Is the Holy Grail of Development You Marla Gottschalk

Is the Holy Grail of Development You Marla Gottschalk Ive never been one to mince words about workplace topics. Ill admit   this may cause a bit of momentary stress for some of my clients. However, our work lives are far too important to take lightly or baby.   (For some reason, walking on eggshells almost certainly leads to more problems and fewer solutions.) By and large, it is simply more advantageous to lay the cards on the table, than to bluff. Which leads me to the topic of development that often nebulous career goal that we all seem to seek. We all want to improve and progress career-wise. The problem is that we often sit back and wait for others to craft that path and send us an invitation. Why wait? I am giving you permission to take responsibility for your own development. Some things to consider: Master competition. Get a hold of yourself. Just because your colleague was recognized doesnt mean that you are doomed. Becoming effective in todays workplace requires being able to process the ever-present notion of competition.   (You can read 7 Ways to Deal with Workplace Competition here.) Reflect on your failures. Yes, I said it dwell on your failures. Whether the failure was an overlooked opportunity to collaborate, or a missed client deadline go back and re-visit them. It might be uncomfortable, but it will be time well spent. Youll likely learn something that you can apply toward the future. Think big. Think of your industry carefully and name the 5 skills or traits that anyone would need to succeed going forward. Imagine you are speaking to an intern in your profession and that your guidance is the only career advice they will ever hear. What would you tell them that they will need to succeed? Then take your own advice. Pinpoint obstacles. The only real expert of you, is you so get to know your career self. I find that utilizing exercises to reveal hidden issues (and talent) is a great option to explore. Try the one explained here, by renowned coach Marshall Goldsmith. Who knows what youll uncover? What role have you played in your own career development? Tell us your story. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist and coach. She also writes for Talent Zoo and Linkedin.

Showcase Your Personal Brand with the MyDomain Brand .ME Contest - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Showcase Your Personal Brand with the MyDomain Brand .ME Contest - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Do you think you’ve got the ultimate personal brand online? If so, share your personal brand by entering the MyDomain Brand .ME Contest for an easy chance to win big. Enter by submitting a quick web form. [Disclaimer: MyDomain is a sponsor of the Personal Branding Blog] What can I win? By entering you are eligible to win a free domain and web hosting or the grand prize of $1,000 Apple gift cards! How to enter Your initial entry consists of basic contact information, a short statement about your personal brand, and a link to the online profile or website that you feel best represents your personal brand. There are three entry categories to choose from: Best career/job hunting personal brand Best hobby/interest personal brand Best subject expert personal brand Choose the category that you feel best fits the objective of your personal brand. For each category, 5 finalists will be selected, and each will win a free year of .ME domain registration and web hosting. The finalists will be eligible to submit more information and compete for one of three grand prize $1000 Apple gift cards. Voters will have a big say in who they think has the best personal brand in the final round. Vote totals will be matched up with judging to determine winners. For full judging information, visit the contest rules page. Sponsored by MyDomain.com MyDomain is a leading provider of domain name registration and web hosting. They also offer .ME domains, which can be used for starting a personal website or blog as the foundation for your personal brand. Learn more today at MyDomain, and be sure to enter the Brand .ME Contest while you’re there.

Troubleshooting LinkedIn for a Better Networking Experience - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Troubleshooting LinkedIn for a Better Networking Experience - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How to tackle your three biggest LinkedIn problems. LinkedIn is the primary social network for business networking and career advancement. However, while many professionals have signed up on the network, I constantly find users expressing many of the same issues with the network. What is the value of LinkedIn Endoresements and can I get rid of them? Is there a way to remove a contact and, if so, will he/she be alerted if I do so? My personal favoriteâ€"I set up multiple LinkedIn accounts; is there a way to get rid of the duplicates? LinkedIn Endorsements Unlike LinkedIn recommendations, well thought-out notes about the quality of a connection’s work, endorsements hold little value. They’re basically Facebook likes for LinkedIn. A connection can endorse you for anything in a matter of seconds and pranksters can even endorsement-bomb you for a funny area of expertise. Endorsements were created to add to users’ credibility in lieu of much more difficult to attain (and more valuable) recommendations. However, the reality is that hiring managers, clients, and influencers do not consider endorsements in making key decisions. Endorsements just occupy space. Opt Out of LinkedIn Endorsements If you’d like to opt out of receiving endorsements and hide any endorsements you already have, LinkedIn has recently created an update that allows users to finally control endorsements. You also have the option to opt out of appearing in and seeing endorsement suggestions.  Use this LinkedIn Help Center link to control your endorsements. How to Remove a Contact Perhaps you connected with a manager, peer or another contact who you no longer want to be linked to on LinkedIn. If you’re in sales, you may have found one of your connections using your visible contacts list to prospect your clients. Now, removing an undesired contact is simple. Remove Duplicate LinkedIn Accounts Audience members approach me with this issue more than any other. If you have multiple email addresses, and they are not already linked to a single LinkedIn account, there is a strong chance you may have set up duplicate accounts at some point. Use this link for easy step-by-step instructions.

Resume Quotes - How Resume Quotes Can Help You Get Your Resume to the Top

Resume Quotes - How Resume Quotes Can Help You Get Your Resume to the TopResume quotes are commonly used in job application as well as interviews. What can they help you do?Well, the most important thing about your resume is that it must be a reflection of you and your abilities. There are so many resumes that just happen to be good at what they do. It is not fair to say that a resume that has been written by someone who is just 'good' is going to be considered for a job interview. It's a whole different ball game and you have to do your homework.The most common mistake for job applicants is to write a very generic resume. Why? Well, the reality is that a generic resume will only get you a generic call back. I mean, if you can't make your resume stand out from the crowd, then why even bother submitting it?Most people don't realize that they could actually include a lot of information in their resume. There are so many sources to get resume quotes. You can find the resume samples your self or use those websites that offer the free resume samples. Keep in mind that the online version of resume quotes is generally better than the physical copies.When looking for resume samples, don't think that you have to spend a ton of money. That is one of the biggest mistakes of many job seekers and there is a reason for that. The resume samples that are provided by professionals are usually much better than the ones that you will find at job search agencies.Another huge mistake that job seekers commit is not doing their homework. You need to make sure that your resume is grammatically correct and all the information is included in your resume. Look through your resume and try to find any inconsistencies that you may have made when writing your resume. Make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.You should also take advantage of resume quotes. You may not realize it but you can actually obtain a lot of information about how your resume stacks up against others. The inf ormation you obtain through resume quotes can also be useful when you're getting the resume from an agency. They may not be able to give you specifics like this, but there is usually plenty of information that you can get by looking at your resume.These are just a few things that you can do to get resume quotes to help you get your resume to the top of the pile. Resume quotes are actually really helpful and if you're not aware of how they work, you should start looking for them now.

Resume Quotes - How Resume Quotes Can Help You Get Your Resume to the Top

Resume Quotes - How Resume Quotes Can Help You Get Your Resume to the TopResume quotes are commonly used in job application as well as interviews. What can they help you do?Well, the most important thing about your resume is that it must be a reflection of you and your abilities. There are so many resumes that just happen to be good at what they do. It is not fair to say that a resume that has been written by someone who is just 'good' is going to be considered for a job interview. It's a whole different ball game and you have to do your homework.The most common mistake for job applicants is to write a very generic resume. Why? Well, the reality is that a generic resume will only get you a generic call back. I mean, if you can't make your resume stand out from the crowd, then why even bother submitting it?Most people don't realize that they could actually include a lot of information in their resume. There are so many sources to get resume quotes. You can find the resume samples your self or use those websites that offer the free resume samples. Keep in mind that the online version of resume quotes is generally better than the physical copies.When looking for resume samples, don't think that you have to spend a ton of money. That is one of the biggest mistakes of many job seekers and there is a reason for that. The resume samples that are provided by professionals are usually much better than the ones that you will find at job search agencies.Another huge mistake that job seekers commit is not doing their homework. You need to make sure that your resume is grammatically correct and all the information is included in your resume. Look through your resume and try to find any inconsistencies that you may have made when writing your resume. Make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.You should also take advantage of resume quotes. You may not realize it but you can actually obtain a lot of information about how your resume stacks up against others. The inf ormation you obtain through resume quotes can also be useful when you're getting the resume from an agency. They may not be able to give you specifics like this, but there is usually plenty of information that you can get by looking at your resume.These are just a few things that you can do to get resume quotes to help you get your resume to the top of the pile. Resume quotes are actually really helpful and if you're not aware of how they work, you should start looking for them now.

How to put your college degree to work for you (even if you graduated years ago)

How to put your college degree to work for you (even if you graduated years ago) It’s been years since you went to college. Your team’s sweatshirt is long faded and frayed. Yet your degree continues to speak volumes about whether or not you have the skills to be a top executive. The truth is that potential employers and hiring managers will make assumptions about your leadership capabilities and compensation levels based on your degree for more than a decade. So, whether you are marketing yourself to move up the ladder or looking for a new job, you need to understand how to put that degree to work for you. I caught up with Evan Sinar, Ph.D., chief scientist at Development Dimensions International (DDI) and lead author of a new report, High-Resolution Leadership. Through his analysis of 15,000 leaders across 300 companies, he researched the ways degrees impact leadership success and offers some advice on what you can do to improve your skills â€" and your chances â€" to land your next big role. Challenge The Stereotypes Your degree can both inform potential employers about your leadership skills and mislead them at the same time, according to Sinar. Business degrees are the most common among all senior leaders and, when tested against eight key leadership competencies, outperformed other degrees on five of eight key leadership skill areas. Humanities graduates also outperformed other degrees through strengths not only in interpersonal competencies, but also in results orientation and entrepreneurship. Engineering graduates face a heavy disadvantage â€" they were near the bottom in leadership proficiency in six of the eight assessed competencies. Natural science, social science, and IT were near average. If you hold one of these degrees, you’ll need to work harder to demonstrate your leadership skills and capabilities to overcome biases. Sinar recommends that you acknowledge and challenge long-held assumptions based on education. Though some bear true, many other stereotypes are wholly unfounded when compared to reality. Balance Technical Expertise and Interpersonal Skills As an aspiring leader, it’s important for you to strike a balance between the critical technical expertise you bring to the job and an awareness of common skill gaps that, if left unchecked, will limit your overall effectiveness once you move into a leadership role. Many degree programs put a heavier focus on developing graduates’ technical abilities and much less emphasis on interpersonal and leadership skills. Though some degree programs fill this gap with group projects and informal leadership opportunities, it’s often up to the student to plan for and seek out these opportunities. Engineering, law, IT, and natural sciences graduates are particularly likely to fall behind their peers from other degree backgrounds in leadership skills. This isn’t always a problem when you’re starting out a new job as an individual contributor, but can hold you back when you’re looking to move into a management position. It’s also a way to set yourself apart from the pack of other graduates in your field, if you’ve put the time and effort into gaining the skills others with your degree lack. Get as much information as you can â€" using your career planning office if you’re still in school or working with your HR department once you’re in a job â€" to know your leadership-related strengths and weaknesses and invest in development opportunities to give you the skills you’ll need and plenty of time to practice them before you need them. Is an MBA Worth the Investment? When it comes to the full range of skills required for today’s leaders, an MBA may not always be the best choice. When Sinar’s research compared undergraduate and MBA business degree holders, these groups diverged on several key leader skills. Specifically, though MBA graduates consistently outperformed business degree undergraduates in financial acumen, business savvy, and strategic decision making, they fell short comparatively in their coaching, results orientation, and visionary leadership skills. If you’re pursuing an MBA, make sure that you get a well-rounded background in not just the management parts of a leader’s job, but also the interaction and inspirational skills you’ll need to truly excel as a leader.

What recruiters look for on your resume in 15 seconds - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

What recruiters look for on your resume in 15 seconds I am often asked about what I look for when I read a CV and how long it takes to screen a resume. This process can take as little as 10-15 seconds especially when I receive over 150 applications for one role, as it was the case with a  one role I was recently recruiting for. When performing initial reviews,, this is the information I look out for: 1) Do you have the relevant skills? If you have the skills listed on the job description, make sure the recruiter knows it within 3 seconds of looking at your resume. It is important you have either a Summary or Skills section, which is tailored depending on which job you’re applying for. If the job you’re applying for has a different title to what you’re currently doing, it might be worthwhile putting the target job title in the summary section as well. I’ve recently spoken to a client who I thought had a good resume â€" until she’s sent me examples of jobs she wanted to apply for. Her resume was not tailored to these jobs and I’d never even guess she wanted the role based on her recent position. 2) Where did you work? Sometimes the same titles mean different jobs or at least jobs at very different levels in other organisations. Director of Finance at a small training company and a Director of Finance at a Fortune 500 company are very different jobs, despite the same title. Typically, if you’re applying to work for a large multinational organization, they’d want someone who’s worked for a similar type of a company before. 3) How long did you work there? Recruiters need to know all the dates of your employment. Functional resumes or any format that disguise the dates only annoy us, since we need to work out the dates and put things in context. It is good having a Skills section on top of your resume â€" in fact I’d always recommend it â€"but make sure you list your experience in reverse chronological order. And if you’ve had some short-term jobs and you were let go e.g. because of redundancy/being laid-off, I’d mention the reason for leaving. When I see a lot of short-term jobs with no explanation that they were contracts, I am unlikely to call this candidate for a permanent job. 4) Is there a career progression? Can you demonstrate increasing levels of responsibility? Do the titles make sense? (Youre a VP of Sales for a 5 person company? I could be, too!) Do the responsibilities listed match what Im looking for? 5) Where are the numbers? While recruiters might not pay attention to every small detail on your resume in that first scan, they want to see some numbers/tangible achievements. Resumes that are very “duty oriented” and don’t show any quantifiable results are not that attractive to top employers. 6) Where did you go to university? Now, this won’t be relevant to every job and I personally think experience counts more than education, but in some of the companies I’ve recruited for, hiring managers often wanted only people from the top 10-20 universities in the country (at least for the management or analytical positions). 7) Does your CV look good? Is it easy to read? It is important your CV is well formatted and without spelling mistakes. I sometimes see resumes with 3 different fonts or some complicated tables, and this is doing damage to your presentation. Also, can you present ideas clearly and concisely? Bullet points work better than long pieces of writing. For more information on how recruiters read resumes, check out my FREE 5-day video course Youre HIRED!