Article Category : Career Management

The right certification trainingTrainings vary a lot when it comes to quality. It’s essential to choose your certification training provider based on things such as the quality of materials, trainers’ competence and skills, counseling facilities, track record etc. A good trainer is essential because you can learn from his real life’s experience.

Cost

Usually, the cost of the training is a big issue for people, sometimes even a deciding factor. But the price shouldn’t be your only factor for choosing a certification training or institution. Always think about the present and future opportunities and not the costs involved to get there. It’s not wise to save money by choosing an inferior training. But, remember that not always high cost means high quality.

Commitment and motivation

Keep in mind that the best instructors in the world or world class facilities cannot learn for you. You have to be committed to learning. Lack of commitment is a big problem and usually arises due to lack of motivation. In most of the cases, this will ‘help’ you become one of those persons that pay the training fee just to collect the certificate. By becoming one of those persons, you just waste time and money. The certificate won’t help you as much as the knowledge gained during the training through classes and exercises. So, keep in mind the reasons you are there (this helps you stay motivated) and be prepared to learn and to apply what you have learned.

The right training model

Your skill and motivation level are two important factors that need to be take into consideration when choosing your certification training solution. Also consider financial constraints and available study time. All these factors are used to find the right training model for you. Instructor-led trainings are considered the most effective means of acquiring skills and knowledge, because they seem to achieve more for students than any other training options, especially when it comes to more difficult exercises. However, if you already have some practical skills and/or you don’t have the time to attend the instructor-led training, other learning options are available to you (books, practice tests, computer based training and even online learning). If you find yourself in this situation, a blend of learning on your own and classroom learning might be the right thing for you.

Soft skills

Almost all of the certification trainings focus on the acquisition of tech skills and knowledge. However. in order to build a career in IT, there are more things to be taken into consideration that technical skills and knowledge alone. You need soft skills to become more valuable. These skills include presentation, communications, marketing and project management, just to name a few. Tech skills and certification training decisions are important, but if can’t market yourself, advancing in your career will be a very difficult task. Attitude is another important thing in the real world, because altitude will be determined by your attitude. Also develop your professional skills and always practice in an ethical manner.

I know that the time and effort involved with training can be intimidating, but keep in mind that in this constantly changing world lead by information and communications technologies, investing in your education is the best investment you can ever make.

From networking to database administration to programming, http://www.ExamGuru.net offers a wide variety of IT training guides to help you achieve your certification and career goals.

Learn a Language for Career Advancement

Article Category : Career Management

To learn a language for career advancement is one of the best ways to get ahead in the job market. In the 21st century you will need every advantage you can get to keep yourself competitive in the marketplace, and adding foreign language skills is a great way to gain an advantage. Here are just some of the reasons to learn a second language :Improved overall communication skills. Surprisingly, language learners improve their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in English as well as their new language. Overall communication skills improve, and that is a boon to any potential employer. For the business owner or entrepreneur, it is even more important for you to maximize your ability to communicate with employees, clients or potential business contacts.

Improved problem solving abilities. Learning a language also develops analytical skills, improves problem solving ability and increases flexible thinking and creativity. Businesses need employees with a wide range of abilities. If you have your own business, there is an even greater need for you to cultivate these abilities in yourself.

Broadens job skills and career options. Learning a foreign language improves your overall job skills, and makes you more valuable as an employee. It also broadens your potential career options, should you decide on a different career path.

Opportunities in many industries. There are many industries in which adding a foreign language would immediately be useful. Tourism, hotels and restaurants, advertising, marketing, military and defense, security, communications and journalism, just to name a few. Being able to communicate with customers, clients and contacts in their own language, even just to put them at ease and make them more comfortable with you and your business is clearly a great asset.

Career advancement. Knowledge of a foreign language can make you more valuable to your company, giving you a better chance of a promotion or a raise. You may also improve your potential for reassignment or relocation, and therefore also an increase in pay.

Overseas business opportunities. Obviously, learning a second language could get you a possible assignment in another country. The potential experience you could gain could lead to a whole new plateau in your career, or a new career opportunity altogether.

Competetive advantage in international business. The current climate of globalization is most likely here to stay. More and more businesses are becoming internationalized by mergers and acquisitions. Multinational businesses, global corporations, conglomerates and joint ventures are increasingly common. This means that learning another language is essential if you are going to be involved in any international business. It’s the only way to maintain a competitive advantage.

Liberal arts training increasingly sought after. Less employers are looking for specialized skills and abilities. Prospective employers are increasingly looking for more adaptable workers with wide ranging abilities and flexible skill sets. General business skills, communication abilities and foreign language skills are the type more employers are seeking today.

Cost effective method of improving your marketplace value. Many businesses will contribute to or pay for an employees training or education. Foreign language is one of the few skills that can be learned a variety of ways including formal classroom study, tutors, language schools and even self-study. It’s one of the few skills you can gain on your own and affordably.

Increased business contacts. The opportunities here are tremendous. From your employers or clients point of view, you may have just doubled your potential list of business contacts when you add a new language to your arsenal. It’s a way to gain a powerful advantage over your competitors.

We could probably add many more examples to this short list, but the point is made. When you learn another language, you add important skills to your repertoire and increase your value as an employee or businessperson. You increase your opportunities for your business and for yourself. You improve your communication skills, your ability to interact with more people and your overall business skills. Best of all, you make an investment in yourself. When you leverage that investment in your business life, you can profit from the rewards for the rest of your life.

Ron is a long-time language enthusiast, exploring Spanish, French, Swedish, Esperanto and others. Learn more about studying a language on your own at Language Learning Advisor This guide for self-study language learners has reviews and recommendations of language learning methods and products, links to online learning resources, learning tips to maximize your study time and effectiveness and articles on language learning

Seven Steps to Better Networking

Article Category : Career Management

If published statistics are accurate, employment agencies and search firms fill about 20% of all jobs in the US. Job boards fill anywhere between 2% and 8%. So how do the others get filled?Networking consistently fills more jobs than any other method. Yet people often don’t know how to network well or only act in crisis (I need a job now!) Networking when you don’t need a job will help you cultivate relationships that will help you find work.

Here’s what to do.

1. Develop an elevator speech. If you’re not familiar with the term, an elevator speech is a 30 second synopsis of you experience that you want people to remember about you. It needs to be delivered with enthusiasm, as an actor or actress might. Every single time.

2. Cultivate your network of relationships. Tap into your existing relationships-friends, family, former colleagues, people you know. Just let them know you’re looking for work and ask them if they might know someone in your field who might be able to give you advice. Ask each person you are referred to for at least 3 referrals. Create a snowball effect.

3. Participate in trade groups. The “mega-functions” are harder to be successful in than smaller ones. The more targeted the group, often the better. Get involved. Join committees. Let people get to know you through your contributions. Ask for support.

4. Help others. I’m sure you’ve the phrase, “give more, get more.” Help others and things will come back to you. Contribute to others and their successful search. This can also occur when you genuinely listen to others and their professional needs and offer assistance. There is advice that you will receive by supporting others, ideas that will emerge from helping others work through their problems and opportunities that will be afforded to you through listening.

5. Focus on creating a great impression and asking for support. If all you do is ask for a job, a lot of doors will be slammed in your face. If you focus on creating a great impression, rest assured that when you are in front of someone who needs you, they will be smart enough to see the fit.

6. Cultivate your relationships. Like dating and good marriages, relationships take time to develop and blossom. Don’t expect instant results. Send thank you notes (www.hallmark.com and other online greeting card sites will help you keep the cost low or free), a quick email or a periodic phone call to stay in contact.

7. Follow through. Act on all the leads you receive. If you promise to do something, do it when you say you will do it. Imagine what it is like for the other person who is trying to help you, who may have even alerted the other person to a phone call and then not have it acted upon.

Take the time to network, ideally when you are working and don’t necessarily need a job. The investment will be worth your time.

Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

?2005 all rights reserved.

For more articles by Jeff Altman, go to www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com

Jeff Altman has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is also co-founder of Your Next Job, a networking group focused on assisting technology professionals with their job search, a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist. For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Article Category : Career Management

This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. After a large scale cut in personnel, this particular group of employees needed some extra support. Examining the issue of job security measures how your employees view their job security within your organization. In today’s often volatile or contingent labor market, it’s crucial to understand the level of security your employees feel about maintaining their jobs. Studies show that employees who do not feel secure in their jobs are less likely to be committed to best assisting customers. Evaluating this competency can be especially useful if your organization has suffered recent layoffs or firings.This short story, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, is part of AlphaMeasure’s compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how a group of employees who survived downsizing dealt with their own fear and uncertainty and received help from management to get back on track and move forward.

Anonymous Submission

I never thought much about job security until a few weeks ago, when our company announced a 15% reduction in workforce. That simple number translated into half of my department. It wasn’t a total surprise-I work in an industry that has been losing jobs to overseas outsourcing for a few years now. Sooner or later, our company would have to cut to stay competitive.

The remaining half of the department operated in a fog. Supervisors tried to reorganize the workload. I spent my time and energy trying to figure out my new responsibilities and learn about the new customers added to my roster.

Then I began to overhear conversations. Cubicles are close, and when people speak loudly, well, you know… I heard the guy next to me speaking with one of his “new” customers, introducing himself. He was faced, as we all were, with the task of explaining what had happened to their prior reps. “Yes, gone” I heard him say bluntly. “Yes, I’ll do what I can to serve you, but who knows how long I’ll be here… I could be next. You know, here today, gone tomorrow.”

For a week or so, those words reverberated around the department. It seemed that the remaining employees had to voice their fear. I felt as though somehow, if I voiced that fear to a customer, my termination would surely come to pass. I wondered what the customers thought about these conversations. Did they hang up and begin a search for back up suppliers in case our company folded suddenly? Did they assume that our prices would increase?

One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the “here today, gone tomorrow” chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager’s office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.

It was a short meeting, but it told us what we needed to know. The worst was over. There was no reason to think that there would be more layoffs, anytime soon. If anything, our positions were more secure now than they were before. Business appeared to be on the upswing, and it was more important than ever to keep our current customers happy. To do this, the here today, gone tomorrow conversations would have to end immediately, our manager said, with a twinkle in his eye. We’ll get through this, he told us, but we needed everyone to be at top performance level.

It was a wonderful talk. It was the best he could do, as no one can promise permanent job security forever. But it was just enough to silence the chorus of the cynics and keep our customer base growing. I, for one, am extremely grateful.

?2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes the author bio information, and all links remain active.

Measure. Report. Improve your organization with AlphaMeasure employee surveys.

Josh Greenberg is President of AlphaMeasure, Inc.

AlphaMeasure provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.

Launch your employee surveys with AlphaMeasure.

Resumes, Networking, Headhunters ? Useless Without Marketing Sweet Spot

Article Category : Career Management

A career transition is no longer about getting your hands on a list of contacts, networking with headhunters, or going online to look for work. It’s better than that.Want to neutralize most of your rivalry? Hot-swap the traditional means of securing a job with these new tactics and you’ll warp-speed your search:

? Stop looking for a job

? Increase your visibility

? Decrease your competition

? Create buzz and you’ll multiply your exposure to decision makers

? Create need and you’ll generate quality interviews, simultaneously

? Create solutions and you’ll gain an opportunity to design your own position

Stir up the buzz and you’ll stand out in a saturated market. Develop a reputation for being a subject-matter expert. This time you’ll want to be the topic of the next water cooler gathering. Make sure that you use your full name when identifying yourself on any of these venues, not a pseudonym. You can’t stir up the buzz about you, if you’re hidden behind some funky moniker. Don’t forget to create an email address that sounds professional wherever your name publicly appears.

There are eight over-the-top ports to gain higher visibility:

? Chamber of Commerce (networking events and / or committee participation)

? Local trade associations (meetings and / or committee participation)

? Blogs (industry trade associations, online publications, job boards)

? Teleseminars (trade association-sponsored, industry-oriented)

? High-profile volunteerism (civic, community, business projects)

? Broadcasting (radio and television guest appearances)

? Ask-an-Expert content venues (online and print)

? Newsletters, white papers (online and print)

Get employers drooling for your talents by demonstrating a consistency in your marketing message. Recruiters and decision makers routinely perform a Google? or Yahoo? key word search to learn more about you. Put your name (and its variations) into these mega-search engines to find out what pops up.

If you’ve made disparaging comments about anyone or anything, either on or off record, these will harm your marketing message. For the sake of your professional branding, publicly, shut up. If what you want to say or do communicate oddity, inappropriateness, or lack of civility and good taste then you become a liability to your industry’s culture and you’ll be blacklisted.

Branding is a yardstick that measures not just what you do, but who you are and the perception others have of you. Make sure that whatever you say or do (professionally and personally) sends a consistent positive message about your leadership, industry competency, ethics, maturity, and interpersonal relations. This constancy is your branding; an awareness of you which captures an employer’s attention and interest in you.

Mastermind solutions and you’ll improve the odds of a securing a customized job role. Borderless thinking solves problems, particularly those deemed by others as too troublesome or impossible. You’ll release yourself from dependency on open or publicly-known positions when you pitch personalized remedies for an employer’s toughest business challenges.

Annihilate your competition by doing the thing that they wouldn’t dare to do?stop looking for a job. Concentrate on subterranean research to uncover ’spot opportunities’ - patterns that would signal upcoming hiring activity. Yeah, it’s labor-intensive, but the pay-off is huge in terms of edging past Human Resource department screeners.

Classic market research involves S.W.O.T. Analysis. Successful marketing thrusts are achieved using a thorough analysis of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats for Growth. Can you count the times on one hand, your buddies took the time to do this kind of extreme exploration when they were on a job hunting expedition?

The more you know about a targeted company, its industry, and the associated threats to its success, the stronger your posture. Instead of seeking a job, pursue opportunity to use your talents to better an organization’s own branding before its employees, customers, and business relationships. Pitch directly to first-string decision makers.

Slamming a baseball out of the park isn’t rocket science; it’s about reading and reacting to the pitch - knowing what you have to do, and when to do it. It’s also capitalizing on the bat’s sweet spot to connect the raw capability of the bat to the sheer force of the batter’s swing.

A professionally-run job search does the same things; you pitch your solutions to the right target, at the right time, using the right resource and strategy. The career marketing sweet spot is that critical moment where targeting and timing intersect. Goal sighted, energy harnessed, successful outcome achieved.

Marta Driesslein, CECC (http://interviewing.com/) is a management consultant for R.L. Stevens & Associates Inc. For over 24 years R.L. Stevens & Associates has been the Nation’s most successful privately-held firm specializing in executive career searches generating quality interviews through both advertised and unadvertised channels.

How do you apply for a Job in China

Article Category : Career Management

Working in ChinaWorking in China is very common now. Either you are sent to China by your company or you apply for a job to be stationed in China. Applying for a job in China is very common today as China gradually becomes a economic powerhouse. In fact, many Hong Kongers and Taiwanese feel that it is important to have good job experience in China.

It is also very common to be posted for short working trips to China as a technical expert or co-ordinator as China is a big consumer of modern technology. Many companies sent their technical staff on short assignments to familiarize their Chinese counterpart on new technology.

Job Hunt

Many people are fascinated with China and desire to work in China. You can apply from your home country, or like many, purchase a ticket, land in China and start looking!

The best source of jobs is on the internet. There are many job sites that specialises in China jobs. Alternately, pick up an English expatriate magazine that you can find in most 4 or 5 star hotels and there are likely to be job opportunities in there. Many of these magazines also run expatriate internet forums where you can place your resume.

At this moment, the biggest job opportunities for foreigners are as English teachers in schools as China raced to get itself ready for the Olympics in Year 2008. Similarly, jobs in Food and Beverage and the Hospitality trade is also in high demand especially for English speaking staff.

Entry Visa

For business or short working trips, it is advisable to apply for the Business Visa. A business visa allows multiple trips of up to 30 days per trip for a period of three or six months depending on the visa applied. An invitation letter from the Chinese office is needed for the application.

For long working trips, a Z Visa is required. This allow you to stay in China for up to one year. You will need a work permit and a letter from your Chinese Office before a Z Visa can be issued.

Accomodation

For those lucky to be on job assignments, the company will likely put you up in a hotel or a service apartment. China has a wide range of hotels and are likely to be clean and comfortable even if in the lower classes. When travelling to smaller towns, you may be unable to find a hotel higher than 3-stars!

For those on their own, renting a local apartment will be the cheapest way to go in the long run. For those really on a tight budget, look for a apartment in a local area and not in one of those expatriate enclave.

Rent leases in China normally runs for a minimum of 6 months but it is not uncommon to find 3 months leases nowadays. When renting apartments, remember that it is a requirement to inform the nearest police station of your new place of residence.

Work style

This can be a interesting area. Depending on the industry, the history, the culture and management, working with the Chinese can be a pleasure or a pain.

If you are working in a MNC, where the Chinese has been exposed to western management concept, you may indeed find the working style very familiar with that at home.

For others, work can be a nightmare in a entirely Chinese environment. Many state enterprises or Chinese company may run with a working culture reminiscent of the iron bowl concept of the early 60s and 70s.

Business culture

Again, business culture in dependent on the industry, company or even the geographical location of the company. For example, in the North, business is seldom discussed unless there has been a fair amount of socializing at the restaurant while in the South, business may come before social interaction.

Overall, the business culture of China is more of human interaction than anything else. There must be a fair amount of socialisation and familiarisation before real discussions of any form can proceed. Do not jump or insist on a serious discussion on your first meeting. Please see Chinese Business Culture for further information.

Language Requirements

It is almost impossible to work or do business in China without some understanding of the Chinese language. It is useful to attend Chinese classes before or after seeking work in China. Please see Chinese Phrases page for further basic understanding of Chinese.

Ken Cheong worked, lived and travelled in China for the last 7 years. Please feel free to email him. You may distribute this article as long as mention is made of http://www.chinese-culture.net and http://www.quick-pain-relief.com

Category : china-jobs

From Cleaning Lady to Entrepreneur: How Your Cleaning Business can Benefit from the Images

Article Category : Career Management

Many people never consider entering the cleaning business because of the images it has.”Be a janitor (or cleaning lady or maid)? Me? That’s too demeaning!” is a common reaction.

In the past, these jobs had very low status. Nobody with a college degree would be caught dead doing them. These ideas are slowing changing, but since the business of cleaning only has about 6% self-employed entrepreneurs, it’s still true that a lot of the jobs where you work for other people are dead-end and low-paying.

If you are thinking of starting a cleaning business, you may have felt a little uncertain about how you would explain your new activity to family and friends. What would your sometimes-too-blunt friends say? How much teasing would you have to endure?

It’s been said that every negative has the seeds of a positive in it, and that’s certainly true here. Fear of what other people will think means that a lot of people never will never consider the opportunities here… and you can laugh all the way to the bank!

Today’s self-employed cleaning business owners are entrepreneurs. That’s just a fancy way of saying that they have a lot of freedom to create a business that makes an excellent profit, working hours they set. They can choose their clients.

Rosana Hart offers business and other information at her site http://www.infoandhelp.com

Category : Entrepreneur

Career Success: Take Charge of Your Career

Article Category : Career Management

People react very differently to the waves of change that suddenly flood the work and marketplace. Some, who feel confused or unsettled struggle to keep their heads above water gasping for air. By contrast, others, who may not even like or agree with the changes, nevertheless accept them, get on with their lives and swim forcefully to their new destination. The following three tactics will help you mobilize your resources to take charge of their careers.Fuel the Fire In Your Heart.
Live your life and career with intention. The key to sustained peak performance is discovering who you are, what you want in life, and then confidently pursue it. Remember, if you don’t have your own mission or purpose get one, or otherwise, all you can do is sign up for someone else’s. Remember, if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know that you’ve arrived?

Start by develop a career line. Prepare a graph that outlines your career highs and lows from your first job to the present. What kinds of activities were you involved in during your highs - during your lows? Continue this getting to know yourself process by locating your inner energy source. What really gets the juices flowing for you? Is it challenge? Helping other? Being creative? Having authority? Making an impact? Whatever motivates you, write it on a card and look at it every morning.

During times of change and uncertainty, you must realize that it’s often your outlook or your attitudes— what you bring to work, not what work brings to you—that determines your career success. Can you look at what’s happening in the workplace and not take it personally? Can you accept the luck of the draw and move on? Can you bounce back on your own rather than allow yourself to wallow in negative emotions? You must learn to accommodate adversity. It can either break or build character. Which is it doing for you?

Forget Being the Lone Ranger.
Are you familiar with the saying: “It’s not what you know, .but who you know.” Well in today’s changing work world, the new saying is: “It’s not only what you know, it’s not only who you know, but, as important, it’s who knows you and your work.”

First thing to do is to inventory your network. List all the key people in your career world. Are your contacts mostly within your area? Or are there linkages into different departments, divisions, subsidiaries? What about outside your company? What kinds of relationships do you have? Hi and Good by? Or Hi! What have you been doing? Develop relationships with a whole array of people. It’s your ticket to career advancement and success.

Know and be known. Work groups or teams, not hierarchies, are now doing the real work in today’s workplace. How are you going to find out about the latest hot project? How are key people going to know about you and your talents? An active network is the most effective tool fin this age of uncertainty. Realize that contacts are the bread of career life. In times of change, information and relationships are a source of power.

Don’t Just Stand There, Do Something.
Recognize a successful career in not a spectator sport. Opportunities do not just get placed on your desk. Organizations will no longer provide you with clearly defined career paths. Don’t be an absentee landlord and neglect your personal career management. Know what you want and actively seek it out. Take charge of your career. Remember, if you don’t control your own destiny, no one else will.

Start by doing a career check up. Ask yourself: “Where am I? Where do I want to go? What are some paths to get me there? What are possible barriers? What are my supports? What resources am I going to need? How will I get these resources?” Failure to take charge of your career leaves you a victim of your own neglect and the changing workplace.

Always have several options in your back pocket. Focus on career contingency planning. Do you have a Plan A, a Plan B, and even a Plan C? What conditions could possibly change in your job; your company; or your industry? Do you have a clear idea where you could jump if unexpected roadblocks arise? Where else can you apply your skills and showcase your talents? A successful career is not fixed in stone, but is fluid and subject to change.

Remember, the Name of the Game Is Action.
Make sure your career goals are not stranded on a island called: “Someday I’ll………..” If you want something, don’t just think or talk about it. Figure out a way to make it happen. Set specific goals. Develop action plans. Have realistic timetables. Find the resources you need. Keep alive in today’s rough seas and begin preparing for tomorrow’s raging waters.

Marcia Zidle, the ‘people smarts’ coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job ?to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report “61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers”. Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks ?resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs ?fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

Category : Career

Job Dissatisfaction

Article Category : Career Management

Job dissatisfaction is a driving force behind individuals seeking employment elsewhere. When evaluating your employment it is important to distinguish between the work you do and your workplace.Do you find purpose in your work? Are you driven by passion or necessity?

All work has purpose. All work has value. You are the best person to evaluate the value of your work. The value of your work depends on whether or not your personal needs are being met.

Are you passionate about your work? You may be working in your chosen profession, even with a company you have always wanted to work for, and still you may experience moments of job dissatisfaction. Here are some areas to consider when evaluating your work and work environment.

How much autonomy do you have when producing your work? Everyone has a different level of comfort when it comes to his or her independence when working. It’s important for you to be aware of your need for self-governance or the degree of management you prefer.

Do you have the opportunity to enhance your community? If your workplace is not currently involved in the community perhaps you can be the architect of a new program that would enable yourself and your co-workers to support outside organizations. Becoming involved with the community will increase your satisfaction at the perceived value of your work and have the organization you work in.

Does your work provide you with social contact and help you maintain or build your social skills? If the work you produce does not require enough interaction for you then perhaps you can look to your workplace for other opportunities to socialize.

Engaging in in-house organizations will provide you with a social outlet, they can help you develop a sense of belonging within the company and can be very useful with networking.

Does your work challenge you? Maintaining current skills and developing new avenues to utilize them can help maintain your sense of satisfaction. Developing new skills will not only build your self-esteem but they can enhance your ability to contribute to the company you work for, and increase your opportunities for advancement.

Compensation in terms of monetary rewards is perhaps the easiest criteria you can look at when determining the value of your work. Since we live in a mercantile society, having our basic necessities met is a common measure of our works value. What you consider necessity is up to you.

Our personal identities are often entwined with the employment choices we make. If you are feeling dissatisfaction with your employment choices it is important to remind yourself that you have purpose and you have value beyond measure.

Robyn Lee
http://createyourplay.bravehost.com

Building a Solid Network - Careers

Article Category : Career Management

A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to move out of his successful career in advertising and into the real estate development business. He had already enrolled in a top notch MBA program to learn more about the field. In addition he had found work with a bank doing real estate appraisals.With another year to go in the MBA program he came to me to work on creating a plan for becoming a real estate developer.

It is not unusual for someone to study one thing in college, try it for a while and then decide that there is another field that is more appealing. This dramatic change however brought up all kinds of fears for my client.

His first concern was that potential employers would look at his resume and see nothing on it that would indicate he had the skills necessary for his new career. He wasn’t sure that he really knew exactly what a career in real estate development entailed or even if it was the right choice for him. Finally he was worried because all his connections were in advertising.

Those questions could easily be answered by someone already in the field. Where could he find some names and an entre? One place that many of my clients overlook when they are looking to make new connections is their college alumnae office. Most alums truly want to be helpful to students and fellow alumnae. My client could easily make use of the alumni office at his current business school. The best way to make a new connection is to have a common interest (your college) or a mutual friend that connects you.

My client was still a bit reticent. “Do you think they will really talk to me?” he asked. I asked him to think back in his advertising career to a time when someone he didn’t know well called him out of the blue to ask for something. How did he feel about it? Did he help?

Often the person being called is flattered by the attention and is eager to help. Ten years ago a young man who had been a student of mine 25 years prior to that called me to reconnect. He actually called to tell me what an impact my teaching had made on his life. I was flattered and delighted to hear from him.

The young man who called me wasn’t looking for help at that moment. Keeping in touch with your network even when you don’t have questions to ask makes it easier to reconnect when you need help or information. Those people who willingly help others will find many helping hands when they need help themselves. Be sure to be that helping person yourself! J

Professors and teachers from your school days can be powerful sources of information too if you stay in touch with them. If you are currently in school, nurture those relationships. If you are out of school it is never too late to rekindle them. (My former student waited 25 years!!)

Building a solid network of people is important and can be fun. Get started early on it and be systematic about keeping track of the people, information about them, and the frequency with which you contact them. Be prepared however to help those in your network too. To build a thriving network the communications and support has to go both ways!

Take Action:

1. Make a list of people you know and who you want to remain in touch with. Select someone you haven’t spoken to in a while and make the connection.

2. Call your college or graduate school alumni office for names and telephone numbers of people in a field you are exploring. Call one of the names on the list.

3. Find a way to track your contacts. A spread sheet or contact management software are two ways to manage this information.

4.To keep track of your contacts personal information take a look at the 66 questions that Harvey MacKay suggests in Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.

About Alvah Parker

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. To subscribe send an email to join-roadtosuccess@go.netatlantic.com.

Parker’s Value Program?enables clients to find a way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. She is both a Practice Advisor and Coach to attorneys, business managers, business owners, sole practioners, and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

Category : careers, resume

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