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#CareerAdvice – #JobInterview – How To Give Original Answers To 7 Cliché #InterviewQuestions . Great Two(2) Min Read!

Throughout your career, you will participate in many, many job interviews. In all of these interviews, there are a few questions you will hear time and time again. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why should we hire you? Even though these questions are incredibly cliché, there’s a reason so many interviewers rely on them.

Your answers to the cliché questions say a lot about you. They can make or break your chance at landing the job. It’s essential to prepare original answers for the cliché questions you know you’ll hear at your next job interview. The strongest answers are unique and will give you a leg up in the competition.

Here are seven of the most cliché interview questions and how to answer them with originality:

1. Tell me about yourself.

Employers will often begin the interview with this one. Because it’s so vague, this answer truly needs to be prepared ahead of time. You can answer using your elevator speech. Talk briefly about three areas of your career: job history, most impressive accomplishments, and relevant goals. Your interviewer already has your resume, so rather than memorizing your background, you need to expand on what makes you different and emphasize your passion. Remember to keep it concise.

2. Why do you want to work here?

This question is designed to show hiring managers if you’ve done your researchbefore the interview. You should enter the interview knowing plenty of background information about the company, recent news surrounding the company and industry, and specific details about the position. Understand the company culture and mission. Use what you learn to highlight the detailed reasons you want the job and why your background makes you a perfect fit for the company.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. What are your biggest strengths?

Your strengths and weaknesses tend to be paired together by interviewers, so it’s important to have answers for both. When it comes to your strengths, you need to tailor your answers to the job description. In addition to a laundry list of responsibilities, job descriptions will often list soft skills required for the role. If you have these qualities, list them as your greatest strengths in the interview. It’s not enough, however, to just say your biggest strength is your ability to communicate. You need to show them why by telling a story that showcases a time when you used your skills to accomplish a goal.

4. What is your biggest weakness?

On the flip side comes your weaknesses. This one is tough because it’s extremely easy to give a cliché answer. Avoid giving a strength disguised as a weakness like, “I’m a perfectionist.” Interviewers know this is a cop-out. Instead, choose a real weakness and put a positive spin on it. Talk about the fact that you realize it’s a problem, and discuss the ways you’re working to improve. For example, “I tend to rush through tasks because I want to get them done quickly, but I am learning to step back and put a bit more emphasis on quality than speed. I’ve started to become both efficient and effective.”

5. Where do you see yourself in five/ten years?

Your answer to this question should demonstrate your desire to commit to the job and grow within the company. Talk about how you want to learn everything you can and expand your skills to benefit the company. Mention your desire to move up in the company over time. Explain that you want this job to be the start of a long career with the company.

6. How do you handle conflict?

When interviewers ask this (or similar questions about teamwork, leadership, etc.), they are looking for you to describe specific examples of your experience. Describe a time when you faced conflict in the workplace. Explain the situation, how you handled it, and what were the results. Don’t forget to tell the story from start to finish to show how you accomplished your goal.

7. Why should we hire you?

This question might be one of the last things you’re asked in an interview. Like #1, it’s pretty vague so it’s important to have an answer prepared. Talk about your best skills and accomplishments that show why you, and you alone, are the perfect person for the position. Use specific details from the job description and emphasize why you are capable of doing them best. If you’re not asked this question, you might be asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” Use the same principles to answer this question. End your interview by proving why you’re the only person for the job.

Even though all of these questions are fairly cliché, you can use them to truly shine in your interview. The fact that they’re so cliché is an opportunity. Expect to be asked these questions and answer them with stories tailored to make you the best candidate.

 

#CareerAdvice : #CareerChange – A New Study Concludes That It Literally Pays To Switch Jobs Right Now. A MUst REad!

It literally pays to switch jobs. A new study, conducted by payroll giant ADP, reports that employees who accept a new job at another company receive more money than their former peers who remain. The higher premiums currently being offered indicate that the record-high level of employment and robust economy continues to grow. To attract top talent in this hot market, companies are starting to recognize that they need to pay a premium.

According to an analysis of the data by Bloomberg, the biggest beneficiaries are job hoppers in the information industry who realized 9.7% annual wage growth, construction workers with an 8.7% increase and professional and business services with an 8.3% premium. Those who stayed at their companies earned about a 4% increase in pay. On average, those who choose to switch jobs enjoyed compensation growth of 5.3%. The only large groups that suffered from falling wages—when changing jobs—were in the leisure and hospitality sectors. Small businesses are suffering, as they are not able to financially compete with salaries offered by their bigger adversaries in the war for talent.

Separately, data produced by The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Wage Growth Tracker, which includes both the public and private sector, arrived at the same results as ADP. The study reveals that job switchers’ income jumped 4.5%, the second-best pace of the 10-year economic expansion.

Sources: Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics and author's calculations

Sources: Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics and author’s calculations

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA

Anecdotally, in my recruiting practice—placing professionals on Wall Street and in financial services over the last 20 years—I’ve seen firsthand increases of 10% to 20% on average for people who’ve switched jobs. The spread is due to the hotness or coldness of the market at a particular time period, supply and demand imbalance of candidates and other factors. With these large margins, it was highly attractive for people to jump ship.

 

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Many moved a number of times. Let’s say there was a person earning $100k and then received a $120k offer. A year later, she could embark upon another job search and request around $150k. Meanwhile, those who stayed put had what we recruiters refer to as the “loyalty discount.” The woman who maybe five years later—after several moves—earns over $150k (plus bonus), whereas her former peers earned about an average 3% in yearly raises, which places them at about $115k.

Forward-thinking companies, such as Amazon, have enacted plans to retain top talent. This month, Amazon announced a $700 million retraining programto build “pathways to careers” for its employees. The training programs will focus on fast-growing areas, such as healthcare, machine learning, manufacturing, robotics, computer science and cloud computing. The company contends that this initiative will keep people from leaving, as they will learn new skills and grow within the organization and earn more money in the long run.

I’ve also encountered many people who elected not to switch jobs, knowing that they’ll earn far less than their colleagues who move on. They claim that it’s not worth the risk of entering the unknown, having to prove themselves all over again and stress over embarking upon a new job search. They also claim that their company, similar to Amazon, will try to help them grow within the firm.

While employees rationalize remaining, the evidence strongly signals that it’s financially rewarding to switch jobs at this time.

I am a CEO, founder, and executive recruiter at one of the oldest and largest global search firms in my area of expertise, and have personally placed thousands of profes…

Forbes.com | July 26, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #JobOpenings -Highest Paying Work From Home Jobs.

A growing number of professions are becoming increasingly flexible to remote workers. Medicine, for example, a field that traditionally required long visits to the doctor’s office and in-person checkups, is being revolutionized by the advent of telemedicine, which allows doctors and patients to communicate remotely. The global market for telemedicine is projected to climb 19 percent from 2018 to 2025, making for massive job openings for healthcare professionals to work remotely.

While it’s great news that remote work opportunities are growing across a variety of sectors, the even better news is that remote positions don’t require you to take a pay cut. In fact, work from home positions can help you save money by reducing transportation costs, or cutting the cost of having to live close to your workplace. Some positions even pay more for remote workers — one study on web developers, for example, found that developers who work remotely earn an average of 40 percent more than their counterparts who work in offices.

What kind of work from home job is right for you?

Work from home positions are available across a variety of industries, from tech to finance. While positions like software engineering have traditionally been more remote-friendly, companies are realizing that positions from client services to project management can also be opened up to remote workers. Use the Glassdoor job search tool with the location filter “Remote (Work From Home)” to see if the type of positions you’re interested in are currently available for remote work.

Which work from home jobs pay the most money?

Senior Software Engineer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $94,000 – $166,000

Software engineers work to develop, implement and refine applications software and computer systems software. Software engineers must have substantial knowledge of a number of programming languages, in addition to knowledge about software development and computer operating systems. While some software engineers are self-taught, many gain bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees or even Ph.D.s in computer science.

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Project Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $51,000 – $111,000

Project managers coordinate the team of people working on specific projects within a company or organization. This involves ensuring the timely completion of projects, helping solve roadblocks specific team members are facing, correctly budgeting for a project, documenting the steps of a project and overseeing the timeline of a project.

Physician

Glassdoor Salary Range: $119,000 – $303,000

With the advent of telemedicine, the options for physicians to work from home are now wider than ever. Becoming a physician is one of the most education-intensive career paths, requiring a bachelor’s degree, at least four years of medical school and between three and seven years of residency training.

Client Services Director

Glassdoor Salary Range: $76,000 – $160,000

The role of a client services director is very similar to an account manager, although sometimes less sales-focused. Client services directors are employed across businesses and organizations to maintain long-term relationships with clients and find solutions to client issues if they arise.

Business Development Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $49,000 – $118,000

A business development manager finds new opportunities for a company to sell its products or services. This includes identifying and fostering strategic partners, tracking new markets and emerging trends, creating sales opportunities with existing and new clients, and developing new business strategies for a company to increase sales.

Accountant

Glassdoor Salary Range: $40,000 – $77,000

Accountants collect, analyze, organize and make use of the financial records of their clients. They help file taxes, create budgets, analyze past and future financial performance of an organization, and keep accounting records. Becoming an accountant typically requires a bachelor’s degree, and sometimes a master’s degree, in accounting, as well as gaining licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA). Accountants work with the paper and digital records of their clients, so it is easy for them to work for the computer and conduct phone meetings with clients when needed.

Account Manager

Glassdoor Salary Range: $39,000 – $90,000

Account managers handle the relationships and sales with clients of a particular company. Wherever a company is making a sale or providing a service to a client, you’ll often find that account managers have a role there. Account managers are employed across many industries, from aerospace to beauty. The responsibilities of an account manager may vary across the industry they are employed in, but typically their responsibilities include managing and solving client issues, reaching company sales targets with clients and maintaining a smooth relationship between the client and the company.

UX Designer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $62,000 – $130,000

A UX designer, short for “user experience designer,” guides the design process of both digital and physical products in a way that ensures an ideal experience and interface for users. This includes designing and testing user friendliness, branding of products and ensuring an enjoyable and useful experience for users of a product.

Full Stack Web Developer

Glassdoor Salary Range: $50,000 – $117,000

A full stack web developer is a jack of all trades in the area of web development — they can develop the front end and back end portions of a mobile application, website or native application. Full stack developers must be proficient in multiple computer languages, as well as being able to work with databases, servers and systems engineering.

Graphic Designer  

Glassdoor Salary Range: $34,000 – $69,000

Graphic designers imagine and create digital images and art for all types of clients, ranging from a business that needs updated graphics on their website to a band that wants posters for their upcoming tour. Since many clients require designs on a temporary basis, a high proportion of graphic designers work freelance and work from home.

Work From Home Career Paths

Work from home positions can be found across many industries at many different skill and education levels. If you are currently in a job that is not remote, but has the potential to be, consider speaking to your boss about working from home once or twice a week to try out the arrangement. If you are looking for a new job, consider tailoring your search to work-from-home options. You can easily filter for remote-only results using Glassdoor’s job search tool, and setting the location filter to “Remote (Work From Home)”.

 

GlassDoor.com |  

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – How to Write a #Resume That Will Impress a Bot ( #AI )…Great REad!

Getting hired used to mean writing a resume that stood out to the HR manager or recruiter assigned to thumb through them. Today, the gatekeeper is a machine as AI revolutionizes the hiring process. That means the way you write your resume has changed, too.

“AI is handling processes that used to take an enormous amount of time away from engaging with the talent pool,” says Jon Christiansen, PhD, chief intelligence officer of the marketing research firm Sparks Research. “HR managers don’t have to sift through hundreds of resumes, and they can get into their real expertise of recruiting and placing the right talent.”

While this is good news for the HR department, it adds a new challenge for candidates, says Arran Stewart chief visionary officer and co-founder of Job.com, a recruiting platform.

“AI has made the resume writing process far more competitive as it now requires emphasis on personalizing the document for the job in question rather than submitting a generic resume for a myriad of vacancies,” he says. “Where recruiters and hiring managers are able to read between the lines and find the relevance of any skill or accomplishment on your resume to the open positions they have, AI is only concerned with how closely your resume matches with the skills it’s been asked to look for in the job you applied to.”

Get past the bot and in front of the HR manager by doing these six things:

1. WRITE A NEW RESUME FOR EVERY JOB

The ability to blast out one version of a resume and get nibbles is over. Now you have to write a resume that speaks to the job description.

“The job description contains several clues about what the machine is looking for,” says Christiansen. “It’s saying, ‘Here are the knowledge skills I’m looking for, and here’s background I’m looking for.’ Look at the tags, keywords, and streams of text; that’s where you should get started.”

Apply the language to the resume you submit to the job in question, says Stewart. “AI is looking for singular relevance to the role they’re searching for, so including job-specific language is a must if you want to make it to the shortlist,” he says. “It might be slightly more work, but no different than say having different cover letters ready for each position.”

 

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2. USE EASY TO UNDERSTAND JOB TITLES

Some companies like to assign creative job titles, like Branding Guru or Planning Expert, but including them on your resume might get you passed over by the machine.

“It’s cool for culture, but that’s not the tags the machine is looking for,” says Christiansen. “If the job description says they’re looking for a marketing manager or product manger, that’s the tag it’s going to look for.”

Christiansen suggests going to the Bureau of Labor Statistics or O-NETand searching standard job titles. “If you can’t find your job title, it’s probably not going to be picked up and tagged during the machine screening,” he says.

Also consider the job progression, adds Stewart. “AI isn’t at the point of a mass scale predictive, so if you’re applying for a job that is senior to your current role as a logical next step in your career, AI won’t make the connection that it is the logical next step,” he says. “If your experience and skills make you seem underqualified, you should write in aspirational terms about your skills and accomplishments. That way the system views you as ready to take on the added challenge.”

3. RESIST THE URGE TO BE CREATIVE

Machines don’t judge you by the font you choose. If you have a font that can’t be read by most word processors, you might get spit out.

“Any font that isn’t within the Microsoft Word platform might not be able to be read,” says Christiansen. “Sometimes using a PDF format might work, but it’s not worth the risk.”

And don’t add graphics. Tables or images might look good, but again, the bot might not be able to recognize it.

“It might look like wasted space to a machine,” says Christiansen.

4. BE PRECISE

Including a long history of experience is no longer necessary, so try to keep your list of experience within the last five years, says Stewart.

“A full 20 years of work history dilutes the experience concentration weighing your resume, which will result in you being removed from shortlists,” he says. “When writing your resume remember the two Rs: keep it relevant and recent.”

5. CHECK YOUR SPELLING

You never want your resume to include spelling or grammatical errors, but a human might have been more forgiving than a machine.

“AI not only sorts through irrelevant applicants, in some cases it highlights the lazy ones as well,” says Stewart. “It’s still important to be sure your information is still meeting the usual standards of excellence expected for professional documents.”

6. INCLUDE A COVER LETTER

While a resume should be written to match the job and advance you past the bot, the cover letter is your chance to shine, says Christiansen.

“It’s an opportunity to speak like a human,” he says. “You can speak directly to the hiring manager, make yourself sound like a human and talk uniquely about the experiences you mentioned that spoke to the job description.”

Christiansen recommends writing three or four paragraphs about how you could fit that team, company and job. “Get into the why,” he says. “A cover letter may be an old practice, but I don’t see them go away. A good hiring manager wants to hear you in that.”

Taking these six steps involve more work on the part of the candidate, but skipping them might be a bigger risk.

“If you send out a generalized resume, it’s a case of garbage in/garbage out,” he says. “You want to get a match because you fit the job. If you’re getting calls from a generalized resume it’s because those companies want warm bodies, whether or not they fit the job. Is that where you want to work?”

 

FastCompany.com |April 1, 2019 | BY STEPHANIE VOZZA  4 MINUTE READ

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -New Study: Professionally Written Resumes Score Jobs Faster & Earn More.

If you’ve been in the workforce for years, chances are you’ve considered outsourcing the dreaded process of writing a resume. After all, needing a new jobis stressful on its own, then add to that the anxiety of capturing your entire work history and value into one or two pages. Hello, migraine.

However, a new study by TopResume may provide a proven solution. The resume writing service commissioned a study to determine if recruiters perceive candidates with professionally written resumes to be more employable, as well as if job seekers benefit from a professionally written resume.

Need Resume Updated or Done?? .…… Contact us at  info@firstsun.com

The results? Recruiters valued candidates with professionally written resumes to be worth 7% more than when assessed using their self-written versions. Furthermore, candidates with professionally written resumes were more likely to secure interviews, land a new job sooner, and advance their career faster.

“Professionally written resumes increase a job seeker’s perceived value by providing a clear career narrative, a visually balanced presentation, and proof of the person’s abilities,” says Amanda Augustine, a certified professional resume writer and career coach.

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According to the data, candidates who invested in a professional resume reported:

  • 32% higher rate of finding a job than those who wrote their resume themselves.
  • 68% secured that job within 90 days of having their resume professionally written.
  • 42% of them moved on to a higher-level position.

“Anecdotal evidence has suggested that professionally written resumes offer significant benefits to job seekers, but there was no data to confirm those advantages — until now,” said Jeff Berger, CEO and founder of TopResume, a Talent Inc. company. “Now, when job seekers wonder whether investing in this critical job-search tool will positively influence their candidacy, there’s resounding proof it will help advance their career faster and at a higher salary and title.”

If editing and tweaking your resume is causing you to go mad or you are still wondering whether your resume is strong enough to beat the competition, consider hiring help via TopResume, especially if you’re changing careers or transferring industries. 

“When you’re changing careers, it’s assumed that your recent work experience will not perfectly align with the role you’re now targeting,” says Augustine. “To ensure your resume isn’t immediately trashed by the ‘bots’ or a recruiter, you need demonstrate that you possess the skills necessary to do the job well, even if this new job isn’t a natural next step after your previous role.”

That’s where transferable skills come in. “Some transferable skills are universal, regardless of the field: leadership, communication, analytical skills, and many others,” Augustine says. But “if you want to land a job faster and maximize your future paycheck, hire an expert to write it for you.”

 

GlassDoor.com | March 26, 2019

 

#CareerAdvice : #JobOpenings -10 High-Paying Jobs With Tons of Open Positions.

It’s easy to look at someone with a great salary and think about how lucky they are. But the truth is, high-paying jobs aren’t as rare as they seem — in fact, they’re often the ones with the most available positions. While you might first need to develop a special set of skills or pursue a particular degree, there are many in-demand jobs with high salaries that are only increasing by the minute as employers struggle to fill them with qualified candidates.

So if one of the following positions looks interesting to you, don’t wait — apply today before everyone else gets in on them!

1. Project Manager

Open Jobs: ~109k

Median Base Salary: $75,474

As a project manager, you’ll be responsible for leading projects from inception to execution. Common tasks involve managing a budget, setting timelines, delegating tasks and serving as a liaison between teams to ensure that everything is going smoothly. While a college degree is not necessarily required, many Project Managers have bachelor’s or master’s degrees, and possibly a Project Management Professional certification as well.

See Open Jobs 

2. Physician Assistant

Open Jobs: ~52k

Median Base Salary: $93,090

Interested in the medical field and helping others, but don’t want to attend medical school? A Physician Assistant position might be perfect for you. Physician Assistants perform many of the same tasks as doctors, such as examining and diagnosing patients, writing prescriptions and performing medical procedures under the supervision of a  physician. But unlike doctors, Physician Assistants only need to attend a two-year long graduate program.

See Open Jobs 

 

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3. Software Engineer

Open Jobs: ~141k

Median Base Salary: $103,035

You hardly ever run into a list of great jobs that doesn’t include Software Engineer, and for good reason. With how important smartphones, computers and the Internet have become in our daily lives, companies need plenty of talented people to help them create cutting-edge technology, and truly skilled individuals can be hard to come by. In the future, this field is only expected to get hotter — the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 24 percent job growth between 2016 and 2026.

See Open Jobs 

4. Marketing Manager

Open Jobs: ~61k

Median Base Salary: $81,078

Part art and part science, Marketing Managers leverage both creative and analytical skills in order to promote their company’s products or services. No two marketing manager positions are quite the same, but given the abundance of different fields of marketing out there — digital, social media, inbound, email, etc. — you’re sure to find something up your alley.

See Open Jobs 

5. Nurse Practitioner

Open Jobs: ~21k

Median Base Salary: $117,292

Like Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners are medical professionals who take on many of the same tasks as doctors. They can examine patients, order and interpret tests, diagnose illnesses and come up with treatment plans, sometimes without the supervision of a doctor depending on where they practice. In order to be able to perform these additional responsibilities, Nurse Practitioners must attend a two-year graduate program to receive their Master of Science in Nursing.

See Open Jobs 

6. Business Analyst

Open Jobs: ~76k

Median Base Salary: $69,163

Business Analysts can take on a wide variety of projects in a wide variety of fields, but no matter their specialty, they all use data to improve processes. By gathering, examining and synthesizing information to understand patterns and trends, they are able to glean insight into what actions a company should take. As a result, they often help companies improve profits, increase productivity and promote efficiency.

See Open Jobs 

7. Operations Manager

Open Jobs: ~68k

Median Base Salary: $76,971

Operations Managers are tasked with ensuring that businesses are running smoothly. They often analyze different functions of the business in order to determine their performance, then come up with solutions to improve their efficacy. On a day-to-day basis, this might involve analyzing data, creating reports, planning with teams and more.

8. Occupational Therapist

Open Jobs: ~14k

Median Base Salary: $80,782

Occupational Therapists help those with disabilities and injuries build up the strength and skills necessary to perform daily tasks. By assessing patients and developing a treatment plan, they are able to help them regain their agency. In order to become an Occupational Therapist, you must earn both a bachelor’s degree and enroll in a two-year master’s program where you learn about anatomy, kinesiology, therapeutic technology and patient care and communication.

9. Electrical Engineer

Open Jobs: ~77k

Median Base Salary: $86,153

From computers to cell phones to robots and more, Electrical Engineers design and build just about any electrical device you can think of. Because of this, they’re in high demand in many different fields, such as technological hardware, aerospace and defense, green energy and automotives. Electrical Engineers typically have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, where they learn the fundamental concepts of physics, electromagnetism and electricity.

10. Product Manager

Open Jobs: ~74k

Median Base Salary: $113,886

As you might be able to tell by the name, Product Managers are the leads for a particular product. This might involve laying out the product roadmap, doing user research, conducting competitive analysis, working with engineers and product marketers, etc. While Product Managers aren’t always required to have technical skills, it never hurts to have a solid background in development.

 

GlassDoor.com |  |

#CareerAdvice : #CareerChange -10 Obstacles That Keep You From #ChangingCareers — and How to Overcome Them.

Raise your hand if you are thinking of changing careers! Or maybe you are in the midst of it, but something is holding you back. Whatever the case, you are not alone. Many people who want to change careers get stuck along the way.

Let’s look at some of the most common obstacles career changers face, whether before or during their career transition, and how you can overcome each one of them.

1. Focusing on What You Lack

This has to be mentioned right at the top — almost everyone I talk to who is thinking of changing careers but feels stuck is focusing on all the things they do not know how to do, or on all the resources they don’t have. This is completely backward — no one hires you based on what you do not know or have. The only things that matter are what you do know, what you have already accomplished and what you are interested in learning. Focus on what you can alreadycontribute to any profession and you’ll find yourself much more empowered in your career journey.

2. Not Knowing What You Want

Do you feel confident you can get whatever you want… except you don’t know what that is? If this sounds familiar when it comes to your career transition, dig deep: is it really true that you don’t know what you want? In my experience most people know what they want, but might not know what it looks like in a job. For example, you might know you would be happy working from home and writing, but you are not sure what kind of job would pay you to do just that. If this is you, stop saying you don’t know what you want and instead address the real question, which is that you are not sure what career could give you what you want. Or it might be that you know what you want, but are so afraid you wouldn’t succeed that you don’t let yourself admit that’s what you want. In that case your issue is fear, not lack of clarity.

If you really don’t know what you want, take this moment in time as an opportunity to try anything that feels interesting. Have fun exploring, and you’ll discover in the process what feels best. (Hint: you will not find the answer in your head — you need to get out and in action!)

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. Lack of Information

In my work helping people change careers I often hear about different jobs… and sometimes encounter professions I didn’t even know existed! The truth is that you were probably exposed to only a few possible career options while growing up, and don’t know much about a wide variety of professions. Add the fact that technological innovation is creating many more opportunities that didn’t even exist just a few years ago, and chances are there are at least a few options that could be a good match for you, but you’ve never heard of. Most career changers don’t have enough information to make an informed decision — this is why you need to research and test possible professions and business ideas to gain real knowledge of what they are really like before committing to a new career.

4. Money Worries

We all know the drill: you should have at least 6 months of savings, no debt, a full-time job or at least a steady part-time income… in other words, you should be in a strong financial position before embarking on a career change. If you are, and you still feel stressed over money, keep reading for more tips on how to overcome fear. Focus on doing the work, and as long as you keep your financial acumen you’ll be fine.

If you are one of the 65 percent of Americans without significant savings, or one of the 48 percent of Americans who carry credit card debt or belong to the estimated 33 percent of college graduates who are underemployed, this is for you: I get it. I know it’s scary, and I know changing careers for you comes with added obstacles. Here’s the deal, though — you can’t afford more of the same exactly because it’s not working financially. Feeling worried or anxious about your finances will not help you — in fact, it will probably make it harder for you to make good decisions. Only your actions matter: learn to negotiate, say No to extra work that is underpaid or, if you are unemployed, volunteer and take on any type of work you are interested in rather than staying at home (it will also help you with your resume). Meet people, network, apply to jobs, start a side business. If you are already working like crazy and still struggling, commit to just a few hours each week to dedicate to your career transition. Do not let the lack of money stop you — instead, use it as powerful fire to light up your search for a new career. You can’t afford not to.

5. Unhealed Trauma

I personally think this is the big elephant in the room — the one thing we don’t talk about when discussing career-related issues. And we should. Our past, if not properly dealt with, can have an immense impact on how we relate to others. So how does unhealed trauma affect your career change? When you embark on any transition, including a career change, you are very likely to face rejection and failure — and these can be tough for everyone, but if you carry a lot of weight from the past, a negative experience can feel much worse once unhealed trauma is triggered. This is why it is so important to deal with your past. Treat your career change as part of a wider process of healing and start working with a therapist or healing professional of your choice right away. Your deep healing will help you better weather the ups and downs of your career change, and will expand your life beyond what you think is possible. Your desire to change careers could be part of a deeper calling to finally let go of what has been holding you back — so you can finally soar.

6. Lack of Role Models

Some of us are lucky enough to have knowledgeable and supportive family members, or maybe we had a cool teacher in the past or a boss who believed in us. Sometimes, though, that doesn’t happen, or the people who cheer us have no knowledge of the field we want to enter. If that’s the case, you need to go out and expand your network. This can mean finding someone who “officially” becomes your mentor (check out SCORE) or meeting people who are further ahead in your chosen career and learning from them through your interactions, deep conversations and rapport. I also recommend joining a group that is all about empowering its members. For example, there are many groups that support women in technology: by joining one, attending events and networking, you can find a lot of helpful information and resources to help you enter a new field. And through those interactions, you might also end up meeting a wonderful mentor or role model in a more traditional sense of the word.

7. Analysis Paralysis

This has got to be my favorite one, as I used to be a chronic sufferer from the condition! Some of us tend to get stuck trying to figure out every single step from now until we retire in our head. And of course, as each step comes with imaginary catastrophes, a lack of real information and often fear, we never feel we can make a decision, let alone know enough to take action. Argh!  Here’s the good news: this approach doesn’t work. Once you realize that it’s impossible to plan your entire career change in your head, you will finally give yourself permission to take one step at a time. What is the next thing you know you need to do in order to move forward? Focus on that. And trust that as you take that one step, you will be able to see the next, and then the next and so forth until you can reach your destination.

8. You Think the Past Is a Preview of What’s to Come

Just because every boss you had so far was unsupportive, it doesn’t mean that your next boss will be; just because you have always made little money, it doesn’t mean you will always be underpaid. We don’t know what the future has in store for us, but the good news is you can always work towards a different outcome. Bad bosses? I bet you can now spot the early signs! Underpaid? Use that as motivation to say ‘No’ to positions that pay too little and to move into a career or industry that pays what you need, learn to negotiate, update your skills, etc. Acknowledge what happened in the past, learn from it and then focus on what you want moving forward. Give the future a chance!

9. Trying to fit in

“I should be more open, I should go to more networking events, I am too much of an introvert, people like me don’t usually…” Stop right there! I am all for self-improvement, but there is a difference between wanting to grow as a person and imagining everyone else is better than you. Chances are, you already have all if not most of what you need to succeed: embrace who you are. Love yourself, focus on what you enjoy doing and are naturally good at, have fun learning new skills and getting out of your comfort zone, but do not think you need to be like someone else in order to be fulfilled in your career. You will be able to live a fulfilled life, including in your career, when you accept yourself as you are. From that place, you will become more open to new opportunities, flexible on the things you can be flexible about and someone people will want to be around. Trust me: Once you stop trying to fit in, you will find a career that is a good fit for you.

10. Don’t Make It All About Yourself

Last, but not least, it’s not just about you. In fact, the more you make it about you, the more insecure and stressed you will feel. Who do you want to serve? What lights you up? What difference do you want to make? These questions don’t have to have world-changing answers to motivate you: You can choose a career to provide your family with a stable environment, or you can commit to creating a business that offers employees great health insurance from day one because you believe in providing such benefits. There is no “small” purpose: Focus on the why, and you will find you have in you more courage and resilience than you ever thought possible.

Author: Aurora Meneghello is a Los Angeles-based career coach and the founder ofRepurpose Your Purpose. She works with groups and individuals who want to change careers.

 

GlassDoor.com | March 7, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – Here’s Why Prospective Employers Might Not Ever See Your #Resume … Must REad!

Whether you’re unhappy with your current job or are simply exploring your options, you’re probably aware that to land a new role, you’ll need a solid resume to submit as part of the application process. But what happens when you apply to a series of jobs you’re qualified for and aren’t contacted for a single interview?

You might start doubting your credentials, or doubting yourself. You might also be quick to point a finger at your resume, and wonder whether it’s somehow loaded with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors you just can’t seem to identify. If your job applications are going unanswered, it could be that your resume is to blame — but not in the way you think.

Is Your Resume Getting Seen?

The problem with your resume might not boil down to mistakes, but rather, the fact that prospective employers just aren’t seeing it. The reason? That document doesn’t have the right keywords.

These days, a growing number of companies are using applicant tracking software to narrow down their respective pools of qualified applicants. As part of the process, applications, including resumes, are scanned by software designed to look out for designated keywords — and if yours doesn’t have the right ones, it could be weeded out by a computer program, not an actual person.

The benefit of using such systems is that it makes the applicant-vetting process more efficient for employers. Rather than have to read through, say, 400 resumes for the average position, a company might instead invest in software that whittles the pool down to just 30 or 40 candidates. From there, reviewing resumes on an individual basis becomes far more feasible.

And it’s not just large firms that are using this technology to their advantage. Even small and medium-sized businesses are getting on board the algorithm train, thereby making it even more difficult for qualified candidates to get their foot in the door.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Beating the System

You’re probably aware that your resume needs to be catchy, concise and informative. But apparently, you also need to worry about it containing the right keywords.

With that in mind, there are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of having your resume actually reach prospective employers. First, read each job description you apply to carefully, and aim to have some of the keywords contained in those descriptions appear in your resume as well. For example, if a job listing seems to emphasize project management skills, make sure the words “project management” appear early on in your resume.

That said, don’t go overboard with those keywords. Just as search engines penalize websites for keyword-stuffing (putting so many keywords into a section of content so as to render it unreadable), some of the aforementioned programs reject resumes if they suspect that tactic.

Another way to improve your chances of getting your resume looked at? Don’t just apply to jobs through online forms. Instead, identify those companies you want to work for the most and try finding individuals to send your resume to personally. For example, if you determine that an old colleague of yours knows someone at a company you’re applying to, you might ask that person for an introduction, or to send your resume to that contact and request that he or she personally put it in front of the hiring manager.

Many companies offer incentives for referring qualified candidates for jobs, so if you’re a good fit for a given role, someone you don’t know directly might be willing to vouch for you if you have an associate in common and your resume looks good.

Crafting a compelling resume is hard enough, and having to concern yourself with keywords makes for an even more stressful experience. If you’ve been finding that your job applications are going unanswered, it could be that your resume just isn’t saying the right things. Take steps to be a bit more keyword-conscious without going overboard, and that might spell the difference between having your resume ignored versus noticed.

 

GlassDoor.com |  |

#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch -7 Perfect Questions to Ask While #Networking …Great REad!

Odds are, you already know how important networking is. You might have leveraged your network to land a job, procure a new client or even switch careers entirely — or at the very least, you probably know someone who has. But despite the endless benefits of networking, many people still dread the experience.

Often, this is because they simply don’t know what to say. After all, approaching a stranger you know nothing about can be pretty intimidating — what in the world do you talk about?

Well, the next time you find yourself wondering this at an industry mixer, don’t fret. We talked to a handful of career experts to get their recommendations on great questions to ask while networking. Use any of these questions for a quick and painless conversation starter.

1. “What brings you here?”

This light-touch question is a great way to begin a conversation, explains Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The Connector’s Advantage: 7 Mindsets to Grow Your Influence and Impact.

“This question shows you are interested in the other person and are not just trying to figure out how they can help you. Their response will give you a sense of what they are working on and what is on the front of their mind. That will lead you to extend the conversation and figure out how you can add value to them,” Tillis Lederman explains. “They will also likely ask you the question in return and give you an opening to share what your current objectives are.”

2. “How did you get involved in the industry/company?”

Once you know a little bit more about somebody’s professional background, ask them how they got their start. It can provide valuable takeaways for you, as well as make you seem more likable.

“Finding out more about their journey leading up to their current role can offer an excellent insight into what you might need to do in order to work in that industry, role or company,” says Lars Herrem, Group Executive Director at recruiting agency Nigel Wright Group. “Demonstrating your interest and enthusiasm is key to creating a lasting impression and making yourself memorable, something which will prove extremely beneficial if you end up reaching out to this person in the future.”

 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. “Since you work in the industry, how do you feel about X?”

Asking about a specific, timely event in the industry — whether it’s proposed legislation, a merger, a recent news story, etc. — is a great way to show the person you’re speaking with that you are knowledgeable and thoughtful, both of which are key to being memorable, says career coach Eli Howayeck of Crafted Career Concepts.

“First impressions matter. The best thing you can do, besides being a nice person, is to demonstrate how you think and what you know about the marketplace,” Howayeck explains. “This helps direct the conversation and informs your conversation partner that you likely know what you’re talking about or, at a minimum, pay attention to what is going on in the world and [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][are] not only focused on yourself and your advancement.”

4. “How would someone get their foot in the door in your company/industry?”

The ultimate objective of networking is often to get a new job, but coming out and asking somebody you just met to help you get one can be pretty off-putting. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t approach the topic at all — you just have to do so delicately.

This question “is a subtle way to ask about opportunities without coming right out and saying, ‘Do you know if they are hiring?’” says career coach Madelyn Mackie. “If you are lucky, they will ask you if you are interested and then provide you with a business card to follow-up with them after the event.”

Even if they aren’t able to help you out directly, though, you will likely gain some valuable insight that will help you in your job search process.

5. “Based on your journey, what do you wish someone would have told you earlier in your career?”

This is a great question to ask if you’re speaking with somebody who is more senior than you are. It allows them to impart the knowledge they’ve acquired over the years with you, as well as appeals to their ego.

“People are way more comfortable sharing their wisdom than they are sharing their contacts, and both can be very valuable,” Howayeck says. “Seeking to learn from others honors them and shows that you’re invested in growth. It also shows deference and can endear the person to you and deepen the connection.”

6. “How do you spend your time outside of work?”

At its heart, networking is all about forming connections with others, so don’t be afraid to veer towards lighthearted chitchat. Questions like this one help people open up, and make it clear that you don’t expect the interaction to be purely transactional.

“This kind of question lowers the stakes and also gives the other person a chance to discuss what they’re passionate about,” Howayeck explains. “It also shows that you are actually interested in them as a person, and not just what they do and how it could help you.”

Who knows? You may even bond over a shared interest or activity!

7. “What’s the best way for me to get in touch/follow up with you?”

Ask this question, and you’re guaranteed to avoid one of the biggest mistakes that novice networkers make, according to career coach Nikki Bruno: “Beginning networkers often make the mistake of giving away a stack of business cards but gathering none. The only way to ensure that you’ll be able to follow up with new contacts is to get their information; it keeps you in the driver’s seat.”

“Note that this question is intentionally different from ‘May I have your card?’” Bruno adds. “Asking to stay in touch or to follow someone shows that you view him/her as a human being, not as a mere contact.”

 

GlassDoor.com | March 5, 2019 | Posted by 

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