Five Lethal Job-Hunting Mistakes

Job-hunting takes enthusiasm, concentration and a great attention to detail - not to mention an effervescent manner (even if that's not your usual nature) and infinite patience. As long as you're expending so much energy on getting a new job, you'd hate to think any of that exertion might be wasted. But these five job-search missteps can knock you out of the game - watch out for them! employee

1) Using a juvenile email address or phone message.

Now is the time to ditch that "partygirl109" or "buffdudexx7" email address, immediately. Get a free email account from hotmail, and come up with an adult-sounding handle. Same goes for your voicemail: get rid of the cute kids'-voice messages and funny Groucho Marx tapes. This is for real.

2) Using an electronically challenged resume.

Get your resume in shape, in three versions: hardcopy (looking professional, fitting the page, and printed on decent paper); plain text, to be sent in the body of an email message; and a Word document, likewise printable and readable and formatted to the page. A junky resume leaves a terrible impression. job vacancy indonesia

3) Skipping the research.

As soon as you apply for a job online or via a print ad - or a friend, for that matter - do at least enough research to know what business the company is in, who its competitors are and where it does business. If the phone rings and you're clueless as to the company's business priorities, don't expect to fare well on a phone interview.

4) Being hard to reach.

If there was ever a time to keep your cell phone charged up, it's when you're job-hunting. NEVER leave a work number (unless it's your own company) or a friend or relative's number on a voice message for a prospective employer. Use your own numbers, and return calls promptly - same day, if you can. vacancy
5) Lying on your resume.
It's terribly easy for employers to discover falsifications on your resume, and it won't matter how long you've been with the company when the truth comes out: if you lied, you're fried. Tell the truth.

Career Education: How It Can Propel Your Career Forward

Ongoing career education is something that can help separate from you other job searchers and in some cases might help to win you the job.

As a recruiter, I have worked with companies who won’t hire people without a university degree. In some cases, they specify the type of degree needed but in other cases, the company doesn’t care what the degree is in as long as you have one.

In other words, a lack of education can cost you. And you might not even realize it if the company doesn’t publicly admit this policy but simply lets their recruiters know about this particular form of screening.

When planning your career, education can certainly have an impact on your success or lack thereof.

Here are some ideas regarding various levels of education that might help to determine your long-term success in the workplace.

University/College Career Education

As mentioned above, some companies you apply to might require a Bachelor’s degree or college diploma and some might not even tell you up front that this is the reason you are being rejected. If you haven’t achieved this level of education and feel like it’s holding you back, you can do something about it. If you have a job, furthering your education through evening classes or online university training can be difficult to balance but it can be done. The long-term positive impact on your career can really make it worthwhile, too.

Post Graduate Career Education

If you have already have a university or college-level education, you might find that a further level of education can help take to a much higher level. Not only can a Masters degree or PhD level take you to a higher level of compensation – depending on your industry and existing level of experience of course – it can also help to project you to more senior positions that might otherwise be unattainable. If only getting such a degree was as easy as writing about it…Certainly, attaining a Masters or PhD level degree requires a special kind of person, a dedicated career-minded individual who no doubt clearly sees the value of education.

OK, let’s say that anything related to degrees or diplomas is just not an option for you. There are still plenty of great career education options you can look at: employee

Industry-Specific Career Education

A good example of industry education is the various platform-specific designations that Information Technology professionals can attain in areas such as computer networking, routers, wireless and Internet technologies. Often these designations will not only separate you from candidates who don’t hold a designation, it might be a requirement for actually applying for some jobs. Other examples of people who hold industry-specific designations are registered nurses and certified trainers. vacancy

Skills Training Career Education

There are a number of options you might consider such as computer training, presentation skills training, project management training, financial management training and assertiveness training just to name a few. If you can think of something about yourself that you’d like to improve, you can probably quickly find a course or some sort of training to take. Plus, taking training courses – especially if your employer pays for it – is a great way to keep active and network with others who might help your career. job vacancy indonesia

With Your Next Job, Have a Love Affair!

What do you do when you're looking for a potential mate? Go to the gym, go out on dates, go places you like. Ask around to see who's still single or newly single. Think about the time and energy you devote to dating, which if successful, will comprise maybe 20% of your waking hours. Now think about your career. You probably spend about 50% of your waking hours at your desk, commuting, or traveling for work vacancy

When we're dating, we're very specific and choosy about whom we'll spend 20% of our time with. Yet often times, we settle for the first job that comes along that meets very little of our criteria, often money. Would you be willing to spend the next three to five years with a mate just because you had one nice meal? Of course not. But that's exactly what we do when we're deciding on our next job – we have a couple of great interviews and the money's good, so we agree to join the company and then stay until a better one comes along. Where's the passion in this picture? I say, it's time to have a love affair with your next job! employee

The good news is that this is easier than you think. Just remember what AFFAIR stands for:

• A -- Admiration -- Love Your Work
• FF -- Faking Fails -- If You Fake Who You Are, You'll Be Miserable in Your Next Job
• A -- Acceptance -- What Are You Willing to Compromise?
• I -- Intermingling -- Interviewing Not Just Any Company, But the Cream of the Crop Companies
• R -- Reward -- A Job You Love and Pays the Bills

ADMIRATION. We often have an idea of what our ideal mate looks like. Hair texture and color, eye color, physique, the sound of his or her voice. Likewise, this is the first step to take when you search for your next job. That's why magazines often promote the top companies to work for -- these are companies that people admire. What kind of employer do you admire? Think about the job environment. Do you want to aspire to a window office, or do you prefer open environments where everyone's equally accessible?

Think about the perfect boss who is dying to have you work on interesting projects and promote you at every opportunity. Think about the colleagues you're working with and how you might realistically interact with them at networking events. Can you see yourself bowling with them, or perhaps having each other's families over for dinner? Visualize yourself in the office kitchen at 3pm in the afternoon singing "Happy Birthday" with your colleagues. Who do you want to be singing with? Imagining your ideal job in great detail puts your intention into motion.

FAKING FAILS. Be yourself – otherwise once you get the job you'll just have to keep on faking. Have you heard of anyone who sent out over 200 resumes in their job search? Are you one of them? As in dating, it is highly unattractive to solicit yourself to every available employer and then call for days on end asking if they love you and want to marry you, figuratively speaking. Be a little choosy here. Employers want to know you're a good catch. How can you be selective?

Well, you can reach out to your friends, family, and trusted colleagues. Have a hobby you love? Join a group. Volunteer for a cause you believe in. Join networking groups in your area of expertise and volunteer for those activities that sound fun, even if they add a bit more time to your schedule. The key here is to do only those things that you absolutely love. If you're joining just to get noticed, you've missed the point. Just as in dating, you're more likely to meet your potential mate, or employer, when you're simply being yourself and having fun!

ACCEPTANCE. Now here's the kicker. Be willing to accept less than perfection. I know, this goes against the first "A for Admiration" in designing your ideal employer. But really, do you know of anyone who has the perfect significant other? With dating, you can love someone and be willing to compromise on shortcomings. It's the same with a potential employer. Know your core values and beliefs so that you're clear in your interviews what you must have and what you're willing to let slide.

Let's say you're interviewing to work in an advertising agency and you're a creative person who loves flexibility and wants a boss who provides lots of autonomy but is accessible for brainstorming when you're in a rut. Let's say you crave open space with ping pong tables and dart boards in a creative war room environment. But let's say that this agency's clients are predominantly traditional corporations with organizational hierarchies, long approval processes, micromanagement of details, and slow to act.

Are you willing to accept those shortcomings? Or are you really looking to work for a smaller boutique agency with a lesser-known client roster and possibly less salary potential? These are the types of considerations that if you decide in advance, will not be surprising to you after the new job honeymoon is over.

Congratulations…now you're INTERMINGLING! Over the past few months you've been joining groups and meeting people and having the time of your life. Now you've even gotten yourself some very interesting interviews. Not just any company, but companies that people you trust have referred you to. And you have an "in" since these people know and love you, and are essentially setting you up on blind dates, or interviews – telling both sides that you guys are meant to be soul mates together.

Try not to go crazy memorizing all those interviewing questions. The good companies don't rely on such trite questions such as, "If you were an animal, what kind of animal you would be?" Or the completely unrealistic one, "So where do you see yourself in five years?" As if any company would be willing to sign you on for five years without the possibility of layoffs.

Again, think of the interviewing process as a night out on a date, so to speak. How does your gut feel as you're talking with your interviewer? Is this somebody you'd want to go out with day after day? Is it easy for you to strike up a conversation with the interviewer? Do you find you're stumbling upon your words, or worse, that you're completely bored? Is she or he really listening to what you're saying by repeating back to you what you've said? Better yet, do you feel like a couple of good friends laughing and having a great time? Really try to use the cues your body is sending you -- try not to think so much with your head. Are you in love with this person? Let's hope so, because you'll be spending more time with him or her than with your significant other! job vacancy indonesia

What Employers Are Looking For In You

One of the most dramatic changes in the 21st Century job market is in the way employers consider you when they first lay eyes on you.

For example, if you think that it’s your resume that will get you a job, you’re in for a long, LONG job search! vacancy

Or if you’re intent on proving yourself based on your work history . . . what you used to do for someone else . . . get ready for disappointment and rejection.

And if your confidence is based on your ability to passively answer all the questions an interviewer throws at you, you already lost.

Today’s employers are looking for people with energy. And they pick up on your energy before they even formally meet you. Do you exhibit the energy employers are looking for? employee

Energetic people exude vigor, enthusiasm and drive. They want and need to be active. Employers can sense this quality in a person almost as soon as they enter the room. They have a spring in their step and a drive that puts a sparkle in their eyes.

All this occurs even before you open your mouth. We know from experience that an employer or interviewer will make a go/no-go decision about you in a matter of seconds all based on the sense of energy you communicate when they first lay eyes on you.

So, if you are not this type of person, it would be wise to practice how to look and act energetically so that you can make a good first impression. It really makes a big difference because job opportunities are literally won or lost depending on how you enter a room.

Being aware of employers’ expectations is critical to your job search success. The old-fashioned job hunting techniques focused all the attention on YOU . . . your work history, your past accomplishments, your academic and other credentials, your qualifications, your objectives.
But all that’s changed. Today employers expect you to know what THEIR needs are and how you can fill them going forward. Displaying energy is the first step. job vacancy indonesia

It's Essential For Your Success

Through my own two major career changes, and after coaching many people through successful career change, I have determined six useful strategies for navigating this life passage with skill, perspective, humor, a sense of adventure, and a great outcome. job vacancy indonesia

First of all, know up front that few people feel skilled at figuring out a new career or finding that next job. Most people find the task daunting. If you are someone who is used to feeling on top of your game, be willing to be out of your comfort zone on this one – chances are, this is not your game. And if you are usually a not-too-confident person, know that in this context, you are not alone in feeling unsure or yourself. vacancy

These strategies can help.

1. Know this: IT’S NOT A LINEAR PROCESS!
2. Network, Network, Network!
3. Be Generous With Self Acknowledgement and Self-Care
4. Choose Expansive vs Limiting Beliefs
5. Build and Use Support Systems
6. Stay on the Plus Side

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

1. Know this: IT’S NOT A LINEAR PROCESS!

You will experience less frustration and waste less time if you accept this and don’t try to use your left brain to figure out the whole thing in advance. Allow for surprises, serendipitous connections, and intuitive hits.

Be very clear on your intention, stay in action, and listen to the feedback. By “listen to the feedback” I mean observe your results. Notice what’s working and what isn’t. Keep doing what’s working. Stop doing what’s not working and get some help with it – try to figure out WHY it’s not working, and fix it if it’s fixable. Stay in action!

Did you ever play the board game Clue? Remember the secret passage from the Kitchen to the Ballroom? In a career process, you never know when or where you will find a secret passage!

2. Network, Network, Network!

Let everyone know what you are up to, and let them know how they can help you. I mean everyone. Not just your closest friends and your siblings, everyone! That means the people you run into, your neighbors, your hairdresser, your colleagues, your doctor, dentist, accountant, attorney, the folks who service your car, and so forth.

Have you ever been able to be helpful to someone who wanted to make a connection of some sort? Have you, for example, ever been able to give someone the name of a great housepainter (electrician, accountant, chiropractor) when they asked? It’s an easy and delightful thing to do for another person. Let the people in your life have that opportunity with you. Let them know how they can help you. Is there a company or an industry you wish you knew somebody in so you could talk to them? Ask around.

During my own career exploration that eventually led me to coaching, there was a point at which I wanted to deliver some corporate training on issues pertaining to personal and organizational change. Although I knocked directly on corporate doors, my breakthrough opportunity came from a student in one of the music classes I was teaching at the time. She asked me to do a training for her staffs on “Managing Change.” She knew of my interest because I had told the class what I was up to.

Of course, if your exploration needs to be confidential, you will need to be more discrete in the way that you do it. Do your networking quietly, but do your networking.

3. Be Generous With Self Acknowledgement and Self-Care

Two kinds of self acknowledgement are required during a career change.

First, you must regularly acknowledge yourself for the hard work you are doing.

There is a 4-part cycle that your work is part of: 1. set a goal, 2. do the work, 3. meet the goal, and 4. acknowledge and celebrate. The fourth part is equivalent to a paycheck and a boss saying to you, “Good job. I appreciate the work you’re doing!” Your self acknowledgement can be simple and sweet.

The second kind of self-acknowledgement involves your getting very clear on as many of your skills and gifts as you can and taking full ownership of them. You really need to be in full command of what it is you have to offer “out there” in the marketplace. Many people have a hard time “owning” and claiming their expertise, but it’s really essential that you know who you are and what you have to offer – not inflated, not deflated, but accurate.

In addition, extreme self care is called for, above and beyond the usual level. Career change is hard work which can be very depleting. You need to keep yourself nourished – do more of the things that fuel you. And you need to be sure that there are no places where energy is leaking – you need all your energy for this work.

4. Choose Expansive vs Limiting Beliefs

We love to be right. We love to see our beliefs proven true. Those of us who think that people are basically good tend to see the world through that filter. Take a good hard look at the beliefs that are your filter, particularly where they pertain to work, money and opportunity. Do you believe that people “like you” (your gender, age, level of experience) don’t have a chance in the job market? If so, then you will not have a chance because you will not see the opportunities out there for you. Does part of you believe that having money is not a good thing? If so, then you will manifest that ambivalence by not attracting more of it than you already have.

5. Build and Use Support Systems

Do not do this alone. Hire a coach, join or form a group, find a success buddy, create a structured arrangement with a friend. Here are the important elements you want in your support structure: you want people who believe in you and in your quest; you want something structured, so that there is a routine to the support.

In a structured arrangement with a friend for example, you could set it up so each of you gets a 5-minute check-in to report on what you have accomplished since the last time you spoke. And you need to end by getting clear on what your next steps are for today and until the next time you meet. employee