Golden Job

It's all about Job and Career!

Here’s some astute alternative business career advice you won’t get from your boss.

Are you sitting at your desk dreamily imagining yourself on a South Seas vacation? Or maybe on a rollicking holiday with the family? Or maybe you would just prefer to stay home and watch some DVDs.

Wanting to take some time off should not make you feel guilty. In fact, in her new business career advice book, “Time Off for Good Behavior,” Mary Lou Quinlan writes that seven out of 10 people fantasize about leaving work for a few months.

What’s more, she has some good alternative business career advice that taking a break can help you feel less burned out. It can help you organize your life goals. Most people don’t realize that taking time off-guilt free-isn’t as difficult as it might seem.

So don’t feel like you’re condemned to remaining chained to your desk. Here are six alternative business career advice options you can check out:

1. Make a plan. Think about why you want time off. Do you just need a few days to relax? Or are you looking to completely re-assess your career?

2. Figure out how much time off you’ll need to come back fully refreshed.

3. Count your days off. Figure out how many vacation days you have. Add in any remaining sick or personal days.

4. Check out company policy. You may be eligible for a sabbatical with full or partial pay. Or you may have the option of re-entering the company after an unpaid leave.

5. Talk to your employer. If the company doesn’t have a policy or doesn’t spell out the details of flexible time off, now is the time to find out what the company can offer you.

6. Negotiate for what you need.

The point of this alternative business career advice is that you shouldn’t be afraid to take some needed time off. It may be just what you need to get your life back in focus and prioritize what really important.
Furthermore, if you are a valued employee, your boss expects you to come forward with recommendations that show how the company will benefit from your time off.

Taking the time to spell out your ideas in a way that shows both concern and awareness of your expectations can result in a mutually advantageous arrangement.

1. Be Comprehensive, yet Succinct. While your resume should contain a detailed account of your qualifications and accomplishments, you need to keep on topic specific to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a position as an office manager, for example, you don’t need to include references to your stint as a rodeo clown. The prospective employer will likely be interested only in the skills and work experience that relates directly to the position they are trying to fill. Give them what they are looking for. Take a thorough account of your work history and skillset and choose to highlight what is relevant, and eliminate or downplay the items that are irrelevant. This strategy of niche resume writing keeps your resume focused and gives you the advantage of appearing to be the most qualified candidate for the job.

2. Your Resume Should be Formatted Nicely Kooky fonts and such may be okay for personal communications, but your resume should be more “standardized”. You want it to appear as neat and tidy as… well, yourself, right? A typewritten resume using standard fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial on high quality plain white paper will be a winner every time. You also need to pay close attention to your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Nothing would be more embarrassing than a resume with typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings. Not only embarrassing, but presenting a resume with errors will not impress potential employers and will likely land your resume in the trash can. Don’t rely on computer based spelling and grammar checks. Check it yourself, and if possible, get someone else to check it for you as well. Also be wary of the reformatting that sometimes happens when you upload your resume to an Internet based resume submission service. Allot of times, you will loose your careful formatting only to find it replaced with the wrong margin, strange fonts and worse. Before you send it, check it!

3. Show Enthusiasm Your resume and cover letter should not be something that you write begrudgingly. You are excited about the job you are applying for, correct? Well, then show it! Your excitement will come across in your resume and cover letter and will impress perspective employers. Whenever it makes sense to, use action words to describe your career history and goals.

Let’s first define the “Traditional Interview”…

1. Traditional interviews are always unstructured, that is the hiring manager sits across the table from the candidate and has a general chat – often in an unstructured environment like the local coffee shop.

2. Interview questions tend to seek opinions, not explicit example of pasted behaviour.

3. The interview is one-on-one, inviting judgement of future performance on emotional and bias grounds. This environment also encourages too much talking from the interviewer and not enough listening.

4. The interview process is not “scored” and specific notes are not taken. If several of these unstructured interviews are performed, the hiring manager must rely on his or her memory in the final analysis and usually this will be based on appearance and likability – not the specific attributes and abilities needed to be successful in the job.

Besides being the most expensive  tool (management time) in the selection process, the unstructured interview is also the least valid – between .05 and .15 – so at best you’ll get it right one out of every six interviews. The structured interview jumps validity to between .40 and .60 – much better, but still the toss of a coin.

Traditional interviewing practices are historically and scientifically proven to be poor predictors of success on the job. Why?

1. Bias of the interviewer(s). No two interviewers assess the candidate’s  responses the same way. That’s why research tells us to have two or more interviewers.

2. The candidate’s responses to interview questions are affected by the environment in which they are interviewed and by the rapport established with the interviewer. The interview must be conducted in a “business environment” with no interruptions.

3. Many questions don’t accurately measure what you want them to measure. Most questions seek opinions, not evidence of past behaviour. Interview questions must be behaviourally based and be aligned to the core group of performance factors related to the role.

4. The responses sound and feel good, but they are not predictive of job success. Managers continue to assess on gut feel. Just because a person dresses well, looks attractive, talks we’ll and acts confidently doesn’t necessarily imply they can do the job. Remember, at interview the candidate is on their best behaviour, what you see is the best you will ever see them!

Statistics show, when it comes to applying for a job you can fool all the people some of the time. I read a frightening statement in Fortune Magazine recently that at least half of all new hires in US businesses don’t work out. Likewise, the US Dept of Commerce reports that 30% of business failures are due to poor hiring practices. I can’t find a similar measure for NZ, but I think we would be no different.

So, how can you hire with more accuracy for less cost?

For the sake of this example, let’s assume your cost of hiring equals $7500. Using scientific evidence on the validity of interview types, what is the real cost to hire the right employee based on the type of interview conducted?

Traditional Interview

% of right hire successes = 14%; Real cost adjusted for miss-hires = $53,571

Team Interview (but unstructured)

% of right hire successes = 35%; Real cost adjusted for miss-hires = $21,429

Behavioural Interview (with 2 or more interviewers)

% of right hire successes = 55%; Real cost adjusted for miss-hires = $13,636

Source: The Tax Advisor, September 1996

Summary

The above cost clearly demonstrate a 75% cost savings when you move from a traditional unstructured interview to a multi-rated behavioural based structured interview. And that’s just the interview -Imagine what happens when we add a valid personality/mental ability profile and a structured background and reference check!

Just like sport, when it comes to hiring new staff, the unprepared, untrained and over confident will pay the price after the event is over.

The manager who hires a person without a natural job match and hopes he/she can overcome the new employee’s shortcomings with training and coaching might as well try to train a turkey to climb a tree – would it be easier to hire a squirrel?

I mentioned that we live in complex times. We can no longer afford to take things for granted as people are far more aware of what we do than we may know. I ran a Google search on a term a while back and shockingly, it returned a number of results which were not positive for a popular soccer player. Sadly, the search was not even on him at all! The point is; people are talking and we may not be able to influence what they are saying after the discussion starts but then, we can do so before it starts.

One other example which readily comes to mind is the Chris Brown/Rihanna saga. It was unfortunate as the damage was done not just by the continued indiscretion of both parties in leaking damaging pictures to hurt each other but more by the endless commentaries. Again, these commentaries were not run by either party but by third parties. Any search done at the time and even now on either Rihanna or Brown was sure to unearth very damaging materials which have little or nothing to do with their musical careers. I have outlined some of the key challenges which personal brands face today.

Communication. There are so many means of communicating today that it has become even more challenging to influence people. A little incident can lead to a deluge of posts on a site about a person and if it isn’t positive, then the result will likely be horrible. Consistency. The extremely diverse nature of the society today certainly makes consistency difficult but it has to be done. You cannot afford to become a chameleon by changing your fundamental tenets all the time. Character. A strong personal brand has character and must continue to deliver on this across all media as at times of major tests, the issue which determines how you will ride it out is the character.

Things have changed. The economy is booming, Younger job seekers are much more ambitious and almost instinctively understand that if they want to get ahead,. . . if they’re heading for the top, they have to job hop.

It’s really all part of the 21st Century job market and the dramatic changes that have occurred especially since 9/11 and Katrina. The old-fashioned job search approaches simply don’t work anymore. If you’ve been busy writing a traditional resume and then mass distributing it to job sites, job listings, a bunch of companies, some agencies and recruiters . . . well, you already know what I mean.

You’re probably sitting around nervously waiting for the phone to ring. Or hoping today’s mail will bring that priceless invitation to an interview instead of the more usual TNT (thanks-but-no-thanks) letter.

Non-traditional career advice is the solution to your job search dilemma. It makes you get in tune with today’s sophisticated job marketplace. You need to understand the employers aren’t interested in what you used to do for someone else (as outlined in your resume). They expect you to come forward with some understanding of the corporate goals are.

And they are impressed when you’ve done your research and come up with an ability to address your next boss’ personal requirements. This evidence of your commitment to excellence goes much further than a resume. It’s just another piece of non-traditional career advice.

So does a commitment to job-hopping. Curtis Crawford, author of “Corporate Rise: The X Principles of Extreme Personal Leadership,” advises that the more versatile you are, the more likely you are to move up. What’s more, he recommends:

1. Don’t be afraid to be visibly ambitious. In the past, ambition was confused with arrogance and ruthlessness–getting to the top at any cost. Ambition is achieving your goal the right way–honestly, ethically, all the while gaining the respect of your subordinates, peers and management.

2. Avoid getting stuck in one job. Avoid becoming a specialist which means you’re pigeonholed as being able to do only one thing well. That specialist thinking flew years ago–but not anymore.

3. Make significant contributions. Just moving through different jobs is not enough. Take jobs that provide platforms for you to make significant contributions. It means getting involved in critical areas such as product development, financial management, technological improvements, or improving production or distribution.

This departure from old-fashioned thinking is just one of the many exciting pieces of non-traditional career advice. It’s part of the amazing new alternative thinking that is consistent with expectations in today’s job marketplace!

Even if you’re still engaged in studies and haven’t thought much about searching for a job after university, it’s never too soon to seek out graduate career advice. It can provide a wealth of information about potential employment opportunities and help you steer your final year of school in the right direction, and give your education a real world focus that it may not have had up until now.

Why Do I Need Graduate Career Advice?

Graduate career advice helps you formulate a clear, objective assessment of your career options and provides assistance and direction so you can reach your goals. Most graduate career advice centres offer a range of options to help you develop and achieve your professional goals. If you seek graduate career advice while you’re still in university, you will learn how to make the most of your degree, and you’ll have time to acquire the additional knowledge and skills that will help you land that dream job.

While graduate career advice services may differ in their specific offerings, below are some of the key services usually offered under graduate career advice.

Personality / Aptitude Tests

Graduate career advisors often provide free and confidential psychometric tests to assess candidates’ aptitudes and interests. These tests typically identify your strengths and help you focus on making appropriate career choices. Personality tests can reveal your preferred communication style and key motivators, which in turn can provide pointers toward the career that suits you best.

Career Guidance

Graduate career advice is often centred on helping you explore a range of fields and job types so you can better understand your options. Not only do you get graduate career advice about specific industries, but you’ll also get typical job profiles and practical information on what it’s like to work in a particular field. Some services will also provide you with contact information for experts in the field you are interested in so those experts can give you graduate career advice from a real world perspective.

Application Assistance

Graduate career advice services can help you when preparing applications for part-time jobs and, internships, as well as full-time job placements. Most graduate career advice centres can provide direction on how to identify job listings that are right for you and help you follow up with applications. More specifically, a graduate career advice service can help you interpret the finer points of a job advertisement or description, answer questions on application forms, and ensure that your application package is complete and professional.

Interviewing Tips

A key benefit of getting graduate career advice is that it prepares you to face tough interview situations. Working with experts at a graduate career advice centre before that all-important interview means you’ll be ready to impress the recruiter / potential employer with your skills, knowledge, and presentation abilities. Graduate career The advice will helps you focus on your core strengths in a positive, professional manner and can also include coaching on how to handle potentially stressful telephone interviews.

How to Write a CV

Graduate career advice sometimes includes CV writing assistance to ensure your CV is in line with your career objectives. Most graduate career advice careers services recommend that those who are job searching maintain a dynamic, online CV, which enables you to easily tailor your CV template to a specific job and gets you noticed by thousands of recruiters and employers throughout the UK. It’s a good idea to have ask your graduate career advice service them to review your CV before you distribute it, which could give you an edge over other candidates.

In summary, graduate career advice can make the difference between a lengthy and unproductive job search and securing a coveted position in the field of your choice. Besides providing a wealth of information on the career planning process, graduate career advisors can introduce you to experts and professionals in your area of interest.

By: Peter Whitehead

About the Author:

I mentioned that we live in complex times. We can no longer afford to take things for granted as people are far more aware of what we do than we may know. I ran a Google search on a term a while back and shockingly, it returned a number of results which were not positive for a popular soccer player. Sadly, the search was not even on him at all! The point is; people are talking and we may not be able to influence what they are saying after the discussion starts but then, we can do so before it starts.

One other example which readily comes to mind is the Chris Brown/Rihanna saga. It was unfortunate as the damage was done not just by the continued indiscretion of both parties in leaking damaging pictures to hurt each other but more by the endless commentaries. Again, these commentaries were not run by either party but by third parties. Any search done at the time and even now on either Rihanna or Brown was sure to unearth very damaging materials which have little or nothing to do with their musical careers. I have outlined some of the key challenges which personal brands face today.

Communication. There are so many means of communicating today that it has become even more challenging to influence people. A little incident can lead to a deluge of posts on a site about a person and if it isn’t positive, then the result will likely be horrible. Consistency. The extremely diverse nature of the society today certainly makes consistency difficult but it has to be done. You cannot afford to become a chameleon by changing your fundamental tenets all the time. Character. A strong personal brand has character and must continue to deliver on this across all media as at times of major tests, the issue which determines how you will ride it out is the character.