Six Essentials For Finding A New Job

Here are half a dozen essential tips for landing the right job -- in good economic times or bad: 

Try a Sales Technique

Be prepared during a telephone screening or a first interview to make the "60-second sell," a four- to five-sentence summary of your biography and career accomplishments, according to Robin Ryan, a career counselor and author of 60 Seconds & You're Hired!

"When they say, 'Tell me about yourself, why should I hire you?' you have a memorized statement about why you'd be good on the job," says Ryan.

Work Your Personal Network

Networking doesn't have to be confined to business contacts, especially when you're trying to break into a big company that may use automated software to screen applicants.

Ask everyone you know if they have a connection to a specific employer; the goal is to get your resume forwarded to a hiring manager via the company's internal network, rather than having it come from the outside and get lost in the shuffle of other applicants.

"Microsoft gets 100,000 resumes a month -- how do you think they're going to find you otherwise through that cyber hole?" Ryan says.

Expand Your Horizon

Julie Jansen, a career coach and author of 

I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This, recommends attending professional association meetings in a related field as well as those in your own specialty.

For example, although your experience may be in marketing, add gatherings for finance executives or other fields in which you could apply your skills and experience to your regular schedule of ad and marketing group meetings.

Another networking strategy is to give it the old college try by tapping alumni -- even those you don't know.

"Most universities have online directors of alumni, so I'd go that route if possible," says Jansen. "If not, contacting the alumni office would be Plan B."

Check Your Skill Set

Although you may not have the time or financial resources to pursue an advanced degree, taking additional coursework in your field to boost specific skills can get you noticed by a recruiter. Also, don't forget to cite key experience gained from volunteering for community, school or nonprofit groups.

"Look at your transferrable skills, including project management, budgeting, supervising others and organizational planning," Ryan says.

Know Your Worth

Even during a downturn, it's a mistake to settle for less just to get the job. Before accepting an offer, consult asalary survey or online salary calculator to make sure the package is competitive within your field.

"It's an outdated idea that you should take anything to get your foot in the door," Ryan says. "It could take you 10 years to get a decent salary."

Do It Daily

Whether it's posting your resume in the common area of your apartment building, or sharing your job hunt with your doctor, dentist or dermatologist, you should incorporate your search for work into every aspect of your daily life.

"Do something every single day that is about looking for job," Jansen says.Thanks to Robert DiGiacomo, for Yahoo! Hot Jobs / Career Advice Monster / Monster
http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting-started/6-essentials-for-finding-a-new-job-hot-jobs/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096

Why Task Lists Will Not Make You Productive

An acquaintance of mine is constantly making lists. She makes them on old envelopes, scratch pads, her phone, her laptop, her email and even her hand. Yet she is one of the most scattered, disorganized and unproductive people I know. She doesn't know the secret: lists alone won't make you productive.

The Purpose Of Task Lists

Lists exist simply as a place to write things down. They are lines of text that represent tasks that need to be done. But they are not repositories of things to be ignored, places to brainstorm, or jumbles of unrelated ideas.

Task lists are a great tool, but only if they used in a productive way.

The Downfalls of the Typical List User

Lists Are Incomplete

Many people will make lists of things, but leave stuff out. My mother used to make lists of dishes to put on the table for large holiday meals, but she would leave things off the list because she knew she would remember them (but she didn't, always). Many task lists leave out bits and pieces — things that need to be done — and that is their downfall.

 

Lists Are Vague

Lists are often vague and unclear, leaving the reader in doubt of what needs to be done. I am guilty of this from time to time. I looked at a daily list I had made at work last week, and asked my tech lead what she thought "world 2012″ could possibly mean. We still don't know.

 

Lists Are Ignored

Lists are great ways to get things out of your head; however, if you then ignore them, they do no good. Your brain will become used to not trusting you and spin up, reminding you of things all the time. (There's a reason David Allen calls it a "trusted system."

How To Use Lists

Lists, when used in a productive manner, can be a second brain, and help you out. Write it down, look at the lists regularly, and you will find that they are a big boost for getting things done. Here are qualities of a successful list system:

• Minimize the number of lists you have. Having lists everywhere is an invitation to lose one (or more) of them. While I am not a fan of one ginormous list, I think it makes sense to minimize the lists you have.
• Have different types of lists. If you need to go grocery shopping, you do not need to bring the list of things you need to do next week. Segregate your lists in a way that makes sense to you: shopping, home, work; now and later; or something like that.
• Write everything down. Don't leave some things in memory and write everything else down. It is better for your brain to build the trust that everything will be in the list and dealt with, or it will keep reminding you about things you need to, on the list or not.
• Be specific. The more detail that you put into the list about what you have to do, the better off you will be. If you don't get to take action on an item, will you know what it is in 2 weeks?
• Use your lists to plan your day. In order to be effective, lists have to be used. Review your lists after you make them. Are there things on there that don't belong? Take them off. Are there things that need to be looked at later? Move them to another list you will reveiw later. Take what's left and figure out what you can get done today.

Thanks to L. J. Earnest / Simple Productivity Blog

http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/why-task-lists-will-not-make-you-productive/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Simpleproductivityblog+%28SimpleProductivityBlog.com%29

10 Body Language Tips

By Robert Phipps

EYE  contact is one of the most important aspects of dealing with others, especially people we've just met. Maintaining good eye contact shows respect and interest in what they have to say. Here in the UK we tend to keep eye contact around 60-70% of the time. (However, there are wide cultural differences, so be careful in other countries) By doing this you won't make the other people feel self conscious, like they've got a bit of vegetable stuck between their teeth or a dew drop hanging from the nose. . Instead, it will give them a feeling of comfort and genuine warmth in your company, any more eye contact than this and you can be too intense, any less and you give off a signal that you are lacking interest in them or their
conversation.
POSTURE  is the next thing to master, get your posture right and you'll automatically start feeling better, as it makes you feel good almost instantly. Next time you notice you're feeling a bit down, take a look at how your standing or sitting. Chances are you'll be slouched over with your shoulders drooping down and inward. This collapses the chest and inhibits good breathing, which in turn can help make you feel nervous or uncomfortable.
HEAD  position is a great one to play around with, with yourself and others. When you want to feel confident and self assured keep your head level both horizontally and vertically. You can also use this straight head position when you want to be authoritative and what you're saying to be taken seriously. Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side or other. You can shift
the tilt from left to right at different points in the conversation.
ARMS  give away the clues as to how open and receptive we are to everyone we meet and interact with, so keep your arms out to the side of your body or behind your back. This shows you are not scared to take on whatever comes your way and you meet things "full frontal". In general terms the more outgoing you are as a person, the more you tend to use your arms with big movements. The quieter you are the less you move your arms away from your body. So, try to strike a natural balance and keep your arm movements midway. When you want to come across in the best possible light, crossing the arms is a no, no in front of others. Obviously if someone says something that gets your goat, then by all means show your disapproval by crossing them !
LEGS  are the furthest point away from the brain, consequently they're the hardest bits of
our bodies to consciously control. They tend move around a lot more than normal when we are nervous, stressed or being deceptive. So best to keep them as still as possible in most situations, especially at interviews or work meetings. Be careful too in the way you cross your legs. Do you cross at the knees, ankles or bring your leg up to rest on the knee of the other? This is more a question of comfort than anything else. Just be aware that the last position mentioned is known as the "Figure Four" and is generally perceived as the most defensive leg cross, especially if it happens as someone tells a you something that might be of a slightly dubious nature, or moments after. (As always, look for a sequence)
ANGLE OF THE BODY  in relation to others gives an indication of our attitudes and feelings towards them. We angle toward people we find attractive, friendly and interesting and angle ourselves away from those we don't,
it's that simple! Angles includes leaning in or away from people, as we often just tilt from the pelvis and lean sideways to someone to share a bit of conversation. For example, we are not in complete control of our angle at the cinema because of the seating nor at a concert when we stand shoulder to shoulder and are packed in like sardines. In these situations we tend to lean over towards the other person.
HAND  gestures are so numerous it's hard to give a brief guide but here goes. Palms slightly up and outward is seen as open and friendly. Palm down gestures are generally seen as dominant, emphasizing and possibly aggressive, especially when there is no movement or bending between the wrist and the forearm. This palm up, palm down is very important when it comes to handshaking and where appropriate we suggest you always offer a handshake upright and vertical, which should convey
equality.
DiSTANCE FROM OTHERS  is crucial if you want to give off the right signals. Stand too close and you'll be marked as "Pushy" or "In your face". Stand or sit too far away and you'll be "Keeping your distance" or "Stand offish". Neither are what we want, so observe if in a group situation how close are all the other people to each other. Also notice if you move closer to someone and they back away, you're probably just a tiny bit too much in their personal space, their comfort zone. "You've overstepped the mark" and should pull back a little.
EARS , yes your ears play a vital role in communication with others, even though general terms most people can't move them much, if at all. However, you've got two ears and only one mouth, so try to use them in that order. If you listen twice as much as you talk you come across as a good communicator who knows how to strike up a balanced a conversation
without being me, me, me or the wallflower.
MOUTH  movements can give away all sorts of clues. We purse our lips and sometimes twist them to the side when we're thinking. Another occasion we might use this movement is to hold back an angry comment we don't wish to reveal. Nevertheless, it will probably be spotted by other people and although they may not know the comment, they will get a feeling you were not to pleased.There are also different types of SMiLES and each gives off a corresponding feeling to its recipient which we'll cover next time.

How to Be Happier at Work

By Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown

It would be nice to think that you're going to be just as excited about going to work tomorrow as you were on your first day on the job.

But between increased workloads caused by your company's reluctance to hire more people, or a change in management that has put less than stellar people in charge of your little corner of the universe, or maybe the fact that you have done the same job for a while now, you may be feeling....well, not exactly burned out, but fatigued.

What to do?

* Telling yourself to get more excited about the same old thing isn't going to work. (It never does.)

 
* Retiring in place and simply going through the motions is not an option. (You'd be replaced a week from Thursday by someone who might not be better, but by a person who certainly has more enthusiasm.)

 
* And while looking for another job is clearly a choice, terrific jobs are hard to come by in this limp-along economy and you may not be ready to undergo that kind of disruption.

Let us suggest another alternative: Start something. More specifically, start something outside of work.

It could be a new company — or at least something that could lead to starting your own company — but it also could be something artsy like writing a book, composing music or doing something for the betterment of your community (such as developing an idea for a new after-school program). Heck, it could even be something you've always wanted to do — like learning to play the piano or speak a new language — with absolutely no possibility of financial reward. You simply want to do it for the sheer enjoyment of it.

It doesn't matter what it is. The key is to start, to take a small step toward what you think you want. You don't have to make a commitment to see this fledgling notion through to the end. That would be silly — you simply don't know if this new thing is something that you are really going to like.

The key is to get moving without much cost (either in time or in any other resource.) As with all new ventures, you want to stay within your acceptable loss. 

Once you take that small, inexpensive step, see what you've learned. If you're happy with the results, take another step toward your goal. Pause again to see what you've learned this time and, if it feels right, go take another step.

How is this going to make you happier at your job? That's simple. Some of the enthusiasm you have for your outside venture is going to carry over into your work. Making progress on things you care about elevates your mood. You'll come to work pleased with yourself and you'll be less dour. 

Guaranteed. That could be enough to get you out of your funk — which is certainly a good thing both for you, your colleagues and your company.

And if it doesn't cure your job fatigue, or it doesn't for long, that's not necessarily bad, either. By taking the step toward creating something outside of work, you have done two things, both of them good:

First, you may have started down the road that could lead to you starting your own business.
Second, because you have done it, you are in the process of proving to yourself that you know how to create something new. That will be a valuable skill to have no matter what you do next — start your own company, look for a new job or try to carve out a new sort of position in your current company.
Of course, there is an alternative, and you've probably met this person before. It's the person who tells you about all the things they might do, but who never seems to take the first step toward any of their goals. You offer an idea. You offer encouragement and support. But nothing happens. Somehow this person seems more comfortable and even (ironically) pleased with dreaming about possibilities while remaining unhappy.

The remedy for this malaise is simple (although not often taken). It is to act. Every action causes a change in reality. Every action carries the potential for learning. Learning about your next step. Learning about what you like or don't like. Every act can build momentum. Small desires grow. A small talent or expertise can be developed and honed. Before you know it, you can be on a new course. But only if you act.

So, as counter-intuitive as it seems, to be more excited about your job, go do something great outside of it.