Blog
Save Your Job by Karen Lefkowitz (4/26/2010)
According to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2010
the unemployment rate in the United States stands at 10.2 percent. With viable employment
opportunities scarce and job security more essential than ever, here are some tips
to help protect your job. The key is to demonstrate indispensability in a variety
of ways.
- Expand your role by capitalizing on your strengths
- Come in early, leave late. People notice! Dedication to your profession can be measured
in how much time you put in.
- Take extra assignments. Don’t compromise your current workload but if there is room
to add to your to-do list go for it.
- Show willingness to adapt and learn new skills
- Offer a helping hand. People appreciate assistance and will make a mental note of
your readiness to step in.
- Keep track of accomplishments
- Own up to mistakes and correct them
- Be a problem-solver
- Have a positive attitude
- Don’t complain-ever! If you have grievances to bear do it with family, friends or
someone outside the office.
- Establish a good relationship with your boss. Always have a good line of communication
with your supervisor. Consider asking for an evaluation to see where you stand.
- Be a team player
- Build alliances – and not through manipulation.
- Network! Take a class, attend seminars and go to events. Find ways to engage in
opportunities to meet other professionals in related or different fields. Make sure
to put together a list of contacts. These acquaintances could come in handy at any
point in your career. Exchange business cards, set up a coffee or lunch meeting
and strive to build multiple professional relationships.
- Always keep it professional, not personal. Don’t ever get emotional at work.
Sometimes external forces cannot prevent the inevitable, but the effort you put
in counts and will impact future job prospects.
For Your Consideration – Pursing a Graduate School Education (4/26/2010)
If you’ve decided to pursue graduate school there are number of details to consider.
The first two issues to contemplate relate admissions. Consider entrance test and
GPA requirements. It is important to be realistic about your proficiency and work
to overcome any academic shortcomings. Sign up for a test prep course and take some
extra classes to boost your GPA, if necessary. Review acceptance rates too, and
apply to a number of schools to give yourself options.
In the current economic climate, cost is a major factor. Whether you choose to attend
a private or public institution, tuition rates are higher then ever. Look at all
the full cost: the per unit charge, supplementary material expenses and extra fees
charged by the university. See what financial aid options are available, whether
the support comes from the state or private sources.
Location-location-location. It’s really important to think about the place you’ll
be spending the next two, four, or even more years. Inspect your surroundings. Some
colleges are situated in small towns while others are located in metropolitan areas—find
the place that best fits your personality and lifestyle. When you’ve selected a
spot, the next step is to review housing options. Whether you’re a local looking
to change your home base, coming from out of state or even arriving internationally,
it is important to explore what’s available.
Degrees can differ dramatically from school to school. Pick up a college catalog
and review the academic program(s) you’re interested in. Check out variations on
the degree itself, the curriculum and careers associated with the degree. Something
else to think about: transfer options. Does your academic program have a transfer
component? Could you possibly even study overseas? Talk to college advisors to review
degree programs.
Many universities offer extracurricular activities for students: clubs, professional
associations, intramurals, etc.
Are you planning on attending school full-time or part-time? Many colleges now cater
to professionals and offer lots of enrollment options including evening and weekend
courses.
Internship opportunities are great practice for the professional realm; see if these
opportunities exist. On a similar note, what about job possibilities? Are full or
part-time positions available? This includes teaching assistant and researcher positions.
Does the college assist in linking students with employers outside the university?
This leads into the next detail—career services. If you can, visit the school’s
career center and see what services are offered. Things to keep in mind: one-on-one
appointments with counselors, special seminars, resume and cover letter assistance
and access to special job listings.
Alumni associations may not seem important when you haven’t even started but a great
organization with a strong, active alumni base can be beneficial post-graduation,
personally and professionally.
If available, review the statistics on the starting salary for graduates. If you
are going to incur debt to attend graduate school, it is important to get a glimpse
at your future salary.
The last tip is to check out the school’s website and online resources. Reviewing
the website is a great way to get a feel for the school you’re interested in. How
sophisticated is the site? Is it easy to navigate and find useful, relevant information?
Explore the web site as thoroughly as possible.
The college experience is important. Weigh every option before making a commitment.
Get Connected on LinkedIn (3/30/2010)
By: Karen Lefkowitz, Professional Career Counselor
Friendster, MySpace and Facebook are all are social networking web sites. There
is another site that is designed specifically for professional networking – LinkedIn.
Founded in December 2002 and launched the following year in May, this business-oriented
site has more than 45 million users representing 150 industries around the world.
LinkedIn is about relationship building in a professional context. It centers on
exchanging information, ideas and opportunities. Additionally, allows you to stay
informed about your contacts and industry, find the people and knowledge you need
to achieve your goals and control your professional identity online.
Signing up for this service involves creating a profile page that lists your professional
experience, education and recommendations. Once the profile is set up, the next
step is to build and maintain a list of professional contacts called Connections.
Users can invite anyone (whether they are registered on LinkedIn or not) to become
a connection.
LinkedIn allows members to not only create business contacts, but also search for
jobs and find potential clients. Users can reconnect with past and present colleagues
and classmates, power their career and discover inside connections when looking
for a job or new business opportunity. Users can also get answers by submitting
questions to a network full of industry experts willing to share advice.
Job seekers can research businesses and find detailed information about different
organizations. LinkedIn Groups is great feature that lets users establish new business
relationships by joining alumni, industry or any other kind of professional or relevant
group.
Whether you are currently seeking employment or have a secure position, LinkedIn
can be incredibly beneficial. The three main things LinkedIn can help with: answering
business-related questions, making recommendations and introductions and providing
company information. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with like-minded professionals
and advance your career. Most of LinkedIn services are free, so why not take advantage
of this powerful networking opportunity?
Interview Preparation (3/25/2010)
By: Karen Lefkowitz, Professional Career Counselor
Preparation directly correlates to performance at a job interview. If you’d like
the encounter to be successful and translate into an offer, it is important to rehearse.
While it is impossible to exactly replicate the interview scenario, simulating the
experience is important and will make a difference.
Nerves can really wreck an interview. Practicing ahead of time can reduce jitters
and allow you to be more confident and calm. Have a friend, relative or other professional
you trust do a trial cross-examination with you. Here are some of the most commonly
asked questions:
- Describe yourself.
- What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
- Why did you choose this career?
- What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
- How well do you work with people? What is your management style?
- How do you deal with conflict?
- What are some of the professional accomplishments you are most proud of?
- Describe a difficult work situation and how you overcame it.
- Why did you leave your last job?
- What would your previous supervisor say about your work performance?
- What do you know about our company?
- Why did you decide to seek a position with us?
- In what ways do you think you can contribute to our organization?
- What are your long-range career objectives?
- Where do you see yourself in the future?
- What makes you qualified for this position?
- Why should we hire you?
About a week in advance review the organization you are meeting with, also be very
familiar with the cover letter and resume you submitted. It is also helpful to do
a little research on the latest industry news---these tidbits can turn into great
talking points. The more knowledge (and practice!) you bring to the interview the
more likely the outcome will be positive.
Career Improvement Tips (3/20/2010)
By: Karen Lefkowitz, Professional Career Counselor
1. Request a meeting with your organization’s leader. Ask about their vision for
the future and how you can be a part of this vision.
2. If you have the time and energy available ask your direct supervisor or area
head if they need help with extra work.
3. If you haven’t received a performance review in over a year ask for one to determine
your SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats). Revealing this information
now will help your career in the future.
4. Join a professional organization.
5. Improve your communication skills
6. Enroll in a class, pick up a book, or attend a seminar or workshop; engage in
some type of training and development activity in your area of interest/career field.
7. Get a mentor. Many professionals enjoy taking on the mentorship role and will
root for you to learn from them and improve. Just make sure to seek out someone
who is really committed to this responsibility. It can be an individual from your
own workplace or someone on the outside.
8. Edit your resume. How long has this document remained untouched on your hard
drive or USB? Review your past and current experience and properly document it.
If you need help addressing your current employment ask a Human Resources specialist
for assistance. They are a great resource when it comes to job descriptions.
9. Dress professionally. Invest in some proper work attire. Looking the part makes
a difference and can often positively affect your performance on the job. Just try
it! You will see how differently you feel and act.
10. Update your attitude. Be a positive presence at work. People (including your
boss) notice optimistic behavior—you will encourage others around you to be upbeat
too.
11. If you are currently unemployed set up a schedule. It’s easy to fall into a
rut during periods of joblessness. For example, in the mornings make follow up phone
calls on any job leads and start assessing job posts; in the afternoon send out
X amount of resumes and cover letters; in the evenings continue looking through
job listings. Stick to the schedule and you may not be jobless for long.
Minor Decisions (3/15/2010)
By: Karen Lefkowitz, Professional Career Counselor
Need something to spice up your school life? Bored with the current curriculum?
Pursue a minor! Most higher education institutions offer undergraduates the opportunity
to select a minor. Adding a minor can be a very positive experience while you are
in school and extremely beneficial after graduation.
When opting for a minor there are a number of ways to approach the decision. You
can start by cataloging your interests and passions. A second tactic is to make
a list of occupations that are attracted to you. Once you've put together an inventory,
review your University’s catalog and find minors that match up with the items listed.
Don’t forget to factor in your major when making the minor decision. Do you want
to study something totally different or pursue a complimentary degree? When paring
your major and minor decide what will help the most in accomplishing your educational
and career goals. Both methods are viable and advantageous in their own way. Whatever
major and minor pairing you choose make sure this dual degree program will excite
and challenge you. The most important thing is to make a decision you are fully
committed to.
Another option is to pick a minor based on an area you are weak in and want to focus
on.
Talk to academic advisors and other students with the minor(s) you’re considering.
Also reach out to professionals. Inquire about a job’s responsibilities and duties
and the skill set necessary to perform the vocation—these are factors you can connect
to a degree.
Here are some of the benefits of pursing a minor degree:
- Allows for specialization in a particular subject matter or field.
- Adds to your skill set and looks great on a resume.
- Some minors have an internship component which will lead to hands on experience.
- Provides demonstrated expertise in a secondary field.
- Adds value in a highly competitive job market.
Remember the time, energy, and with increasing tuition costs, monetary element of
the process. As long as this is something you really want, go for it! Extra education
is always a smart selection.
Interview Attire (2/1/2010)
First impressions are everything. When it comes to job interviews, this rule especially
holds true. What you wear and how you present yourself in an interview can be the
difference of getting the job or not. When you’re getting ready for an interview
remember, overdressing will cause you to negatively stick out, while under-dressing
will look unprofessional and may cost you the job.
The rule for how to dress for an interview is relatively simple: dress one level
above the everyday dress expected for the position you seek. For example, if you’re
interviewing for a position in which the usual attire is jeans and a t-shirt, interview
in a button-down shirt and slacks. If you’re interview for a job in which the dress
is business casual, wear a suit to the interview.
Business casual is the most common office dress. The following attire suggestions
when preparing for an interview in a business casual environment.
Men
- Consider a solid color, conservative-style suit with a color-coordinated shirt and
tie.
- Make sure you are clean-shaven or have a neatly trimmed beard and/or mustache.
- Show up freshly showered, but stay away from heavy colognes or soaps.
- Dark socks and professional shoes.
- Manicured nails (no, you do not have to go to the nail salon, just be sure they’re
neat and clean).
- It should go without saying, but keep your tattoos covered and take out any piercings.
Women
- Solid color, conservative suit.
- Coordinated blouse and shoes.
- No large, loud jewelry.
- Wear a natural or light colored hose.
- Arrive freshly showered, without heavy perfumes or other smells.
- Keep your tattoos covered and take out any piercing other than earrings.
Back To School (02/01/2010)
By Sheila Benko, MS, LMFT, RPCC
Professional Career Counselor
Back-to-school takes on new meaning when you are no longer a kid. It can be a big
decision. With increased financial obligations and family commitments, it is not
such a simple decision.
The best decisions are made when you gather all the facts together to evaluate them.
Here is a list of some things to consider.
What is your goal for returning to school?
- Complete your college degree.
- Obtain certification in an area.
- Change careers.
Where will you study?
- If you must stay locally, then make a list of the colleges and universities in your
area. You will find programs at vocational schools, community colleges and public
and private universities. Costs can vary greatly.
What would you like to study?
- Go to the website of the schools on your list and review ‘academic programs’. This
will give you a list of majors and minors and other programs from which to choose.
How much will it cost?
- This information can also be found on the school website.
- Review the financial aid website for advice on funding.
- Ask about funding for adults returning to school.
Will you attend full-time or part-time? (Is part-time permitted?)
- Part-time will take you longer but would allow you to work or manage family life.
How long will it take?
- This may influence the full-time/part-time status
What are the entrance requirements?
- Applications, transcripts, standardized test scores, essays
- Plan ahead for these as it can take time.
What are the application deadlines?
- If you are even thinking about school, research deadlines – typically applications
are due 8-9 months in advance of matriculation.
Do you already have college credits?
- This may help reduce the time in the program.
Ask questions!
- Admissions offices, financial aid offices, academic departments, career centers
- Read school websites – use Google to find them
What is keeping you from doing this?
- Yes, this will take some effort
- Yes, it will take some time
- Yes, you can do this!
- Take one step at a time – time passes whether you attend or not!
- It’s a great New Year’s Resolution!
Ready, Aim, Target that Resume! (01/18/2010)
By Sheila Benko, MS, MFT, RPCC
Professional Career Counselor
1. The job posting: Print a hard copy of the job posting. Read
all the skills and qualifications they require and underline the ones that you have.
Then include these in your resume. For example, if one of the qualifications is
completion of a particular accounting class and you have completed, mention this
in the education section of your resume. See the below example.
EDUCATION
Arizona State University Tempe, AZ Sept. 2004 - May 2008
Bachelors Degree of Business
Coursework includes: Principles of Accounting
2. The company website: Sometimes the job description is limited.
Review the company’s website to learn more about what they do. Consider how your
skills and qualifications would fit for them.
3. Review similar job postings. Reviewing similar jobs postings
can help to learn more about the type of position and increase your knowledge of
the language used in the industry. Be sure to use this industry language in your
resume and cover letter.
4. Organize your information and put the most important first.
The Experience section of a resume can include anything that is paid or unpaid.
It is written in reverse chronological order (most recent first). If your experience
alternates between work you have done that is related to the position, and work
that is unrelated, then create two sections for Experience. This way, you can move
the more important to the top for the employer to read first. See the below examples.
RELATED EXPERIENCE (More specific titles might be Teaching Experience, Management
Experience, Accounting Experience, etc.)
OTHER EXPERIENCE
5. Use strong action verbs when describing the tasks you performed in positions.
Rather than ‘responsibilities include’ use words like ‘created, managed and compiled.”
Quantify when possible. How many people did you supervise? What percent increase
in sales did you achieve? How many documents did you process? It allows the employer
to have a sense of what you achieved.
There is no one right way to create a resume, but there is a better way. Keep it
simple and easy to read. Absolutely no typos, misspelling or uneven formatting.
Have at least one other person read your resume. And, follow the directions for
applying.
Career beliefs can keep you stuck! (01/11/2010)
By: Wendy Berg, M.S.
Cornerstone Career Services
cornerstonecareerservices.com
There’s no doubt in my mind that career beliefs play a strong role in our ability
to succeed or not succeed in our career development. We don’t always realize it,
but we are doing self-talk all day long. That self-talk translates directly into
behaviors and those behaviors yield either positive or negative results, depending
on our self-talk.
So let’s imagine that you’re considering a job change, but you tell yourself it
will be too difficult or time consuming. Then imagine that you don’t challenge that
thought, but rather, you feed into it some more. If you kept this up, do you think
you would ever take the steps necessary to transition? Of course not!
Now let’s imagine that you challenge that negative belief by telling yourself that
it may seem difficult now, but if you just take things one day at a time, you’ll
reach your goal. Do you think that would change how you feel about your transition?
Absolutely!
One way that you can begin to change these career beliefs very practically is by
keeping a thought journal. Anytime you do self-talk, write it down. Then go through
all the negative beliefs and write something more positive to counter that thought.
Finally, say those positive phrases a few times before bed and meditate on them.
Do this for one week and see if you’re not feeling more positive and motivated about
your career change!
Who’s in charge? (12/18/2009)
By: Wendy Berg, M.S.
Cornerstone Career Services
cornerstonecareerservices.com
Have you ever wanted to reach a particular goal, but then behaved in ways that don’t
support achieving that goal? I see this all the time in my work. Let’s say I’m working
with a client who says she’s discouraged about her job search. After providing her
with ample strategies and resources to achieve her goals, she simply does not move
forward. So what’s behind this phenomenon?
In psychological circles, Locus of Control is considered to be an important aspect
of personality. The concept was developed originally Julian Rotter in the 1950s
(Rotter, 1966). People can either have an internal locus
of control or an external locus of control. Those with an internal locus of control
tend to believe that their behavior is guided by their personal decisions and efforts.
Those with an external locus of control believe that their behavior is guided by
fate, luck or other external circumstances.
Though we wouldn’t want to label these as either good or bad, those with an internal
locus of control tend to be considered psychologically healthier because they take
control of their own lives and typically make things happen. If a person believes
that luck, fate or external circumstances play a major role, they are not as likely
to take steps to make things happen in their lives/careers (after all, it’s just
dumb luck, right?). However, if one of my clients believes that if she takes steps
toward her goal, she will be successful, then she probably will be. You can certainly
see how this kind of client would make progress in his/herlife.
If you live and breath air, you probably know that nobody can change you. You have
to decide to change. Those with external locus of control come to me because they’re
hoping I’ll fix the problem or do something magical. In reality, the most successful
clients are those who come to me hoping for support, information, etc. . . But they
know that I’m not the one to solve their problem and they use the information or
support I give them to take full control of their lives.
So, if locus of control is rooted in our beliefs, then perhaps we need to take a
good look at what our beliefs are. Stay tuned for my next blog called, “Career beliefs
that keep us stuck”