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THESE TRAITS ARE WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE JOB.

10/28/2015

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This is encouraging! Your personal traits can get you further in the job search and the job; experience isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be… 

This is according to Jeff Fluhr, StubHub founder and chief executive of Spreecast, in an interview with Adam Bryant.
He thinks the work background of job candidates is less important than their “softer characteristics,” like “the cultural fit, the chemistry fit, their personality traits, their level of optimism.” 

Q. Tell me about your approach to hiring at your current company. 
A. I’ve found that the softer characteristics of a person — the cultural fit, the chemistry fit, their personality traits, their level of optimism — are far more important than somebody’s experience. What I was often doing at StubHub as the company grew was to say, “O.K., we need a V.P. of marketing and we want somebody who’s been a V.P. marketing at another consumer Internet company, and hopefully, they’ve done these certain things because that’s what we need.” But the reality is that if you get somebody who’s smart, hungry and has a can-do attitude, they can figure out how to do A, B, C, because there’s really no trick to most of these things. 

Q. What career advice would you give to a graduating class of college seniors? 
A. One of the things I tell people is that experience is overrated. I still sometimes find myself falling into the trap of thinking, when I’m trying to fill a role, “Has the person done the work that the role requires?” That’s the wrong question. It should be, “Let’s find a person who has the right chemistry, the right intellect, the right curiosity, the right creativity.” If we plug that person into any role, they’re going to be successful. 

Curiosity, Optimism and Energy - now that's encouraging insight from an industry leader. Please share with your friends who might enjoy a little optimism. 

(Excerpt from The Corner Office; Adam Bryant; The New York Times)
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Power the Potential

10/28/2015

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The Hardest Part of the Job Search?

10/20/2015

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What’s THE hardest part of the job search? That’s easy, it’s not getting discouraged. How do you handle the discouragement, frustration, and sense of no control?     

Here are 3 tips:
1. Have an objective sounding board: Find a friend, parent, career counselor, mentor, sibling- - someone to be your “objective” sounding board through the process. This is not an easy job, so maybe you can do it for each other. This person will listen and empathize, and then help you understand that... it’s a numbers game, there are similar companies you could target, you are great, any company would be lucky to get you….  And after that you may want to buy them a spiced pumpkin latte.

2. Develop a multi-pronged job search plan: As referenced above, there are probably more companies to target, other industries and jobs to look into, new ways to network, etc. Take the time to proactively update and expand your Job Search plan; you will feel more in control and will create more options.

3. Practice a “Positive-Self" mantra: Sometimes you just have to focus on the positives: your strengths, skills, and personal attributes.  Keep your mindset focused and positive with your own version of a mantra, such as  “I am a kind, happy person. I enjoy creative problem solving and have a strong work ethic. I am going to stay focused on the positives.”  Now go buy yourself a spiced pumpkin latte with extra whipped cream- - you deserve it :)

Know someone frustrated in their job or job search? Please share this post with them. Have your own anti-frustration tips? Please add them here- - we all can benefit!

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What motivates you?

10/13/2015

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This often-asked interview question is also important for performance reviews and promotions.  

​Be ready.

​To develop a strong, genuine self-awareness, think through these several questions:

1) What excites you about a project you are working on/have worked on recently? Why?
2) When have you felt proud about a grade/project/accomplishment and why?
3) What does “success” look like to you and why?

Self-reflection on what motivates you will pay off in job happiness and interview success. Here are some “motivator" examples:
-Recognition of my/team’s accomplishments
-Team work/leadership/management
-Successful project completion/delivery
-Meeting/exceeding goals: sales; organizational; team; etc.
-Using my research/sales/project/analytical/financial/organizational/management/etc. skills
-Saving money/making money for the company  *If money is your prime motivator, be sure to tie it to Team/Company goals/success
-Creative problem solving
-Delivering excellent client/customer service
-Building a business/project

So- - what motivates you and why?
Having trouble putting it into words? Feel free to email me and we can brainstorm together.

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How to be Happy: Just ask yourself one question.

10/7/2015

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Just ask yourself one question. (Gustavo Vieira Dias, creative director of DDB Tribal Vienna)
Borrowed from BrainPickings.org and 
 The Best American Infographics 2013
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Organizing Your Network, with Karma in mind

10/6/2015

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Easy 
​Karma
Networking
Organizers 
for 
Success


​No matter where you are in your career or job search, you already have great contacts. Adopt the strategy of "Karma-Networking” and you can be an asset to your network as well as benefit from these relationships.

First: Gather the Data-
1)  Grab all those old business cards and put them to use. Ask for business cards in meetings and interviews.
2)  Keep an on-going (past, present and future) list of target companies. 
3)  Add names of professors, advisors, managers, group leaders, etc — they all count.

Next: Arrange the Data-
1)  Evernote.com is a system that allows you to create notes, notebooks, web-clips, audio notes, photos, and more. It is a great place for company research, interview notes, strategies on dream jobs, just about everything. All the notes and notebooks are searchable and sync between devices.
2)  JibberJobber.com is specifically designed to organize contacts for job seekers. Based on Customer Relationship Management systems, the contact categories include all the key information, referrals, notes, job tracking and a robust Next Action feature. 
3)  LinkedIn.com is a catch-all network with great career background on your contacts. Build a diverse group of contacts from all areas of your life — work, school, summers, etc.  Grow your network easily without too much effort, thanks to the built-in prompts of people you know, or may want to know. 
 
These are easy ways to organize networking information and allow ready access. Choose a combination of whatever systems work for you, and the free version is usually adequate.  So get started- - and please add me to your contacts. 

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Networking for the Life of your Career

9/30/2015

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In my recent blog post on ePropelr.com, I comment that the best way to improve the odds of finding a job at any age is to build a broad network throughout your career...  Read the post and get the tips here...
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Quick & Easy: The Elevator Pitch

9/28/2015

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PictureAt least I know my Elevator Pitch...
The Elevator Pitch, or 30-second Pitch, is the best way to answer many questions: Tell me about yourself. How can I help you? Is there anything else I need to know?

With practice and a little tweaking, your elevator pitch can help you answer all of these questions and, just as importantly, help you relax and gain confidence during the encounter.  

Answer these questions and then practice until you are comfortable:
-Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing; 
-What you are interested in;
-Your relevant experience;
-The qualities you have that would benefit them.

Write down your answers so you can get as much information in, but then practice out loud so you can edit/rephrase it until you are comfortable.

This is an art and a science- - and there are many ways to have a successful 30-second pitch- - so go ahead and get started. 

2 examples:
College Student:
-Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing: "Hi, I’m John Doe and I am currently a Senior majoring in Economics."
-What you are interested in: “I am interested in commercial and corporate banking programs, analyst or research roles in public companies, and associate positions with public policy organizations."
-Your relevant experience:  "I had an internship last summer with XYZ organization where I researched and analyzed customer data and prepared client reports.  I really enjoyed the research and the client interactions."
-The qualities you have that would benefit them: “I am analytical, thorough and have a strong understanding of client relations. My courses and work experience have prepared me to quickly become  a contributing member of​ the team."


Employed:
Your Name and what you are currently/most recently doing: “Hi, I’m Jane Doe and I am currently an Associate in the Communications Department of 123 Corporation."
-What you are interested in: "I work with Internal Communications and am interested in moving into external relations, crisis management or PR."
-Your relevant experience: “I am responsible for all employee communications and have pitched-in to help internal crisis management. I also worked closely with the external relations team on the ABC project."
-The qualities you have that would benefit them:  “I am highly organized, responsive and efficient. I consider myself a strong communicator because I enjoy the “listening” part of the job. I have 3 years of experience in a top-notch Communications Department and know that will enable me to transition easily."

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When One Word Answers are OK -

9/16/2015

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Quick excerpts below about favorite interview questions- – and they end up being easy when you know your skills, strengths and values!

“So fast-forward three years. You’re talking to your best friends and you’re reflecting on your career the last few years and you tell them, ‘Hey, this has been an amazing experience at this company because of X.’ ” And then I’ll ask: “What is X? What would you tell your best friends that that is?”

Then I’d ask another best-friends question: “If I were to ask those same three best friends to use one word to describe you, and they can’t use the same word, what’s the one word each would say? What are the three words?”

What’s funny about that question is how many people can’t describe it in a word. Everyone wants to give a paragraph of characteristics and traits. I actually love the people who just sit there and take 30 seconds to think and then just give me three words. Or I had one sales candidate say to me recently, “Well my husband’s my best friend and he would say ‘bossy.’ ” Which I thought was a great answer. And then I always ask on the heels of that: “What word would you use to describe yourself? Is it one of those words or something else?”

First published on MyCareerCatapult blog.


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Do I need Permission?

9/16/2015

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PERMISSION TO HAVE FUN THIS WEEKEND!


The Job Search and/or Work can’t be 24/7; so here’s your permission to have fun this weekend to improve your job search productivity next week:

Don’t work even a little this weekend. Make a firm decision to not even do 5 or 10 minutes of work. And don’t check your email; keep your work phone shut off.

Look at the cost of non-stop job stress. When you start thinking about work say STOP! in your mind.  Thinking about work/the job search during the weekend will probably not help you in the long run, instead it will lead to more stress and worries.

Fill your weekend with activities you love doing. When time just flies and you’re having fun, then you are a lot more likely to reap the positive benefits of relaxation.

Now you can start your Monday morning job search rested, re-invigorated and with gusto- – Go For It!

First published on MyCareerCatapult blog. Ideas borrowed from The Positivity Blog 



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    Terry Patrick Walton is the founder of 20sEmpowered and MyCareerCatapult.com.

    As an experienced career coach and former partner with international executive search firm Hedrick & Struggles, Terry has a track record of helping people Power the Potential in their lives, careers, and world.


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