by careertipper | | Blog
During my recent career search, many attitude perspectives crossed my mind. The one perspective that continually resonated in my thoughts and spirit was gratefulness. I strongly believe that displaying gestures of gratefulness from a genuine place within, will serve you well as you network your way to your next professional promotion, career transition opportunity, or business connection. Below are my 6 tips that have ushered me to experiencing and accomplishing my desired career goals.
- Be grateful for your past and current professional lessons. During mediation and throughout my daily travels and conversations; I reflect and give thanks for my good, challenging, rewarding, and developmental career opportunities. All of my professional lessons have led me to promotional and leadership opportunities that continue to assist me in knowing when to be still and observe or take my hustle to the next level to successfully complete and accomplish a project, task, or goal.
- Be grateful to have access to knowledge. From a local, national, and global perspective not everyone has the opportunity to learn and/or develop industry skills through education or trade. I am grateful for the opportunity to have access to the resources to be able to advance in my chosen professional industry, reinvent my career, or be viewed as a credible industry expert.
- Be grateful that you qualify to apply. I enjoy observing people advance in their careers and businesses. It is great to know that you meet the requirements of being viewed as a qualified candidate when applying and being considered for your next career move, business venture that has specific credit requirements, or being invited to attend a networking opportunity that is for a select group of credentialed professionals. Humble beginnings that you respect and grow from will ultimately lead you to the qualifying moment that you have been focused on experiencing to the fullest during your professional career path travels.
- Be grateful for the support system of encouragement that you have. Life does not guarantee support for anyone. For some people, support embraces them because people want to honor their dedicated and consistent efforts of being focused and diligent to manifesting their desired career goals. Other people have had an ongoing support system that cheers them on in their success attraction endeavors simply because they’re friends, family, or respected colleagues. Whichever way support positively comes to you that keeps you encouraged and/or connecting to ideas and business opportunities, be grateful. There are some people who have no idea what it is like to have someone believe in them enough to take the time to cheer them on their success journey.
- Be grateful in knowing that your career search has a timeline. My career searches have had an ongoing reminder, nothing lasts forever. Eventually when you have acquired the skills, knowledge, connections, mindset shift, or image adjustment the career or business opportunity that you’re seeking reveals itself.
- Be grateful for the self-awareness your career search heightens in you. As a career coach, I have witnessed the career searches of many people notably crystallizes after they define who they are, their limits, and their flexibilities. Career searches also sparks creativity and re-ignites professional dreams that may have smothered down to embers. The great ‘aha moment’ is that your career search can direct you to realizing the time is now to shift and go full force to turning that professional dream into a daily reality.
Remember that our actions have a boomerang effect back into our lives. Today in the midst of your career search, I encourage you to the take to time to pay it forward by helping someone else in accomplishing their career goals. Send a thank you card to a mentor or simply take fifteen minutes out of your day to meditate and be grateful for another day to construct your career path of success.
by careertipper | | Blog
Are you reviewing your resume and know that you are missing a few great bullet points about your skills? At the same time, you are not exactly sure which merit worthy skills you are missing. Try the pre-writing exercise of clustering to determine what additional skills or professional experience you forgot to originally list on your resume. Clustering can be an alternative to completing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis that can help you determine where you need to expand your industry knowledge and your professional know how to advance your career.
A clustering exercise can be a leisurely activity that can be journaled at one of your favorite locations or in your office on a whiteboard. Use colorful writing tools to categorize each segment of your resume. Segment options could be your professional summary key points, industry skills, interpersonal skills, or professional experience outcomes.
Best wishes to you for a productive clustering exercise that will result in bringing to mind success traits and accomplishments that employers will respect and find value in.
by careertipper | | Blog
“Whatever you believe about yourself on the inside is what you will manifest on the outside.” ~ Unknown
The way you walk into a room can be an influential indicator of how you will carry yourself in a potential position. Be diligent in your efforts not to let nervousness or excitement for an interview be too profound that it affects the outcome of you being viewed as a qualified candidate for the desired position. It is important for you to walk and speak with confidence and make strong eye contact with everyone that you interact with during your interview process. Research the basics of body language before starting your career search. Learn or refresh your knowledge of how your body language relates to interviewing and daily interactions with people. Your increased awareness of body language can potentially become your gauge of how an interview is progressing. Your body language during an interview is equally important as your interview attire, interview dialogue, resume, social media presence, and follow-up communication. Your body language preparation can be favorable in confirming that you will be viewed as qualified for your next desired career move.
by careertipper | | Blog
One of the most powerful tools you can create and promote during your career search other than your resume is a career portfolio. Your portfolio is a great opportunity for you to display your professional accomplishments and awards. When developing your career portfolio the presentation format and creative ideas are endless. Your presentation can be produced as a brag book or through an online portfolio source. Your portfolio should be professional and consistently industry relevant. Do not rush the process and have fun formatting your portfolio with quality copies and clear pictures. Take a moment to view your great work with pride and confidence. Your portfolio can be an empowering conversation point during your interview that ushers you to opportunities to speak more in-depth about your accomplishments with verifiable data present beyond some interview questions guides. Your portfolio can be the deciding factor for you being considered for a position or a promotion.
Career Portfolio Content Ideas
- Non-confidential metrics
- Resume
- Awards
- Letters of Recommendation
- Previous non-confidential industry related project outcomes
- Transcripts
- Community outreach projects with pictures if applicable
- Media tears
- Mock industry related projects to show your creativity or plan execution ability
by careertipper | | Blog
Phone interviews should not to be disregarded or taken lightly during the interview process. If your first phone interview is not viewed as successful by the interviewer; the face to face or Skype interview you are aiming for will most likely not be scheduled. Phone interviews can sometimes result in you being viewed as a qualified candidate for more than one employment opportunity pending the company’s hiring needs. Be yourself and be certain in your skills. Your confidence will be projected through the phone.
Below are a few phone interview do’s and don’ts for your review and consideration.
- Do declare to yourself that you are going to have a great phone interview with the potential employer.
- Don’t take your phone interview while driving. It’s ideal for you to complete the phone interview in a space where your call cannot be interrupted with back noise, music, or other audible distractions.
- Do smile during your phone interview. A smile can always be felt through the phone. If possible, keep a mirror in front of you as a reminder to smile.
- Don’t speak negatively or be disrespectful to the interviewer. During your phone interview they are the gatekeeper to you moving forward in the interview process.
- Do stand up during your phone interview. Standing up keeps you energized and assists in projecting your voice well during the call.
- Don’t be late for your phone interview. Be completely set up in your interview space and ready to take the call on time with the interviewer.
- Do have your resume in front of you and your preferred technical device near by that you may need to use to research something quickly during your interview.
At the end of your phone interview; journalize your outcomes, your follow-up action items, and your lessons learned if applicable.
