A look back at 2010 Career Accomplishments

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter

Climb the career ladder with your career accomplishments for 2010Now that the new year is here, it is the perfect time to take a look back at your career accomplishments of 2010 and evaluate if you are on track towards accomplishing your career goals.

Reflect on Accomplishments

With each new accomplishment at work, you should reflect it immediately in your resume to make sure that your resume stays current. Here are a few reasons:

  1. You are less likely to miss any career accomplishments
  2. The accomplishments you include will be fresher in your mind, so the descriptions will be more relevant & meaningful
  3. If someone asks to see your resume, it will be ready to go
  4. In writing down your accomplishments, you can ponder how these accomplishments get you one step closer to your career goals
  5. Next time someone asks “so what are you doing at work”, you will actually be able to answer with a list of your career accomplishments!

A Great Resource

I also read an article on Yahoo the other day about “How to Jumpstart Your Career” with the new year. They have some great suggestions on 8 Career New Year’s Resolutions which will help you move your career forward while you bask in the glow of your past career accomplishments.

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Choosing Which Offer to Accept

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter

Choosing which offer to acceptThe day I graduated college, I was faced with a decision that many people would envy: choosing which offer to accept. I had two offers for jobs and each of the jobs had its pros and its cons, but it seemed like they were perfectly balanced – making my decision nearly impossible.

My decision would also sway depending on my mood, the people I was talking to at the time, or the books or articles I was reading. Although having to decide between two job offers is a good problem to have, the decision nonetheless required me to take a systematic approach.

Choosing Which Offer to Accept is Tough. Make a List to Choose Wisely

I finally sat down with a piece of paper and pen and decided to write down all the factors that I was considering in the decision. I then went down my list of factors and assigned a priority to each, on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most important and 1 being the least important.

Give Your List Some Time to Gel (If You Can)

A week later I revisited my priorities and made any necessary changes to the priorities after talking to people, reading articles, etc. I then assigned a score on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best and 1 being the worst, to how well each of the jobs met those factors. I multiplied the priority by the score, added up the list, and found that the highest-scoring job was the right choice.

Don’t Worry About Salary

While reviewing my list below, notice that I did not include salary as one of the factors when choosing which offer to accept. Money can blind you while making the correct career decision. To me, money is too volatile and uncertain to be considered a good factor. Once you have totaled your score and know who the clear winner is, you can then examine the cost/ benefit to making your choice. People tend to heavily weigh salary when starting their first job, because it seems so appealing and exciting to them.

So, my suggestion is to exclude starting salary from your factors and focus on everything else. And remember, these are the the factors that I considered important.  You should modify the factors to accurately reflect what’s important to you.

Priority Score A Priority * Score A
Towards your career goals 5 4 20
Fitting in with the culture company 4 4 16
Benefits/ Options/ Bonuses 3 4 12
Cost of living in area 3 2 6
Commuting distances and difficulty 4 5 20
Promotion factors and room for growth 5 5 25
Getting along with coworkers 3 4 12
Your job interesting 5 3 15
Job security 3 3 9
Job location 1 3 3
Job Travel 1 5 5
Job stress & responsibility 2 4 8
Learning opportunities 2 4 8
Educational benefits 3 2 6
TOTAL 165

Bottom Line

Most of us dream of having to worry about choosing which offer to accept, especially in this economy. However, if you are lucky enough to have that problem, you can easily weigh the pros and cons to come up with a definitive answer.

Posted in Interview, Job Search, Succeeding at Work | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Doing “BS” Work

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter

So you graduated college with a Master’s degree and you are ready to work! If you are lucky enough to find a job you are qualified for, you may find that small menial tasks are delegated to you – you know, “BS work“. If you are like me, it can sometimes get you disgruntled.

My advice – do it and do it well!

Don’t Just Do “BS Work.” Volunteer for It!

In a career interview with one of my mentors, I asked how he got to be in an executive level position. His answer – leadership and doing everything that no one else wanted to do. He told me about his entry-level position, where there were certain jobs or projects that no one else in the company wanted to work on because they were boring and uninteresting – so he volunteered.

It Builds Your Reputation and Helps You Climb the Career Ladder

After a while, people started recognizing the fact that my mentor worked on many projects (regardless of size) and he would always get everything done on time, on budget, and with great results. He established a very positive reputation & credibility in the company and before he knew it, he was managing larger and much bigger projects. The rest… is history.

What You Can Learn from “BS Work”

So next time your boss asks you work on something seemingly insignificant, try to figure out how doing that task will benefit you and your career. There must be something you can learn from doing the task. Here are a  few:

  1. Exposure – maybe you will have to work with someone outside your team or department with whom you will have to work for again
  2. Education – maybe you will actually learn something! Managing people, time lines, budget, new MS Excel skills, communication skills, presentation skills, knowledge of the business?
  3. Credibility – just like my mentor, maybe you will do such a great job, that you will get more projects to work on.
  4. Responsibility – because the task may be small and seemingly meaningless, you will be solely responsible for following it through. On larger, more “interesting” projects, you will most likely have to work under someone.
  5. Credit – hey, it may not be the most important thing in the world, but you still did it and did it well

So next time you are asked to do some “BS work”, instead of grumbling about it, think about how you can benefit!

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Work Ethic

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter
Working hard

Having a strong work ethic can help you go far in your career.

A strong work ethic is one of the most important character traits to exhibit when starting out your career. One of the easiest traits to witness as a manager is an employee who works hard and gets things done. As a manager, those are the kind of people you look for and those are the kind of people you promote.

How I Check on the Work Ethic of My Employees

Every now and then, I take a lap around the office just to see who is working and who is not. You would think that it varies depending on certain factors, but it doesn’t. Some people work hard all day and some people play solitaire on their computers all day – majority of the people are somewhere in between. But the point is, it’s those hard workers that I want on my winning team.

There are plenty of ways to look busy, but everyone can see right through that. Take on more projects, never say “no” to a job that’s asked of you, never say you are too busy to get something done.

Here are a few reasons why you should have a positive work ethic:

  • Earn Respect – When you’re young, the way to earn people’s respect is by getting things done and having a positive work ethic. Unfortunately, age/ experience is a huge factor when trying to earn people’s respect.
  • Knowledge – The more you are exposed to different aspects of business and different projects, the more experience you gain in a faster period of time. People will eventually be coming to you for answers, instead of the other way around
  • Networking – The more projects you work on, the more relationships you build. Next time, when you need to find an answer to a question, you will know who to go to and the right questions to ask
  • Setting an example – When you begin managing project teams or even employees, the best way to make them work hard is by setting the example yourself. They will strive to be as hardworking as you. Believe me, this works!

What are some other benefits of having a positive work ethic?

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Using Social Networking to Find a Job

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter
Handshake

Social networking means more than friending people on Facebook. When it comes to finding a job, it means meeting people in the real world. Then, you can use your new network of friends to find a job.

“When all things are equal, friends buy from friends. When all things are unequal, friends still buy from friends.” That’s the basis of social networking (and when I say social networking, I mean building a network or friends and colleagues, not necessarily using Facebook or Twitter).

Today’s mini-course will explain the significance of that statement. To be successful in the business world, the academic world, or even in social circles, you need to know people and be likeable.

If you were the richest, most powerful, and smartest person in the world, you could probably get away without putting any effort into networking (mostly because everyone would be coming to you). You need others to become successful at whatever you do – especially job hunting and growing your career.

If you are like I used to be – quiet, somewhat shy, and introverted – you might find it difficult to network with people. If you are like some of my friends – loud, friendly, and extroverted – make sure that your personality is not giving the wrong impression to potential job recruiters. Here are a few pointers and tips on good networking techniques.

Tip #1: Communication Order

Keep in mind that there are various ways to communicate:

1) It is best to communicate directly in person. Recruiters and potential employers will remember your face.  You will also learn techniques to ensure that you are making the right impression with non-verbal communication during your face-to-face meeting.

2) If you can not meet in person, you should communicate over the telephone. If you can’t do face to face, you should at least give the person a voice and tone of voice to remember. If you sound cheerful, positive, and enthusiastic, people will assume you are.

3) Unless specified by the potential employer, use email as a last resort. Email is impersonal and easily deleted. It also shows lack of confidence and untrustworthy mystery.

Tip #2: Be a Story Teller

Think about the last presentation, lecture, or conversation you heard. Who do you find the most interesting? Probably someone who can convey their message in a story. Become an artist in telling your story. Know yourself, be comfortable talking about you and your experiences, and create a story. In my system, I will provide you with what should and should not be included in your story.

Tip #3: Learn to Listen

When you meet someone new, use the following social networking techniques:

1) Listen intently to understand what the person is saying and wait until the speaker is finished before you speak. Do not interrupt if you don’t completely understand. Instead, ask clarifying questions and paraphrase what has been said to make sure everyone is on the same page. You can listen to an audio example of a good conservationist in my system.

2) Ask information seeking questions that will help you better understand the job or topic. Everyone has something that they could teach you. The only way to find that out, is to ask.

3) Let someone ask questions of you before you start talking about yourself. When meeting someone for the first time, be mindful of such fine lines between confidence and arrogance when putting your best foot forward. Once you have established trust, the person will ask questions about you at their own pace.

Tip #4: Always Have a Business Card

This is the number one marketing tool for people you meet in person. It’s better than any brochure or resume you can hand them, because it fits in a wallet or rolodex. Few job seekers have them, so make sure you have one! You can create a simple business card and print it up at Kinko’s. Make sure it is eye-catching without being overbearing. You can look at some sample templates in the system and there is more on how to print them there as well.

Tip #5: Have a Web Site!

This is one of the easiest and relatively inexpensive marketing tools you can make for yourself. Interviewers often research the Internet for any information on the potential candidate. Be sure to publish “positive impression making” accolades and achievements as opposed to private or personal information that could prove detrimental to you.

I just spoke with a friend who was approached at an interview for an editing position. The first question that the interviewer asked her was “why did you go through a debutant ball when you were 16?” The interviewer “googled” her name before she came in to the interview. If she had a website, she could have had her articles, essays, and sample work up on her website instead of his going to a social networking website like Facebook for information. None of your work needs to be published; they just need to be representative and visible.

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How Borat can help you Find a Job

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter

Most of you by now have heard of Borat, the infamous, fictional Kazakh journalist, depicted by a talented and intelligent British comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. He has embraced millions of viewers by interviewing people who believe he is a true Kazakh journalist. If you have ever watched a Borat clip or seen his movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan it is amazing to see how Sacha Cohen can act his part so well and lead the conversation in his favor without revealing his goal. However, beyond being funny and intelligent, Borat can also teach you how to find a job.

That’s because the talents of the infamous Borat are attributed to his intense success as a marketer of himself. The ability to market yourself is what the job hunt is all about. How do you make yourself visible? How do you make a recruiter remember you? How do you tell the recruiters what they want to hear and at the same time be honest with them?

Let’s analyze Borat’s approach to marketing…

Lesson #1 Borat Can Teach You – “Know Your Audience”

Borat comes into the interview with a set of questions on a clipboard. He thinks about his audience and thinks up creative and relevant questions which pertain to the individual.

Before your interview, write down the goals you want to reflect in the interview, and practice accomplishing those goals with someone prior to the meeting. You want to feel comfortable conversing with the individual and make sure that you know how you want to lead the conversation to best suit your needs. In my system, I have a set of example interview questions which are asked in most interviews. You will also be able to hear an example interview conducted by a professional recruiter, which will help you find a job.

Lesson #2 Borat Can Teach You – “Use Questions to Lead the Interview”

Now that you have your goals in mind, and you have the answers to your questions prepared, you want to make sure that those points are addressed in your interview. However, you can’t just rehearse your answers –there needs to be a flow to the interview. So you ask questions or direct the conversation towards your goal.

This is a productive, structured approach in allowing you to answer questions that are relevant to your experiences, talents, and qualities. The interviewer doesn’t know you, so it will take a while for them to ask the right questions. Help them!

Want An Example?

Let’s say the requirements of the job description state that applicants need 3 years working knowledge of Microsoft Excel. And you only have 1.5 years. You know that in the back of the recruiter’s mind, he knows that you do not meet the qualifications. So you should have an explanation which convinces the recruiter that you are still a good candidate despite the fact that you technically don’t fulfill the requirement. But don’t go right out and say it!

Lead the conversation to that issue to let the interviewer know that you are aware of it and have an illustrative example of your capability to do the job. So while talking about a project you performed in a certain internship, say “and this is how I utilized my spreadsheet skills and learned a great deal about the program.” At that point, they will most likely ask you more about your skills in working with spreadsheets to test your knowledge instead of just assuming you are unqualified and do not meet their criteria.

Lesson #3 Borat Can Teach You – “Leave an Impression!”

Although Borat leaves an impression on the person he is interviewing, it is probably an impression that is less than desired. But from the first time you see a Borat clip, I’m sure you will remember who he is!

You should strive to do the same and leave a positive impression at your interview. There are possibly hundreds of candidates interviewing for the same job, so if you have something unique about yourself to share, verbalize it.

Take the robot example. A friend came into an interview with one of his engineering projects – a small robotics project he worked on in school. The interviewer interviewed 23 candidates who were just as qualified, if not more, than this friend. We’re convinced, that it was the robot that made him stand out from the competition which helped him land the job.

Lesson #4 Borat Can Teach You – “Show Confidence & Friendliness – Be Honest”

When Borat interviews people, although he makes some horrible and risqué comments, many people do not react in a negative way. One possible reason, is because they like him! Although this seems quite ironic, Borat acts like a genuine individual who wants to ask questions for his show. Although his comments maybe insulting, his confidence makes his subjects believe that he is a likeable human being with a mission.

Be the same way. Although you need to be very polite and professional, you want to show confidence in your answers and questions. Smile and give positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement. When you watch Borat communicate, he looks into the eyes of the person he is interviewing and is constantly nodding his head. He never interrupts the person when they are talking, and he always listens to what the interviewees are saying. Make sure that you are honest – a recruiter’s job is to be able to cut to the truth!

And finally, though this may seem obvious, make sure you actually ask for the job and show the interviewer you are interested. Show enthusiasm and ask for any next steps, follow up items, or whether they require any additional information from you. Ask the interviewer for their impression on how the interview went, however, if they say they can not discuss that with you, respect their interest.

To review, Borat help you find a job by teaching you to…Write down the goals for your interview, and practice them with another person. Use questions to lead the conversation towards your goals. Make sure you are remembered in a positive way. And always show confidence in yourself and be “likeable” by giving strong and positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgments. Be honest and make sure to “ask for the job”!

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How to Market Yourself

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter
Marketing yourself

If you really want to get the job, you need to market yourself with more than just a resume and good interviewing skills. You also need to build a personal relationship with the recruiter.

Who knew that you could learn to market yourself from a puppy? Two years ago, I went searching for a dog at the local pound. Little did I know that in adopting that black lab puppy, I would be adopting one of the best salesmen I have ever encountered. From the moment our pairs of eyes met, I knew he was the dog for me. Even though there were 5 or 6 other black labs who looked just like him in that glass-wall room, there was something different about Knight. He seemed like a loyal, friendly, and trustworthy companion.  I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but in any event, he had me sold.

One of the most important principles in sales and marketing is persistence and follow-up. I recently went looking for a photographer online for my upcoming wedding. I searched for a photographer in Detroit, and came up with about 100 different photographers. I narrowed it down to 15 by going through some websites. I then sent out an email to all 15 to fill out a questionnaire I had prepared – 8 replied via email, 4 of which followed up with phone calls as well. Right off the bat, from 15 photographers I was down to only 4 for the simple reason that those were the four who put the effort into winning my business. After a week or so, I continued to get phone calls from one photographer to make sure I didn’t need any other information. He built a personal relationship with me, a feeling of trust, and credibility through that follow up. The same goes for the job search.

Trust

When you follow up with someone, you get to know the person and therefore develop a feeling of trust. Although trust is subjective, there are things you can do to develop trust in your potential clients (recruiters). When you go to a store, and you have that commissioned salesman who is nagging you about the sale – you just feel annoyed because you know that the salesperson is just looking to make a buck. What you are looking for, are signs of an honest person you can trust.

For example, my dog has these big, expressive eyes. When I’m eating at the dinner table, he will walk up, sit down next to me, put his head down on my lap and just look up at me with his big brown eyes. Although I know that he is looking for some table scraps, he doesn’t make it obvious that he is begging. He just sits there, and makes his presence known. When I do give him some food, he is very appreciative. The visual cues he gives me develop a sense of trust. To learn more about these visual cues, read up in my system.

Credibility

When you follow up with someone, via telephone, a letter, or even an email, you create a sense of credibility with your customer (recruiter) – it allows the recruiter to put a face to your name. When you follow up, you reveal to the recruiter things that you probably would not think about. Even if you never speak to them during your follow up in person and you just leave a voice message, think about everything you accomplish: you show them that you are not afraid to pick up the phone and call someone you don’t know; that shows confidence and maturity and maybe even leadership; it shows that you are determined to get the job, and you are willing to put a lot of effort into getting it even with the knowledge that you might not get it in the end; it also shows that you really want this job, and you feel like this job is worth the effort. In other words, you are marketing yourself.

By the way, if you do happen to catch the person, talk about some personal things so they remember you. The photographer who got my business talked to me about his son and family, other people he photographed, his career, places he’s lived, and this was all in a single 5-7 minute initial conversation with him. I’m not even sure if he even mentioned photography in the first phone conversation. And yet, he still developed a sense of credibility and dependability in speaking to me.

Relationship

Make sure that you develop a relationship with your customer before you try to make the “sale” – this is business 101. You need to work towards developing a relationship to learn something or to network with people in the business before you try to market yourself as being the right person for the job.

Who knows how long you will have your current job, or whether you will need to find a new one somewhere else. Even if you don’t get this job, you still have a relationship with someone in the business. Maybe this person will be able to teach you something about your future career, or even refer you to a friend he knows is looking for someone like you! If another job ever comes up with that person, you might be getting an unexpected phone call, especially if you keep following up with them.

I bought my diamond engagement ring for my fiancé from a husband and wife my parents knew through their business. Since then, they have sent me Christmas cards, followed up with phone calls, and have asked my fiancé and me to dinner at their house. They don’t have to do this, but they want to maintain the relationship. Also, since then, I have referred 3 friends who were also looking to buy engagement rings because we had a good relationship. Needless to say, I will also be buying my wedding bands from them, and any future jewelry I ever need.

It’s All about Networking!

Just remember, that getting a job is not just a simple equation of knowing how to write a resume, answer questions, or send the right cover letters like most traditionalists will tell you. There is this whole “soft side” to getting a job that can really distinguish you from the next guy. Remember, anyone can follow instructions on how to write a resume… not everyone knows how to interact with your recruiters in the most influential ways.

So remember to create a feeling of trust, credibility, and maintain the relationship with everyone if you really want to market yourself and get the job.

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Preparing for a Career Throughout High School & College

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter
High school classroom

Even in high school, you should be preparing for a career.

Despite what your high school guidance counselors and teachers tell you, you are not really preparing yourself for college throughout high school – you are really preparing for a career. Though you may not know exactly what you want to do with your life in high school or even college, you are still building on the fundamental skills that you will need to be successful in your career. These include:

  • Work Ethic
  • Leadership Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • and a few others which you can read about in other parts of my blog

So even if you don’t know what career you want, you can still begin building on these fundamentals to make you a stronger candidate for whatever career you will eventually choose.

How to Prepare for a Career

If you want to be ahead of your peers in high school and be generally more mature and ready for college, career, and life, here are a few practical things you can do:

  1. Find a mentor – mentors are one of the most valuable sources of information in my opinion. Early in your high school life and definitely in college, you should find someone who you respect and emulate. Begin speaking with them about their career and what they know. This also sets you up for more relationships with other successful individuals since successful people tend to flock together. Talk about your interests, but more importantly, listen to what they have to say.
  2. Read – read books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, anything you can get your hands on. The more well-rounded you are, the more marketable you become. If you don’t know what career you want yet, reading might help you develop an interest in something. If you know the career you want, learn more about it. Read books about leadership, communication, anything that is written by successful and intelligent people that can teach you something useful.
  3. Practice – once you have read some material and learned more about leadership, communication, or maybe even specific knowledge to a potential career, put it to use. Begin exhibiting leadership skills. Try public speaking or giving presentations. Go shadow a doctor or physical therapist, or build a website on your own. The more you put your knowledge to practice, the more you will retain.

So remember, you’re not preparing for college in high-school, you’re preparing for a career. Make a conscious effort to find a mentor, read, and practice fundamental skills like work ethic, communication, and leadership.

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College Internship: Why it’s a great idea

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter
College internship

A college internship can open up many opportunities for you when you graduate.

It’s the beginning of spring — spring break has past and there are only a few more months of school before the freedom of summer. A college internship is probably the last thing on your mind. Instead, you and your friends are all talking about plans for the upcoming months. Maybe you will be renting a beach house or traveling for a few weeks around Europe and then bumming around the house or getting a nice tan.

And why not? You have definitely deserved it after all the hard work you have done this year!

I completely agree that you need a break from your stressful lives. However, one of the best ways you can set yourself up for a great career while you are still in college is working at a college internship or co-op in the summer. Because internships are generally about 8 weeks long, this still gives you plenty of opportunity to relax and have a good summer vacation.

Here are a few reasons why it’s a good idea:

  1. Experience – talk to some of your friends who have recently graduated and currently seeking employment. Most of the time, the reason they can’t find a job because employers want to see experience. So you have a Bachelors or Masters degree, but you have not been able to put it to practice yet. Get some experience – whether it’s a paid or non-paid internship, you will still be able to put it down on your resume.
  2. Networking – in working a college internship or co-op, you are able to align yourself to people in your field. It gives you the perfect opportunity to be able to talk to people, establish relationships and learn as much as you can. Who knows, when you graduate, they might even have a job opening for you. That’s how I got my first job out of college!
  3. Speak the Language - college may teach you the “technical” skills and knowledge you need to know in your career, but they don’t teach you much of the “practical” skills that are required. If you are able to understand the lingo, you will sound much more qualified during your interviews when you graduate.
  4. Money – depending obviously on the college internship, you can make a lot more money as an intern at a corporation than painting houses or working at a bar. As a freshmen college intern, I earned a salary equivalent to $38,000/yr. Not a bad deal for someone with no degree and no experience.
  5. Decisions about a career track – you have thousands of dollars in student loans, your parents are scrounging for  cash to pay for your tuition, and your not even sure if you like what you are studying! In working an internship in your career, you will be able to tell first hand whether or not you like the career you are aiming to reach.

So there are 5 really good reasons why you should work a college internship or co-op this summer. What are some of your success stories?

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Worried about Student Debt?

Posted on January 4, 2011 by peter

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I had a conversation with a family member who is a freshmen in college at a pricey university in Boston. She is worried that her degree choice will not land her a high enough paying position where she will be able to pay off her high student loans.

Although I was impressed that she had such a mature concern about her financial future, there are a few things she could do to ensure her financial well-being out of college:

  1. Don’t get overwhelmed! – Remember that an education will provide an excellent Return On Investment over the long-run. Regardless of the average salary your profession pays out of college, there are always options to choose from.
  2. Plant your seeds in the job market - Even as a freshmen in college, you can set yourself up for a job right out of college. You have probably heard the horror stories of graduates who were unable set find a job for years; and others who had a position waiting for them as soon as they graduated. Be part of the latter population! An Internship is a great way to accomplish this. Remember not to focus strictly on getting the highest GPA, focus on getting the practical skills you need in the job environment.
  3. Do your homework – If you are concerned about your student loans, the best thing you can do is go talk to your financial aid officer. Although this thought may scare you, financial aid officers are there to help you. They have resources and information about making the right choices about consolidation or changing your loan terms. Establish a relationship with your financial aid officer and learn as much as you can. Also, you can take a personal finance course which will help develop a better understanding of handling money. Unfortunately, this is one skill that is extremely important in the real world, but that school does not automatically teach you.

The average person will change job functions three to five times in their lifetime. Who knows what might happen after your undergraduate career – you may go to medical school, join the marines, or start your own business. But the bottom line is that you need an education to get there and 9 out of 10 times, you will need a loan to get one.

Resources:
FinAid

Posted in College, Education, Student Loan | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment