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, Job Search, online tests, prepared, pressure, rules, screening, skills, stress, survival, testing

The Harvest – Taking Stock

In the retail jungle, the holiday shopping season is traditionally followed by yearend inventory counts.  On the farm, it happens right after the harvest. As professionals, we should also conduct our own yearend inventory and update our resumes with our most noteworthy accomplishments of the year. 

As illustrated in my book, TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME, you want to have a good description of your company, role, and primary responsibilities as well as a brief list of your most significant accomplishments. Accomplishments are separate from your job description, what you or anyone else would be doing in your position, and they are what most set you apart from others. Accomplishments are details about what you made, saved, or achieved that are special. Relevantly describe how they, and your role, relate to the overall company structure.  Include projects you designed, led through development, and took to completion.  Describe initiatives you were involved in on a team or awards and recognition you received that show you went above and beyond the call of duty.

When describing your accomplishments it’s important to use numbers, percentages, or other quantitative descriptions to show your contribution to your role and the company as a whole. You may have found budget cuts of 10% that increased company profits by $50,000, or you led a software implementation that created efficiencies in reporting and reduced your monthly close by 2 days.  Whatever your situation, show the metric, or key performance indicator (KPI), that you affected through your outstanding performance.

Some people have a hard time bragging about themselves, so try answering these questions as a start:

• What change occurred in my company this year and how was I involved in that?
• How has my department and/or role evolved this year?
• What were the major projects I worked on and how did they affect the division/ company’s performance?

Your answers should spur your train of thought about what increased or decreased and what your part was in that change.

This process can also help you with your goal setting.  Perhaps, after you see your accomplishments on paper, you’ll realize there is a fundamental intellectual challenge that you are lacking or something you really wish you had been involved in that would have offered you personal and/or professional growth. 

Even if you are content with your current role and/or employer and not considering a job change next year, it’s important to keep your resume up to date.  Companies change over time, people take on more responsibility and taking stock of the harvest at the end of the year will make it much easier to update your resume when you do need it. Remember, your resume should be an accurate reflection of the experience that you intend to carry forward, not everything you have done, so choose your examples wisely.

Related Article: Setting Goals

Tags: accomplishments, challenge, exercise, experience, goal setting, goals, Job Search, key performance indicator, performance, professional grouth, quantitative, resume, resume writing, yearend

The Path – When there’s no “Path” to your Career Path

Those of us who reach a certain age with a resume full of professional disconnects are going to be in for a hard sell.  If you’ve cut a path through the jungle over the years, it’s OK if that path has a lot of twists and turns as long as it gets you from A to Z without encountering flooded rivers or giant waterfalls.  But if your path starts under this tree and then stops one hundred yards away, only to continue from a fresh starting point over on the other side of yonder savannah, it’s going to be tough to get a recruiter to talk to you.

There are several posts on this site that talk about assembling relevant experience to address this sort of issue; my suggestion is that you turn your resume into a theme park with clusters of job experience wrapped around a single skill set, such as marketing or advertising or regulatory affairs or whatever fields you’ve delved into more than once.  I’m assuming that you’re a serial career changer like me, with the resume of a dilettante.

To me the resume and cover letter is all about getting in the door.  What I have gotten results with on a couple of occasions is a resume that stakes my profession firmly in the ground where the recruiter is searching, and then leading with all of the experience I had with the various employers I’ve worked for.  I generally flat list prior employment companies and titles, going back as far as I think is necessary to establish my credentials.  Then I’ll list my accomplishments by function: twelve years of marketing experience in this role for Company A, five years as marketing director for Company B, providing marketing analysis for Company C.

The next mini-paragraph might list my accomplishments in advertising: managing the annual media buy for Company A, closing X deals with product distributors for Company B, launching the online sales and marketing effort  for Company C fifteen years ago.  And the following cluster might talk about another skill that I’ve developed as the result of employment requirements: working with governmental agencies on policy and rules as they relate to my employer.

All of that adds up to what I discuss in the cover letter, which is management in multiple environments for various functions involving public and commercial outreach.  Given the hand I’ve dealt myself – working with media companies, for mayors in two major American cities, for a professional baseball team, for a multimedia development startup – that’s the closest I can come to a thematic approach that (hopefully) shows a path through the jungle with one stretch connected to another.  And what I’ve found is that the more programmatic HR professionals will hit the delete button, but the recruiter who is intrigued by such a mix of experience might just give me a call.

This guest post is contributed by Bob Hartzell. Bob has been writing for five years about education and other life essentials on a variety of websites.  He writes about continuing education, career oriented degrees, both the baccalaureate and the graduate degree online, in recognition of the fact that the job market has undergone tremendous changes in the last twenty years. 

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

Tags: accomplishment, career change, Career Path, employment, experience, industry change, Job Search, multiple careers, relevance, resume, skill sets

The Compass – Navigating the Interview

Successfully navigating an interview is like trying to find your way through a jungle: You prepare for the expected and bring the tools to cut through unexpected obstacles. Feeling your way from one question to the next can seem like swinging from tree to tree, tentatively landing on each branch and narrowly escaping a fall or a trap. Knowing what to expect can help you make your way through the thicket a little easier. Preparing answers to some common interview questions — What are your weaknesses? How do you handle stress? — is a good place to start, but you should also be prepared to answer that most common final question: “Do you have any questions for us?” Not having questions prepared can leave your interviewer with a lasting negative impression. Here are some reasons why you should always have thoughtful questions prepared, as well as some tips on what kinds of questions to ask:

Questions Show Off Your Knowledge

If you have properly researched the company and the people who are interviewing you, it will show in the types of questions you ask. Begin your questions with phrases like “I read an article about your company…” or “After I read over your sales reports from last year…” You will let the interviewer know that you have taken the time to learn more about the company and to reflect on how you can contribute to the present and future goals of the company.

Questions Demonstrate Your Commitment

Asking thoughtful questions that reflect additional research or critical thinking demonstrate your commitment to the company and enthusiasm for the job. Asking questions shows that you are serious about learning more about the company and the role you can play. If you ask throwaway questions that could have been answered by looking at the company Web site or other literature, you display a sense of apathy or, worse, a lack of effort.

Ask Conversational Questions

Don’t ever ask your interviewer questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” You will waste an opportunity to open up a discussion that can help the interview learn more about you. Instead of asking questions like “Is your company worried about the economic climate?” or “Have you had any layoffs in the last year?” ask open-ended questions like “How has your company adapted to the current economic climate?” and “What has your company done to avoid layoffs that have been seen at other companies?” You will learn more information about the company, and your responses will tell the interviewer more about you.

Ask “Opportunity” Questions

If the interviewer has not asked you the questions that you would have liked to answer during the interviewer — questions whose answers could have explained more about your skills and experience, for example — find ways to create opportunities for these conversations with your own questions. For example, ask questions like “Why is the position vacant?” or “How do you define success for the person hired to fill this role?” After the interviewer answers, you can explain how you would be the successful candidate for the job.

Ask “Future” Questions

When you ask your interviewer questions that look toward the future, you are expressing interest in a long-term relationship that will benefit both you and the company. Ask questions about the company’s goals and future projects, as well as questions about opportunities for advancement within the company or how the interviewer sees the evolution of the position for which you are interviewing.

There are many more types of questions you should not ask during your interview — most of them concerning salary, benefits, vacation times, and other specifics that should only be discussed once you are offered the job. Think carefully about the types of questions you ask, and remember that what you ask says as much about you as what you answer.

Let your questions be your guide and led you through the interview to a successful job!

This guest post is contributed by Erinn Stam, the Managing Editor for a website offering thebest nursing careers. She attends Wake Technical Community College and is learning about online flight nursing programs. She lives in Durham, NC with her lovely 4-year-old daughter and exuberant husband. If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: conversation, economy, goals, interview, Job Search, navigation, prepared, questions, relationship, research, success, techniques, tips

The Rat – Psychology Jobs In and Out of the Lab

When they’re not raiding alleyways for garbage, rats are best known for being the subjects of countless scientific studies and tests, especially in the field of psychology. But did you know that rats are one of the world’s smartest animals? They are incredibly curious, learn quickly and have amazing senses of smell and hearing. They even dream in a similar way to humans.

Careers in the field of psychology are for those curious about the human mind. Many jobs involve research with rats or human subjects, but there are also jobs in psychology that allow you to work directly with people through counseling. Like a rat, you’ll need to be smart, as most positions require a master’s or doctoral degree. Here are some psychology jobs that will allow you to explore the wonders of the human—and perhaps rodent—mind.

1. Career or Vocational Counselor

Career counselors may help college students looking for a first job, or experienced individuals searching for a new job in their field or a new career path. They look at a client’s interests, job history, education, skills and personality characteristics in order to determine what careers may be right. They may also use tools such as assessments and evaluations. In addition, career counselors help clients develop job skills, practice interviewing, improve their resumes and find job openings.

2. School Psychologist

School psychologists help children deal with emotional, academic and social problems, usually in a school or other educational setting. School psychology has rapidly become one of the top job trends due to increased attention to children’s mental health. As it is a relatively new field, demand for qualified school psychologists is high.

3. Counselor

Counselors help a people with a wide variety of problems, but often specialize in a certain issue, such as marriage, family, emotional, educational and substance abuse issues. Most states require at least a master’s degree in order to become a licensed counselor. Typical work settings include schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, mental health clinics and private practices.

4. Genetics Counselor

Genetics counselors help provide individuals, couples, and families with information about genetic disorders. They usually work with other medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and geneticists to offer support and guidance to families who have a family member with a genetic disorder or who have a risk of passing down an inherited disorder to their future offspring. They usually have graduate training in genetics and counseling, and most have doctorate degrees.

5. Forensic Psychologist

Forensic psychologists apply psychology to the field of law. This career may not be as flashy as it is depicted on shows like CSI, but forensic psychology is still an exciting choice with potential for growth. They often work with other investigative experts to form criminal profiles, examine insurance claims, evaluate child custody reports and investigate suspected child abuse.

6. Engineering Psychologist

Engineering psychologists study how people interact with machines and other technology in order to design and improve the quality of the workplace and its products. For example, they could redesign a product to make it more efficient and easier to use in a work situation. Most work for private corporations performing research or consulting, but some may also be professors.

7. Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychologists assess, diagnose and treat clients suffering from psychological disorders. These professionals typically work in hospital settings, mental health clinics or private practices. Clinical psychology is the single largest employment area within psychology, but there are still plenty of jobs available for qualified professionals. In order to become a clinical psychologist, you must have a doctoral-level degree in clinical psychology and most states require a minimum of a one-year internship. Most graduate school programs in clinical psychology are fairly competitive.

8. Sports Psychologist

Sports psychologists focus on the psychological aspects of sports and athletics. They research topics such as motivation, performance and injury in order to improve athletic performance. They may also look for ways to use sports as a way to improve mental and physical health. Sports psychologists work in a variety of settings including universities, hospitals, athletic centers, private practices and research facilities.

9. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychologists focus on workplace behavior and look for ways to increase worker productivity and select the best employees for certain jobs. Some I-O psychologists perform research through employee and workplace assessments, while others work directly with people by evaluating job candidates and training new employees. There are many opportunities at the master’s-degree level, but those with a doctoral-level degree in the field are in greater demand and will earn higher salaries.

10. Special Education Teacher

The field of special education is a wonderful opportunity for those who love helping children. Special education teachers work with students who have a variety of learning disabilities. You may work with several children for shorter periods or work one-on-one with just a few each day. A special education teacher must have a relevant bachelor’s degree and along with a teacher training certificate in special education. Enrollment is increasing in special education programs, and so job demand is high.

This guest post is contributed by Patricia. Patricia has a Masters in Psychology degree and maintains the site Psychology Degree. She writes about various subjects within the psychology field. If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: career change, Career Path, careers, degree, education, psychology, teaching

The Big Cats – Pouncing on a Career in Criminal Justice

Criminal justice is currently one of the hottest fields in the career jungle. Prowling the tracks of a criminal or flashing by in a high-speed chase may sound like a job for a big cat, but you just might have the skills to pounce on a job in this exciting field! Here are a few of the hottest jobs in criminal justice available to you.

Cheetah – Patrol Officer

Whether a police officer, sheriff deputy, or state trooper, a patrol officer is highly skilled at chasing down criminals. Just as the cheetah is known for being the fastest land animal, patrol officers are recognized for their commitment to keeping communities safe. As a result, patrol officers have the most visible careers in criminal justice. But don’t get caught speeding with one behind you!

Median Salary: $60,800

Tiger – Detective/Criminal Investigator

A tiger’s stripes help him to blend into his surroundings as he prowls along the earth, searching for prey. Similarly, detectives often conduct investigations in civilian clothes to perform secret surveillance on their prime suspects. Detectives usually specialize in a specific area of crime, such as burglary, domestic violence, battery, or homicide. It may not be the glamorous job you’ve seen on CSI or Law & Order, but it will certainly be a rewarding career.

Median Salary: $64,900

Lion – Paralegal

Lions are the only big cats that often hunt in groups – although to be more precise, the lionesses do most of the work. They hunt in a coordinated group to circle a herd, then to take down a chosen victim which they bring back to the lion of their pride. Paralegals are the hunters for attorneys – although this isn’t to say that attorneys don’t do any work! Paralegals work alongside attorneys to research and prepare for a case by readying legal documents, investigating claims, and helping to decide how the attorney should proceed with the case. While they cannot argue a case in the courtroom, paralegals are just as valuable to the law firm as the attorney.

Median Salary: $51,900

Cougar – Corrections/Probation Officer

Cougars pursue a wide variety of prey, including deer, elk, moose, cattle, horses, sheep, and even insects and rodents. Corrections officers must be versatile too -they supervise all sorts of people in detention facilities, including both those arrested and awaiting trial and those convicted of various crimes. As a result, it is essential that they keep order in the facility. Probation officers have a similar function in supervising individuals recently released from prison who are on parole.

Median Salary: $55,800

Leopard – Forensic Psychologist

The leopard is known as the smartest of the big cats. An opportunistic hunter, he will silently stalk his prey and then pounce at the last second. Likewise, forensic psychologists are some of the sharpest in their league. They analyze an offender’s behavior in order to determine the individual’s mental state and level of competency at the time of the crime. They combine psychology with criminal justice by examining the various psychological perspectives associated with a crime.

Median Salary: $50,700

All median salaries taken from Payscale.com.

Tags: changing careers, criminal justice, degrees, detective, hiring, jobs, new career, new job, officer, paralegal, psychologist, school

The Busy Bees – Creating A Sustainable Internship Program For Small To Midsized Businesses

So many flowers and so little time! Your small to midsized hive needs an extra set of honey bee hands for a couple of months and to cover for staff while they are out on summer vacations. There is a lot of honey needing to be made!

Students are a great resource for quick minds eager to learn. They are often up to date on the latest technology, are up and comers in the industry, and are a terrific way to screen potential employees once they are ready to start their careers.

Many colleges and universities require their students to graduate with at least one completed internship under their belts. This gives the students hands-on and practical work experience directly related to their career goals or field of interest. Employers who wish to take advantage of this pool of young talent should create a program which emphasizes professional development as well as provides constructive evaluation of the student’s performance including feedback on the program itself.

Internships are most often considered during the summer months when students will have more time to devote to their internship schedule, but internships can be offered throughout the year. School credit or pay can be offered at the company’s discretion. If the company wishes to offer school credit, they must meet the school’s requirements and submit an application to the school. This summer is a great time to think about starting a 4 to 8 week program for next summer depending on your business’ needs.

To create a sustainable internship program, you must first identify:
• Learning objectives.
• The tasks and responsibilities of the intern(s).
• Total compensation (paid, school credit, stipend, etc.).
• Supervisors/mentors who will guide the intern(s).
• People and concepts the intern(s) will encounter during their internship.
• Schedule of events not directly related to the tasks required of the intern(s) such as attending meetings, conferences, training, etc.
• Qualifications to perform certain tasks (must have(s)) which can be included in the job description
• Training and evaluation.
• Duration of internship (may be determined by whether it is paid or unpaid)
• How you will solicit interns (through the school website, various online internship databases, on the company website, word of mouth, etc.)

A successful internship program requires time and effort on the part of the supervisors. Drafting basic job descriptions as well as a tight, but flexible, schedule for the interns to follow is essential preparation as well as making sure that workspaces and necessary supplies have been arranged for.

5 steps to a successful program:
1. Prepare answers and materials for all of the above points so the internship period runs smoothly.
2. Orient and train the interns in your company’s business and include them in meetings with exposure to all levels of the company.
3. Utilize their skills by having them perform tasks that will challenge and educate with hands on experience.
4. Mentor– with opportunities for them to network and ask questions to benefit from others’ experience as well as shadow employees performing tasks that interns would not be permitted to complete. Research-based tasks are beneficial as well.
5. Evaluate their performance and success with required activities in the program and have them evaluate the program during and after with open communication. Follow up with the school if applicable.

Research your local colleges and universities and reach out to the deans about their internship requirements. No business is too small to have a formalized internship program. The University of Michigan’s Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute is an entrepreneurial studies program that could benefit from an internship at your startup company. Even if you are a small company you may find someone that ends up being a great long term hire. No company is too small!

Build it and they will come…and don’t forget to have fun! Interns can breathe new life into an organization with their enthusiasm. Go make some honey!

Special thanks to the recruiting department at Dixon Hughes Goodman for being a model program and the Michigan State University’s excellent website for tips on how to create a great internship program at your business. http://careernetwork.msu.edu/career-events-recruiting-schedule/hiring-interns.

Tags: aid, career exposure, credit, entrepreneurial studies, evaluation, experience, extra hands, goals, interns, internships, mentor, new hires, potential employees, practical experience, prepare, research, small to mid-sized businesses, summer, supervise, training, university, University of Michigan’s Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lu

The Migration – Two Weeks Notice

When the going gets tough, sometimes the tough get going, but that’s no excuse to not give two weeks’ notice.

Migration is in all major animal groups, including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and crustaceans. Migration “triggers” may include changes in local climate, local availability of food, the season, or mating reasons. In the workplace, migration could be caused by an offer of better opportunity elsewhere, insufficient pay, noncompetitive benefits, inappropriate pressures, stress, etc.

The sudden recent resignation of Washington Nationals manager, Jim Riggleman, ignited a lot of lunchtime and watercolor conversations about quitting without proper notice and whether he was justified in his decision or just plain unprofessional.

As Dave Sheinin reported in the Washington Post, On the day that the Washington Nationals moved over .500 since 2005 in their latest win, Manager Jim Riggleman abruptly resigned, taking a stand against what he saw as an unfair contract situation.

Riggleman made his dissatisfaction with both his salary and short term nature of his contract known from almost the moment it was decided in 2009. He gave his ultimatum before the game on June 23 in a sudden and brief meeting with General Manager Rizzo: a better deal by the end of the game or he quit. Riggleman didn’t get the terms he wanted and he resigned.

Quitting without proper notice is certainly within your rights but what is the true cost to your reputation? There was nothing wrong with what Riggleman wanted, but how he tried to get it is another discussion. Who would hire someone with this seeming lack of professionalism and consideration? Riggleman walked out on his team in the middle of the season, and may have doomed his career while attempting to improve it.

It’s worthwhile to note that Riggleman was replaced within a week’s time, which is true for pretty much anyone. But why damage your personal reputation and close a door you can never open again by walking out without notice?

There is no law around this, but it is customary and professional to offer at least two weeks’ notice to your employer, where able, even if you are a consultant on a project. Leaving people in a lurch is not the way to create goodwill around your name and reputation, and at the end of the day, no matter how hard you have worked, an ungraceful exit is what people will remember you for.

Executive Coach Scott Eblin who contributes to GovExec.com offers the following points to consider before you do something you might regret in his article Three Things to Consider Before You Quit Your Job in a Huff

Think Long Term: It sounds like Riggleman was really focused on what was eating him in the short term. He wanted a longer term commitment from his employer. It’s easy to get so caught up on what you want in the short term that you lose sight of long term considerations like, ‘What will this do to my reputation, my future employment prospects and how I think of myself down the road?’

Why Quit a Winning Team?: Apart from the fact that he was hired to coach the Nationals through a full season, why would Riggleman or anyone else quit on a team that’s improving and winning? Even if you’re not happy with your deal, you can get stuff done, learn a lot and position yourself for better opportunities down the road by nurturing a winning team.”

Quitting without notice in the middle of a project (or a season) is never going to be considered professional, no matter the situation. Your reputation is one of your best assets so approach your employer professionally to work out an exit strategy that is graceful and keeps the door open. Burning bridges is very often one of the worst career mistakes.

Companies merge, change names, etc. You never know where the future will take you, or those around you, so always conduct yourself in the manner in which you want to be treated by others and you will keep your career on a positive trajectory.

If someone (like a recruiter) encourages you to quit your current assignment without notice so you can start a job for them, THINK TWICE! It is YOUR reputation that will be damaged, not theirs.

These situations are always resolvable so talk to your supervisor about solutions BEFORE you migrate through the door, and it hits your reputation from behind.

More migration facts can be found here

Tags: burning bridges, Career Path, contract, deal, Eblin, inappropriate, Indispensable, migration, opportunity, policy, professionalism, proper notice, quit, quitting, reputation, resign, resignation, resolution, Riggleman, Sheinin, two weeks' notice, ultimatum

The Parrot – Jungle Courtship: 4 Networking Tips

Summer is upon us as the spring has drawn to a close. Although mating season varies from species to species, it usually lasts a few months starting in mid spring, especially when it comes to tropical birds, of which I am a proud pet owner. Although my parrot (an Amazon) does not as yet have a mate, watching its mating rituals reminds me—believe it or not—of networking. Here are a few tips for networking on the job, based on observing a jungle denizen, my parrot.

1. Make eye contact.
Although you probably can’t do the crazy eyes like my parrot does in which his pupils will dilate back and forth very quickly, you can at least look someone in the face when talking. I know this sounds like clichéd advice, but it makes a huge difference because it shows that you care and are paying attention. My parrot dilates his eyes whenever you talk to it, because it is concentrating carefully in order to repeat what you say. In the wild, crazy eyes are part of the courtship process.

2. Show off. False modesty never got anyone anywhere.
In the wild, it is always the birds that are the most ostentatious that attract the most desirable mates. My parrot will strut his stuff whenever he can by stretching out his wings, and generally making lots of noise. While you don’t necessarily want to go the obnoxious route, don’t be ashamed of your accomplishments. Own them and be proud of them while networking.

3. Don’t be too aggressive.
While a little bit of assertiveness goes a long way out in the jungle when looking for a mate, going too far will serve only to turn off your potential partner/business connection. As such, make sure that you establish your networking strategy as one that is give-and-take. You must learn when to be upfront and when to be more passive and accepting of someone being neutral or undecided.

4. Once you’ve made a good business connection, be loyal and follow that connection for as long as you both shall live.
One of the most impressive things about parrots in particular is that, despite their impressive mating rituals, they are monogamous once they settle down, and they are fiercely loyal to their mates, both males and females. In the world of networking, loyalty goes a long way, too. Once you’ve made a business connection that is genuine and strong, be sure to be grateful and to help out your connection in return whenever you can.

In the end, the most important take-away about networking is that it is a natural process, like mating, that should not be pursued with too much anxiety or seriousness. If you are good at talking to people and getting your stuff out there, then you will be successful, no matter what.

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

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

Tags: accomplishments, advice, assertive, career, connections, give-and-take, loyalty, networking, social skills, strategy