Job Search Attitude

Job Search Attitude Speaking of your attitude, and where your mind is at, during the job search, check out this great article on Fast Company: 8 PERSONALITY TRAITS OF PEOPLE WHO DONT LET JOB HUNTING CRUSH THEIR SOULS, by Jane Bianchi. They are (read the article for more): They accentuate the positives.  Focus on your real worth, what you have accomplished, and what you can, rather than negatives. They identify their hang-ups. And tackle those hang-ups (aka weaknesses) head-on! They have passion and purpose. Study the power of this concept I found some articles a few years ago and am amazed at how powerful it is to have passion, purpose, vision, etc. They pressure-proof themselves. Thick skin.  Accept negative feedback and direction. This is the real, uninsulated world, and people are watching to see how youll react under pressure. They network, network, network. JibberJobber anyone?? They always do their homework. Be prepared. or look like you are uninterested (or incompetent).  You dont have to know everything, but know enough, and be able to say Im not sure, let me look into that. They convey confidence, not arrogance. Quite a difference between the two. They learn from each letdown. Change is unavoidable, right?  So lets embrace change, and learn, and grow.  Thats what life is, isnt it? How do you do with these eight? Job Search Attitude Speaking of your attitude, and where your mind is at, during the job search, check out this great article on Fast Company: 8 PERSONALITY TRAITS OF PEOPLE WHO DONT LET JOB HUNTING CRUSH THEIR SOULS, by Jane Bianchi. They are (read the article for more): They accentuate the positives.  Focus on your real worth, what you have accomplished, and what you can, rather than negatives. They identify their hang-ups. And tackle those hang-ups (aka weaknesses) head-on! They have passion and purpose. Study the power of this concept I found some articles a few years ago and am amazed at how powerful it is to have passion, purpose, vision, etc. They pressure-proof themselves. Thick skin.  Accept negative feedback and direction. This is the real, uninsulated world, and people are watching to see how youll react under pressure. They network, network, network. JibberJobber anyone?? They always do their homework. Be prepared. or look like you are uninterested (or incompetent).  You dont have to know everything, but know enough, and be able to say Im not sure, let me look into that. They convey confidence, not arrogance. Quite a difference between the two. They learn from each letdown. Change is unavoidable, right?  So lets embrace change, and learn, and grow.  Thats what life is, isnt it? How do you do with these eight? Job Search Attitude Speaking of your attitude, and where your mind is at, during the job search, check out this great article on Fast Company: 8 PERSONALITY TRAITS OF PEOPLE WHO DONT LET JOB HUNTING CRUSH THEIR SOULS, by Jane Bianchi. They are (read the article for more): They accentuate the positives.  Focus on your real worth, what you have accomplished, and what you can, rather than negatives. They identify their hang-ups. And tackle those hang-ups (aka weaknesses) head-on! They have passion and purpose. Study the power of this concept I found some articles a few years ago and am amazed at how powerful it is to have passion, purpose, vision, etc. They pressure-proof themselves. Thick skin.  Accept negative feedback and direction. This is the real, uninsulated world, and people are watching to see how youll react under pressure. They network, network, network. JibberJobber anyone?? They always do their homework. Be prepared. or look like you are uninterested (or incompetent).  You dont have to know everything, but know enough, and be able to say Im not sure, let me look into that. They convey confidence, not arrogance. Quite a difference between the two. They learn from each letdown. Change is unavoidable, right?  So lets embrace change, and learn, and grow.  Thats what life is, isnt it? How do you do with these eight?

How to run a meeting

How to run a meeting There are lots of rules for running a good meeting always have an agenda, start on time, make sure no one is hungry. But this rule is more important than all others: Be a cheerleader for your objectives. When you run a meeting you have an objective and you are trying to convince everyone else to help you get there. Here is a list of five types of meetings and how to run them. 1. The update-on-what-Im-doing meeting To people who are not used to running meetings all day, its easy to mistake a meeting for something that is purely informational. Dont do that. You will be poorly prepared and you will look bad. After all, why give an update on what youre doing without making people understand the value of what youre doing? Meetings are about conveying value. 2. The get-on-the-same-page-as-me meeting If everyone is not on the same page, its your fault because youre the leader. Deal with nay sayers one-on-one, before the meeting, not in the meeting. Why gather everyone in a room to convince only a few of them to change their minds and get on your page? You dont need a meeting for that. Each person has different issues to address, and you cant do that in a group without offending the offender and boring everyone else. 3. The we-have-some-stragglers meeting Lets think about a project that is not on track. For one thing, its probably because only some people are behind, but not all. This is a management problem, not a group problem. To get specific people back on track, meet each straggler before the big meeting, and help them to change how theyre working. You need to understand why theyre behind and help the shift their priorities and/or work practices. Then you hold the meeting to let everyone know that the project is back on track because you have commitment from people who need to change how theyre working. 4. The no-one-is-making-this-a-priority meeting Many teams of messed up projects are a bunch of people who dont report directly to the team leader. But leading with no authority can actually be a path to success if its done right. If the leader has no authority to make the messed-up project a high priority, the way to solve this problem is not to call a meeting. You solve the problem with team members individually. Find out what their goals are and figure out how to align this project with their goals so they are excited to meet them. The big meeting is a celebration of your success at these one-on-one meetings. Its to show everyone that theyre all committed to the team. 5. The lets-hear-some-ideas meeting Just because you write brainstorm on the agenda doesnt mean people will do it. You need to make them want to. They need to feel that you will listen, that their ideas matter, that people in the meeting will be respectful. Which brings me to the reason you have an agenda. You need to control the parameters of the meeting so that you meet your objective. The best meeting shows everyone how well the team is working, how meaningful the project is, how happy you are to be able to work with everyone. A meeting is a way to make people love working with you. Because thats the way you will meet your objectives, whatever they are.

How to get your company to listen to your ideas

How to get your company to listen to your ideas One of the biggest complaints I hear from employees is that no one is listening to their ideas. In a large part this is not because the ideas are bad, but becuse most employees dont sell their ideas to their company properly. Selling an idea to an organization requires that you understand how the decision makers operate, then you cater your idea to the arcane decision-making process. So stop complaining about office politics and start leveraging them to sell your ideas. A good example of how to sell an idea to an organization is this ad campaign run by the Center for Constitutional Rights. Whether or not you agree with the politics of the Center for Constitutional Rights, their approach is interesting: Americas leading group of constitutional attorneys present the case for impeachment of George W. Bush exactly as it could be presented by the House of Representatives to the U.S. Senate. Clearly and concisely, they delineate the four strongest charges against the president, citing precedence and evidence that you dont have to be an attorney to comprehend. What is notable here is that the organization is trying to sell its idea by doing the work of the decision makers in this case, the House of Representatives. This is the kind of campaigning you should do in your own organization. When you have an idea, sell from the perspective of the people who can make or break your outcome. Think about what obstacles would stand in the way for the decision maker, and then you do the work of making a plan to overcome them. It is not easy to learn how to sell to an organization. Jeff Snipes, CEO of Ninth House, an online training company, told me that one of their most popular types of training is how to navigate the corporate process. People need to learn to take an innovative idea and build a business plan around it. Snipes talked about skills to master in order to get your ideas implemented, and, no surprise, its all about emotional intelligence: 1. Solve a problem The person who needs to give you approval has issues of her own. Everyone does. Getting someone to pay attention to your ideas is a sales issue. You are selling your idea. And the only way to sell something to someone is to solve a problem for them. You need to really understand the needs of the person you are trying to get approval from. And if you cannot figure out how you are helping that person, then you cant really sell your idea to her. 2. Package your idea Youll get higher level people involved if your idea is aligned with the strategic ideas of the organization. In order to get people to buy in to your idea, you have to know what ideas they are focusing on themselves. You need to show them that you are presenting a plan to further their strategic goals. 3. Understand funding processes Each organization has a different system for funding projects. But its safe to say that every system is arcane in its own way. You need to ask a lot of people in a lot of departments to find out the best way to get funding for your idea. If you rely on someone else to get funding, then you run the risk of not getting approval, because someone doesnt want to deal with the financial implications of your idea. Taking care of a lot of this legwork and office politics yourself can go a long way toward getting approval. While every company is different, the big-picture strategy for selling an idea is the same for most companies; A lot of rules hold true wherever you go. And even if you dont end up getting someone to implement your idea, the experience of trying to sell an idea through a large organization is good experience in and of itself. Sales is hard, and selling ideas is harder. But, like most things in life, you get good at it by trying and learning from failures. So try it.

Why Recruiters Need Emotional Intelligence (Now, Like Never Before)

Why Recruiters Need Emotional Intelligence (Now, Like Never Before) We talk at length about how and why the candidates we recruit must be high on the EQi scale but often fail to turn the mirror back on ourselves. As we rely more on data in the recruitment process, the value of recruiters rests in the ability to practice high levels of emotional intelligence to manage both talent and clients. It’s all about relationships. We’re in the business of relationships; creating,  developing and finding leaders who excel at them. From sourcing the right fit to learning how to say no in a way that does not alienate others to building bridges to smoothing out conflicts, recruiters who can master relationships soar to new heights. As we move into the machine age, nothing is more evident in our work as well as the positions we source for, the importance of emotional intelligence. It is the critical underpinning and essential skill that determines whether individuals will not only survive but thrive in the fast-approaching era of work where machines will take over much of the technical work while humans workplace value resides in leadership, creativity, and interpersonal skills. Recruiters need high levels of emotional intelligence to manage relationships and mitigate conflict. Headhunting can easily go awry when negotiations begin and successful negotiations requires being able to see both positions at the table and build bridges. The end-goal is that both parties walk away happy. It signals a successful placement. Putting emotions aside, knowing when to pause, thinking before speaking or acting, and managing conflicts are all critical at this point. As companies look to bring on board new talent and talent seeks to advance their careers, we play the role of connector and relationship management. We broker talent deals. Much like a Hollywood agent, our strength and contribution lie in our ability to play the role of matchmaker and negotiator. The better your social skills, the higher you rise. Recruiters must build long-term relationships and connections to thrive. As a talent broker, recruiters’ ability to play the role of matchmaker relies on a well-developed network. Each placement becomes another link forged. Maintaining relationships over years requires attention to people. In our transaction oriented society, it means to really excel, we must go beyond the transaction in our work. In many ways, the placement marks just the beginning. Exceptional recruiters possess strong interpersonal skills and integrity. Interpersonal skills ultimately will decide whether you succeed or fail. Can you manage your impulses? Can you manage change? Can you adapt to shifting client priorities and needs? How agile are you? Can you build rapport in difficult negotiations or do you become defensive under pressure? These are all skills recruiters must possess as they connect talent with potential employers while supporting the objectives of both talent and companies. It requires a lot of finesse. Building strong relationships requires demonstrated dependability, maturity and integrity. The people we work with trust us, and often we become confidantes privy to sensitive information. In today’s world of email leaks and failed transparency, trustworthiness has become a highly sought currency. Trustworthy people are emotionally intelligent. They are not mired in the weaknesses self-centered people suffer from. Emotionally intelligent people can see, understand and recognize opposing perspectives and then build a bridge between the two. They look to resolve conflict through a win-win scenario. Anyone who has been in the recruiting business for a while knows that’s the secret to a successful negotiation and a talent placement that will stay. It’s our job to help foster those types of negotiations. Emotional intelligence creates the foundation for effective relationship management. It’s the underpinning of efficiently navigating the maze of personalities, biases and human instincts that can quickly go array. Great recruiters can self-regulate, as well as manage the fears, aspirations and disappointments of candidates. We need to be masters at the art of persuasion. Empathy and emotional intelligence may just be the golden keys to becoming an exceptional recruiter in the machine age. After all, we’re in the human capital game. Author: Caroline Stokes is the  Founder of Forward  Human Capital Solutions. She is an executive career coach and headhunter.  For more information  about how to  grow your EQi, head to her website to get in touch.

Writing a Better Tech Manager Resume - Where to Start

Writing a Better Tech Manager Resume - Where to StartThe very first part of writing a better tech manager resume is to make sure that it is targeted at the person you are looking for. If you just start with the basics and then try to figure out what they need, you may end up doing more harm than good.There are many different ways to approach this issue. You can use an online database which will be able to provide you with many different aspects of the person you are trying to hire. This is perfect if you want to be able to simply pick out all of the information you need to know about someone and then sift through the different sections of the document in order to find what you need.Of course, this process does require a little bit of time but the search will definitely be a whole lot faster than trying to get everything organized before the person ever knows you are there. All of the information is going to be right there for you when you have all of the information you need. The dif ference is that you won't have to go back through and organize and sort through all of the information in order to get it.The more time you spend searching for the right person for the right position, the more chances you are going to have to get what you are looking for. This is especially true when you are writing a better tech manager resume. This is not something that is going to work out well for you if you spend too much time trying to figure out what the person is looking for.You need to be able to write the resume for a job and then present your knowledge of the job. By making sure that you get a good amount of exposure and then presenting yourself well, you can be sure that you will get the job and the pay will be right. When you are talking about getting the right candidate, you also want to be certain that the person you are trying to hire has a great work ethic.A good work ethic is one of the most important elements when you are trying to find the right person to write a better tech manager resume. You want to make sure that the person you are interviewing understands how important that trait is. Not only do you want someone who is able to perform well, but you also want someone who is going to take their work seriously and who has shown that they can put their work on a high pedestal.There are some jobs that simply are not going to need someone who has a lot of experience. These jobs are going to require you to make the best out of the job you are given. These are jobs like retail sales, customer service, or other areas where you are going to have to use your time to get the customer and make them happy.In order to write a better tech manager resume, you want to make sure that you aren't just focusing on technical skills and the actual skill sets you need for the job. Instead, you want to focus on the personality and the work ethic of the person you are interviewing. By doing this, you are going to get the best results.

Summary Sunday Fixes for the New Year

Summary Sunday Fixes for the New Year The internet is blazing with posts about how to make and keep resolutions for the new year. For so many reasons, these New Year resolutions fail. Heres my proposition- Lets not make resolutions. Lets take action! This is a summary of the best posts on reputation management, personal branding and online visibility Ive shared in the past week. I think these are the important actions for you to take and what better time than right now, this week! (OK, maybe this month!) Clean Your Digital Footprint Now is a great time, whether you are employed or unemployed, to take 30 minutes or so to clean up digital dirt. Find out what the public is seeing when they search for you online by following these 5 pretty easy steps. How To Clean Up Your Digital Footprint  and Your Online Identity  on Social Media Examiner Spruce Up Your LinkedIn Profile There are many actions you can take to improve your LinkedIn profile. Your headline is one of the most important areas. It is the first thing someone sees and influences the results of when you come up in search. Personal Branding: SEO for Your LinkedIn Headline on Job-Hunt.or Get On Google+ Google+ is growing momentum. And like Ive said before, it is good for your SEO.  This post has  5  steps to get you going on this social network!  Dont delay or procrastinate. Dont Forget To Use Google+ For Your Job Search on Business Insider (from Career Attraction) Bonus Activities Here are some extra-credit activities to help you improve your career prospects! This post doesnt say you shouldnt self-promote. It talks about a different strategy which is much easier! Give this a try! Self Promotion Is the Worst Promotion by Jeff Haden on LinkedIn (follow his posts!) Yes, this is written for business owners, but you know the deal, you are a business owner. Being able to convey the value you deliver (as a business of one) is pretty important. No one is going to hire or promote you unless they see VALUE! Thats up to you so have a read! 4 Steps for Building A Better Value Proposition on Forbes Want More? Do you want to keep up with career and job search information? It can be time consuming to find the good stuff. I think I do a pretty good job sifting through the fluff and sharing good-quality content. You can sign up to get my regular blog posts (including Summary Sundays). Click here AND to easily see what I share across across the social web, see my RebelMouse page.  Just subscribe to get this delivered to your email (no cost, no spam!)

Own your job experience and you will own your career

Own your job experience and you will own your career I was attending an accountability group for entrepreneurs last week where we talked about the new structure for meetings. As we were listened to new structures and asked questions, one of the veteran members of the group said: It’s really important to own our experience! She went on to suggest two items: you will only benefit from the group what you put in if you are having questions or concerns, bring them up If I am going to be committed to this group, attend all the meetings and pay the money to join, then I need to do my part and own the experience. I’m not a passive participant in this organization. That, of course, got me to thinking about owning your experience in your career. You have opportunities to own your experience every day. You don’t have to be passive. For example, a career counseling client of mine is leaving her job. Given the culture she works in and the past experience of others leaving her department, she is assuming that when she gives notice the team members may try and make her feel guilty, will display some frustration, anger or hurt or will want her to stick it to the man on her way out. We talked about what she wants out of her last two weeks. Her goal was  to wrap up her final projects, ensure she communicated with her team members in a positive way and not provide a ton of information to the team about her new role. She owned her experience and seperated in a professional way on her own terms. She is not taking on other people’s emotions or wants or suggestions as hers. Another example of when you can own our experience is by asking for what you want. Maybe you want to learn a new skill, go to a conference or enroll in a certification course? Think, how this will benefit you professionally and how it will benefit your team/department/organization? Pitch the idea to your manager. The worse he/she can say is, no. If that’s the case, then you will be no worse off and it will give you a piece of data to evaluate your current career situation. Same can be said when you go to that conference, class, or certification course own your experience. What do you want to get out of the experience? You will get out what you put in. Don’t be passive. Be an active learner. Ask questions. Meet new people. Go to a session that none of your team members are attending. There are so many more examples of how this can apply to your career. There is a lot that is not in our control at our job or in our work environment. Don’t forget to look for the parts that are in your control. Own your experience at work. Own it every day in the best way you can.