Permission To Manage Your Career

Permission To Manage Your Career Since last Monday Ive been giving presentations on using tools for job search and career management (and even social marketing). Im amazed at the percentage of people who are really, really new to this stuff.   A lot of people have known about tools, and even the tactics and strategies, for managing their own career, being CEO of Me, Inc., and proactively creating their own job security (which Ill refer to as income security). But knowing about and implementing are two different things.   Like when I knew about my lawnmower problem, but sat on it for years, and one day I pulled the pliers out and fixed an uber-frustrating issue in just five minutes that made mowing my lawn a much better experience. Or knowing about a problem with the door knob on my front door which frustrated just about everyone who ever touched it.   After years, I finally had that fixed. Or knowing about my intense dislike for my dress shoes, which were either uncomfortable or scuffed to the point of embarrassing (and not professional).   I finally made myself do one of the things I loathe, which is shop for shoes for myself.   I found a brand and style that Im in love with and doubt Ill ever (EVER) buy another brand. The fixes for our little problems are usually quick, easy and affordable.   But for some reason we put them off for years, living with the frustration.   Is it because we like the pain and anguish? I have no idea. My coach taught me something simple: I have the answers, I know what should be done, but I was just waiting around for someone to give me permission to do it.   How silly is that? So today, I give you permission. I give you permission to get on LinkedIn, and have a career management strategy.   If you want to figure out what a LinkedIn Strategy is, come on over to the LinkedIn blog. I give you permission to go to a face-to-face networking event this month. I never did because I thought I would be cheating on my company (the very same company that pink-slipped me). I give you permission to take a few hours and update your resume. I give you permission to read a networking book that will change your life (The first book I recommend is Never Eat Alone). I give you permission to _____________________________.   Im not sure what it is for you, but I bet you know. Finally, I give you permission to give yourself permission for all of those little things that need to be resolved.   You are an adult you dont need to wait for someone else to come along and say its okay to make the necessary change. Do it.   Be empowered. I give you permission! Permission To Manage Your Career Since last Monday Ive been giving presentations on using tools for job search and career management (and even social marketing). Im amazed at the percentage of people who are really, really new to this stuff.   A lot of people have known about tools, and even the tactics and strategies, for managing their own career, being CEO of Me, Inc., and proactively creating their own job security (which Ill refer to as income security). But knowing about and implementing are two different things.   Like when I knew about my lawnmower problem, but sat on it for years, and one day I pulled the pliers out and fixed an uber-frustrating issue in just five minutes that made mowing my lawn a much better experience. Or knowing about a problem with the door knob on my front door which frustrated just about everyone who ever touched it.   After years, I finally had that fixed. Or knowing about my intense dislike for my dress shoes, which were either uncomfortable or scuffed to the point of embarrassing (and not professional).   I finally made myself do one of the things I loathe, which is shop for shoes for myself.   I found a brand and style that Im in love with and doubt Ill ever (EVER) buy another brand. The fixes for our little problems are usually quick, easy and affordable.   But for some reason we put them off for years, living with the frustration.   Is it because we like the pain and anguish? I have no idea. My coach taught me something simple: I have the answers, I know what should be done, but I was just waiting around for someone to give me permission to do it.   How silly is that? So today, I give you permission. I give you permission to get on LinkedIn, and have a career management strategy.   If you want to figure out what a LinkedIn Strategy is, come on over to the LinkedIn blog. I give you permission to go to a face-to-face networking event this month. I never did because I thought I would be cheating on my company (the very same company that pink-slipped me). I give you permission to take a few hours and update your resume. I give you permission to read a networking book that will change your life (The first book I recommend is Never Eat Alone). I give you permission to _____________________________.   Im not sure what it is for you, but I bet you know. Finally, I give you permission to give yourself permission for all of those little things that need to be resolved.   You are an adult you dont need to wait for someone else to come along and say its okay to make the necessary change. Do it.   Be empowered. I give you permission! Permission To Manage Your Career Since last Monday Ive been giving presentations on using tools for job search and career management (and even social marketing). Im amazed at the percentage of people who are really, really new to this stuff.   A lot of people have known about tools, and even the tactics and strategies, for managing their own career, being CEO of Me, Inc., and proactively creating their own job security (which Ill refer to as income security). But knowing about and implementing are two different things.   Like when I knew about my lawnmower problem, but sat on it for years, and one day I pulled the pliers out and fixed an uber-frustrating issue in just five minutes that made mowing my lawn a much better experience. Or knowing about a problem with the door knob on my front door which frustrated just about everyone who ever touched it.   After years, I finally had that fixed. Or knowing about my intense dislike for my dress shoes, which were either uncomfortable or scuffed to the point of embarrassing (and not professional).   I finally made myself do one of the things I loathe, which is shop for shoes for myself.   I found a brand and style that Im in love with and doubt Ill ever (EVER) buy another brand. The fixes for our little problems are usually quick, easy and affordable.   But for some reason we put them off for years, living with the frustration.   Is it because we like the pain and anguish? I have no idea. My coach taught me something simple: I have the answers, I know what should be done, but I was just waiting around for someone to give me permission to do it.   How silly is that? So today, I give you permission. I give you permission to get on LinkedIn, and have a career management strategy.   If you want to figure out what a LinkedIn Strategy is, come on over to the LinkedIn blog. I give you permission to go to a face-to-face networking event this month. I never did because I thought I would be cheating on my company (the very same company that pink-slipped me). I give you permission to take a few hours and update your resume. I give you permission to read a networking book that will change your life (The first book I recommend is Never Eat Alone). I give you permission to _____________________________.   Im not sure what it is for you, but I bet you know. Finally, I give you permission to give yourself permission for all of those little things that need to be resolved.   You are an adult you dont need to wait for someone else to come along and say its okay to make the necessary change. Do it.   Be empowered. I give you permission!

Three Simple Steps to Prevent Gossip From Infiltrating Your Office

Three Simple Steps to Prevent Gossip From Infiltrating Your Office Work gossip. Some of us participate in it, and most of us see it as a relatively harmless reality of working in an office. But the truth is, gossip has the power to dismantle even the best teams and keep good teams from becoming truly great. Here’s why work gossip is bad news, and how to prevent gossip from infiltrating your office. It allows mistrust to grow. When you start talking about coworkers instead of talking to them, you begin to see and assume the worst about their behavior. One of the hallmarks of a great team is assuming positive intent. This is the idea that we should assume that our teammates have a good reason for what they’re doing or what they’ve asked of us.When gossip spreads, your team will begin to do the complete opposite of this. Teammates will begin to assume that other individuals and groups have secret or ulterior motives for decisions, and they’ll fuel these suspicions with more gossip. Gossip makes it easy for a vicious cycle of mistrust and suspicion to take root and grow quickly within your team. Your team will split into warring factions. It’s typical for teams have smaller sub-groups within them â€" these are usually teammates who work together closely on projects. The types of sub-groups are fine if there’s a clear business purpose behind them. But sub-groups will begin to see each other as enemies when gossip is tolerated.On great teams, individuals see the team’s success as their own success. On a team with gossip and warring factions, groups and individuals view success as a zero-sum game. People will see start to see the success of another “faction” as detrimental to their own. Cohesion and a true team mentality arent possible on a team that gossips. You won’t have the tough (and necessary) conversations. Talking about coworkers behind their backs is a habit that allows us to avoid conflict. But open conflict and disagreement are at the heart of the world’s best teams. In fact, in our research on hundreds of teams, the highest-performing teams (when compared to low-performing teams) are: 106 times more likely to give each other tough feedback 50 times more likely to openly discuss conflict when it arises If you gossip or tolerate gossip from your teammates, your team will never have the tough conversations that make it possible to push through major challenges and grow. What are some easy ways to prevent gossip from infiltrating your team? Here are three quick tips. Work on assuming positive intent   When you’re   unclear on a colleagues motives, it’s your responsibility to ask questions and seek clarification. If it’s a simple misunderstanding, you’ll be able to move past it quickly. If a teammate’s motives don’t benefit the team, you can discuss this directly and give them chance to redirect their efforts. Encourage people to bring their issues out in the open  If someone is constantly complaining about a teammate, push them to bring their issues out into the open. Tell them that nothing will be better unless they address it directly â€" and let them know that conflict and disagreement are the only ways tough issues can get resolved. Be a good role model Don’t talk about your coworkers. If you want to be on a healthy, productive team, you need to unlearn bad habits. Learn to talk to your teammates instead of about them. Even if you’ve tolerated (or participated in) gossip before, let others know you have changed your ways and aren’t going to tolerate it moving forward. Make it clear that you’re putting the team first. Gossip is truly one of the most damaging behaviors on any team â€" it prevents us from trusting our teammates, being our best selves, and achieving explosive success with our team. If you’re the team leader, your job is to set the standard. And if you set the standard that gossip isn’t tolerated, you’ll quickly see this mentality spread throughout your team. This guest post was authored by Linda Adams Linda Adams is a partner at The Trispective Group and the co-author with Audrey Epstein, Abby Curnow-Chavez and Rebecca Teasdale of The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations. For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit, www.trispectivegroup.com

7 Things You Wished Youd Have Known Before Graduating

7 Things You Wished Youd Have Known Before Graduating Ah, good old university days. When life was easy, rent was cheap and responsibilities were no where to be seen. But what would you tell yourself if you could go back now? 1.  Every day is an interview: University can bring way more opportunities than you may realise. Everyday there are chances  to meet and impress those in the industry, the networking scope is huge. Students often miss out on these opportunities as they dont think they will be very useful but you could even meet your future employer! The simple question is ask everyone I meet daily is What is the drive in your life today? I network everyday. I am A|NationBuilder (@realtopenelson) February 9, 2016 2. Youre not going to get your dream job: Sometimes, students will leave university and expect to breeze into their dream job. Now dont get me wrong, this sometimes happensbut most of the time it doesnt. Sometimes youll have to start from the bottom to get where you really want top be. https://twitter.com/HumsEmployable/status/593829228065460224 3. Work experience is important: This is hammered into our heads from a young age but work experience can be a deal-breaker when applying to jobs. Use your holidays and reading weeks as time for work experience, you never know the difference it can make. Another reason why work experience is important https://t.co/vVTHGruFjo Sirrond WEX (@SirrondWEX) August 7, 2015 4. Graduation  ceremonies are boring: Apart from the free champers, graduation ceremonies are pretty boring. https://twitter.com/Alex_Correa414/status/609828642470952961 5. Interviews dont have to be terrifying: Can you believe it?! Interviews can actually be fun. If you feel comfortable with the role youre applying for, the interview should be more of a showcase, rather than a interrogation. https://twitter.com/kawaiigypsy93/status/697132114282745856 6. Social media can get you a job: University is the time to get your social media presence up to scratch. Connect with influencers and people you admire. Social media can get you a job. Be creative and when you least expect it, BOOOM Francesca M Hoskins (@FancyFran) November 13, 2015 7. Make the most of your spare time: You wont realise until after graduation how much spare time students actually have. So use it wisely! Its like my sister never has lectures. Law students have so much free time. Samantha Ebuzeme. (@Samentha__) March 20, 2012 What would you tell your pre-grad self? let us know! Image: Shutterstock

Make Your Resume Visible in 6 Simple Steps

Make Your Resume Visible in 6 Simple Steps Does your resume work for you, or against you? No matter how badly you want a job, or how qualified you are for that job, if the hiring manager reads through your resume and immediately trips over hard-to-ignore mistakes, that resume is going to be tossed aside. And even if the text is error free, if it reads just like the previous 486 resumes she read, she is probably still going to put it in her not worth reading pile with the others. To make your resume noticeable you need to focus on doing three things impeccably well: being creative, being compelling, and staying error-free: 1) Be creative, be you! It sounds like a bad infomercial, but it’s true. Your resume has to reflect your personality. Its especially important if you’re working in a creative industry where innovation is required. Your resume has to echo your unconventional and artistic aspects. Sticking to a traditional resume template implies that you’re able to follow rules. Showing your creative touch, however, will give you a winning point against your competitors. 2) Be meaningful: Does your resume include empty words such as “best of breed” or “go-getter” or “strategic thinker”? These words are in fact often blacklisted by hiring managers. Including them in your resume will mean you risk getting yourself ignored. While there was a time when these words impressed everyone in the human resources department, today theyre more often seen as annoying. These terms that were once seen as stellar personality qualities are now meaningless; when you actually use them you distract the person reading your resume from worthwhile information you could be mentioning. So instead of filling your resume with pointless jargon, use powerful keywords the hiring manager is looking for. You can find the most relevant resume keywords in job ads and the career market in general. For instance, if you’re a web designer, your resume needs to include keywords such as, HTML, CSS, Java Script, Illustrator, or mobile design. Relevant keywords will ensure your resume will pop up when the hiring manager is searching through hundreds of resumes for the ideal candidate. 3) Proofread: The importance of proofreading and editing cannot be stressed enough. Although a hiring manager knows one spelling mistake or typo can be forgivable, they will still tend to ruthlessly judge and even reject you for a linguistic slip-up. After all, if youve not bothered to correct your mistakes before youre hired, will you bother once youve gotten the job? Proofread your resume, and if you’re not sure you can spot all errors, hand it to a professional. You really cant risk getting rejected over an embarrassing typo, can you? 4) Make a good first (visual) impression: For better or worse, your accomplishments are not the only thing affecting the hiring manager’s decision. The first impression he or she will get is from the overall layout, formatting, and structure of your resume. Use a single font size and youll be boring the reader to death. Choose unprofessional fonts like Comic Sans and your resume wont be forwarded to the hiring committee itll be handed around a laughing group of secretaries before its put in the discard bin. Formatting, layout, and resume structure need to be carefully chosen to ensure your resume visually stands out without going overboard. To grab attention, your resume needs to follow a logical structure. For instance, put your contact information first and then your education. Work experience comes first if you’ve graduated more than 10 years ago. Don’t forget to use different fonts and font sizes to draw attention to the places you want the hiring manager to linger, namely on your successes and accomplishments. 5) State your objective: Many people advise against describing an objective on your resume, arguing that it’s redundant. We beg to differ; having an objective shows you’ve taken the time to imagine yourself at the position you’re applying for. It reveals a person who’s meticulous, determined, and driven. 6) Quantify your accomplishments: Rather than filling your resume with vague descriptions, you should try to paint a more direct picture with numbers. Numbers stick out. The reader wants to know the story behind a number, dont simply say something vague and impersonal, like this: Helped increase the online community of XXX company with strategic social media marketing initiatives.” Instead, help the reader really see the scope of the accomplishment by using a sentence like this: “Increased social media engagement by XX% and achieved XX% lead generation increase for XXX company through social media marketing campaigns.” Implement these tips and you will make your resume more noticeable, increasing your chances of landing your dream job. Good luck! Author: Chassie Lee is the Content Expert for eReflect.

Resume Writing Services in Gympie - Resume Writing Services That Are Available

Resume Writing Services in Gympie - Resume Writing Services That Are AvailableIf you want to know more about Gympie resume writing services, you will be pleased to know that there are many local services in the area. These services offer assistance in the form of written resumes. The individuals who use these services have as much knowledge and experience as possible in order to make a good impression in the company they are working for. When it comes to these services, you will also find a lot of other options available that can help you find the best fit for your needs.The resume writing services in Gympie provide resume samples and resume templates which are very easy to use. They are also able to help you with other related tasks, like research and resume editing. These service providers offer a lot of quality in these areas and the results speak for themselves.When you are considering hiring a service provider, you will want to make sure that the company offers services that are going to benefit you. You need to ask the companies what services they can offer you and what qualifications they need to have in order to offer you these services. This can help you get an idea of how they do things. You will also be able to decide on whether or not they are the right people for the job. Some companies in the area will help you select a specialized resume writer, but others can assist you in any way that they can.To make sure that you hire the best company for the job, you will want to look at reviews online. This can help you determine if the company is reputable and credible. It can also help you understand what you are getting when you use their services.The services offered by these companies include various types of resumes. They are also able to help you with the submission process as well as the reviewing of your resume once it has been received. They can also give you professional advice and assistance in every aspect of your career.Finding the right servi ces can take a little time to sort through all of the available services. If you are flexible with the length of time required for the review, you will find a number of options available. This is always a good thing because you can end up with a resume that matches your requirements and that you can be happy with.Even though you may only need a resume writer once, you will want to take the time to do a thorough review of each company that you are considering. The more information you have on a potential candidate, the better off you will be. This will also help you determine whether or not the services offered are good enough to recommend them.Resume writing services in Gympie will help you make the most of your experience with the company. You should be able to benefit from the quality and speed of the services offered. The end result will be a resume that makes a great first impression and one that you are confident about.

Come with me to London - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Come with me to London - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Were organizing a 2-day trip to London for 20 Danish business leaders and HR people in January 2014. Were going to visit and learn from some of the UKs happiest and most successful workplaces and see how they approach leadership, happiness and results. It will be intense, fun and incredibly valuably. Read all about it and sign up here (in Danish). UPDATE: 11 of 20 tickets sold already. Woohoo! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Who Holds the Key to Your Career Success

Who Holds the Key to Your Career Success Have you ever found yourself taking on the accent and speech patterns of the people you’re talking to? For example, when you’re playing pick-up basketball in the inner city you might adopt some “street” language. Or when you’re staying with your posh friend’s family for the summer, you might start sounding more sophisticated yourself. If you do, that’s normal. Psychologists have found that we humans have a subconscious desire to imitate gestures or speech patterns of others we’re interacting with. It comes from an inbuilt urge of the brain to empathize and affiliate. While picking up speech patterns here and there is harmless enough, the issue â€" and the opportunity â€" arises when this inbuilt empathy instinct spills over to other aspects of our lives. Your Environment Matters A good friend of mine recently shared that her son is thinking of transferring to a different university because he is surrounded by people who are artists when he is an athlete, and most of his friends suffer from anxiety and he feels like it’s rubbing off on him. He said, “I didn’t realize the extent to which environment makes a difference and has an effect on me.” Always a thoughtful, introspective type, he realized that he’s become increasingly isolated and depressed â€" much like his closest friends. While we all have our tendencies, these can get magnified or suppressed based on the people we hang around most. And those are the people you’re closest to in your network. Who You’re Around Affects Everything In fact, the people you spend time with hold the key to success in your career and life. As entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve found that people affect you in at least four ways: how you think, how you feel, how you act, and the opportunities you have. How You Think The people you listen to regularly will begin to inform your worldview. That extends to ethics, politics, social issues and beyond. Just think of those times when you’ve thought to yourself, “I can’t believe she has that point of view â€" how can she think that’s okay?” and the other person is thinking the same of you. But if all you hear is one side of the story, you’ll most likely start adopting those views yourself. That makes it easy to be confident you’re right while others see it a completely different way. As they say, history is written by the victors. And what constitutes a “fact” is still open for interpretation. The people you spend time with also affect your mindset, including how brave you’re prepared to be, what’s normal, what’s possible, and what’s possible for you. Your mindset is likely to be different if you’re constantly criticized versus if you’re surrounded by people who adopt a “can do” attitude in the face of challenges. How are the people you’re around affecting the way you think? How You Feel According to Scientific American, moods are contagious â€" just like in the example of my friend’s son. Psychologists call this “emotional contagion”, which is a 3-stage process through which feelings are transferred from one person to another. It starts with unconscious mimicry, where you unconsciously adopt the other person’s nonverbal cues, for example smiling when you see the other person smile, but without realizing it. Then you move to the feedback stage where, in this example, your smiling action leads to your feeling happier. Then finally, the other person’s emotions and behaviors become synchronized with yours, and you adopt the good mood of the other person. This, in turn, strengthens the relationship bond between the two of you. While this was a positive example, the opposite contagion is often more prevalent â€" where you catch the bad moods of those around you. And of course, emotional contagion means that you are spreading your moods to others as well. Are you catching more good moods or bad moods from the people you’re closest to? How You Act The behaviors and habits we adopt are also influenced by the people we spend time with. What you eat or drink â€" For example, it’s easier to not drink alcohol if you’re around others who don’t. On the other hand, I’m more likely to eat that brownie if I’m with my friend who’s a self-confessed chocoholic. How hard you push yourself â€" One of the reasons I love my gym is that I’m around people who are pushing themselves and really going for it, which inspires me to work hard and push my boundaries too. What you say â€" The crowd you hang with determines what’s acceptable to say or not, and the language you use. Most of us are less likely to swear when we’re around children, the boss, or the Queen. Habits you create â€" Your morning routine, the way you prepare for a meeting, whether you wait to be called on before speaking are all affected by the group you’re with and the norms that are established. Opportunities that Come Your Way The circles you travel in determine the opportunities that come up for you. If you’re only spending time with juniors, then you’re less likely to get those bigger opportunities that come from senior sponsorship. And if you surround yourself with people who won’t challenge you, you’ll be less prepared for bigger opportunities should they come your way. You Have a Choice It’s up to you to decide who you want to spend your time with. And if you’re in an environment that’s toxic for you, it’s up to you to make a change. When you choose who you want to have in your network, it’s not a choice you make once and then never change. People will come into and out of our lives at different points in time, so the options you have are never static. Think of it as an opportunity as well as an obligation to yourself to regularly revisit the choices you make about the people you spend time with. The people you spend time with hold the key to success in your career and life. Do What’s Right For You So, when you do a reality check of who’s in your inner circle, ask yourself these questions: How do they support my bigger future? And how do I support theirs? Do they lift me up, or bring me down? Do they lead me to growth opportunities, or make me think small? Keep in mind that the people who influence you can also be ones you learn from through the things you read and watch. As we learned from Napoleon Hill, we can draw on the minds of people we don’t know â€" ‘Masterminds’ â€" to help us advance. So be choosy about the things you read, listen to and watch. Instead of listening to the equivalent of “hate radio” every day, you can choose to learn the wisdom of people who have encouraged others and made the world better, whether that’s Nelson Mandela, Tony Robbins or the grandmother next door. Then, make some smart choices about who you want to hang out with, whether that’s in person or virtually, and curate your network of people carefully. They make a big difference to who you are, the opportunities you attract, and the person you become. Your network makes a difference to who you are, opportunities you attract and the person you become Your Challenge Take a look at your network and ask yourself: Who do you spend the most time with, and how are they bringing you closer to the person you want to be? And who is missing from your network who can help bring you closer to the person you want to be? Leave a comment below and let me know.