Career Create

Let’s talk about neglect…One of the easiest things to do is to neglect to fill our lives with meaningful tasks because we are busy doing other things. The question is this…are we doing the most important things to get us where we want and need to be or are we doing the things that are NOT getting us where we want and need to be? Are we neglecting our health, our finances, our family, our time management, or anything else that could put us on a path to a better life? Our attitude about our motivation is a very big deal because if our attitude says “I will get to that later because this is easier, more fun, more relaxing, etc” we are neglecting what we know we should be doing to make ourselves better. If you like to read…then read…but choose well when you do…choose something that will expand your knowledge. If you like to put your feet up in front of the TV when you get home…then put your feet up…but put in a DVD that will develop your mind or your soul or something that will fuel a fire to get you moving and  energize you. When we are choosing the moments of our life…we need to choose wisely because neglect can lead to a life full of weeds, just like if a person planted and then neglected a garden. We all want our life to be like a beautiful garden…full of lush color and growth, amazing to all who look upon it because of its exquisite diversity and vast amounts of magnificent layers that meld together to bring a rich, deep, striking picture. Just like that garden we should not neglect our layers so when others look upon us they see rich, deep thoughts and knowledge that they want to pick like a flower or ask for a seed so they can grow more knowledgeable too. Neglect is a powerful enemy and can stop us from doing the tasks we could be doing. Neglect and procrastination can sabotage your life. I once heard a speaker say that there is tons of room at the top of the ladder for anyone because the bottom is so crowded with people that are staying at the bottom because they are NEGLECTING to do the tasks that will get them up the ladder. If you want to be at the top of the ladder where it is much less crowded and full of vast possibilities then don’t neglect the tasks that will get you there. Change your attitude and get motivated

What Is Motivation?

I know enough about myself through time and self exploration to know why I have chosen to do this; I love to write, I have information that others can use, and it is important to me to give that information so that others can be helped by it. So again, the “why” came about rather easily as the dream took shape in my mind. I choose to do this for a certain reason; others will choose their paths for other reasons. For instance what if you are the type of person who wants to generate sales, or you are the person wanting to create something new or make a new scientific discovery, and you are reading this book? Whatever you want, this is where you start in figuring out the how and why of your dream: Attitude, motivation, and goal setting. Let’s get you motivated to make your dream(s) become a reality; let me guide you through some proven methods and strategies to propel you into greatness!

First we must answer the question: What is Motivation? The short answer is “Motivation is Goal Setting”. At the beginning of this book we looked at an idea of successful people and how they got that way; it was because they were motivated to do something. However, even highly motivated individuals need to be able to see where they are going, so they create short and long term goals to see the road ahead. We will be going into much more detail later in the book about exactly what goal setting looks like, but for now, you just need to know that motivation begins with goal setting and ends with accomplishing those goals, each one in its turn. Actually, once you become an expert goal-setter, you never seem to quit setting and achieving new goals. That is the momentum I am talking about that propels you forward. Every time you reach a new goal, you feel empowered and successful and become more and more convinced of your abilities to create bigger and better goals to improve your life. So I can’t really say that goal-setting ends with reaching a goal because that is usually just a pause in the road to a new goal. You will be, and probably have already been, excited to continue doing something after you have reached a halfway point of a project and you can begin to see the way it will look upon completion. Each step that takes you closer is simply a goal along the way. A step forward toward something specific is a goal, and a goal is a step forward that has been planned as part of the whole. In a little while you will be writing your dream, your wish, your goal ~ I always call this a continuing work-in-progress, a living document that adjusts and transforms because you should always want to improve your life, always have dreams that grow and change with the situations that grow and change in your life.

What Is Motivation?

I know enough about myself through time and self exploration to know why I have chosen to do this; I love to write, I have information that others can use, and it is important to me to give that information so that others can be helped by it. So again, the “why” came about rather easily as the dream took shape in my mind. I choose to do this for a certain reason; others will choose their paths for other reasons. For instance what if you are the type of person who wants to generate sales, or you are the person wanting to create something new or make a new scientific discovery, and you are reading this book? Whatever you want, this is where you start in figuring out the how and why of your dream: Attitude, motivation, and goal setting. Let’s get you motivated to make your dream(s) become a reality; let me guide you through some proven methods and strategies to propel you into greatness!

First we must answer the question: What is Motivation? The short answer is “Motivation is Goal Setting”. At the beginning of this book we looked at an idea of successful people and how they got that way; it was because they were motivated to do something. However, even highly motivated individuals need to be able to see where they are going, so they create short and long term goals to see the road ahead. We will be going into much more detail later in the book about exactly what goal setting looks like, but for now, you just need to know that motivation begins with goal setting and ends with accomplishing those goals, each one in its turn. Actually, once you become an expert goal-setter, you never seem to quit setting and achieving new goals. That is the momentum I am talking about that propels you forward. Every time you reach a new goal, you feel empowered and successful and become more and more convinced of your abilities to create bigger and better goals to improve your life. So I can’t really say that goal-setting ends with reaching a goal because that is usually just a pause in the road to a new goal. You will be, and probably have already been, excited to continue doing something after you have reached a halfway point of a project and you can begin to see the way it will look upon completion. Each step that takes you closer is simply a goal along the way. A step forward toward something specific is a goal, and a goal is a step forward that has been planned as part of the whole. In a little while you will be writing your dream, your wish, your goal ~ I always call this a continuing work-in-progress, a living document that adjusts and transforms because you should always want to improve your life, always have dreams that grow and change with the situations that grow and change in your life.

~Attitude is the beginning ~ Attitude is the middle ~ Attitude is the end~

We will talk about specific strategies in goal setting but there can’t or won’t be any real goal setting or motivation without the right attitude. If your attitude focuses on the negative side and you believe that no matter where you look, bad things are happening and nothing good can come out of anything, you will have to work even harder to change your way of thinking. But it can be done if you want it badly enough; I did want it and I did change it, and now I am able to try to help you with the same endeavor. I can give you information, ideas, strategies, and tools but the ultimate decisions are yours to make and carry out. You control your attitude, it is your responsibility, you own your individual self-fulfilling decisions, and you make it happen, or not!

So where do you get this new attitude? You get it the same place the rest of us did, you learn it, you put it into practice, and you accept the fact that you own your attitude and the triumphs and disappointments of your life belong only to you based on choices only you can make.

Here are some tips to help develop a more positive attitude:

• Don’t worry about things out of your control. If you make a list of all your concerns, you’ll most likely find that you have little control over them. Stop wasting energy worrying about things that may not happen!
• Change the way you think. Every time you think of something negative, immediately write down three positives about the person, place or situation. You can train yourself to have a more positive outlook…

For more info…

These are some excerpts from my E-book Propelled to Greatness…go to www.careercreate.com to grab one now…get set on a path that can change your life…

It is very normal for a person to want to put everything on the resume they think might help them land a job but the reality is much different. In reality if I put all of my work history on one resume it would be several pages long and employers simply don’t have time to sift through all of that information to try to figure out where I might fit in to their company. Employers want it clear from the beginning what you can do for them. You hear much argument over whether or not to put an objective statement but I have spoken informally to many employers and the majority have said the same thing…’I need you to tell me immediately what you do and where you fit or I don’t have time for you because I have 100 others that are telling me where they fit and making my life easier.’ Some employers have told me that with all the résumés they receive for just one position, they won’t spend much time on any that don’t get to the point right away. I certainly can’t say that all employers are set on having an objective statement on the résumé but it is much better to use caution and put it on rather than not because it probably won’t hurt your chances if you have it, but it could hurt your chances if you don’t have it. Objective statements should not be ‘fluffy’ and cute, nor should they talk about how you want to enhance such and such and be successful or grow personally and do things for the betterment of your family. We all know that we are doing things to be successful and grow and we are doing it for our family, if we happen to have one; the employer however is concerned about their bottom line, the skills you can bring to them, and how you will benefit them so be quick and to the point. The statement below is about all you need for your objective statement, but keep in mind that you should be customizing each resume for each job for which you apply (unless you are going to a career fair) so it is easy to let the employer know exactly where you will fit in:

Objective

Dedicated and hard working individual seeks position as a Career Coach with Career Create

As an employer I know that the rest of the resume is going to be about Career Coaching skills as opposed to Administrative Assistant skills or Web Designer skills or any other type of skill that I might need at any given moment. My mind immediately goes into ‘Career Coach’ mode and my thought process is focused rather than scattered with thoughts of possible positions and the question of am I reading this resume for a job I even have open or am I reading it because someone left off the objective and I am forced to read it? Is this a valid position or am I reading it in the hope it works for me with information that I have to track down to figure out where you fit in at Career Create? I can honestly say that although I am not an employer with regular and/or steady employees, I do need help from time-to-time and I would never hire someone that couldn’t get to the point and caused me to waste very valuable time because they left off the objective and they didn’t fit the position. I have had people send out resumes with the hope that maybe there is another position that might be open and they will get a call for that phantom position. The problem is that the prospective employee just thought about what was convenient for them, they didn’t consider the employers time, and if a prospective employee is wasting my time before I ever meet them I am fairly sure they won’t respect my company and my company time.

A client recently asked me to do a “quick view” of some of my tips on my blog so that her teenagers would read it. Her point was tha for many young people that are used to technology providing information immediately, it might be easier to gain their attention if I gave them the information “now”. So over the next few days I will be providing the “quick tip” verson of interviewing. My friend also stated that she loves reading the long blogs because she wants the in depth information and she asked me not to get rid of it…so I will attempt to do both and work back and forth between the two sytles.

Enjoy…

INTERVIEWING TIPS 1

It is important to be on time for an interview. It is best if you arrive about 15 minutes early. This will give you time to relax and fill out an application, if necessary. Dress appropriately, since the first impression is a lasting one.

Interview Tips:

1. Do some research on the business before the interview. (See “How to Find a Job,” “Research the Employer.”)

2. Practice interviewing.

3. Go alone. Do not take children or friends.

4. Greet the employer with a handshake.

5. Make frequent eye contact.

6. Smile, be polite, and try to relax.

7. Listen carefully to the questions asked. Ask the interviewer to restate a question if you are confused.

8. Answer questions as directly as possible.

9. Be upbeat and make positive statements.

10. If you’ve worked before, talk about what you learned from it.

11. Use examples of how your skills and abilities would fit the job.

Watch for more “quick tips” coming soon…

I have spent a lot of time working on communication information because so much of what we do when we are job searching is about communication and it is so very important that we put our best foot forward and communicate effectively. I was working with someone recently and I asked him to tell me what communication means and he sat for a minute and then broke it down pretty succinctly in four words, well actually four if you want to be technical because one way to communicate has 2 words, those words are: talking, writing, listening and body language. Those are the primary ways to communicate, of course we have other ways such as sign language, volume, tone, etc…but they fall under the 3 categories because if you use sign language it is words in body language, so to speak. Tone comes under talking and of course writing covers all kinds of communication whether you are providing it or taking it in because you are reading it.

Let’s take a look at the importance of being a good listener. Listening is a skill that can be learned and should be learned because most people don’t listen,  people are often thinking of what they are going to say next and very often this causes them to miss significant points in a conversation. So what does that have to do with job searching? It has lots to do with job searching because if a prospective employer gives instructions or asks a question, you better listen so you can follow the directions or answer the question(s) correctly.

I want you to think back and honestly try to remember a time or times when you missed a point or answered something sort of off topic because you weren’t paying attention. Well, you certainly don’t want that to happen when you are talking with a prospective employer. People speak at about 125-175 words per minute but most people can listen intelligently at about 800 words per minute so it is fairly easy to see why a person’s mind would wander. Also people usually change about 75-80% of what you say into what they want to hear because people are not taught to listen. We hear things all the time, the sound of a train or siren, traffic going by, a dog barking outside, or children playing just out of sight…think about it…we hear things all the time but how often do we stop to really listen to what we hear? Our minds work very quickly and so it can be quite easy to let your mind wander into other things.

Also it is a stressful time when we are in an interview or talking with someone we want to work for and our minds can be running through many ideas, thoughts, fears, or statements we want to make sure we say, thus we might not be paying as close of attention as we should. It is critically important that we listen carefully to everything that an employer wants or says so we are on the same track.

So how do you become an active listener? Repeating back what you hear (or think you hear) is always a great way to make sure that you heard correctly. Asking questions in between a persons statements to you will help you stay focused. Inquiring if you understand them correctly by restating what they have said, in your own words, so they have a chance to let you know if you have gotten off track or if they maybe aren’t explaining things correctly. Of course nodding your head in agreement or using sounds (uh huh, oh, yes, mmmhmm)  or words to convey that you are listening is a good idea too.

We will talk more about listening skills in communication next time…see you then…

When I type the blog…all the lines are even until I post it…then all the lines are crooked!

I had a bit of an accident and haven’t been here for a bit, but things are fine and now let’s get to that post about resumes and the importance of categories. It doesn’t really matter what type of resume you are working with at some point in time the information needs to  be broken into categories. Generally the first time an employer looks at your resume he/she is going to give it about an 8 to 10 second glance so it they can’t grab onto something quickly, they could very well lose interest. The unfortunate truth is that employers are looking to screen you OUT so they can concentrate on the best of the best they receive. I know…nobody likes to hear that from me, but it is the truth so I might as well be the one to tell you. Better me than the employer that kicks back your resume…so let’s look at categories and how you make them work for you on your resume.

In the last blog I gave some job titles and then wrote down skills that were used in those job titles…and every job was almost the same all the way down the resume. This time we will work on breaking skills into categories to show that it is possible to NOT have everything sound the same.

This time we will take a resume that has lots of customer service including restaurant and clerical and bring it full circle to make a strong “all around” customer service/clerical/administrative resume

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Greeted guests and ensured that they were___________________________________________________

• Answered customer questions and provided information _______________________________________

• Resolved customer _____________________________________________________________________

• Provided superior customer service; strong skills in ____________________________________________

• Served customers their orders and made sure _________________________________________________

• Responded quickly to customer ___________________________________________________________

• Strong belief in ensuring customer _________________________________________________________

ADMINISTRATIVE/CLERICAL

• Billing, meeting minutes, mail, filing, phones, computers, office machines, errands, and reception

• Organized registration for ________________________________________________________

• Coordinated and hosted events; organized ________________, such as a____________________ for participants, facilities, catering, signage, displays, _________________ requirements, printing and event _________________

• Met with sponsors and organizing committees to plan __________________, to establish a_____________, or to review _______________________________ and event ___________________________________

• Arranged the availability of __________________________________________________, and other event needs

• Planned and developed __________________________________________ according to customer requirements

• Conducted post-event evaluations to determine _______________________________________________

CASHIER

• Received and disbursed _________________; kept records of _______________________________ transactions

• Received checks and cash for ____________, verified amounts and examined ________________________

• Explained, promoted, and sold ____________________________________________________________

• Strong ability to multi-task in fast-paced environment by ______________________, ______________________, maintaining ____________________________________, and finishing all ______________________________

• 100% accuracy rate for __________________________________________________________________

Another strategy is to use definite accomplishment statements to grab the attention of the reader…we will delve into that type of resume writing next time…but a quick example might be:

Flexible Leader: Operational turnaround in previous company -

• Resulting in company’s elevated ___________________________________________________________

• Successfully slashed over budget cost through _____________________, labor _______________,__ and

productivity ______________________

I need to go back to resumes because I have recently had quite a few that needed to be fixed and not because the information was bad…but rather that the information was the same…over and over…for every job listed on the chronological resume. Many people like to do a chronological resume because it is easier to list jobs in that order. The other types of resumes are the ‘functional’  also known as a ’skill-based’ resume, the ‘combination’ which is part functional and part chronological and the ‘recent education’ that utilizes coursework and intern/extern-ships and any transferable skills from previous work that is unrelated to the education that was recently finished.

So let’s talk about that chronological resume and how it can be very repetitive — Let’s say that I was an Administrative Assistant for 3 years at ABC Company, prior to that I was an Administrative Assistant at DEF Company for 5 years, and prior to that I was an Administrative Assistant/Executive Secretary for JKL company for 2 years, and finally when I was starting out I was a Receptionist/Office Clerk at QRS Company for 5 years. I have 2 jobs that are the same in scope, and the secretary job which is very close to the Administrative Assistant, and then an office clerk/reception position which again has much of the same information…if I do a chronological resume it could look like this…(although this is a very watered down/partial version of a resume)

Administrative Assistant ~ ABC Company ~ San Francisco, CA ~ 06/2007-04/2010

• Prepared invoices, reports, other documents, using word processing________________________
• Answered phone calls and directed calls to ___________________________
• Conducted research, compiled data, and prepared papers for ________________________
• Attend meetings to record minutes
• Greet visitors and determine ______________________________________________
• Read and analyzed incoming memos, submissions, and reports to _________________________
• Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining _________________and performing _______________________________
• Filed and retrieved ____________________________________
• Opened, sorted, and distributed ________________________________
• Make travel arrangements for executives
• Prepared responses to _____________________________________
• Prepared agendas and made arrangements, such as __________________________________
• Provided clerical support to ___________________________________________
• Supervised and trained _______________________________________________

Administrative Assistant ~ DEF Company ~ Oakland, CA ~ 06/2002-05/2007

• Prepared invoices, reports, other documents, using word processing________________________
• Answered phone calls and directed calls to ___________________________
• Conducted research, compiled data, and prepared papers for ________________________
• Attend meetings to record minutes
• Greet visitors and determine ______________________________________________
• Read and analyzed incoming memos, submissions, and reports to _________________________
• Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining _________________and performing _______________________________
• Filed and retrieved ____________________________________
• Opened, sorted, and distributed ________________________________
• Make travel arrangements for executives
• Prepared responses to _____________________________________
• Prepared agendas and made arrangements, such as __________________________________
• Provided clerical support to ___________________________________________
• Supervised and trained _______________________________________________

Administrative Assistant/Executive Secretary ~ JKL Company ~ 05/2000-05-2002

• Prepared invoices, reports, other documents, using word processing________________________
• Answered phone calls and directed calls to ___________________________
• Conducted research, compiled data, and prepared papers for ________________________
• Attend meetings to record minutes
• Greet visitors and determine ______________________________________________
• Read and analyzed incoming memos, submissions, and reports to _________________________
• Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining _________________and performing _______________________________
• Filed and retrieved ____________________________________
• Opened, sorted, and distributed ________________________________
• Make travel arrangements for executives
• Prepared responses to _____________________________________
• Prepared agendas and made arrangements, such as __________________________________
• Provided clerical support to ___________________________________________
• Supervised and trained _______________________________________________

Receptionist/Office Clerk ~ QRS Company ~ 04/1995-05/2000

• Compiled, copied, sorted, and filed _____________________________________
• Prepared meeting agendas, attended meetings, and ________________________________
• Communicated with customers, employees, and other individuals to ___________________________________________________
• Trained other staff members to _________________________________________________
• Reviewed files, records, and other documents to ______________________________________

If you read each one of those job descriptions you will see they are the same…of course there would be real variations where something would be left out because maybe at one job you didn’t prepare meeting agendas and at another position you didn’t train others…but for the most part the jobs are so similar that it doesn’t grab the attention of the reader…

So how do you capture the attention of the reader? In the next blog post we will talk about breaking this resume into skill sets…

Aloha everyone,

I have recently returned from Maui where Doug and I celebrated our one year anniversary. We were married there last year so we went back to celebrate. It was amazing and I am refreshed and gearing up to give you some great info so look for new things over the next few days including an interview with Edward Beanes, Job Development Specialist and Sociologist at Napa Valley College.

See you soon

Aloha

The question of the day was:

What are they looking for when they ask where you expect to be in 5 years?

They are hoping that you will want to grow with their company because it is very expensive for employers to hire and train new personnel but it is true that not everyone will be staying with the company so really consider what you want to be doing in five years before planning out this answer. Let’s take for example a person that I know that wanted to work in an office while going to college but expected to graduate and move on…and graduated but didn’t move on because she loved the job, people she worked with, and made decent money. The day she interviewed she answered the question honestly but threw in a curve. The answer was something like this…”Well, as you know I am still in school working on a degree in __________ and so when I graduate I think I will pursue my career of __________. I have always enjoyed working in an office doing administrative work and I know that I will give you 100% while I am here. Of course there is always the chance that the opportunities here will be worth my making this my choice for a career home.

Remember, if you are a student and you are taking a transition job and there is no upward path for you it is best to be honest and say that when you graduate you will pursue the career that you have been working toward.