by careertipper | | Blog

Creating a lasting first impression is vital to your career search. The duration of a first impression can range from seven to thirty seconds. First impressions can be sealants of progress or refuse during the interview process. First impression triggers are components of your personal brand. A few first impression triggers includes your social media profiles, your voicemail, your email, your hand shake, and your attire. Be cognizant of your efforts of maintaining your personal brand.
In lieu of a resume submission, a potential employer may request links to your social media profiles to review how you choose to present yourself globally. Your verbiage, pictures, videos, and overall content can increase or decrease your candidacy relevancy for a position. Post wisely and tactfully, even after you have secured your desired position. You do not want to be prone to loosing your job based upon inappropriate posts.
During your career search, your voicemail should be professional and clear to understand. Your voicemail should not feature the latest music sensation nor have background noise.
Email addresses can be too revealing of lifestyle choices and personal details sometimes. Keeping your email address basic and simple is a consistent recommendation by hiring managers and recruiters.
Your handshake and attire display confidence and an unspoken understanding that you know how to carry yourself in your desired work environment. Your attire needs to be tasteful while using all appropriate under garments, accessories, levels of perfume usage, and overall body coverage. Take the time to research handshake styles and wardrobe interview essentials and determine if your handshake or wardrobe needs to be revised.
Your goal is to always be considered and viewed as a qualified candidate. Strive to have your first impression in all environments that you enter promote you to the next level that you desire.
by careertipper | | Blog

Knowing your preferred company environment is favorable during your career search. Many companies are transparent with what type of work environment they promote through their company website, blog, and social media platforms. Companies often host chat sessions on Facebook and Twitter to share details about their hiring process, industry insights, and sometimes general day-to-day activities that a prospective employee may experience. On Instagram, you can view fun pictures and brief videos sharing highlights from a successful company event. Companies will also email invitations to their hiring events to people who follow them through social media and/or sign up to receive their company email blasts through their company website. Attending hiring events is also a great opportunity to learn more about the environment of the company. Take your time to ponder, research, and list what specifics you want your work environment to provide you. Below are a few starter inquiries to assist you in developing and fine tuning your work environment wish list.
- Telecommute Option
- Flex Scheduling
- Casual Attire vs. Professional Attire
- Professional Training and Development
- Community Involvement
- Intrapreneurship Option
- Employee Morale Booster Activities
Next, update your career goal affirmation to include details of your desired work environment. Remember, that your words are powerful. Words frame the outcomes of your life. Repeat your career goal affirmation daily.
Example: I am a business subject matter expert that exceeds assigned metric goals quarterly. I effectively execute training initiatives to team members. I am grateful to be working a flex schedule; three-day a week working remotely from home and working two days in the office.
by careertipper | | Blog

Everyone has a desired career title that they would like to accomplish and feel that they are getting a return on their investment for their cultivated skills, professional development, and education to date. Depending upon your perspective of your career path, sometimes your dream career can be masked under a position title that initially seems to be unappealing to you. It is not always to your advantage to dismiss positions based upon their title without reviewing the potential position description on job boards or with recruiters and hiring managers. Your desired position income, experience, and benefits wish list can be one perspective shift away from being a reality for you.
Depending upon your industry each position you submit for will require a listing of professional and personal references. It is important to stay in touch with previous managers, mentors, and business peers that you had positive outcomes and interactions with professionally. Give them a call, send them an email, or reconnect with them through various social media platforms. Develop a reference listing that can be viewed as benefit for you.
Position Submittal Preparation
- Research and identify position descriptions that interest you versus the position title solely.
- Keep a current listing of contact details (i.e. phone number, email, website, and physical business address if applicable) of professional connections and previous employers.
by careertipper | | Blog

“As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” Antoine de Saint Exupery
The time a dedicated career search requires can equate to the hours of a full-time or part-time job pending your current employment status. To have a successful career search; it is essential for you to plan your daily career search action items. Executing your daily career search plan will shift you closer to your desired professional role. Strategic planning is much more effective than random planning. It is important that you remain focused, encouraged, and dedicated to accomplishing your career search goals daily.
Suggested Daily Career Search Action Items:
- Set an alarm on your phone to repeat your career search affirmation goals three times a day.
- Review online job postings alerts that you have emailed to yourself from different online job boards.
- Identify a time block to specifically craft your application for postings that interests you. The same resume, cover letter, or email verbiage will not always apply for each position you submit to for consideration.
- Study your chosen industry. Read about current events, industry operations, training opportunities, and the latest insight tips from industry leaders. Researching your industry daily empowers you and builds your confidence in being viewed as a qualified candidate.
- Journal your career search lessons, goals, outcomes, wins, and challenges daily. Journalizing promotes personal growth and assists you in keeping your career search focus points in perspective.
by careertipper | | Blog

Planning and launching a career search can spark a range of thoughts and emotions that have been ignited by a variety of personal and/or professional needs and ambitions. One of the most important things to remember during a career search is the power of words and keeping your career goals visible consistently. It is critical that one doesn’t speak negatively about any situation or outcome they encounter during their career search. In addition, to keeping a career goal reminder in a location that is often visited. Creating and viewing a vision board and repeating a career affirmation daily are great encouragement boosters during a career search . Your vision board and affirmation will help shift things to fall in order and manifest your career goals to a tangible reality.
Activity of the Day: Create a vision board displaying all desired career outcomes, professional relationships, company culture, goals, professional environment, income/salary, attire, and professional travels one wants to experience. Through photos, words of affirmation, stickers, and media clippings the vision board will be a motivational daily reminder for the career seeker and/or changer to place dedicated effort towards accomplishing their career goals.
What is your career excellence goal affirmation?
Example: I am a business subject matter expert that exceeds assigned metric goals quarterly and effectively executes training initiatives to team members.