How to Identify and Tackle Hierarchy in the Workplace

How to Identify and Tackle Hierarchy in the Workplace The office pecking order seems like an age-old concern, especially in a world where diversity, gender equality, and employee rights are so openly discussed â€" and in many businesses promoted â€" but new research from Citation HR has found that hierarchy in the workplace may be ever present. We’re not talking about strict structures of authority and discipline, but what the research highlighted instead was a subtle nod towards hierarchy in certain tasks or activities â€" like office brew rounds. To delve into the topic a little deeper, Citation conducted a survey of 2,000 office workers across the UK, focusing on the office politics associated with making drinks for others. The research found that half of the business directors defy office etiquette by avoiding the tea and coffee round and only making drinks for themselves, whilst half of all employees surveyed say their colleagues don’t pull their weight. In addition, more than one third admitted to resenting their obligations to always make drinks for others. A top-down hierarchy can stifle the employee experience and leave workers with a lack of control, motivation, and desire to excel. The future of work is moving towards organizations where employees feel valued and have the tools they need to reach their potential. Here are a few pieces of advice to help tackle hierarchy in the workplace. Initiate shared responsibility rules It’s important to have mutual respect in the workplace, regardless of status and authority. Initiate a shared responsibility rule in your office for those monotonous and lackluster tasks that often get delegated to the intern or junior team members â€" like photocopying, tea rounds and setting up meeting rooms Redefine roles and responsibilities Make it a mission to ensure every employee has a clear set of objectives and knows what’s expected of them. Give employees the opportunity to show their capabilities and give them each their own desired level of autonomy and decision-making power within the framework of their job role. Give junior team members the floor If employees feel like they’re being side-lined from responsibilities that are reserved for more senior staff or not invited to internal meetings, you risk them feeling like their opinion isn’t valued. This is especially a concern for employees in the early stages of their career and could impact them speaking up in future. One thing to remember about hierarchy is that if it becomes a problem in one area of the business, the negative feelings can creep into other departments and that negativity can even spread among employees. If possible, trial an open-plan office space Having the CEO and directors sitting alongside the rest of the workforce can have a huge impact on morale. Where possible, try to design the office space so that the people of higher seniority are integrated with the junior teams to encourage conversation and rapport, rather than having a separate bank of desks in the corner which can still be perceived as segregation. One of the biggest things that can influence a workplace culture is how close the workforce is. By getting all levels to sit together and collaborate not only will staff happiness improve, but it should also reflect on retention levels and business performance. Respect at every level Continuing on from the above theme, Forbes suggests one of the things most of us dislike most about bad hierarchy is that the people at the top of a power structure often get treated with a lot more respect than individuals at the bottom. It doesnt have to be that way and it shouldnt be. Communicate clearly and consistently with all employees about big things that are happening in the organization. When you dont let people know about important events that affect them, it feels deeply disrespectful as though theyre simply mindless cogs in the machine and not worth keeping in the loop. Check out the infographic below by Citation.

Resume Writing Services - How to Get the Best

Resume Writing Services - How to Get the BestIf you have to find a business in Calgary that offers resume writing services then you will find it hard because of the hundreds and thousands of companies that offer this service. And all of them would claim to be the best. However, with so many companies that offer this service, you need to ensure that you choose the one that will provide you with the best quality work.When you are hiring a resume writer in Calgary, you should also look for those who are capable of writing a professional resume. Not only should they be able to write a good resume, but they should also be capable of providing you with a resume that will attract the attention of your target audience. In this way you can be sure that you will get the job done right.A resume writer should be very well acquainted with the requirements of the job for which you are applying. In order to be hired, you need to show that you are a good match for the position for which you are appl ying. You should also have something to show in your application that proves that you are really the person for the job. If you do not have this, your resume will not get much attention.Resume writing services in Calgary are needed if you are looking for a job or if you are already employed but are now seeking another job. If you are a job seeker then it is highly recommended that you go through the other resumes as well so that you can have a fair idea of what kind of jobs are available. This will allow you to make the right decision whether you will hire a Calgary resume writer or not.The resume writer in Calgary should be very creative. They should be able to come up with a resume that is both professionally written and technically correct. However, the quality of the resume is of utmost importance because it is the first thing that will be looked at by the employer.If you can convince your current employer to give you a higher salary for doing such a good job as writing his resu me, then you have succeeded. To be honest, it is very difficult to convince your employer to give you a higher salary, but when you are convincing yourself to apply for another job, it becomes easy.Of course, hiring Calgary resume writers is not the only thing that you should do if you want to find a job quickly. You should also have some time to prepare your resume in advance. Not only should you write a good resume but you should also have prepared yourself for interviews and for all the things that are involved in getting a job.A lot of time and effort are required for this, but in the end it will be worth it. Resume writing services in Calgary will not only help you get the job but also in making the transition from your previous job to your new one easier.

How to Conduct a Stealth Job Search - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Conduct a ‘Stealth’ Job Search - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Editor’s Note: This blog is a modified excerpt from professional “headhunter” and bestselling job-hunting book author Skip Freeman’s next book in the “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets series of job-hunting books, Career Stalled? Publication is scheduled for late fall. ________________________________________________________ How do you go about finding a new job when you already have one? Very, very carefully, that’s how! If word that you’re “looking” should leak out at your current employer, you could easilyâ€"and very quickly!â€"find yourself “on the outside looking in,” making it a whole lot harder and much more of a pressing issue to land a new job. If you are a currently employed man or woman you definitely would be well advised to conduct what I refer to as a “stealth” job search, in order not to jeopardize your current job and/or unnecessarily risk your future career prospects. You must always keep in mind that, if the wrong person learns of your plans, you could quickly be called “on the carpet” to your boss’s office to explain your “indiscretions.” Who would “leak” such information about you? Actually, just about anyone, and they could do it either quite innocently or with definite malice aforethought. Why? Jealousy. Envy. In an attempt to curry favor with the boss. Really, for any number of reasons. Remember, too, any secret you have is no longer a secret once you tell just one other person! Am I being paranoid here? No, just reporting on human nature. Am I saying that, if you are “looking,” you should trust no other person, not even your “best friend” at work? Yes, as a matter of fact, that is precisely what I’m saying! Keep the fact that you’re “looking” strictly and without reservation to yourself, period. Key Considerations for an Effective ‘Stealth’ Job Search How do you effectively conduct a “stealth” job search? While no system is foolproof, of course, some key considerations for ensuring that your job search remains under the company’s (and your boss’s!) “radar” include the following: Make sure that ALL of your job search activities, i.e., making photocopies, “polishing” your résumé, “surfing” the job boards, etc., are conducted on you own time, using your own equipment and on your own premisesâ€"not on your current employer’s! Do NOT call in “sick” or fabricate “meetings” outside the office to attend job interviews, etc. If you need time off, take vacation time or “personal” days. If questioned about such authorized time off, merely say that you have to deal with personal matters and leave it at that. Never, never, never use your current employer’s telephone number as your contact number. Use your home telephone and/or your cell phone number as the contact number. (That doesn’t mean, however, that you conduct your job search activities on your cell phone while on company time or premises!) If you don’t already have a “personal” email address, e.g., yourname@hotmail.com, yourname@gmail.com, etc., then get one! It’s FREE! Never, never, never use your current company email address in your new job search. (Many companies canâ€"and do!â€"routinely and regularly monitor employee email correspondence and usage.) Check the “anonymity level” of any online sites where you will be posting your résumé and/or making application. (LinkedIn can normally be considered a “free fire” zone because most professionals have a presence there and that presence usually is perceived as merely innocent professional “networking” activityâ€"unless, of course, you include something like this in your LinkedIn profile headline: “Open to new opportunities” or “Seeking new opportunities.”) If you are reluctant to use your home address on your résumé, then consider using a more general address. For example, if your address is 123 Flower Street, Cleveland, OH, using “Suburban Cleveland, OH” is certainly acceptable during the early stages of the job search. Disguise the name and location of your current employer on your résumé by providing a general  description and location. State Farm Insurance Companies, headquartered in Bloomington, IL, for example, could become “A major group of personal lines insurance companies headquartered in the Midwest.” Network very, very carefully. As a general rule, you should limit your networking activities to those professionals who are outside of your current employer’s sphere of influence. On the other hand, it’s certainly acceptable to approach others, say, at professional meetings or after-hours business get-togethers. Do NOT, however, say something such as, “I hate my current job and will go about anywhere just to get out of there!” Rather, say something along these lines: “While I am certainly doing well at my current position, I am always open to genuine opportunities to take my career to the next level. Do you have any suggestions or know anyone I should be talking to?” Under no circumstance appear desperate or negative! Desperate, negative people make most others extremely uncomfortable and makes them want to get away from that person and around more positive people. Select your references very, very carefully. Understandably, you won’t be able to provide the names of bosses or professional colleagues at your current employer as references. Instead, consider providing the names of previous bosses and/or professional colleagues. In the (remote) event that a hiring manager with whom you have interviewed for a new job insists on references from your current employer, simply tell him or her that you can indeed provide such referencesâ€"once a genuine offer is made! Watch what you say on or post to your online social sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, et al. While you may be laboring under the impression (false!) that such social sites are “personal,” in fact, many times they are anything but! You’ve worked long and hard to build and maintain your professional brand, so don’t do anything that could in any way risk “tarnishing” it. If it is “discovered” at your current employer that you are “looking,” you can bet your life that your professional brand there will soon be tarnished, if for no other reason than to get back at you for your “disloyalty.” And, if you should happen to lose your current job for whatever fabricated reason(s) once your “disloyalty” has been discovered, your brand will be even further “tarnished” (rightly or wrongly) when you find yourself joining the ranks of the unemployed looking for a new job. Best advice: Pursue new career opportunities with a gusto and with enthusiasm, but make sure you keep your plans and job search activities strictly to yourself! Author: Skip Freeman  is the author of “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!  and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of  The HTW Group (Hire to Win), an Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Area Executive Search Firm. Specializing in the placement of sales, engineering, manufacturing and RD professionals, he has developed powerful techniques that help companies hire the best and help the best get hired.

New Year, Better Finances How to Spend Smart

New Year, Better Finances How to Spend Smart Most of us would like to have some extra cash in hand â€" especially post-Christmas, when it’s often difficult to rein our spending back to sensible levels. It’s a classic New Years resolution, but if you’ve tried and failed before, don’t be put off â€" we’ve outlined four ways to get yourself started anew. Know your money Keeping track of your finances can seem like a task and a half, and most of us aren’t as good at it as we’d like to be. Figuring out where your salary goes every month will set you on track to saving and spending better, and it’s a great place to start when managing money â€" it’s also never been easier. As you’d expect, there are plenty of apps (both free and paid) to help you get a handle on your expenses. Your bank probably offers one, but if you have accounts with multiple banks, an app like OnTrees could work well for you. It pulls income and expense data from all your accounts so you can monitor everything in one place (though you can’t actually move money through the app, which makes it more secure). If the idea of putting your bank details in the hands of an app doesn’t fill you with confidence, there are also apps where you enter transactions manually (such as Spending Tracker) and, of course, good old-fashioned Excel. There are even templates created by Microsoft if you don’t fancy building a spreadsheet from the ground Switch providers If you can’t remember the last time you switched electricity, gas and internet providers, now is the time to consider it. Providers bank on customers not bothering to shop around to make more money, and the amount you pay will usually increase significantly after your new customer perks expire. MoneySavingExpert estimates that you could save £300 a year just by switching away from a standard tariff from one of the Big Six energy companies onto a smaller provider, or just asking for the cheapest tariff from your current provider. Price comparison sites are a great tool, but bear in mind that some might only show providers who pay them commission in default searches, so make sure you have any “display all” options enabled. For TV and phone contracts, flexing your haggling muscles can work well. Telling them that you’ve seen a better deal elsewhere will often get you a price cut, or some free extras thrown in. Don’t assume you have to own your home to reap the benefits either â€" if you’re a renter paying for your own utilities, you have as much right as a homeowner to change shop around. Share the load How many people are using your Netflix account and how many of those people are paying the subscription? If the numbers don’t add up, it’s time to draw the line and ask everyone to do their bit. The same goes for lift-sharing, homeware purchases with housemates, and spending on days and nights out. Money conversations can be uncomfortable, but moochers also make difficult friends. Most of us know someone who mysteriously vanishes when it’s their turn to buy a round, and you’ll probably think twice about inviting them out again because of it. Honesty is the best policy and if they don’t respond to that, it might be time to get tough with them. If you think you might be “that friend”, all is not lost. Make sure you’re the one to bring it up (saving them the potential awkwardness), apologize and offer to start paying your way. Give your friends the confidence to share costs with you in the future, and you’ll save money in the long run. Plan your meals Ever sat down and worked out how much money you throw out by wasting food? If the idea sends a shiver down your spine, chances are you’re losing out. You’re not alone either; the average UK household throws away £450 worth of food a year. You can help your wallet (and the environment) by making the most of all the food you buy. This could be as simple as deciding what you’ll eat for dinner every night for the week, so you don’t buy what you won’t use. If you have time to spare at weekends, batch-cooking evening meals or assembling salads for weekday lunches on a Sunday afternoon will save you money and effort during the week. There are hundreds of recipes available for free online, including websites like Budget Bytes which not only breaks down recipes by cost (though it only comes in dollars), there’s also a feature that adjusts ingredients depending on the number of servings you want to cook. Jen Anderson writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in finding candidates their perfect  internship. To browse our  graduate jobs London listings, visit our website.

What Is Resume Exampled?

What Is Resume Exampled?Resume Exampled was the best selling self-publishing author, Paul Draper, who quickly became known to all writers as one of the finest self-publishers on the web. After making the first sale of his book, I recommend to you the idea of going with a Book Review.Why would you want to review your own book? The truth is that most authors are left with no choice but to re-write their books from scratch. As many successful authors have learned the hard way, re-writing can be time consuming and very expensive. A Book Review can help to avoid those wasted days and make more money.One benefit that you can enjoy is that you will have the opportunity to generate traffic for your resume by participating in a Resumé Building Forum. Many of the successful Resume Exampled authors have built up a large amount of visitors to their Resume Building Forums. This is an excellent opportunity to reach a new group of potential buyers of your book.I have seen Resumetest buyers leave c omments for the authors that have also read the Resumleters eBooks. They are left with the impression that they had great fun reading the author's book and that he may be able to help them with their situation. You can use this tactic to help build up your credibility with your prospects as well.Even if you do not believe that you have a reader in mind, you can use a Book Review to share a small story about yourself and your book. The advantages of sharing personal experiences with potential buyers is many fold. The fact is that you will get to build up your credibility with your readers and give you the opportunity to speak from a more personal level.Now that we have that out of the way, we can dive into why I suggest that you do the things that I did in order to get a second book published. I took the information I had learned from the book I was using to help promote my original work and used it to create my own resume EBook, which is the blueprint for my Resumleters book.If you decide to write your own eBook, then you should consider how to use your Resumleters resource box to help promote it to your prospects. You can build up your credibility by sharing stories from your real life.Your goal should be to create a new resource box that really captures the attention of your readers. In order to do this, you should ensure that you follow these guidelines:

Boomer Reinvention Revisited, with John Tarnoff [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Boomer Reinvention Revisited, with John Tarnoff [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode #120 â€" Marc Miller interviews John Tarnoff about his recent career developments. Description In this episode, Marc catches up with return guest John Tarnoff, author of the book, Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50. John lives in Los Angeles, California and is a recovering movie studio executive. John spent about 35 years in the entertainment business, starting out in the 1970s as a literary agent and then a producer and studio production executive for companies like MGM, Orion Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures (now Sony), and a few others. He produced films for about 15 years before hearing the siren song of technology in the early 90s, when multimedia was springing up. John produced a handful of CD-ROM games, which were new and fun at the time. John went into business with a partner who had an idea for a new technology marrying artificial intelligence with behavioral animation to create interactive, conversational online animated characters. The conversations would occur by text through the keyboard. They had the system working over dial-up internet and got a huge deal with Sprint for a customer service character for their website. That was in 2001, as the tech startup bubble burst. John’s company fell into the hole, along with everybody else. Their Sprint deal went South and their investors pulled out. His partner told him, “I guess the future’s gone out of style.” At midlife, John was at a crossroads. Listen in to this fascinating episode to hear how John aligned with his future by reinventing himself as an educator and trainer. Key Takeaways [1:17] Marc welcomes you to Episode 120 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings this podcast to you. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:48] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc can reach, the more he can help. [2:08] Next week, Marc will be discussing the Millers’ next steps in becoming expats in Mexico, regarding banking and their initiation to the resident visa process in Mexico. [2:21] This week, Marc interviews John Tarnoff, author of Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50. Marc interviewed John in Episode 19 but wanted to do an update with him. Now on to the podcast… Download Link | iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast| Podbean | TuneIn | Overcast [2:33] John introduces himself to the listeners, at Marc’s invitation. [6:11] After the tech bubble burst and John’s company failed, he was 49 years old, had no idea what he was going to do next, and was not interested in going back to the same Hollywood jobs where he had started. [6:30] John didn’t think anyone was going to hire him into those same jobs. So, he “bet the farm” on a reinvention. He remortgaged his house for the last time to build himself enough runway to figure out his future. [6:49] John went back to school to earn a counseling psychology degree because he wanted to learn more about himself, what made him tick, and how to interact better with others. He supposed that in the process he would figure out something to do. [7:15] That was a dark time for John. In one of his classes, he learned of someone getting a dream job with ideal conditions and he thought, “Great. Miracles are for other people. They’re not for me.” [8:00] John did not foresee that nine months later he would be working for Dreamworks Animation at two-and-a-half times his former executive salary, doing work that was really aligned with where he wanted to go. [8:48] Dreamworks was transitioning from a traditional animation studio to a computer-generated animation studio. John knew the CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, from his Hollywood years. He was clearly a visionary. He had put the company together with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen after being fired from Disney in 1994. [9:30] Dreamworks had become very successful with Shrek. People John knew there encouraged him to join them. There were no open jobs, so he started networking. That taught him that when you come into a group of people, bringing your most heartfelt, authentic, inquisitive, and service-oriented “game,” you start getting into conversations. [10:15] If the alignment is there between yourself and their thoughts and needs, then there is the beginning of an opportunity. That’s what happened for John. [10:33] This was a company that was very innovative, at the intersection of creativity and technology, and it was in line with the work John had been doing in his startup. They saw that and in June of 2003, John was in Jeffrey’s office making a deal to work there. It was his best Hollywood job. He stayed through 2009. [11:14] That job completely set John up for the work he is doing today. [11:18] When John had worked earlier in Hollywood, he had looked forward to a time when he could educate and help people. He is an “organization freak” and he likes to see how things get laid out, and how people’s minds work. Whenever he had an opportunity to tell a class of students about the work he was doing, he jumped to do it. [12:05] That defined his role at Dreamworks. When he interviewed, he wanted to know what they were doing about future generations, for training and development. They hadn’t given that much thought. It was not a core driver for them. [12:29] After John had been at Dreamworks for about a year, they began to realize that their human capital needed some “recharge” and that they had to expand their thinking about where they were getting their talent. Their talent was not coming from the traditional sources. [12:48] Many of the specialists and department heads determined they needed to “grow their own.” They turned to John and, based on his interest in education, asked him to build a program. That’s what he did, with a school outreach program and an internal virtual university. [13:16] This changed his role from a production troubleshooter to being totally embedded in the outreach program. They started with seven schools in 2004. By the end of 2009, they had over 40 schools in the network. It was quite a culture change. [13:51] In the wake of the recession, Dreamworks was seeing the need to batten down the hatches, and they started focusing on monetizing their existing IP and pulling back from their school outreach. John parted ways with Dreamworks. It was amicable and they kept inviting him to their parties! To this day, he and Jeffrey are on good terms. [14:58] The Dreamworks job was a phenomenally positive experience, and it helped John make this transition full-time into education and training. The following year, John started a position at Carnegie Mellon University. John says, timing is everything, but you have to set yourself up to be a target when the timing is right. [15:28] In 2010, Carnegie Mellon had set up a very innovative program in Los Angeles with cross-disciplinary initiatives for kind of an MBA for how the entertainment business works. Entertainment is a very unique business. The program is for people on the business side of film, TV, video games, and music. [16:33] They were looking for someone to round out their Los Angeles management team. They wanted someone with industry background who could balance the more academically-oriented full-time program director. John partnered with that person and they grew the program quite successfully over the last nine years. [17:11] It has been a great anchor position for John while he has gone on to do “a bunch of other stuff” in a portfolio career. [17:32] John considers a portfolio career to be very relevant to people in their late career stages, in their 50s and older, who are trying to figure out how they will keep working and what they are going to do. It’s not going to look like the first 20 or 30 years of their career. [18:01] John is 67. He will keep working as long as he wants to and as long as he needs to. Most Boomers are skating a very interesting line between longevity and bank account. When the retirement pension system was first set up in the 1860s it was set at 65 as an age by which most factory workers were either dead or not many years from it. [19:11] As longevity has grown over the last 100 years, pensions have grown increasingly difficult for corporations. All guaranteed defined benefit programs are affected by extended lifespans of the participants. We are in a real retirement crisis. [19:44] If you are 65 today, you have at least a 25% chance of living to 90. Every year you live longer than 65 increases your chances of living to 90 or beyond. The average retirement age is 62. If you live until 90, one-third of your life will be spent “in retirement.” Must of us don’t want to spend 30 years queuing up for sundown specials. [20:33] The Boomer Generation wants to stay more engaged. That doesn’t mean working nine to five. We are going to continue to stay engaged in the work that we love to do. What we want to do might be different from what we did in our 30s and 40s. [20:56] We are going to need to keep earning money because the average retirement account if you have one, is about $100K. That’s not going to last you 20 or 30 years. A lot of people are downsizing intelligently and looking at ways to stretch their dollars. [21:43] We need to think about ways to supplement the income we already have from Social Security and our savings because there are going to be unpredictable things that happen. Healthcare is a big item, as well as family issues and logistical questions. We have to be better prepared, financially, for this extended period of life and engagement. [22:14] John’s portfolio after Dreamworks includes his consulting work at the intersection of education, technology, and entertainment. For the first few years, he was consulting with industry companies, trade associations, and schools around the future of talent search, curriculum, and skills. [22:59] In 2012, John was asked to present a TEDx talk and the topic was Transformation. As he had been reading up on all the issues the Boomer Generation had had, coming out of the recession, around retirement, savings, and getting jobs, he asked, if we’re living longer and nobody wants to hire us, what are we going to do? [23:53] John realized, we’re going to have to take responsibility, somehow, for this. If we do, then what does that look like? That’s when he came up with the idea of five career reinvention steps. That became his TEDx talk. After that, people kept asking John what he was going to do with that â€" does he coach? John said, sure, of course, he coaches! [24:24] So John started working with people around some of these questions and to implement the five steps to reinvention. [24:37] The five steps are: 1) Reframe your idea about who you are and what you can do, 2) Listen and understand how the world has changed, 3) Reconcile the past; don’t bring your sad baggage into meetings, 4) Express these new ideas about what you could do, and 5) Network. Understand who can do what, and what you can do for them. [26:16] Most importantly, you’ve got to always be giving in your networking activities. Build the relationships necessary to put you in front of the people who can benefit from what you have to offer. You don’t build a network by sending out resumes, because no one is going to read them. [26:37] Marc says one of the key pieces is that you are never going to do this alone. Marc’s own business coach taught him to understand the things that he needs to leave behind. A lot of things you’ve done in your career, you don’t want to do anymore, regardless of how good you were at it. [27:21] John sees a lot of clients that have difficulty giving up the social cohort they’ve gathered after working 20 years with the same people and then being let go from the job. People find it hard to let go of that job. Even if they were downsized, they want to go back. It’s very important to be able to reconcile the past to envision your future. [28:30] Marc had encouraged John to finish his book. So John has a book, he’s coaching, and he works at Carnegie Mellon. What else does John want to be doing in five years? [28:50] John wants to continue on his current path. His coaching has evolved from one-on-one to small groups, to larger groups, and now, with UCLA Anderson School of Management, coaching groups of 20 alumni online, on Zoom, who are going through career transitions. John is coaching them as a group with his five-step process. [29:33] Some of them are returning to work after an absence. Some have been let go. Some are contemplating making a move. There are all sorts of interesting permutations along the idea of transitions. [29:49] John seems to be following an arc of reaching more and more people with this methodology. This year, he is working on putting this all into an online course, which will go through five steps, 23 strategies, and six key skills, and give people the opportunity to pursue a self-guided course with some group mastermind interaction with John. [30:41] Marc talks about his group membership site and makes some observations about the cost of one-on-one coaching. The people he really wanted to work with couldn’t afford it. The group model allows for greater flexibility. Marc can do it from Mexico. [31:19] One of the common themes of folks in Marc’s online community is that everybody wants freedom. They want to work when they want to work, how hard they want to work and choose what they want to work on. Their ideas about that have changed over their careers. [31:51] John says Boomers are becoming more like the Millennials. Marc says to listen to your feelings and see what you are telling yourself about what you want to do. Most of us acted in roles and got paid to play those roles. If we did them long enough, we started believing we were those roles. [32:29] When Marc hit his 50s, it became exhausting for him to stay in character. [32:42] John will probably still be in California in five years. He has an urban homestead with his love. They have a coop with 20 chickens, vegetables, and a great spot of land under the mountains. It’s a gorgeous day, there. He doesn’t see moving before his early 70s. [33:43] John hopes to continue working with Carnegie Mellon. It’s a great time for kids to be entering the entertainment industry. He likes to work with Boomers, too. He says it’s a great opportunity to be working on both ends of the career spectrum, young people starting their career and older people taking what may be their final career steps. [34:42] Marc talks about a panel he sat on in October 2017, including a man from New Zealand â€" where college graduates usually move away from the island â€" whose job was to help companies retain their older workers. The man commented to Marc, “If you want to work into your 70s, you need to plan that in your 50s.” [35:17] Your work between your 50s and your 70s will probably not be a full-time job, and it will probably be a collection of things or a portfolio. That’s the key piece. Marc has several members of the online community who have their heads wrapped around the fact that they’re not doing just one thing. [35:45] They may work harder than they used to, doing stuff they enjoy. They are not necessarily working for a single employer on a set schedule. [36:08] John suggests for listeners first to read his book, Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50. That will give them a clear idea of whether they are aligned with John’s thinking. [36:40] You can reach John through his website, JohnTarnoff.com, follow him on Twitter @JohnTarnoff, or on Facebook, @JohnTarnoffCoach. He loves interacting with people and helping them get in the right direction. [37:30] Marc thanks John for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [37:40] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. As it turned out, they never were able to meet in Austin when Marc and John were both there. Austin was hectic and congested with 50K visitors to SXSW Interactive Week. [38:09] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for more than 50 members in the Beta phase of this project. They have crossed the 50-member threshold! Marc will be recruiting new members for the next cohort in a few weeks. [38:24] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [38:37] Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [39:01] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [39:20] Please come back next week, when Marc will discuss the Millers’ next steps in becoming expats. [39:25] Marc is recording today’s intro and outro segments in Matehuala, Mexico, on their way back. The next day they will be driving into Ajijic after a three-week trip to Austin and back. [39:47] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [39:50] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-120. [39:57] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Five Smart Steps to Job Search Success - Hire Imaging

Five Smart Steps to Job Search Success - Hire Imaging Photo by Dean Meyers “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”~ Alan Lakein You plan what to wear, what to eat and what to do on a free evening. Why would you not plan something as important as your job search? The days of scouring want-ads and surfing the Internetâ€" blasting out a resume to advertised openings and waiting for the phone to ringâ€"are long gone and never to return. You need a plan. You need to work the plan. A job search IS a job. It can feel overwhelming. Taking this 5-step approach can ease the stress, and put you in control. 1. Brainstorm who you are. A successful job search begins with a thorough self-assessment. It lets you realign your goals. The ball’s in your court to figure out what those goals are. Ask yourself these questions and reflect on the answers: What are my values; what guides me deep down as I make decisions? Do I need to make a difference? Feel needed? Make big bucks? Have influence? Help people? What are my priorities and goals for the next year? Five years? Ten years? What are my core strengths? What do I love doing and do well? What gives meaning to my life? What is my purpose? How does work fit into my visualization of life? Seek feedback from employers, colleagues, friends and family on this. Look for self-assessment resources online, in books etc. Here’s some help in visualizing and aligning your goals. 2. Research the market. Now that you’ve taken a look at who you are and what you want, now’s the point to align this with your career reality.    Explore industries, jobs and organizations to produce your job opportunity wish list. Ask these questions to help guide your research on industries: What services or products does this industry provide? Who are the major players and trend setters? What are the essential success components for a company in this industry? What is the hiring potential and outlook for this industry? What type of talent does the industry draw, need and hire? During your research of particular companies, ask yourself some questions: What priorities, culture and values does the company convey? Who are its leaders (CEO, COO, CFO etc.) and how do they come across? How does the company value or treat its employees? What is the company’s reputation? What differentiates this company from others in the industry? What would it be like to work there? Check out career-related websites. There are more than 2,000, so be discerning. Sites with huge databases of company and industry profiles net the bet return on your time investment. Also visit individual company websites. Check out their press releases and “about us” sections. While you are online, Google reviews of companies of interest. Major publications like BusinessWeek, Forbes and Fortune often rank top companies by industry. Network to learn about the fields, functions/roles, companies, and geographic locations that interest you. Valuable contacts include your family, friends, neighbors and former/current co-workers. Conduct informational interviews. Ask people who they know who can help you gather information about companies and industries. Career services professionals and school alumni can also be very helpful. Check out their services and events. There may be workshops, support groups or job fairs that could be helpful in you search. 3. Map out your plan. Narrow your job options wish list based on a realistic appraisal of how you fit into the industries and companies of interest. Decide on your top priorities. Focus on a maximum of two or three industries, and 10 to 20 organizations/companies. Pick another 10 organizations as a Plan B. Sketch out the general timeline of your job search based on when your top choices tend to recruit. Expect to spend at a minimum of one to two months searching for every $10,000 of your targeted salary (average time in non-recession). Lay out how many hours a day/week you will devote to the search. Be specific about what you will do. How many hours networking? Making phone calls? Researching? Distributing your marketing collateral? 4. Create your self-marketing strategy and plan. Once you’ve figured out what’s important to you and where that fit might be, then begin to market the product (you) to the potential buyers (the employers). Use the classic marketing 5Ps approach: Product: What do you have to offer? What key skills and attributes can you bring to the table? Always keep these relevant to what the buyer needs. You must at a minimum be qualified for the job. Price: What is your value in the marketplace? Do your experience, educational background/credentials and professional strengths qualify you as a premium productâ€"the cream of the crop? Or will you need to start “bargain priced” to get your foot in the door of your targeted industry/company? Promotion: What themes or messages convey what you have to offer professionally? Inventory your success stories using a SMART formula: Situations with Metrics, Action you took, the Results, and the Tie-in theme to what your targeted employers need or are looking for. What sets you apart from other candidates? Do you have a branding message? A value proposition? A tagline? A headline? Create these. Make sure they’re authentically and consistently trueâ€"not fluff. Garner these by brainstorming what you want to be known for; but also how you ARE known by others. Checkster is a free site that offers a 360 feedback tool to find out how you are perceived by others who know you. Place (distribution): How will you distribute yourself on the market? It is increasingly a pull (bringing others to you) versus a push (responding to others) market. Consider using multiple means of delivering yourself to potential employers. Methods include recruiting events, job ads, career fairs, company websites, executive recruiters and referrals from your network. Don’t overlook online networking. It is not just helpful in today’s job search; it is essential. According to a May 2010 survey of 2,600 hiring managers conducted by CareerBuilder, of those doing online candidate screenings and background checks, 29% used Facebook, 26% used LinkedIn and 21% used MySpace. One in 10 employers searched blogs; 7% followed candidates on Twitter. These numbers are growing exponentially each day. Positioning: Continue in the placement mode, but think deeper. How can you stand out? Consider using a suite of marketing tools that might include a traditional resume, web resume, cover letters, biography, case studies, leadership addendum, one-page brief, elevator pitches, or a blog. Continue to do informational interviews; it’s a great networking tool. Be prepared to state what you are looking for. People cant help you if they dont know exactly what you want. Be careful to not ask for a job; instead state that you are researching opportunities that align with your talents in ____. Some questions to ask: Can you tell me a bit about your background? How did you get started in the industry? What’s the company culture really like? Can you describe a typical day or week? What do you like the most and least about the industry? Company? Job? What advice would you offer to someone trying to break into this industry (or company)? How would you approach a job search for this organization or industry? Could you recommend other colleagues (customers, vendors, etc.) with whom I could speak? Is it okay to use your name when I contact them? Prepare for job interviews. If possible, conduct mock interviews with someone; it is a great way to practice and get feedback. Videotape the role play to look honestly and critically at your body language and appearance, and to listen for potential issues like talking too fast, etc. Be prepared with at least three questions to uncover the real job and the “deliverables” that will gauge success in the position. Chat, converse and inquire of need versus giving scripted responses. Present your relevant accomplishments. Proactively manage weakness or neutralize them with strengths. Be specific about your skills, integrating success stories for illustration. Practice using a proactive close to keep channels of communication open by asking permission to follow up. Track your research and activities, whether using something as simple as a small pocket spiral notebook; or as sophisticated as the latest technological contact management system. List the industries/companies that rank highest with you. Note conversationsâ€"who you talked to, their contact information, subjects discussed, follow-up needed, etc. 5. Implement your plan, tweaking along the way as needed. A successful job search needs both strategy and action. As you move forward, try to get feedback whenever possible to make changes and improve your results. Ask for pointers from career professionals, colleagues/friends who review your resume, your network contacts, and those who have interviewed you for a job. Integrate the constructive lessons you take from them to improve your methods. You should also continue to self-assess by asking questions like: What is and isn’t working? Where can I improve? What help or advice do I need? Where can I turn to for help, resources, expertise or tools? Are there gaps in my performance, education or skills training that need filling in? How can I close those gaps? How can I stay motivated and healthy to keep up my energy and focus? Success in most cases is the result of following well-thought-out, written action plans. Don’t wing it in your job search. As the old adage says, “If you fail to plan; you plan to fail.”  Using a 5-step plan in your job search will help you transform a seemingly overwhelming challenge into manageable and result-producing outcomes!

How to Make Pumping at Work Suck Less - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

How to Make Pumping at Work Suck Less - Career Advice Blog for Millennials Pumping breast milk at work has to be one of the most dreaded but necessary tasks. You love giving your baby nourishment, but youre afraid of prying eyes and what to do about stubborn tatas that just wont do their thing â€" or will do it, but at the most inappropriate times. Ah, the joys of motherhood! You know what? Youre a strong working mama who is going to conquer pumping right now. Make pumping at work suck less with these 17 tips for productive tataflow and workflow: Chat With Other Pumpers Its breast â€"   well, best â€" to be in the know about what other mamas do at work when it comes to pumping. Talk with coworkers whove breastfed and learn from their dos and donts. Where did they go? No one else knows how to pump successfully at your company besides the moms who have been there. Pump in Spurts While Multitasking With stubborn tatas, pump in spurts â€" try again after fifteen to twenty minutes. In the meantime, pull out your smartphone and catch up on your work email. Clear out your cluttered inbox. Wear Pump-Friendly Clothing Avoid low-cut shirts, as your breast size will vary throughout the day due to rates of milk production and retention. Stick with tops that offer more coverage. Wrap shirts and dresses, nursing tanks and button-down tops are helpful for freeing your breasts during pumping and still maintaining a professional look. Prepare for Leaks As you make a professional go-to kit, prepare a just-in-case kit for impromptu leaks â€" they will happen. Make prints your allies, and extra padding in your nursing bra helps, too. Place a towel on your lap for spillage, and clean up any spills as soon as possible. Wear the Right Bra Working mama, what are you doing wearing that bra? You know its only adding to your back pain and messing with your milk flow, right? Wear the right bra. Shop online or go to your local maternity store, looking for comfortable and breathable materials. Some bras have zippers on the front to make pumping easier, and remember: More coverage means more support. Your bust size will have increased due to pregnancy and may reduce after you breastfeed. A hands-free pumping bra will relieve stress. Dont Forget Nipple Cream Your sore breasts and crackled nipples need soothing with nipple cream. Carry a small tube with you and apply some as you take your bathroom breaks. Your breasts will feel the relief, and pumping wont be so painful. Make an Official Pumping Plan Chat with your boss and coworkers in advance about your official pumping plan â€" without turning red. You all need to be on the same page so that you follow corporate policy, if there is one, and people know what youre up to when they cant find you. Plus, you know where to turn if judgy busybodies decide to make proper pumping proclamations when they know nothing. Here are a few ideas to break the ice: For the boss: “Now that Ive returned from maternity leave, I need to take breaks outside of normal break time to pump breast milk. Should we discuss the needed times and how to optimize my workflow as a result?” For the random janitor or receptionist: “Im a nursing mother, and I need a private area to pump. What room works best right now?” For coworkers aware of your pumping: “I need a personal pumping break and will meet you in the conference room as soon as possible.” Dont be afraid to check with HR, either. It sucks to pump in a bathroom area and then find out you had a right to a private space according to policy all along. Some laws require private pumping areas, and HR is responsible for the implementation of that knowledge. Keep Up the Supply Rotate your breast milk via next-day rotation to keep up your supply: milk pumped Monday is used on Tuesday. Whats pumped on Tuesday is used on Wednesday. Freeze any extra. Your pumping amounts will vary according to your stress levels and hydration, for example, but some pattern helps maintain your supply. You may need to add in an extra session or two, especially at the beginning, but dont give up! Your supply will adjust and you will pull through! Stay Hydrated and Snack Healthily Hydration is vital to a healthy milk supply, as is eating healthily. Work sometimes makes it difficult to eat at all, much less a full, balanced meal. Focus on consuming healthy snacks throughout the day to maintain a steady milk supply. For example, hard-boiled eggs store easily and provide protein, while cottage cheese with fresh fruit toppings provides calcium, hydration and various nutrients. Small meals may be easier for you to keep up with than large meals. Remember That Distraction During Pumping Is Encouraged Dont think of pumping as a chore or of being distracted during as a bad reflection on you as a mom or employee. Get on Facebook. Check work emails. Read a book. Wait it out. Say “No” More “No” is a very powerful word that everyone needs to exercise in their daily vocabulary more. Stop sacrificing the quality of your work and your work-life balance, especially as a mom, to requests that are too much. Start refusals off with a positive note: “Im so happy you thought of me for this project, but Im not equipped to handle it at this moment. How about talking with Bob in billing?” Make sure your body language matches your tone and statement. Invest in a Quality Pump Its not you, its the pump. Break up with low-quality pumps, and invest in higher-quality pumps, such as a reliable brand recommended by a coworker or a hospital rental. Cheap pumps wont help you increase your milk supply. Plan to Nurse at Work Similarly to How You Do at Home Its easy to forget to pump at work with deadlines to meet and coworkers making requests every five minutes. On your office calendar, mark “personal” blocks of time to pump, similar to the time periods of the day that you pump or nurse at home. Youll typically stay on schedule and keep your breasts happy this way. Hack the Pump Cleaning Process Carry three sets of pumping parts with you to work for every session and wash them at home, storing them in a sanitary way like in a Tupperware container to reduce Ziploc waste. Alternatively, carry pump-made disinfectant wipes to clean the parts discretely while at work. Micro-steam bags work well for sterilization after rinsing. Bond With Your Pump Bonding with your pump isnt the same as bonding with your latching baby. Its an inanimate object that makes you feel like a cow being milked. Give your tatas encouragement by looking at your adorable baby on your phone via photos and videos. Ask your nanny to text you a cute daily photo. Pack the Battery â€" Always Need to travel for work or run a related errand? Always pack the battery â€" you never know where youll need to pump. Know That Its Okay to Use Formula Sometimes, no matter what you do, youll be busy, or your supply will run low. It doesnt make you a bad mother to rely on formula or a mix of nursing and formula. You do what you have to do to take care of your baby, mama. When you get home from work, snuggle up to your baby, nap and enjoy the time together â€" being close to them for prolonged periods like this reduces your stress and keeps up your supply. Dont worry. Youre going to conquer this pumping thing, whether youre blushing as you search for a private area to pump or not. To the pump! For more tips on balancing work and motherhood, as well as other career topics, subscribe to Punched Clocks. Keep the conversation going by commenting your own tips and stories and sharing. Get everything you need to build a career you love by signing up for the newsletter.