Career Management Alliance Blog

Thanks to the folks at HR World for sharing this article, “20 Jobs That Are (Much) Better or Worse Than You Think.” If you suffer from the “grass is always greener” syndrome, this might change your mind!

I must admit, I always thought being a PR executive would be fun - in fact, I started my career in the PR department of a mega corporation, and it WAS often fun. But in looking the top-10 list, several (freelancer, consultant, journalist) are more in line with what I love about my work now.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

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S.M.A.R.T. Career Tips

Are you concerned about your job in 2008? Do you wonder if you’ll be downsized this year? If you are, you’re not alone; the talk of recession is a daily occurrence. In today’s tumultuous workplace, there are no surefire strategies to guarantee that your job won’t land on the chopping block. And if you choose self-employment, each and every day is a roller-coaster ride, to be sure. On the other hand, whether you work for someone, or for yourself, here are some S.M.A.R.T. career tips to make yourself more valuable, in or out of recession:

Seize the Moment…

Don’t dwell on last year’s successes or failures. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” (Babatunde Olatunji ) Whatever you didn’t accomplish last year, now’s your chance to do so in this one. And if you had a stellar year last year, don’t bask in your success. (You know the drill: Those who snooze, lose). What specific ways can you help your employer become more productive, efficient, profitable, or competitive? Write it down! Do it!

Make Yourself Do the Uncomfortable Thing, Until…

Take public speaking, for example. Maybe you are uncomfortable addressing the management team, customers, suppliers, or even your colleagues. Stretch yourself. Take a class. Practice. Learn. Or how about technology? Instead of saying I don’t know much about computers, check out your local community college or enroll in an adult education class. Have a friend tutor you; ask your 12-year-old nephew to show you some computer tips. Help is yours for the asking if you decide to take charge and do the uncomfortable until you get to a more comfortable place.

Act with A Good Attitude and Gratitude in All Things…

Does your voice sound energetic, up, and on? What message does your body language send? Are you a problem-solver or a problem? Are you a complainer and a whiner? Do you act with confidence and conviction, or do you drag yourself around, day after day? Are you excited about going to work? When you walk through your employer’s door, are you happy about being there? Or, do you let yourself, and everyone around you, know how miserable and unhappy you are? Just for fun, keep track of your attitude for 21 days. Rate yourself on a scale of 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (exceeds expectations). Track your performance. What does it reveal to you? What, if anything, needs to change?

Rejecting the Rear-View Mirror Syndrome…

Years ago, a chaplain I was taking a class with shared these words : “don’t live your life looking in the rear view mirror.” And there’s no better time than today to start in, start up, and start over. Do the something extra for yourself, your employer, or someone else. Do more than is required. Be willing to help out without being asked. Be the first to volunteer for the new project or assignment. Step up. Don’t worry about whether it’s in your job description! (It probably isn’t.) And don’t dwell in the past. The past has passed.

Take Time to Make Someone Matter; Make a Difference

Make it a point each and every day to contribute to someone’s happiness or well-being or sense of self-worth. Look beyond yourself. Look around. Any ideas emerge? Maybe it’s as simple as saying good morning to someone. Or perhaps listening instead of talking?

Or promptly returning your phone calls? Or responding to e-mails in a timely manner? Or being courteous and thoughtful instead of abrupt and rude in your interactions? How about a random act of kindness? There are so many opportunities to make others feel like they matter, be it your co-worker or customer, mentor or manager, supervisor or stranger on the other end of the line. Will you be the one who takes the time to make someone matter this day? In the words of Anita Roddick, if you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito!

posted by Billie Sucher

cross-posted on Career Acceleration Notes

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While catching up with an acquaintance regarding her offspring and college plans, I was thrilled to hear her state that her son was “shadowing” several specialists to help him identify the area of medicine he would like to pursue.  I nearly did a happy dance right there in public.  Most of us put more time and thought in to the weekly TV schedule than we do our career choices.  Imagine, if you will, my excitement at uncovering the little known fact that February 1, 2008 is the nationwide kick-off of “Job Shadow 2008“.  A chance for students to shadow and professionals to mentor!  Everyone wins!  My brother, an Ohio State Trooper, believes one of the reasons so many forensics programs have waiting lists is due to the glamorized CSI programs popular now.  Try to imagine the watershed disappointment when reality hits these young men and women after graduation.  Not all of them will land jobs in Miami and (horrors) some of them still won’t be good-looking!  Shadowing could have saved them endless heartache and introduced them to the “real world” of forensic studies.  I always recommend shadowing to my job search candidates that want to “make a change” and very few of them ever do it.  It is refreshing to see education getting involved.

Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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I just returned from a professional organization lunch and was struck with a title for a sure-fire best-seller: How to get as little as possible from you professional organization memberships!

1. Arrive just in time to eat and rush off before the speaker even finishes. This lets everyone realize how busy you are and that the idea of speaking with you is just not feasible.

2. Only sit with members of your own company - even if this means saving seats for people that never show. The last thing you want to do is give the impression that you are open to new ideas and viewpoints.

3. Never have business cards with you since that might give the impression you welcome the chance to enlarge your network. As if you don’t have enough needy people in your rolodex….

4. Take calls during lunch and step out to make a call when the speaker starts. Why make people think you are so un-important you can actually sit for an hour?

5. Never get to know the officers - this might give the impression you want to be involved.

Follow these rules precisely and you, too, can complain how unbeneficial your membership dues are.

Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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Quick! Raise your hand if:

You are “highly accomplished.”

Raise your other hand if you are “results-oriented.”

Stand up if you have “solid communications skills.”

Congratulations! Now your resume officially looks just like everyone else’s!

Can we turn this situation around please? I want you to present to the employer who you really, truly, actually, authentically are, and what that means you can come in and do for the employer’s organization. Amazingly enough, this has little to nothing to do with being profit-focused, goal-driven, or any similar resume-speak.

This has to do with you and you alone. A client this week told me she went on an archeological dig. She’s not an archeologist, anthropoligist, or any kind of researcher. In fact, she’s a middle school educator. She took her students out of the classroom and literally required them to dig deeper.

So, in deciding what the primary message is that you want your resume to communicate, dig deeper. What are your areas of expertise? If you were called on for a consulting assignment, what could you consult about? What have you developed a reputation for being known for over the course of your career? What’s your perspective on your industry that makes the way you do things that much better?

Replace that resume fluff with the real you, and you’ll really have a marketing document that will get you the results you need.

Posted by Jewel Bracy DeMaio.

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As we engage in a campaign to identify the “right job,” so too are we focused on the campaigns of politicians who seek job and societal change. What is it about this word, “change,” that it keeps popping-up in political commentary? Who can and should carry the flag of change?

Those of you who read my post last week, Resolve to enter the “neutral zone, will probably guess that I am going to recommend that job seekers of all types, including politicians, abandon the search for “change.” While it is an appealing rallying cry, William Bridges is correct to suggest that change is likely to offer short-lived solutions. Instead, job seekers would do well to create the time and space necessary to process the endings that will ultimately lead to new beginnings.

Instead of offering pre-fabricated solutions or intangible promises of “change,” perhaps politicians should encourage citizens to embrace “the neutral zone” - that extended period of reflection and discomfort that may eventually morph into transition and new beginnings. Isn’t this what the primary and general election period is designed to offer - an opportunity to discuss issues of importance, consider new paths, make new connections…? A candidate who understands and promotes the neutral zone is leading to a very dynamic place - those involved are likely to be fully engaged.

So, should we recommend that William Bridges serve as an adviser to our political candidates?! It would indeed be healthy for politicians to lead toward transition: to embrace a process similar to that employed by job seekers - one that begins with an ending and transitions toward a new beginning.

Karen P. Katz
(Cross-posted on Career Acceleration Notes)

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Guess what? Today we’re going to do some new math.

I boldly suggest that when it comes to your resume, 2 + 2 needs to equal 5.

“Wait a minute,” you may say, “I have reached the executive level, and I did that with fabulous achievements, and a lot of them!”

Do your achievements read anything even slightly related to this?

“Generated revenue of $9 million the first year.”

“Launched this new product to achieve $2 million US revenue and $3.7 million abroad.”

“Reduced operational costs 24% within only 6 months.”

“Rightsized the organization, reducing the workforce by 7%, but raising productivity         nearly 22%.”

“Captured a new account valued at $11 million.”

“Ranked 1st in new business development, building a $14 million portfolio.”

Et cetera. There could be 35 examples of achievements like those. I know because I’ve seen such exhaustive lists in executive resumes. But you know what? All of these accomplishments look disjointed. While the dollar figures and percentages look great, they don’t add up to a cohesive story or main message.

This is where the new math comes in: your executive resume needs to add up to more than the sum of its parts. Find a common thread across your achievements. Do you almost always come in and generate millions? Then your main message could be that your expertise is business development. Do you have repeated successes turning around distressed operations? Then your story is that you come in, identify inefficiencies, define new strategies, and execute.

Tie those accomplishments all together into a meaningful message. Then you’ll stand out.

Posted by Jewel Bracy DeMaio

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I have been enjoying a giggle or two this last week while reading Scott Adams’ latest book compiled from his Dilbert blog. He very unscientifically makes the observation that success is roughly due to brains and talent (30%), luck (30%), looks (20%), and school reputation (20%). He references a book: The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman. Professor Wiseman conducted 10 years of study on luck and discovered four principles. I see several parallels between his “luck” factors and success among job search candidates. Why do some candidates seem “luckier” than others when it comes to uncovering employment opportunities? An article by Alan Bellows explains:

Principle Three: Expect Good Fortune
Lucky people are certain that the future is going to be full of good fortune. These expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies by helping lucky people persist in the face of failure, and shape their interactions with others in a positive way.

Principle Four: Turn Bad Luck to Good
Lucky people employ various psychological techniques to cope with, and often even thrive upon, the ill fortune that comes their way. For example, they spontaneously imagine how things could have been worse, do not dwell on the ill fortune, and take control of the situation.

The best part is that Professor Wiseman proposes that people can learn how to be more lucky. No surprise that optimistic people tend to be “luckier” and we can all act more optimistically to help create our own “luck.”

Posted by Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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