Winning Ways Career Planning and Resume Writing» Professional resume writers and Career Coach in San Jose, CA

Out of a Job and Looking for Work in this Lousy Economy

befound — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:52:50 +0000

The economy stinks, you're out of a job, and frantically looking for work, The bill collectors are hounding, and lurking; and you're thinking of going berserk. You tried everything, even read all the current job search books too, and to plan an effective strategy that works; you hired a career coach or two. You hear voices in your head, confirming and justifying your worries anew, they share the following fatal concerns leaving those tough solutions up to you:

"I'm confused and don't know the kind of work I can do."
"I'm angry and feel like an animal trapped in a zoo."
"I don't have any marketable skills, nope haven't got a clue."
"There are no jobs to fit my skills; I've barely seen a few."
"I'm not happy and want to start my life brand new."
"The job search is a political hassle from my point of view."
"People frown and judge me, "You're not working yet? Gosh, it's been a month or two."
"I'm lost, terrified, and my self esteem is suffering too."
"I don't know where to start, and I don't know what to do."

Your coach just smiles and says, "Looking for a job is not hard as it seems, if you do it right, you can have the career of your dreams." "Proper preparation always takes you to your goals, you'll see, so you can have control, reclaim your power and find the proper key." Your first reaction is to smack her in the face for her surface sage deductions, "How the heck does she know about these horrible job seeking conditions?" The career coach gently guides you with these challenging instructions:

"You must discover your passions and know who you really are; that is her uggestion."
"Review your skills and achievements and what really turns you on; that should be your destination."
"It works to choose your best career options based on who you are; to reach your aspirations."
"You must then research careers that fit your passions; for jobs that fit your required conditions."
"Formulate a resume geared towards your chosen field; with clear objectives and no obtuse distractions."
"Prepare and memorize a script about yourself; to use in interviews and presentations."
"Network, network, positively with the world outside and always build relationships; in order to make good impressions."
"Interview with employer needs in mind; not yours; and don't forget to like them first; using your innate intuition."
"Negotiate based on how you can make them look good; to overcome their objections."
"When you get the job, support your boss to become a star; and you'll receive recommendations for advancement and promotions."

Ultimately, what you are coached, really starts to make some sense, consequently, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and stop sitting on the fence. Finding a job is the most frustrating and hardest work there is; you'll find! but to be frank, 'That's the Way It Is', you just gotta keep up with the grind! It's imperative to be your own employer now; no matter the lousy conditions, do what's expected, and never give up, no matter your current obstructions. The job search is really a numbers game and if you 'hang in' long enough, I predict you'll get a job, even though the trip is extremely trying and tough.

Succeeding In Your New Job

befound — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:23:48 +0000

Congratulations! You worked hard and got the job you wanted. You are probably hoping it will work out perfectly and that you will never have to look for a job again. Unfortunately, some of the factors affecting your job security are not under your control. Your new company could have a cutback, reorganize, relocate, be acquired by a larger company, or go out of business. But there are many things you can control to get off to a smooth start. Reviewing The Lessons Of The Past

You have learned by now that no one is completely secure in any job. But you can increase your value to your new employer and your chances for success by thinking about following questions:
Do you have traits or skill areas that you can improve in your new job?
If so, what do you need to learn in order to function more successfully?

If you were let go because of a cutback, what could you do to make yourself more valuable in this job? Acquire new skills? Foster a more positive attitude toward extra work?
Do you know where you want to be in five years? What would you do if your company went out of business before five years were up?
What can you do now to reach these goals?

How Others See You But how do others see you? As you start your new job, it is a good idea to get honest feedback on your performance and how you come across to others. You should keep this in mind as you interact with your new boss and coworkers. And, as you get to know and feel comfortable with the people you work with, you can begin to sound out your new boss and coworkers about how you are doing and how they perceive you. Your Relationship With Your New Boss Your relationship with your new boss is the most important relationship in your new job. If there is a coworker you don't get along with, you can often avoid that person, but you can't avoid the boss. It's important that you and the boss agree early on what constitutes a satisfactory performance and attitude, and you should continue discussions to make sure you are "on track." Your first priority should be your dedication in always supporting your supervisor. In this way, you will in turn receive any support you need. Within the first week of your employment, it is a good idea to sit down with the boss and get his/her views on the objectives of the department, and the expectations of your performance. Ask what he/she would like you to contribute in the first few weeks or months. Get specific numbers and deadlines if possible. (Example-type the new employee handbook by August 1, finish first section by July 15), and make sure you commit to completing the job on time. Ask if you can review your progress with your boss fairly often at first. Go over what has gone well, and discuss any difficulties and how they might be solved. Clear up any problem quickly. If you are diplomatic, but persistent, the boss will usually give you a few minutes of his/her time to help solve it, especially if you explain that it is holding up your work. Try to look at your relationship with your supervisor from a win-win point of view. This win-win frame of mind creates positive relationships and enhanced performance. Other employees may discuss the boss unfavorably. Never join in! You can avoid taking sides by just listening. It never works to gossip about the boss or anyone else. Quickly establish a record of punctuality and dependability. Agree early on lunch and break routines and follow the policies and procedures of the company. Keep Up With The Job Market You should always be prepared for the next step in your career, whether it is within the same company or another one. Continue to update your skills and be aware of your market value. Establish yourself as a valuable member of your new department and company in the following ways: Continually educate yourself and upgrade your skills. Take advantage of all appropriate company training programs, take outside courses, and read all about your field. When your accomplish something important, make a note of it to serve as a reminder to your boss at review time. Save all complimentary notes from your boss, customers or other departments. It is important to continually create a master file of your accomplishments and use these to keep your resume updated, to prepare for any new opportunities. Whenever possible, volunteer for extra responsibilities so that you become more valuable and visible to people inside and outside your department. Keep improving on your reputation as a valued employee of the company. If you feel your communications skills could use a boost, you should take a course in effective writing or public speaking. Do not lose touch with the contacts you developed during your job search. Call or write to them and thank them for their help as soon as you start your new job. They can keep you informed of what is happening in your field and will be very valuable if you ever have to look for a job again or you can assist them if they need your help or advice. Continue to network, and join professional and social organizations to expand your contacts. The more key people you know, the more likely you are to be noticed and remembered. Suggestions for Career Success in Today’s Workplace The following list contains suggestions by managers on how to increase your value to the company.

Be able to accept change and respond to it.
Recognize and accept the fact that many issues and situations are not clear- cut.
Commit yourself to ongoing learning
Practice continual improvement.
Be self-confident, but not conceited.
Do what's right, not just what's popular.
Get along with your clients and other staff
Prove and improve your worth.
Take initiative in taking on new assignments.
Become known through your involvement in various activities.
Always, always support your supervisors, even if you do not agree with them.
Evaluate your situation realistically.
Create a career development plan, and always be prepared with an updated portfolio.
Know how the Company system works.
Commit yourself fully to your job.
Hold yourself accountable for outcomes.
Add value to your organization.
See yourself as a service center.
Manage your own morale.
Be a fixer, not a finger pointer.
Maintain a positive, professional attitude.
Learn from your mistakes.
Never, never gossip, or make close friends with whom you work.
Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
Give honest, sincere appreciation
Become genuinely interested in other people,
Smile.
Remember that a person's name to him or her is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interests. (Remember: An interested person is an interesting person).
Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.
Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never tell a person he or she is wrong.
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.

10 Ways to Stretch Your Paycheck in a Downturn

befound — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:20:10 +0000

More than 70 percent of America’s workers are still living paycheck to paycheck according to a recent American Payroll association poll. And current tough economic times have everyone wondering what they can do to stretch their paycheck a bit further. We’ve compiled a list of what we feel are ten of the best ideas to help stretch your paycheck. With a little extra effort, you can yield some big savings. 1. Stop Buying Bottled Water Americans spend a staggering amount on bottled water - $15 billion last year. Name brands in small bottles can cost more than $10 per gallon while tap water costs about ½ of a cent per gallon. If you feel the tap water in your area needs further filtration to be palatable, many commercial filtration systems are available that filter water directly at the tap or in containers which translate to a cost of approximately 18 cents per gallon. 2. Skip the Gourmet Coffee OK, maybe you can’t go cold turkey on your morning latté, but you can at least reduce the number of times you stop for that special brew. At an average price of $3.00 per cup ($15 week, $60 a month), this is a savings you owe yourself. One pound of coffee which generally costs approximately $8 - $15 per pound can yield approximately 32 eight-ounce cups of coffee, that’s only 25 to 47 cents per cup. Brewing your own coffee at home and taking it with you in a reusable coffee mug is a great cost savings option. 3. Buy Less Prepared Food According to the Food Marketing Institute, about 28 percent of shoppers don’t know what they are having just two hours before a meal. American workers have less time to plan and prepare meals. This has led to an increase in the popularity of “fresh prepared foods” at local markets. These foods are generally healthier than some frozen foods options and, although they are time savers, come at a significant price. Cook from scratch whenever possible. Make freezable items ahead and defrost as needed. You may find that you are eating simpler, healthier meals while saving big money on your weekly food budget. 4. Buy Staple Items in Bulk Buying in bulk can provide you with substantial savings not to mention fewer trips to the store to buy pantry basics. Items that are usually less expensive when purchased in bulk include cereals, grains, pasta, pasta sauces, bulk bags of frozen skinless chicken breasts, frozen vegetables, toothpaste, soap, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, paper towels and toilet tissue. Remember that bulk items are only worth buying if you can use them before they expire. Pay attention to prices as well. Don’t assume that the warehouse price is the lower price. Compare unit prices at warehouse stores with other retailers to make sure you are getting the lowest price. 5. Clip those Coupons! Clipping coupons and reviewing the local supermarket circular can actually yield big savings. Make sure to only clip coupons for items that you truly need. Catalog coupons by items and file them by expiration date to make it easier to keep track of valuable savings. For extra savings, find a store in your area that doubles coupons and make that your favorite store. A lot of supermarkets now offer frequent shoppers and reward cards that you simply scan at checkout. Be sure to sign up for one and start saving! 6. Buy Generic Many store brands are just as good as or identical to brand names and much less expensive. Try out sample products to see if you enjoy them before stocking up. You may find that you like the generic brand as much as the brand name you were used to using. It’s certainly worth giving these “store brands” a try knowing that you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice quality for price. 7. Dine Out and Take Out Less You don’t need to do the math to know that it is less expensive to eat at home than at a restaurant or take-out establishment. While it is hard to cut this out completely, try to eat breakfast at home, try brown bagging it for lunch more frequently and save dinners at restaurants for special occasions only. 8. Go to the Library Buying books can be very expensive. Instead, take a trip to the public library and take advantage of a wealth of reading material – for free! Many local branches offer not only the latest book releases, but a wide variety of DVDs as well. Borrowing DVDs from the library can help you save on movie rental and late fees. 9. Pay Bills On-line Avoid paying postage and late fees by paying your bills on-line and on time. You can pay direct to your creditors or set up automatic bill-pay with your bank. As an added benefit, the time you save by paying bills on-line can be used to clip coupons, prepare those home cooked meals, or read a library book! 10. Lower Monthly Bills If you are spending money on cable, home phone and internet service, research available options to see if you can find a more affordable plan. Phone and cable companies are eager to keep your business. It is in your best interest to put their customer service abilities to the test and negotiate terms that are more affordable for you and your budget.

Identifying What Motivates You

befound — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:17:15 +0000

Know thyself There is actually a wide variety of ways people motivate themselves. For example, my client, an event planner learned quickly that the best way to feel motivated was to set up incentives or prizes for herself. “If I have something special I can work toward, I get a lot more done,” she says. She entices herself with promises of rewards for reaching her goals. For instance, she once told herself that if she had a particular exhibit all filled by a certain date, she would send herself to an upcoming national conference. She hit the goal and took the trip! Diane, another client, has a thriving counseling service; is motivated by the satisfaction she gets from the work she does. All she needs to do is think about how much joy her work brings her and she finds it easy to do whatever is required to make sure she succeeds. Jeffrey, a sales trainer, knows that money is what motivates him. “The more money I can make, the better I produce,” he told us. A photographer, however, says that showing everyone what he can do is what keeps him going: “So many people told me that I shouldn’t do this – that I’d never make it. Now all I have to do is think about how much I want to prove they’re wrong, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” At times, people motivate themselves from an “I’ll prove I can do it” position. Here are some other insights people have had about how to motivate themselves: When things look bad, I get discouraged and don’t want to do anything much. I I’ve learned to tell myself the positive side of whatever’s happening. I point out why it’s not as bad as it looks and how it could even be better than I thought. Then I feel like working all the harder. When I’m under the pressure of a deadline, I get so much done; but without a deadline, I don’t think I’d get anything done at all. It’s got to be a real deadline. I can’t just make something up. So what I do is get myself into situations that involve deadlines. I ask myself what will happen if I don’t do this, and if it doesn’t look good, then I want to do it. I think about the kind of person I want to be, and if I’m not living up to who I aspire to be, that’s a real motivator. When I’m living up to my image of myself, I feel good and I do more of what it takes to do even better. Facts and figures are what motivate me. I track my progress as if I’m keeping a scorecard. And I watch what my competition is doing. I like to make sure I stay out in front. Knowing what de-motivates you is equally important. One software engineer, discovered, for example: “If I tell myself I have to do something, it’s like the kiss of death. I’ll do just about anything else. And boy, has that gotten me in trouble. Now if I don’t want to do something, I just tell myself I don’t have to do it. And usually, once I know I have the choice, I’ll go ahead and do it if it really does need to be done.” Kim dislikes doing billing for her publicity business. “It’s so time consuming,” she moans. “But I think of it as dumping the money out of my pockets and counting what will be coming back to me. That gets me through it.” To begin identifying what motivates and de-motivates you, pay attention to what you complain about, what you get excited about, what gets you down, and what picks you up. Then cater to yourself as you would to a prized client. Don’t sell yourself short and let yourself get away with less than you know you can do, but make it as easy as possible for yourself to excel. Ask yourself the following questions. Then listen to your responses and observe your behavior to see if it confirms your answers. There are no wrong answers to these questions. The idea is to learn what you respond to. Some people work best when they believe they are doing well. When we compare ourselves negatively with others, it leads us to start doubting ourselves. Some people start slacking off when they think they’re doing well. Of course, with some effort you can change motivation patterns that don’t work for you. What Motivates You?

What is most important to you about what you’re doing? What makes it worthwhile? What makes it a drag?
How could you make doing something you need to do worth the effort? What would make you eager to get it done?
Which spurs you to do better: compliments and positive feedback about what you’ve done well – or criticism of your performance and feedback on what you need to improve?
Are you more likely to strive to prevent negative things you fear might happen – or to work toward attaining a positive outcome?
Do you thrive on competition? Does the opportunity to do better than someone else spur you on – or intimidate you?
Are you more interested in improving your own performance – or achieving more than someone else?
Do you work better with the pressure of a deadline – or do deadlines make you clutch?
Do you work more efficiently when you wait until the last minute to meet your deadlines – or do you like to start early and finish ahead of time?
Do you like to begin with the most pleasant tasks – or do you prefer to get the worst over first and save the best for last?

How To Handle Stress

befound — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:11:14 +0000

Stress The World’s In A Mess, How Do YOU Handle The Stress? You need stress in your life! Does that surprise you? Perhaps so, but it is quite true. Without stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge and opportunity to life. Stress is with us all the time. As you probably know, too much stress can seriously affect your physical and mental well being. A major challenge in this stress-filled world of today is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against you. Recognizing the early signs of your stresses and then doing something about them can make an important difference in the quality of your life, and may actually influence your survival. Here are some suggestions for ways that work in having more control of your life and handling stress. Choose following techniques you think will work best for you and make them a part of your everyday life.

Communicate. Talk it out. Get Support. Don’t hold it all in. Suffering in silence only increases your stress. Talk over your feelings and concerns with someone you feel safe with; your family, a friend, counselor, preacher or health professional. Thinking out loud and talking to someone you trust not only relieves stress, bur may also shed new light on your problems. Remember you are not alone unless you choose to be.
Prevent it. How much stress do you cause just by putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? Do you blow things out of proportion or over-react to little things. Every time you let anger or frustration take control, it drains away good energy and sidetracks you from more important things. Obviously, you can’t always control what goes on around you, but you can control how you think, react and respond.
Try physical activity. When you are nervous, angry or upset, release the pressure through exercise of physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise can relieve that up tight feeling and relax you.
Be in charge. Discover what you need to feel good about yourself. Ask for what you need or find an interesting hobby or activity where you feel in charge, be creative or imaginative and call the shots.
Know your limits. If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be handled at the moment, don’t fight the situation. Learn to accept what is-for-now, and let it go until such time when you can change it. Let it go!
Take care of yourself. You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If you are irritable and tense from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations.
Make time for fun. Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just an important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.
Be a participant and extend yourself. One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it’s all happening. Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for you, get involved and become a participant in the community. Help yourself by helping other people and making new friends.
Set Goals and check off your tasks. Some people drift through life going from crisis to crises letting stress build up. If you set goals, you can take better control of your life. Trying to take care of everything at once is overwhelming. Instead, of letting stress build up, make a list of the tasks at hand, then complete one at a time, checking them off as they’re completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first. Learn to delegate and how to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty.
Get Away. Sometimes a change, however small, can do wonders for your spirit. Forget it all for a while—escape! Go somewhere new for a few hours or a few days if you can afford it. If not, it may be helpful just to ‘get away’ in a warm relaxing bath.
Make Success Happen. If you can’t change the world, change yourself! Learn how to love yourself as you are. Then start working towards your goals. Make a commitment to improve the things about yourself and your life that (you believe) need it. Instead of immediate, dramatic change, learn to enjoy the journey of lifelong self improvement. You are always a work in progress.
Must you always be right? Do other people upset you- particularly when they don’t do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; its better than fighting and always trying to be ‘right’. A little give and take on all sides will reduce strain and make the situation and your feelings more comfortable.
Take time out and create a quiet scene. You can’t always run away, but you can ‘dream the impossible dream’. Spend a few minutes alone each day to relax and break your routine. For example, an imagined quiet country scene can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change your pace by reading a good book, or playing music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
Think Positive. Having a positive attitude will help you assert yourself and feel more in control. You waste energy if you constantly criticize yourself and others Negative thoughts generally produce negative results. Instead of saying, “I can’t,” practice saying, “I can.” You’ll be surprised how much better your life will be. What you think about reflects your life.
Have a Sense of Humor. Laughter can be one of the best medicines for stress. Being able to laugh at yourself and the world can break tension and give you some relief from stress.
Avoid self-medication. Although you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs are habit-forming. Drugs should be taken only on the advice of your doctor.
Learn how to be happy. One thing of all life’s winners have in common is a sense of well-being, a positive attitude and realistic goals. Focus on the good things about yourself, and your life. Nobody is perfect. Learn to enjoy the little things that make you happy. Count your blessings.
Turn off the TV. If world events, the media, and bad news on the TV, newspapers or radio overwhelm you. Take a breather. Turn off and tune out. You can always catch up on the news when you’re feeling more settled. Remember, the only thing you can actually control is your thoughts. You can’t fix the world, but you can have a lot less stress and more control of your life by following some of the suggestions above.
When all else fails. Breathe!

Fear and Worry

Worry, worry, worry, worry, worry, worry, worry, and sigh, Me oh my. and my, my, my, my, and maybe I will die.

Like trying to move forward in a rocking chair; it really doesn’t work, you never wind up anywhere and feel just like a jerk.

Worry is based on Fears scrambling around there in your head, those inner gremlins screaming those mental messages of dread.

The voices say, “You can’t do this or that” so loud; you think it is the deal, they build up your imagination with such scary thoughts; you think they’re real.

This crazy litany goes on and on and never really stops, you think sometimes your going nuts and your mind will just go Pop.

You hear your gremlins, or whatever you want to call them, say: You’ll never get that job; and stuck you’ll always stay, You’re not good enough to have what you want; not on any day, You don’t deserve it either; you’ll never be quite gay, Be careful or people will hurt you; and you’ll always have to pay, You are really very stupid, and you’ll never find the way, And besides, you’ll never even make it through another GD day!

You can view this Fear and Worry process as tragic; or think it is so funny, you believe the stupid fears so much; you might bet your hard earned money.

Please understand you’ve given up control of your precious, sacred life, by allowing all imagined Fears to cause you all this darn strife.

Why not reclaim your very own power; numb or kill those voices dead, love and pay attention to; you know; the real person who is inside instead!

The NEWS

The daily news is commonly skewed, biased or hysterical, if it makes any sense at all; it is definitely a miracle. It’s difficult to know the difference between what is true or real, clearly the reported controversies are a fabricated spiel.

The truth is twisted and usually blown out of proportion, and most people who report the news take no caution. To educate the public with interesting and accurate facts, so try valiantly as we may, we just can’t seem to relax.

The most distinctive, ironic part that is so absurd, we don’t have a remedy or recourse but to believe every word. Plainly there’s politics, terrorists, rape, murder, war and famine, and more calamities in the world than you can imagine.

Nonetheless, if we could glimpse and watch behind the scenes, we would observe the news reports are flawed and sometimes obscene. Unfortunate victims in media reporting are actually betrayed and invaded, by caustic reporters so aggressively driven; we consider them jaded.

So, for this illegitimate predicament whom can we name? in frustration we ask; where are the persons we can blame? But, the finger is pointed back at ourselves; we accept the news reported, we buy papers, believe media and don’t question what could be distorted.

Intense fear takes over and permeates our lives, in so many ways, our loss of freedom and quality of life is ultimately how we pay. We participate and anticipate by not taking chances; we hide and conceal, our lives are all about anxiety and spreading the gossip we think is real.

We wind up afraid of leaving the house; fear walking the streets at night, we feel a certain trepidation, and have a sense of dread and anxiety. Right? I once had a friend, who was a genius and menses, I asked him how we can best deal and make sense of all this.

He advised with an air of certain confidence; his chin held up high, “ Just observe various news reports carefully, and never stop asking why”’. “You can’t know exactly what’s happening, except take your very best guess.” “with realistic information you can live with; you’ll have a lot less stress.”

So, why not be more selective of where you focus negative energy, choose to think for yourself; you’ll have so much better synergy. Be Aware; View the big picture of your Universal existence and see the joke of it all, Take back your power. Don’t let them scare you. Live your Life, Have a Ball!

Resume Writer and Career Coach in San Jose, CA

befound — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:02:13 +0000

Marge Powers provides quality resume and career coaching in San Jose, CA

Portfolio and Resume Writing

befound — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:53:09 +0000

Portfolio Writing Using Portfolios in the Search For Work: In these days, the only job security you can count on is the transportability of your own skills. The new emphasis on skill portability suggests that you must do whatever it takes to Brand Yourself and keep your qualification package (your Professional Career Portfolio) branding yourself; up to date. Using a professional portfolio in the search for work helps put you in tune with the new emphasis on “portability.” Constructing a portfolio requires looking upon a career (or an entire life) as a collection of experiences, which can be grouped and re-ordered to match the changing direction of your career journey. As you search for a job, you will feel more organized using the portfolio, and you will have a better focus and perspective on the interview and your career possibilities. A portfolio’s is a very helpful and powerful way to help you throughout your career. The professional portfolio collection helps you to answer the broad range of questions you will face during your career life. For instance, when a person loses or changes jobs he or she begins by asking, “What do I want to do next?” Then, once we get a job, the questions the employers ask are “Why should we keep or promote you, increase your wages or provide advanced training?” Employers are now shifting their focus away from job titles and descriptions and towards projects and outcomes, employee evaluations are changing. Promotions can be more easily secured when the employee provides evidence in a portfolio illustrating contributions and accomplishments at work. And, during the job hunt, the portfolio will be a helpful way in prompting you on how to answer the interviewer’s questions: “Tell me about yourself” or “Why do you think you’re qualified for this job?” Today’s interviewee is being asked to demonstrate skills (sometimes before a group of peers) to prove you are a match. Employers are asking final candidates to prove they can do the job. Portfolios are an outstanding vehicle for presenting evidence to those who are in a position to hire, select, or support your potential. It is a useful and effective way to support your accomplishments by referring to items in the portfolio that demonstrates past successful performance. This will also set you apart from the competition so you will be remembered and most likely, be considered for the position. Resume Writing Your resume functions as your “advertising copy.” It is an effective way of marketing and packaging yourself by describing information that supports your job objective. To achieve this position, a competitive resume should be a capability profile to help move you into future employment rather than a historical document. A good resume is no guarantee of obtaining a great position, but a poor one may very well result in your not getting the interview. A good resume reaffirms your positive qualities, skills, characteristics, and accomplishments within a context of what the market is buying. This positioning will be the groundwork for building self-confidence and clarity during contact and interview meetings. From the employer’s perspective, a market-driven resume answers the question, “Why should I hire you?” You will be developing a document that clearly identifies your value to future employers. A resume is…A Sales Brochure – YOU are the product it is trying to sell. It can be used as a direct mail piece or a point-of-sale aid, but no matter how you use it, it presents you to your prospective employer.

As one of your key sales tools, it should stress the benefits derived by others who have used your services. Keep employers in mind when writing the resume. and be sure to mention the end result of your activities. Think about why others were glad they hired you. A resume is … A Calling Card – The resume is an overview. It cannot and should not tell everything about you. It is a brief summary of what you have done in the past and implies what you can do in the future.

The resume is often the first impression a future employer has of you. As such, it should be short (no more than two pages) The resume is often the first document they see and it should be easy to read. Make this first impression a true representation of you – direct, effective, and professional. A resume is … A Reminder – After the interview the impression of you remains. The resume provides support for that personal impression. It should be a clear picture of you based on the job you are seeking.

Outplacement – Managing the Survivors After the Layoff

befound — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:39:16 +0000

An Overview:

The job of downsizing is brutal to those responsible for the actual task of termination. Perhaps this is because under normal circumstances, all pre- downsizing efforts are focused on who will be leaving, rather than on those who will be needed to keep it altogether.

When a company implements layoffs, it is essential that planning and preparation take the concerns and well-being of the surviving employees into account because layoffs can create a lost sense of purpose, or acting through rebellious silence or loss of motivation on the job. Layoff survivors see their work environment as being destabilized by changes, and then retention becomes an issue.

A mismanaged layoff can result in a vicious circle. Companies downsize to cut costs, but then are quickly forced to make new hires as surviving employees leave for what they perceive to be more stable environments. This turnover feeds a loss of production and lower quality of work that likely began with the initial layoffs, which triggers another demand for new hires. Since the cost of a single new hire is generally equivalent to one year’s salary, any savings from layoff are negated.

Managing the Survivors:

One of the toughest jobs during a post-layoff is managing the survivors. It is the reason companies spend millions of dollars each year hiring specialists, consultants and/or psychologists to help motivate the survivors and offer them a renewed sense of purpose.

At a time when they’re feeling the lowest, middle management must perform at their best. Although the company appears to be in a state of chaos, managers should act calm, confident and in control. It is their job to begin allocating tasks, confirming work objectives, making sure people stay focused on appropriate tasks, and pulling together a new team.

Clearly this is a time when employees need specific directions and the resources to implement them. Having guidance lessens a survivor’s typical focus on loss of job security and begins the process of rebuilding their sense of purpose and worth. As an employer, your job is to discover your employees hidden talents, more importantly; you must give your employees the freedom to discover their own hidden talents. If your employees know their achievements will go unrecognized and his failures will be criticized they will never try anything new and you will never discover their hidden talents.

As downsizing continues to become an increasingly normal business practice, mangers need to find ways to improve their ability to manage the change. This includes motivating traumatized employees and getting operations back on track. It means addressing the drama of the situation, not denying it. Can-do attitudes are badly needed and understandable goals must be spelled out. Yet nothing promises post-downsizing success like the practice of open, honest communications.

Systematic strategies are needed to attempt to accomplish changes in culture, values and attitudes and these strategies should involve redefining downsizing as a way of life, as an ongoing process, as a basis for continuous improvement, rather than as a program or a target

Responsibility of employers to help employees gain skills useful outside of the firm – is replacing the old social contract of secure employment within firms, and that acceptance of this social contract by firms contributes to successful downsizing efforts.

Focus on Career Development and Building Self-Esteem for Layoff Survivors

The people who report to you are worried for various reasons. Some survivors are worried that they don’t have the knowledge and skills necessary to do their new or expanded jobs. Some people are worried about having the time and energy to step up to the larger challenge. Some are concerned that there is just too much to do, or that they may be laid off soon.

Firms that downsize successfully do it as part of an overall approach to continuous improvement, recreating the health of the organization through a well-planned, well-communicated process that involves employees from the beginning, focuses on long-term improvements, changes the work and not just the headcount, and takes whatever steps are impossible to mitigate the violence done to the lives of individuals who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.

All employees—top performers and highly satisfied workers as well as those with marginal skills and high levels of dissatisfaction need what career development has to offer because of the rapidity and relentlessness of the changes taking place in where, how and by whom work is being done. In a work world that is as rapidly changing as ours is today. the ability of individuals to keep pace with change is critical to their career success even if they never ‘move’ or change positions within the organization.

Career development programs must focus on the needs of both the individual and the organization if they are to be successful. It is the interaction and interconnectedness between the two that results in the greatest gain and enables both to be resilient and successful.

The Career Development process should be for everyone and open to employees at all levels to ensure that they are designed with diverse cultural populations in mind and provide equal access to a distributed workforce with the focus on continuous learning.

Employees take responsibility for their own development following tremendous changes in jobs and career paths resulting from reorganization. Improving employee morale can be achieved by focusing on individual employees and/or the company as a whole.

Basics Myths about Employee Motivation

Some of the following information is adapted from the guidebook, Basic Guide to Management, Leadership and Supervision by Carter McNamara, PhD

Clearing Up Common Myths About Employee Motivation. The topic of motivating employees is extremely important to managers and supervisors. Despite the importance of the topic, several myths persist. Before looking at what management can do to support the motivation of employees, it’s important first to clear up these common myths.

Myth #1 – “I can motivate people:

Not really – they have to motivate themselves. You can’t motivate people anymore than you can empower them. Employees have to motivate and empower themselves. However, you can set up an environment where they can best motivate and empower themselves.

Myth #2 – “Money is a good motivator”

Not really. Certain things like money, a nice office and job security can help people from becoming less motivated, but they usually don’t help people to become more motivated. A key goal is to understand the motivations of each of your employees.

Myth #3 – Fear is a good motivator”

Fear is a great motivator—for a very short time. That’s why a lot of yelling from the boss won’t seem to ‘light a spark under employees’ for a very long time.

Myth #4 – “I know what motivates me, so I know what motivates my employees”

Not really. Different things motivate different people. I may be greatly motivated by earning time away from my job to spend more time with my family. You might be motivated much more by recognition of a job well done. People are not motivated by the same things.

Myth #5 – “Increased job satisfaction means increased job performance”

Research shows this isn’t necessarily true at all. Increased job satisfaction does not necessarily mean increased job performance. If the goals of the organization are not aligned with the goals of employees, then employees aren’t effectively working toward the mission of the organization.

Basic Principles to Remember

The key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them.

Each person is motivated by different things. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they should first include fining out what it is that really motivates each of your employees.

Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task.

Organizations change all the time, as do people. Indeed, it is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where each employee can strongly motivate themselves.

Support employee motivating by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures). Don’t just count on good intentions. Don’t just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the work to help motivate employees. For example, establish compensation systems, employee performance systems, customized career development programs for each individual, organizational polices and procedures, establishing various systems and structures helps ensure clear understanding and equitable treatment of employees.

Make a list of three to five things that motivate each of your employees. After a Career Development Plan is designed you will understand and recognize the differences between your impression of what you think is important to them and whey they think are the most important motivational factors to them. For example, their jobs might be redesigned to be more fulfilling. You might find more means to provide recognition, if that is important to them. You might develop a personnel policy that rewards employees with more family time, etc.

Cultivate strong skills in delegation. Delegation includes conveying responsibility and authority to your employees so they can carry out certain tasks. However, you leave it up to your employees to decide how they can carry out certain tasks. This allows employees to take a stronger role in their jobs, which usually means more fulfillment and motivation in their jobs. It also can free up a great deal of time for the managers.

Rewards. A critical lesson for managers is to learn to focus on employee behaviors, not on employee personalities. Performance in the workplace should be based on behaviors towards goals, not on popularity of employees. Reinforce the behaviors that you prefer.

Implement at least the basic principles of performance management. Good performance management includes identifying goals, measures to indicate of the goals are being met or not, ongoing attention and feedback about measures toward the goals, and corrective actions to redirect activities back toward achieving the goals when necessary.

Establish goals that are SMARTER. (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, timely, extending of capabilities and rewarding to those involved).

Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results:

Employees often feel strong fulfillment from realizing that they’re actually making a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebrating when the goals are met.

Celebrate achievements. This critical step is often forgotten. New managers and supervisors are often focused on getting a ‘lot done’. This usually means identifying and solving problems. Experienced managers come to understand that acknowledging and celebrating a solution to a problem can be every bit as important as the solution itself. Without ongoing acknowledgement of success, employees become frustrated, skeptical and even cynical about efforts in the organization.

Motivation comes from within, from a person’s own psyche, the innermost recesses of the soul, secret desires and deep-rooted needs which motivate, ‘push’ us towards their satisfaction. What a manager can do is create an environment in which employees can feel motivated.

Many people go through life obscuring their intrinsic nature, unaware of their ‘true calling, their ‘motivations’. People abandoned early dreams to deal with life’s realities and vicissitudes. They had to conform to society, family, the corporate world and other circles, each of which dictates its code of conduct; how to think, feel, eat, speak, behave and dress. Their true selves disappear, get buried. It is only by triggering and bringing out into the light people’s intrinsic nature, gifts and secret desires that we give them the opportunity to feel motivated.

Unlocking the Secrets:

Most people will tell you that two of the most important things they look for in a company are mutual respect and personal involvement. When workers feel good about themselves, the work they do and the company they work for, it is much easier to gain their cooperation. Below is a list of ways in which you can putt the very best out of your employees, benefiting not only yourself, but also those working for you. These actions can be taken to avoid problems and reassure surviving employees at the time of a layoff.

Involve employees in decision-making process.
Keep employees informed: Communicate honestly the state of the company--tell them what is happening and why.
Clarify management policies and techniques.
Acknowledge employee accomplishments.
Be aware of the morale level of your employees.
Maintain an open-door policy.
Develop a caring attitude.
Be sure to listen.
Always treat your employees with respect.
Ask your employees for suggestions and new ideas.
Give ‘constructive’ criticism.
Recognize your employees.
Rewrite job responsibilities based on their talents and skills.
Maintain high standards
Upgrade training where possible.
Be realistic about redistributing the workload.
Start an Employee Performance and Career Development Planning Program
Rejuvenate teams, develop fair systems to redistribute work and identify new leaders who can be mentored.

Motivation: What works, What Doesn’t: You can’t unilaterally motivate others. While many firms look to incentive pay of bonus plans to motivate their staff, such plans provide short term, superficial incentives but fair to provide true motivation. External or extrinsic motivators, such as rewards or punishment, produce only short-term results, and as soon as the reward becomes expected or the punishment disappears, so does the motivation. True motivation comes internally.

Motivation = A Heartfelt Mission Based on Values. Strongly motivated professionals follow their inclination toward a mission that has strong personal meaning to them. Motivation reaches a peak when your personal goals and mission align with the specific demands of your work and the objectives of your organization. You like what you’re doing. You are committed. You feel yourself growing. You can see concrete results. You feel a strong sense of inner purpose. This is what true motivation likes like and it can come only from within.

You can’t motivate others but you can create an environment, which encourages and allows people’s motivations to align with your organization’s goals and values. When this alignment occurs, there is a tremendous release of energy. One study found that 50% of US managers surveyed said their careers gave them the most satisfaction in life. Family was close second at 40%. This information shows that there is a tremendous source of psychological energy available if you can tap this desire to be fulfilled.

The Benefits of Employee Mentoring

befound — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:33:24 +0000

Overview Mentoring helps employees successfully maneuver through the organization to enhance their performance and career growth. It is often paired with a segment of in-depth analysis of a person’s “psychology of performance.” Mentoring supports employees in goal clarifications and accountability. This one-on-one coaching experience engages employees to consciously think about his or her personal development and career aspirations. The coach/mentor explores with employees the many organizational, interpersonal and personal obstacles to their development. Mentors guide, counsel and provide feedback towards the achievement of goals and is an objective resource to help one think through issues and problem solve the challenges. This mentoring/coaching process holds one accountable and ensures significant improvement and skill building in support of driving your business objectives. Winning Ways uses a variety of assessments and profiles, such as; personality tests, values clarifications, motivations, and the individual’s success factors (core passions) that help zero in on the skills and capabilities to the individual’s specific areas for development. We provide positive feedback about employee contributions, and at the same time, bring performance issues to their attention before the issues becomes a problem and assist the employee in how to correct them. The Benefits of our Coaching and Mentoring Program: One of the benefits of a mentoring and coaching program is that it is consistently expressed by previous employees—is the fact that the mentor comes from outside the organization and the main focus is always on the professional development of employees. Organizations that incorporate mentoring and coaching into their culture see sustainable improvements in key areas, including internal and external communications, productivity, employee attitudes, recruitment and retention of staff. There is an emphasis on the ‘whole’ person’, and no stone is left unturned in order to identify strengths and development needs. There should be firm trust and a strong bond formed between the mentor and each employee involved in the coaching process. Through a structured, outcomes-led process, we clarify issues, examine limiting beliefs and generate solutions with a compelling course of action. In this way, employees experience genuine and lasting change. They become both the person they want to be and also the person that others would prefer. The Process: The process achieves genuine and lasting change because there is:

Dependable and reliable confidentiality assured through the coach and manager.
Clear, positive and consistent support.
Sufficient body of data that employees can believe in and see the need for change.
Balanced and objective feedback about strengths and development opportunities.
Employee’s enthusiasm and motivation to change based on a vision of the success they want to have in the future.
Supportive and imaginative mentoring that is based on real-life work situations.
Closure or agreed continuing support from the line manager and the coach.

A typical mentoring program has this structure:

Intake meeting. Meet the employees and their manager (if appropriate) to agree the broad scope of outcomes of the coaching.
Feedback. Feedback on all the data to employees, to agree on strengths, development opportunities, and a draft plan.
Agreement. Review the plan with employees and manager and reach a firm agreement about the key areas to focus on for improvement; the desired outcomes as well as the timeline.
Coaching. This can take a number of forms; assessment, review of assessments, continuous feedback and learned-centered activity.
Progress review. Gather further data to assess the extent to which improvements are actually being made, and review this data with the client and manager to agree on the next steps.
Closure. Agreement with the client and manager of a forward action plan (that could include further coaching) to ensure that the client continues to develop.

Six main steps in effective and supportive mentoring:

Show confidence in the employee’s ability and willingness to solve the problem. Ask him or her for help in solving the problem.
Describe the performance problem. Focus on the problem or behavior that needs improvement, not the person. Ask for the employee’s view of the situation.
Determine if issues exist that limit employee’s ability to perform the task or accomplish the objective. Determine how to remove these barriers and add these actins to the overall plan.
Discuss potential solutions to the problem or improvement actions to take. Ask employees for ideas on how to correct the problem, or prevent it from happening again. Offer suggestions.
Agree on a written action plan that lists what employees, supervisors, and possibly the HR professional, will do to correct the problem or improve the situation.
Set a date and time for follow-up. Determine if a critical feedback path is needed, so the supervisor knows how the employee is progressing on the plan. Offer positive encouragement and or confidence in the employee’s competence to make the needed improvements.

Goals of the Mentor:

The goal of performance mentoring is not to make employees feel bad, the goal is to work with them to solve performance problems and improve the work of employees and the department.
There is an emphasis on the ‘whole’ person, and no stone is left unturned in order to identify strengths and development needs.
Firm trust and a strong bond forms between the coach and employees, and through a structured, outcomes-led process, clarify issues, examine limiting beliefs and generate solutions with a compelling course of action.
In this way, employees experience genuine and lasting change.

A typical Corporate Mentoring program can involve the client in the process for 3 to 6 months. The duration of the program is agreed with the client and line manager. Don’t think you have time to mentor your employees? You could be harming your company’s most important resource.

Work/Life Renewal

befound — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:28:57 +0000

Have you ever had a time in your life when you realized you were just going through the motions? Going to work each day to get paid, so that you could afford to do the other things in your life you truly enjoyed? Have you ever thought, ‘there’s got to be more than this!?” Perhaps you feel that way now. What you may long for at a time like this is to regain your sense of self. To restore yourself and get a new sense of your well-being. To do so, you will need to align what is important to you deep inside with the daily life you lead on the outside. After all, you probably spend more time at work than anywhere else—shouldn’t you feel like you are contributing to your sense of self while you are there? What is Self-Renewal? Self-renewal begins when you take time out to reflect on what is working and not working in your life, to determine what is really important to you so that you can reframe, refocus, and rejuvenate. Self-renewal requires that you, by choice, step back—away from whatever it is that you are doing and that you look at what you want in life and work to determine how the two can be more synchronized. The four step ‘magic formula’ that leads to self-renewal.

Hold on to what is important to you in all areas of you life (take a look at your core values).
Let go of those things which are not priorities—attitudes and behaviors that you feel are self-defeating.
Take on new approaches—ways of doing things that are consistent with the real you, and
Move on, going forward with new life and energy, and direction because you are focused on what’s important.

Why is Self-Renewal Important? The pressures of work and life tent to cause the ‘important things’ to get out of focus. Sometimes our work and other ‘commitments’ cause our sense of self to become faded. Therefore, it is especially important in today’s busy world with all its many pressures, to take time out so that we can revisit and restore ourselves, our core, our soul. These are the things which keep us grounded and moving forward with inner direction and sense of well-being in a world where there is so much complexity and change. How Will You Know When You’ve Experienced Self-Renewal? You’ll know that you have experienced renewal when you feel a sense of direction and purpose—a new burst in energy. You will probably go through all the stages of self renewal:

Solitude
Revision of Core Values
Exploring the World again
An Exiting Ritual: Choosing New Priorities.

Renewal is about a time for fresh new ideas and learning. How we experience renewal in our day-to day work lives has much to do with our opportunity to learn and grow, the satisfaction and excitement we feel from doing what we love, the community of people with whom we interact, and the opportunity to do what is meaningful to us. But it also comes from knowing, in a real way, about where we are, what’s important to us, where we want to go, and what we want to become. Our purpose at WINNING WAYS is to help people experience the joy of meaningful work. And that can take many different forms of each of us. Have you considered Self-Assessment? In our WINNING WAYS one-on-one introspective Counseling program a self assessment is designed to help you take that first step back to assess where you are and where you want to be.