jobs indonesia

Clock

Senin, 06 September 2010

Career Tips to Professionals to Improve Their Position

Are you worried about next Monday morning? Do you just work for money? And feel like going home as early as possible from office? Do you feel your friends are happier in their position than you? This shows you are not happy with your current position and you must look for a career change.

If you are unsatisfied with your current job and just working for the compensation, that would adversely affect your health mentally as well as physically. Your colleagues taking more responsibilities and advancing their career then you start feeling down. This results in no promotions or terminations due to low performance.

The final call before facing either no promotion and termination is to take a chance and do what you like, rather what you are doing from the past few years.

Think carefully on what is your dream job. We always find comfortable choosing a job which is more secure and has good compensation.

What is a Career change? Is it changing the company and getting a new compensation? Not Really. A career change could be within the organization or could be outside the organization.

First thing you need to improve your position in your current organization is to "Speak Up". Communicate with your manager if you feel your efforts are not been recognized. If you do not speak up and convey your concerns, everyone thinks you are happy with what you have, let it be money, work or whatever!

You and your manager will work together to solve your concerns. If you are good at management skills then enhance your skills by taking some management trainings and try for management jobs. Cautious! Now your each and every task would be monitored to confirm that, your concerns are valid and you need more recognition and reward for your work.

You need to work hard. Try to volunteer for challenging projects. Select a very new but most important topic, give presentations on the topic.

Always share your experience when working with new and different project with your team members. Try to help them in case your team member faces any problem in a certain difficult situations. This gives you more visibility in the team.

Hope you came across "Initiatives and process Improvements" a lot these days in most of the organizations. Try to take some initiatives, could be non-technical as well but an initiative to save some king of resource. Say for example "Go Green" as a very good initiative to reduce the consumption of "use and through glasses" in your organization. It gives you more visibility.

If you are unsatisfied with the kind of work you have, you can try working on product of your interest within the same organization. As you are interested in this work, you will definitely show your performance.

If either of above methods did not work fine, then your option should be change of organization for better position. But you always need to study the market before you take any decision. A market in boom can get you more employment opportunities, as employers would be having more projects and would be looking for more resources.

Go to any job portal for career jobs. Browse for the job openings and contact the organizations directly.


Bookmark and Share 

How to Deal With Career Transition 'Stress'

Career transitions are stressful, especially if you have little
experience dealing with them and don't know how to leverage the
stress they present to your future career advantage. Whether
your employment loss was your choice or someone else's,
unavoidable feelings of anxiety and panic can prevail. If you
find yourself in a career transition, you need to understand
your own stress "profile" to minimize its potential negative
interference with your daily life and personal health.

Understand What "Stress" Is for You

Self awareness of your own stress symptoms is a critical first
step in dealing with a career transition. You need to know in
what form(s) your stress manifests itself in your life before
you can establish a means to address the circumstances.

Stress from life transitions can manifest themselves in a
variety of physical and mental ways. Stress from employment
loss can also present itself in both negative and positive
ways. Often in a career transition, minimizing negative stress
consequences is most challenging.

You, better than anyone else, know how negative stress surfaces
in your life and when it particularly affects you the most.
Physically you may experience irregularities in your breathing,
heart rate, appetite, muscles or digestive system. Mentally,
you may experience depression, lack of sleep, headaches,
irritability, feelings of being overwhelmed or unusual levels
of uncertainty due to self inflicted "damage" to your own self
image.

From a positive stress perspective, stress is really a direct
by-product of our body's adrenaline flow, our natural reaction
to "fight or flight" in dealing with life's extraordinary
challenges. For many people, when they are forced to
immediately deal with a stressful situation they get a great
energy boost, they CHOOSE to seek and accomplish things that
they have never done before. As exhibited in so many
extraordinary human events of record, stressful events can
bring out the best in us!

Define What Stress is Career Related

Because we are attempting to specifically deal with career
transition stress, it is important to differentiate symptoms
caused by this temporary situation from other typical stress
generators in your life, such as your: family, spouse, health,
finances and friends.

Although your unique reactions to these "other" life situations
many be similar to those of your career challenges, it takes a
focused effort to effectively define your specific stress
responses related to a career transition issues.

Attitude is Everything

How "stressed out" you think you are, or how physically and
mentally you influence yourself because of your career
circumstances, is not as important as how you REACT to your own
perceived stress contributors.

Like most things in life, your attitude is everything. How do
you use job loss stress to your advantage while protecting your
health and life from ill effects? Make an effort to try these
positive career transition stress tactics:

Three POSITIVE Career Transition Stress Tactics

1) Fortify Your Self Image:

For many people, their self image is significantly influenced by
their perception of their own career successes and failures. A
job loss can be a traumatic event, an opportunity to "beat
yourself up". This is particularly a natural consequence of an
unexpected career transition. Continuously recognize yourself
as worthwhile, competent and successful, independent of how
your career transition came about. Again, attitude is
everything!

2) Work to Stay Motivated to Get to Work:

Clearly define for yourself what is best for you in your next
career move. Refine your career objectives with others who have
your best interests in mind. Proclaim your next career
intentions to everyone who is important to you so that you
position yourself to stay motivated to seek your career
objectives. Develop a written plan to get you where you want to
be professionally. Tweak the plan as you implement it for best
results. Plan to work, work the plan!

3) Treat Yourself Well:

Focus on developing and advancing healthy behavioral routines
while you seek your next career opportunity. Establish a daily
ritual that is both physically and mentally progressive and
rewarding. Exercise, eat healthy foods, improve your
relationships and establish a finite sleep regime. Strive to
communicate your frustrations more and seek advice to lessen
your stress burdens.

Whether this is your first time in a career transition or one of
many, it takes a concerted effort to leverage positive stress
and to minimize negative stress to your career advantage.
Stress from a career transition does not have to rule your life
and ruin your health! Hopefully reading this article is a
helpful first step to taking advantage of your next career
opportunity.



Bookmark and Share 

Planning Career Change - 3 Tips to Set Your Career Change in Motion Fast and Furiously!

If you're planning career change is in your scope for the future, then you should be patting yourself on the back.

The fact is that most people will whine and cry about being in a career that they hate, but you have decided to do something about it. It's not easy, and it's actually a bit scary...especially if you're leaving a career that's a sure thing. But, the reward of a wise career change can be immensely gratifying.

I know exactly what you're going through because I successfully changed careers myself. It wasn't an easy decision, since I had a very successful career prior to the one I chose, but changing career has been the best decision of my life.

But, if you want it to go smoothly, yet quickly, you have to do it right so that you don't end up stuck in a worse position than you're in.

So if you're planning a career change...

Here are 3 Tips to Set Your Career Change into Overdrive and Make it A Smooth Transition...

Tip #1 Figure Out What the Change Will Be... Duh right. Well you'd be surprised how many people get the idea for a career change on a whim, and all of a sudden they change right to something that they'd still rather not be doing.

Some careers look better from the outside in. It usually goes awry when someone goes after the big checks, rather than going after a lifestyle and joy of doing something that they enjoy doing.

Take some time to assess what it is that you like to do and see if it will apply to your decision for changing careers. Just as well, try to figure out what it is that you DO like about your current career, and how you can apply that else where into a new career.

It's wise as well to try doing the new career on a part-time basis before you decide to go fulltime.

Tip #2 Get Your Ducks in a Row... It's not very smart to jump into anything in life without doing some planning. For career change planning it's the same thing.

It's best to make sure that you've got some cash saved up on the side just in case things don't work out. You may want to put a little extra aside as well in case you do something where you'll have to be doing marketing of any sort, such as real estate for instance, or starting a home based business.

Don't forget about health insurance. You may want to find out how much you can get a carry over insurance for until the new kicks in. Again, if you're starting a home business, or any sort of entrepreneurial venture, then you'll need to provide your own anyways.

Tip #3 Go for Lifestyle not Money... A career change isn't about the money. It's about going to something fresh and exciting. It's about being able to change your lifestyle.

To know this then you have to figure out what type of lifestyle that you want in your change of career.

This means that when planning a career change you need to think about which career will lend itself best to your vision, because if it doesn't fit, you're going to be disappointed and end up hating this too.

I went from a career that may have seemed glamorous to many, but it was one that kept me away from my family for nearly all of my time. I had no time to myself, but if I wasn't away from home with clients...well...I wasn't going to get paid.

I changed careers to one where I now get to be home with my family and still get to make my income while I'm at home. But even if the money were less, I'd still be happier because that was the change I was after. My changing careers paid off because I knew what I was after.

If you're in the midst of thinking about or planning career change then you need to make sure that you've got all of your ducks in a row, and that you're going after this change of careers for the right reason.


Bookmark and Share 

How to Identify the Career You Want in 5 Easy Steps

Some people may identify their careers when they are very young. At eight years of age, they may decide that they want to have occupations just like their parents or they may decide to enter different professions. Others may discover their career ambitions while they are attending high school or at some point later in their lives. Even though people may select careers to work in, it is important to realize that they can change to other professions at any time. Although many individuals may feel as though they are locked into their careers for financial or other reasons, they should take a moment to assess their situations and determine if other career opportunities are more ideal for them. When they look through their lenses, they may discover the freedom to select new, more appealing careers - careers that may even be dramatically different from their initial choices.

My own career changed in a remarkable fashion. Even though I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was thirteen years old, I decided to transition to a career that assists people instead of animals. After sixteen years of practicing veterinary medicine, I made the radical decision to lay my stethoscope down and accept a unique opportunity working for the Chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I became a senior executive for that organization and had many job responsibilities. Despite the numerous day-to-day job duties that I had, I found time to coach many of the company's employees and other people employed at various institutions. During this period I discovered that I loved supporting people during their pursuit of career success. My passion to help others led me to establish my own business and motivate others to experience the bliss of pursuing their own career dreams.

You can also determine the career that is ideal for you. Take some time to consider your responses to these questions.

o What would you enjoy doing even if you did not get paid to do it?
o What occupation could you do every single day and not grow tired of doing it?
o When you picture yourself in that profession, does a huge grin suddenly appear on your face?

After you spend sufficient time reflecting on the questions above, proceed to the five steps below. These steps will help you identify your ideal career.

1. List the careers that appeal to you. If you can not think of any, write down what you really enjoy doing and list the careers that are associated with these activities.

2. Obtain substantial information about each of the careers on your list so that you have a reasonable understanding of what the career entails. You can obtain data on the careers by searching on line or reading books that describe the careers you selected.

3. After conducting your research, return to your list and eliminate the careers that you are no longer interested in based on the information you gathered. Now you can focus on the careers that you are still interested in.

4. Take your abbreviated list and speak to people employed in those professions. During your conversations with them you can ask additional questions that were not answered when you conducted your research. These discussions will provide great opportunities to get their personal perspectives on the careers. You can speak to these individuals on the telephone, however meeting with them face-to-face allows for a more personal exchange (having coffee or tea together is a great way to have a nice discussion). When you schedule your meetings, be careful not to develop intimidating thoughts about speaking with them. Just remember, they began their careers using the same process and will be extremely flattered that you want to discuss what they know best - their very own professions!

5. Continue to re-evaluate and refine your list until you gather sufficient data to determine which career is right for you.

The more you learn about your career of interest, the more you increase the probability of knowing whether you truly want to pursue it. As a result, you will significantly decrease the time or money that may be wasted training in a discipline that you do not want to have as your career.

Dr. Daphne 


Bookmark and Share 

Career Planning Tips - Free Tips For Effective Career Development

Career planning involves planning your career path ahead and determining in advance the career development things you need to do to get to your desired career destination.

The first step to effective career planning is to ask yourself what you want to be in life. What career do you want to pursue?

Want to be a medical doctor, pharmacist, engineer, or lawyer?

Career development along these professional disciplines is often straightforward. For example if your intended career path is to become a lawyer, you know you have to have a bachelors degree in law and therafter attend law school.

However, career planning and career development go way beyond what you studied in school or the discipline where you majored during your university years. Career planning is way bigger than that.

Career development when properly planned involves taking your destiny in your own hands, deciding what makes you happy, and then structuring all your training and career efforts in the direction of your chosen career path.

For example, suppose you have a bachelors degree in economics and now have a job. Ask yourself, "Why did I study economics?"

Generally, there are one of three reasons why people study a particular discipline in college or university.

1. They may be very passionate about the course or

2. They may have studied the course because that is what mom and dad wanted or

3. They may have studied the course because they could not get admission to study their preferred course

The good news is... you can shape or re-shape your career path irrespective of the reasons that led you to your current profession.

For example, some category 1 people... people who were passionate about their profession as teenagers... may lose their passion for the profession as they grow older and face the reality of day-to-day life. This loss of passion may also result from the pressures from family demands and the peculiar
challenges associated with the profession in practice.

Category 2 professionals, mentioned above, are likely to go after their heart's first love when they are no longer under the control of mom and dad.

Category 3 professionals are also likely to go after their first love after their first degree.

For example, I know people who are passionate about accountng. However, they could not make the score for the accounting department during their pre-university days. Some of them eventually went for courses like economics, sociology, statistics, and similar social science courses.

What happened after leaving school?

A good number of them went back to register with the professinal accounting body and now have professional certificate in accounting. In simple words... they are now chartered accountants.

Bottom line.

The course you studied in the teenage years in school need not hold you captive for the rest of your life if you have lost passion for it.

I recommend you get involved with a profession you love. If you missed your way when you were young, you can always retrace your professional steps no matter where you are currently or how old you are.

Now with that background, let's get back to the real question.

What career planning strategy can you use to plan your career path? What practical career development strategy can you put to use right now?

Do the following to move your career in the direction you want.

1. Determine where you are right now in your career

2. Determine and document where you want to be

3. Draw an outline of the skills you need to get there

4. Kick-start the process of acquiring skills you need that you don't already have

5. Discuss your career plan with your wife and then your boss

6. Ask to be given assignments that move you more and more in the direction of your career

7. Get involved in community work (where possible) that offers you an opportunity to function in the position you expect to be

8. Let nothing stop you from making that noble career a reality

Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?

That question should help you appreciate what career development plans you need to put in place to achieve your dream.

If you have not taken career planning seriously before now, now is the time to start.

Planning ahead for a blissful and eventful career is the key to a happy life. It gives you a future to dream about and pursue... a purpose to work and live for.

Here's a toast to your career success.


Bookmark and Share 

Five Myth Busters of Changing Careers - Breaking Free to Reach Your Dreams

Aside from the statistics about the sheer number of careers across our lifetimes in 2009, there are a multitude of new perspectives on career planning, and career options. Was it an option to be a network engineer in a small office when you were a youngster? How about a nanotechnology researcher? Had you ever heard of international micro-loans? These are a few illustrations of newer trends in occupations and career path options.

Even if you are not changing careers this month or this year, you will still need to adapt to changing job demands and responsibilities. Moreover, you likely know someone who will be helped by this informative and freeing approach. Let's break down the threats of the Changing Career Myths together. Read, consider strategies and options for your future, and share this timely information with your friends and family.

1. Career Bondage: You have to pick one career and stick with it. I did not realize anyone still believed this until I started polling high school seniors and college students. Sure enough, these young adults are convinced that their career choice is an irreversible decision. What pressure they experience in Career Bondage. When people look at the statistics and realize they will likely have several careers across their lifetime, it is a liberating experience. Suddenly they are free to step into the first opportunity. Phew! I have seen this excruciatingly long awaited step happen to 17 year olds and 55 year olds. They have similar issues despite being at very different life stages of course. The freedom to step into your future is always a good thing.

2. Closed Doors: Many careers are closed doors for me because I don't have the correct academic degree. You know I have to use the example of Thomas Edison here, correct? He did not have a college degree and look at the influence he had on our world! It is innovation, dedication and inspiration which make a significant difference in many situations. Today, USA culture expects not only a high school diploma, but also a college degree for professional careers. However, once you have tagged that base, you have a multitude of options available to you. Most careers have entry level positions; consider that as you gain more experience and work up further in the organization and industry it may become even better paid and more exciting.

3. FULL TILT, or not at all: If you are going to switch careers you have to go into it full tilt, or not at all. Indeed, a much more successful approach is to try out your new career as a part-time position while you maintain your current career. If you really enjoy it and find it profitable, determine the best strategy for additional training and career opportunities. Another strategy is that if you are thinking of starting your own business, use the same strategy and research the details, plan your ramp-up to test the waters while you continue your full-time work. This approach often works for consulting services, mail-order, web-based fulfillments, and other home based businesses which can fulfill the needs for products or services during nontraditional work hours. Just be sure your full-time work does not suffer at the feet of your new career exploration. The references and relationships you have now will allows follow you and it is much more advantageous if they are always positive.

4. The Lone Ranger Rides Again: Nobody can help you with your career; you have to go it alone. From the country of the ostensibly self-made person, this myth seems to have become a Golden Rule. Truth be told, it is a Golden Failure when followed.The most successful people realize that they cannot know or do everything themselves and instead surround themselves with sharp, supportive advisers, coaches, and assistants. Use recommendations from colleagues, friends or research people who can assist you. Whichever avenue, be sure to run, not walk, as you begin creating a crackerjack support team. Critical members for this network include a financial adviser, career coach/adviser, proofreader (for cover letters and correspondence), and a lawyer (to review employment contracts, agreements, etc).

5. It's a Matter of Luck. Successful careers are a matter of luck, you have to wait for the right door to open. Upon closer examination,it seems that many people who espouse this myth are not very successful. Successful people have shed too much sweat in their efforts and know better. Early in my 2nd career, I thought I was experiencing a lot of luck; however, when I said this to my supervisor, he said, "You create your luck, Kathy. I watch you do it." I am often reminded of this comment because I find it natural to scan the environment for trends, look for opportunities and seek ways to move ahead. Moreover, I take initiative: I love what I do; therefore, I keep wanting to learn more about it! To the outsider it might look like I am working really hard to create luck. I think it is much simpler. The key to creating successful career opportunities may be initiative.

Whatever your current situation, consider how you can destroy the myths which are holding you back. Reevaluate them, gather new information and slay them one, by one. Where are there opportunities to move ahead? What would you like to be doing for work and recreation in 5, 7 or 10 years? What do you need to do to reach those dreams? Gather your support team and ride on into the world of career change and freedom!

Written by
Dr. Kathleen P. King (EdD)


Bookmark and Share 

Ten Steps to Getting a Cool Career

If you are looking for an unconventional career, you need some unconventional strategies to help you find it.

Here's 10:

1. Network, Network, Network.

Networking is the best way to gather information about unusual and unconventional careers. Most of the conventional job market is hidden. The unconventional job market is even more hidden. Search out success stories. Find out who are the top people in your chosen field, or role models who can teach you new things. Find ways to meet them. Don't expect to find them in your existing social network. Break out of your existing social habits and meet new people. Remember the Six Degrees of Separation theory - we are each of us only six people away from anyone in the world. If you contact a friend they can put you in touch with another friend who can give you another contact and so on down the line until you meet the person you really want to get in touch with. Do your research and ask questions all along the way about what interesting careers are out there and how you could get started in your career of choice.

2. Think Creatively

Take the path less travelled. There may be one career that suits you but several that will suit you at different times. If you have the chance, volunteer or do short contracts, trying out different jobs as much as possible. Each of them will teach you more about what you like and dislike. Remember, in this country we can invent our own careers by taking bits of different careers and giving them a new title.

3. Live with Contradictions

If you can't find the perfect career straight away, that's OK. Just keep taking step after step and make sure each step is consistent with your values, personality and interests. As you build self-knowledge by taking action, inspiration about different career paths you could follow will come along.

4. Keep Flexible

Remember, we are each of us more than one person. What interests you at one time in your life many not be right for you at another. Be prepared to be flexible and respond to your intuition as to when to change paths.

5. Failure is OK

It is perfectly OK to have a career on your CV that wasn't right for you. Trial and error teaches us more than introspection. As you learn more about yourself, you can get more precise and accurate in matching your career choices to who you are.

6. Take Small Steps to Get You to the big Goal

Even if you know what your ideal career is, it may take a while - even years - to get there. Although it would be wonderful to wave a magic wand, small wins are the best ways to work the path towards a bigger goal. Use each small change you make, and everything you learn, as feedback about what you want and how to get your big goal. Accept that the path often weaves in and out of rocks and disappears for a while underground before coming back again. It is not a straight line. A series of small wins will add up to a big change over time.

7. Keep Learning

If you don't have the opportunity to learn through your current job and you can't afford to take an immediate leap to another career, identify voluntary or parallel projects that you could take on that will give you new skills or insights. Turning points in careers don't usually come because of one huge leap, but because of a build-up of preferences and commitment from the different assignments over time. It is better to spend more time trying out different ways or styles of working in extracurricular projects, where you can afford to change direction, rather than taking a huge career leap that might prove hard to reverse and cost you money or security.

8. Be Patient

Career growth and transition take time. If you want to take the unfamiliar path, it may take two, three, or even more, years for you to grow the career you really want.

9. Recognise Opportunities When They Appear

We all have periods when we make progress and periods when we seem to get stuck. Always keep your eyes peeled for opportunities. Career changes don't always come conveniently labelled as such. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to make your career cooler than it is at present. Think about becoming an expert in a particular niche area. Or how about changing geographical location? What are you prepared to do that other people might not consider? Make a story out of your career so far. Take advantage of whatever life throws at you. Only you can make your career a positive experience for you. Tell the story of your life in a positive way to bring meaning to your career and it will make you get clear on the next steps you can take.

10. Take a Risk and Become Self-Employed

You can aim for an employed career or you can just get your name out there and invent your own. Be prepared to take a risk and go self-employed once you really know your own working preferences. It takes some courage but it could be your best investment in yourself ever.


Bookmark and Share 

Dos and Don'ts For a Career Changer

There are as many new career options as there is new career advice, but if one follows a few basic ground rules, he or she can make that switch to a new career without too much of difficulty. To begin with, one must figure out if what one needs is a change of job or a change of career. While a job change can be accomplished without much ado, a career change creates quite an upheaval in one's life and hence must be handled with care. A well-formulated plan is extremely important for the successful execution of a career change.

Preparedness

Rushing into a new career without weighing all the factors that have led you to take such a decision may prove to be a risky proposition. Take the time to examine your existing career - some of the negating factors you are considering may be transitory. So think well before you throw in the towel. Focus on the advantages and disadvantages in your current system and weigh them against the things you like and dislike in your new career. One might have to put in a great deal of time and effort while changing over to a new career. You could be assailed by feelings of insecurity during the transition as things tend to progress very slowly. Nonetheless, one has to take it in a stride as these are normal during the course of a career change.

Take Advantage Of Transferable Skills

You could leverage some of the skills and experiences from your current career to your new career. That is not to say that one must restrict oneself to similar careers when taking up a new career. Ideally, a new career which would partially employ skills from your previous career would give you an edge in tackling your new job rather than having to start on something totally alien to you.

Additional Training And Education

While skills from previous career may help, you may have to get extra training or education to give you a competitive edge in your new career. That said, avoid jumping headlong into an educational program-weigh the various options available and start slowly. If there is any possibility of gaining first-hand experience in your new field before actually starting on your new career, grab the opportunity. You could either do it as voluntary work or as part-time job. This would greatly enhance your confidence, experience and also help you establish contacts in your new career.

Other Marketing Tools To Help In Your New Career

A good resume is as important a marketing tool in your employment search as is your strong interviewing skills. Timely follow-up is also important in ensuring success in your quest for a new career. This involves calling potential employers and requesting for an interview as part of the follow-up process. Today, many employers resort to telephonic or on-line interviews. Returning telephone calls or e-mails and writing acceptance letters are also equally important in the follow-through process.

Starting Your Own Business

Many career change seekers dream of starting a venture, but lack the courage to make a beginning. Fear is what holds you back from chasing your dreams. But unless you overcome your fear of venturing into the unknown, you will never make that profound difference to your life. So, the first step to starting out on your own would be to make a thorough study of what you are venturing into. Attend classes, read publications and do whatever it takes to get a solid grip. This way your risks would seem less risky.

Flexibility

As far as new career advice goes, being flexible is paramount when you are starting on a new career, which means you may have to make compromises on job titles, remuneration, relocation, etc.

James Copper


Bookmark and Share 

Find Your Dream Job by Taking Career Tests

Would it not be great, if your dream job were delivered right to your door?

Unfortunately, it does not work like that. But at least, you do have natural talents and abilities that your creator instilled within you the day you were born. You were delivered complete into this world, not incomplete.

They say the individual is formed around five years old through part nature and part nurture. This means that fifty percent of our development is out of our hands, and predetermined - through the genes we inherit.

You find out who you are and what your purpose is by putting one foot in front of the other through the passage of time. If you listen to your heart, the natural born steps to success we always knew we should take, will be eventually be revealed to you. The moment we doubt ourselves, we lose faith in our ability to bring forth positive change in our lives.

If you have not found your true dream job, or do not know who you are yet, there must be something holding you back...

If you are young, this could be reason in itself. I, personally found myself much later in life. Is something blocking your view of yourself and your potential? Ask yourself this question - posing questions to yourself tends to help clarify. The thing in your way may be emotional, or mental - but, it has now become your responsibility to resolve. Through patience and determination, one can sharpen the tools he already has, to get a handle on his career situation.

Discovering your ideal career may not be immediate, because it took you a while to drift away from your own sense of you. It will not take forever to discover your best career choice. This situation can be turned around and corrected.

You can do this, because you are in charge of your own human potential...

Why some have not found their true calling in life, through the right career choice is...

It could be as simple as a submerged belief that speaks to you and says - you do not deserve your dream job.

The key to turning things around and discovering your dream career, is having faith in your own ability to come up with your own answers to solve your own life dilemmas.

If you are getting nowhere in life, spinning your wheels, and do not already have the dream career you want...

The question to ask yourself is - what is standing in my way, or holding me back?

Who is it that will not let you get what it is you want?

Is it someone?

Is it something?

What could it be?

These are additional questions to ask yourself.

You can blame yourself, blame the world, or blame whoever - but, does that help?

Not really.

Blaming solves nothing.

Blaming keeps you stuck right where you are.

Action is a career finding tool. There can be no success without action. There can be no attainment without action.

How one silently speaks to himself, and the action steps he takes can lead him closer to his ideal dream job.

There are reasons why we settle for what we do in life, even though we would love something entirely different

One reason - is because we may feel we do not deserve something better, or we think we are not good enough, or we doubt our own abilities to change our lives.

A few more reasons could be...

* We get too lazy to change anything.
* We get comfortable in our old habits and living patterns.
* We may not like change, because change can bring unknown conditions.

One has to find his own motivation for achieving positive change, and that motivator will help him discover what it is he is passionate about doing for a living.

If you let time keep passing you by, and still do not have what it is you truly want out of life - the older you get, the less time you have left to make your move toward finding, then being in your dream career.

It is never too late to discover your ideal dream career, as long as you are alive, but one can eventually run out of time.

Maybe you have believed wrongfully, that you do not deserve a career you could have the greatest passion for doing. Ask yourself, why would you not deserve to have a career you would enjoy doing? Who said you did not deserve the best career?

Why do some have their dream careers, and not you - yours? Sometimes, life just does not seem fair.

People preferably seem to judge themselves unfairly.

* You can change this, if you step to the side of yourself.
* You can change this if you examine, detect, isolate, replace, and destroy your self limiting, defeatist opinions and beliefs.
* We can change our self conversation habits and become like truly successful people, and tell ourselves good things.
* We can basically learn to talk nicer to ourselves. And if we want to experience any degree of success at all, we will learn.

Success comes in three steps (maybe, a few more) -

* Believe in you - believe you can find your ideal dream job.
* Make a doable plan, and a goal with a timeline to be in your dream career.
* Take action toward the goal, balance thinking with taking action steps. You will get nowhere without action steps.
* Correct your course along the way by changing direction, or modifying your plan. Be more flexible than you are rigid. If a bridge does not bend in the wind, it will break. Be flexible, roll with the tide.
* That's it. Well, almost.
* You learn along the way through trial and error - through your own life experiences.
* Then, you adapt to each new situation.

In conclusion, if you learn about you, believe in you, and take a few personality and career tests, you can eventually find your ideal dream career. These tests will usually give you a readable print out of career choices that match your preferred working personality.

That does not mean you will stay in that particular career forever once you have found it, because peoples values and interests change. People can change their minds daily, weekly, or whenever the fancy strikes them.

And, the younger the person is, the more likely they may change their mind about things. The older you get, the less you want changes in your life, but tend to seek employment with more meaning, purpose and mission.

Those who do not believe in themselves, pick careers which reflect their own view of themselves - and the choice is always a career mismatch. Career mismatches bring unhappiness at work and at home.

Once you believe in you, your ideal dream career then, may be close at hand.

Once you believe in you, anything becomes possible.

* If you believe in your own resources, you will find yourself and your truest dream career.
* If you think for yourself, you will come to know yourself better, because you are open to your own self improvement and self growth.

You will find yourself when you have defined your purpose.

* Valid, researched career and personality tests, are career tools that verify what you already know about your working personality and career aptitude.
* You do not need a leader or a guru, or even advice. No one but you has the answers to your own life and career destiny.
* Develop a plan of action with clearly defined goals. You have to know where you want to go, in order to get there.
* Your own plans will take you to where you know you should be next.
* You will find your dream career when you are ready for it. It is just like the saying that goes - when the student is ready, the master will appear.

 
Bookmark and Share 

Career Check-Up

The end-of-year is not the only time to reflect on how well your career is advancing, whether you should continue in it for the next year, or do something else. You can perform a career check-up at any time during the year, and you can perform multiple check-ups within the year. Similar to an annual physical, an eye or dental check-up, and even your vehicle's annual maintenance, your career needs a close inspection to determine if you are on the right track, if you need to make some minor tweaks, or perhaps to decide that you need a major overhaul that could include re-careering. Like the other check-ups mentioned above, you can ask yourself some straightforward questions to figure out what your next step may be. It may mean that you can make the adjustments yourself, or it might mean you need a professional career expert to help you along the way.

Regardless, there are five important areas that should be assessed: Interests, Competencies, Motivation, Capabilities, and Fit. Here are key questions for each of these five areas to start out with as you check up on your career:

1. Interests: Are you still interested in your present career or has your interest dropped?
2. Competencies: Are you still skilled in the areas you need to be skilled in or do you need improved or new skills?
3. Motivation: Do you have the motivation and drive to be the best you can be in your career, or have you lost the passion and are not sure what motivates you any longer?
4. Capabilities: Do you see growth opportunities, or do you feel stuck in the same type of work, unable to find advancement opportunities?
5. Fit: Do you fit in the current environment you are in, or do you no longer think you fit in the way things are being done, or feel as good about the people and company as you once did?

If your responses to these five questions are generally positive, then you probably only need to keep reminding yourself that for the short term all you need to do is stay on track, monitor yourself, and make minor adjustments. In a way, your annual Career Check-Up is good, so stay the course, until your next regularly scheduled Career Check-Up.

However, if your responses to any of the questions are not positive, then it might be time to make some major overhauls in your career. Your annual Career Check-Up is telling you it might be time for a change. For example, if you are no longer interested in what you've been doing, then ask yourself what you would like to see as part of your next career. If your skills are not up to par, then you need to determine what you need to improve or what new skills you need to acquire. If your motivation is low, then you need to ask yourself what motivates you; perhaps your motivational needs have changed. If there are no advancement opportunities on the horizon, then perhaps you need to make a career or company switch. If you feel you no longer fit into how the company operates, how it makes its decisions, what its values are, then perhaps you need to consider changing companies.

So, if you believe a career switch or adjustment is needed, here is an easy and fun way to brainstorm for ideas for your next career. No self-criticism is allowed in this exercise. Completing the exercise will most likely take several hours, so take your time. You might work on the exercise in half-hour chunks of time until you believe you are done. While this exercise is applicable to all five areas of your career, the example below is only for Interests. So, here is how the exercise works.

Identify any word/phrase that seems to generate interest for you. The word/phrase might be from an advertisement, a song, a movie, a television show, or just a word/phrase that pops into your head, as for example "playing chess." Write "playing chess" on a piece of paper and circle the phrase. After you circle "playing chess," freely think of other words/phrases that come to mind when you think of "playing chess." Write those words/phrases on the same piece of paper placing them around the phrase "playing chess." Circle all those words/phrases. Then connect all the circled words/phrases with lines, sort of like a web. Not every circled word/phrase will be connected to all the other circled words/phrases, just those that in your opinion most relate to one another. Keep identifying new words/phrases that come to mind for each previously written word/phrase; write the words/phrases on the paper; circle the words/phrases; connect the circles with lines as noted above. Eventually you will have many circled words/phrases with lines connecting them. Again, not all circles will be connected to every other circle. If you do this enough times you will see a pattern, sort of like a thread of thoughts. Your "Career Path of Interests" might also look like a highway map, with each circle representing a city or hub, and the lines represent the roads connecting the cities or hubs.

For example, "playing chess" might cause you to think of "strategy" and "winning." However, "strategy" causes you to think of "planning" while "winning" causes you to think of "losing." So, you forget about "winning" and "losing" and go with "strategy" which may cause you to think of "detail" which may cause you to think of "investigation" which may cause you to think of "being a reporter" which may cause you to think of "following the law" which may cause you to think of "being an attorney" which may cause you to think of.... You get the idea.

When you are done brainstorming, you have a career path for your Interests. Repeat the same exercise for Competencies, Motivation, Capabilities, and Fit. Then, analyze all five career paths. It will guide you to a career or several career possibilities. Then, you need to further investigate these career possibilities for more information. Perhaps you need to attend college, or to talk with someone in the career field. There are many other ways of learning more about different careers.

This exercise is based on the functioning of your brain. Your brain has stored millions of pieces of data, some of which you are fully aware of while some of which is in hidden compartments ready to be accessed when prompted. This is what you have actually done in the exercise, prompted your subconscious to tell you what you already know, but are not fully aware of. Further, writing the words/phrases with freedom, seeing the words/phrases with your own eyes, and then verbalizing aloud the words/phrases causes your brain to make these important connections and alerts you to them. It is amazing how this works.

Small things usually lead to big things. So, repeating the same simple question for different words/phrases, "What does xyz mean to me?" for example, starts you thinking in simple words/phrases that later turns into more important words/phrases. Further, the repetition of the question prompts your brain to access information that is stored away in the hidden compartments previously mentioned because repeating the same question over and over again forces you to think more thoroughly. Repetition also facilitates repeated behavior and increased memory.

While you may get "thinker's block" and not be able to think of words/phrases at first, do not give up. Motivation and persistence pays off, and that is crucial for learning more about your next career. Also, if you notice that the process becomes easier each time you repeat the process for each of the five areas, consider challenging yourself to think of more complex words/phrases.



Bookmark and Share 

5 More Job Tips - How to Find a Great New Job Part 2 of 2

In Part 1 "5 Job Tips - How to Find a GREAT New Job" You did some soul searching created some lists - ending up with a list of marketable skills. Got that in front of you now? Good. Here are 5 more job tips to turn that list of skills into a great new job.

1. Narrow your Search

Now you need to match those skills with the kinds of jobs that will pay for them. Keep in mind there are lots of skills that transfer well to other jobs. For example:

I once ran across someone who helped her husband build a Real Estate brokerage. After 5 years, he left her and filed for divorce. She was devastated and jobless. Her instinct was to limit herself to real estate work but her skills took her far beyond that....

* She was great at marketing and could use those skills for any small business.
* She could manage any office - especially personal service types like insurance and investment fields.
* She could set appointments. Do phone work, web design, handle advertising, bookkeeping and a host of other tasks.

The question she should have been asking is... which of those valuable skills does she want to offer and to whom?

Do a bit of brainstorming to come up with some kinds of jobs that may need the skills you have to offer.

2. Set Your Sights

By now, you should have a list of the kinds of jobs available. Next, make a list of potential employers. Again you want your list to be as broad as possible and include as many potential employers as you can.

After you've drawn up a list as extensive as possible - you should arrange them from most desirable to least. Don't worry - you need not write the list in stone so you can always change the order... or even cross some employers off entirely if you like.

3. Interview Prospective Employers

From the list of potential employers, you want to narrow down your search again to a short list of potential employers. Forget about job postings. You are going after the job you want - "job openings".

Decide what companies you want to work for and why. Make sure you know what you like about these companies. Keep your eyes wide open here. Not even the "Best Place to Work in America" is perfect.

Now order your list from the most desirable to the least. Start at the top and begin your research. You want to know as much about the position as you can.

Talk to people working in the department. What's it like working in this position. What do you like about this company? How does it compare to other companies?

Talk to the department head. Ask him/her about job duties, work environment, expectations. Your purpose is not to ask about a job but to research the kind of position you want to pursue.

If they are "not hiring" then find out if they anticipate an opening and if so when? Ask about the industry in general - is there a demand for skilled people? Is the demand expected to increase to decrease? Why?

Remain undaunted if they claim to have no openings right now. Most any decent company wants to grow. Growth means expansion and expansion means jobs.

If there is any interest in your skills at all, ask the department head they would like to see your resume and offer to submit it to their human resources department. (Or if they are small - right to the person you are talking too!) If they say "yes", submit the resume with a sticky note saying "Ms. X said she wanted to see this when you got it" or something so they are sure to forward it.

4. Tailor Your Cover Letter and Resume

When submitting your cover letter and resume - be sure to focus on the skills they are looking for. If they want someone to answer the phones - emphasize your phone skills! If they don't mention typing skills, it may not matter how great yours are.

For each job you decide to go after - you should have a resume and cover letter targeted for the requirements of that position. Make sure the employer sees up front that you have exactly what they are looking for!

At this point if you find yourself explaining why they should consider you in spite of your shortcomings - it may be time to reconsider your qualifications. Remember - the point here is to target jobs you are highly qualified for. If you find yourself lacking skills then you should either adjust your focus or improve your skill set.

5. Make the Wheel Squeak

Be sure to follow up with a thank you card and a phone call. While you don't want to become a pest, make it clear you want to work for this company and why.

If you know anyone who works for the company then they may be able to give the inside scoop on news. The more information you can get the better. Stay patient. The more desirable the company and the job, the willing you should be to bide your time.

Landing the exact job you want may not be easy but the payoff is worth some extra effort. As a bonus, this extra work may pay off with some surprising rewards you never thought possible.

You may find the company you were originally high on isn't all that. BUT there' a position open now at an even better firm. Plus once you can present a knowledgeable and enthusiastic prospect to a potential employer - you can suddenly find yourself as a "hot property".

The employer may be willing to go all out to bag a trophy employee - you!

Remember this ball started rolling because you decided to pursue something you would enjoy doing instead of settling for "whatever". In the end you will be happier and your new employer will be overjoyed to have an enthusiastic employee who really wants to be there.

Now take this 5 job tips along with the first set of tips and land that awesome job!


Bookmark and Share