Tag Archives: transformation

Why are managers more satisfied with their life than non-managerial employees?

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A recent Pew Research Center survey found that managers are more satisfied with their family life, jobs and overall financial situation than non-managerial employees. However, despite all that, more respondents said they would not want to be a boss or top manager–43% vs. 39%.

Pew Research Center did not explore the reasons behind their findings so I’d like to explore these two findings a little deeper. Specifically: 1) Other than getting paid more, why are bosses more happy than non-managerial workers? Isn’t it more stressful to be a manager than it is to be an individual contributor? 2) If being a manager is overall more satisfying, why did so many people say they did not want to become a boss someday?

1) Other than getting paid more, why are bosses more happy than non-managerial workers? Isn’t it more stressful to be a manager than it is to be an individual contributor?
It’s not the title, it’s the attitude and mindset.
People that feel in control of their professional development and career growth are normally more happy than people who feel that they are not empowered to decide their own destiny.  People that feel they can design their own career direction and take full responsiblity for their professional develoment – are often more happy then people that wait for someone else to decide their career path.
People that feel empowered are normally those who advance up the technical or managerial corporate ladders.  They feel free to slightly deviate from the assigned tasks to accomplish the essence of the goal via an even better solution – one which increases company revenue, limits costs, or reduces time to market.  They take on assignments above their grade-level and business network with sibling departments and other managers.  They market their skills, proposals and services to others outside their immediate group.  They make sure to offer their assistance  outside the company through professional organizations and associations. People that have bigger career plans beyond their current position are often happier because they have the Big Picture and vision in mind.
People that are only focused on keeping their current job and not rocking the boat, often stay as individual contributers. They stay focused on doing their assigned tasks, properly.  They feel that they are doing everything that is being asked of them and often work late and weekends to complete their assigned tasks. They mistakenly believe that doing excellent work in everything that is asked of you – should bereceiving an Excellent Performance Review.  Yet they continually receive “Meets Expectations” or “Average” – which rarely gets a raise or bonus.   People that focus on “doing everything that is asked of them” – do not realize that bosses expect you to do well at your assigned dutites.  Therefore you are merely “meeting expectations”  — not excelling.  Because of this thinking, these types of people often stay both frustrated and as individual contributors.
Once again – it’s not necessarily “manager” versus “staff” titles that are causing this separation; but the attitudes of the individuals.  It’s the feeling of empowerment versus disempowerment.

2) If being a manager is overall more satisfying, why did so many people say they did not want to become a boss someday?
Ironically it is the for same reason.  The same people that are uncomfortable about taking responsiblity for their own careers, are uncomfortable about taking responsiblity for a staff or project.  They do not want the responsibility of directing or steering either a team or themselves.  They don’t want the responsibility of leading any one.
Once again – it isn’t the title.  It is the attitude.  There are many happy individual contributers in both large and small companies.  They are happy because they have autonomy, mastery of their craft and purpose.  They are doing exactly what they want to be doing, and they do it well. They have confidence in their expertise and are respected in their position.   People around them admire and they feel comfortable providing alternative solutions and proposals.   Because they have a following or fanbase, it’s not difficult for them to lead.  They feel empowered and able to influence those around them.  Because of their positive attitude and influence on others, they don’t often stay as individual contributers and are often promoted to leadership role.  NOT because they have a desire to LEAD anyone or tell others what to do; but because they have automatically attracted a following or fan base that are already in-line with their passions and goals.  It is because of this that leadership is their next natural step.
I am a business and career management coach and expert.  I have a Professional Development Toolkit online course that covers all of the above.

7 Public Speaking Tips for Introverts

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SpeakingHello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  Stephen Wynkoop and I regularly meet on professional development topics. Our interviews can be found at Laura Rose Career Management Series

This week’s topic was “Public speaking tips for introverts”

7 public speaking tips for introverts

As we rise up the corporate ladder, public speaking (whether in the form of presentations, proposals or seminars) becomes a large part of our advancement.  It helps us build our reputation, credentials and professionalism.  As our career develops, our professionalism and talent needs to become more public; therefore, public speaking will become a part of the job.
Even though public speaking is important to any career advancement, many are uncomfortable in front on an audience.

Here are some quick tips:

1)    Consider ToastMasters to improve your public speaking.  It’s a unintimidating environment filled with people with the same goals.

2)    Talk about things you are passionate and know about.  Everyone is excited to talk about their passions and experiences.

3)    Practice, practice, practice.  Take every opportunity to stretch yourself.  At every interaction, make it a goal to tell one story to a stranger or group (just one story).

4)    Think positive. Visualize the speech several times before you actually make it.  Screenplay it exactly has you want it to go.  While you are speaking, pretend that you are someone else.  Channel one of your role models and give the speech as he/she would do it.

5)    Everyone understands how difficult it is to speak in front of groups.  They appreciate what it takes to get up there and want you to succeed. Acknowledge that everyone in the audience is on your side.

6)     Another thing that helps is to use your speech to speak well of someone else.  Sometimes it is easier to speak of someone else’s’ endeavors and accomplishments because you are placing the spotlight on them (instead of on yourself).

7)    Use a familiar prop.  Sometimes a prop helps with nerves because some of your attention is focused away from the audience and onto the prop.  Creating “how to” speeches or presentation is an easy way for introverts to ease into public speaking.  Make sure you know “how to” do that item.

Let’s cover some of these tips in more detail.

Talk about things you are passionate and know about. Talk about things you know all about.  Start with some “how-to” presentations or items that you are the resident expert.

To avoid the “audience know-it-all”, talk about your experience.  If someone disagrees with your opinion, all you have to do is say, “Well, this has been my experience.  Your results may vary.”

If/When you don’t know the answer, use that opportunity to business network.  Say, “I don’t know, but I am also interested in the answer.  I’ll look into that.  If you can leave your business card or contact information, I’ll find out and will get back to you.”

Practice, Practice, Practice.  In this day and age, there is no reason not to practice.  Most laptops, Ipads, tablet, iphone has camera/video options.  Film your speaking engagements; setup weekly BlogTalkRadio episodes, give webinar presentation, setup Brown Bag Lunch session at the office; offer to speak at your professional organization or business networking meetings.  There is an unlimited number of ways to practice.

Use props such as PowerPoint slides, short video, cartoon, joke, white board, chalk board, demo software, or a visual aide to illustrate a point or metaphor.  This allows you distract yourself away from the audience.

Focus on someone else’s accomplishments and achievement in your speech.  By focusing your attention on your admiration on someone else, you forget about yourself.

Pick one or two faces in the audience and talk directly to them.  Pretend that they are new friends and you are just explaining your topic to them.  Everyone in the audience is already interested in your topic (otherwise they would not be there).  So there are already tuned-in and supporting.

Just relax and breathe.  Everyone is already one your side in this.

In the Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet.

How to find a specific job at a specific company

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Hello,   This is Laura Rose, author of the business and time management book: TimePeace: Making Peace with Time, the Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations and Business Marketing for Entrepreneurs  is a certified business and efficiency coach.  And I specialize in professional development, career management, time management, and work life balance strategies.
Simply put, I give people the time to be, do and have whatever they want.
I recently recieved the following question about find a specific job at a specific company:
  • If a job seeker is determined to work at a specific company, what can he do to increase his chances for success?
  • Who should he be reaching out to?
  • What kinds of research should he be doing?
  • How should he approach applying?
  • Should he focus on a specific job posting or just reach out to HR to show general interest in working for the company?

leveraginglink3With the advent of LinkedIn.com (professional social media app), it’s easier to research positions, employees, and company work environment details.  If you are determined to work at a specific company, start business networking with those that work in that company.  Use LinkedIn.com to identify different employees, at various roles and responsibilities.   Start building a business relationship by using your current linkedin contacts to create warm introductions to your new contact targets.

I outline the steps in the online class “Leveraging Links”.

Check out the other online courses:

When to say “no” to a client

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Hello,   This is Laura Rose, author of the business and time management book: TimePeace: Making Peace with Time, the Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations and Business Marketing for Entrepreneurs  is a certified business and efficiency coach.  And I specialize in professional development, career management, time management, and work life balance strategies.Simply put, I give people the time to be, do and have whatever they want.
I recently recieved the following question about when to say “no” to a client.  I advocate saying “YES” to everything but on your own terms.  Read below for some examples.
1) When should you say no to a client?

    Since you are using the word “client” and not “potential client” – I am assuming that you are already working with this person and something has come up that is not in your wheel-house or expertise.  In this example, you always have your client’s best interest in mind.   Saying “YES” in this example may mean that you find someone else more suited for their need.  You refer him/her to one of your qualified affiliates. 

You want to always give your client the best, and sometimes the “best” is someone else.


2) How do you not lose the client’s future business?
You do not lose the client’s future business but keeping their best interest in mind.  If you are always doing your best (and sometimes your best is to refer them to someone else), you will be rewarded greatly.    You want the client to be totally satisfied at all time.  Therefore, if/when you do refer them to someone else – continue to touch base to make sure your client is totally satisfied with their results.  If they feel that the referal isn’t a great fit, ask and fine-tune their exact requirements.  Find out what is not working.   Then recommend someone else that meets those new requirements.  If you become an opportunity-agent to your client, your client will always return to you.

3) Is there a way to refuse business without offending the client?
Acknowledge that your main goal and purpose is to satisfy the client.  This doesn’t mean that you have to be the one doing the work.  This means that at the end of the day, the client needs to be totally satisfied.  They don’t care if you are the one that solves their issue or someone else.  As long as you provide them the answer (even if it’s sending them to a qualified supplier), you are servicing your client.
The key is to create affiliated partners, joint partners and business referal programs.  This allows you to become the one-stop-shop for your high-profile clients.  They know that you will get them what they need.  You may not know all the answers, but you know where to go to get all the answers.
4) What are the drawbacks of taking on business you don’t feel is a fit for your company?
The adage “Jack of all trades, Master of none” comes to mind.  If you take on a task that is outside your area of genious, you will not be providing high-quality service.  It will take you longer to deliver.  And you will be resenting the time spent on this task. This will affect both your demeanor to the client and your client satisfaction rating.  Your client may not tell you directly, but they will tell others about their disappointment in your product or service.  They will not only “not” refer you but actually recommend people to stay away from your establishment.
  For every 1 official complaint you receive, that client is telling at least 10 other people.  This is also true for every compliment that you receive.

 

How to rebuild confidence after you have been out of work for some time

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  Stephen Wynkoop and I regularly meet on professional development topics. Our interviews can be found at Laura Rose Career Management Series

This week’s topic was “How to rebuild confidence after you have been out of work for some time”

We can have a gap in our resume in a couple of ways:

1)    We are out of work (either by chose or otherwise)

2)    We have been continuously employed but not in the field of our choice.

In either case, employers may hesitate because the fear that technology has passed us by; our skills are obsolete; and we are no longer relevant.

The best way to build confidence after you has been out of work for some time is to actually accomplish tangible and tactile things while you are out of work.   Identify your goals for self-improvement in regards to health, education, presentation skills, networking, and family.  Then accomplish those goals.  Most employers like to hire self-motivated people that can solve their own problems.  By using this gap in employment for some self-assessment and self-improvement (while you are still job searching) is a good use of your time.

Since the main reason for employer’s hesitation in an employment gap is the ability to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing technology, the best advice is to stay relevant regardless of what type or how the gap occurred.  You can do this by:

  • Use the gap to learn a new skill, achieve a certification or license
  • Stay active in your profession by volunteering your services to nonprofits or service communities
  • Teach at a local community college,
  • Create online courses in your field of expertise.
  • Speak at local professional organizations or conferences
  • Write articles, blogs or eBooks in your field of expertise
  • Develop YouTube presentations, demos or prototypes as proof of your new skill set.
  • Create a portfolio or press kit of your accomplishments during the gap

Note: If you are volunteering, make sure you are working in the area that will assist you in your job search.  For instance, if you volunteer for the ASPCA and are a web designer – don’t take on the task of emptying out the litter box.  Instead, work on their website, assist with their SEO and engine optimizations, or automate their manual office duties.  Accept tasks that are in line with your next job description.

Then update your resume with your new skills and links to your articles, videos, apps, etc.

The employer’s fear of the “gap” is that you have fallen out of touch with your field.  If you can show that you have sharpened your skills (during the gap), then you have tangible evidence that you are not only still relevant in your field but an expert.

Where do I place these volunteering and other activities in the resume?


Remember that your resume isn’t a list of all your “paid” employment.  It’s a place to highlight your skills and talents.  The fact that you didn’t get paid for your services does not detract from your experience and expertise.   I would place all the relevant professional skills at the top of your resume.  I would also include them in your Work Experience.

The resume doesn’t highlight the salary for each position.  It just highlights your ability and skills.

In the IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet.

Also following online courses:

12 Tips for Realistic Scheduling
10 Tips for Telecommuters
 10 Career Boosting Resolution Laser Lesson

10 Hidden Time Waster Laser Lesson

Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Professional Development Toolkit
It’s a SNAP – Social Networking Accelerated Process for business networking

Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

Advice for people who want to do a 180° career change

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CareerChange-300x300Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of the business and time management books TimePeace: Making peace with time  and The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations– and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  Stephen Wynkoop and I regularly meet on professional development topics. Our interviews can be found at Laura Rose Career Management Series

This week’s topic was “Advice for people who want to do a 180° career change”

What steps do you take to succeed?

Very rarely is that 180° degree career change.  Even when you think you are doing a complete change in careers, you carry with you a set of transferable skills that translate nicely into the next new chapter of your life.  The recommendation is to highlight those shared traits and illustrate how they were the foundations of your next step.  Don’t highlight the differences in your career choices.  Instead highlight the similarities.  Make them understand that this “new career” is the natural next logical step in your advancement (not something totally new).

Some examples of transferable skills can be (but not limited to):

  1. Organizational skills
  2. Multitasking
  3. Project management
  4. Customer Service and Satisfaction
  5. Customer Advocacy
  6. Writing/Editing
  7. Creating/Innovation
  8. Process Improvement – Quality Assurance
  9. Detail oriented
  10. Problem Solving
  11. Solution oriented
  12. Time management

 

Even a pastry chef and a surgeon (careers you may feel have nothing in common) will have transferable skills in common.  It is the transferable skills that make us excel in a multitude of environments.

What’s the first step in transitioning into a different career?

One recommendation is to start building your Press Kit or portfolio on your new career now, when you are still in your current career.  The assumption is that you are already following your passions in the form of a side-job or hobby.  Take that hobby to the next step.

For instance, what if your new ‘wish list’ career is that pastry chef?  Chances are that you are already baking for your family and friends.  You are already conducting catering service for your community of followers.  There are several steps you can take, while you are still in your current career.

1)    Take pictures and video of your pastry and catering events.

2)    Create your pastry website, logo and brand

3)    Create your brochures and business cards

4)    Collect testimonials from friends, family and your community

5)    Create your facebook and linkedin social media pages

6)    Take culinary classes in your desired wish list career

7)    Start blogging and send out social media posting that illustrate your expertise

8)    Publicize that you are available for catering events

9)    Collaborate with other entrepreneurs and offer to cater their catalyst events

10) Give your pastry as appreciation gifts at your office

11) Offer to cater the office parties and meetings

12) Create your pastry business plan

13) Create a resume based on your graphics experience and client testimonials

The goal is to start building and collecting the proper experience and resume, while you are still in your current career.

What if you are current a teacher’s assistant and you want to break into graphic design.

  • Highlight your training materials and your PowerPoint and graphic tools used in your previous teaching position.
  • Highlight and/or create a portfolio of your graphic designs and presentations.
  • Obtain your certification in graphic designs.
  • Offer your services to some non-profits or small business owners.  Then use their testimonials in your portfolio.
  • Update your social media pages with your graphic designs
  • Create a resume based on your graphics experience and client testimonials

The goal is to jump from engineer to management.  What steps to you take?

  • Take leadership and management course
  • Offer your services to sibling departments
  • Propose a money-saving project and lead it
  • Create a small team on your project idea and lead it
  • Accept a project management position for a non-profit or community volunteer position.
  • Update our resume with these experiences

 

Final tip is to create an Individual Development Plan.  Outline your gaps between where you are and where you want to be.  Identify the steps, tools, studies or certifications that you need to accomplish those goals.  And setup your milestones, deadlines, accountability partners, and reasonable forcing functions to assure success.

In the IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet.

Also following online courses:

 12 Tips for Realistic Scheduling
10 Tips for Telecommuters
 10 Career Boosting Resolution Laser Lesson

 10 Hidden Time Waster Laser Lesson

 Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Professional Development Toolkit
It’s a SNAP – Social Networking Accelerated Process for business networking

 Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/

 

Use that Gap in Your Employment to your advantage

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  The Professional Development Toolkit package covers professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in inexpensive training in these areas,get signed up

I recently received the following questions:
  • How can a job seeker best explain gaps in their resume?
  • What’s the best way for a job seekers to jump back into the workforce after an absence – either planned or otherwise?
  • How does one build confidence after you have been out of work for some time.
Gaps in a resume could be in a couple of forms:

1) an employment gap (out of work)

2) working away from your chosen profession  (not your chosen industry or position)

Even if you have been continually working, but not working in your chosen field or industry, you may feel nervous about applying for that new job.

The best way to build confidence after you have been out of work for some time, is to actually accomplish tangible and tactile things while you are out of work.   Identify your goals for self-improvement in regards to health, education, presentation skills, networking, and family.  Then accomplish those goals.  Most employers like to hire self-motivated people that can solve their own problems.  By using this gap in employment for some self-assessment and self-improvement (while you are still job searching) is a good use of your time.

Since the main reason for employer’s hesitation in an employment gap is the ability to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing technology, the best advice is to stay relevant regardless of what type or how the gap occurred.  You can do this by:

  • Use the gap to learn a new skill, achieve a certification or license
  • Stay active in your profession by volunteering your services to nonprofits or service communities
  • Teach at a local community college,
  • Create online courses in your field of expertise.
  • Speak at local professional organizations or conferences
  • Write articles, blogs or ebooks in your field of expertise
  • Develop YouTube presentations, demos or prototypes as proof of your new skill set.
  • Create a portfolio or press kit of your accomplishments during the gap
Then update your resume with your new skills and links to your articles, videos, apps, etc.
The employer’s fear of the “gap” is that you have fallen out of touch with your field.  If you can show that you have sharpened your skills (during the gap), then you have tangible evidence that you are not only still relevant in your field but an expert.

In the Professional Toolkit, I provide worksheet, templates and guidance on how to accomplish these things.    In my Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations, I have 105 work-life scenarios like the above.  The scenarios show how to accomplish your goals in similar situation.
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers“, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

Don’t shy away from asking for a raise

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Now that it’s 2014, performance evaluation and pay raises are dancing in people’s head.  If you are like many, it’s been awhile since you’ve seen a pay increase.  Therefore, one of your 2014 Career goals should be to “not to shy away from asking for a raise.” 

Some quick tips:

1) Do your homework.  Understand where your current pay compares to the salary ranges for your title and region.  Salary.com can provide that information.

2) Quantify your individual and team job performance in regards to the company goals.  Illustrate how much money your work saved the company, or created for the company. Show tangible results in regards to increase customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and customer referrals.

3) Understand the responsibilities of your grade and pay level.  Understand the responsibilities of the next level.  Highlight as many responsibilities that you accomplish from the higher pay-grade or band level.  Employers expect their employees to do excellent work in their assigned pay-grade and responsibilities.   By doing what they expect – gives you a Meet Expectations performance grade.   By doing things below your pay-grade (even though those items are assigned to you and no one else will do them) gets you a Performing Below Expectations. 
By doing things above your pay-grade gets Exceeds Expectations and that raise.

You will feel more confident in asking for a raise if you can show tactile and tangible measurements of your individual and team contributions.  Talk in $$ or % increase/decrease  (in numbers) when outlining your results.
I have a full online course on this topic.  Check out the Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson
Other topics the Get That Well-Deserved Raise Laser Lesson  covers are:
  • What’s the best time to ask for a raise? –
  • What materials should you have prepared when asking for a raise? –
  • What’s the best way to ask for a raise?
  • What’s a good way to phrase your request for a pay raise?
  • How can you figure out the right range, figure or percent to ask for? What’s too high? What’s too low?

Employers that interview but never hires.

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This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies.  In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up

 I know the usual reasons for not hiring a particular individual, such as under-qualification or just-not-a-fit; but what are the reasons employers interview and then decide not to hire anyone?

There are often different reasons why employers interview and then don’t hire.  Because reasons are normally asynchronous to the hiring process, they are less evident.

Since the interview process takes time and money (from advertizing for the position, filtering and sorting incoming resumes, initial candidate screening and the interview meeting),no company goes into this process with the idea that “they do not intend to really hire anyone”.  They enter this process with the full intention of finding good candidates and eventually a good employee.

But because this process takes time, things can change during the interview process itself.  The longer it takes to find someone, the higher the risk of something changing.
Some things that they may realize during the interview process are:

1) The longer it takes to find the right person, the higher the risk that they realize that this position isn’t as critical as first thought.  They may feel that they are doing fine without the extra hand.  After viewing several candidates, they realize that they rather train and promote from within. Or they find that they have actually completed the project that they were trying to hire.
2) The position disappears because of an re-organization or business strategy change. It could be combined with some other role or eliminated altogether.
3) A new project management strategy is instituted such that either the schedule is extended to allow the current resources to handle the added tasks; or the project scope is diminished such that the current resources are satisfactory.
4) A hiring freeze was just initiated.
5) A different way of subsidizing the resources is implemented instead. This could be a short-term contractor, an affiliated partner is providing the service (outsourcing), the company decides to eliminate that service altogether (and refer clients to their referral partners)

It’s important for job seekers to not take it personally, and work hard to stay on these potential employer’s radar.  Things change – which means things will change again.  If you stay on their radar (through continued business networking techniques), when things change back again, you are on the top of their Rolodex.

In the Professional Toolkit, I provide worksheet, templates and guidance on how to accomplish these things.    The Book of Answers: 105 Career Critical Situations  contains 105 work-life scenarios like the above.  The scenarios show how to accomplish your goals in similar situation.

For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers” email LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

3 resolutions job seekers should make for 2014

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3 resolutions job seekers should make for 2014

1)  In addition to cleaning up your digital footprint on your various social networks, increase your professional exposure on those same networks.  For instance, upgrade your LinkedIn.com account to the pro account for better access to people you don’t currently know but want to know; create video presentations on YouTube to illustrate your expertise, professionalism and ease of conveying difficult concepts to others.

2) Start clearly articulating your career goals to at least one person every day.  Don’t just use your 30 second or elevator speech at official networking events.  Use it everywhere and at everyone you meet from standing in line at the grocery store to attending sporting events.

3) Ask other people about their career goals at least once a day.  Collecting data on what other people are interested in and working on provides you an easy way to introduce your  transferable talents into the conversation.  Promoting your transferable skills (skills that are useful in various roles and positions) expands your job opportunities past just one career position.

The best way to follow-through on these things is to create a Marketing and Client Attraction Plan (included in the Professional Development Toolkit).   This plan outlines the type of people you want to network with, how often you want to network with them, and actually mark the dates/times on your calendar in which you will be doing these activities.  Setting up an accountability partner (like a spouse, friend, business coach) such that you have an external commitment to follow-through is another way to stay on track.

If you are interested in this type of information, check out some of the online courses (many are free) at Udemy.