The Terrain – Guiding the Graduates

I remember it like it was yesterday:  crossing the stage, shaking the Dean’s hand, smiling for the cameras, and feeling ready to take on the world.  Now, I see my friends’ children taking part in the same ritual. These graduates will come home after their graduation parties and beach vacations to find jobs, but will instead find that they are woefully unprepared to navigate the competitive job terrain that holds their fate in its hands.

A recent article in the Huffington Post stated half of college graduates won’t have a job offer upon graduation.

Most people are average.  Average grades with average income potential.  That’s where the term average comes from, right?  It’s the middle of the exceptionally talented, or those with really high GPAs compared to those who may have prioritized the social aspects of college over the academics and may have even worked their way through school. Perhaps they didn’t get to take advantage of the career center prior to packing up and leaving campus.  Within the average pool of people, there are still exceptionally talented people waiting to be plucked into their destiny of success.  Hard work does pay off, and finding a job after college is hard work.

If your recent graduate didn’t have summer internships relating to their studies, or part time work to offer them a glimpse of what professional life would be like after obtaining their degree, they are probably going to have to pay their dues now, as painful as that might be for you to watch.  Recent grads often feel their education should preclude them from starting with an entry level position, but the fact remains, a job with a reputable company is a great starting point for anyone. 

Whether the business is large or small, publicly traded or privately held, full or part time, they need some work experience. They need to prove to an employer they are reliable, dependable, organized, have good communications skills, can follow direction, and that they can work both independently and in teams.  The basics.  They need to take any job they can get and make it their own whether as an assistant manager at a drug store, or as the administrative assistant in an office.  They need to build the list of references that will vouch for them in the future.

For many grads it’s too soon for them to really know what they want to do long term or where their career will take them, so encourage them to just get started. They will learn more about themselves while working than not working and you can learn something from any job, good or bad.  Some of the most valuable experience can be gained in the most unlikely situations. 

Many times the amount of rejections the grads face is overwhelming and they will retreat back to school for more education. Here’s the skinny on that:  Unless the profession they are choosing (like nursing, law, etc.) requires the education to get started, they are going to be in the same boat a few years down the road if they don’t combine that extra learning with substantive work experience. It’s better to obtain that additional degree in combination with some practical application of their studies. Many companies offer tuition reimbursement or special executive on site MBA programs that employees who are positioning themselves for promotion can take advantage of. Developing a healthy balance of education and experience is the most strategic and effective way to optimize your value to current and potential employers.

Telling all of this to your grads isn’t the easiest task, so you might want to consider hiring a coach to work with them.  Through the International Coach Federation website (http://www.coachfederation.org/) you can search for coaches in your local area that offer career services.  The investment there will be well worth your time if you properly vet the coach you choose as someone who has successfully worked with others in the same situation in the past.

Teach your grads to network.  Currently, 80% of all jobs are found as a direct result of networking and utilizing personal connections. Ask your friends who work in your grad’s field for help. You’ll be surprised at how willing these personal connections are to help a young person and how quickly a small network can expand with just a little help from family and friends.  Encourage your job seekers to make a list of companies they are interested in so you can easily see if you have contacts there that may be able to assist them.  Having a well thought out job search strategy they can execute is important.  Setting timelines for follow up and evaluating results can’t be achieved if you don’t have a list to work from.

You might also want to take a look at your grad’s online profile because future employers are looking as well.  Their Facebook page and LinkedIn profile should be clean and professional.  Encourage your grad to remove any photos that may give future employers the wrong impression of their character.  Keeping a diligent eye on their online presence is very important and can be a deal breaker.  Just last week someone in our office pointed out that a person’s wedding website noted they had yet to graduate when the resume they presented to us stated they had completed their degree. That person was due to complete it this year in December but they are looking for a job now. 

Lastly, they can always do volunteer work to obtain more experience.  Many companies and non profits need help so don’t forget to consider those channels as well.

Tags: coaching, connections, degree, education, employeers, entry level, experience, grads, internship, Job Search, networking, promotion, recent graduates, references, social profile, tuition reimbursement, volunteer

The Tree Rings – Aging In The Jungle

Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is a method of dating based on analysis of the patterns of tree-rings. Not only can the age of trees be determined, but other variables can be inferred from tree rings such as past climates. The older the tree, the more knowledge can be gleaned from their unique patterns.

I get a lot of questions from people who are in their fifties needing advice about job search, career change, and what types of jobs are good for people over 50.  We wrote about why companies might want to hire people with more experience rather than less in the past but my husband read a recent article from the Washington Post and that, combined with the 60 Minutes tribute to Mike Wallace, shed new light on this subject for me. 

Did you know Mike Wallace didn’t even start with 60 Minutes until he was over 50?  For 37 years he was a trailblazer of news magazine programming and had an amazing career there, whether you agreed with his style and conclusions or not.  He is a shining example of how to take your experience in a new direction rather than retiring in the traditional way as you approach this part of your life.

Many people who are looking for work later in their careers have become accustomed to traditional employee/employer relationships because that is what they have always had.  Long gone are the days of our parents and grandparents when they were able to retire with a solid pension and live a relatively stress free retirement.   

Becoming a consultant in your field is an excellent opportunity for people faced with unexpected job change at latter stages of their careers. Now is the time where their expertise can lend itself quite nicely to assisting others with their own learning and growth paths while continuing to grow their own rings of experience.

Many start ups are seeking part time CFOs and COOs to help them grow, and local chapters of The Service Core of Retired Executives (www.score.org) can help.  I have seen many volunteers get snapped up into part time positions, in some cases full time roles, because they made a substantive connection with someone they met through SCORE who found value in their expertise.

Executive coaching is a great business as well but it does require certification to be held in professional regard.  www.coachfederation.org  If you are in the DC area and might want to learn more about coaching, the Capital Coaches Conference is an all day event Thursday, June 7^th, 2012 at George Mason University and the speaker lineup is impressive.  Before you make the investment and commitment to becoming a certified coach, a one day conference like this is a great way to get introduced and meet many successful people in the industry. 

Remember, full time employment can come in the form of a couple of part time jobs combined.  If health insurance is a concern, consult your accountant about forming an LLC and an insurance broker can help you navigate what plan you need to accommodate your lifestyle.  A coaching client of mine (who is over 50) recently consulted with Business Benefits Group and uncovered a significant savings setting up a plan for himself rather than opting into his cobra coverage. 

So, while I might need a little more Advil to get past my morning aches and pains than I used to, knowing that I can take charge of my own career and find new opportunities to utilize my years of experience helping those with less gives me some relief.

Additional substantive articles on finding work over 50:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/30/over-50-job-seeking-leadership-careers-hiring.html

In case you missed the Mike Wallace segment, here is the link.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7405528n&tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea.7

Tags: 50+, Aging, Capital Coaches Conference, career change, coaching, consulting, experience, ICFMetroDC, Mike Wallace, Over 50, retire, SCORE

The Jungle Books – Your Tax Day Preparation

It’s Friday the 13th of April, 2012! Whether you are superstitious or not, this day might be considered lucky or unlucky since it would generally be two days before you were required to file your federal tax return for last year. However, because of a combination of the calendar, a holiday, and tax law, Tax Day 2012 is delayed until Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

Why is this? First, April 15 is a Sunday and all federal offices are traditionally closed on Sundays. This means that taxes can’t be filed on April 15, as regularly scheduled. Rather, the tax due date should roll over to the first available business day — Monday.

However, this year Monday happens to be April 16, Emancipation Day, a holiday local to the District of Columbia that has impact nationwide. Since 2005, Emancipation Day has remembered President Abraham Lincoln’s April 16, 1862, signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act, which freed the city’s 3,128 slaves. In honor of this day, Washington, D.C.’s governmental institutions are closed.

And federal law gives taxpayers the gift of an extra day … Tax Day rolls over to the next business day, Tuesday, April 17. (Please note that you may have tax forms that say they are due April 16. They were printed before the IRS realized the Emancipation Day conflict.)

Despite the 2-day change, as a reminder, the deadline to file a federal tax return with extension has not changed. That filing date remains October 15, 2012. 

Remember, state filing deadlines vary by state but most states have chosen to mirror the IRS’ tax deadlines this year even though Emancipation Day is specific to Washington, D.C. Be sure to check with your accountant to confirm your local filing deadlines.

Having said all of that now might be a good time to start thinking about making this whole process a little easier on yourself for next year with some pre-tax planning organization and preparation. For those who have had multiple jobs or less income because of the economy, your tax return could mean a huge difference so being prepared is the best thing you can do.

First, get your yearly information to your accountant as soon as you can in January/February.  Many people wait until the last minute before the deadline and then file an extension when, with just a little pre-planning, you can have all your information organized in advance and be nearly done before the New Years Eve ball drops on Times Square. More to celebrate!

Second, don’t just dump your receipts in a box and expect your accountant to figure out what they are all for, particularly if you are a habitual last minute filer.  Using one credit card for business expenses is a great way to keep things more organized but you need to take one step further and allocate those costs to supplies, entertainment, office equipment purchases, etc. Doing so each month when you are reviewing your credit card bill can help ensure the chore is not so large when it comes time to file your return.

Thirdly, seek out your accountant’s expertise and ask for tax planning advice. Your accountant is a valuable resource and can assist you throughout the year with ways to maximize deductions on certain items if you consult them in advance.

Remember these tax tips and good luck Jungle Adventurers on Friday the 13^th!

Tags: accountant, deadline, emancipation day, expectations, expenses, Friday the 13th, income, IRS, organization, preparation, superstition, tax deadline, tax return, taxes

The Trees – Mission Statements For The Jungle

The best and brightest greenery is sparse in your part of the jungle. What happened to all of the lush, tropical life that made your spot the best around? According to Erika Anderson, a blogger on Forbes, often the main reason that top talent leaves a company has a lot to do with the organization itself. If it is badly managed, confusing, or uninspiring, who would stay?

What can a company do to keep the best and the brightest resources, talent in which they have invested so much, from leaving? How about going back to the basics and taking a look at the mission statement? How long has it been since you have looked at that thing? Days? Months? Years? Does your company have one? Is it on your website? Do the employees know what it says? Most importantly: does the company follow it and believe in it?

DrDemartini.com describes the mission statement as the vision and inspiration of a company. If it is weak or unclear, it is likely the company’s goals are equally unsustainable. A mission statement should be an exact understanding of what the company and the leadership is committed to and the values of the business. Like the best trees in the jungle, it needs to be broad enough to grow tall, and strong enough to hold itself up to provide an excellent shelter for the wildlife that would flock to its limbs.

Who likes ice cream? Who likes Ben & Jerry’s? Who likes Ben & Jerry’s mission statement? Ben & Jerry’s current mission statement actually has 3 parts. To really pin the tail on the cow, they have defined their mission to encompass social, product, and economic missions. Since 1988, these three one-sentence mission statements have guided Ben & Jerry’s. Their social mission focuses on improving quality of life through their business. The product mission describes Ben & Jerry’s commitment to all natural ingredients and respect for the environment. The economic mission states that the company is working towards profit and growth.

Ben & Jerry’s may not be the only company to have this style of statement, but it is very well liked by its employees. Ben & Jerry’s supports their mission by ensuring that they are working to reduce their waste and impact on the environment, and supporting suppliers that also share their ideals. Cost of living factors in to every employee’s wage and the community is supported through service projects and foundations. Every aspect of the company’s efforts is directly tied to the mission as a fundamental source. A reportedly rich and thriving corporate culture is thanks to Ben & Jerry’s commitment and their follow through with their clearly stated mission.

To retain the blooming and talented trees that make up the company and fuel its passion, they must be watered with a mission they agree with and trust. If you are on the hunt for the best spot in the forest, compare mission statements and research the corporate culture to ensure you are entering a good fit.

 By Lindsay Sellner and Carolyn Thompson

Tags: Ben & Jerry's, business, company culture, forbes, goal setting, growth, insipring, manage, mission statements, research, support, top talent

The Jungle Guide – Transformational Leaders

In the jungle, there aren’t many signs to direct you away from danger.  Beautiful plants can be poisonous, lethal fungi can sneak in and kill an entire species of trees in a short period of time, and if you lose your bearings without a compass, you only have your instincts to help you find your way out… but the right guide can help tremendously.

At lunch this week, I was discussing a particularly difficult leadership situation with a Director at a publicly traded company and we got on the topic of transformational leadership.  Anyone can take on the traits of a transformational leader and be effective in the right situations where that type of leadership is particularly successful.

According to leadership researcher Bernard Bass, Transformational Leadership occurs when a leader transforms, or changes, his or her followers in three important ways that together result in followers trusting the leader, performing behaviors that contribute to the achievement of organizational goals, and being motivated to perform at high levels:

• Transformational leaders increase subordinates’ awareness of the importance of their tasks and the importance of performing them well.
• Transformational leaders make subordinates aware of their needs for personal growth, development, and accomplishment.
• Transformational leaders motivate their subordinates to work for the good of the organization rather than exclusively for their own personal gain or benefit. (1)

Let’s suppose you are a leader in an organization that, like many, has gone through extensive change due to external economic influences.  Consider that the people leading the organization are doing as much as they can to attempt to adequately predict the next quarters’ results and have worked with you to ensure you understand your responsibilities within the overall execution of the strategic plan.  You, as the leader of your group, need to steer your team to achieve the pre-established benchmarks despite the undercurrent of uncertainty.

It’s not easy.  (If it was easy, everyone would do it!)   

Realize that you are not alone and many companies and managers are in the same situation.  Leaving your job because of these circumstances may not solve the issue at hand.  Instead, think about what you can do personally to create stability within an environment of uncertainly.  It’s easy to get caught up in what’s going on around you every day and lose sight of the big picture.  No matter what interpersonal drama is happening in your office, take a moment to take stock of yourself in relation to the traits of a transformational leader.   Consider what both your subordinate team and executive team need from you and the answers will become clearer.  Remember, you can’t change other people, only how you react to them.  If you need more leadership directives from the executive team, selectively seek out the proper person to mentor you.  Those with more experience than you have just that….more experience. There is a lot to be learned from others’ experience and style.  Recognizing both positive and negative traits in others helps you mold yourself to be a better leader overall.  Make yourself transformational no matter your personal set of circumstances and find yourself to be the jungle guide your team needs.

(1)    Jones, Gareth R.; George, Jennifer M. (2011-04-26). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior (6th Edition) Pearson HE, Inc.

Tags: Career Path, change, economy, executive, goals, guide, leadership, organization, performance, personal growth, responsibility, transformation, transformational leaders

The Hunters – 5 Resume Killers to Avoid

Resumes are your first impression when applying for a job and first impressions mean everything. In order to land that interview, be careful with what you produce for your resume. Here are 5 common resume killers that are stalking you even now.

Generic wording: Your resume is your chance to speak and tell your possible future employer about your background and your capabilities before actually having the opportunity to meet with them. Therefore, it is very important that your words are clear and precise. Job descriptions and duties, objectives and hobbies should stand out, do not use generic wording, and use memorable words. Example of a bad objective: ‘My objective is to find a career and a company that I can grow with and excel in.’ the reason why this is bad because it says nothing about yourself and what you actually want. This objective statement is generic and boring. Think outside of the box and off the beaten path to evade this predator.

Job History: There are three things that can turn away an employer faster than you think: Lack of job experience, gaps between employment, and too much short term employment. If you have any of these things be prepared to explain, that is if the employer even considers your resume. These three no no’s are warning flags for employers. They will worry about your commitment to their company if they see lots of short term jobs. Avoid these three things before they spring their trap.

Misspellings, Grammar and Punctuation: It is very important that you review your resume several times. Once you have completed your resume, look it over and then pass it on to others to help you. Having an extra pair of eyes review your resume can help catch any errors. There are also very inexpensive resume services online where professionals can look over your resume and help you. (Editor’s note: There are also free resume workshops available through libraries, churches, community centers, and even some recruiting companies may do them from time to time. Attend as many as possible to receive feedback.) Clever tricks this jungle hunter uses can include words that are spelled correctly but are misused, typos in names, and inconsistencies in your style.

Contact Information: Believe it or not this is a very big problem in resume writing. Many people do two things, have inappropriate email addresses or forget to update their contact information with the correct phone number. To dodge this killer, first things first, we are in an age now where it is not necessary to put your address on your resume, (Editor’s note: an address may help you advertise that you are local to a certain area and tells recruiters to consider you for local positions.) a phone number and email address will work just fine. Secondly, make sure your email address is professional, candybabe713@email.com is not okay. If you have a common name and have trouble finding a handle that has not been used, try different variations of your name. Last, call the number you have printed on your resume, just to double check. You will kick yourself later if you found out you switched a number and missed a call from an employer.

Visually Unpleasing: You have the right idea when you want to stand out, but there is such a thing as doing too much and this hunter likes the super flashy. Avoid graphics, designs and colors. Keep it simple and professional. Also be careful with your line spacing and margins. Use bold and underline with dividing the sections of your resume up. You want it to be easy to read and not a burden to dive into. (Editor’s note: Also make sure your resume is not a pdf. These will show up as blank when parsed by several kinds of software that help companies gather resumes from popular job search sites.)

Now you know the things you should avoid during your resume writing. Don’t forget to have an extra pair of eyes review before you start sending it out and you should be safe. Resume write in groups to catch those hunters! Good luck in your job hunt!

This guest post is contributed by Kate Croston. Kate is a freelance writer and holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing  internet service related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to:  katecroston.croston09 @ gmail.com.

If you need help with your resume, grab a copy of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME from Amazon. It will really make the process a lot easier for you.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: advice, first impressions, guest, Job Search, resume, resume workshop, resume writing, ten easy steps to a perfect resume, tips

The Octopus – Hiding Facebook For Future Employers

One of the most well-known defense abilities of Octopi, besides mimicry, is the expulsion of ink. The preferable defense, of course, is to simply not be seen. This can be achieved by squeezing into tight places and camouflaging to avoid detection. If they are spotted by a predator, the Octopus can eject ink in a large cloud to cover their escape.

For years experts have warned job seekers that their Facebook profiles and other social media accounts may very well hinder their chances of employment—anything like controversial statuses and/or unflattering drunken photos are enough to get your resume thrown in the trash can. After all, employers want someone who will be able to represent their business in a good light.

While in the past job applicants were able to safe guard and restrict their personal information from prying eyes simply by changing their privacy settings, much like the Octopus prefers to hide, some interviewees may no longer have that added sense of security. Employers are getting a lot smarter. Rather than hiring an expensive IT specialist to hack into your account or trying to “friend” candidates on the social media site, some employers are doing something rather blunt: directly asking for an applicant’s Facebook username and password during the interview.

Headlines report that this trend is slowly sweeping the nation. Employers ask job applicants for log-in information so that he or she can evaluate the applicant’s Facebook page later on; or an employer will ask the applicant to log-on Facebook in front of him or her before the interview is over. It’s a technique that can definitely be seen as a violation of privacy. But for those desperate for a job, they have no other choice but to oblige to the interviewer’s request.

Other big-name companies like Sears may not go as far as asking for log-in information directly, but they do manage to get ahold of your Facebook profile information in a more subtle way: via Facebook apps. Some companies make job applications available on Facebook. In order to access and submit the application however, users must first agree to the app’s terms and conditions which specifically say third parties can access profile information such as photos and your friends list. Hiding may no longer be enough.

So what to do and how can you prevent your Facebook from hindering your employment opportunities? For starters you can do some major spring cleaning. Obviously setting certain photos albums to private isn’t enough, so back the photos up on your hard drive and delete sketchy photo albums entirely on your profile. It’s also a good idea to change what you post and the frequency —don’t complain too much or sound whiny (no dissing your ex or post about the turmoil’s of not being employed); be informative—links to news articles are ok because it shows that you know what’s happening in the world; refrain from posting too many YouTube music videos; and most importantly keep every status update G –rated.  Go ahead and delete a few statuses that you think might make you look bad. Facebook’s new Timeline makes this process a little easier.

If you think your Facebook is just too much of a mess, remember that you could always delete it—temporarily or permanently. After all, interviewers can’t punish you for having something inappropriate on your Facebook if you don’t have one.  Deactivating it during the period of applying and a few weeks after you’re hired is a great idea. But if you want to delete your Facebook entirely, remember you must e-mail the Facebook administration so that they can take it down for you. “Inking” the elements of your online presence that are less desirable to employers so that they cannot find them may save you, just like the Octopus.

Update! Facebook speaks out against employers asking for passwords.

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of online courses.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7 @gmail.com.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: application, Facebook, friends, future employer, guest, interviewing, online presence, online profile, pictures

The Map – A Guide Through The Jungle

Finding a job in the current climate is a full-time job in itself, but there are ways to make things easier on yourself. Use these points to draw a map to navigate through the job search jungle.

What’s your skill-set?

Firstly, be honest with yourself about the skills you have. Sit down and make a list of the jobs you’ve held in the past, the dates they covered, and the skills required. If you’re an experienced professional, limit your outlines to the most recent ten years. If you’ve been out of the workplace for a while, then list any relevant voluntary posts. If you’re new to the world of work, think about any mentoring or extra-curricular activities you’ve been involved in, including sports or drama. This information forms the basis for the professional experience section of your resume, which in effect is your calling card for jobs and can also be used to help fill in application forms. Other sections typically include some personal details, including how employers may get in touch with you, and relevant educational qualifications. Have a basic prototype curriculum vitae (CV) that you can use as the basis for different types of jobs and industries.

Where are all the jobs?

Secondly, think about the type of job you want, and where those jobs are advertised. Local newspapers and job boards are a great start, but many openings are now advertised only on the Internet. Many appear on professional job boards, but several are advertised only on the website of an organization. Many more openings are not advertised at all, and this is where you need to think laterally about your contacts. Do any of your friends or relatives work in organizations that are hiring? Which school did you attend? Are you aware of any alumni who have gone into businesses that are expanding? What agencies can you think of who deal with your industry, and have you registered with them? What technical and specialist trade magazines are there in your area? Even if they don’t carry situations vacant, the news items offer an insight into companies that are expanding. Many local libraries carry copies of trade magazines, so you can browse at your leisure.

Target your application

Thirdly, once you’ve found a vacancy that looks promising, go through the job description carefully. Make a grid of how your skills and experience are the best possible match for the vacancy, and mentally prepare for your interview by thinking of at least two, preferably three, concrete examples of how you displayed those skills in previous posts. Take your base cv and target it for the post.

Expand your skill-set

If you’re finding that many promising job advertisements you spy ask for skills outside your area, think about how you can upskill yourself. Is there a local college course in your area? Could you work on a voluntary basis for an organization to refresh your skills, and do some good at the same time?

Be realistic

You may also find, especially if changing industries or just starting out, that you need to revise your salary expectations or the type of role you’re willing to take. At the moment, it’s an employer’s market, and although history tells us that everything moves in cycles, flexibility is the key at present. You may also need to be extremely creative in the job titles and keywords you use to carry out your search. Once upon a time, a secretary was a secretary. Now, he or she may go by the title of executive assistant, virtual assistant, or clerical executive. And who’d have thought a librarian’s post would be advertised under the title of information alchemist?

Be patient

However you choose to carry out your job search, be patient. The right job is out there somewhere.

This guest post is contributed by Sally Derby. Sally is an experienced office manager with over twenty years of successful personal job-hunting experience in the administrative field. She writes for Degree Jungle on the topics of interviewing and helping candidates to sell their skills and expertise, on paper and in person.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: advertise, advice, agencies, alumni, application, changing industries, cv, expectations, experience, guest, job openings, Job Search, keywords, networking, patience, preparation, resume, skill-set, unemployment, volunteer

The Freeze – Perspective and Expectation

It’s 60 degrees today in Miami, Florida.  People are shivering in the streets wearing seldom-used fur coats and heavy winter boots.  In the winter months in Florida, it is generally accepted that it will still be summer-like temperatures compared to the northern states. Today, on the 3^rd of January, Floridians consider it to be freezing. 

In Virginia, it is floating around a true freezing temperature of 30 degrees and people are probably wearing the same winter clothing that the Floridians have donned at double the temperature. If it was 60 degrees today in Virginia, people would be driving with the tops down on their convertibles, playing golf in shorts, and wearing light sweaters thrilled about such warm weather in winter.

Your perception, how you view situations and circumstances, is based on your experience combined with your expectations. If your experience tells you that it should be 70 degrees in Florida all winter, having the reality be 10 degrees cooler than your expectation will cause you to feel colder than you would if you had been expecting cooler weather. In Virginia, if you expect it to be below freezing and 3 feet deep in snow, a cloudless sky and twice the anticipated temperature will have you perceiving it to be quite a “warm” day!

Consider your relationships with regard to your experience and expectation:

As a manager, do you expect your employees to rush to meet your stated objectives so your group can grow as a whole? According to your experience, have you empowered them to do so or are there unforeseen barriers to their success that you would be able to anticipate or circumvent?

As an employee, are you capitalizing on opportunities at your workplace to exceed your manager’s expectations and help your team to reach their annual goals?  Or, are you someone who is looking for areas where your manager should do more for you in your career and goals? 

These situations are based on your perspective. If you spend all of your productive time waiting on other people to meet your expectations, your life, and your career opportunities may pass you by. 

Please take a moment to share a positive example where your expectations were not being met, and how you took the initiative and the responsibility to improve the situation and facilitate efforts for the team rather than waiting on other people to meet your needs. 

Rather than simply wishing the weather were warmer, take out that fur coat and warm yourself up from the freeze!

Tags: anticipation, expectations, experience, goals, objectives, opportunities, perception, perspective, success, team

The Jaguar – Online Tests and Survival of the Fittest

Online tests are the jaguar of the jobs world, as they prey on the weak and devour the unprepared. But unfortunately they are the future of recruitment. With such a huge number of people competing for very little work, having the right skills to fit your ideal role is more important than ever. We’re in a drought and the competition is tough, but to survive online tests you just need to follow these simple rules:

Stay Focused

This is the first thing to remember when taking online tests as any lack of concentration will cause you to make mistakes. It’s understandable to be nervous, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get through to the next stage as this will only distract you. In a stressful situation you may react differently and answer questions in a different way than you would if you were in a calm environment. To optimize your chances of surviving online tests choose a quiet place where you feel comfortable and eat beforehand to make sure you have plenty of energy. This will help you maintain control and stay calm. Deep breathing will also help if you’re feeling especially anxious, and don’t think about your competition!

Pace Yourself

One of the biggest mistakes you can make during online tests is to rush. Jobseekers tend to think they’ll run out of time and get caught out but take your time and read the questions slowly and thoroughly. This will help you digest the information and understand the questions being asked. One thing you can do to ensure you pace yourself is to read the questions out loud, or if you prefer to stay quiet write down the questions on a notepad to make sure you really think about what is being said.

Don’t Be Careless

This is linked to you pacing yourself, as spending time to thoroughly check your answers will ensure you don’t make any careless mistakes. Don’t rely on the online tests to warn you of incorrect spellings. Check a dictionary. If you do make mistakes, an employer may think you don’t pay close attention to details, and if the competition is fierce this could be your downfall. Make sure you read through your answers carefully, paying close attention to each word. Rereading sentences as you type them can also help with spellings.

Don’t Stray From the Rules

Often jobseekers get so caught up in the content of their answers that they forget about the correct rules of grammar. This could end your dreams of securing your ideal job, as employers are looking for reasons to narrow down applicants. Employers are looking for good, reliable writers who they can trust to send out written information on their behalf. To stick to the grammar rules and avoid mistakes, write straightforward sentences. Don’t overcomplicate your writing and reread each sentence to check for mistakes. Be specifically aware of any capitalization errors, missing punctuation, sentence fragments and sentence run-ons.

Follow Your Instincts

Another common mistake jobseekers make is to make assumptions about what the employer wants to hear. To survive online tests you must concentrate on what you think is the right answer, not what you think they want. Don’t be afraid to follow your gut instinct. Some jobseekers start to doubt their own ability and try to think from the employer’s perspective. But this leads to answering the question dishonestly, and above all else you need to stay true to yourself. After all, if you don’t get the job then perhaps the company wasn’t right for you. Nobody wants to get a job for the wrong reasons!

So those are the rules. If you follow these you’ll have more chance of surviving online tests and getting that perfect job.

This guest post is contributed by Sarah Leeds.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: competition, detail, employers, focus, guest, Job Search, online tests, prepared, pressure, rules, screening, skills, stress, survival, testing