Posted by brenda on Monday, April 30th, 2012 , Posted in BLOG, Brendas Blog, Career Transition Help, Resume Development, Staying Employed , No Comments »
Imagine a mass layoff at your company and all of a sudden there are 1500 job seekers with similar credentials seeking similar positions elsewhere. Would you agree that the person requiring minimal preparation time has an advantage, because they are now the early bird and we all know that the early bird gets the worm!
This is a continuation of last weeks’ urge to you readers to be more proactive when it comes to the readiness of your resume. None of us knows when unemployment or job transition may strike so it’s always a best practice to be ready. Now you’ve already gone through your work history and compared goals to actual performance, you’ve thought about the impact that you’ve made within your company, and you’ve quantified your accomplishments. This week we’ll kind of take a step back and make sure you actually have goals to quantify and make sure that your individual goals are actually stretching you and developing you toward some larger career aspiration.
SET STRETCH GOALS
You may have heard the term “professional growth,” well this isn’t possible unless you take on projects and tackle unfamiliar concepts, comprehending them, and using your newfound knowledge to solve a complex problem. This is why you don’t want to set goals for things you know you can do blindfolded with your hands tied behind your back. What concept/process / product has been intimidating you at work? Ask to be a part of the team that’s addressing it and you will emerge with new knowledge and professional growth!
ALIGN GOALS WITH CAREER ASPIRATIONS
Not to negate what I just said, but don’t take on those challenging assignments just because they’re challenging. Make sure you select tasks and projects that are in line with what you want to do next. For example, if you’re working on an MBA and ultimately want to lead the business strategy team, then for now ask to be a contributor to the team and offer your suggestions as they stand today. Likewise if you are a teacher and strive to be a principal, then ask about leading some staff development courses or parent/teacher collaboration sessions.
TRACK PROGRESS OF GOALS
Now that you have these fantastic goals that are actually going to help you get where you want to be…you want to make sure you are on track to complete them. Figure out a realistic timeframe to complete the goal, add some buffer time to account for the unexpected fires that you will inevitably have to fight just to keep business moving, and create a timeline with major milestones AND DATES to keep you on track. If you miss a milestone, then stay late, come in early, or figure out other ways to save time so you don’t miss your target.
Being able to discuss why you took on certain projects at work and intelligently show how you strategically tackled complex problems in order to position you for the next level is the kind of evidence that employers are looking for to show you are the best candidate for their position. So set aside time THIS WEEK to figure out your goals, write them down, and create a tracking template that you can use to stay on pace and complete it!
Don’t forget to check in with me throughout the week via comments or Facebook.com/RoyalResume. Have fun and come back next week for the exciting conclusion Part III – Metrics!
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor.” ~ Brian Tracy
Brenda M. Cunningham is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and National Job Search Strategist. Brenda’s mission is to eradicate unemployment and underemployment and to help accelerate your job search. For more information on customized resume development, group workshops, and job search coaching visit www.royalresumeaz.com, www.facebook.com/RoyalResume, or call 602-570-7593.
Posted by brenda on Monday, March 26th, 2012 , Posted in BLOG, Brendas Blog, Career Transition Help, Confidence Boosters, Job Search Tips, Staying Employed , No Comments »
I think back to a corporate engineering position that I held and once enjoyed, but later started to dread. The creative process was being stifled and it turned into constant reporting to senior management. This gradually took pieces of my enjoyment away and I began to realize that this was no longer the job for me.
Like me, many professionals are struggling to maintain their joy in something they just no longer enjoy doing. So many claim, they are just grateful to have a job, so they dare not complain that they no are no longer excited about what to do! Some draw the conclusion that they will go into business for themselves (if this describes you, then you should contact Coach Isha Cogborn for some transition tips at http://coachisha.com). But if you want to make a change to a better fit within corporate America then here are some things to consider:
1. BE PATIENT – When you’ve made up your mind to change careers, industries, or teams, sometimes we lose focus on the work that’s right in front of us since we can’t wait to get started on our next big thing. This is certain to leave a bad taste in your current employers’ mouth and could leave you without a stellar recommendation when you need one.
2. DEVELOP A TRANSITION PLAN – Again, don’t leave your current employer hanging, put together a packet of notes on each of your projects or tasks, to help your replacement get up to speed faster, and even volunteer to help train the new person!
3. DECIDE WHEN / WHO TO TELL – Be careful, we all know how brutal office politics can be, so you have to watch how much you’re broadcasting your decision to make a change. My opinion is to simply wait until you have a firm offer on the table before communicating your intent to leave. However, if you are moving internally, then it may be necessary to talk with your direct supervisor during the internal application process. Whatever your path, make sure your boss hears the news from you and not from office gossip.
4. DON’T GO FROM BAD TO WORSE – Take the time to thoroughly investigate and interview for the next opportunity to ensure it WILL BE an enjoyable experience for you (evaluate salary, education requirements, team dynamics, level of responsibility, etc…). I’ve found that if you’re aligned with God’s purpose for your life, He will steer you to the appropriate positions for continual growth and progress.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. ~Proverbs 21:5
Brenda M. Cunningham is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and National Job Search Strategist. Brenda’s mission is to eradicate unemployment and underemployment and to help accelerate your job search. For more information on customized resume development, group workshops, and job search coaching visit www.royalresumeaz.com, www.facebook.com/RoyalResume, or call 602-570-7593.
Posted by brenda on Monday, March 19th, 2012 , Posted in BLOG, Brendas Blog, Confidence Boosters, Staying Employed , No Comments »
This weekend someone very special to me had made the decision that they were finally ready to go back to school and take steps towards achieving their personal career goals. I could sense that this person was very serious and committed to getting it done! Sometimes we have emotional moments and think we’re about to embark on something big but as soon as we tally up the full cost, many people shy away because the task seems too big.
Not everyone in the workplace is looking for promotion, and by the way not everyone should be promoted, but those that are seeking it on purpose should know how to accomplish it. Below are some suggested approaches to making sure you are taking advantage of opportunities to get noticed on your job and approaching your management for assistance programs to help you on your way.
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL or EARNING CERTIFICATIONS – If this is on your list of things to accomplish 
then your first step should absolutely be finding the right degree program or certificate for you. Just because MBA’s are popular doesn’t mean that it’s what you should have. Then you have to evaluate and compare your top choices based on some other pertinent dimensions, like…
- Affordability, compare cost per credit hour.
- Resources, what can your prospective school offer to help you succeed (tech support, library, student support, real-time help with Math and Writing).
- Since online schooling is gaining popularity, look into this as a viable option especially if you’re already super busy.
- Does the academic components align with your existing / future job functions?
Once you’ve completed this research, then you can schedule an appointment with your manager to outline how this program will help you to excel in your current and future roles and get the necessary information on educational assistance programs offered.
APPROACHING MANAGEMENT FOR PROMOTION – There are a few things to consider when you’re thinking about this…
- Are you truly ready, can you provide documented evidence that you’ve accomplished and exceeded your pre-determined job goals?
- Go back through previous performance reviews and personal journals to outline your major job accomplishments over the past 2-3 years.
- Schedule an appointment or meeting with your boss and give them an idea of what you’d like to discuss and then document the highlights of your meeting (and send a copy to them following the meeting).
Don't be discouraged, just take one step at a time
In both cases, give your manager an idea of where you would like to be in 1-2 years then request candid feedback on how you can measurably attain your goal. Be sure to ask specific questions like “ if I accomplish all these things then will I be given an opportunity to perform at a higher level, even on a probationary basis?” Once you know what you should be focusing on, and you have a clear vision of where you’re going, then the confidence and patience to achieve it, is there.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase just take the first step.” MLK
Brenda M. Cunningham is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and National Job Search Strategist. Brenda’s mission is to eradicate unemployment and underemployment and to help accelerate your job search. For more information on customized resume development, group workshops, and job search coaching visit www.royalresumeaz.com or www.facebook.com/RoyalResume
Posted by brenda on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 , Posted in BLOG, Brendas Blog, Career Transition Help, Staying Employed , 6 Comments »
Last night I had the privilege of attending a fantastic Human Resources workshop by one of the most Senior HR people for some of the largest firms in the Phoenix, AZ valley and she shared some fantastic insights (some are reminders) that I’m now going to share with you, my loyal readers. These nuggets of information may help you get employed or stay employed, so please take this very seriously!
If you are an aggressive job seeker and you are filling out applications all over town for retail and customer service jobs. Consider not including your Social Security Number on your application initially. Think about it, an employer doesn’t really need it unless they are seriously considering you as a candidate, (especially if you have a less than ideal background including a criminal past) this may allow time to build rapport with your employer before the background check is complete then they may overlook the sore spots of your past.
Arizona, among others (TX, NV, AL, NC, SC, GA,and FL to name a few) are Right To Work States – which means, employers may not truly need a reason to sever ties with an employee, so don’t give them a reason. Employers can structure their benefits packages, corporate cultures, and even training programs based on their own vision – so what this means for you is…You MUST give 100% everyday so that you position yourself to be an influential leader within your company. Then you can give inputs on how to structure company programs and make sure you’re not on the short employment list.
These were just some of the highlights from her presentation that I thought would be pertinent to you! Hope you enjoyed them! After the holiday, I’ll be starting a new series called A Day In the Life of a Serious Job Seeker, it will dive sort of deep into working with recruiters, submitting on line applications and resumes, attending job workshops, constant networking, and developing daily plans of attack). We’ve gone through some high level overviews in the past, but I plan to really dig in to make sure you are armed with great information and resources for your job search. See you next week and Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by brenda on Monday, October 10th, 2011 , Posted in BLOG, Brendas Blog, Career Transition Help, Staying Employed , 9 Comments »
We’ve been spending so much time talking about how to get a job, but what if you recently got one or have been holding on to one for many years? I am providing some insights on how to not just keep your job but be sought after and considered a valuable employee.
1. Show up on time – Everyday!
2. Be a team player – I know this is cliche, but you really must learn to effectively manage all different personality types.
3. Don’t complain – If you don’t like the way something is done, then offer at least 3 different solutions to fix it. One should be the ideal solution, one should be an affordable solution, and one should incorporate aspects of both.
4. Ask questions – Do your research first, try to figure it out on your own first, but if something is still unclear then ask a member of the team or the boss to clarify.
5. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING – Have you ever heard of office politics? Have you ever thought, they are trying to get rid of me just because they don’t like me? If this is you, then you must combat this with evidence. After each meeting, capture minutes and distribute them to all attendees and stakeholders. After each one on one discussion with a superior, send an e-mail message that outlines and details your discussion. After each performance review, make sure you have a signed copy of any changes that you negotiated with your boss. Keep all records in a personal folder on your desktop and periodically send it to your personal email account, just in case!
6. Prepare for your Performance Reviews – Don’t just show up to these session expecting that your boss knows the great job you do everyday. Keep a running journal of significant projects, milestones, and achievements you accomplished throughout the year. Who can argue against a detailed record of successes? That’s right, no one.
The goal is to excel in everything that you, so that means that you must be committed to every task, only take on what you can complete, escalate issues as soon as they arise, and understand how your job impacts the company as a whole.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men. ~ Proverbs 22:29
This is a continuation of last weeks’ urge to you readers to be more proactive when it comes to the readiness of your resume. None of us knows when unemployment or job transition may strike so it’s always a best practice to be ready. Now you’ve already gone through your work history and compared goals to actual performance, you’ve thought about the impact that you’ve made within your company, and you’ve quantified your accomplishments. This week we’ll kind of take a step back and make sure you actually have goals to quantify and make sure that your individual goals are actually stretching you and developing you toward some larger career aspiration.
Now that you have these fantastic goals that are actually going to help you get where you want to be…you want to make sure you are on track to complete them. Figure out a realistic timeframe to complete the goal, add some buffer time to account for the unexpected fires that you will inevitably have to fight just to keep business moving, and create a timeline with major milestones AND DATES to keep you on track. If you miss a milestone, then stay late, come in early, or figure out other ways to save time so you don’t miss your target.
bmc [at] royalresumeaz.com 
1-602-570-7593
1-866-591-8840
