affected by more stress at work. And as for the prediction of the New Year 2010, you can kind of expect the jobs to get more stressful, but it all depends on how your industry and company is doing of course.
Stressful in the sense of more work per person; there have been more layoffs than ever before and with slow or no hiring the work pressure on those still at work increases. You may have seen that in recent past your responsibilities have increased and perhaps the hours at work as well. Most workers have been unable to say “no” to having more on their plates for the risk of layoffs/downsizing. That sure does amount to more stress at work.

What do you say – will our jobs be more stressful this new year?

5 Steps toward Overcoming Challenges of a Career Change

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Career change has been the buzzword ever since the recession hit hard across the globe. There have been reports and articles talking about the new shift in the job scene in this century and a career change might be likely for many of us to get moving with the flow. These are the times when we are seeing more people returning to school for a new degree or higher education in their field of work or planning on changing their careers to the "new world post-recession" workplace where the cleantech and "renewable energy" sectors might be the dominant hiring industries.

Change is everywhere and a career change might be on your agenda as well this year. Very well said by Anthony J. D'Angelo:

Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant.

Well, easier said than done, transitions can be stressful and traumatic too. In this article let's evaluate what are some steps that you can take to overcome the challenge of a career transition.

But first - What is the difference between job change and career change? Let’s first look at the definition of job, according to the dictionary:

A piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price

A post of employment; full-time or part-time position

Anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility

A Career according to the dictionary is:

An occupation or profession, esp. one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework

A person's progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking

I am sure you get the point that there is a large difference between a job and a career. You may change a job within a career of choice but a career change is a larger and perhaps a longer process. However a well said explanation of the difference between a job and career comes from Earl Nightingale:

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!

What makes a career change daunting is that it requires and update or retraining on your skill set (well, most often) and that often takes a long time and effort. Now here are 5 steps towards overcoming the challenges of a career change:

Identify your Fears

Identify and list your fears of a career change. Why do you fear this transition and what aspects of this transition seem the toughest to you? Sometimes eliminating the negatives before getting on the positives is the best way to proceed on the new path. To identify your fears and then attain the freedom from fear releases the tensions and enables the positives to take the place of the uncertainties which reside deep within. List everything possible that seems like a hurdle or any unknown fears that you have.

Be Inspired by this New Change and be ready to Embrace it Wholeheartedly

It is now time to move on to the positives and let the positives only inspire you to an excited beginning. It would be a new change and it would not come easily and happily to you if you do not accept the change with your heart and mind. The second step is mental preparedness and feeling excited about this new step in your life. Take time and write out at least a few pages in a document on what is motivating you towards this career change, for example: more money, more satisfaction at work, a new challenge or any other need. The point is during the career change process you will need a lot of inspiration and motivation to drive the change and do your best to have it flow from you first.

Identify your Goals

As for every achievement in life, you cannot get there unless you have a goal in mind and also not only in mind but in concrete plans. Clarify your goals first. When changing a career you must identify your short-term goals and long-term goals towards achieving either new skill set or preparing for a new job. Spend time in planning and making your goals SMART.

Financial Planning

Now with your goals in mind chart out your estimate on financial commitment towards this career change. Money matters and financial pressures and tensions are the worst of tensions that can drive you off from any commitment, take care of them at the very beginning and this can be achieved by careful planning and practical analysis of what all is covered during your new career change move. You may also discuss this important step with your spouse, family or coach to get a good handle of what the near future might have in store for you as go for higher studies, certifications or retraining.

Seek Mentors and Those who have been there

Now with your personal fears, goals and planning taken care of, it is time to move on to the 5th but again a very important step towards the career change. Ask others. Ask and you shall get, there would be many questions as you walk this new transition. Would a new degree help in getting my dream job? Does a short-term course suffice for getting the skills I need? Will there be a demand in the field I wish to transition say 5 years from now?
There would be numerous questions on your mind right now. It is time to list them first and then seek guidance and help from mentors, career experts or those you know have been through a similar transition. It always helps to ask and cuts down on your anxiety curve. The sooner you learn from other’s experience the faster you would be able to transition satisfactorily.

Losing Your Job May Be The Best Thing That Ever Happened To You - Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Losing Your Job May Be The Best Thing That Ever Happened To You

By Allison Maslan

You have heard the story many times. What seems to be a tragedy, such as in an illness, job loss or divorce ends up turning to triumph when the person ends up making drastic positive changes through their forced set of circumstances.
Many have found themselves jobless in these trying times, frightened and wondering what to do next. The interesting twist is that a large percentage of those laid off have often said that they did not “love” their job. The job has represented security, which is of prime importance, however, in many cases, their work was not completely satisfying or fulfilling. In fact, a study prior to this economic downturn showed that 87% of people polled disliked their jobs. Since we spend approximately 75,000 hours at work from age 25 to 65, this seems to be an even sadder circumstance than a difficult job market.

Connie Delonge, president of Breakthrough Grief Recovery, wanted to start her own business for a very long time, but was afraid to take the leap and leave her job. She had been in the mortgage business for years for financial reason’s only. “It is very stressful work and even though I am good at it, it was never very fulfilling for me.” Connie’s true passion has been grief recovery support which she had been doing for years on a volunteer basis through Horizon Hospice of Poway, California.
“This economy forced me to find a new way to pay the bills. My gut was telling me that at this point in my life, I could no longer work at a job that was unsatisfying. Life is too short to not go after your dreams. My life coach, Allison Maslan, helped me move past my fear of becoming an entrepreneur, and then supported me in laying out a step-by-step strategic plan to create my own grief counseling business. I have not been this excited about my life in years.”
Connie is just one example of many individuals that are taking advantage of a challenging time and turning it into an opportunity to take the entrepreneurial leap. Slowdowns don’t have to be roadblocks to starting new businesses, experts say.

It might seem counter-intuitive to start a new business when the economy is flailing, but a recession can actually be the ideal time for launching a new enterprise. In fact, many well-known and successful organizations were born during hard times because it is often easier to start a new company than find the right job during a recession.

Here are some examples of companies that laid the groundwork of their enterprise during tougher economic times. Hyatt Corporation opened its first hotel’s doors at the Los Angeles International Airport during the Eisenhower recession (1957 to 1958). Bill Gates and Paul Allen launched Microsoft during the recession in 1975. CNN started its humble beginnings as a little-known station called The Cable Network News during the 1980 recession. The Fortune 500 is full of companies that were founded during down times: from Johnson and Johnson, to Disney, Cisco and Intel.

Prerna O’hara, president of Your Company Concierge has been working with the Blast Off Program over the past several to months develop her dream business. She was also employed as the Concierge/Patient Liason for a San Diego medical and day spa. When they let her go due to the down economy, it was the perfect excuse for Prerna to speed up the pace of her new business launch. She is taking the expertise she offered her employer and putting it to work for herself.
“I may have taken longer to get my business up and running, so losing my job has actually motivated me to open for business now. As Allison has said, poverty is a great motivator and failure is not an option! I have had so much fun putting all of this together. I am so passionate about my new business and I am dedicated to making it work.
A recession can offer many advantages to a budding entrepreneur including, lower rents, better deals with suppliers, and employees are often willing to start in for less.
Often the worst of times can end up being an opportunity for the best of times, just as turning lemons into lemonade could be your most profitable and satisfying venture.
If you have a vision, go for it. It is never going to be the perfect time to go after your dreams. But if you don’t do it now, years could pass and you may find yourself saying, “Why didn’t I?”

Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH has been an entrepreneur for the past 25 years and has a vibrant array of nine successful businesses to her credit. She is an author, life and career coach, homeopathic physician and international speaker. Allison is the president of The Blast Off Life and Business Coaching. Through her years of working with thousands of clients on a one-on-one basis, she has come to understand how and why human beings create their own personal limits in every aspect of their lives. Her Blast Off One-on-One Coaching Program and Blastation Interactive Life Coaching Software help people tap into their passions, learn to release their self-limiting roadblocks, and guides them through a step-by-step flight plan for success and fulfillment in all areas of life. www.myblastoff.com 888-844-3550