Career Advice

After holding three different jobs over the course of five years, job seeker Tom was told by a well-respected NYC-based career counselor that he had a serious problem."You need a 'stick' job," she proclaimed.She urged Tom not to take another job until he found a gig he could see himself staying with for more than three years. At the time, her logic seemed made sense, so Tom set out to find a job he could endure.But that was years ago, when employees were expected to stay with one job for most or all of their career. Now the rules of the job hunt have changed. Employers often seek out candidates who are on the move, honing their skills and seeking out the best opportunities, even if it means collecting employee handbooks in the process.Should you become the employee with 10 years of experience at one firm—or the professional who has worked for three different companies during the last 10 years? Let's look at the pros and cons of having a "stick" job as opposed to being a job … [Read more...] about Stick Job vs. Long-Term Job: Which Is Better?

There are times in your life when you need a little support. I'm not referring only to those times when you are out of work and need to find a job, fast (like many of us in today's economy). I'm talking about those times when you need a second, unbiased opinion about something. Those times when you'd like to know how other people in the industry are reacting to the latest industry news. Even those times when you find yourself stranded for the night in an unfamiliar city and need someone to call who can explain the subway system, recommend a good place to get something to eat, or point you in the direction of a decent local chiropractor for the back injury you sustained while toting suitcases around. When most of us think of support networks, we may think of women who need a network of friends and relatives who can fill in as emergency child care providers or commiserate over lost loves. We may even think of people who are in support groups, such as AA, who need to find a group of … [Read more...] about The External Benefits of a Strong Network

When you are trying to write about your work experience, you might hit a road block if you have large gaps between your work experience. Instead of leaving a gap, write about what you were doing during that time.  Just because you might not have been paid doesn’t mean you weren’t doing valuable, career-advancing things.If you are looking to put a positive spin on a resume gap, drop phrases such as: maternity leave, family management, full-time parent, world traveler, student, or community service specialist.  If you are lucky enough to get the interview, informing the interviewer that you kept busy and were productive during your "gaps." If those periods of time were filled with several smaller jobs, you can cater your job history to the target job at hand. If you were working two jobs, the first of which was as a babysitter while the second was as a secretary, consider the job for which you are applying and which of the two jobs would be more appropriated … [Read more...] about Filling in Resume Gaps

The resume of tomorrow won’t be paper. Heck, it won’t even look like a digital version of today’s resume. It will be a demonstration of your skills, a sales piece that tells the reader, “You have to talk to this guy. He’s that good.” And, it won’t be just for job seekers. The resume of tomorrow will be an integral part of selling any person online as a job seeker, a consultant, a contractor, or a business owner.Putting together tomorrow’s resume will take more than the weekend’s worth of effort you put in now when you think to yourself, “I need to get a job. Guess it’s time to update my resume.” It’ll take years of work to assemble, and you’ll need the buy-in and backing of those around you.The keys to the resume of tomorrow are...1. A hook – The resume of tomorrow needs to catch someone’s attention. With the economy being not the best it’s ever been. Many people are back in school, … [Read more...] about 6 Keys to the Resume of Tomorrow

This is a particularly challenging time of year at work – holidays, end of year, taxes, oh my. Some days it’s a challenge just to “keep a civil tongue in your head” as they say.  So if you aren’t fortunate enough to have saved up some vacation time this month, what can you do? Put the whole holiday madness aside for a while (“Stress Buster and Holiday Survival Guide”) and try to focus on the job at hand. I’m going to assume that you aren’t on the verge of either: A.     Punching out your cubicle neighbor for humming “Jingle Bells,” orB.     Taking up or starting smoking again just to go to the “Butt Hut,” orC.     Having a psychotic or any other type of disassociative  episode orD.     Fill in the blank (bad, bad , bad meltdown.) So how do you back yourself off of the precipice and get down to work? Jobacle has given you … [Read more...] about Give Yourself a “Time Out” at Work

If tweaking and revamping your resume hasn’t helped you land a single interview, your resume may no longer be cutting it. Maybe it’s time to call in the big guns: a professional resume writer.But hiring a writer over the Internet is a scary task. In a world of scams and horror stories, how can you know you’re hiring someone who will help—not hurt—your job search? With a million “accredited” resume writing associations out there, how should you cut through the clutter?Here’s how to make sure you hire a quality resume writer:Ask if they understand your industry.It’s often said that a good writer can write about anything. While that might be true, when it comes to your resume, you want a writer with a general understanding of your industry. At first glance, all resumes look the same. But in reality, each individual industry calls for different jargon, a unique style and a specialized look. To give yourself the best odds of success, … [Read more...] about Tips for Hiring a Professional Resume Writer

Annual employee performance appraisals are an important management tool that can impact future work assignments, development, compensation and even opportunities for promotion. Yet it seems that most employees play a passive role in them. They just sit back and let their managers dictate their ratings, feedback, goals and development plans. Here are 4 reasons why you should play an active role in the process by writing a self-appraisal first.1.It Gets You Engaged in the Performance Appraisal Process and Your CareerEven if self-appraisals aren't an official part of your employee appraisal process, by writing your own self-appraisal, you show initiative and engagement in your appraisal and your career. Rather than simply being the "recipient" of feedback from your manager, writing a self-appraisal gives you a voice and can inform or shape your performance appraisal ratings. It also gets you actively thinking about what you did well, and what you can improve. A little self-reflection is … [Read more...] about 4 Reasons Why You Should Write a Self-Appraisal

Most people who work in an office, on a team or in a setting with co-workers have the wrong idea about workplace relationships. Too many people have a "get in and get out" mentality; punching in, doing your job and punching out for the day is not the only way to have a successful work life. In fact, workplace friendships can become long-lasting relationships if you play your cards right. Here are 10 tips on how to establish good friendships at work: 1.  Be Yourself - If you are trying to make friends in the workplace, you have to be yourself. Pretending to be someone that you are not will take you nowhere. You do not have to agree with everything that your co-workers say, your opinions can vary; in fact, a difference in opinion can lead to healthy conversations and debates that can further a friendship. 2. Be Open and Honest- It is true that you will bond quickly with people that you have shared interests with, but do not start off a new friendship by being dishonest. Let your … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Make Friends at Work

What percentage of your work style would be called "control freak?" Not something that you find on a job description. But admit it, there’s at least a bit of control freak in all of us. The word “controlling” has a negative connotation, but a lot of people with that label are simply take-charge types who get the job done. The others are, well, control freaks.An article in the Wall Street Journal, “She Talks a Lot, He Listens a Little” got me thinking about controlling behaviors. She discusses communication in personal relationships, but you can apply it to business, too. She makes a point when describing the talker vs. the non-talker - the non-talker has control over any conversation; when one party is done listening, the conversation is over.Think about how many times when someone has presented an idea, someone has dismissed it, either by “tabling” it for later or just moving on through the agenda. If this is your style or you’re the … [Read more...] about The Illusion of Control at Work