Golden Job

It's all about Job and Career!

A job search is tough. Few candidates are prepared for what happens in a job search. Few have had any formal training. Some will get help with their resume. Some will reach out to friends and family for guidance, but there is a whole lot more to a job search than the tactics and mechanics of the resume, networking and interviewing.

There are two enemies in most job searches that rarely get discussed. One candidates have to deal with, and few are prepared to handle is, “TIME.” Many enter unemployment totally unprepared for the length of time a job search takes and how slow and long the hiring process is. They have one time frame and the company has a completely different set of priorities and time frame.

The other biggest enemy is, “themselves.” As time passes and frustration sets in they start questioning themselves and their abilities. The have also gone through all the contacts in their network, have been doing the same thing over and over again for months with little results, and they are burned out. Now what?

The best thing you can do for yourself at this point is get what we refer to as an accountability partner. Accountability is something as adults we ****. That is why most can’t wait to become adults. We all want to get away from this word. We want to do what we want, when we want, how we want and without anyone holding us accountable. Fine for life, but not a good thing in a job search.

An accountability partner needs to be selected very carefully. They need to be someone you respect and trust. Someone blunt and direct, who will tell it like it is, especially when you don’t want to hear it. They should not be a friend or family member.

This is where the tough love enters the picture.

A good accountability partner will help you. They are not here to become your friend or buddy. Get a dog if that is what you are seeking. Their job is to encourage you when you’re down and motivate you when you just don’t want to go to another networking meeting or send another resume. Their job is to kick you (figuratively not literally) in the appropriate place when encouragement and motivation don’t work as well as hoped. A good accountability partner knows the right buttons to push and when to push them.

They must be a person you can open up with about your job search and what is happening to you on the inside and even in your personal life. They are someone who will empathize with you, console you, feel your pain, be understanding, compassionate, never hit you when you’re down, but instead picks you up, dusts you off and when all of this is completed, kicks you in the appropriate place and gets you going again.

A good accountability partner will listen to you. They will know the differences between an excuse and a real obstacle. They may be able to provide some resources to help you out when you are stalled. They won’t accept excuses. They will listen to them and then kick you in the appropriate place and get you back on track.

A good accountability partner is somewhat like a good drill sergeant in the military. You **** them while you are in boot camp, but you also know that they have your best interests in mind for the upcoming battle. They are successful if, at the end of the battle, you look back and say, “Thanks, you really helped me get through this.” Oh, you may still **** them, but you surely respect them.

They may or may not end up being your friend. That isn’t important. What is important is that you want to refer them to every person you meet in-transition.

Finding an accountability partner (even if you have to pay one) willing to give you “TOUGH LOVE” during your search may be the best thing you do for your job search, yourself and your family.

Firstly, remain calm in the morning. Nervousness is natural but don’t let it overtake you and affect your behavior. If nervousness leads to anxiety and shows on your behavior with others, it will lead to a negative impression of you. So, keep anxiety at bay and go with a confident and positive outlook. In fresher jobs, other colleagues and your boss would know that you come with no prior experience but that does not mean that you allow yourself to be taken for granted.

Dress up appropriately for the job. Irrespective of whether you know the dress code or not, dress up in formal attire. This projects a professional image of you. Being a fresher, are not expected to wear a formal suit to work but a full-sleeved shirt with a tie and formal trousers would work for boys. Girls may want to opt either for a salwar-kameez or a formal trouser with a business shirt. Eventually, even if your job profile does not require you to dress up formally, you cannot take that liberty on the very first day. Once you find out what the dress code, you can adhere to it later on. Since your first impression counts a lot, you must make sure that you make the right first impression. It will also speak about your approach towards the job.

On the first day, when you reach the office premises, you will have to undergo an induction process. Generally, this is done for all levels- jobs for freshers, jobs for mid level or jobs for senior level. At office, an executive from the HR department would meet you and take you through all the formalities. Since you are a fresher and have no prior experience in these things, you would get all the required guidance and assistance required to go through this process. Also, you must not hesitate in asking and seeking help if you are stuck anywhere. Once the induction formalities are over, there might be an orientation programme on the same day. It might be conducted a few days later too. The purpose of the induction programme is to familiarize you with the goals, objectives, values and the ways of working of the organization.

After this, when you are seated at your desk, and are being introduced to the rest of the members of your team, make a little extra effort to get to know people in the same department. Try and be friendly with everybody. Also, make an extra effort in finding out what your job profile entails. Be inquisitive and open-minded. Read up about the company and its history. It is good to be inquisitive but make sure you ask intelligent questions. You would not look like a fool by asking questions but they must express your desire to learn and not as stupidity. In fresher jobs, your seniors would know and expect this from you.

From the first day itself, create a professional image of yours. That does not mean that you do not make friends at work but remain focused and professional in your approach towards things. Don’t compromise work to make friends and don’t act and sound casual with things and the responsibilities given to you. Since your first job is like your launch pad, it is for you to decide how you want to utilize this window of opportunity to give you a successful career ahead.

Apart from these small tips, there are other general things that can help you establish a positive picture f yourself in your first job. For instance, being polite to everyone, willingness to work extra, keenness to learn new things and pushing yourself extra to achieve perfection in whatever you do are things that will ensure that you make a good start to your career.

This is a question that you can almost count on being asked at your next interview What the interviewer wants to know is, “Why are you available?”

The answer you give could set the tone for the rest of the interview. For instance, if you were to indicate that you were bored or burned out at your last job, the interviewer would quickly become concerned about your performance at this company. The question can be especially tricky if you’ve had less than favorable conditions regarding your departure from a company. Regardless of the circumstances that have caused you to move, or are causing you to think about moving, you should be prepared to answer this question.

Below are examples of possible answers to this critical question. After reading them try to determine which is the strongest answer.

(A) The company had a re-organization, and my department was eliminated. The work had begun to dwindle so it was not a complete surprise. I liked my job and the people I was working with so I had been hoping that it wouldn’t affect us but unfortunately we were all let go. I would like to find a job similar to the one I lost.

(B) I am looking for a new challenge. I have been with my current company for two years now and don’t find the work as interesting as I once did. I am looking for a company where I can take on new challenges and grow. My current job is dead-ended for me.

(C) Since there are no advancement opportunities within the company, I have decided it would be a good time for me to look outside. I have set some career goals for myself that I could not achieve at that company. What I am looking for is a job with a bigger company where I can contribute, but also move on a career path that has more responsibility.

Have you selected the strongest answer? See if you agree with the advice below.

The Strongest Answer

(A) This is the strongest answer, not because of the lay off, but because it has an upbeat tone to it. You liked what you did and were hoping it wouldn’t happen. In other words, if it hadn’t been for something out of your control you would still be there. The answer indicates a good attitude about an unfortunate incident.

The Mediocre Answer

(C) This is an ok answer. It is natural to want to take on more responsibility. It is also acceptable to quit a job. A skilled interviewer would follow up with a question about your career goals and why you think you can achieve them at this company.

Would you have an answer prepared for that follow-up question?

The Weakest Answer

(B) This is the weaker answer because it is trite. One of the most common answers to this question is that you are “looking for a challenge.” An interviewer might be concerned that if you were bored at your last job, you might find this job boring as well, or at least not “challenging” enough.

There are no “right” or “wrong” answers to this type of question, but there are ways of saying the same thing in a way that will make a stronger impression. Before you head out to your next interview consider preparing for this and other difficult questions. A little time spent preparing and scripting of your answers before the interview will make a huge difference in the way you answer the question during the interview. (Excerpts taken from “Boost Your Interview IQ” – Carole Martin – McGraw-Hill 2004)

The first thing that you should do when you are looking for online work from home jobs is to remember to focus on things that you are good at and things that you already know how to do. This will help you find jobs that are better suited to you, and jobs that will truly help you make a living out of what you are doing. If you can try to do something similar to what you are doing now, but turn it into an online work from home job you will find that this is where you are happiest and where you make the most money. Also you will see that this is the situation that works best for you.

Next, you want to be sure that you are always researching the online jobs that you are finding. You want to be sure that you are researching each of the jobs and also that you are spending the right amount of time working with the companies in order to figure out how much time and effort each of the jobs will cost you. You want to be sure that you are really able to get as much as you can out of the online jobs, work from home jobs, and good jobs so be sure that you know what you are getting into before you do it. If it sounds like it will be too much work for not enough pay you should probably find other work from home jobs that will suit you better.

Remember that finding online work from home jobs can be difficult, but this is something that anyone can do if they are up to it and if they put their minds to it. You should be able to find online jobs that really meet your needs and that you can really get a good idea of right away. This can be the gateway to your own financial freedom and to the fact that you will be able to be happy with your life and with your job from now on.

The next phase to attract new clients for your business isn’t necessarily in the way of snazzy marketing techniques, it’s bigger than that. So what is it and what do business consultants and professionals need to know to stay ahead of the massive changes that are about to occur in the realm of marketing their services?

It’s personal branding!

What is personal branding?

It is your own personal signature that is unique to you and to you only. It leaves an impression on those that you come into contact with. It could be positive, negative or indifferent. But whatever it is, it must be memorable in such a cluttered market space that you as the individual stand out and stand out for all of the right reasons.

It’s a dog eat dog world out there and if you want to stand out and attract new clients you’re going to need to lift your game and develop your own individual brand. You are literally your own billboard after all aren’t you?

We’re running out of ways in which we can differentiate ourselves from one another. I guarantee that what is unique about you is also the same selling point hundreds of other consultants are currently pushing. Simply conduct a Google search on your competitors and you’ll see what I mean.

This then ultimately leaves us to focus on our own individual personal brands to in-still positive impressions that assist in converting more prospects. We literally need to see ourselves as a complete package and ask ourselves if that package is marketable and will it be attractive to prospective clients?

To develop this package and your own brand, the following needs to be carefully considered;

Creating the Package of You – The first person you need to sell yourself too is you and if you don’t like what you see then why will others? Clearly define who you are as a person in your field, what’s unique about you, personality traits, your image, the way that you manage clients. Identify these clearly, are they marketable or do you need to groom yourself to become so?

Visibility – Developing your own individual brand is phenomenal, however if you’re not being seen you’re not going to be attracting new clients. Networking is one of the most cost effective ways to brand yourself effectively to generate referrals. Attend the same networking events consistently so everybody recognises you. Be the first to introduce yourself, start conversations and be the person that everyone loves. If this isn’t you, work on it. It is a skill that can be learned. Other areas to make yourself visible are YouTube, Facebook, blogging and local papers.

Consistency – Whatever exposure you can get is fantastic. Consistency is king. If they don’t see you they forget you! Get out there in your market place, write articles and have your picture plastered everywhere. If you receive media exposure, plaster it all over your website and send the link to the article to your clients. Leverage the hell out of it.

Relevant/In front – The ideal personal brand is someone like Seth Godin or Richard Branson. They always remain relevant and in front of their competitors in the market space in which they play. Think leader of the pack in your industry and you have a brand that is saleable.

Culture – Know the culture of your industry and be willing to push new boundaries, ask questions everyone else is too afraid to ask. It is important that you stand for something as a person and as a personal brand. By doing so you may potentially polarise those around you into two categories, those that are raving fans and those that can’t stand you. This is the perfect situation to be in, after all is there any one person on this earth that everyone loves? I very much doubt it, even Oprah has her critics. Critics are a healthy part of ongoing development, if no one is criticising your work then no one really cares enough about what you do?

Image – What you wear will ultimately determine how people treat you and how you treat yourself. Don’t attend business events dressed like everyone else in the room. Men, wear a stand out tie, women wear unique pieces of jewellery that people are going to gush over. The minor details make the major differences in memorability.

Reinvention – Part of building your personal brand is reinventing yourself on a regular basis to ensure you stay current and relevant to your ever changing ever growing consumer base. Watch videos on YouTube to observe what the rest of the world is doing, there is a wealth of information online available at your fingertips that will assist you in gaining the cutting edge. Artists such as Kylie Minogue and Madonna have continually re-invented themselves over the years. Why should business consultants be any different? Clients want to know that you’re innovative, leading the pack and the best in your field. A failure to reinvent is a failure to market yourself effectively.

These are all key aspects of branding yourself as the complete package that your clients want to buy. Focus on these and you will find that you attract new clients at the drop of a hat. Failure to do so and you’re just going to be another business consultant looking for just another client.

Everyone has a personal brand, but most people are not aware of this and do not manage it strategically, consistently or effectively. You should take control of your brand and the message it sends and affects how others perceive you. This will help you to grow in a specific direction and distinguish yourself as an exceptional professional.

Most traditional personal branding concepts focus mainly on personal marketing, image building, selling, outward appearances, promoting oneself, and becoming famous, which can easily veer into an ego trip and lead to perceptions of egocentricity and selfishness. They define personal branding from a personal marketing (selling) point of view.

Personal branding is more than just marketing and promoting yourself. Your personal brand is the synthesis of all the expectations, images, and perceptions it creates in the minds of others, when they see or hear your name. Consider the images which come to mind when we think of some well-known individuals:

Most people see Oprah Winfrey as powerful and influential, but also warm and caring.

Tiger Woods is considered an intense competitor and the greatest golfer in the world.

Bill Gates brings to mind gadgets, geeks, and philanthropy.

Donald Trump is associated with ego and a decisive ruthlessness.

Mother Teresa is the epitome of helping the poor, selflessness and saintly behavior.

Albert Einstein is remembered as a great and gentle genius.

Barack Obama is seen as a man of intelligence, integrity and vision, who is fighting for change. His passion for change is the pillar of his authentic personal brand, and it is the primary theme of many of his speeches. “America is a land of big dreamers and big hopes. . . And it is because our dreamers dreamed that we have emerged from each challenge more united, more prosperous, and more admired than before. . . The true test of the American ideal is whether . . . chance of birth or circumstance decides life’s big winners and losers, or whether we build a community where, at the very least, everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams. . . I don’t want to settle for anything less than real change, fundamental change – change we need – change that we can believe in. It’s change that I’ve been fighting for for over two decades. Because those dreams – American dreams – are worth fighting for.”

Note how many times he references authentic dreams. Barack Obama has succeeded by living according to his dream and doing related work that he loves. It’s important to be true to your own dreams and to become the CEO of your personal brand.

The Genius Within You

Anyone can deliver peak performances and be successful in life, because all of us have the genius within us to do so. Success is not something that will come automatically or something that the world will define for you. It’s what you define in your ambitious dream (hope) and in the way you pursue this dream. Remember what Marva Collins said: “Success doesn’t come to you . . . you go to it.” You must have a dream in life, follow your heart and love what you do, if you expect exceptional success. Take the initiative and the responsibility to develop, implement and cultivate your authentic dream, and keep it at the forefront of your mind each day.

Your personal brand should be authentic. Authentic personal branding provides a roadmap for a journey toward a happier and more successful life. Your personal brand should therefore emerge from your search for your identity and meaning in life, and it is about getting very clear on what you want, fixing it in your mind, giving it all your positive energy, doing what you love, and developing yourself continuously. Your personal brand should reflect your true character, and should be built on your values, strengths, uniqueness, and genius. If you are branded in this organic, authentic and holistic way, your personal brand will be strong, clear, and valuable to others. You will also create a life that is fulfilling and you will automatically attract the people and opportunities that are a perfect fit for you.

If you are not branded in any unique way, if you don’t deliver according to your brand promise, or if you focus mainly on simply selling and promoting yourself, you could be perceived as egocentric, selfish, and a unique jerk – and branding will be a cosmetic and dirty business.

Love and Respect

Love is an important element in this personal branding equation. It is about loving yourself (self-respect), loving others, and loving what you do. You should love yourself in at least equal measure to others or things. This can be found in most religions: “to love others as you love yourself.” Abraham Maslow said, “We can only respect others when we respect ourselves. We can only give, when we give to ourselves. We can only love, when we love ourselves.” Without knowing who you are, it’s very difficult to love yourself or others. You need to make a positive emotional connection with yourself and find yourself interesting before others can do the same.

An organic, holistic and authentic personal brand will help you unlock your potential and build a trusted image that you can project in everything you do; a brand that is in harmony with your dreams, life purpose, values, passion, specialization and genius.

With an authentic personal brand, your strongest attributes and values can separate you from the crowd. Without it, you look just like everyone else.

A resume writing website will ease the intimidation of writing an effective resume. It is often times difficult to know what to include in a resume or what to highlight or what to emphasize. The pressure is placed on an individual because our resume is a foot in the door. There are an estimated one hundred applicants for any open position.

Since human resource departments and managers are swamped with hundreds of résumés this means that on average they probably spend ten tot thirty seconds looking at each one. You need to make sure that your resume stands alone from the pile. If you organize information incorrectly on your resume this can affect your chances of being called in for an interview.

A résumé writing website will offer important services to users such as resume writing software, free resume samples to view, answers to the most frequently asked resume questions, free tips on writing a resume and the resume forum where you can chart with others. This is a valuable online resource that is changing the way we write resumes.

It is so important to have detailed and organized résumé that impresses potential employers. If you are a beginner at resume writing then it is recommended that you visit a resume building website. Put your best foot forward when you are applying for a job.

There is so much competition for each job that we apply for. Remember that you are up against hundreds of applicants. Tools that assist you in designing a professional resume can give you an edge against your competitors.