3 Ways To Build Confidence For A Job Interview

3 Ways To Build Confidence For A Job Interview

The interview is one component of the job search process that most people love to hate. While it serves as a sign from the employer that you are being strongly considered for a position, it also can be a source of angst for candidates who fear they’ll make mistakes that will cut them out of the running.

A great way to overcome the anxiety interviews produce is to begin feeling good about the process. Need help getting there? Here are five ways to build confidence for a job interview.

Conduct Research

Woman on laptop researches a company before her job interview

One great way to build your confidence going into the interview is by conducting plenty of research on the company and the position that you’re going after. A common question interviewers ask is, “Do you know anything about our company?” Most times, candidates give vague answers, or—in a worst-case scenario—answer, “No.”

If you’re able to share the company’s background information and showcase knowledge of its future goals for the position in question, you’ll have an opportunity to impress the interviewer.

Review Common Interview Questions And Practice Them

Woman conducts a mock interview with a work colleague

By understanding how to answer common interview questions, particularly behavioral interview questions, you’ll build a lot of confidence going into the job interview.

Another great way to build confidence for a job interview is to practice before the big day. You can do this by answering questions in front of a mirror to read your own facial expressions and body language, or you could have a friend help you with a mock interview.

It’s also great to find a professional outfit you feel comfortable wearing. Feeling good in your clothes and knowing you’ve fully prepared can work wonders for boosting your confidence before a job interview.

Make Sure You Have No Skeletons

A young professional on a laptop interacts with others on social media

An important step in preparing for your interview is being able to recall your own career history and discuss prospective goals with the company and in your professional life as a whole. But, as you look back over your career, be sure to research yourself online to ensure there are no skeletons on the internet that could be brought up in your interview.

Remember, companies conduct background checks often via search engines, so it’s up to you to ensure your social media profiles are professional and/or private.

It’s normal to feel some anxiety before a job interview, but you can take steps to minimize those nerves. We hope these tips help you build confidence for your next job interview and shine in the hiring process!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.


Executive Spotlight: The Smartest Thing These Leaders Have Done To Advance Their Career

Executive Spotlight: The Smartest Thing These Leaders Have Done To Advance Their Career

Moving up in your career takes skill and determination. It also requires you to work on your career, not just in it. When we think about people who have mastered the art of career advancement, executives and other business leaders come to mind—those at the top who know their stuff and are very influential within their organization and line of work.

To inspire you to reach new heights in your career, we recently asked our leading executives, “What is the smartest thing you have done to advance your career?”

Here are their responses…

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Successful woman working in her office at work

The single smartest thing I’ve done to advance my career was to get an MBA. At the time, I was a marketing manager working for a company called Schwan’s (markets frozen food products in grocery stores). I had three objectives in going back to school to get my MBA: work within the CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry, advance my career, and increase my salary. It took me three years to get my MBA, going at night after working all day. Once I graduated, I was able to secure a job with ConAgra Brands, a Fortune 500 CPG company, as a brand manager. My salary increased by over 55% with ConAgra Brands. During my four years with the company, I had the opportunity to work for some of the most established brands within their portfolio like Orville Redenbacher and Chef Boyardee. And my salary grew by over 48% during my tenure with the company.

From ConAgra Brands, I’ve gone on to work for companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Activision to mid-size companies, and emerging growth start-ups. My MBA has paid off tenfold for me and opened up huge opportunities throughout my career.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

Jim Black, Engineering & Technical Executive

Man gives a presentation at work during a meeting

As I sit and think about this subject, I am flooded with many things. Defining the “smartest” is proving to be challenging. As I continue to contemplate the idea, one thing remains constant… never giving up on learning.

When I am feeling stagnant in my career, I realize I am not learning something. When I am frustrated by a task, I learn from others how to accomplish that objective. When I am confused or stumped by a problem, I seek others in the world who have struggled for answers. The common theme… I am learning.

The Buddhists have a saying in Ch’an (Chinese version of Zen) to “Always have a beginner’s mind.” This saying has served me well because I approach a situation as an opportunity to learn. Place judgment aside, remove my preconceived notions, and enter the situation with curiosity. By opening my eyes to the learning experience, I can grow and become better than I was yesterday. Keeping this optimism is often difficult in the modern workplace; however, in the times I take a setback, I find my greatest opportunity to grow. Growth leads to opportunity. Opportunity has been how I advance my career.

Jim Black is an engineering professional focused on the development of technical professionals. He is also a professional bass player.

Liam Anderson, Contact Center Technology Consultant

Executive/leader writes something down while working

My career is more like a bowl of spaghetti than a linear progression. My smartest moves came from recognizing two kinds of opportunities:

1. Doing something no one else wants to do. In my case, this included traveling to train clients in “undesirable” places, (that’s how I ended up in Siberia!), writing documentation (too “boring” for the techies), and creating a 5-level language course for the Bulgarian Army, in my spare time, in a week (task considered “insane”).

2. Sorting out disasters. This included building a client’s compliance process from scratch when we had a violation and retraining a customer free of charge because they had not been trained when given the product. No one gets the Medal of Honor in ideal conditions!

If you can be the person who gets the “crap” jobs done, or who fixes things when they go sideways, then you’ll get the right reputation.

Liam Anderson has spent the last 15 years in the contact center industry technology space. He helps customers use this technology to achieve and sustain business success.

Dr. Hannah Hartwell, Learning & Development Executive

Business professionals take part in an online networking event.

Professional networking for sure! Networking in the sense of creating mutually beneficial relationships rather than short-term interactions. There are countless ways to do this, especially by joining professional associations and taking on leadership roles. If there isn’t an association that captures your interest, then maybe start a new one yourself.

Networking has given me a broader perspective and opened career opportunities that I didn’t even know existed. The luxury of a well-maintained professional network adds more value both as an individual contributor and as a leader. Most importantly, networking is about helping the other person. One of my favorite questions to ask is, “How can I help you?”

Dr. Hannah Hartwell is a learning and development executive and change management practitioner with 15+ years of business transformation experience in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, higher education, and professional services industries.

Andrea Markowski, Marketing Executive

Businesswoman takes an online course to develop her career skills

If you believe in yourself, you should bet on yourself.

Are you the type of person who’s never happy with the status quo and who always seeks out challenges?

Whenever I find myself starting to veer into zombie mode (doing the same thing repeatedly with no additional sense of joy, wonder, or accomplishment), I know it’s time to learn a new skill.

Over the years, this has meant taking evening college courses, earning additional certifications, and mastering new technology. This is precisely how I gained a key promotion at a former company, during the midst of a large layoff, no less.

My biggest pivot was going back to school full-time to earn my MBA. It was the right decision for me, and my career has advanced even more because of it.

Again: If you believe in yourself, you should bet on yourself!

Andrea Markowski is a marketing director with specializations in strategy development, digital tactics, design thinking, and creative direction. She has superpowers in presentations and public speaking.

What’s the smartest thing you’ve done to advance your career? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

How To Stand Out At A New Job (And Fit In Too)

How To Stand Out At A New Job (And Fit In Too)

Congratulations! After months of job hunting, you finally got hired for the job you wanted!

Getting a new job is exciting. However, after the dust settles from celebrating this accomplishment, you have some work to do.

Being a new employee can be tough sometimes. But if you’re ready to embrace the challenge, you can make a smooth transition into your new role.

Here are a few tips to make sure you start your new job off on the right foot.

Understand The Company Culture

First, take time to get to know the culture of your new company. The best way to do this is to schedule meetings with your team—both those who will be working for you and with you.

Ask them questions about their work routine and how they get things accomplished. It’s also a good idea to get a sense of how easy or difficult it is to implement new ideas and initiatives. This will give you a good feel for how adaptable (or how slow) the company culture is to change.

You should also take note of your own workplace personality and how it fits into the company culture. If you’re in need of a good personality test, try Work It Daily’s FREE Workplace Personas Quiz.

Identify The Key Stakeholders

Coworkers talk to each other in the office

Next, find out who the key stakeholders are for your specific role and meet with them. For example, if you are entering a company as a finance manager, find out who the key business leaders are that you will be supporting in your position.

Take time to build relationships with them and understand their primary financial concerns. You should also take time to get to know their work routines, and the best times and ways to communicate with them. While communication is important, it’s also important to respect each other’s schedules.

Find A Work Buddy

Women talk to a remote coworker in the office

Another tip to help you get off on the right foot at your new job is to get a work buddy. This should be a peer who works on the same team or in the same department as you.

This person will help you figure out who’s who and give you some inside information on some of those office politics. It’s important to understand the team dynamic so you don’t step on anyone’s toes or disrupt the culture when you first get there.

Your buddy is also there for you to ask questions such as, “How do I order office supplies?” or “How do I set up my voice mailbox?”

Show Your Commitment To The Job

New employee shares a laugh with his boss

Next, have a career conversation with your boss. This lets him or her know you’re serious about and committed to growing your career. When you first start working at your new company, you may not know enough (yet) to speak specifically about the career paths available there. However, take time to have a conversation with your manager about your aspirations.

Share information about your desires to advance and grow as well as specific information about your strengths and the areas you’d like to develop. Ask your manager for input on your career plan and then use it as a living, active document.

Make A 30-60-90 Day Plan

Man meets with his boss to discuss his workload

Finally, it always helps to have a 30-60-90 day plan when you start a new job. Document the details of what you want to accomplish in your first three months. (For example, the specific people you want to meet with, the tasks you want to accomplish, etc.) It also helps to share this plan with your manager so you can get some input.

There may be some things missing that your manager views as being critical to accomplish in the first 90 days. Remember to be flexible with your plan as things may change, and the objectives you set for the first three months may shift as you get more involved and learn more about your new job. You want to be seen as committed to meeting your objectives, yet flexible enough to deal with changes.

By implementing these few simple things, you can get off to a great start at your new job and quickly begin to be viewed as a value-add asset at your new company.

Need more help standing out at your new job?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

3 Tips For Overcoming Your Biggest Job Search FEARS

3 Tips For Overcoming Your Biggest Job Search FEARS

Are you terrified associated with screwing up a job interview? Does the believed of writing an appliance cover notice horrify you? Have you been frightened to network with other people? What do you actually say, anyway? If if you’re struggling to overcome your own job search fears, this specific live event is with regard to you.

All of us get it. Trying to find function can be scary, particularly when you’ve been at this for a long period and haven’t gotten any kind of results.

Knowing which fears are having in how and how to be able to overcome them could make almost all the difference. Sometimes an individual might not know about which usually obstacle is getting in the form of your goals. If anyone want to overcome these types of fears once and regarding all, we invite people to join us!

In this coaching, you’ll figure out how to:

  • Use strategies for handling your current job search fears
  • Be confident within your job search—from composing your resume to social networking
  • Face the fears and move ahead

Join our TOP DOG, J. T. O’Donnell, in addition to Director of Training Advancement & Coaching, Christina Burgio, for this live occasion on Wednesday, October fifth at 12 pm AINSI QUE.

CAN’T ATTEND RESIDE? That’s alright. You’ll have access for you to it and the workbook after the session!

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5 Reasons You’re Still Unemployed

5 Reasons You’re Still Unemployed

“Why am I still unemployed?”

At Work It Daily, we’re asked this question a lot. The reality is, the reason is different for everyone. The good news? You can overcome whatever is holding you back from getting hired.

Here are five reasons you’re still unemployed:

1. Your Resume Isn’t Job Specific

While it’s good to have a strong resume with all of your professional skill sets, your resume can become generic when all you do is send the same resume to every open position you find.

The Solution: Customize your resume for each job you apply for. By taking the time to customize your resume with relevant skill sets and specific keywords that are in the job description, you’ll be more likely to land an interview and, therefore, will have more viable job opportunities.

2. You’re Overqualified

Unemployed man looks for a job

This problem is common among older workers looking for a career change. But this can happen to anyone who has a lot of experience and is trying to get their foot in the door at another company.

The Solution: During an interview, make it your mission to connect with the employer. Tell a story. Let them know you aren’t just running out the clock. If they ask about your 5-year plan, don’t mention retirement. Your career isn’t over yet.

3. You’re Underqualified (Or Lack Exposure To The Professional World)

Young woman looks for a job while unemployed

On the flip side, you could be unemployed because you don’t have enough experience or the right skill sets to do the jobs you’ve been applying for. Maybe you’re a recent college grad, and at this point, you’re just begging someone to give you a chance. Whatever your situation, employers are making it very clear you aren’t qualified.

The Solution: Take classes or earn certificates to try to develop new skills. Volunteer or intern to get the type of professional experience employers are looking for. Focus on the skill sets you do have and learn how to quantify those skills on your resume to stand out to hiring managers.

4. You’ve Stopped Being Proactive In Your Job Search

Unemployed man loses motivation in his job search

If you really want a job, your actions have to reflect your attitude. As the weeks (or maybe months) drag on and you still haven’t found a job, you may find yourself getting into a dangerous job search routine. You apply for half a dozen jobs every day and hope for the best. This strategy rarely works. If you want quality job opportunities, you need to be proactive.

The Solution: Make networking a priority. Go to job fairs. Reach out to employees at companies you’d love to work for on LinkedIn. Start compelling, professional conversations with them. Remember: you’re a business-of-one. The better you actively market yourself to employers, the more job opportunities you’ll likely receive.

5. You’ve Lost All Urgency

Unemployed woman stressed about finding a job

It can be easy to get into a job search rut. Time goes by differently when you don’t have a set routine. The longer it takes for you to find a job, the harder it is find the motivation to get a job. You may begin to lose confidence in yourself and your skills as a professional. When your career is suddenly on hold, your life can feel like it is without purpose or direction.

The Solution: Set goals and work towards them—even if they’re just small goals. They could be career-related goals, or not. Maybe you want to get in better shape. Maybe you want to learn a new skill. If you set goals for yourself, you’ll regain that sense of purpose—and better yourself in the process.

Being unemployed is tough. If you follow these tips, you’ll have the tools to overcome the challenges you face in the job search process.

Need more help with your job search?

We’d love it if you signed up for Work It Daily’s Power Hour Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

4 Steps To Writing A Disruptive Cover Letter

4 Steps To Writing A Disruptive Cover Letter

In my experience as an executive resume writer, cover letters only get read about a third of the time they are sent. That being said, when one is required, or you are hoping for that added edge to get a hiring manager’s attention, there is no doubt a great cover letter can make all the difference.

To accomplish this, your cover letter must be disruptive and draw them in.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re writing a disruptive cover letter.

Paragraph 1: Tell A Story

Woman writes a disruptive cover letter for a job opening

In the first paragraph of your disruptive cover letter, you need to establish a connection between you and the employer. How do you do that? Well, you need to tell a story.

The surest way to stand out to employers is to tell a story about why you feel connected to their company.

Don’t just reiterate what you say in your resume in the very first paragraph of your cover letter. Explain what you admire about the company you’re applying to. Do they sell a product or provide a service that’s had a big impact on your life? Do they support causes you are passionate about? Why do you feel connected to their mission?

Ultimately, you want to tell a story about what drew you to the company, and the important role it has played in your life.

Paragraph 2: Dig Deeper And Get Them Excited About What Comes Next

Man writes a disruptive cover letter to impress hiring managers

The second paragraph must provide the hiring manager with some added context about your unique background, and set the stage for some career highlights that, to quote an old saying, “puts your money where your mouth is.”

Blend language from the job description together with nuggets of information that are unique to you. Set the stage for how you are qualified for the role you are applying to. But, don’t overdo it.

Continue your story and relate it to the position, all while emphasizing that connection.

Paragraph 3: Hard Hitting Highlights

Job seeker writes a disruptive cover letter

Select a couple of examples from your resume that you believe will impress recruiters and hiring managers. Rather than a complete cut and paste, reword these achievements and frame them in a way that shows the employers what you can do for them.

In many cases, numbers resonate more than words, so be sure to include quantifiable examples wherever possible.

Paragraph 4: Say Goodbye While Refreshing Their Memory

In this fourth and last paragraph, be sure to thank the hiring manager for taking the time to read your disruptive cover letter (remember that not all managers do!).

Next, use this last bit of space to help the reader connect the dots to show them why you are a great job candidate, a business-of-one who can provide a service they need with a personal connection to the company that is invaluable.

Remember: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Make yours count with an impactful and disruptive cover letter that separates you from the competition!

Need more help with your job search?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

4 Myths About Working For Staffing Agencies

4 Myths About Working For Staffing Agencies

I hear a lot of myths about working for staffing or temp agencies. And it’s funny because I used to believe them before I got invited to my first job interview with a temp agency. When I went on the interview, all the myths were busted and I fell in love with it.

The rest is history. Now I’m a fan of working with staffing and temp agencies, and so I want to walk you through those myths and make sure that I can bust them because you’re missing out on some key opportunities, my friend.

Myth #1: Staffing Agencies Only Hire For Entry-Level Positions

@j.t.odonnell 4 myths about working for staffing agencies #sponsoredad #mythbuster #myth #staffing #tempagency #tempworker #jobsite #jobtips #jobsearchtips #jobsearchhelp #expressjobs #expresspros #expressprosapp #jobsearch #jobtok #jobs #expressjobsapp #jobseeker #Edutok #learnontiktok ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

The first myth about working for staffing or temp agencies is that they only hire for entry-level positions. That is simply not true. Companies come to staffing agencies and need all types of hires to cover maternity leaves or medical absences. They’re starting new projects, so do not assume that only entry-level jobs are available.

Myth #2: Staffing Agencies Only Offer Low-Paying Jobs

Woman on laptop applies to jobs through a staffing agency

The second myth is that staffing agencies only offer low-paying jobs. That is not true either. Staffing agencies want to give you the best rate possible. They want you to stay in the job, so of course they’re going to try to get you more money.

Take this story, for example. A young man was working at a company and he asked for a raise. They wouldn’t give him one so he left and went to work for a staffing agency. The staffing agency eventually staffed him back at his old employer for double the pay. Double the pay!

So, that’s my point. Staffing agencies negotiate higher rates because those employers really need that help. And this is a great opportunity for you to make more money.

Myth #3: You Have To Pay The Staffing Agency To Get A Job

Job search on laptop

One of the craziest myths I’ve heard is that you’re going to have to pay the staffing agency. That is not true at all. If anybody is trying to make you pay to get a job, please run in the other direction.

The staffing agency gets paid through the employer. Not only do they get paid to cover the cost of hiring you and all the additional expenses, but then they earn a surcharge off that as well. The actual company that you’re working for benefits from this too because they don’t have to pay all the extra expenses of having you as a full-time employee. It’s a total win-win situation, but you’re never going to have to pay.

Myth #4: There’s No “Career Padding” When You Work With A Staffing Agency

Job candidates wait for their interviews with a staffing agency

The last myth about working for staffing agencies is this idea that there’s no “career padding”—that if you become a temp, it doesn’t help your career at all. That’s not true.

First of all, a lot of these jobs can go from temp to perm, meaning you start out there, and if they like you and you like them, they’ll offer you a full-time job. Working for a staffing agency is a great way to get your foot in the door.

Also, working for a staffing agency can let you go out on various assignments, giving you more diversity of your experience in terms of industry and skill sets, which can make you more marketable and allow you to earn more money.

Ultimately, working for a staffing or temp agency can be a wonderful way to catapult your career.

Want To Work With A Staffing Agency? Attend This Live Event To Learn More!

I am so lucky to be partnering with a staffing agency called Express Pros. Now that you understand that all of these myths are working against you and there are so many advantages to working for a staffing company, what are you waiting for?

Join us on Wednesday, September 28th at 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT for an in-depth conversation on the power of working with a staffing agency to make your career dreams come true!

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How To Reset Work Expectations With Your Boss

How To Reset Work Expectations With Your Boss

In my last article, I talked about an example of someone who was working 60 hours a week and then went through a big life event (like having a baby) and now only wants to work 40 hours a week. If you’re in the same boat, how can you reset work expectations with your boss and still get a good performance review?

Here’s my advice on how to successfully manage work expectations without hurting your career…

It’s Usually Easier To Get A New Job Than Reset Work Expectations

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @carolinecc1 How to reset work expectations with your boss. #worktok #careertok #jobtok #careertiktok #careeradvice #quietquitting #quietquittingmyjob #career #job #learnontiktok #edutok #worklife #work #workmode #boss #expectations ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

In my 20+ years of experience as a career coach, about 50% of the time it’s just easier to get a new job if you’re looking to reset work expectations at your current job. At a new job, you can set your ideal expectations from the get-go.

But if you really like where you are right now and want to stay there, follow the three steps below to reset your work expectations.

How To Successfully Reset Work Expectations With Your Boss (If You Want To Stay)

Woman tells her boss she wants to reset her expectations at work

Step #1: Do Some Homework

Get out a piece of paper and create three columns. In column #1, list all the things you were hired to do, looking back at the job description for your role if you have to. In column #2, list everything that you’ve taken on since then because if you’re working 60 hours a week, you’ve taken on a lot of additional responsibility. Then, in column #3, think of one or two things that you could take off your boss’s plate. Something that’s a real headache to them that if you took it off their plate, you’d be super valuable to them.

Step #2: Meet With Your Boss

Next, set up a one-on-one meeting with your boss. Type up your three-column list, sit down with your boss, and have a conversation. Here’s an example of what you could say…

“When I first started at this company, I was working 60 hours a week to get myself up to a level of value. But now, as you know, I’ve had this life event and I really want to stick to 40 hours a week but continue to give you a high level of value. So here’s what I figured out. Here are all the things I was hired to do in column #1. Here are all the additional things I’m now doing in column #2. And here are some things that I would love to do for you to make your life easier in column #3. But in order for me to do that, we’d have to take a couple of things off my plate in column #1 that maybe somebody else with more junior skills could handle.”

This is how you begin the conversation. Now, as a bonus, I would suggest you go through and list how many hours a week you do each task in columns one, two, and three, and add them up to show your boss how all of those tasks take over 40 hours to complete. And if you could move things around together, what would they want you to work on? What would be the highest payoff activities for your 40 hours?

Step #3: Update Your Boss On Your Progress

The final step is to give your boss some time to review this information. Then once they approve your new work expectations, you are going to regularly update them on your progress. Communicate with them about what you’re getting done in 40 hours. Market yourself because that’s what people forget to do. They forget to market their value and prove to the employer that they’re working smarter, not harder—without having to do it in extra time.

Once you shift this perception, you’re going to see great results. A lot of times managers don’t realize how much you’re doing and, upon seeing this list, will reset your work expectations for you. But it’s on you to bring up your concerns and try to find a solution where both of you are happy.

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3 Steps To Create Your Own Career Development Plan

3 Steps To Create Your Own Career Development Plan

If you’re wondering how you’re going to get where you want to be in your career, there are some simple steps you can take that will help you create your own career development plan.

Let’s not be confused by the word “simple.” Sometimes the simplest of concepts or steps can be tough to do because they require some intense thinking and effort. Yet, your think time and effort are an investment in your future and career happiness, which make it all very worthwhile to plan your career growth today.

1. Figure Out Your Destination

As with all efforts, you must be clear about your direction when you create your own career development plan. You don’t take a road trip without knowing where you want to end up. You also don’t need to overly complicate this task. I think the following questions are helpful in thinking about your destination.

Where do you want your career to be in two years?

I like this question because this window is close enough to your current reality that it’s easy to visualize.

Where do you want your career to be in five years?

If you see that your two-year goal is merely a step in an overall direction, then this question helps you define a longer-term career growth goal. Sometimes it’s difficult to see that far out in time as life and different opportunities present themselves and can cause you to reset your plans. That’s okay, but it’s good to be looking “two steps ahead.”

What makes these targets resonant for you?

Don’t make a goal just for the sake of making one. You need a goal that helps to motivate you into action. If you’re making a goal based on what someone else wants, it also isn’t going to be that compelling for you. Being clear on your direction means being clear that this direction is inspiring and motivational, and knowing what is driving you to it.

2. Do A Gap Analysis

Professional man doing a gap analysis for his career development plan

A gap analysis is where you figure out the differences in the qualifications between where you are right now and your two-year goal or next step. Using a job posting or job description for the position you are aiming at is a good way to get specific information about the skills and experience that are expected. I think it is good to get more than one job description (perhaps one from your company and one from a competitor) in order to ensure you aren’t missing any key items during your analysis.

Go through the job description line item by line item and rate your current state of skills, education, or experience to what is listed. Your rating system can be as simple as 1-10, with 10 a perfect match and one being completely missing. As you rate, make notes about your thought process for future reference.

Once you have completed this exercise, identify all of the items where there is anywhere from a fair amount to a substantial amount of development that is needed. Look for commonalities and clump those together as a category. You will discover that there will be themes to your gaps.

Also, don’t get too compulsive about where you don’t think you’re a perfect match but think you have fairly developed skills. If they are mostly present, they will make you a competitive candidate and shouldn’t require too much development attention. You now have a list of development items.

3. Create Your Development Plan

Woman writes down career goals she wants to achieve for her career development plan

You are now fully armed with a clear two-year goal and all the details of where and what you need to develop to get you where you want to go. Your plan will be best if you can consult with your boss and/or a mentor to help you with ideas on how to get the skills you need to add.

There may need to be some logical order to a few of the items on your list. Sometimes you need to do X before you can do Y. Make these among the highest priority items so you can accomplish these things and move on to others. Usually, there are multiple ways of accumulating the skills you need for career growth.

You may also want to have multiple ways of beefing up your skill set to add depth to it. An example is if you want to move to a project management position, you may want to get a certification and also ask for project responsibilities. Initially, these may be small, which is fine; they will give you an opportunity to grow and learn. In addition, you may need to research various ways to get the skills you need to grow in your career.

Once your research is done, it will give you ideas on how you can approach these items. You need dates. You need to keep yourself accountable to your plan. And the best way to do that is to give yourself a “start by” date.

You can’t predict how long or how much work you will have to do in order to develop the skill at the level you need, but you do have control over the action you take to get started. Keep track. You need to pay attention to your career development plan a minimum of twice per year. This will allow you to stay focused on your progress and remind you of next steps.

Career development is the sort of thing that you can easily forget about until you wake up one day to realize you have gone nowhere and aren’t having fun. You are responsible for where you go in your career. With a little bit of planning, you can accomplish great things.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

5 Reasons Why You Don’t Have Friends At Work

5 Reasons Why You Don’t Have Friends At Work

As humans, we need some form of social interaction (some of us more than others). However, we all do need and thrive on the simple act of connecting to people.

For the majority of us, our social fabric is created through work. We see these people every day. We have work in common. We get to know them in ways the spouses and significant others simply don’t. When we leave these people due to job change, it can be painful.

Yet, despite all this social goodness that work can bring, what happens when it doesn’t happen to you? What do you do when you don’t have friends at work? No one to save you space at a meeting or light up when you enter a room? It happens, and when it does, there’s no lonelier place to be. It can be so impactful that it can cause a person to look for another job.

Here are situations you may be facing and what you can do about them:

You’re New In The Office

Young man setting up his desk in a new office.

You may think you’re past due for connecting with people in a deeper way at work. Sometimes the dynamic is such that it simply takes a while and ongoing persistence to break through.

You Got Off On The Wrong Foot With Your Co-Workers

Young man getting off on the wrong foot with his coworker in the office.

It doesn’t matter if you were misinterpreted. Somehow you did something right off the bat that got you sideways with many of your peers. If you did do something wrong, make amends and don’t do it again.

Being the bigger person takes courage, but you will win friends. If there is nothing to make amends for, stay friendly and ignore the undertow. It will eventually fade.

The Work Cliques Are Too Strong To Penetrate

Young man looking sad at his desk as his coworkers laugh and talk behind him.

Just like high school, there are work situations where you are the outsider and will stay that way for an indefinite period of time. Most likely these people have worked together for a while and the bond is tight. They probably don’t realize how unfriendly they may seem.

You need to be friendly and make efforts to get to know each person at an individual level. It may take some big work event, like a year-end close, to be the final catalyst that forms the bond. There’s nothing like being in the trenches with people to nail the trust and support.

You’re Not A Cultural Fit

Young woman looking sad at her desk because she's not making friends at work as quickly as she'd like.

That feels like a hard message, but it truly is not personal. We all have values and work styles we wear like a suit. They are out there for everyone to see and experience. Many times, when we aren’t a cultural fit, we are out of step with the people we work with.

This makes it hard to form friendships. If you aren’t a cultural fit, you need to admit it and move on. It not only won’t help form friendships, but it won’t help your career either.

You’re An Introvert Who’s Turning More Inward

Introverted young man sitting separate from his coworkers in a break room.

For an introvert, it can be tough to push yourself toward people you don’t know. When an introvert is surrounded by ‘strangers,’ it’s easy to retreat even further. You could appear kind of wonky and unapproachable, making it difficult for co-workers to approach you.

You’ve set up your own lonely situation and only you can make your way out. To make it less overwhelming, simply focus on one or two people with whom you feel some form of affinity, and focus on getting to know them. It will help you overall and will become a catalyst for forming more relationships.

Workplace relationships can make or break a job. They can nourish you and help you excel in your career if they are healthy workplace relationships. When those bonds are not forming, it can make you feel very lonely. But there are things you can do to improve the situation. You need patience and a friendly smile.

Need more help navigating workplace relationships?

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

How to Move Up in Your Career in a Non-Profit Organization

How to Move Up in Your Career in a Non-Profit Organization

Working for a non-profit organization can be incredibly rewarding, but that doesn’t mean your career progression should take a back seat. While many people are willing to accept a lower salary or fewer benefits in exchange for working for a cause they’re truly passionate about, there’s no reason why you can’t continue your climb up […]

The post How to Move Up in Your Career in a Non-Profit Organization appeared first on Jobacle.com.

How To Overcome Age Discrimination In Your 2023 Job Search

How To Overcome Age Discrimination In Your 2023 Job Search

Do you think age discrimination is affecting your job search? Do you feel like you are losing out to the competition because you’re older? If so, you’re not alone in this thinking, and I’m going to share with you some information that’s going to help you overcome this challenge.

I have been getting a ton of questions lately on the subject of age discrimination, and I want to start by breaking a huge misconception—the fact that it’s not technically age discrimination that you’re experiencing. It’s experience discrimination.

What Is Experience Discrimination?

Job candidate experiencing age discrimination in the hiring process

What do I mean by that? Well, let me give you a little history. Right now there are about 40 million baby boomers in the workforce. These are people in their fifties, sixties, and beyond, and all of them have decided to stay in the workforce a lot longer than the generations before them.

The problem is that, over the last 10+ years, 70 million people from younger generations have also emerged and entered the workforce.

Millennials and Gen Z make up over half the workforce today, and many of them are now in their late twenties and early thirties. This means that they have enough years of experience to be relevant in the marketplace, and given the fact that they cost a lot less—and oftentimes have fewer bad habits and are more technologically savvy—more and more employers hire them over older, more seasoned, more experienced workers.

Again, it’s not really age discrimination. It is a case of the law of supply and demand. If you think about the world of business, there is too much supply—too many seasoned workers—and not enough demand for their skill sets (even with low unemployment rates).

So, what do you do about this?

Well, first understand that this situation isn’t only affecting baby boomers. Eventually, millennials are going to get impacted by this as well. This is due to what is called “globalization,” and every single day the geographic and economic boundaries to getting affordable help are lowering around the world.

In fact, I was working with a client recently who told me how he could hire one PhD here in the U.S., or hire three PhDs for the same price in Europe. This trend is going to continue. Believe it or not, here in the U.S., we all live in the 1% in terms of income and opportunity when compared to the rest of the world.

So, start thinking about how you’re going to change your strategy with respect to your career and your relevance in the marketplace. Again, it’s a supply and demand concept. What you want to do is build a way where your skill sets and expertise are in less supply, so that you are higher in demand.

Now that you understand this whole concept, what you want to do is focus on the fact that you are no longer an employee. You are a business-of-one, and your job is to sell and market your services to employers.

For a business to stay in business, it has to stay relevant in the marketplace. And there are three specific things that we suggest people do in order to make that happen for themselves.

Step 1: Define Your Personal Brand

Older professional overcomes age discrimination with a good personal brand

The first thing you have to do is define your personal brand.

You have to understand what you’re the go-to person for, what your specialty is, and specifically what problems you solve/what pain point you alleviate. This is because employers can only hire you when you save or make them enough money. When you solve their problems, you alleviate their pains to justify the cost of hiring you.

So, it’s on you to get very clear about what your value proposition is, and to do so I suggest that you take our free “career decoder” quiz. This is going to show you what your workplace personas are—the things that you like to do, the tasks that you like to accomplish, and how you like to deliver value in the workplace.

Understanding your workplace personas is the first step in building a very clear personal brand that will help people understand why they should hire you.

Step 2: Follow A Smart Career Strategy

Older woman combats age discrimination during a job interview

The second step in the process is to follow a smart career strategy. Today, every job is temporary, and we know that school has taught us everything except how to manage our careers.

Now that the marketplace is always changing, you can’t build a 5, 10, or 20-year career plan. You can really only do one or two years out at a time. Your career strategy has to be agile, but it has to be very succinct and focused at the same time.

So, at any given time, you should know exactly what you’re trying to achieve, both in your career overall and specifically with regard to relevant skills that you’re trying to grow and leverage.

What you don’t want to do is plateau. Again, I’ve seen a lot of seasoned workers in their fifties and sixties who got to a certain level in their career and thought, “This is good enough; my skills are good enough.” Meanwhile, the whole world around them was changing.

This kind of works like a bell curve. They go up, they plateau, and they start to go down. Now all of a sudden they’re trying to get any job they can—but they’ve also outpriced themselves in the market.

So your job is to always keep focusing on growing your skills, and being able to tell the world specifically what you’re doing to upskill every single year.

Step 3: Work On Your Career, Not Just “In” It

The third step is for you to work on your career as much as you work in it. The truth is that we can easily get caught up in the day-to-day aspects of our job and kind of grind through our week, our months, and our years without ever really thinking about the strategy of our career.

One of the biggest components of this is networking. These days, your network is your net worth. It’s all about who you know.

There are tons of studies that show the best way to get your next job is through a networking connection. If you haven’t checked out our video on this, we’ve got some great resources on networking that can really help you start to understand this—especially with regard to online networking tools like LinkedIn.

A lot of people don’t understand that there are protocols that you need to follow in online networking that are very similar to offline or in-person networking. Unfortunately, people have been short-cutting these protocols and making some terrible, terrible mistakes in the process.

So, please make sure that you’re digitally networking the right way—growing your network, nurturing your network, serving your network. This is the best way for you to have a healthy network, should something happen and you suddenly need to look for a new job. You’ll be able to tap into your professional network without having to start from scratch.

No matter your age and experience level, building these skill sets and having these strategies in place is vital to a successful career. And it’s especially important if you’re trying to overcome experience discrimination.

Again, you are now a business-of-one, and you need to stay on top of these trends in order to stay relevant. Remember these tips and you’ll successfully overcome age discrimination in your job search.

Need help staying relevant in today’s job market?

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