Who Do You Blame In The Job Search

Who Do You Blame In The Job Search This is a fascinating read: Are You Blaming Self for Being Unemployed? Heres my comment to Alex, on LinkedIn where he posted a link to his blog: I talked to Ofer, and have heard a lot about him from Susan P Joyce. Great guy. I definitely blamed myself for more than I should have during my job search. what helped was going to job clubs meeting people who were better (more qualified) than I was, and learning about their story. I figured out that it wasnt me it was circumstance. No one is immune. Im not suggesting you should blame one or the other, but I know that many of you are blaming yourself. Sometimes that blame is well-placed.  But we need to move past the blame and get to a point where we can be functional job seekers. Who Do You Blame In The Job Search This is a fascinating read: Are You Blaming Self for Being Unemployed? Heres my comment to Alex, on LinkedIn where he posted a link to his blog: I talked to Ofer, and have heard a lot about him from Susan P Joyce. Great guy. I definitely blamed myself for more than I should have during my job search. what helped was going to job clubs meeting people who were better (more qualified) than I was, and learning about their story. I figured out that it wasnt me it was circumstance. No one is immune. Im not suggesting you should blame one or the other, but I know that many of you are blaming yourself. Sometimes that blame is well-placed.  But we need to move past the blame and get to a point where we can be functional job seekers.

Stop Trying to Be Perfect, Just Be Yourself! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Stop Trying to Be Perfect, Just Be Yourself! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Perfection can be a motivation killer. The more you put pressure to yourself, the more stressed you will be. When you get stressed, your motivation and health will get affected from it and your performance will decrease eventually. Instead of focusing on being perfect, you should focus on being your best. In this way, you can gradually improve yourself and let others appreciate your progress.  Remember being yourself is more important than being perfect. Perfection is Unattainable: No one in the world is perfect. Everybody has their own imperfections and flaws. In addition, everybody has their own dreams, wants and needs. That means we are all different from  each other. Our careers are different from each other as well. If you think your career as a long path, everybody will use different routes to go through this path. There is no one right way or direction. This route totally depends on your goals. Once you achieve one goal, you will add another to your plate. It will keep on going like this, a never ending cycle until you put an end to it. Therefore, you should be proud of yourselves and the things that you achieve along the way. It Makes You Miserable: Trying to be perfect adds more amount of stress to your daily life because you are running after something that you will never achieve of. Instead, just be yourself and do the best you can. Also, nobody is going to care whether you are perfect or not. They only care that you do a good job on time. Moreover, people who are always trying to be perfect are not enjoyable to be around because they don’t enjoy the moment since they have a never ending to do list. Create Realistic Goals: It is important to decide what you want to accomplish. For example; if you are not happy with your current job, finding a new job can be your goal. If you want to continue your education, enrolling a graduate degree or a certificate program should be your goal. All of your goals do not need to be career related. Traveling to a new country can be your goal or a prize that you give to yourself when you achieve a career related goal. The only key point here is to make sure your goals are achievable and you can measure your success. Thus, you can see that you are improving yourself while  doing your best.

Quick College Hacks For The New Student

Quick College Hacks For The New Student College can be one of the busiest time in our life. Add any additional work or family commitments to that mix and you’re likely to feel like you have no free time. Feeling overworked or like there are too few hours in the day can mean we overlook things. We might overlook smaller details or forget to make time for ourselves. But ultimately, as time goes on we are more likely to overlook important matters too. Deadlines, rent payments, and more can easily slip our mind and we can suffer needlessly or even jeopardize our place at college. But it doesn’t have to be this way! It is reported that there are three things that college students often forget to do effectively: study, manage money, and eat well. With the hacks below, you can address all of these at the start of your studies. Your experience is far more likely to be positive, empowering, and successful as a result.   Whether you are physically attending class or getting a degree through an online program like Fresno Pacific Masters in Organizational Leadership Degree Online, these tips are a must for new students. Join A Study Group Many colleges and institutions have specific study groups depending on your course and subject. With the advent of social media and networking, you may discover one via Facebook or Twitter. The advantages of joining a study group can be numerous. If you’re quite a sociable person, they enable you to mix with others while still achieving something constructive. They provide peer support and can help keep things in perspective. There is no easier way to become overwhelmed with work than to completely isolate ourselves. It can be amazing how quickly we start to believe that everyone is ahead of us. Or that we’re the only one finding the assignment difficult. In a study group environment, we can quickly gain insight, advice, and a bit of structure. We can benefit from the thoughts of our peers and may even find that we can help others too! It can be a confidence boost to find that we understand areas that others struggle with. They, in turn, can help us with the areas that we struggl e with. Meeting on set days and at set times to study can help us to train our brain too. Our body and mind can take on habits very quickly. This is why it’s so important to ensure those habits are positive. If we meet with a study group every Wednesday and Friday, for example, we may quickly find that we are in the frame of mind to work at these times. Seek out study groups and even start your own if necessary. Coffee shops can be handy for everyone to access but can quickly become noisy or feel just like socializing. A great option is a floor of the library where your subject books can be found. It will be quiet, accessible, and conducive to good studying. Read Good Essays Essay writing is an essential skill for the majority of college courses. Whether you study arts or sciences, you need to be able to summarize your thoughts and ideas effectively. We may have been out of education for some time, or not have written at this level. It can be difficult to approach an essay from scratch so we should seek out sources of inspiration. Research papers can be intimidating if we haven’t written one. We can buy research paper material online or request past papers from our tutors. These can then provide the basis of our own essay, or at least show us how it is done. Reading widely is one of the best ways to improve our writing abilities. Set Up Automatic Payments We are likely to have many additional payments to make when we become a student. We might need to make library subscription payments, rent, home insurance, and more. If we already have some financial commitments, it can be easy to become confused and overlook things. Missing payments or paying late can have serious financial consequences. We may lose certain privileges or be faced with hefty additional charges. Where possible, we should always aim to make payments in full and on time. Seek professional advice and be honest early on if you are struggling financially. Setting up automatic payments can be a great way to reduce the hassle. It can be daunting at first to think of money “disappearing” from our account. But forgetting to make a payment is far worse. Automatic payments may already be an option on application forms or contracts. But if not, why not suggest them? It might be possible to arrange an automatic payment to a landlord or other outgoing. For your benefit, it redu ces the amount of attention you have to give to the process. But for the benefit of the receiver, they never have to hound you for payment or wonder when to expect it. The less time you have to spend on remembering to pay things, the more you can spend on studying and having fun! Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Technology and Ethics In the Workplace - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Technology and Ethics In the Workplace - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career There are many positives of technology in the workplace and it definitely changed the way that we work. However, there are down sides of it too. Some employers violate basic human rights of their employees and are being unethical due to too much technology. There are many lawsuits on privacy rights and ethical behavior in the workplace. Below you can find the most common dilemmas of technology and ethics in the workplace. Privacy: Individual’s privacy is definitely an area that has been crossed with the development of technology. Companies can now easily monitor everything their employees do while using the company computer that is given to them. Companies can track social media usage, surfing time on the internet, websites that has been accessed and etc. Obviously, ethical problems and privacy issues may arise when the employee uses the company device for personal issues. Therefore, it is best to distinguish between a personal computer and a company computer. Also, companies should set their policies regarding the usage of company devices clearly. However, we are all human beings and unfortunately, it is not always easy to make this distinction while working on the same device at least 8 hours a day. Work hours: Before the internet was invented, there was the definition of an 8 hour work day and you were mainly free after you go home. There was also the definition of a workplace because you were only able to do the certain tasks at your workplace. The definition of a work day and a workplace have now blurred due to the improvement of technology. Nowadays, anyone can work from anywhere with an internet connection and is accessible from anywhere with a mobile phone. Nonetheless, just because technology makes you accessible doesn’t mean that your employer can make you work 24/7. This is not ethical because every employee deserves the time to relax and rest. Employee Communications: There are many court cases and objections for the employers to monitor personal communications on company device but how about if the employer monitors the communications between employees? Do you think this is ethical? Well, this is currently a dilemma because while the employers want to make sure their employees spend their time on work related tasks during work hours, it is really difficult to always focus on work related tasks due to the nature of humans. Therefore, employees should find the balance in between.

Resume Writing For Artists - Giving the Art Direction to Your Resume

Resume Writing For Artists - Giving the Art Direction to Your ResumeResume writing for artists has been an ongoing challenge to many artist companies. A company that wants to hire an artist to do a job and is only looking for a skilled worker will probably be happy with a standard resume and a simple cover letter. The same resume and cover letter may not be effective when applying for positions that require creative resumes and creative cover letters.Resume writing for artists should be flexible enough to allow the artist to be flexible and creative. There are several reasons why this is important. One reason is that your creativity can benefit your resume, while leaving room for future revisions and alterations. The art director is looking for the best candidate to create a logo, a website, an event or any other similar advertising that will take your company to the next level.When you are creating your resume, your artistic abilities should be placed front and center. The resume sh ould highlight your creative talents, but it should also be able to leave the door open for changes or additions to your resume. You will want to know that you have adequate space to be able to add a short section of your portfolio. A portfolio could be as simple as a photograph or even a video clip of your work on a special occasion.You can also place the artistic talents of your portfolio front and center in your cover letter. This is where the actual art world wants to see you. They are looking for you and they are not necessarily looking for you to pitch an idea.You can also use your artistic abilities to highlight the rest of your resume. Put some good examples of work in your cover letter. This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but if you send a resume without any examples it will be difficult to determine what type of work you are submitting. You should try to put some in your cover letter to let the client know what you are currently working on.When you are looking at yo ur resume you should pay close attention to the creative abilities of your resume. Remember that these are very important tools. If you aren't able to display your artistic ability you could be missing out on a great opportunity. Every time you change a page or re-order a section of your resume this is a sure sign that you may not be doing something right. These kinds of inconsistencies often show in the cover letter and your resume.Many companies are not aware of the art direction that is already done by many of the artists who work at their company. There are many talented artists who give you a resume template and do all of the creative work. They may even be willing to offer you a sample of their work for your perusal. This would be a great tool to use if you aren't an artist. It would be extremely helpful for those that are able to paint, but do not know how to write a resume or cover letter.If you are unsure about the resume writing for artists, do a search online. There are a lot of resources and examples out there for you to take advantage of. You can learn what kind of artistic abilities you have and then be able to correct any errors that could be found. Once you find the errors, make changes to your resume and cover letter so that it showcases your skills in the way that it should.

How to keep your rock star employees from burning out

How to keep your rock star employees from burning out Congratulations! You’ve nailed your recruitment strategy, hired some of the best professionals in the business, and lead them to work hard, drive results, and sacrifice for the success of the company. So why did some of your rock stars just walk out the door, citing “burnout?” A recent study by the Harvard Business Review and The Energy Project polled more than 12,000 white collar employees and found that “feeling a sense of purpose at work” is the single biggest driver of employee satisfaction, engagement and tenure. Employees who feel a sense of purpose are: 3 times more likely to stay in their jobs 1.7 times higher to feel job satisfaction 1.4 times more engaged at work How to keep your rock star employees from burning out Limeade, a technology company that helps Fortune 1000 companies engage their workforces, discovered similar results in its Insights Study from April 2014. In the study of 160,000 employees across broad sections of the U.S. workforce, feeling a sense of purpose at work ranked as the No. 2 factor driving employee engagement. What is the biggest influencer of engagement? (Hint, it also is connected to heart disease, sleep, exercise, depression, job performance, successful relationships, and more) The most important factor is an employee’s ability to manage stress. These findings suggest that companies looking to boost employee engagement must address stress. But stress is not one-dimensional; it is connected to energy level, concentration, emotional state, optimism, depression and overall happiness. Employers can’t expect to prevent burnout just focusing on stress management. They need to support the overall well being of their people. This includes a sense of purpose, a manageable workload, clear expectations and feedback, a positive sense of teamwork, and more. “Unlocking the full potential of employees without burnout is hard. Your best and most mission-driven people volunteer for the most challenging projects, they are the early birds getting the worm, they stay a little too connected,” said Limeade CEO Henry Albrecht, Limeade CEO. “The best employers are transparent about the realities of the job and empower employees to set their own work/life priorities and boundaries.” Reinventing the Employee Experience Focusing on stress management â€" while it’s not the only cause of burnout â€" can provide big payoffs. Here are just a few ways to incorporate stress management into your employee experience strategy: Empower employees to clearly communicate challenges they are facing through regularly scheduled meetings with managers. Create a formal mentoring program. Train managers to be aware of stress clues. Offer programs that specifically address tips to reduce or manage stress, from wellness coaching to onsite classes. Include questions about stress and the interconnected issues of sleep, resilience, health, and job satisfaction in employee surveys. Track results over time, by department, location, etc. Find small ways to change your environment, such as onsite fitness programs, which can be as simple as offering pedometers and a little friendly competition. Innovative companies improve the employee experience through a variety of creative approaches like these: Stanford Hospital and Clinics created a meditation garden for employees to visit in the midst of a stressful day. The hospitals rationale: Even five minutes of slow breathing and mindfulness in nature can help employees recharge. Kindred Healthcare launched a company challenge called “Give Yourself Some Slack, encouraging employees to take 10 extra minutes between meetings or appointments and “arrive in peace”. Limeade turns one-on-one conversations into walking meetings. The fresh air and exercise are a great way to recharge in the middle of a busy day. And walking spurs creativity and innovation, as well. Losing an employee can cost double his or her annual salary â€" even more for top performers and senior executives. So it’s wise to take your employees’ emotional health seriously. Consider assembling a task force to dig deep into root causes of stress within your organization. Develop programs that support your employees even after they walk out the door at the end of the day. And never underestimate the power of fresh air or a chance to be heard by a manager or mentor. These just might be the secrets to keeping your top performers from burning out!

How to keep in contact with your network when youre not looking for a job - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How to keep in contact with your network when youre not looking for a job Networking isn’t a strategy many job seekers are particularly comfortable with, but it can be a very effective way of finding opportunities. However, most people I know arent very good at keeping in touch with their contacts, until something happens to make them realize they need them. Getting in contact with your network only when you need something from them definitely isn’t what you’d call effective networking. Even if you are not actively looking for a new job, networking will help you to establish a wide range of contacts who can expand your knowledge of your industry. Of course, if you are job hunting, networking is critical. In todays job market, a significant percentage of positions are filled through personal and business connections. Therefore, the more relationships you can establish, the greater your chances of learning about openings before they are advertised. Having a wide network gives you a competitive advantage over other job seekers, especially if you work in a really specialized discipline/sector. Here are my 5 tips on how to keep in touch with your contacts: 1)     Revive your contact list Dont ask your contacts outright for their help finding a job â€" it puts them in an uncomfortable position where they might have to say no to you and nobody likes doing that. As a Sr. Recruiter, I get so many messages from virtual strangers who expect me to find them a job even though I have never recruited in their area of expertise and I’ve never met them â€" it is not a very effective strategy. Instead, if possible, go to your contacts with something to offer them. Doing so will increase your chances of hearing something from them which may benefit you. 2)     Personalize your approach. Find some information that might be useful to each person you want to contact. For example, if you hear about a job opportunity you know they’d be interested in, an interesting article or an event â€" let them know. If it is of some value to them, it will give you an opportunity to begin your conversation. If you cant find anything to offer your contacts, your second best option would be asking for their advice or an opinion. For example you might ask: Im looking at a job in your industry and Id like to find out more about whats going on, would it be possible to have a quick chat? or My career development to date has been quite similar to yours and as Im thinking about my next step, I was wondering if I could arrange a quick call to talk to you briefly about your experiences? The great thing about questions like these is that they dont put your contact on the spot, so they don’t feel threatened and most likely they’ll feel flattered a bit since you are treating them as an expert. Notice I’ve said a ‘brief chat’. Personally, I am more inclined to speak to someone if I know they are not going to try to use an hour of my time. 3)     Keep Building a Career Network You dont have to spend a lot of time networking, but make sure you take the time to add connections to your network on a regular basis. The bigger your network, the more opportunities youll have when youre job searching. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/margaretbuj/ 4)     Stay Connected to Your Network One of the biggest mistakes is forgetting about your network once you’ve built it. Its important that your connections know you are there. Post status updates on LinkedIn or Facebook if appropriate, post interesting links to your social networking pages etc. If you have a blog thats appropriate for professional connections to read,  share it on social networking pages. I offer lots of interviewing and job search advice on my blog: https://interview-coach.co.uk/blog/ Once a week or so, email or send a LinkedIn message to say 5 connections to ask how they are doing. When you stay in touch with your connections, it shows that you care about how they are doing. If youre engaged and interested, your contacts will be more likely to help you if and when you need it. With the connections you are close enough to meet in-person, have a cup of coffee or lunch once in a while. 5)     Expand your network by attending events One of the best ways to expand your network is by attending events relevant to your industry/area of expertise. Most people are more willing to talk at meetings or events than when they are busy in the office. Before going to any event, make sure to do your homework. Read the organizations newsletter or visit its web site the more knowledge you have, the more informed youll be when you start speaking with members. If you want to meet a specific person at the event, try to find an existing contact who can introduce you to this person. If this is not possible, wait for an appropriate moment and make the introduction yourself. Then, ask if the person has a moment or two. It is best to start with a safe, friendly topic. This is where the time you’ve spent learning about the organization or relevant issue, will really come in handy. You can start the conversation by discussing a matter related to the organization or topic itself, and later ask if its possible to contact this person at a later time. After the meeting, send a thank you note to them and follow up with an e-mail a few days later. Remember that networking is a process. You need to take a structured approach when building your network, meeting new people and helping others. Treat networking with the same dilligence you bring to your daily work, and over time youll yield significant benefits. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Margaret Buj is an interview and career acceleration coach who specializes in helping others to discover what their unique strengths are so that they feel confident about selling themselves with ease and confidence during job interviews. In the last 10 years she’s recruited thousands of people for major American corporations and since she started her own career coaching business 7 years ago, shes coached hundreds using the unique knowledge gained on the other side of the desk. If you want to find out how recruiters read resumes, why you’re not getting hired, how to sell yourself successfully in a job interview and how to negotiate your best salary yet, you can download her ‘You’re HIRED!’ free video course at http://www.Interview-Coach.co.uk