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#CareerAdvice : Forbes Coaches Council -15 Essential Tips For #CollegeStudents Preparing For Their Future Careers. Got Kids? #MustREad !

October 3, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

College is a time where most students spend a lot of time looking at the small picture and all but ignoring what’s happening outside. Preparing for the world of work requires students to change the way they see things. There are no clearly defined lines for success in the outside world. Even landing a job doesn’t have any particularly clear-cut rules.

While college teaches a lot of the theoretical knowledge that a graduate may need, it doesn’t explain some specific skills that an HR department may be looking for.

We consulted 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council to help guide students with the things that they should be doing before leaving college so as to gain a competitive advantage in their future careers.

1. Train Your Brain To Manage Stress Triggers

In what is being dubbed “Generation Stress,” the best thing young professionals can do is train their brain to manage stress triggers. Look at ways to manage stress in real-time early in your career to ensure a longer, healthier and happier work life. Start with learning how to reframe the way you perceive a stressful situation — count to 10 and respond versus react, and keep your eye on the prize. – Ann Holland, Strive Performance Coaching

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2. Practice Emotional Intelligence

Practice empathy by paying attention to what other people are feeling. Get to know your strengths and weaknesses. Practice the art of productive conversation by listening to other people’s points of view and asking good questions. Stay connected to your classmates and professors. These relationships could be the key to your career opportunities for years to come. – Felice Tilin, GroupWorksConsulting LLC

3. Develop Cultural Intelligence

In order to understand the contemporary marketplace one needs to develop sensitivity and openness to diversity and multicultural differences. You will need to relate and work effectively across cultures. How to start? First understand your own cultural heritage and uniqueness. With the same curiosity, observe others. Engage in NGO projects abroad. Learn languages and travel as much as possible. – Inga Bielińska, Inga Bielinska Coaching Consulting Mentoring

4. Start Gathering Your Work Accomplishments

Demonstrated work history with quantifiable accomplishments is great, but what if you don’t have any? In addition to pursuing internships, start thinking about the projects you’ve done in school — these have value! Case studies, experiments and other individual or group exercises often have real-world applications. Document and describe these, and add them to your resume. – Scott Singer, Insider Career Strategies

5. Learn Soft Skills As Early As Possible

Without these skills, any degree is worthless. Learning how to execute effective principles and tactics when it comes to effectively communicating, leading and following others, problem-solving and being agile in your approach to dealing with obstacles, will accelerate your influence at any workplace you choose to invest your time and effort into. – Lynda Foster, Cortex Leadership Consulting

6. Get An Internship

The best way to be successful after graduation is to get some working experience in your industry prior to graduation. An internship is the best way to get that experience and potentially get your foot in the door of a corporation. Even if the internship is unpaid, the skills you will be able to build make for an effective resume, while networking and references will be useful when you begin your post-collegiate job search. – Katrina Brittingham, VentureReady LLC

7. Talk To People In Your Field Of Interest

If you’re really curious and schedule informational interviews with as many people in a field or category of interest, this will help: Position yourself for internships and practical experience, as well as help you clarify what you are/are not interested in and/or good at. What makes you smile when you learn something exciting or new? These are other ways to test the waters and get clear! – Michele Davenport, MOSAIC COACHING SOLUTIONS

8. Learn To Sell Face-To-Face

Building your sales skills will help you have a career without limits. Learning to sell properly, using a consultative selling approach, teaches you how to ask great questions, listen and work creatively to bring a solution to your client. You’ll learn how to build ad-hoc teams, how to get things done and how to win. – Dominic Rubino, BizStratPlan

9. Join A Professional Networking Group

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to join a professional networking group like Toastmasters International sooner. As a college student, your world can be limited to your classmates and maybe workers, all of whom will be in the same boat looking for work when they graduate. So, get ahead and start committing to a networking group. – Helen Chao, Ascenditur Recruiting and Interview Right Consulting

10. Find A Mentor

Find a mentor and actively engage in exploratory situations where you can shadow an executive or intern for them on a temporary basis to see if you will thrive in this particular career environment. Be inquisitive and experience a “day in the life” of various careers to become better informed and understand the realistic demands for each career option. – Debbie Ince, Executive Talent Finders, Inc

11. Learn Workplace Etiquette

Prepare for your career by expanding your knowledge of business/corporate etiquette. Going from a classroom to a business setting is a transition, and knowing what’s expected will help you feel confident in your new role. Tips on bringing phones to meetings, controlling emotions in the workplace and having a neat, professional appearance are great examples of what you will want to know. – Chrissy Conner, Conner International

12. Develop Rabid Curiosity

Your No. 1 job should be developing your ability to learn and change. The job of your future may not even exist today — the pace of change is only accelerating, and we can’t predict what skills will be needed even years down the road. So invest in your ability to nurture your creativity, your curiosity and your ability to learn new things and adapt to change — it might be the one constant. – Aric Wood, XPLANE

13. Build Your Career On Doing What You Love

Many students plan for “the job.” They focus on what company they should join and what role they should go for — and they end up unhappy and not knowing what went wrong. To prepare for a career, figure out what you love to do and build your expertise on that! You will spend a good chunk of your life working — make sure you feel energized and useful with your contributions at work. – Jeanne Smith, Procore Technologies

14. Be Intergenerationally Conscious

College graduates and students have an opportunity to create edge with employers through truly learning how to work with and learn from the generational cohorts. Demonstrate your ability for this consciousness through research, getting mentored by other leaders and asking powerful questions in your interactions. – Dr. Denise Trudeau-Poskas, Blue Egg Leadership

15. Explore And Understand Artificial Intelligence

Most jobs can be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) already today. Students will benefit tremendously from learning how to use AI, understanding its ethics, exploring and designing AI and developing the competencies that will help them utilize AI so that they can future-proof their career trajectory success, rather than be replaced by it. – Lital Marom, UNFOLD Media Group

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Forbes Coaches Council

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization comprised of leading business coaches and career coaches. Find out if you qualify at forbescoachesc…

Forbes.com | October 3, 2019

#CareerAdvice : The #Networking Advice No One Tells You. A #MustRead for All!

October 2, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We’ve all heard the advice that networking is important for our careers. And regardless of your profession, your industry or demographic, the message is loud and clear. If you want to be successful, you need to spend time networking. It’s great advice. But the critical missing piece to this advice is exactly how to network.

There’s an old adage that if you throw spaghetti against the wall and it sticks, the pasta is done. Over the years, this phrase has evolved to mean that when you throw enough activity or ideas at a situation or problem, eventually something will stick; eventually you will find the answer. So when we’re told we need to network to help us be successful, those of us who are ambitious, tackle the problem with this approach. We throw a lot of activity at the issue and hope for the best. We go to lots of networking events and conferences, collect and hand out hundreds of business cards. We establish an online presence and build a large group of followers. Unfortunately, this doesn’t result in the type of network that supports our career advancement. It has no purpose or intention.

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It takes a village to have a successful career; people who provide you with information, connect you to others, help you get your job done, advocate for you, mentor, guide, and sponsor you. And to build this type of network, your networking activity needs to be strategic. To create the type of network that supports your ambition, your efforts must be intentional and purposeful.

What holds you back?

Your mindset. The first thing that prevents us from building a strategic network is our mindset that networking is self-serving. And when we believe that any attempt to establish relationships is only for our benefit, we are less inclined to pursue these conversations. “It’s all about me and I’m uncomfortable asking for help.” A strong network, however, is built with mutually beneficial relationships; where both parties benefit. In the process of getting to know someone, you understand how you can add value and help them, and they are then willing to help you.

You limit your network. Our comfort level is to network with people we know and like; people with similar backgrounds and points of view. Research shows us that this type of closed network, limits our exposure to people who can offer new connections and ideas.

You aren’t strategic. We use the ‘spaghetti against the wall’ approach and don’t build a network focused on our career goal and ambition. We spend our time meeting random people and hope that this effort will deliver an important contact over time.

You aren’t proactive. We wait until we need help for a new job or assistance selling a new concept or idea. We wait until we have a need and then discover that we no longer have much of a support network. We haven’t reached out to our contacts or nurtured the relationships and now we feel uncomfortable asking for help.

You don’t schedule time to network. I hear the excuse that there’s no time to network from many women. They can’t go out for drinks or attend networking events after work most nights. My answer is to schedule time on your weekly calendar for a coffee or lunch and then reach out to people to meet you during the work day. Be strategic about which evening events are worthwhile for you and try going to one or two meetings to assess if that organization is one that will expose you to new people.

You don’t leverage relationships. We meet a lot of people and take their business cards and have an initial conversation but never follow up. The result is that we don’t have real relationships. We don’t know these people and they don’t know us. Be strategic about your connections and take the time to get to know people with the potential for mutually beneficial relationships.

How do you create a strategic network?

Start with your career goal. What are you hoping to achieve in the next 3-5 years? Then ask yourself, who do you know and who do you need to know to help you reach that goal.

Understand your value proposition. How does your work contribute to positive business outcomes? This value proposition positions you as credible and helps you build influence. Your value proposition helps you create mutually beneficial relationships because you understand how you can help others. Once you get how you can help others, you eliminate the limiting belief that your networking activity is self-serving.

Build mutually beneficial relationships. As you meet people, ask them open-ended questions about their work. What are they working on? What are some of their current challenges? If there an opportunity for you to help by connecting them to a resource or guide them based on your value proposition and/or experience? This is how you create strong relationships.

Find allies and champions. A strong network supports and advocates for you. It helps you sell your ideas across the organization, promotes you for new opportunities. Once you make connections and offer to help others achieve their goals, your contacts will respond in kind when you have a need.

Be strategic. Be thoughtful about who is in your network and the best way to connect with these people. Spend your time wisely by focusing on these relationships and nurturing them over time. Be deliberate about what organizations and events you attend to help you connect with potential contacts. And take action!

Author: Bonnie Marcus, M.Ed, CEC, is an executive coach, professional speaker, and author of The Politics of Promotion: How High Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead. She helps women successfully navigate the complexities of the workplace to realize their ambition.

Forbes.com | May 22, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting -Does Your #Resume Have an Identity Crisis? Great Two(2) Min Read!

September 30, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Most of the resumes I review each year suffer from an identity crisis and are uninspiring. They’ve been created in cookie-cutter fashion, filled with overused words and phrases, are not aligned with the employer’s needs and open with a vague statement that “tells” the employer what they are looking for …”to utilize my skills and experience …” (insert yawn.)

A resume with an identity crisis leaves the reader confused and unable to discern exactly what direction the person is going with their career or the value they bring to the organization. More than that, this type of resume doesn’t:

Differentiate you from your competition.
Provide context. It’s all generic fluff that sounds like hundreds of other candidates.
Make it easy for the hiring authority to determine how you solve their specific business pain.
Prepare you for interviews.
Say anything unique at all.

Still today, job seekers hold fast to the belief that employers want an objective statement along with a full obituary of their career. And, they continue to create generic resumes with basic job descriptions, tasks, and experiences. Resumes have evolved.

Today’s Resumes:

Are focused and make it easy for hiring manages to grasp your value (what you can do for them), where you worked (your unique experiences), and the impact of your efforts.
Are bold and go beyond simply showing titles, dates, and job duties.
Demonstrate your value and frame how you made a difference.
Do not use generic objective statements or overused phrases.
Convey perception (how you want to be perceived); alignment (who you are and where you are going); and a summary (the argument for your worthiness to be hired for the position).
Are unique to the applicant and not a copy of another person’s document.

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Your resume should connect with your audience and build the hiring authority’s confidence in you by proving your value.

If you’re uncertain of the direction you want to go in your career, find the common thread and then emphasize where your skills and qualifications intersect with the employer’s needs.

It All Starts with a Strategy — No matter the circumstance, to create a great resume, you need a strategy before you start writing.

What is your career goal?
Who is your target audience?
What value do you offer (skills and competencies for the industry targeted)?

In the end, a clear direction will help shorten your job search.

CareerExperts.com | September 19, 2019 | Tammy Shoup

#CareerAdvice : #Networking -How To Become A #SocialMedia Marvel In Nine Minutes. A #MustRead for All!

September 16, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Digital branding is my primary focus these days, and that means helping clients get past their resistance to social media. The number one reason they tell me that they don’t engage in social media is: “I just can’t find the time to do it.”

So what if you made a habit of committing no more than nine minutes a day. Could you find nine minutes?

You can actually get a lot accomplished, deliver value to your audience and not wear yourself out when you’re willing to commit a few minutes a day. To make this work, though, you need to commit to doing it every day. When you do, your nine-minute habit becomes three hours a month of social media engagement.

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Here’s how to make it happen:

Step 1: Focus On One Platform

Don’t squander your efforts by being on every platform—Facebook plus Instagram plus Twitter plus LinkedIn plus YouTube equals social media taking over your life. It will be impossible to be consistently visible on all those platforms unless you make it your full-time job. Instead, choose up to three, preferably just one platform to start. How do you choose, you ask?

Pick what sits at the intersection of these two criteria:

You enjoy them. There’s no sense picking YouTube if you abhor creating videos. You’ll be more likely to keep up your 9-minute daily social media habit you’re having fun with it. If you like to write brief, pithy content, choose Twitter. If you love visuals, choose Instagram
Your people are there. When using social media for professional purposes, the goal is to be visible, valuable and available to the people who are making decisions about you. There’s no sense in tweeting at the frequency of Kim Kardashian or Donald Trump if your target audience isn’t on Twitter.

Step 2: Choose The Right Time

Identify your best time to engage in social media. We know that true habits are easier to form when they take place at the same time every day–like brushing your teeth. Your social media habit might take place first thing in the morning or right before you leave work or during lunch. Or, to make it even more efficient, consider a time when you can double up on productivity. For example, if you commute to work on a train, that’s the perfect time to also connect with your online community. If you wait in line every morning for your triple tall half-caf, iced skim caramel macchiato, get your phone out and make the wait more productive.

Step 3: Engage

Be strategic in deciding what you want to talk about. Your topic should help you demonstrate your thought-leadership and give you an opportunity to express your point of view. Remember, being visible on social media does not mean creating new content every day. If you’re just starting your social media habit, here’s a good mix of items for your daily do:

Like and comment on content that was posted by others.
Share others’ content, adding your point of view to make their post even more valuable
Share something you learned, a favorite quote, a relevant statistic
Post your own content (article, tweet, picture, video, etc.)

Step 4. Make It Easy

There are lots of things you can do to automate the time-consuming parts of social media.

Use a social media posting tool like Hootsuite or Buffer to post multiple items and schedule them over time.
For responding to your connections/followers’ content, create shortcuts on your phone for standard responses. Apple iOS makes it especially simple to do this.
If you prefer speaking to typing, just talk your message or update.

The point is to find ways to make your social media habit more efficient and more aligned with how you like to work. Personal branding is all about being authentic, so if you dread your social media routine, your posts will seem phony or forced. Do whatever you need to do to keep your new habit from feeling onerous.

That’s it! If you have been reluctant to engage in social media, follow this process. Commit to your nine-minute habit and watch your digital brand soar.

Author: William Arruda is the cofounder of CareerBlast and creator of the complete LinkedIn quiz that helps you evaluate your LinkedIn profile and networking strategy.

Forbes.com | September 16, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer – How to Survive a Recession. How to Recession-Proof Your Career. #MustRead !

September 16, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Some experts believe is a recession is inevitable. In the last recession—which kicked off in 2008 and lasted 18 months—some 2.6 million American workers lost their jobs. And so, it’s no wonder workers across the country are worried, career experts say.

But there is some good news: The unemployment rate remains low, and consumers continue to spend in the economy—two indicators that companies are unlikely to scale back too much in the event of a recession. What’s more, as Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist of Glassdoor, told Market Watch, Americans’ money may be safe, too: “Most Americans are not invested actively in the stock market,” he said. “The psychology of slowdown hasn’t infiltrated the real economy.”

Of course, we understand if you’re still concerned, for your job and future. And that’s what this guide is here for: We’ll walk you through what to expect in the event of a recession, from what jobs might be safest to how to build a back-up plan and what you can do if you do lose your job.

Jobs That Are Safe (and Jobs That Aren’t)

While it’s safe to say most jobs aren’t truly recession proof, some career fields may be safer than others if a recession hits. “Anyone in medical care is considered pretty recession proof,” says Jill Jacinto, a millennial career expert. “It’s a service people will always need—especially as Baby Boomers continue to age and require more of them.” In that sense, Jacinto says that people who work as doctors, therapists, nurses, pharmacists, and senior care providers may be the safest.

In addition to jobs in the healthcare industry, “government positions, the financial industry, IT, and technology are … more recession-proof industries,” says career coach Hallie Crawford.

Jobs that typically aren’t safe, on the other hand, are retail and service-based, Crawford says. (In fact, she says, these are often the first industries to be hit by a recession.) What’s more, “if we look back at the recession ten years ago, the hardest hit areas were architects and construction, travel agents, event planning, and real estate,” says Jacinto. “This makes sense since people are scaling back from buying homes and cosmetic home improvement projects when money is tight. They also are forgoing vacations and large-scale events.” Of course, Jacinto adds, “people working in media also got hit with massive layoffs since advertisers were shrinking budgets.”

Chamberlain also told NBC that “there was some very weak job growth for some blue-collar sector jobs,” such as transportation and mining, which may make these jobs less recession proof.

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

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Skills You Should Hone

Whether you work in a field that’s more (or less) recession-proof, it’s smart to hone certain skills that will be valuable no matter the state of the economy, our career experts say. After all, as Jacinto says, “the people who tend to survive layoffs are the ones most adaptable to change.”

So, your first step, she advises, should be to learn or take courses on the newest skills needed for your particular job or industry—even if your work isn’t requiring you to do so. You should also practice being the “yes” person, Jacinto says—the one who is proactive about taking on projects and making your boss look good. (Making yourself indispensable is a good idea all the time.)

Crawford says that tech skills, regardless of where you work, are important to hone. “Knowledge of technology is always going to be a must-have,” she points out. Plus, project management skills are skills that can transfer to almost every job and industry, and they can be highlighted on a job application. “Every organization will need people to manage projects effectively,” she explains.

How to Build a Back-Up Plan

Having a back-up plan will give you peace of mind and a clear path to follow should a recession hit. Jacinto recommends that your backup plan include strengthening your network and personal brand. “Check in with your network and develop new relationships,” she says, “so if layoffs hit, you’ve already done the meet-and-greets and can ask for job recommendations and referrals.”

You should also “mentally prepare yourself for having to accept less money, benefits, or—the most likely outcome—taking on more work during a recession,” says Crawford. In recessions, companies may try to do more with less, and your job—or a new job—may look very different than you envisioned. “Consider ways to be more efficient with your job, in case you are asked to take on an additional workload,” Crawford suggests. You should also think about ways to reduce your spending, too, she suggests, so that you’ll be financially prepared for whatever may come.

Talking to Your Boss About Recession Concerns

If you’d like to speak to your employer about potential recession risks, you can—but carefully. “You should not flatly ask, ‘Will I be getting laid off?’” warns Jacinto. “Chances are that your boss has no idea—and more importantly, you want to position yourself as a strong employee.”

Instead, Jacinto and Crawford agree that you can broach company and economy issues in a one-on-one setting and in a way that doesn’t address your job specifically. You can ask: “How the organization is doing knowing the current state of the economy, and if the company or your department should do any planning for a possible recession,” says Crawford. “Your boss will likely not want to alarm any employees to a chance of staff reduction, but taking a proactive stance and opening a possible conversation for a plan of action is a positive way to address it.”

You may also want to set up a time to present to your boss how valuable you are the company, Jacinto says. “Put together a presentation that walks them through your day-to-day projects but also your accomplishments year to date,” she says. “How many new clients did you add? Have you increased ROI or decreased budgets? Letting your success speak for itself subconsciously tells your boss you are essential to the business and not the person they should mark to leave.”

What to Do If You’re Laid Off

If the worst should happen and you are laid off during a recession, you may have some options.

Now is the time to review your employee handbook and study your company’s policy on layoffs and severance, says Jacinto. “You might be owed a nice amount of money, and better for you not to leave it on the table,” she says. You may be entitled to unemployment, payment for unused vacation days, and more. If the handbook doesn’t make it clear, schedule a meeting with HR.

Crawford encourages you to find out what insurance benefits, if any, you’ll be entitled to in the event of layoffs. If they aren’t provided, you may want to check out COBRA for the short term.

If you’re laid off, it may also be smart for you to ask your employer if there’s an opportunity for you to work as a consultant or contract employee, even part-time, says Crawford. “If the layoff is permanent, ask if they see any chance to be re-hired in the future, if they are willing to give you a recommendation on LinkedIn, and if they are willing to be a reference for you,” she says. “And ask for any connections or referrals they may have to other organizations for possible jobs.” The company may be able to point you toward a great opportunity—or at least in the right direction.

GlassDoor.com | September 16, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -How The Wall Street Stock Market Plummet Of 800 Points Could Dramatically Hurt The #JobMarket .

August 15, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The United States witnessed an amazing, meteoric economic-growth trend, from the depths of despair—during the 2009 financial crisis—to where we are now. In the last 10 years, we have gone from a near depression to record-setting highs in employment and the stock market. Unfortunately, markets don’t experience an uninterrupted, upward trajectory forever.

Wall Street professionals and experienced investors know that blazing-hot stock markets ultimately correct, lead to recessions or sometimes crash. On Wednesday, we watched an ugly 800-point plunge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which serves as a bellwether for the stock market. Predictably, media outlets immediately went into a frenzy—predicting doom, gloom and a recession. Cable news had a field day, citing geopolitical events, inversion of the yield curve, trade war tensions and other fear-inducing sound bites as the cause to frighten viewers into staying tuned into their channels. The television journalists and newspaper writers could have calmly and dispassionately informed the public that the stock market corrections of 5% to 10% are common and we are long due for one, but that doesn’t generate ratings.

The worry I have is not so much the vagaries of the stock market, but rather the perception of the future direction of the stock market and its impact on hiring. The job market is closely correlated with the stock market. Stock prices are based on future earnings. If stocks are high, then investors believe corporate earnings and profits will do well. If the market is down, it could be because investors lack confidence in the ability of companies to generate growing profits in the future.

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The large number—800 points—alarms the average person who is unaware of the fact that this is less than 3%, which is not so terrible. Stock market drops, accompanied by the negative sentiment among people and the media fanning the flames of possible recession and even worse calamities, set the stage for a general unease. Confidence in the future of the economy erodes. Executives worry about the future. When the CEO and upper management believe that the economy will slow down, they will hit the brakes. This entails laying off employees, instituting a hiring freeze and—through attrition—when people leave, they won’t be replaced. When enough companies do this, it becomes a self-fulfilling, downward spiral. A company may not want to be the only one hiring in a bad economy, as they will then have to let these people go later on. Potential job seekers will be concerned about leaving a relatively safe job to take on the risk of switching roles with another company—only to be fired in a few months. Older workers will put off retiring, as they see their 401k plans fall in value. New products, divisions and business lines won’t be started since there is worry and uncertainty about the future. Therefore, the jobs associated with growth won’t occur. Management will discontinue offering raises and bonuses. If stock market drops accelerate, the fear factor will increase and additional jobs will be cut.

Hopefully, the current mood is only part of a routine correction. Let us be optimistic that the stock market will bounce back, global political and economic tensions will ease and we will get back on track again.

Author: Jack Kelly

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 | August 15, 2019

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

July 27, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

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

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.

Author: Jack Kelly

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 : #InterviewingQuestions : 3 Interview Questions(You Ask) To Uncover A Company’s Work-Life Beliefs And Values. Must Read Before your Next #JobInterview !

June 24, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Like most buzzwords, “work-life balance” rose to massive popularity only to rapidly become defunct and outdated. If you Google “work-life balance” and “dead,” you will find a host of articles making the case of why the idea of balance is a fallacy, why work-life balance is not the largest predictor of job satisfaction or a detailed explanation of the newly favored term “work-life integration” that seeks to merge all the things we value into one seamless life experience.

No matter the words you use to describe it, having a desire to work in a place that will share and support your values isn’t going away. The challenge remains in figuring out how to test and evaluate a company’s often unspoken work-life beliefs during the interview process.

You want to be selected for the job and don’t want to inadvertently signal that you are less than committed to your career, but you also don’t want to end up in a place that is mismatched to the work-life dynamics you need to thrive.

These three interview questions will help you gain insight into the company’s values and how they will ultimately treat you once you are hired.

1. How would you describe the culture?

This is a standard question and one that interviewers are expecting. Some will have canned answers based on talking points HR provided. Others will give you an honest, from the gut response. Pay attention to which one you are receiving as the latter will be more insightful. But either way, ask each interviewer this question to get a well-rounded view of how the culture is perceived at different levels and functions.

Certain buzzwords will tell you a lot. “Work hard, play hard,” notoriously means that they work long, demanding hours, but have frequent, often extravagant, social outings that will further commit you to being around colleagues instead of your other priorities. Depending on your demands outside of work, this can be attractive or a major red flag.

Other phrases to listen for are “family environment” which likely indicates a people-first philosophy that will at times prioritize individual needs over the clearest or easiest business decision.

“The best idea wins” phrase points to a results-oriented and transparent organization that probably values quality output over hours worked.

Excessive use of the word “collaborative” is a yellow flag of a workplace that may be bogged down with management layers and slow decision-making, which creates the need to spend more time in the office selling your ideas and dealing with politics.

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2. What is the best way to communicate with the boss?

If possible, ask this question of your peers or of the boss themselves. Work-life red flags are answers such as, “I’m in meetings most of the day but I catch up on email at night” or “You can usually catch up with her on Sunday evenings,” which show an expectation to work extensively during time you may have allocated to home life or other activities. Pause and consider if this is a problem for you. For some people, it is not, but be honest about what working dynamics would best fit your life.

Other yellow flags are answers about an open-door policy or “We grab each other in the hallway” as these may reflect an in-office culture that could limit your flexibility.

Remote and flexible working has forced many executives to be deliberate about how and when to communicate with team members. If the interviewer has already set up clear 1:1 time slots or communication meetings with their team, it is likely a sign that flexible working necessitated this and is their workplace norm.

3. What is the next step in the hiring process?

You can learn a lot about a company’s values simply from observing your hiring process. Companies that prioritize an employee’s overall life will be thoughtful about your candidate experience.

Was your interview schedule an exhausting all-day ordeal without food or breaks? This is a warning that employee experience may not be a top priority.

How many people are making the hiring decision and how long does it take? This will provide insight into how their business decisions get made, which is especially important if your role will be spearheading new initiatives or trying to bring about organizational change. Consider if they might be prone to acting rashly or moving too slow.

Finally, make sure you understand when and how they will get back to you. Pay attention not just to the timing they give but the manner in which they communicate with you as a candidate. Are they being thoughtful about the time you have already invested and how hard it is to wait for a decision? Do they care about how you might be feeling? Or are they using their power to make the process as easy and noncommittal for them as possible? These small actions can point to larger disconnects between their values and the kind of company you want to work for.

Ask each of these questions and pay attention to the answers. Turn down the instinct to assume the grass will be greener in a new job. If you want to build a career that is aligned with your values, you have to be willing to walk away from companies that aren’t a fit.

Kourtney Whitehead is a career expert and author of Working Whole. You can learn more about her work at Simply Service.

Author: Kourtney Whitehead

Contributor

Forbes.com | June 18, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #JobOpenings -21 Companies with Rockstar CEOs #Hiring Now.

June 19, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” This quote from John Quincy Adams perfectly defines our 2019 winners for the Top CEO award. She or he is someone who is equal parts inspiration, strategy and innovation. After all, these traits can motivate 10 or 10,000 employees through even the toughest days.

If you’re looking for your next great job, check out these 21 companies with rockstar CEOs and plenty of open roles.

VMWare

CEO: Pat Gelsinger, 99% Approval Rating
Number of Open Jobs: +1,600

Employees Say: “Great technical talent, work-life balance, good managers, transparent leadership, diversity and inclusion.” —Current Senior Product Manager

“Work

HEB

CEO: Charles C. Butt, 99% Approval Rating
Number of Open Jobs: Over 1,000

Employees Say: “Totally dominates the market they are in (strong outlook). Takes pride in themselves and the role they serve and in communities. Very flexible work environment with opportunities to grow and write your own ticket if you are good. Extremely good culture dedicated to the customer and the employee (a lot of places don’t emphasize the latter).” —Current Employee

“Work

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Health Catalyst

CEO: Dan Burton, 99% Approval Rating
Number of Open Jobs: +20

Employees Say: “If you’re looking for a home where you can make the best of your skills and surround yourself with people who are smart, humble, and hard working – come on over, because we welcome you and your talents with open arms! The compensation, benefits, and perks are top notch for the industry. The people are absolutely fantastic and always willing to help. There is a generous education allowance to use in the way that you deem fit (formal courses, online courses, professional conferences, certifications, etc.) to continue to build up your individual skill set in support of the organization. The experience as a remote employee has also been fantastic. I never feel alone.” —Current Employee

“Work

Digital Prospectors

CEO: Jessica Catino, Approval Rating: 99%
Number of Open Jobs: +230

Employees Say: “Amazing people. Excellent benefits to contractors – lots of paid holidays and good vacation time. Semi-annual luncheons are fun and a great way to see everyone. They seem to genuinely care about their employees.“ —Current Employee

“Work

In-N-Out Burger

CEO: Lynsi Snyder, Approval Rating: 99%
Number of Open Jobs: 49

Employees Say: “The company fosters a very positive environment in each store. Everyone comes in with a positive attitude and ready to work hard. They pay very well and reward you properly for the work you put in.” —Current Employee

“Work

Sprout Social

CEO: Justyn Howard, Approval Rating: 99%
Number of Open Jobs: +30

Employees Say: “The transparency from management is like nothing I’ve ever seen. They say they’ll be transparent, but you can actually see the decisions being made and the why behind it.” —Current Employee

“Work

Acceleration Partners

CEO: Robert Glazer, Approval Rating: 97%
Number of Open Jobs: 73

Employees Say: “AP leadership puts emphasis on the importance of setting and achieving not only your professional goals, but also your personal life goals.” —Current Senior Account Manager

“Work

Salesforce

CEO: Marc Benioff, Approval Rating: 96%
Number of Open Jobs: +2.2k

Employees Say: “Marc Benioff. The best CEO ever!! He is the greatest reason behind Salesforce’s success. How he behaves flows down through the chain company-wide.” —Current Architect

“Work

Smile Brands

CEO: Steven C. Bilt, Approval Rating: 95%
Number of Open Jobs: 397

Employees Say: “I love being a part of a team that not only cares about the patients but also respects and cares for all coworkers as well. The CEO of the company drills into our heart and minds that we stand for creating “Smiles For Everyone”. Amazing group to work for.” —Current Employee

“Work

Cengage

CEO: Michael Hansen, Approval Rating: 91%
Number of Open Jobs: +120

Employees Say: “Management is market-visionary, not intimidated by challenges, transparent, and trusting that the many hands and minds of its employees are the way to succeed.” —Current Senior Systems Analyst

“Work

CEOs: Randy Richardson, Approval Rating: 96%
Number of Open Jobs: +150

Employees Say: “Great people, fun environment. Very fulfilling and rewarding job. Residents and Staff are very well taken care of.” —Current Employee

“Work

23andMe

CEO: Anne Wojcicki, Approval Rating: 97%
Number of Open Jobs: +50

Employees Say: “We are surrounded by smart and humble people here. The culture is focused on being mission-based, fun, and doing work we love that makes a difference. A lot of companies talk about changing the world…but here we actually are disrupting healthcare.” —Current Employee

“Work

Toyota North America

CEO: Akio Toyoda, Approval Rating: 94%
Number of Open Jobs: +40

Employees Say: “Senior Management is extremely knowledgeable and open to helping the new generation of employees grow and learn more about the automotive industry.” —Current Senior Marketing Analyst

“Work

T-Mobile

CEO: John Legere, Approval Rating: 99%
Number of Open Jobs: 2.3k

Employees Say: “Best place to work in the Seattle area. Good pay, great benefits, treats employees very well. Fun place to work.” —Current Employee

“Work

NBCUniversal

CEO: Stephen B. Burke, Approval Rating: 93%
Number of Open Jobs: 3.2k

Employees Say: “I was delighted to work with a group of individuals who were excited to go to work every day and embraced their creativity. It is a great work environment where employees managed to have fun and be productive at the same time.” —Current Employee

“Work

KnowBe4

CEO: Stu Sjouwerman, Approval Rating: 98%
Number of Open Jobs: +70

Employees Say: “Incredible perks and benefits, super fun environment, rewarding work!” —Current Employee

“Work

Life.Church

CEO: Craig Groeschel, Approval Rating: 98%
Number of Open Jobs: 45

Employees Say: “Life church is interested and invested in you the individual. Personal development through leadership, feedback, book discussions, e-trainings. You are given the tools and resources to succeed. Life church sets you up to win. You have mentors over you to help get you adjusted to your role, answer questions or concerns you may have.” —Current Employee

“Work

Deloitte

CEO: Cathy Engelbert, Approval Rating: 97%
Number of Open Jobs: +800

Employees Say: “These folks know exactly what they are doing. They set high standards, and consistently deliver. Their project expectations and planning is excellent. The top-level management folks are extremely smart and have a great sense of vision and planning.” —Current Employee

“Work

Hyatt

CEO: Mark S. Hoplamazian, Approval Rating: 93%
Number of Open Jobs: 8.8k

Employees Say: “Great family-like environment. nice to have the ability to jump between the different departments and travel from property to property. Great vacation benefits, 2 weeks PTO after a year, health insurance.” —Current Employee

“Work

Turo

CEO: Andre Haddad, Approval Rating: 98%
Number of Open Jobs: +20

Employees Say: “Incredible transparency of data and decision-making across the company. The CEO Andre is super approachable and lays out a clear vision for the future of Turo. Team is very supportive and humble, probably one of the lowest-ego work environments I’ve experienced in Silicon Valley. Cool business opportunity with lots of room for growth and ownership of big portions of the business.” —Current Employee

“Work

iCIMS

CEO: Colin Day, Approval Rating: 97%
Number of Open Jobs: +100

Employees Say: “Overall the culture at iCIMS is great. Everyone is really supportive, hardworking, and passionate about what they do. Management is great as well, leaving a lot of room for continuous development and autonomy.”—Current Employee

“Work

GlassDoor.com | June 18, 2019 | Posted by Glassdoor Team

#CareerAdvice : #JobInterviewing – Here’s Your #JobInterview Preparation Checklist.

June 7, 2019/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

So you applied for a job online, and just got a call from the recruiter asking if you can interview with the hiring manager. You are super excited until you hear that the interview is happening in 48 hours. 2 days. OMG!

Don’t panic; just prepare! Glassdoor has got you covered. Complete with timing and strategy, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of essential ways to gear up for your interview and knock it out of the park. Ready, set, prep!

As soon as you hang up with the recruiter:

1. Study for your interview like it’s a final exam.

Find as much information as you can on the company or organization, and commit as much of it to memory as possible.
If the job you’re interviewing for requires knowledge in a certain field, do all of the learning and brushing up you can on information that will be relevant to your interview.

2. Generate a list of potential interview questions (and their answers!) beforehand.

Base your list of questions on both what you expect them to ask and the real life experience of others
Reach out to people who worked in similar companies and positions as you are interviewing for and ask them about their interview experience
Use tools like Glassdoor’s interview question database to look up real interview questions and their answers.

36 hours before the interview:

3. Write out answers to every question you anticipate, and practice delivering them out loud.

Even if you don’t remember your responses word for word, you can fall back on certain key points and phrases.
Write your own list of questions for the interviewer, and be prepared to ask them when the time arises.
Make sure your questions are nuanced and well-researched. Never ask for any information that can be simply found online.

4. Compare your skills and experience to the job description.

For each component of the job description, brainstorm your relevant skills and experiences, and think critically about how you want to present them.
If there’s a preferred skill or experience you do not have, be able to demonstrate you’ll be competent without it.

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12-24 hours before the interview:

5. Be rested and healthy for the big day.

Before getting good night’s sleep, try to imagine yourself acing the interview.
Eat wholesome, healthy meals for the days preceding the interview.
If you are prone to anxiety, try breathing techniques or meditation the morning of the interview, and even directly before.

3-6 hours before the interview:

6. Dress for success

Keep your fashion choices subdued and classic – don’t wear clothes that will distract the interviewer.
If you’re unclear on what type of clothes to wear, don’t be afraid to reach out to your interviewer and ask.
Wear clothes you feel confident in. Don’t be afraid to invest in an “interview outfit” or two that you feel your best in.

7. Empower yourself

Practice a firm handshake, strong posture, and attentive body language in advance.
Think of a mantra you can call upon for self-confidence, like, “no matter what, I will do my best.”
Try to imagine yourself not getting the job. While it might be painful to think about, what can you see yourself having learned from the interview experience?

8. Don’t leave any unnecessary unknowns.

Plan what to bring (extra copies of your resume!) and even what transportation you are taking to the interview way in advance, so there’s no added uncertainty the day of.

During the interview:

9. Keep an interview journal

During or even after your interview is over, take a few minutes to jot down what parts you felt you aced, and where you could have shone brighter. These notes can serve as a valuable guide for your future interviews.

6-12 hours after the interview:

10. Follow up.

Extending the conversation shows that you’re passionate about the job. Don’t call every day asking if you got the job, but a simple thank you note can speak volumes about your commitment to the position.
And if you didn’t get the job? Let them know if you’re still interested, and ask what you can do to be a more attractive candidate in the future.

GlassDoor.com | November 5, 2018 | Posted by Lillian Childress