job & interview

Do You Want a Better Career? Learn to Love Yourself

It may not be a big surprise to hear that your job impacts your self-esteem. According to a University of Phoenix School of Business survey by Harris Poll of more than 1,000 working adults in the U.S., 47 percent said they gain equal or greater feelings of self-worth from their jobs and careers as they do from their personal lives. The search for the right career is a lifelong quest. The survey found 66 percent of workers in their 20s are searching for the right career, but they aren’t the only ones. Fifty-three percent of workers in their 30s, 42 percent in their 40s, 25 percent in their 50s and 21 percent age 60 and older are all searching for fulfilling careers. Your definition of the right career is a moving target and changes as you go through life, based on your changing values and priorities.Values and Priorities Change – So Should YouIs your job aligned with your values? It may have at one point, but your values can and often do change. In fact, sometimes values change without your realizing the shift. This may be one reason you're feeling dissatisfied with your work. The good news is “professionals no longer feel locked into a specific career path,” according to Sam Sanders, college chair for University of Phoenix School of Business and former human resources executive. There are other influences at play here too. According to Sanders, “workers are staying in the workforce longer and the lines between personal lives and work have blurred, so it is not surprising that workers are focused on finding jobs and careers that align with their values and contribute to their feelings of self-worth.”Avoid Putting All Your Effort in One BasketOne day, you may wake up and find you have fallen out of love with your professional life. Changing jobs isn’t the only solution. One way to create a personally and professionally fulfilling life is to volunteer or join activities in line with your personal values. For example, if you have a soft spot for animals, invest free time helping out at an animal shelter. You could help raise money, promote an upcoming event or even walk orphaned dogs. The key is to diversify how you invest your time in case one day you find your job no longer suits your values. By getting involved in outside activities, you will surround yourself with other, like-minded professionals involved in something that does provide you with a feeling of self-worth. This also provides you with contacts for new opportunities that align with your current values.Defining Your Own Self-WorthIf you haven’t evaluated what is most important to you at this stage of your life, now would be a great time to assess your values. Your values provide guidelines for your daily choices and actions. Think about what you're most proud of today, inside and outside of work. You were most likely successful because your work and values supported each other. For example, if your accomplishment was a report your produced, this may indicate you value providing excellent quality, conducting research or collaborating as part of a team. Dig further and consider which experiences have shaped you into who you are today and determine the compromises you're not willing to make. Remember, your answers should apply to your personal and professional life.Follow Your PassionWhether you believe following your passion is good advice or not, it is at least a great starting point. The things that interest you or that you're passionate about may hold the key to the types of jobs that may provide you with a greater sense of self-worth. Use your passion as a launching point to investigate options and research the reality of a career move, not necessarily a direct path to satisfying work. Own Your HappinessIf there is a lesson from this study, it’s that it's up to you to own your career and happiness, no matter what stage of life you're in. If you're like almost half of U.S. workers and allow yourself to be defined by what you do for work, be clear about what your current motivators are and clearly communicate and take action on them. Instead of expecting your employer to know what will make you a productive employee, discuss the types of projects or activities that you think will keep you engaged. Also be on the lookout for training or professional development opportunities that will keep your skills fresh and in-demand. And most importantly, maintain a balanced life.Hannah Morgan writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog Career Sherpa. She co-authored “Social Networking for Business Success,” and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better. <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/09/do-you-want-a-better-career-learn-to-love-yourself" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a>

Do You Want a Better Career? Learn to Love Yourself

It may not be a big surprise to hear that your job impacts your self-esteem. According to a University of Phoenix School of Business survey...

How to Crush the All-Day Marathon Interview

Plant your feet, dig deep and finish strong. We're not talking about a race, but an all-day marathon interview may feel like one, so make sure you're prepared.A marathon race: 26.2 miles, buckets of sweat from demanding so much of the body, a sense of achievement after crossing the finish line.A marathon interview: 26.2 references to your work history, buckets of sweat from talking and talking and listening and listening, and a sense of achievement after leaving the final interview of the day and buying yourself a latte, because you deserve it. Both are long days, and both require preparation and a plan to keep your energy high. Consider this your all-day marathon interview training guide:1. Come to terms with the nature of these interviews. Yes, you will probably be asked the same question by a few different interviewers. And yes, by 3 p.m., that will get old. "Make peace with the fact that you're going to be repeating stuff," says Mary Ellen Slayter, Monster's career advice expert and founder of the marketing company Reputation Capital Media Services. Accept this quirk of marathon interviews as you make small talk about your hobbies for the third time.2. Get organized. You have a notepad. You have copies of your résumé and the job post. You have a pen. You have your business cards. Later, you'll have their business cards. And you've got to cart all this stuff around from interview to interview. To get organized (and to appear organized), Slayter suggests adopting a padfolio system with a notepad inside a folder that has compartments for business cards.Now that you've organized your gear, organize your thoughts. "Think to yourself: What are the three main take-aways I want every person in the conversation to come away with after talking with me?" Slayter says. "Write that down, and keep it in front of you as the first page in the notebook." On the big day, read through this page before each interview to refocus, she adds.[See: The 8 Best Questions to Ask a Job Interviewer.]3. Research the interviewers. When scheduling your interview, ask the point of contact with whom you'll be meeting. And then, just as you should investigate the company, research each individual on LinkedIn, says Peggy McKee, CEO of Career Confidential, a job search training company. So many job seekers skip this step, she says. "It's stunning to me, because by not doing that, you’re missing a huge opportunity to connect with that person, to show them that you value them, that they’re important and to start that off on the right foot." She adds: While researching, keep an eye out for talking points. Do you have shared connections, rival alma maters or similar backgrounds?4. Eat for energy. Just like marathon runners, marathon interviewers must be mindful of what they put in their bodies before and on the big day. It's not a great time to feel jittery, sleepy or nauseated when you're trying to describe a professional challenge you've overcome. To feel full throughout the day, McKee advises her clients to load up on protein the night before and for breakfast and lunch. So go for something more substantial than a handful of cereal and a slug of coffee for breakfast. ? Speaking of coffee, take it easy. Limit your caffeine intake before the interview, because you're likely already full of nervous energy, Slayter says. When you're feeling drained and about speak with your prospective boss's ?boss four interviews later, however, go for it. "Save your caffeine burst for when you actually need it," Slayter says.5. Shape your questions to each interviewer's position. Marathon interviews often include meetings with the following types of people, Slayter? says, and here's what to consider: Hiring manager: During this interview, Slayter says, "dig into the nitty-gritty of what are the skills, traits and habits of what makes someone successful in this job." Get a sense of this manager's work style, too, and if it will gel with your own. If he or she stresses the importance of being punctual, for example, and you're notoriously late, that clash is worth jotting in your padfolio.Colleague: When meeting with a prospective team member, ask questions about what it’s like to work on the team and for the boss, Slayter says. ?Ask: "What makes someone successful on a team like this?"Hiring manager's boss: "You need to impress the pants off them, and you probably don’t have them for very long," Slayter says. To make the most of your time with him or her, "elevate your conversation," Slayter says. Ask about industry trends, what he or she envisions for the team and where he or she sees the company in five years, she adds.Human resources employee: For this meeting, focus on how the role fits in with the overall plan for the company, along with long-term opportunities for development, Slayter says.Wild card: ?It's not uncommon for companies to gain a different perspective of a candidate by adding an employee who is not directly part of the team to the interview queue.? When talking to these people, Slayter suggests asking what they like about working at the company and their perspective of the prospective team. [See: 8 Important Questions to Ask a Job Interviewer – And Yourself.]Yes, that's a lot of people, and it may sound exhausting. But it's also a lot of insight waiting to be tapped. "It’s really a gift," Slayter says. "I understand these interviews can be so overwhelming, but if you’re smart and strategic about it, you can walk out with a more complete idea of what it’s like to work somewhere." Take notes during each interview, and as McKee adds, don't forget to get a business card from everyone. <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2014/09/25/how-to-crush-the-all-day-marathon-interview" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a>

How to Crush the All-Day Marathon Interview

Plant your feet, dig deep and finish strong. We're not talking about a race, but an all-day marathon interview may feel like one, so ma...

5 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile – in Less Than an Hour

What's your story? A LinkedIn summary helps recruiters get to know you beyond your résumé.If you’re still on the fence about LinkedIn, it’s time to jump off. A 2013 social recruiting survey by Jobvite concluded that LinkedIn is recruiters' top social network of choice for hiring. Recruiters use it to search for and contact candidates, keep tabs on potential candidates and vet applicants prior to an interview. Your LinkedIn profile is just as important as your résumé. However, they are not the same thing and should be treated differently. There will be some crossover between the two, but your LinkedIn profile gives you the opportunity to create a more substantial version of your résumé. You can include elements in your profile that you cannot fit or easily include in a standard Word or PDF résumé. Are you convinced yet that you need to build or update your LinkedIn profile? Here are five major fixes that will distinguish your profile from your résumé – and take you less than one hour to make. 1. Picture. Yes, you need one! According to a 2012 study by TheLadders, recruiters spend 19 percent of their time on a candidate’s LinkedIn profile looking at the picture. That seems a bit funny, but it points to how important the photo really is. If you do not have a picture up, your profile may not get any attention at all. You do not need a professional photo. Pick one you like that doesn’t have a distracting background. It’s also best not to choose one taken from so far away that you appear to be a dot on the landscape. If you can’t find a good photo, take a new one and upload it to your profile. 2. Headline. In addition to your photo, the headline is the first thing recruiters and connections will read. You have 120 characters to craft a headline that provides a unique professional description. If you just put your current job title or “sales professional searching for new opportunities,” it’s not going to do you any favors when recruiters search for candidates. Consider what you want for the next step of your career. Search for people on LinkedIn who are in that particular field. Or if you're looking for a role with increased responsibility in the same industry, search for more senior people in your field. Do you see any patterns among those headlines, like common keywords? You want to construct your headline so it demonstrates exactly who you want to be next.3. Summary. A summary is essential to a profile and doesn’t have to be more than a few lines, although you can use up to 2,000 characters. Within that space, you should highlight your background, major accomplishments and your goals. Write it in first person and make it personal. The summary helps the recruiter get to know you beyond your résumé. Tell a brief story about why you love what you do or why you want to do something new. This is the way to stand out and make recruiters want to meet you. If you only use professional-speak and leave out your career story, recruiters may lump you with the other applicants. If you are just starting out in your career, describe what made you choose the field you’re targeting. Keywords are important to include here, too. They will help you get found by recruiters when they do general searches for candidates. 4. Publications. While you can add links to publications, interviews and other media in your résumé, they can be cumbersome. These are much more likely to be clicked on through LinkedIn, which has a section dedicated to publications. You can insert a link there or directly in the appropriate job section, or you can simply write the name and date of the publication if no link is available. The same can be done with interviews, podcasts or videos related to your professional and volunteer work. 5. Recommendations. Recommendations are vital to a solid LinkedIn profile. You can request a recommendation from a former colleague, client, professor or vendor easily through LinkedIn. When you do, include a brief personal note to the person asking for the recommendation instead of using the generic language LinkedIn provides. This makes it more personal and thus more likely the person will say yes. It will only take a few minutes. Just make sure you’re asking someone you worked well with. You should aim to eventually have three or more recommendations, so you may want to send out a few requests if you have the time. At any time, you can edit your profile, add to your publications field, tweak your headline or summary or change your photo. These five elements of a LinkedIn profile are significant and can have a direct effect on whether you’ll be found in a recruiter’s search or called for an interview. Your résumé might be stunning, but if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, the recruiter may second guess that first impression. If you’ve filled out your profile and have a customized, concise résumé, you are much more likely to get called. Marcelle Yeager is the president of Career Valet, which delivers personalized career navigation services. Her goal is to enable people to recognize skills and job possibilities they didn’t know they had to make a career change or progress in their current career. She worked for more than 10 years as a strategic communications consultant, including four years overseas. Marcelle holds an MBA from the University of Maryland. <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/08/21/5-ways-to-improve-your-linkedin-profile-in-less-than-an-hour" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a>

5 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile – in Less Than an Hour

What's your story? A LinkedIn summary helps recruiters get to know you beyond your résumé. If you’re still on the fence about LinkedIn,...

job & interview

Do You Want a Better Career? Learn to Love Yourself

How to Crush the All-Day Marathon Interview

5 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile – in Less Than an Hour

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