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August 24, 2013

Creating Collaborative Spaces

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When looking at fostering creativity in the work environment, one ‘too’ that leaders can offer their members is to allow collaborative spaces. These are meeting areas, or work spaces, where member can go to either meet as a group, or for individual time, and be in creative mode. The two types of modes that I think of are brainstorming and freethinking; brainstorming is where you have to come up with ideas, while freethinking is any and all thoughts or ideas that arise. Personally, I prefer freethinking – the more I try not to control the process the easier I find the ideas flowing.

When creating collaborative spaces, an organization can designate offices or certain areas, liked a game room or den area; these spaces are not constrained and are arranged to enhance mood, which enhances creativity. Colors, pictures and the like are considered. Leadership needs to support the idea and encourage their workers to utilize these areas as often as possible; this will help to improve processes, systems, products and the like. Making improvements within an organization should be high on the priority list, to not become stagnant; creating collaborative spaces is one solution to prevent this from happening.

June 24, 2010

5 Effective Networking Strategies for Your Job Search

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I’m sure you’ve heard it by now – the BEST way to find a job in today’s market is through networking. The “hidden job market” is becoming the easiest and fastest way to employment. Due to the volume of resumes that a company receives for an open position, they are now looking for the way to find people who have the qualities and the references in a timely manner. What better way than to go through people you know and trust! Here are 5 networking strategies to use for your job search:

1. Family/friends – be sure to tell the people who know you best that you are looking for a job, and what type; they know, or know of someone who knows, that can get you in touch with the hirer and can speed your search

2. Social media sites – LinkedIn is the premier site for professional online networking; it allows you to post your “resume” online, to connect with people you know or people who are in organizations you want to be in, to research companies, to join groups for education and networking, and to show your expertise by answering questions. I heard a recruiter recently say that he would not look at anyone who did not have a LinkedIn profile! There are other sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Connections, etc. to join.

3. Associations and Groups – join groups in your industry – or the one you want to be in to find people who are currently doing what you want. When you do, start volunteering to show your skills and get you noticed. Some associations have mentoring programs or career pathing to help their members transition. and most have job boards. Find networking groups as well as they are great places to let people know you are looking for a job.

4. Alumni associations – go back to your college or university alumni center to get connected with other alumni who are in your field. Alumni usually want to give back (they also know people)

5. Business cards – pull out all of your old business cards to see who you can contact to inform them of your job search; look at people you’ve met in your preferred industry for connections or to set up informational interviews for information gathering and resources

If networking is not part of your job-search strategy, you are missing opportunities to get you hired. Go back and revise your plan to make these 5 effective networking strategies part of your job search plan. What other strategies have you tried?

June 20, 2010

Focusing Only on the Money Won’t Get You a Job

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I see it over and over again – job seekers feeling confused and frustrated that they can’t find a job because they are only focusing on the money they will make. While pay and benefits are important, they are not the only factors to consider when searching for a job. You have to think about the sacrifices you will have to make, not to mention the workload and stress, that come along with high-paying jobs. If your values and lifestyle do not mesh or you are not willing to do the work that is necessary then you will need to re-focus on finding a position that will fit and the look to see how you can set goals for how you will get there.

I once talked to a young man who is 29 years old and had worked his way up to the manager of a major, large retail chain. He was preparing to interview for a district manager position and I have no doubt that he got the position. In realizing his success, this young man was very focused on his career path and had taken the steps necessary to get where he was. He reported that he had set career goals for himself at a very young age, 18, when he started working for the company and wanted to progress every two years; he would move into the “next step” and learn all he could so he was prepared for the next position. While income was important to this young man, he felt that the learning and self-development opportunities were invaluable and motivating, as well as the ability to develop his employees to also move into management positions.

I think a good lesson can be learned from this story. If you focus on your reasons for wanting to pursue your career path, aligning with your values, and setting clear goals for yourself can get you to the right job opportunity that can make you happy. It will give you the purpose and the passion to work hard. In time, the money will come!

June 17, 2010

Rebuilding Trust (in yourself) After a Job Loss

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Losing your job can be devastating to one’s psyche and esteem. Thinking about the next career path can be confusing and bring up a host of fears and insecurities and lead to job search procrastination. “Who will hire me?” or “What job am I fit for?” are questions I often hear when I coach clients. It seems that the loss of a job leads to the loss of one’s identity which can deflate – or almost paralyze -the job search strategies that need to be done to get hired again.

In order to get “back in the game”, it is important to rebuild trust in yourself and in your abilities so you can get hired again. According to Bridges (2003) and Nakaska (2010), it is important for a person to rebuild their own trust in their abilities and in developing their own career plans “as they themselves, rather than any single job, will be the one constant in their careers.” It is important to keep in your mindset all of your skills and abilities that you have to offer to potential employees; this means having them written down and placed where you can see them on a daily basis. Keeping your professional development in mind will be the key to your weathering these changes and resulting stress that change brings. Paying more attention to what is occurring in your industry and in the world of work will help you bring more knowledge and skills to an employer and can position you as a top candidate for hire. Taking charge of your career will help to increase and enhance your skills and knowledge, give you a clearer direction for where you want your career to go and enable you to make better choices. These activities will also help to rebuild your internal trust so you feel more confident and less fearful to seek out the positions you desire. Not only will you rebuild trust in yourself but you will be managing your career as opposed to allowing an employer to do so.

June 15, 2010

The Top 20 Growth Occupations

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I saw this article on the net and thought it was worthy to pass on. Some of you may be unsure about your future – perhaps you are looking for work or are unsatisfied with your current job and may be looking to either go back to school or change careers. Maybe these predictions of the top 20 growth occupations between now and 2018 will help you to make the “leap” (and give you hope for the future):

Biomedical engineers – 72% increase, 11,600 jobs
Network systems and data communication analysts – 53% increase, 155,800 jobs
Home health aides – 50% increase, 460,900 jobs
Personal and home care aides – 46% increase, 375,800 jobs
Financial examiners – 41% increase, 11,100 jobs
Medical scientists (except epidemiologists) – 40% increase, 44,200 jobs
Physician assistants – 39% increase, 29,200 jobs
Skin care specialists – 38% increase, $14,700 jobs
Biochemists and biophysicists – 37% increase, 8,700 jobs
Athletic trainers – 37% increase, 6,00 jobs
Physical therapist aides – 36% increase, 16,700 jobs
Dental hygienists – 36% increase, 62,900 jobs
Veterinary technologists and technicians – 36% increase, 28,500 jobs
Dental asssitants – 36% increase, 105,600 jobs
Computer software engineers, applications – 34% increase, 175,100 jobs
Medical assistants – 34% increase, 163,900 jobs
Physical therapy assistants – 33% increase, 21,200 jobs
Veterinarians – 33% increase, 19,700 jobs
Self-enrichment education teachers – 32% increase, 81,300 jobs
Compliance officers (except agriculture, construction, health & safety, and transportation) – 31%, 80,800 increase