Career Site

You Don’t Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

Audrey Dalziel — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:07:58 +0000

Jim Carrey

How much time and thought do you put into your overall appearance preparations when you go on a job interview? If the answer is little to none, then there is a good chance that you are still looking for a job. You see, appearance, including clothing and grooming, does make the man or woman in many cases when they step foot in someone’s office for a one-on-one interview.

The Suit Does Make the Man When I first relocated to the West Coast some 16 years ago, my first interview at a weekly newspaper caught me a little off guard. I showed up for the meeting wearing a suit and tie, only to have the editor catch me off guard with an unusual comment when we met.

He asked me if I was originally from the East Coast, to which I answered yes. H

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learning to cope with the knockbacks

Lucinda Helena — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:31:32 +0000

Just because you can list the characters of the latest reality TV show, it doesn’t mean your reader can. Photograph: Stephen Butler/Rex Features

Before I got my current job, I found out the hard way how cut-throat the journalism industry is. I’d tried and failed to get work experience at the BBC, Time Out magazine, Pop Justice (a music website), Heat magazine, Now magazine and my local paper.

I even made a few attempts to get published. After spending a night with my older sister penning a hilarious (or so we thought), painstakingly truthful account of our love lives, I thought I was on to a winner.

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The Power of Accountability

Sam Goethe — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:15:57 +0000

Most people resist the word accountability. This poor term has been so beaten and battered over the last 20 years that nobody wants to talk about it anymore – much less be held accountable for something.

But Im going to take this head-on.

To be accountable means that people expect that youll do what youre expected to do. You said youd pick up the kids at 6:00, so you show up at the right time and the right place. People can count on you.

Without this, how would society function? If nobody follows through on the promises they make, how does anything work?

The problem is that weve been shifting the focus. Rather than following through on your own promises, were worrying more about living up to OTHERS expectations. When those expectations are unclear or even unstated, youre going to get frustrated and burned out.

But accountability is a good thing. You want to have your word stand for something. You want people to trust you.

The solution to this conflict is amazingly simple: When youre uncomfortable with being held accountable for something, work to (1) understand and (2) re-negotiate the expectations.

OK, the theory is simple, but its hard to do.

Lets say that youve suddenly discovered that your boss expects you to have those TPS reports done by noon every Friday. It might have been nice to know this in advance, rather than getting yelled at on Friday afternoon.

Question one: Whats the expectation? Youre going to have to ask her what she expects, and what other hidden requirements might be coming along with it. Is there a particular format required? Other people that need to be copied on the reports?

Question two: Is it something you can commit to? If you dont get the required data until noon, its going to be impossible to do your work on time. In that case, youll have to relax the deadline, or get what you need earlier. In either case, its going to require some re-negotiation with your boss.

You may even have to ask for her help.

But thats OK, because its what will help her to reach an agreement that both of you can be comfortable with. Its better than committing to something that you know you cant deliver, because then BOTH of you are going to feel bad about the result. Its better to have the discussion now.

Well, not while shes yelling at you on Friday afternoon. Maybe its better to both cool down for a bit so you can have a more rational conversation.

While youre figuring out how to fix this problem, make sure you do your best to uncover a solution. This can take many forms:

You can get the work done by 2:00, on a reliable basis, if its not really needed until then.
You can get the reports by 12:00, if the boss helps you to resolve the problem of not having information soon enough.
You can get SOME of the report done by noon, maybe enough to be useful, and then have the rest by 2:00.
You can have the report done by noon if you can delay some of the other things youre working on Friday morning.

Notice that each of these involves a bit of negotiation. So before you know which might be the best approach, its good to know what the constraints and needs are.

Then, once youve negotiated an agreement, have your boss hold you accountable. Thats a good thing. You want her to trust you for your word.

F Is For February and Focus

Audrey Dalziel — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:01:10 +0000

Every once in a while we need a re-alignment. And whether yours come from the chiropractor or is self-inflicted, the process can open you up or drive your attention down a more singular path.

Ive decided that February is going to be my re-alignment month.

Why?

As a blogger, entrepreneur, marketing coach, author, career strategist, speaker Ive worn a lot of hats over the last few years. Its been an amazing journey full of unexpected surprises, great opportunities and, as you might expect, a few frustrations.

But, just like in job search, we have to be ready to push through the frustrations and obstacles in our path to get where we said we wanted to go in life.

So what does a realignment mean for me and how can you use the idea to help re-energize the things that are important in your life right now?

My realignment and focus for February can be expressed simply like this:

Now if you have a first reaction to this chart, it might strike you as counter-intuitive. Everything on the right is what you might know me for supporting.

And I do.

But these are also areas that can be somewhat unproductive. And unappreciated after youve been doing them for a while. So a realignment will help me both reassess my focus in these areas and, after February, reassert their role in my longer term strategy.

Know that the minus sign does not indicate STOP but rather a reduction in time and focus.

Temporarily.

So I can hit much harder on those items under the PLUS column.

Speaking of the PLUS column, you may be wondering what they are and why they are there:

Software As many of you know, we just finished an initial private beta (testing) on a new piece of software to help job seekers build a powerful strategy for their search. We are estimating another four weeks to implement the changes, improvements and fixes. If youd like to be on the need to know list for when we are opening the curtain, sign up here to be notified. This software is the culmination of all the heart and passion Ive put into Tims Strategy® over the last four years. It is the deliverable. And to deliver it on time, I have to dig in.

Business Dev - In addition to Tims Strategy, I also own Fix, Build and Drive™. I blog there

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Clinton in Chicago drumming up ideas for job growth

Lucinda Helena — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:51:59 +0000

Former President Bill Clinton has landed in Chicago today to hold a summit addressing one of the most critical issues on Americans minds: job creation.

The Clinton Global Initiative at the Sheraton Chicago will take place over the next two days and host over 700 business leaders, politicians, and executives.

Attendees of the event are expected to tackle topics like education, small business development, healthcare, training, and service corps.

Founded in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a way to tap into the minds of thought leaders to devise and implement solutions for todays and tomorrows workforce.

Clinton talked to reporters yesterday about the conference, citing the need for private-sector leaders to jump into the debate and spur hiring.

He told reporters, “It’s inconceivable to me there’ll be another big government stimulus program any time soon.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Clinton said he was hopeful of finding ways to strengthen U.S. industr

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Millennial (Gen Y) Unemployment Rate… Yuck!

Sam Goethe — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:32:44 +0000

A few years ago I couldnt help but see a number of articles and blog posts about how millennials were going to change the world, and how awesome they were, and how much better they were than Gen X and Baby Boomers.

They were entitled, but no one could complain, because they were going to plug the hole when all the Baby Boomers left the workforce. Its as if they were entitled to their entitlement!

Many, many speakers spoke at HR conferences about how to find them, engage them, hire them, keep them happy, reward them, communicate with them, and understand them. They didnt want to pay their dues, didnt have any job loyalty, were rude, didnt really put a full days work in, and wanted all the perks they could get.

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Get free dating sites with Love Scanner

Lucinda Helena — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:46:30 +0000

The Career Blog updates you on recent changes to the site, offers helpful career advice and makes you aware of some great Internet resources I come across that will help your career long term. The Career Blog is a quick way to be updated on every change and update to the Find Your Dream Career website. To subscribe to The Career Blog (no email necessary), right-click on the orange RSS button (see the bottom of the left side navigation bar menu) and then paste the URL into your RSS reader.

Alternatively, click on the Google, My Yahoo!, My MSN, newsgator, or Bloglines button if you keep a personalized home page there. Read full article…

TCS to hire 15,000 in Q4, to exceed hiring target for FY12

Sam Goethe — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:20:37 +0000

Software major TCS on Tuesday said it will hire close to 15,000 people in the January-March quarter and with addition the company will exceed its target of hiring 60,000 people for the 2011-12 fiscal.

If you look at the gross, we have already done 51,000 and as far as this quarter is concerned, we will do close to 15,000 more. So the 60,000 number will go up, TCS Vice-President and Head (Global HR) Ajoy Mukherjee told reporters here.

At the beginning of the year, TCS had said it expected to hire about 60,000 people during FY 2012.

The company has added 18,907 (gross) and 11,981 (net) employees during the October-December quarter, taking its total headcount to 2,26,751 employees.

In the previous quarter, TCS added 20,349 people, which was the highest addition by the company in any three-month period.

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It’s a New Year – Time to Jumpstart Your Career!

Audrey Dalziel — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:13:49 +0000

Make 2012 the year you take steps – even if they’re baby steps – to boost your career! We’ve put together ten ideas for you to consider. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson 1: Assess Yourself Create a focus group of your friends and family members – those who know you best and where you’re coming from, and those who will give you relevant feedback. Ask them what they consider to be your foremost talent, and write down what each of them tells you. Next, ask Read full article…

What Should I be Earning?

Sam Goethe — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:04:47 +0000

We recently wrote about how to ask for the salary you deserve, but how do you know in the first place what you deserve? We obviously can’t tell you that, but we can give you some tips for finding out for yourself what your market value is, as it were.

We use the term ‘market value’ because, as an economic worker in the labour market, you are of value to employer organisations. Whether you’re in your first job or in the latter stages of an executive career, you have something of worth to offer to your current organisation—and your next employer—in terms of your labour. Your precise value is dependent on many factors. These inclu

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Official: Obama to reject oil pipeline

Audrey Dalziel — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:01:03 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Obama administration official says the White House will reject a Canadian company’s plan to build an oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced, says a February deadline set by Congress doesn’t allow for a proper review of the $7 billion project.

The Feb. 21 deadline was set by a GOP-written provision as part of a tax bill that Obama signed into law just before Christmas. Obama had until that date to decide whether the pipeline was in the national interest.

The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in western Canada to refineries in Texas. I

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facial disfigurement and acting opportunities

Lucinda Helena — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:28:39 +0000

Productions such as Phantom of the Opera reinforce stereotypes about facial disfigurement, says Rich McEachran. Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Do I study a BA in Drama, or do I pay about £20,000 for a place at a prestigious drama school? This is the question, recently raised by the Stage, that hopeful drama students may be asking themselves when deciding on their future post-college.

The university versus vocational training debate is even more relevant in view of the tuition fee rise next September. Such financial pressure is compounded graduates who have already been through the process claiming that “the industry is 10% what you know, 20% talent, 30% who you know and 40% luck”.

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Most Common Interview Questions

Sam Goethe — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:07:21 +0000

When it comes to the interview process, research and preparation for the interview can often times determine your chances of making it to the next step. One of the best ways to get ready for a job interview is to practice your responses to any and all interview questions – even the downright weird.

To help you get started, Glassdoor sifted through tens of thousands of interview reviews to find out some of the most common interview questions candidates are getting asked in recent interviews. So

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President’s Jobs Council falls flat

Lucinda Helena — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:08:02 +0000

The Presidents Jobs Council, made up of top executives appointed by the President from citizens outside the federal government, released its much-anticipated interim recommendations for economic fixes this week.

But the suggestions, crafted after only three months of private meetings, met with lackluster reviews and were called uninspiring and a big yawn.

Im underwhelmed, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former head of the Congressional Budget Office and adviser to John McCains 2008 presidential campaign.

The report, published as an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, was penned by CEOs Jeff Immelt of General Electric and Ken Chenault of American Express.

A more thorough analysis is expected in September.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the group doesnt see its mandate as having to define new ideas.

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Those Who Teach

Audrey Dalziel — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:47:24 +0000

I am sure you have heard the old saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.” Well, here is an update to that. Those who can’t find a job, teach. With the economy and job market the way it is, many new college graduates are having a hard time finding a job in what they trained for. But while many companies are firing, higher education is hiring.

English as a Second Language (ESL) classes desperately need native English speakers- whether they have a degree in Business, Accounting, or Art. There are also opportunities in working with people with disabilities in a college setting. You can

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