Jason Alba wrote in yesterday’s blog about the myths many of us were told and believed, possibly still believe. It is a great article. A couple of the myths (or lies) Jason wrote about were…

1. “College is critical, masters is becoming critical. I do not regret my decision to get a CIS degree, and an MBA. And, I’m a huge proponent of furthering your education. However, please don’t think that getting degrees, even in hot fields, is going to minimize any pain or problems in a job search or your career management. Even with my CIS degree, my MBA and a job seeker’s market I could hardly get an interview.” It amazes me how many college graduates I talk to that discover when looking for their first ‘real’ job or are in their first job that they’re not interested in what they’ve been trained for. I suggest to young people before going to college to take the time to get to know yourself and industries well by doing a wide variety of job shadowing, informational interviews, volunteering, internships, and networking of people from a large variety of industries.

2. “Job boards are useless. Well, that’s a message that I took away from a two day career management class. I misunderstood the real message at first but now realize that job boards are not necessarily the best way to find a job to apply to… but they are an excellent source to collect information for networking (or a job search, obviously) and do competitive intelligence research. And to top it all of, it’s cool that they actually do work. I know plenty of people who have found their current job on a job board.” I concur.

3. A lie that I often hear is “Since I have fear, I better not keep pursuing it.” I haven’t come across a client yet that didn’t have fears. I suggest facing whatever we’re afraid about. Sometimes we need a trusted friend or coach to go to those places of fear and conquer it with us when gremlins pop up.

Jason asked at the end of his blog, “What are some old business wives’ tales that you think need to be eliminated?” Great question!!

If you have dreams on your back burner and would like to talk about those dreams with a coach, I really enjoy talking with people about their dreams! I offer free consultations.

Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A commented on my blog from the 27th (I reprinted below):

Yes, support in going through a transition of any kind is important. What about that sometimes infamous word: “networking”. The true purpose in my mind for networking support is a group of individuals who do things for each other, making support a two-way street.

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Great feedback, Marilyn! When the career transitioner is asking a group to support him or her, a crucial question to ask is “How can I support you?” so that the support is a two-way street. Works best that way! Thank you Marilyn!

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Blog on July 27th, 2007

Hallie Crawford wrote in her blog about the importance of support during a career transition. She wrote “During any kind of change, including career transition, you absolutely have to have support.” I completely agree!

How can people best support you? Who would you want to support you? What could you do for them to show your appreciation? What is the first step you could take in placing a support group around yourself? When would think it would be the right time to take this first step? Lots of questions…important ones that need to be answered when making important transitions, especially a career transition.

If you are a career transitioner, I’d like to hear what kind of support group you have placed around yourself.

Lots of seminars and programs are offered on branding. Books have been written for over 10 years on personal branding. A lot of discussion among career professionals center on branding. Whether we know it or not, everyone has their own personal branding. Still, most of us don’t take very much time to think about our own branding.

What can branding do for you? Branding makes you more attractive to employers even when there are no formal job openings, controls what interviewers remember most about you, creates trust and conveys value, differentiates you from others, guides you in decisions, marks you as an expert in niche areas, and much more.

Who should consider their personal branding? I would say everyone. Really, I think the bottom line of ‘branding’ comes down to what is most important to us, namely our core values, being authentic in everything we do so it aligns with our core values. Branding is how we convey those core values. What is most important to you? Do your actions align with your branding?

“In a world full of choices, the brand acts as a sorting device,” wrote Mike Neiss in Tom Peter’s blog.

Career branding is important for all those in a career, especially to the transitioner. If you haven’t thought about your career brand, you may be sending mixed messages, ultimately hurting your opportunities. If you’d like to talk about your career brand, please contact me.

Hallie Crawford wrote in her blog about the importance of support during a career transition. She wrote “During any kind of change, including career transition, you absolutely have to have support.” I completely agree!

How can people best support you? Who would you want to support you? What could you do for them to show your appreciation? What is the first step you could take in placing a support group around yourself? When would think it would be the right time to take this first step? Lots of questions…important ones that need to be answered when making important transitions, especially a career transition.

If you are a career transitioner, I’d like to hear what kind of support group you have placed around yourself.

Linda Maginity, the owner and hiring manager of The Bottom Line, a bookkeeping service, has some great tips for job seekers! Before the tips, I’d like you to get to know Linda. Linda is very friendly, an excellent teacher and really loves the “mind numbing” work of data entry. The part of business that really excites her is helping other business owners realize their goals and dreams. Linda shared…

“The financial health of your business begins with a solid foundation and that means accurate bookkeeping. Without good numbers to base decisions on, you’re just operating in the dark. We teach business owners how to interpret their financial statements and how to generate management reports so they may make informed decisions.”

I asked Linda, “What qualities are you looking for in an applicant?” Linda said she is looking for a person that is…

• Eager to help others.
  
• Focused on what they can bring to the company.
  
• Knowledgeable about our company goals
  
• Articulate in sharing how to help us reach those goals.

What does a person do or look like in order to turn you off?

“When one of their first questions is what does this job pay, what are the benefits and what are the hours. This tells me they have an “entitilement” attitude. Businesses need people to help them to grow and in the end everyone will benefit.”

What questions do you ask at an interview?

• What did they like best about their former or current jobs?
• I want to know how & why they were separated from those jobs.
  
• I ask what their future vision is.
  
• I give them the most boring details about the job they are applying for and ask how they feel about performing those tasks.

After you have hired someone, what are some ways a new employee can jumpstart their job?

• Be eager to learn
• Ask questions
  

What are some words of wisdom you would have for someone wanting to enter the bookkeeping field?

“You must be computer litterate. You MUST be proficient using QuickBooks, and MS Office. I cannot stress enough the importance of education and training. To be employable in today’s market you must seek IT training.”

Not only Linda’s company, but all companies when hiring are looking to hire a person that knows their company goals and how you are going to be a solution for their need. I recommend taking the time to research companies well so that you are prepared in networking and interviews. If you would like help with job search strategy or interview preparation, please contact me for information.

I was reading an article that really piqued my interest about the success of 640 student internships in Minneapolis through a program in partnership with the city of Minneapolis called “Step Up.” Students aged 16–21 were placed in internships with about 140 metro-area employers.

“Kafiya Ahmed had just turned 16 years old when she started her first internship through Step-Up at public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Bloomington office. The internship wasn’t just Ahmed’s first experience in an office; it was her first job ever.

‘I always spent my summers doing pretty much nothing,’ she said.

That summer three years ago, the lessons on professional life began with the basics.

‘One of the first things I learned was how to shake someone’s hand properly, which I know sounds trivial but comes in kind of handy,’ Ahmed said, unintentionally making a pun.

Ahmed said she also picked up valuable computer skills and some office communication tips, like how to get the most information while asking the fewest questions.

In the years since, Ahmed, who graduated from Roosevelt High School this spring, has become something of a poster child for the Step-Up program.

Last summer, she earned an internship in Rybak’s office. This summer, she has her own cubicle on the 23rd floor of the US Bank Building Downtown where she is interning for the assistant to US Bancorp CEO Richard Davis, one of the first business leaders to buy into Rybak’s vision for a summer internship program.

‘Kids need some real experience in jobs that reflect their interests,’ said David Brant, Step-Up director. ‘We really give kids an opportunity to explore who they are.’”

What are the benefits for employers?

• While students learn to operate in an office environment alongside adults, their employers learn a thing or two about the work force of the future.
• It is argued that businesses that welcome a diverse workforce will have an edge in the increasingly global marketplace.
• “For many of these kids, they’ve never been in a Downtown office building,” Brant said. “… [Step-Up] opens up a whole lot of doors and [offers them] new ways to look at the world.”

If you have a teenager who is interested in an internship or you are an employer that is interested in providing an internship in the Traverse City, Michigan area, please contact me. I work with students so that they know their strengths, interests and personality traits. Also, I work with companies to identify teenagers that would work well for them. Next, I work with matching students and companies. It is a win-win situation. Please write me if you are interested or if you have any questions.

I thought you might be interested in the following article…

In this month’s issue of Inc. Magazine, Leigh Buchanan writes,

When I interview job candidates I always ask: If we had a party, what would you bring? Some people come up with fun answers (one woman who was married to a radio personality offered to supply the DJ). Some offer panegyrics to their acclaimed artichoke purée with garlic pita crisps. Some say, “The napkins.” And some look annoyed and ask me what I’m getting at.

I’ve always justified the party question as one that provides insight into a candidate’s personality. And it does–a little. Mostly though, I ask it when I still have 10 minutes to kill before shuffling the poor applicant off to his or her next meeting.”

When you are sitting in the candidate’s seat, you want to appear confident and prepared. How can you do this? Different options. One option is taking in a few hours of preparation and a two-session ‘Interview Preparation’ package where you can build a successful foundation for all questions that are asked of you.

Many times interviewers ask:

• Tell me more about yourself
• Describe your ideal boss
• Can you give me an example of someone who wasn’t an ideal boss?
• What prompted each of your departures from previous organizations?

The list goes on. How would you answer these questions? The first session is designed to give techniques rather than rote answers, be aware why interviewers ask questions, build confidence, and help you stand out amongst all of the candidates. During the 2nd session we’ll role play and I’ll give helpful feedback. This package is a confidence builder and fun!

To find out more information, see my website. I’d be glad to answer your questions.

Thanks, Denise for your comment. I have also found that my clients seek to know what they are good at and if asked, cannot list many strengths. Assessments are very helpful and I use them for a person to know better their personality strengths and core passions. I love your two comparison pictures of when we are working within our key strengths or otherwise.

A friend, an owner of a business, wrote me about some of the challenges she is having as an owner and hiring manager. She wrote,“My #1 challenge in finding good employees is finding those who have technology skills…Some people looking for work can barely turn on a computer. They MUST seek IT training to be employable in today’s.”

Where can a person go for training? If you’re a self-learner, there are great books. If you like classroom style, many community colleges and business such as the tcTraining Center offer classes. I learned a lot of my skills through volunteering and in a few jobs.

How did you learn your IT skills? I’d love to hear from you!

Peter Weddle has written a new book “Career Fitness” and in chapter 3, I really appreciate what was written. Peter states, “To be your personal best is to draw on the special talent and wisdom with which you were born. It is to give expression to the self-defined and self-created excellence that resides within you and each and all of us. It is to enjoy your NATURAL your unique occupational mastery-the workplace activity at which you excel and in which you feel the most challenged, purposeful, happy and complete. This mastery is your calling, and it is the only work that isn’t onerous, dissatisfying and, ultimately, harmful to the health of your career.

Many of us never get to work at our NATURAL. In fact, we don’t even know what it is. That’s why there has been so much focus, in recent years, on helping us to achieve “work-life balance.” The term implies that work is a negative activity that has no intrinsic value other than a paycheck which is almost always less than what we want or need. Our jobs cannot lift us up, but can only drag us down, so we must find a way to counteract them. We must balance our experience in the workplace with activities that occur someplace else and do have enduring value. And, sadly, survey after survey confirms that balance is exactly what a growing number of Americans are struggling to achieve in their lives.”

What is your ’special talent and wisdom with which you were born’? What activities do you enjoy and feel most challenged, purposeful, happy and complete?

I’d enjoy sitting down with you and discussing with you your key strengths, ’special talent and wisdom’! I have a two-session package called “Strengths Identification.”