Can Your Online Activity Cost You A Job?

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Recent trends in the recruiting industry may harm a job hunter's chance for success. New tactics are leaving some college and high school seniors staring at a phone that never rings. Why? Now, when headhunters or employers research new candidates, they don't stop at past employers and references. Instead, they head straight to the Internet.
For many years, employers have searched Google to find information on the real individual behind the resumes lying on their desk, weeding out prospects one at a time based on their findings. Employers have also unveiled information about their existing employees in the same manner, leading some employees to the unemployment office. Some items employers don't like to see in public venues include blogs and forum posts with offensive or unprofessional topics.
Now, social networking sites like Friendster, MySpace, Xanga and Facebook, often packed with colloquial language, risqué photographs and user videos, give an even more revealing look into the lives of potential candidates. These sites are filled with comments about sexual behavior, drug use and drinking, common activities for many college students but distressing and unprofessional when exposed to prospective employers. Recruiters can locate individuals on social networking sites by searching their college or education, their email address (including the university email address on their resume) or their name. While not every employer uses the Internet to research candidates, it can make the difference between getting a job and keeping a job or unemployment.
Nevertheless, some recruiters believe social networking can be a semi-legitimate way to build your career - when used responsibly. In fact, MySpace announced its strategic investment in Simply Hired, a privately held job listing search engine, earlier this year.
With Internet trends and advances still new, its impossible to determine what the future holds. But one things remains true: Don't do anything online that you wouldn't do in the boardroom.  ( jobs employment )

Copyright (c) 2006-2010 Vasrue.com, All Rights Reserved
Written by: Michael Laveen

Steps For Defending Yourself At Work

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Copyright (c) 2006-2010 Deborah Brown-Volkman

In today's stressful workplace, there's an expectation that you perform perfectly all of the time. Company numbers have to exceed last quarter's numbers. Market share has to increase. Work has to be completed faster. Plus, technology advances means that you are reachable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no rest for the weary.
All of this stress can have an effect on you and the people you work with. As a result, from time to time, co-workers may snap at you. They do not mean it. The pressure has gotten the better of them in the moment.
Understanding why co-workers snap is important. They are overworked and so are you. But, behavior that feels inappropriate, is inappropriate, and must be addressed quickly.
So what do you say to a co-worker who says something that does not feel right to you? Defend yourself. Here are 4 tips how:
1. Address The Inappropriate Behavior
Don't let co-workers get away with treating you badly even if it's unintentional. A bad behavior not addressed once, can become a new uncomfortable pattern going forward. It's ok to let someone know that what they just said was hurtful, wrong, or out of place. Let your co-worker know that what was said was wrong. Let them know you are not happy with their behavior.
The best time to address an inappropriate behavior is in the moment if you can. And, if you are unable to speak up in the moment, this is ok. Not everyone has the perfect words to say all the time, especially if what was said to you was hurtful. If you need time to assess a situation or think before you speak, then take the time you need. There is no time limit on your ability to have a conversation with someone at your job.
2. Convey What You Want Going Forward
Many people are afraid to have a conversation with someone who upsets them because they view it as a confrontation. Confrontation means there is a winner and a loser. This is not what you are aiming for. You want win-win. Both sides were heard and a resolution was made that makes both sides happy.
Your goal is not to create hard feelings or to blame. You want to convey what you believe is wrong and let your co-worker know what you want going forward. Do you want them to stop interrupting you in meetings? Then, say so. Do you want them to stop talking credit for your work? Then, say so. Whatever it is, it's ok for you to say it.
3. Thank Your Co-Worker For Their Willingness To Work This Out With You
Thank your co-worker for taking the time to have the conversation with you. Speaking to you means they value you and respect your feelings. (Yes, it's ok to have feelings at work.) Appreciation goes a long way, and helps creates the foundation for the new working relationship that has been formed.
Thank you's also provide closure. They mean that both sides are ready to put the issue behind them.
4. Move On
Sometimes an issue will be resolved and sometimes it won't. Maybe a co-worker doesn't believe they have done anything wrong or does not want to see your side. Maybe they aren't interested in what is important to you. This happens. Whether you were able to resolve the situation or not doesn't matter. You spoke up, so good for you. Once you've given it your best shot, move on. Holding on to past issues will affect your future performance.
Trust that most issues will be resolved if you address them. The issues that don't go away are the ones that you don't talk about. Move on, while congratulating yourself for the courage it took to defend you.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!  ( jobs employment )

How To Get What You Want In Your Career

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Copyright (c) 2006-2010 Deborah Brown-Volkman

We all have something that we want in our career. Some people see potential where they work, so they want a big promotion and a large raise. Other people are ready for a change, so they want a different job or a new career. What do you want?
There is nothing wrong with aspiring for more. Wanting pushes you to be your best; to learn, grow, and become a better person. Without wanting, you would be wandering through your career without purpose or direction. And, you wouldn't know that you could have more.
"I want" is the foundation for reaching your goals. Once you have that, you have purpose, and with purpose, you can set the direction and tone of your career. Purpose also leads to a plan.
Not sure what you want? You must take time to think about your career and work on your goals. Know what you want, but unsure how to get there? It's time to create that plan. Do you have a plan, but are worried that what you want won't happen anyway? Let go of your worry. It's a mental roadblock that is getting in your way.
So, How Do You Get What You Want In Your Career? Follow These Steps Below.
1. Change Your Beliefs
If you are busy and overwhelmed in your present job, believing that you can have what you want can be a challenge. How can you focus on your future when you are trying to get through the day to day? If you do not believe that you will attain your goals, then who will? If you feel like you will not reach your goals, don't be misled by your feelings. Trust yourself and your goals. Believe that you will get what you want.
2. Get Focused
All goals are reached in the mind first. Can you visualize yourself achieving your goals? Pretend that your goals have already happened. What are you doing? Where are you working and what type of people are you working with? How much money are you making? How many hours are you working each day? Get this down on paper and look at this piece of paper every day. Tell yourself that what you want will happen. Mentally be in the future until what you want is in the present.
3. Become Committed
Decide that you will get what you want. Raise your activity level and get into action. Results come when you are moving. Call people. Send e-mail. Craft letters. Tap into friends and family. Don't take "no" for an answer. Make a plan. Map out the steps necessary to implement your plan. Dedicate yourself and your time to achieving your goals. Keep moving no matter what. If you do, then what you want will come true.
4. Enjoy The Journey
The truth about achieving goals is they take longer to obtain than you'd like. This is not bad news. Sometimes you need to learn things first before your goals can materialize. Understand this concept, and incorporate additional time into your plan. Understand what may happen, so you can accept it, and enjoy where you are today more.
Your goal is important and so is the journey. Even though you may want to rush to the finish line, the benefit to you is greater when you don't. Savor the process and be in the moment. Learn everything you can. There is satisfaction and pride in reaching goals. Plus, you'll want to remember what you did this time to reach your goals, so you can duplicate the process again in the future.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!  ( jobs employment )

Developing a 401k Strategy In The Modern Employment Market

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Copyright (c) 2006-2010 Jason Alba
What is the biggest pain that comes with every job search? I'm not talking about the job search itself, I'm talking about some of the typical "housekeeping" that you have to do. Is it file for unemployment? Is it refigure your budget? Is it developing a new schedule? For me, one of the biggest hassles is figuring out what to do with my 401k account.

What I have done in the past is just roll my 401k money from one job to the next. But that just doesn't make sense to me anymore. This last "job transition" was not voluntary, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving ten years of amassed 401k savings at an employer that I didn't respect. The longer my job search went on the more uncomfortable I felt knowing that my money was not getting the priority that I wanted.

Then it dawned on me. You see, I've become very attuned to "the new career." The idea that you'll change jobs every 2.8 years is different than what I'm used to, and what my parent's generation is used to. No matter how much I'd like to have one employer with a big fat pension waiting for me at retirement age, it ain't going to happen. My techniques for getting and keeping jobs are different than my father's techniques. And my techniques for managing my retirement money should be different also.

I decided to set up a personal master retirement account. This is an account that I have set up with an investment company that mimics what an employer would have set up for me. There is absolutely no value in rolling over a single 401k account from employer to employer every 2.8 years. The only thing I can gain from having an employer-based 401k account is their matching program (which seems to have been getting weaker over the years - but all the same, it is free money). This benefit is worth the effort to start a new 401k with each employer but there is no benefit for you to keep rolling everything over to each employer.

I interviewed Brandon Small, owner of of InvestedInterests.com, to see what he thought of this idea (you see, I don't have a CPA and didn't even do that well in my accounting classes in college. And no, of course I don't balance my checkbook!) and here is what he had to say:

"By holding your account outside the employer, you:

1. Can substantially lower your fees.

2. Have more investment options.

3. Have more flexibility on taking money out for emergencies, etc.

The fee issue is becoming very important. As the market matures, it has become common for investment companies to reconfigure these 401k accounts to take more from the employees, rather than charge reasonable rates to the employers. The fees to the employees are hidden and never reported in $ amounts. It has gotten to the point that the old adage of "always max out your 401k" is becoming "put as little in as required to get your matching $."

I didn't know any of this, did you? The last thing I want to do with my retirement money is pay unnecessary fees. That could be cutting into my gas budget on my RV trips!

Another concern that I've had is ensuring that I get the quality advice that I want. Because I was not one of the top paid employees at my previous company I felt that I did not get the attention that I needed on my account. Having a master retirement account with one investor will allow you to develop a long-term relationship with your investment advisor. As the investment advisor gets to know you and your interests better, and value the long-term relationship, he or she should be more inclined to treat you the way you should be treated, as opposed to treating you as a short-term addition to their portfolio.

So I set up a personal 401k account with an investment advisor, which is my master account. Of course this advisor uses an industry leader to handle the financial transactions, and he never really sees the money (this is how it worked with my last 401k, which used Lincoln Financial to handle all the money transactions and reporting). And I rolled over my 401k account that I had developing.

In my next job I will set up a 401k savings account through my employer, with the anticipation that I will get vested matching contributions. When I leave employment I immediately begin paperwork to roll that account over to my Master Retirement Account. This completely severs the relationship with that employer and I have complete access to and control over my money.

As I mentioned before, long gone are the days when things were easy and you could trust your company to watch out for your best interest. It is time to take your financial future into your own hands and control the direction you are headed, instead of relying on your current employer to dictate your future. Find a great investment advisor (Like Brandon at InvestedInterests.com) and talk about setting up a Master Retirement Fund. It will be one career move that you won't regret.  ( jobs employment )

Career Management Planning and Out

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by: Amit

Career Management Planning and Outplacement!

Years ago it was the norm to get a job at 18 or so and remain with the same company until retirement. Times have changed since then and with today's technology and ever changing environment, this is no longer the case. Matching up jobs and people can be an extremely difficult task and in any work situation there are people who are mis-employed whereby their jobs don't make use of their talents and skills, and those who hold jobs they are no longer qualified to do due to reasons such as new technology. When an organization needs to restructure it has to deal with these people, either by finding them alternative positions within the company, retraining them to fit an existing position or make redundancies.

When it comes down to termination, redundancy, downsizing or outplacement, whatever you want to call it, it is extremely important that it is dealt with using tact, sensitivity and especially understanding. The effects, on such individual, of a job loss, will be of huge impact as all of a sudden life has to be looked at and planned without the habituate such as a regular paycheck, health insurance, company car, overtime and other benefits. Although the financial/material effects are a big factor to deal with, there are more important effects such as psychological factors to be taken into consideration, like stress, self confidence and the worry of their place in society. Companies also need to be concerned about the other employees not facing the same thing as they might feel guilty, fear for the foreseeable future and de-motivated.

Our work often gives us our sense of personal identity, providing us with self-respect and social status. When meeting someone for the first time, one of the most common questions asked is 'what do you do'? Although we like to complain about our jobs, generally work is seen as a positive thing and if we didn't have work to occupy us our lives would lose a lot of its meaning. Some view work as their main supply of satisfaction in life, finding it a deeply rewarding experience and crucial for a successful society.

In order to keep up with competition and survive in the ruthless world we live in every company has to restructure at times. There are going to be decisions that some individuals will not like, but if you can make these people see that the company supports their staff through transition programs, it will reassure them and give a sense of security.

A career change can be scary and if you have had no choice or thought in the decision this can make it even harder. Sometimes though, we all need a little push to get us motivated in deciding on a new direction, a new job or a new career that will offer stimulation and challenge. If you dod yourself in this position then career management and outplacement consultants can maximize your chances of finding a suitable and exciting career, involving planning, preparing and even retraining and acquiring new skills.

With cut backs, redundancies and other economizing causes affecting both public and private areas, outplacement consulting has gone from being dealt with by the human resources department into a specialist profession. Redeployment specialists work with organizations that are facing change either through closure, restructure or integration and help them decide on the best methods of dealing with their staff. There are a number of services available to the employees facing redundancy and also to the staff not affected by the redundancy as the change to the environment will affect everyone.

For organizations or individuals, career management and outplacement specialists can offer a wealth of experience in a range of business environments. Qualified to support a diverse variety of needs they are the perfect place to consult if your organization is facing change

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Choose a Job You Love, And You Will Never Have to Work a Day in Your Life

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by: Sudeshna Mukherjee

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." – Confucius.

It is important to choose a career path that is of interest to you. The work assigned needs to be challenging and must stimulate you into producing quality results. Job satisfaction is a vital part of an anyone's work life. Lack of job satisfaction can lead to a build-up of stress and unnecessary tension.

Job dissatisfaction can be brought about by a variety of factors. Tight budgets, short deadlines and heavier workloads have led to an increase in the stress levels of the average employee. Low job satisfaction directly results in low productivity.

When applying for a job, have a clear view of the responsibilities and tasks you will be assigned should you be granted that position. This will allow you to effectively analyze the job profile and match it with your own. Analyse your skills and areas of interest and proceed to recognize a pattern in the way you approach work assigned to you. By reflecting on your approach to work, it becomes easier to tighten the loose ends of your plan. Once you begin to view work as being 'work', job satisfaction goes out of the window.

People often blame a sudden career change on job dissatisfaction. If you are unable to jump careers easily, then find new ways to make the work more gratifying. Set challenges for yourself with the tasks presented. Set deadlines and timeframes in which to finish the work. Not only does this speed up the work, it also adds a little adrenalin to an otherwise monotonous task. However, take care not to let speed interfere with the quality of work. Know your weak areas and purposely take on tasks that challenge these, as this will help you develop those specific skills. Take time out to reward yourself for your accomplishments. This self-reward system will motivate you to perform better. Learn from your mistakes and don't let them weigh down your self esteem. Rewards may come in the form of monetary compensation, career advancement and so on.

Strike a balance between your work life and the rest of your day. Learn to compartmentalize your day into work and other activities. This will help to avoid carrying work related tension onto the rest of your day, and vice versa.

The secret of job satisfaction is to find joy in the process of doing the work rather than the rewards it will reap.

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How to Use LinkedIn to Maximize Your Job Search

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 by: Claudia Loens

Of all the social networking sites out there, the best one for finding employment, is LinkedIn.  The premise for LinkedIn is to get in touch with your network of previous colleagues, classmates and friends.  It takes a "six degrees of separation" approach and when you connect with your immediate network (first degree), you are also able to see to whom they are connected and so on up to three degrees.  If you are interested in reaching out to one of your network's connections, you ask to be introduced.  With over 37 million people already on LinkedIn, the network you may have access to is huge.

In addition to the paid job postings in which companies advertise on LinkedIn, Recruiters search LinkedIn for candidates for their positions.  When you enter your profile information, it is like displaying your resume for the recruiters and hiring managers to find.  You can also go one step further and ask previous colleagues to recommend you, which is where they write a paragraph or two endorsing you through their experience working with you.  It's like having a reference letter for anyone to see!

So how do you get started on LinkedIn?  Go to www.linkedin.com and go through the steps to sign up.  When you are asked about your contact preferences, be sure to choose the category "career opportunity" so that recruiters and hiring managers feel comfortable contacting you regarding a job they may have. 

Enter all of your information as if you were writing your resume, including key words, duties and accomplishments.  You may even use your resume for this step.  Once you are comfortable that you are appropriately represented, begin inviting people to connect to you.  You will need their email addresses to do this step, unless they come up when you search on previous employers.  In that case, if they've listed the same company, you will be given the opportunity to connect to them.

You will see people responding to your invitations right away.  Once you become connected, ask individuals to endorse you.  Here is where they have the opportunity to describe their experience working with you.  A good way to ask for this favor, is to write an endorsement for them first.  Everyone likes to be able to show off positive words that others have to say about their efforts.  And you can bet that any recruiters or hiring managers who view your profile will be looking for endorsements to get a pre-reference, if you will.

Consider updating your status to tell your network what you are looking for in your job search.  Make it brief, such as "looking for a new opportunity in the Los Angeles area in Sales" or whatever your field is.  This alerts people that you are actively looking – it's like having your own classified ad for hundreds, even thousands to see. 

Building your network is an on-going endeavor.  You should continue to build it long after you get your next job, as it's good to keep your network fresh and active.  You may wish to add people with whom you interview as you go through the job search process.

Utilizing LinkedIn for your job search is a great way to maximize your network to help you land that perfect job!

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