Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 Crappy Preparation

Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 â€" Crappy Preparation Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 â€" Crappy Preparation Executives, you have so many skills and experiences, but your preparation for networking, applying and interviewing are, well, pathetic. And, even though the internet makes preparation so much easier than before, preparation skills have gotten worse! After 30+ years in Fortune 500s and, most recently, interviewing and coaching thousands of executives, you can stand out just by doing better homework than the next candidate. About this series of job tip mistakes: On the positive side, there are so many job search tips available to you, both on my site and others. However, sometimes, seeing yourself in the mirror of major barriers can help you more. So, in the spirit of helping you get a job you want even quicker, let’s hit the major mistakes head-on. Here are some real examples of “crappy preparation”: During an HR or recruiter screening: They ask you what you know about the company and you say “Not much” or “Well, there is so much on the internet but I didn’t know what to read in particular until we spoke.” The listener hears: “I didn’t do any research on your company.” During a networking event, the association president asks you “Why are you interested in the XYZ Company?” and you respond “because I think they can use my help, leveraging my skills in finance.” The president hears: “I think I’m just that good and any company should hire me and win.” During a phone interview: “Can you tell me why you are the best candidate for this job?” You reply with a litany of facts from your resume, hoping that the sheer volume of experiences will “wow” the interview to the point that they will say “HIRED” at the end of your monologue. The interviewer hears “I didn’t read your job description or compare my skills with what you need. This is all about me, the candidate.” You can imagine what a face-to-face interview sounds like. It gets worse. There are so many more, but more helpful might be to share the three main categories of preparation you must do during the job search process: How to do research: Take notes! Organize what you learn into categories and write short bullet-points that help you remember key concepts. When to do research: Prepare before every “event”, regardless of how small and event: phone screen, phone interview, informational networking meeting, through interview. What to research: (3 types of content, minimally) The company, the division, competitors, market, recent speeches, and recent news. People: Try to find out the names of the people you are about to meet with. Read their profile on LinkedIn or other social networking profiles, search for anything theyve written professionally. You vs. the Job. Prepare a brilliant answer to “Why are you the best candidate for this job?” OR, if the question is not asked, be prepared to leave the top 3 reasons why you are the best candidate in the closing section and any follow up e-mails. To do this, you need to study the job description, and be able to, concisely, state your value to THEM. They are the customer, you are the product. Executives, Cut the Crap, Get a Job! You can win the job you want if you are prepared and can show why you are the best fit for THEIR position. Good luck!

What to do if you lose your job -

What to do if you lose your job - Today, Im happy to share another guest post from my business partner, Hallie Crawford. Do you know you need a career change, but you arent sure what path to take? Hallie specializes in helping recent college grads and boomerangs identify their ideal career paths and make it happen. By Hallie Crawford If youre like me, you hate turning on the morning news these days because of all the doom and gloom with the economy. Theres no doubt about it. The world is a scary place right now. And for many of us, what is especially unnerving is the way the unemployment rate continues to rise. If you are one of those fearful of losing your job or if you have already joined the unemployment line I urge you to maintain a positive attitude. Worrying wont help and, in fact, may create even more problems. Having been through the experience of not having a job, Id like to offer some tips to help you through this unsettling time: Dont panic. Fear and anxiety are natural, but if you allow these emotions to control your thinking, you wont be able to make good decisions about what youre going to do next. Surround yourself with optimistic, supportive people. Misery may love company, but this is not the time to commiserate. You need to remain focused, positive, and inspired. Create a job-hunting schedule. This is an extremely important step because it will keep your mind focused so you dont get depressed. Immediately start looking into websites like CareerBuilder or Monster for an overview of whats out there. Next, do some targeted searches specific to your industry on sites that cater to your area of expertise. Start networking. Networking is still the best way to get a job. Spread the word that you are in job search mode among your friends, family, former co-workers anyone that you know who could help with your job search.   Dig up names from internships or summer jobs and reach out to those people. Join online networking groups (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). Consider an interim job. It will get you out of the house, boost your morale, and offer some temporary financial assistance. Temporary agencies often have positions that can lead to permanent employment. Look at your situation as an opportunity. If you have ever felt unsatisfied or unfilled in your work, this could be the Universe nudging you to find the job you love! Id suggest the first thing you do when you lose your job is to get some great career search advice. Save time and money I can help you propel your search!    photo by rhys jones photography

Advantages and Disadvantages of CPA Resume Writing Services

Advantages and Disadvantages of CPA Resume Writing ServicesThe cpa resume writing services are gaining in popularity among professionals across various fields. There are many advantages to hiring professional writers. Resume writing is an important task for the CPA firms that are looking to hire new professional associates. However, there are also certain disadvantages to hiring a professional writer for this job.Resume writing services do not know the employers. They would want you to let them know about your achievements and what qualifications you have, however they will not be able to fully explain the characteristics of you to an employer.The Professional Writer will not be able to write your resume in detail and give you specific details as it has been done by others who work under a contract basis. What the Resume Writer will do is to give you basic information like, work experience, education, exam results, awards, certifications and so on.This will not help you to come up wi th a good resume that is acceptable to the employers. The biggest disadvantage of hiring a resume writer is that it is possible to hire one, however, after that your chance of landing a job could drop significantly if you have hired a writer.If you only hire the professional writer in the short span of time required by them, it is very likely that they will take advantage of you. Since they have been well trained in their profession, the skills that they use to write resumes have also been passed on to you. If they are honest and give you accurate information about you, you will find it difficult to believe them as they will also be writing a resume about you.The last thing you need in order to land a job is a professional resume writer, however if you are expecting to get one, then the reason for hiring the writer should be beyond doubt. This can happen if you have hired the writer under the provision of Hiring and Recruitment Equity Act.It will be interesting to find out the compa ny, which is offering such services, if there are any. If you do not find any, then you can ask your friends to search through the internet to find the right one for you.

Slacking Off at Work

Slacking Off at Work Nobody wants to be considered an underperformer, but unfortunately, there are times when most of us fall behind at work or don’t fully meet our responsibilities. Catching â€" and correcting â€" underperformance early is the surest way to get back on solid footing quickly. Here are five classic signs of underperformance to watch for. 1. No One Gives You Real Responsibility Sure, there are a zillion projects you’d love to do for your company… but no one will give them to you. Missing out on a project here or there happens to everyone â€" after all, only one person or team can get each assignment. But when you feel like you never get the projects you want, and the data backs you up, there’s a good chance you’re underperforming. Generally, the projects people want are high profile or important in some way. And bosses usually trust these sorts of projects to employees they know they can count on. If you never get one, it may mean that they aren’t sure you will follow through in a way that makes them look good. Attack this head-on by doing the very best you can with whatever projects are on your plate right now. Do what you have to do to make sure the project is completed successfully, and the next one you get may be better. Do this long enough and you will prove your worth to the company and show management that you can handle the serious responsibility of high profile work. 2. You Find Yourself Making Excuses When someone asks you about a part of your job that isn’t going so well, what do you say? Do you take responsibility, or do you offer an excuse? Sometimes, bad things happen and the outcome truly is out of your control. If you’re offering excuses fairly frequently, though, it probably means that you aren’t working hard enough, but don’t want to admit it. The next time you hear yourself making an excuse, take note. Think about whether it is legitimate. If you aren’t sure, ask someone you trust to help you evaluate the situation. Then, take steps to take responsibility for what is going wrong. Talk to your boss proactively and come up with a plan of attack. Then follow through, no matter what comes up. 3. You’re on Your Cell Phone â€" A Lot Whether you like them or not, mobile phones are an important part of the ways we live and do business. However, you don’t need to be on your phone all the time while at work. If, when you think back over the last few days, you realize that you spent the majority of your time talking, texting, or emailing on your phone, there’s a good chance you’re underperforming. Think about it. Your mobile phone is rarely the most efficient way to do things. Emailing goes much quicker on a computer. And emailing or talking on the phone is usually a faster way of handling things than texting. Really, the only things most efficiently handled on a phone are (wait for it…) phone calls. If you’re using your phone in the office to do other things, you aren’t working as efficiently as possible. To counteract this, put the phone down. Lock it in a coworker’s desk, if you need to, or set aside certain times each day where you use it and put it away the rest of the time. Beyond that, make sure that, when you are using your phone at work, you’re using it because it is the only or the best way to take on a task. 4. You Can’t Articulate Your Goals If you don’t know what you’re working towards, it’s hard to perform well. Whether you can’t articulate your goals because no one told you what they are or because you don’t remember them (or didn’t pay attention in the first place), not knowing where you are going almost guarantees that you are underperforming. If you don’t know your goals, sit down with your manager to lay them out. And if your manager doesn’t know them or can’t articulate them, do the best you can to set some for yourself. Even if you don’t know what your manager values, you can probably make some educated guesses as to what would impress him or her. Write these out for yourself and you will probably find yourself working towards them in a much more focused, efficient manner. 5. You Miss More Deadlines Than You Hit Everyone misses a deadline now and then. It’s not good, but it happens. Sometimes, it can’t be helped. Other times, it means you lost a bit of focus and you can easily regain that. Occasionally, though, missing deadlines becomes a way of working. When this happens, it tends to indicate that the deadline-misser is underperforming. Think about your deadlines over the last six months. How many did you hit? How many did you miss? If you have missed more than you hit, you are underperforming. To pull yourself out of the deadline missing rut, figure out what is going wrong. Are you bored? Are you saving everything until the last minute? Are you at the mercy of other people who are saving everything until the last minute? Be brutally honest with yourself. If you find that you have any responsibility in the matter (and you probably do!), start making changes. Set aside time each day for projects with approaching deadlines. Reward yourself for the time you spend working. And do whatever you need to do to finish the next project on time (and the next one, and the next one). Take the time to evaluate your performance today and change whatever needs to change in order to improve your focus and efficiency. In less time than you think, you can find yourself a more valuable member of your company. More From Wise Bread: 6 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Career 10 Things You Should Never Say in a Work Email 10 Times You Should Speak Up at Work 6 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Career 10 Things You Should Never Say in a Work Email 10 Times You Should Speak Up at Work

5 Things We Can Learn from Rafael Nadal About Excellence - Work It Daily

5 Things We Can Learn from Rafael Nadal About Excellence - Work It Daily The number 1 male tennis player in the world, Rafael Nadal (Rafa), became the seventh man to complete the career Grand Slam, and the youngest to accomplish the feat in the Open Era at 24 years of age! “My goal is to finish the year better.” Well, he has definitely accomplished that and has proven he is coming into his ‘peak performer’ persona. When asked what he thought were his greatest strengths, he said: “I think the mentality, attitude on court was good for me. I am positive on court, and I fight all the time. Positive attitude is not only fight on court. I think I was able to listen to the coach and to have adjustments and to be ready to change things to be better and to improve. If we talk about the game, for sure for me I think the best thing I have is my intensity on court.” Here are five standards or benchmarks can we learn from the young champion Rafa about excellence: Being mentally and physically fit. Having and listening to mentors and coaches. Open to change to make things better. Daily focus, intensity and commitment. Personal and professional integrity. Being mentally and physically fit. Rafa Nadal has surrounded himself with the right team of people who keep him physically and mentally healthy, continually improving his skills and character as a person. Having and listening to mentors and coaches. All great leaders, world class athletes and peak performing professionals and successful people all have a support system that they rely on, lean on and tap into for motivation, inspiration and guidance. Open to change to make things better. We live and work in a “relentlessly changing world” now. Just when you think you know something or get comfortable with something it changes. That’s the way it is and is going to continue. Technology will continue to impact just about everything in our personal and professional loves. We can choose to manage it or be managed by it. When practices, habits and ideas stop working, we need to evaluate and re-think them. New ideas, approaches and mindset is critical to navigating the ‘relentless.’ Change is another beginning and can be an exciting adventure! Daily focus, intensity and commitment. The only way we get better at things is to PRACTICE and DO. Being consistent with our systems, habits and the delivery of them builds momentum and presence. Rafa’s commitment to practicing his serve, volley, ground strokes, court sense, stamina, strategy all have translated into his championship status. Personal and professional integrity. There are way too many examples today of how fame and fortune are abused and used for personal celebrity and notoriety. How refreshing it is very public people, like Rafa, use their status to set an example of authenticity, values and service instead of recklessness to their peers. I have been following Rafael Nadal and his career for several years. I have learned a lot from him about commitment, poise, integrity and humility. These are qualities we can all tap into and use to be successful in today’s world. Thanks Rafa for being such an awesome example at such a young age for all of us of what excellence really means. Read more » articles by this approved expert | Click here » if you’re a career expert Photo credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

I Wore a Power Suit to Work Every Day For a Week Heres What Happened

I Wore a Power Suit to Work Every Day For a Week Heres What Happened I have an early memory of my motherbei, a pharmaceutical sales rep, preparing to leave for work in the morning. Its the mid-1990s, and shes dressed for a day of visiting doctors offices in a smart, shell-pink skirt suit, her hair shoulder length and curled, her pointed-toe pumps a matching shade of pink. The pumps, especially, stand out in my memory, as I tottered over to give her a goodbye kiss and promptly barfed on them.Prior to the addition of my bodily fluids as an accessory, though, my mom welches looking sharp. Fast forward to today, and shes still a well-dressed pharmaceutical rep, but her workwear style has veered in a mora casual direction (think sweater dresses and knee-high boots). Its reflective of a style evolution thats taken place for a lot of people, across gender identities and workplaces. Formal dress codes are on the decline, and thats true of even more traditionally buttoned-up industries, lik e finance. Suits just arent something the majority of us are wearing to ur 9-to-5s today. And when they are worn, a recent Vox article, How the Power Suit Lost Its Power, argued, its as a sign bedrngnis of power and professionalism, but of contrition.These days, when you are not in control you wear a suit, Voxs writer states. The suit has become a uniform for the powerless when youre in control, at least in relative control, from the C-suite down to the long rectangular table in the open-air office, you wear whatever you want, which is almost never a suit.It welches this side of the spectrum that I welches curious about tapping into when I had the idea to wear power suits to work. Every day. For a week.I am what some would call a mid-to-late 20s, Brooklyn-dwelling, creative-leaning professional (tropes). While I do enjoy expressing myself through my clothing and therefore put thought into the way I dress, I will still on occasion do things like wear what is technically a crop top to work and hope that my skirt is high-waisted enough to conceal it. Exhibit ALiv McConnell, Associate Editor at Fairygodbossphotos taken by Cassy LombardiSuffice it to say, coordinated suit sets arent something that feature heavily in my wardrobe. Which is why, when the female-founded brand M.M. LaFleur expressed interest in supplying me with suits for my experiment, I welches curious about who this new Power Suit Liv could be. Would I be transformed as a professional, from the outside in? At the very least, I figured, Id be able to live out my 90s sartorial dream of channeling my mom at her peak Elizabeth James-esque aesthetic (prior to the Im not mature enough for this Nick Parker meltdown).Here, friends, is a snapshot of how my week actually played out.Day 1Outfit M.M. LaFleurs Ross Blazer in veridian Mejia Pant in veridian Patricia top.Waking up Monday to kick off my power suit week, I incorrectly assumed that getting ready would be a breeze. The getting dressed part was my suit, a dark green number from M.M. LaFleur, was hanging in the closet, along with a sleeveless turtleneck (major professorial vibes happening) and a matching snakeskin belt and shoes Id picked up at Target. But dressing so intentionally meant I now felt a need to elevate my hair and makeup, too, and I wound up rushing out the door later than Id planned.Seemingly not the most powerful start to the day, and yet I found myself approaching the office calm and fully composed, free of the anxiety that ordinarily compels me to walk Very Fast if Im running late. Could it be that my power-suit thinking had already begun?My day went on more or less as planned from there, with meetings stacked from the better part of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (oof). I could already tell that being busy while wearing a power suit made me feel purposeful and more energized, though. I ordered my afternoon coffee with an extra shot of espresso, because power.Day 2Outfit M.M. LaFleurs Colby Pant Moreland jacket Criseta top.Tue sdays outfit was the most conservative of the looks I was to sport that week a black suit jacket and pants from M.M. LaFleurs new Packable Suiting collection, designed to be compact and totally wrinkle free, along with a mock-neck black and white spotted blouse. Lastly, I dragged out a dusty pair of heels from the depths of my closet.I felt super polished, and also like I was about to cross-examine a witness, and also like I was definitely not 26 years old.Toward the end of the work day, I went to write a self-assessment for my companys upcoming bi-annual performance reviews, completing the various sections of my report in the tone Id ordinarily use. Then, something the suit? stopped me. Scanning the assessment, I caught multiple instances where Id used language that ultimately served to undermine my contributions. Being self-deprecating is something Im often guilty of (blame A. my sense of humor but also B. and C., gendered societal conditioning and defense mechanisms, woo), as w ell as something Im trying to be more thoughtful about.So, I deleted any traces of acquiescent language on the report before hitting send and heading to meet a friend for dinner. Later, to cap the day off, I ordered a car home, despite the restaurants proximity to my apartment. Heels are sehr (at this point, itd been 13 hours), and I am unsure how people do this.Day 3Outfit M.M. LaFleurs Ross Blazer in veridian and Mejia Pant in veridian.My outfit for Wednesday was my favorite the same green M.M. LaFluer suit I wore on Monday, styled with a skull-and-crossbones scarf from my coworker, Mary, and the black suede heels from the day before. This time, though, I threw the heels in a bag and made my 50-minute commute in flats, actualizing my preteen image of what me as a Working Adult in New York City would look like. Apparently, that image also involved me (happily) dressed somewhere along the spectrum of C-suite and edgy flight attendant.Having plowed through the work day apparently, I use verbs like plow to describe me at work now, because power it was time for a social experiment. I was going to get drinks with a friend in Manhattans Financial District, a region Ive generally only stumbled into if Ive gotten lost while plant shopping in Chinatown.For those who havent been, FiDi is, in a lot of ways, what youd picture. Its full of white men who work on Wall Street and wear suits (or, if theyre opting for a more casual look, puffy bomber vests and saddle shoes), and its In retrospect, I realize that what Id been expecting was a stereotype that may be at least a little outdated. I thought Id be entering a space with super overt power dynamics and a gross misuse of social and financial capital on display. I was expecting American Psycho, without the murder. Instead, what I got was an upscale bar where the crowd did skew white and male, yes but all-in-all, nothing about the experience felt especially exclamatory. (I realize that, for other folks, it may have felt like an unsafe space my privilege in sauntering up to a bar as a white cis woman with money in her pocket is not lost on me.) In the end, for me, it was just a bar with incredibly overpriced cocktails. I ordered two, paid my tab of $45 after tip (*faints*) and left.Day 4Outfit M.M. LaFleurs Colby Pant and Moreland jacket.For Thursday, my outfit was centered on a cool dad aesthetic. I wore the pieces from M.M.s Packable Suiting collection again, but this time with a Bowie T-shirt and a vintage red overcoat mixed in.At the office, I got on the elevator with a coworker who half-jokingly asked me if I was dressed this way because I had job interviews scheduled. Later in the afternoon, a second coworker asked me the same question which was definitely not a side effect of the experiment Id been anticipating. (To my boss, if youre reading this, just to quickly reiterate job interviews were not a part of my week)Something that was a part of my work week, though, was a series of significant content strategy conversations within my team, and no shortage of data-pulling and meetings to accompany those conversations. Though it was a worthwhile and motivating process, it was also a lot to fit in alongside my daily repertoire of responsibilities, and I wrapped up the work day craving something different from the previous nights FiDi excursion. So, my coworker and I headed to a sound bath for a new age-y night of laying on the floor surrounded by strangers as percussive instruments designed to inspire a meditative state were played around us. Like I said, pretty opposite from overpriced cocktails off of Wall Street.Laying on the floor in my suit, I had the thought that, as a human species, its pretty strange we feel the need to signal our value to others via what we wear, and that its unfortunate how many people feel this value isnt something thats automatically conferred to them just by virtue of being a human being. Are power suits then, at their core, simply an exercise in psychological peacocking? Or was that just the incense talking? Whos to say.Day 5Outfit M.M. LaFleurs Ross Blazer in veridian and Mejia Pant in veridian.For the final day of my power suit week, I once again opted for the green M.M. LaFleur pant suit, which had rather quickly become a favorite, along with a sheer blouse from ASOS that felt vaguely Victorian. I was leaving work early to meet my best friend from the airport, and we werent likely to drop by my apartment before our evening plans began. Meaning, this would also function as my Friday night look.As I went about my work day, though, I realized not only that I didnt mind the idea of dancing in my power suit later (that, in fact, sounded pretty ideal?). I also realized that Id miss these suits come next week.Is what I ordinarily wear to work technically comfier than full-on suit getup? Yes, it is. But something about being so intentionally put together throughout the week did spill over into feeling a bit more put together in my life overall. I sat a little straighter. I spoke a little more firmly. And I had more faith in the idea that what I was doing and how I was contributing at any given moment during the week was enough. The objective value of those contributions didnt change, but my relationship to the idea that what I was doing was either A. insufficient or B. perceived as such by others did. I eased up on myself a bit. The weirdest part, though? By the end of the week, even the heels stopped hurting.--

Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume for Dummies

Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume for Dummies A great cover letter is your opportunity to prove that you know the reach of the role and the businesss mission. A whole lot of internet sites offer support for drafting your resume skillfully to have a small price tag. The objective of your call is to express enthusiasm about the opportunity, and you can positively promote the team. The Debate Over Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume Next, if youre fortunate enough, they provide you with a chance for an einstellungsgesprch. Follow-Up Letter Follow-Up Phone Call Make your call attempts at first or later area of the day once the hiring manager is less inclined to be in a meeting. Perhaps youve attended an interview or a number of job interviews. What You Should Do to Find Out About Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume Before Youre Left Behind Another sort of follow-up letter could be sent after submitting work applica tion. A cover letter should be all business enterprise. Fortunately, there are a number of tested methods of following up on a work application. Youve submitted a work application or sent your resume to an organization youd really like to interview with, but you neednt heard back. You should send a thank you letter in case you have interviewed for work. Customize Each Letter While it could appear tedious, you must customize each letter to coincide with the specific job for which youre applying. The letter has to be brief and to the objective. Writing a cover letter can seem to be an intimidating job. Characteristics of Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume Should you need any more information, please feel free to get in touch with me by schmelzglas or phone. Ultimately, you can send an email asking to stay in contact with the hiring manager. Following that, you even need to compose a follow-up email After the second interview, you should send another f ollow-up email. The earlier you take action, the earlier youll observe rewards. To provide your work application the best possible probability of success you are going to have to understand how to compose a cover letter that is related and concise. The absolute fruchtwein acceptable cover letter will boost your probability of getting detected at an enterprise. A follow-up letter to the Human Resources contact should incorporate the job title in the topic line and the very first line or a couple of the message itself. Utilize their very first name if youre on a first-name basis. Make aya that you get the individuals title and the right spelling of their name. Utilize spell check, its not that difficult. The Benefits of Writing a Follow up Letter after Submitting Your Resume For instance, you may want to just compose an overall letter, or you might want to bring up the subject of possible follow up discussions. It is possible to also ask questions about what things to expec t as the business moves toward a choice. You want to reveal interest and stick out from the crowd. Keeping in view your interest it is possible to assure what you could provide or how youre able to benefit the recipient. In different situations, the precise response date is offered in the work ad. There will probably be lots of mistakes in your cover letter once you have written the very first draft. In the other times you want to get a cover letter. Utilizing the most suitable abilities, you ought to be able to create the letter easily.