Monday, February 25, 2008

10 Tips for a Successful Job Search

10 Tips for a Successful Job Search
by: Cathy Severson, MS


Create a support system for yourself emotionally and for your job search. Identify allies that you can count on. Know some will have strengths in one area, but weaknesses in another. Recognize different people will play different roles in your job search.

Maintain a positive attitude. Inevitably, negative feelings can sabotage your job search. If you have anger about your former employer, work through it. Negative emotions will undermine your best efforts. Keep yourself renewed and enthusiastic throughout the process.

Network. The number one way of getting a job is through networking. Even if you are involved in the computer industry, less than 10% of jobs are obtained through the Internet. Devote energy to making real, valuable connections with people.

Develop a schedule and goals. Getting a job is of course the ultimate goal, but it is impossible to predict when you will achieve it. Develop daily and weekly schedules of job search activities you can control. For example, send out 10 resumes, research 5 companies and call 10 people in your network. This will keep you on track, and focused.

Know what you want. People need to work for money and benefits. But remember other components are necessary for you to feel satisfied in the workplace. Know what motivates and satisfies you. Know which environment you're most productive in. Know what you can compromise on and what you won't.

Always have a "Plan B". The best time to accelerate your job search is when you've just had the greatest interview of your life. You're feeling confident, enthusiastic and competent. This is the time to expand your networking, follow-up on contacts and schedule new interviews. Remember, even the most promising prospect can backfire.

Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Exercise and eating right can't go wrong-they are proven to enhance quality of life. Celebrate your creativity and find ways to engage your mind, body and spirit.

Research companies before the interview. Find out about the company through your local library and Internet. Request an annual financial report and promotional information from the company. Ninety percent of the other job seekers don't do their homework, be the one that stands out.

Know what you have to offer. Identify your relevant skills and accomplishments. Know the unique contributions you offered former employers. Be able to articulate your strengths on your resume and in the interview.

Think outside the box during your job search. Look for unexpected opportunities; explore untapped skills and interests. Open yourself up to
new possibilities


About the Author

Cathy Severson, MS is a career counselor and a career coach. She helps adults find both success and fulfillment in their work by incorporating a simple three-step strategy. Contact her at cathy@passporttopuprose.com and visit her website at www.passporttopurpose.com

Read more...

Monday, February 18, 2008

10 Secrets to Motivating Yourself to Great Accomplishments

10 Secrets to Motivating Yourself to Great Accomplishments
by Ed Sykes ©2004

1. Positive Affirmations
Our subconscious mind is a wonderful tool for success or failure. It will do what we tell it to do. It all depends on what thoughts we feed it. So why not feed your inner mind with only positive thoughts. The following are some examples of positive affirmations you can feed your inner mind for success:

* “Today, I will win because I have faith, courage and enthusiasm.”
* “I see failure only as a signpost on my road to success.”
* “When I feel stress, I will relax and release my stress before I take on my next task.”
* “I always write down my priorities, thinking of my responsibilities. I may not get everything done, but I will do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.”
* “I am a winner, I work for a winning organization, and because of my contribution and cooperation we will keep on winning.”
* “Today, I will see opportunity in every challenge offered to me.”

2. Positive Language
Recent research has come out that 75% of daily conversation is negative. Whether it is the words we use or the body language, we need to communicate in a positive manner all the time.

The following are some examples of how you can turn negative words into positive communication:

* Instead of saying “problem,” call it “opportunity.”
* Instead of an action being a “failure,” describe it as a “learning experience.”
* Instead of “I have to,” say “I choose to.” This gives control for your actions back to you.
* Instead of saying, “There’s nothing I can do,” say, “Let’s look at our alternatives.”
* Instead of saying, “That’s just the way I am,” say, “I choose a different approach.”
* Instead of saying, “He makes me so mad,” say, “I control my own feelings.”

If you notice, by using the positive response, you have control over your actions and life.

3. Exercise
A Gallup survey found the following among men and women who have taken up exercise recently:

* 66 percent report a more relaxed life
* 62 percent a new surge of energy
* 55 percent less stress
* 51 percent better looks
* 46 percent more confidence
* 45 percent better love life
* 44 percent greater job satisfaction
* 37 percent more creative on their jobs

These are great motivators to exercise! Next time you feel demotivated, give your body a workout. Recent research reports that as little as fifteen minutes three times a week has profound effects. Get moving. Get motivated.

4. Take Risks
We all live our lives in comforts zones, avoiding risky situations, avoiding the potential to fail. It’s real safe for us. But in order to get ahead of your competition and master the ongoing change in your life, you must go out of your comfort zone. Start one step at a time. Try that little new thing, that different approach. It could be as simple as taking different routes to and from work. Once in a while I like to “take the road less traveled” to stir up my creative juices. Then, keep stepping out of your zone. It may seem uncomfortable at first. But the more you do it, the more it will seem natural and you will see an increase in your creative juices and opportunities you never thought about before.

5. Positive Reading
Read about the lives of successful people. Make sure you read only those people that embrace the timeless values that make them truly successful through the ages. Not the “success today, scandal tomorrow” success stories that we are experiencing today. People like Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of Federal Express, Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are good examples. These are people who overcame enormous challenges, created real value for others, or changed other people’s lives for the better.

6. Positive Visualizations
Condition yourself to paint your vision for success. One of the best ways to do this is the following:

* Go to a quiet place in your home or elsewhere. Turn off all radios, televisions, etc.
* Find a comfortable chair and get into a relaxed state of mind.
* Start thinking about one goal you want to accomplish. Remember, visualize as if you are already accomplishing this goal.
* Visualize taking all the necessary steps to successfully complete these goals. The better your visualization, where you can actually see, feel, hear, and touch your vision, the more real it is to you.
* Visualize any challenges to your successful completion of this goal and how you will eliminate this challenges.
* Visualize how good it feels to complete this goal. Visualize what benefits it will bring to you, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Enjoy the moment!

Important: If you don’t take time to see it, it won’t happen!

7. Think Big
See the big picture in everything we do. So much of our time is wasted dealing with the unimportant things in our lives (what that person said or did, the driver who cut us off this morning, and activities which don’t add value to our lives, etc.) that we forget about the big picture. We were put on this earth to make a difference. We make a difference for our families, our communities, our organizations, and for ourselves. All of our actions must be put into action with this concept in mind. Think a little bigger today than yesterday, and you’ll create a better future tomorrow. Thinking big leads to great actions. Thinking small leads to small results. So Think BIG!

8. Set Goals
The fastest way to fail in life is to not set clear goals. Set goals in the financial, family, health, spiritual, and career areas. Your goals must incorporate the SMART techniques or else it’s just a “conversation in the park.”

* S for specific
* M for measurable
* A for attainable
* R for realistic
* T for time-based

For example, you might have a goal of achieving $2 million for retirement in twenty years. After doing your research, a SMART goal would be the following:

“I will acquire $2 million dollars for retirement by 2024. I will do this by contributing $20K, or $1667 per month, to my various retirement funds each year. Of the $20k each year, $2k will go to my IRA, and $18K will go into my organization’s retirement program.”

Remember the most detail you can add, the more realistic your goal becomes.

9. Positive Appearance
Super achievers are very careful about their appearance and their movements. They know that looking good translates into feeling good. Billy Crystal, of Saturday Night Live and movie fame, once played a character that was known for saying, “It is better to look good than to feel good.” What he was really implying was the “fake it until you make it” concept. In other words, if we are feeling down, then think positively and your mind will tell your body to follow suit and act positively. Also always dress the part of an achiever. Model the dress, actions, and behaviors of someone who is successful and embraces the long term values of successful people. This will also tell your mind that I am an achiever.

Don’t let that be the deciding factor on being motivated. You can easily distinguish those who are motivated from those who are not motivated just by looking at their appearance and their movements. The motivated move forward, onward and upward with confidence.

10. Helping Others
Develop an obsession to help others. Share your special talents without expecting a reward, payment, or commendation. And above all else, keep your good deed a secret.

You know what, it you apply the helping techniques to others, it will automatically come back to you tenfold in a number of ways. First, the enjoyment of knowing that a special talent you had made someone else’s life better. Second, because you didn’t seek it, word will spread about you and your deeds. This will be translated into unexpected riches and opportunities. Third, you will gain a new level of confidence in knowing that you can make a difference. Super achievers find motivation and meaning by helping others.

About the Author

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."

Read more...

Sunday, February 17, 2008

7 Effective Tips For Get a New Job FAST

7 Effective Tips For Get a New Job FAST
by: Damian Papworth


In the last four articles in this series, we covered the
four basic steps to finding employment. Defining,
prospecting, applying and interviewing. In this final
article, we giving you 7 quality tips which will help
you cut valuable time off each step and therefore the
entire job hunt process.

1. Don't wait till you start looking for a job, before you
start looking.

Be up to date with your industry and the conditions
of your employment environment all the time. Make
this part of your job description in every job you hold.
It could save you weeks when it comes time to find a
job.

2. Keep your resume up to date

Find a template or layout that you are comfortable with
and maintain it. Update it twice a year at least. It will save
you the mad scramble to put it together and possibly a lost
opportunity because you were unprepared.

3. Network Network Network.

Keep in touch with all your contacts in the industry. This
includes workmates, employers, contacts at employment
agencies, contacts in similar companies etc. You never know
what other people will be doing tomorrow, or what opportunities
they may have for you.

4. Accept interviews even if you are not interested in the
opportunity, or not looking for a job.

Interviewing is a very specific skill. Keep that skill honed.
Keep practising the skill. You don't want to lose "perfect"
opportunies because it is your first interview in 5 years and
you need to get your answers back up to scratch. Remember
you do not have to accept the job.

5. Keep a diary of your experiences.

Note what you did well with each job opportunity. What worked,
what didn't, improvements you could make, elements you can
get rid of. Then, when you next go through an employment
opportunity situation, revisit your notes, duplicate the good
things and improve the bad things. Recognise the process
as having a learning curve, and learn.

6. If you do not have a job and need one, make job hunting
your full time job.

Get out of bed at the same time you would if you were working
in your given field. This will put your time clock in sync with your
interviewers. Spend the same hours working on your job hunt
as you would in the job. Be disciplined.

7. Keep focused

Know what you are looking for and have a clear plan for
achieving your goal. Do not accept roles that are different
to your goals at the start of your job hunt. This could cost
you years in your career.

This is the final part of a 5 part special report on reducing
the time it takes to get a job. Its not fun running around
trying to win that job, this report is full of tips and tricks
which will help you reduce your job hunt time to a
minimum.

The rest of this report is delivered in incremental articles which
you can get by subscribing for the FREE newsletter at
http://www.employedforever.com The entire series of articles
will be sent automatically to you email address. Other
topics covered include: Prospecting for Job Leads; The Job
Application and The Interview Process. So to get your copy of this,
entire report, by signing up for this free newsletter at
http://www.employedforever.com or by sending a blank email to
mailto:employedforever@pushbuttonresponder.com

Till then, good luck with your hunt

Damian

__________________________________________________
Finally, a dedicated and systematic approach to ensuring
you're earning an income forever. Find out how, in four
logical steps, you will never have money problems again.
http://www.EmployedForever.com

About the Author

Damian Papworth has been a Senior Manager in one of the Fortune 500 to close on a decade. In that time he has employed countless new people to work for him. He knows what employers look for

Read more...

Friday, February 8, 2008

Effective Resume Cover Letter

7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter
by: Jimmy Sweeney


Just like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, the "humble" cover letter gets no respect.

Job-seekers spend so much time and energy on their resumes they've got nothing left to offer their poor, neglected cover letters.

Big, BIG mistake!

It is the well-written cover letter not the resume that can single-handedly land you more job interviews. The cover letter is your one chance to really "market" yourself to an employer using proven marketing strategies rarely found in the typical cover letter.

Conversely, there's only so much you can do with the traditional CV or resume. I believe the carefully crafted cover letter is more important to your job search success than any other written document, including the resume.

As a direct marketing professional for over 20 years, I bring to you my 7 secrets of a highly-effective resume cover letter:


ADDRESS your cover letter to a specific person. Do your best to find out "To Whom" you should address your cover letter. "Dear Manager" is lifeless.

OPEN with an attention-grabbing first sentence to really grip the reader. This will almost guarantee your cover letter and resume get a closer look.

REMEMBER less is more. The best cover letters have plenty of white space. Cover letters that are clear, focused, short and sweet land more job interviews period.

FOCUS on what you can do for the employer. How can you benefit the company specifically? Do a little research and relate this simply and clearly in your letter.

CHOOSE WORDS that show enthusiasm and passion for the position you seek... (big, big secret!) Then, carry this passion into the interview with you.

REQUEST ONE ACTION you want the employer to take: "I would really like the opportunity for a personal interview this week." (You never know until you ASK.)

END your cover letter with something enthusiastic and telling like, "I look forward to being interviewed at your earliest convenience. Thank you so much for this opportunity." Sincerely, Jane Jobseeker. (Notice how Jane assumes she'll land the interview? This is clever, smart, and it works like a charm).
Think of your cover letter as a sales letter. The only purpose of your resume cover letter is to land you more job interviews. That's the bottom line. By using the proven marketing strategies I've outlined above you will land more quality job interviews than your competition.

You must find a way to get your "foot in the company door" to have any chance of landing the job. With the right cover letter you can blow the doors of opportunity wide open. And remember, more job interviews translate to (drum roll please)... more job offers.

Finally, the most important advice I can offer you is this: FOLLOW-UP every job lead, contact, and communication. Following up is the "golden key" to getting hired for the job of your dreams. Use follow-up cover letters, thank you letters, even follow-up phone calls. Following-up can literally double your chance for success. It is also the one secret ingredient missing from 99% of every job-seeker's playbook.

Good news for you!


About The Author


Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy has written several career-related books and his unique, "think-outside-the-job-search-box" approach, make his articles a job-seeker favorite. Jimmy is regularly published on some of the Internet’s largest career web sites. Who else wants their phone ringing off the hook with more quality job interviews? Visit Jimmy on the web right now at http://www.Amazing-Cover-Letters.com for your 'instant' cover letter today.

Read more...

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Career Growth and Excellence

7 Stepping-stones to Career Growth and Excellence
by: Steve Brunkhorst


Achieving excellence in our work is an integral part of feeling genuinely satisfied in life. We want our careers or businesses to blossom, making us financially secure and content with our achievements. Here are seven stepping-stones that lead to career growth and excellence. When used as part of a total action-plan, these stepping-stones can contribute tremendously to the fulfillment that you desire.

1. Make a Commitment to Excellence

A passionate commitment to excellence is a primary step to growth in any endeavor. It is not enough to say we want to be excellent; we must make a commitment.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, business owner, employer, or employee, commit yourself to becoming excellent in your chosen field. When you commit yourself to excellence, you will grow personally as well as professionally.

2. Empower Yourself and Others by Continuing to Learn

A commitment to excellence requires continuous learning. Keep your skills sharpened by reading the latest books and attending seminars, classes, or workshops. Ask for feedback from clients, customers, supervisors, co-workers and employees. Frequently assess yourself and look for key skills that need improvement.

By empowering yourself with knowledge, you will reap the rewards of continued growth and excellent performance. You will also inspire others to seek empowerment, excellence, and growth.

3. Multiply Your Efforts through Networking

Tell many people about the specific ways that you can help to meet their needs. For example, instead of saying, "I sell real estate," you might say, "I help low income families find quality, affordable housing in areas where they've always wanted to live." Tell people what makes your service or product special. However, keep your interactions light-hearted and spontaneous. Ask questions that show your interest in the other individual. Make your personality as well as your service memorable.

Compile a list of people with whom you want to work or do business. Attend seminars or workshops and network at every opportunity. If someone does not need your service, he or she might know someone who does. Keep a supply of business cards with you at all times. When you have built a business relationship with someone or gained a satisfied client, ask for referrals. Personal references will bring a large percentage of your business.

4. Communicate Powerfully

When networking or interacting with co-workers, communicate powerfully by remembering three letters: ALC. These stand for Ask-Listen-Clarify. Ask questions to determine the needs and desires of others. Listen empathetically—not only to hear, but to understand. Then clarify by rephrasing and repeating back what the other individual said. If necessary, rephrase your question and ask additional questions.

Powerful listening is the key to powerful communication. Pay attention to body language. Listen to non-verbal cues that reveal feelings behind spoken messages, and then clarify. Powerful communication will lead to continued career growth, excellence, and satisfaction.

5. Lead with Empathy

No matter what position you hold currently, you are always leading others through your influence. You influence others with your thoughts and actions even if you are not aware of doing so.

Think of three leaders who you admire. What traits and leadership skills do you admire the most in these leaders? This question will reveal your deepest leadership values. Leading with empathy is leading from your deepest values. These values allow you to focus on the strengths of those you lead; they allow you to lead others in ways you would want them to lead you.

6. Maintain Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Fitness

A healthy body helps to maintain a healthy mind and vice versa. Spiritual strength nourishes both the body and mind. Cultivating our faith in God strengthens our resolve to overcome adversities and focus on outcomes rather than roadblocks.

Follow a sound wellness program, get regular physical checkups, and pray or meditate each day. Schedule a daily time for relaxation. Physical, mental, and spiritual fitness contribute to steady growth and maximum excellence in fulfilling our individual purposes.

7. Serve with Love, Faith, and Gratitude

We receive in this life only that which we first give. That includes our thoughts and attitudes. Fill your thoughts with the spirit of love for those you serve. Communicate your deepest gratitude to customers and clients for their trust in you. Show gratitude in special ways that provide more value than expected.

Trust clients and customers to make decisions that are right for them. If you have faith in those you serve, they will have faith in you.

Take this Challenge Now

Make a list of at least twelve different ways you could implement each of these stepping-stones during the next 12 months. Select seven items, one item from each list of twelve. Then put them into action over the next week.

Continue to implement more of your ideas throughout the coming months. Refer back to your list frequently, and write down the changes that you see taking place. You will see positive changes both personally and professionally.

In Summary

Career growth and excellence contribute significantly to life satisfaction. They require acting with commitment and integrity. We need to set our standards high and continually acquire new knowledge to grow and perform with excellence. People are essential to success, and we must listen deeply to communicate powerfully. Leading others from our deepest values allows us to lead with empathy.

Growth requires physical, mental, and spiritual strength. Love, faith, and gratitude will provide an integral framework for career growth and excellence. Taking deliberate action to excel and grow today will set the process in motion and bring rewarding results throughout the future.

About the Author

© Copyright 2005 by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Contact Steve by visiting http://AchieveEzine.com

Read more...

  © Blogger templates The Professional Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP