Article Category : Others

According to statistics one out of every five pregnant women will not return to work. Quitting abruptly after childbirth could wreak havoc on your finances, your career and even your relationship with your partner.

How can you determine if you are vulnerable to quitting your job abruptly after having your baby? Below are some elements that can contribute to leaving your job:

1. You hate your job-Babies have a way of forcing true feelings to the surface. This means that if you hate your job now, while you are pregnant, you might find it physically impossible to leave your baby to return to it afterwards. If this is the case in your life, admit it now and start planning to find a new job, start your own business or take a leave of absence. Now is definitely better than later.

2. You are a perfectionist- Being a working mother means trusting others to do things for you but not necessarily like you do them. Practice letting things go around the house a little bit and delegating more at home and at work. Women who insist on doing it all may end up quitting abruptly due to the stress caused by impossibly high standards.

3. You are 100% sure that you will be returning to work-Women who refuse to even allow themselves the thought of quitting are prime candidates for leaving abruptly after giving birth. This is sometimes due to feeling cheated by a short maternity leave or simply repressing true feelings about their dual roles. Pregnancy and babies are not about certainties. It is wise to take some time and consider all options including what you (and your partner) would do if one of you decided not to return to work.

The bottom line is that whatever you choose will be the right decision for you as long as you are making the decision consciously and not out of stress or unacknowledged feelings. The benefits of knowing, for the most part, what your actions are going to be after the birth of your baby are numerous when you think about finances, planning at work and not burning future bridges.

Notes:Cigna insurance company estimates that for every woman who quits her job after childbirth, four return. Source: Wall Street Journal, 1998 Work & Family Column, Sue Shellenbarger.

Brenda Abdilla is the president of Management Momentum, a Denver-based company which helps companies accomplish success by improving thier performance strategies. In her 15 years as a professional speaker and trainer Brenda has delighted audiences around the world. Brenda authored two books in the 90’s (Sales and Marketing) and is now working on a book especially for women in business.

Do I Have to Provide a Salary History?

Article Category : Others

Often you see job postings with a request such as “Send resume with salary history to?” I don’t know about you but the first thing that pops into my mind is what do they expect to pay? The next question I ponder is whether or not it’s legal to request this information. Who will see my salary history when my resume and accompanying documents are received? Will it be the hiring manager, someone in the human resources department, or will it be a notoriously nosy employee whose job it is to open the mail? Will that individual broadcast my confidential information to other employees?

Some employers use this tactic to save themselves time and weed out applicants that expect more than they are willing to pay or, based on their view of your past compensation, don’t appear to have the skills or experience necessary. The keyword in the second statement of the preceding sentence is appear. You may very well have deserved better, but for whatever reason you may not have been compensated as well as you should have been.

Unfortunately, it isn’t illegal for employers to ask for a salary history even though your income is a highly confidential matter. Therefore, you need to develop a plan to deal with the ones that expect it or worse, require it. That plan should include a method to address the issue without revealing too much information to just anybody that may have access to your job search documents.

The first thing to do is determine how crucial an opportunity is to you. If you are in a position to be choosy with job opportunities, don’t waste your time and energy. Some postings will warn you that if you don’t send your salary history with your resume you will be cast into file 13. Ignore the job postings that require it and move on to the next opportunity. If the job appears to be a very lucrative prospect for you and you believe you absolutely must give it a shot or if you can’t afford to pass up the chance at the opportunity, you can turn the tables on them and use this to your advantage to screen them, too.

Secondly, if you don’t already know how much you should expect to be compensated you should do some research before applying. Do a search for salary wizards on any of the search engines to locate wizards. You will find salary wizards that will provide a low to high range of compensation for different professions and positions based on experience levels and geographical locations. Some of them include information about benefits and perks as well as monetary compensation. Most employers have done their own research and know the ranges for the geographical area where they are located.

Respond to the request for your salary history in your cover letter after highlighting the benefits of hiring you. Instead of detailing what you were compensated by past employers, address the issue by including a statement indicating your expected salary. Use general numbers such as “mid 50’s” without giving a top or bottom range, i.e. 50 to 60k annually. You don’t want to state a range because it could still limit your ability to negotiate. You want to leave the door open to be able to negotiate monetary compensation as well as other benefits and perks.

If you don’t hear from them, move on and don’t stress over it because most likely they didn’t intend to pay what you need or expect. You have succeeded in turning the tables and making sure you didn’t waste your time and energy on a job less than favorable to you. If you do hear from them, be prepared to negotiate for compensation that will be reasonable for you and the employer.

Compelling, targeted resumes that will open doors to interviews developed by Angela Betts. For more career and job search tips sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.resumeritr.com. Contact Angela at 501-467-8768 or info@resumeritr.com to request a free resume critique or resume development services.

From The WorkWise Collection: Ten Ways to Win the Job Search Mind Game

Article Category : Others

Are you one of the thousands of job seekers who question their sanity, marketability, and capacity to make smart decisions-just because you’ve lost your job? Are you wondering how to overcome these psychological challenges, rebuild your self-confidence, increase your marketability, and regain your sense of sanity?

In today’s competitive job market you need more than a killer r閟um?and great interviewing skills to survive. Twenty-first-century job seekers must be able to deal with ambiguity, maintain a winner’s mindset, demonstrate customer focus, and have a blow-your-socks-off r閟um?and excellent interviewing skills. All of this requires that you be at the top of your game emotionally, physically, and mentally.

At one time or another, all job seekers face the same basic challenges: r閟um閟 that don’t generate responses, telephone inquiries that don’t produce interviews, few or no callbacks for second interviews, networks that don’t perform, feedback from employers about not being a good match, and feeling stuck or otherwise unable to take action.

Why is it that some job seekers are able to overcome these obstacles and move on to interesting, well-paying positions, while others languish in low-paying, uninspiring jobs-or worse yet, simply drop out of the market? Smart job seekers have learned that 99 percent of job hunting has to do with developing a “Winner’s Mind-Set.” Apply these tips and you too will succeed in the job search mind game.

Today’s Successful Job Seekers…

1. Have a handle on their emotions. They know that getting past negative emotions-fear, worry, anger, and embarrassment-all of which erode self-confidence-is essential to their long-term success.

2. Seek positive outlets for the frustrations that inevitably surface during a job search.

3. Refrain from job hunting until they are emotionally ready and prepared with solid marketing materials: r閟um? business cards, and references.

4. Take time to review and assess their accomplishments, knowledge, and abilities before developing their job search strategy.

5. Learn from the experience of losing a job-whether it was the result of downsizing, company closing, or other circumstance - and find a way to capture the essential elements of the event and explain them in a meaningful way during job interviews.

6. Determine the price of being stuck in the job search, calculate the cost of not moving forward, make adjustments, and then take action.

7. Brainstorm ways around repeated resistance.

8. Use lulls in the job search wisely, to catch their breath and prepare for the next summit.

9. Let go of any shame or embarrassment they may feel about their situation and concentrate on the future.

10. Ask for help when they need it!

Implement these ten tips and you will have mastered the psychology behind a job search!

–

This information is for educational purposes only. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention. If you are concerned about your mental health or that of another, please consult your family’s health care provider immediately.

About The Author

Hi, I’m Mary Jeanne Vincent. I help real job seekers just like you find jobs that meet the triple-F test: work that’s fun, fulfilling, and financially rewarding. Ask about WorkWise Words of Wisdom Uncover Your Passion tip cards-50 easy-to-use tips guaranteed to jumpstart the process of finding the work you love and loving the work you do. Only $24.99!

For information, write to mailto:mjv@2bworkwise.com or call 831.657.9151.

Stepping Stone Jobs

Article Category : Others

What we name something matters.

It sets a tone that alters our attitude.

Give something a new name and the difference may seem insignificant or even trivial.

However, if it changes our attitude, it can amount to a very big change.

Recently, I heard the term “survival job.”

I understood this to mean a job that is often part-time and unrelated to one’s primary career focus. One takes such a job because one’s previous position has been eliminated, out-sourced, down-sized, off-shored, or otherwise zapped.

I heard this term a few times and thought, “Why does the phrase ‘hunker-down’ come to mind?”

The term suggests an image of bunkers, flack jackets, helmets, and a sound track of voices shouting “incoming!”

That doesn’t exactly give a warm, fuzzy feeling, does it?

Maybe we can’t change the immediate reality of making ends meet as rapidly as we might wish, but we can change our attitude by some imaginative and empowering nomenclature.

Suppose a “survival job” becomes a “stepping stone job?”

What difference would that make?

Well, the whole notion of heaving a sigh of relief at getting through another day with body and soul in one piece changes.

Our focus is on where we are going and what we are learning in the process rather than braving another day in the wilderness.

After all, if are in this temporary situation anyway, why not make it a transition to something better?

Why make it sound like a reality TV show where the whole world is on the verge of voting us off the island and into a shark-infested bay?

It may be a small change, but it alters the internal landscape and engages the mind in a powerful way because it changes attitude.

And with a new attitude, we will do lots more than just survive.

About The Author

Copyright 2004 by Tony Papajohn.

Tony writes and speaks on success. Subscribe to his free SuccessMotivator e-zine at http://www.successmotivator.com.

tony@successmotivator.com

Who Do I Have To Kill To Get A Job?

Article Category : Others

I have had more than my amount of trouble in getting a job. I did everything I was supposed to do. I went to an Ivy League school, got a 3.75 grade average, and then graduated as president of his class. Then I entered the job market.

I soon found out that human resources are geared to screen you out of a job. The asked for work experience, which I didn’t have. After all you have to be hired to get the experience. After two years of trying to find a job, I took a temporary assignment. Not because I wanted to, but because I needed to eat. After that assignment I was again asked for my permanent experience. I didn’t have any, so I took another temp assignment. After only two temp assignments I was dubbed a “job skipper”. An unreliable employee, who must be rubbing his boss the wrong way - otherwise they would keep me. I didn’t know what to do about this reputation. I couldn’t argue the obvious path I had to take, and so I continued to let the reputation stand and took temp assignment after temp assignment.

The good news is that I was a good saver, and by seeing a lot of different working environments I got to see some common business problems, and I came up with ideas on how to solve them. I went ahead and wrote some books on the subject of project management, and program management. I soon found that I was one of the first to do so, and that my books sold in the USA as well as overseas. Due to this success, I went on to write over several patents and cashed in on about half of them. It is ironic to me that that for whatever reason corporate America didn’t want to hire me, but instead they embraced and used my ideas and my inventions to help them solve their problems.

It would seem like I would be of value to some of them, but at the age of 47 I continue to look for an elusive perm job, and wish that someone would hire me so that I could claim a normal retirement.

After all I’ve made millions to date, and that was during “part time” employment. Just think what I could do if I was on a full time payroll.

Thomas Knutson is an inventor of over 200 globally used financial applications, a home designer, and an award winning poet from Minnesota. email@tko-usa.com

How to Reach Your Next Job Faster with Fewer Potholes, Roadblocks

Article Category : Others

Complacency damages your career more than lack of qualifications. The most obvious roadblock you’ll encounter on the race to find your next job is usually regrets about skills, education, and professional knowledge. However, be careful that you don’t possess an inner smugness that rests on past successes. Complacency will trick you to believe that employers will find you without any effort on your part to find them. You’ll be anesthetized to job search urgency by this false sense of security. Overconfidence costs you money and opportunities if you decide to sit back with a Jack Daniel’s and idle your time away until the phone rings. It won’t.

Job seeker loses $30,000 and top management role while waiting for “right opportunity. Rich Connell, senior consultant for R. L. Stevens & Associates Inc., a leading international career marketing firm headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, regretted a huge blunder he made during his earlier career adventures. “I lost a high level management position and $30,000 in commissions and bonuses because of job search complacency,” said Connell.

After being suddenly downsized, Connell admits several valuable months vanished while he waited for the “right” opportunity to magically appear. He didn’t take his search seriously. These tactical errors took him out of the marketplace and off the hiring radar at the critical start of his sales career. Employers didn’t know he was available. He missed a great position that was significantly more suitable and provided larger financial reward than the one he settled for because he ran out of leverage. “In retrospect, I should’ve jumped right back into the market and not wasted all that time. If only I had started my search sooner and gave it more attention. Losing $30,000 and a management fast track was an expensive teacher to learn how to conduct a successful job search,” he lamented.

Now wiser and more successful from the experience and lessons learned, Connell from his ninth-floor office overlooking Indianapolis, Indiana strongly encourages job seekers to not postpone a career transition to wait for non-existent “perfect conditions.” Don’t delay your search any longer, for any reason. Get serious and get on with it, he says.

Regret for time wasted can become a power for good in the time that remains. We often in hindsight, look so long and so regretfully upon the closed doors that we don’t see the one which has opened for us. Use these ten tips to anticipate and plan your next job search move. Your foresight here will convert regrets, disappointments and fears into much needed fuel to strengthen your chances to reach your next career destination faster:

1.Develop a sense of urgency to move fast on opportunities. Measure the value of everything you do against the results you expect.

2.Recognize and exploit cycles and trends in your industry.

3.Update your knowledge continually through coursework, news and blog reading, and active participation in trade association activities.

4.Segment your targeted employers and focus on those who can benefit the most, immediately, from what you are selling.

5.Anticipate how you can differentiate your product (you) from every other similar product (your competition) in the marketplace.

6.Analyze your competition thoroughly through strategic market research; be clear about where you’re strong and they’re weak.

7.Make a list of all the reasons why an employer should hire you. Translate them into personalized solutions, organize them by priority and memorize.

8.Identify the primary objections to why an employer might not hire you and then develop bulletproof answers to those objections.

9.Refuse to let the fear of rejection hold you back. Don’t take rejection personally.

10.Never forget that whatever got you to where you are today is not enough to keep you there.

Hot career advice: Don’t let other job seekers gain tactical advantage because your paralysis of analysis or inertia derailed momentum. Anything less than total commitment to excellence becomes acceptance of mediocrity.

Use career campaign foresight to continually deal with and calculate your future. By doing so you’ll fast forward to your next career pit stop and avoid most job hunting potholes and roadblocks. Remember: It’s not about where you’ve been. It’s about where you’re headed. Be alert. Look ahead.

Marta L. Driesslein is a senior management consultant for R.L. Stevens & Associates Inc. (http://www.interviewing.com), a career marketing firm and organization celebrating over 24 years of providing strategic marketing solutions for its clients’ career transitioning needs. Email inquiries and comments to publicrelations@rlstevens.com.

How to Recoup From Missing the Most Important Meeting of the Year

Article Category : Others

Sometimes missing a critical meeting just can’t be helped. Despite the advance planning, you just cannot make it to the meeting. Before you get out the guilt stick and beat yourself up about how stupid that was or how bad it’s going to be for your career, take a step back and examine how to overcome your absence.

If you have been following my advice, you did all of the advance preparation for attending the meeting or the show. You know from those preparations about the specific activities and events that you missed. Always keep the agenda or the pre-show planner until after the event occurs.

Recently I had to miss an important event at which I was to give a speech. Fortunately, I was prepared in advance and was able to send my speech via email for distribution at the event.

Learn from this: Prepare in advance. Plan for Murphy’s Law. Be prepared to ask someone to present your information or represent you at the event. In the case that you are irreplaceable (we all wish that) contact the lead organizer and let them know you have a conflict. Find out the best way to proceed and explore if there is anything you can do in advance to smooth it over. If extra work is required as a result of your inability to attend, do it. That way you are making a commitment even if you are not there.

Tip: Try not to wait until the last minute to report that you can’t make it. The more advance notice you give, the better the relationship will be and they better their chance to find a replacement.

After you have missed the event, spend some time assessing what activities took place. Think it terms of the most critical elements. Did someone take notes? Can you get them? Who has the information on the discussion topics and the outcomes of the conversation? Was a colleague or associate in attendance? If it was your boss, see if you can get some face time to review what transpired. Follow up with the person in charge of the event. Send a handwritten note to them and apologize for your absence. Volunteer to help again at the next event. Remember you are not really doing penance; you are just getting back into the loop.

Sometimes actually missing a meeting can work to your advantage. After the event, you can get in front of important participants by requesting that they bring you up to speed. Apologize for missing the event but don’t obsess about it. We all experience events beyond our control.

Establish a rapport with the meeting leaders and discuss a absence protocol. Volunteer to set one up. This places you in a favorable position. You are still willing to do your share and be active in the group’s outcome.

Volunteer for other assignments. A word of caution: if the reason for missing the meeting was family or medical issues that are not resolved, wait for this step to your plate is clear. Missing one meeting is OK. Missing more than that can cause problems.

Remember the important issue is to not overreact because you couldn’t be there. Regroup and rethink your strategy to get back into the mainstream events and activities.

Think big picture and plot in the grand scheme of things. Yes, you really hated that you missed a critical meeting but in the long run responsiveness and willingness to commit is what people will remember after that single event.

JoAnn Hines’ specialty is PACKAGING PEOPLE. Whether you want to be paid more, you just lost your job, or you want to progress in the one you have, Ms. Hines advice and expertise can help you transform your personal brand. She can show you how to package yourself and make your brand a hot commodity. It’s easy once you know the ropes and begin to utilize her insider’s secrets. She shows you step by step how to increase your visibility, credibility and marketability with easy to use tutorials and templates.

It is time to get started “Packaging Yourself.”

Email me the Chief People Packager @ pkgcoach@aol.com

Pages (7) : « First ... « 5 6 [7]