Joy In Unemployment uh.

Joy In Unemployment … uh…. This morning I woke up to an email showing I was tagged in a LinkedIn post. Thank you Suja Joseph for sharing this. Its really cool to know that something I wrote long ago (I cant find the post) is being shared in job search workshops, and even made into real image that can be shared wow! You have to know that most of the time I write blog posts to myself, and think that maybe one or two people might read and/or appreciate them. As I read through her LinkedIn post, I was into all of it until the end. Yes, life is hard an complicated. Unemployment definitely doesnt help make it easier or less complicated! Yes, we can definitely get through unemployment. Ive seen it thousands of times since I started JibberJobber. Many of us survive it, although we come out a little (or a lot) battleworn. Thats okay because before we didnt take care of our personal career management, and now we flinch just thinking of being in that situation again, unprepared. But then, the last one: We can even find joy in unemployment. What the heck was I thinking? Why did I write that?  Sounds a bit pollyannaish and naive, doesnt it? I dont know why I wrote that because I cant find my original post. Heres why I bet I wrote it back then, and why I would say the same thing today: Im reminded by the lawyer who found himself out of a job, having just left a crappy firm and partner, and months into unemployment. He went from working way too much and neglecting himself, his physical health, and his family, to having time to slow down. Not flush with cash, and definitely not enjoying that part of unemployment, but he was able to take care of himself and the things that mattered, get regrounded, and pointed in the right direction. Today, hes doing just fine. If he kept the pace and the neglect he had before he left that bad situation, he might have driven himself and his marriage into the ground. The statement makes me think about the executive who was making the company he worked for an enormous amount of money, and enjoying some of the financial rewards, but he was completely and utterly unfulfilled. He had the title, the prestige, the salary, but he was not (in his mind) making a difference in the world. He needed more, but he didnt have time to do anymore. Surprisingly, this scenario can be depressing. A job change led to months and months of unemployment, where he was able to find himself, discover what he really loved, and find opportunities to help others in a way that was very fulfilling. Finding joy in unemployment makes me think of the dozens of career professionals coaches and resume writers, who Ive met over the years who have come out of unemployment only to create their own businesses helping others. These people got a taste of entrepreneurship, and realized they do have significant value to offer. Helping people in a job search, land on their feet, get their confidence back wow, theres a lot of joy in that. But to get to that joy, these entrepreneurs had to go through their own journey that felt like the opposite of joy. Considering the dismal stats that say that too many of us are not happy at work, I see unemployment as a bit of a recalibration to our careers. Im not saying I hope that we all go through it, because it is very, very hard to go through. The way things work today, we dont have to hope too long for it. At some point it touches just about everyone. Instead of letting it drag you down completely, I encourage you to find your own silver lining, your own joy, in whatever the situation is. For me, I went from an extremely toxic go-nowhere environment where I had no chance at winning to starting my own business, and getting on a path to financial independence and freedom. I went from being under multiple thumbs in dumb situations and being unappreciated to being the master creator of my own career. Has it been easy? No (just ask my wife). Have there been times I wished to go back to the good old days? Many times. Even just last year I took a job, my dream job, for nine months. I needed my unemployment experience back in 2006. And I needed my work and layoff experience from 2018. One thing Ive realized, multiple times over the years, is that my life is a journey, and I need to enjoy the journey or Ill never appreciate the destination as much as I could. Your unemployment experience is just a bump in the road. But it might be a bump that gets you out of a yucky rut and puts you where you need to be. In that, we can find joy in unemployment. Joy In Unemployment … uh…. This morning I woke up to an email showing I was tagged in a LinkedIn post. Thank you Suja Joseph for sharing this. Its really cool to know that something I wrote long ago (I cant find the post) is being shared in job search workshops, and even made into real image that can be shared wow! You have to know that most of the time I write blog posts to myself, and think that maybe one or two people might read and/or appreciate them. As I read through her LinkedIn post, I was into all of it until the end. Yes, life is hard an complicated. Unemployment definitely doesnt help make it easier or less complicated! Yes, we can definitely get through unemployment. Ive seen it thousands of times since I started JibberJobber. Many of us survive it, although we come out a little (or a lot) battleworn. Thats okay because before we didnt take care of our personal career management, and now we flinch just thinking of being in that situation again, unprepared. But then, the last one: We can even find joy in unemployment. What the heck was I thinking? Why did I write that?  Sounds a bit pollyannaish and naive, doesnt it? I dont know why I wrote that because I cant find my original post. Heres why I bet I wrote it back then, and why I would say the same thing today: Im reminded by the lawyer who found himself out of a job, having just left a crappy firm and partner, and months into unemployment. He went from working way too much and neglecting himself, his physical health, and his family, to having time to slow down. Not flush with cash, and definitely not enjoying that part of unemployment, but he was able to take care of himself and the things that mattered, get regrounded, and pointed in the right direction. Today, hes doing just fine. If he kept the pace and the neglect he had before he left that bad situation, he might have driven himself and his marriage into the ground. The statement makes me think about the executive who was making the company he worked for an enormous amount of money, and enjoying some of the financial rewards, but he was completely and utterly unfulfilled. He had the title, the prestige, the salary, but he was not (in his mind) making a difference in the world. He needed more, but he didnt have time to do anymore. Surprisingly, this scenario can be depressing. A job change led to months and months of unemployment, where he was able to find himself, discover what he really loved, and find opportunities to help others in a way that was very fulfilling. Finding joy in unemployment makes me think of the dozens of career professionals coaches and resume writers, who Ive met over the years who have come out of unemployment only to create their own businesses helping others. These people got a taste of entrepreneurship, and realized they do have significant value to offer. Helping people in a job search, land on their feet, get their confidence back wow, theres a lot of joy in that. But to get to that joy, these entrepreneurs had to go through their own journey that felt like the opposite of joy. Considering the dismal stats that say that too many of us are not happy at work, I see unemployment as a bit of a recalibration to our careers. Im not saying I hope that we all go through it, because it is very, very hard to go through. The way things work today, we dont have to hope too long for it. At some point it touches just about everyone. Instead of letting it drag you down completely, I encourage you to find your own silver lining, your own joy, in whatever the situation is. For me, I went from an extremely toxic go-nowhere environment where I had no chance at winning to starting my own business, and getting on a path to financial independence and freedom. I went from being under multiple thumbs in dumb situations and being unappreciated to being the master creator of my own career. Has it been easy? No (just ask my wife). Have there been times I wished to go back to the good old days? Many times. Even just last year I took a job, my dream job, for nine months. I needed my unemployment experience back in 2006. And I needed my work and layoff experience from 2018. One thing Ive realized, multiple times over the years, is that my life is a journey, and I need to enjoy the journey or Ill never appreciate the destination as much as I could. Your unemployment experience is just a bump in the road. But it might be a bump that gets you out of a yucky rut and puts you where you need to be. In that, we can find joy in unemployment.

What Employability Skills Do Employers Want

What Employability Skills Do Employers Want Writing a CV, a Cover Letter or an Online Application? Words are crucial in making the initial impression. But what are these skills that graduate employers look for? Now, the HECSU AGCAS have published a report What Do Graduates Do?, and as part of the report the table given below is posted as is from the original report. What does Employability mean? The CBI defines employability skills as: a set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy. How to gain Employability skills? What do Graduates Do?   Read the full report, published by HECSU and AGCAS here (pdf version) 244

The Benefits of Working with a Career Coach - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Benefits of Working with a Career Coach - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I received a phone call from someone asking me whether I’m a career coach or a career counselor. I reversed the question to see whether the caller knows the distinction between the two terms. As expected, the caller did not. But that caller was not in the minority, because almost everyone uses the two terms interchangeably. In fact, there are even more such terms: career consultant, facilitator, mentor, and even manager-as-coach. Marcia Bench in her book Career Coaching: An Insider’s Guide describes in detail the nuances of each term. However, for practical purposes and for the majority of people, the only question that counts is whether any of those people who hold the various titles can help clients get jobs or assist them with career changes. Of course there are also many other issues that any one of these professionals can help with. What do clients want? Clients look at a coach and expect the person to be someone who is confident and responsive. The coach needs to demonstrate knowledge of how to maneuver between the myriad job search strategies that are out there, and the coach must be current with rapidly changing platforms in, say, social media, for example. In terms of expectations about what clients can get from a coach, many clients come with certain preconceived ideas, and so a coach must stay open-minded and often call on intuition and experience in order to produce optimal results for a client. An experienced coach develops an eye for clients’ strengths, innate talents, and skills but at the same time has to help clients faceâ€"and overcomeâ€"weaknesses. Everyone has perceived weaknesses; some don’t see them objectively and thus can’t deal with them effectively. Here’s where a good career coach can be potentially crucial. Working with a career coach definitely reduces job search timeâ€"occasionally, quite significantly. Above all, a good career coach has to be an excellent listener and know to ask probing questions. What is a session with a coach like? Similar to other professionals, each coach has an individual style with which the coach feels confident and effective with clients. Many coaches are generalists, meaning that they help clients with a wide variety of topics such as résumé creation, networking, social media, LinkedIn profiles, written and verbal communications, interview preparation, and salary negotiation. As an example, my subspecialties are interview preparation and salary negotiation, which is of course not to say I don’t help clients with all the other subjects involved in career coaching as well! While doing interview preparation, we conduct extensive mock interviews. I videotape clients for a few minutes, and then we analyze the tape together. I also provide feedback on a client’s image and make suggestions for improvement. What is the cost? Career coaches’ fees vary widely. Most career coaches have Web sites, but not all of them list their fees there. Why? Sessions can last anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours. Some coaches charge by session; others charge a global fee in the thousands of dollars. My suggestion is caveat emptor: let the buyer bewareâ€"and do a thorough evaluation with due diligence. Interview a coach before handing over your money, and above all, if there’s no chemistry between the two of you, run away and find someone else regardless of the cost.

Hope Springs Eternal

Hope Springs Eternal Tali Sharot write The Optimism Bias, a book on why humans almost always view the future as hopeful and sunny.   She has studied hundreds of subjects, young and old, and found that no matter the odds, we always believe that tomorrow will be better. We’re apparently hard wired that way.   The fascinating question is: why? One of the characteristics that set humans apart from most other creatures is our ability to see into the future; to travel ahead in time.   It’s what helps us plan.   We can for instance, make a decision to go grocery shopping even though we just eaten a big meal; we know we’ll be hungry later, and we’re out of eggs, so we shop.     The catch is that we also know, through our ability to see the future, that we’re going to die.   Everyone does.   Scientists believe that the knowledge of death, when our ancestors’ brains evolved enough to understand it, could have been devastating.   It could have resulted in a debilitating fear and depression that would have stopped evolution in its tracks, unless a cognitive bias toward good outcomes evolved at the same time.   In other words, being optimistic saved the species.   It might still be doing so today. “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”   That’s the essence of the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Some people believe that self-fulfilling prophecies don’t just predict the future, they influence it.   Always the optimist, I believe it too.   I believe that you can influence the outcome of an event by believing that you will win (or make the sale, or get the job.)   And I’m not alone.   Many professional athletes practice visualization before an event.   They run the course or play the game over and over in their minds, negotiating turns, making the play, overcoming obstacles, and of course, winning. No one ever visualizes an opponent coming up from behind to steal the lead.   The term “self-fulfilling prophesy” was coined by American sociologist Robert Merton in the 1940’s. (He also coined the terms “role model” and “unintended consequences,” so he was on quite a roll.) Scientists believe that self-fulfilling prophesies can influence everything from academic performance to surviving a deadly disease.   We humans also have a confirmation bias that leads us to observe data that supports our personal beliefs.   If you believe your boss dislikes you, you’ll find dozens of clues a week that support your theory.   If you believe he likes you, you’ll also find dozens of actions that support that theory.   Our expectations form the world around us in part because we believe the “evidence” that our mind supplies. Sometimes, our expectations form reality because we take action on the things we believe. If I believe that my son is a gifted athlete, I may spend more money on training or coaching or equipment.   Over time, these investments may indeed help him achieve more in sports.   If I hadn’t believed that he was great, I might have invested less, thereby ensuring less success. If you believe your next job offer is right around the corner, you may act differently than if you don’t think you have a chance.   You may dress differently, stand a little taller, smile more, and take time to write a better cover letter.   Eventually you may create a self-fulfilling prophesy of your own. “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” (Author Maria Robinson.)

Social Proof Where Online Presence Meets Personal Branding - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Social Proof Where Online Presence Meets Personal Branding

7 Common Mistakes That Prevent You From Getting a Job - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

7 Common Mistakes That Prevent You From Getting a Job Searching for a job can be a challenging experience. On the one hand, there are more tools than ever to search for any type of position you want. Between online job boards, LinkedIn, networking events, and many other sources, youll never run out of places to apply. At the same time, youre often competing with hundreds of other applicants. Thats why you have to create a targeted job strategy and avoid making blatant mistakes in your search. The following are some typical job seeker mistakes that are easy to avoid once youre aware of them. 1. Limiting Yourself to One Type of Job Search Its easy to get into a rut with your job search. You might be relying on one job search engine or only applying to companies on LinkedIn. Whatever your favourite method might be, its a mistake to rely on it alone. There are too many alternatives nowadays to justify such an approach. Here are a few possibilities to try: • Rather than simply applying for posted jobs on LinkedIn, also connect with people and ask for their advice. They may tell you about openings at their company or refer you to someone else. • Attend live events, such as conferences and trade shows. These are great for meeting people and networking. • Join groups and forums related to your industry. Dont simply spam the boards asking about jobs, but take the time to make real connections. 2. Being Set on the Perfect Job Seeking Mr. or Ms. Perfect can prevent you from dating and meeting anyone who has the slightest flaw. Similarly, if youre set on an ideal job, you may be overlooking some solid interim choices. This doesnt mean you have to take any job anywhere that posts a Help Wanted sign. However, many jobs provide you with valuable experience, not to mention an income, on your way to your dream career. 3. Failing to Leverage Your Personal Contacts Even if you feel like you dont know anybody who can help you, its a good idea to talk to as many people as possible about your job search. This includes family, friends, present and past co-workers, former teachers and classmates, and anyone else youre connected to. These connections dont have to be close. Some people worry about appearing desperate or annoying people. However, theres nothing wrong with sending someone a brief email or, during a conversation, mentioning that youre looking for work. 4. Providing Too Much Information (TMI) TMI is a popular acronym on social media. Keep this in mind when creating CVs, filling out job applications, and even during interviews. Providing too much information can actually hurt your job search. For example, if youre an older candidate, dont list every job youve had going back 20 or more years. Work experience going back more than 10 years, unless its directly relevant to the position, is best omitted.  If you need help with your CV, consider enlisting the help of a professional CV writing service. However, to get you started, here are some additional items to leave off your CV: • Your age or date of birth. • A photograph, unless youre in a field such as acting or modelling. • Your salary at previous positions. • Personal interests or affiliations that have nothing to do with the position for which youre applying. 5. Not Doing Research on the Company When creating a CV or writing a cover letter, dont make them generic. Customise them for the specific company youre applying to. Its even more important do some research on the company if youre fortunate enough to land an interview. Interviewers often like to test candidates to find out if theyve done their homework or if theyre just showing up and winging it. You can find out quite a bit about a business with a few minutes of focused research online. Sprinkling your answers with a few pertinent facts about the company can go a long way towards making a strong impression. 6. Lying or Exaggerating It may be tempting to boost your credentials by stretching the truth, but dont do it. Its all too easy today for someone to check out your claims. If youre caught lying, your reputation will take a major hit and you could even be blacklisted from other jobs. Inventing impressive-sounding degrees and job experience is not worth the risk. On a similar note, make sure any references you provide are people who can be easily reached. 7. Having an Inappropriate Online Presence Even in the social media age, its difficult to remember just how easy it is for people to uncover information about you. This is particularly true of items you voluntarily post on social media sites. If youre trying to cultivate a professional image, be careful about photos, Facebook posts, videos, and other content that might be circulating online. You should assume that a company considering you for a position will, at the very least, Google you and check out your Facebook and Twitter (LinkedIn is not usually an issue here, as people use that for strictly business purposes). If theres anything there that could harm your reputation, remove it. These are some of the most common job-hunting mistakes that will lower your chances of recruitment. Keep in mind that your job search often depends on taking many small actions. You never know what conversation, email, or line of enquiry might lead to a job. Author bio: Lee Tonge is one of the UKs most respected professional CV Consultants having created  The CV Store  in 2001 Lee has become recognised as one of the UKs leading CV writing experts and is often called upon by some of the worlds most well-known recruiters for CV advice.

Tricks to Writing Functional Resume

Tricks to Writing Functional ResumeOne of the greatest skills a resume writer can possess is being able to write functional resumes. But before writing functional resumes, you have to learn the tricks to writing functional resumes. There are several tricks that you need to know in order to write a functional resume.The first trick to writing a functional resume is to include all the necessary information for it. Make sure that you cover every point on your resume. This way, your resume will be very easy to read and comprehend. The first thing that your resume must contain is your contact details.The next part is to include your contact details. Include name, address, email and phone number. You can also include your social security number if you want. Do not forget to add a job title. At least this will help your resume stand out from others.The next trick to writing a functional resume is to include all your personal information on it. This includes your hobbies, talents, work exper ience and educational qualifications. These will help you demonstrate to the employer how well you are qualified for the job. Always include your achievements and professional credentials. These will help you stand out from the other applicants.The third trick to writing a functional resume is to include a cover letter along with it. A cover letter is supposed to demonstrate to the employer that you have done your research and have put some effort into it. It will also show that you are serious about your job application.One more trick to writing a functional resume is to include your professional website on it. While it may seem like an unnecessary step, this will prove helpful in your search for a job. You will have a better chance of getting a job when you include your professional website on your resume.Finally, the fourth trick to writing a functional resume is to ensure that you have included all your skills and achievements on it. This will make your resume more believable. I t will show that you have done your research on your chosen career field.These are just some of the tricks to writing a functional resume. As you can see, there are many things that you have to remember in order to create a functional resume.