fbpx
  • Phone: 1-813-544-2726
  • 7901 4th St. N, Suite 5355, St. Petersburg, FL33702

Category: Promoting yourself

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Career coaching Career Development Networking Productivity and Priority Promoting yourself

Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

When we first consider establishing goals some of the initial thoughts that come to mind include graduating college, perhaps moving onto graduate school, intertwining our lives with a partner in a mature and intimate relationship, and/or taking the plunge of transitioning from our childhood home to our own independent living quarters. These short-term goals likely occur in stages, taking place slowly as we chip away at them until these objectives come to fruition.

Much like education, relationships, and independence, establishing career goals is incredibly significant in setting ourselves up for a successful future. We often realize that career takes up most of their adult scope when recognizing that the average employed American spends more than half of their waking hours working each day. This implies that our career accounts for a considerably large portion of our lives and time.

With such a strong emphasis on working in our society, finding the ideal job and creating career goals unique to us becomes prevalent. We must identify what career goals fit us as individuals, where we envision our career path leading us, and how we can realistically work toward our career goals.

Consider these Goals to Help Establish your Dream Career

Begin by having a vision.

The best place to start is by identifying what type of role you can imagine yourself working in. What was your concentration of study in college? What previous work experiences have you thoroughly enjoyed? What are your skills, talents, and abilities?

Define your values.

What is important to you? What are your engrained beliefs and morals? How do you want to be remembered? What is your legacy?

These are questions we all should mull over when exploring value systems. By having concrete beliefs and morals it is easier to establish career goals for yourself. You are able to follow your ethics truthfully and allow them to guide you into the right career or implement them as your foundation in a career you already feel drawn to.

Know your happiness.

It may sound broad or even a bit insignificant, but we need to understand the root difference between our happiness and what the world promises will make us happy.

Is it working the 9-5 grind? Is it chasing the vertical ladder of upward mobility to become a Fortune 500 Company CEO? Or is it having a stable income while bearing a family and balancing enough time to pursue hobbies instead?

These things take time.

Please remember to be patient. Things do not happen overnight, especially in the manner of pushing through the grunt work to achieve that well-deserved dream job. Trust me, though, this is all part of the journey. 

The most important aspect of establishing career goals is to start making them. Write down what you want to achieve in your career to have a visual of the work life you are mapping out for yourself. These objectives can be as broad or defined as you make them.

Last but not least… Ask for help! Having a Career Coach that guides you to Land Your Dream Career makes a huge difference.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Blogging Business promoting Career coaching Career Development Career Path Consistency Job Searching Tips LinkedIn profile motivation Networking Productivity and Priority Promoting yourself Successful Career

How to Stay Motivated in Your Career

How to Stay Motivated in Your Career

The quality of your work and your career success can be impacted directly by your motivation.  We all have our own motivational reasons for staying motivated, so you need to tailor a motivational that resonates with you. Knowing and understanding yourself will help you make more efficient and effective efforts. If you don’t move forward with your career, you can feel down and discouraged, just as someone who loses their job might. Listed below are a few suggestions you might find helpful for staying motivated in your career. change strategy. 

1. Set New Goals

Motivating yourself with a goal is one of the most effective ways to stay motivated. Your energy can be diverted to things that make a significant difference in your work and life. The goals you set now may be different from the goals you set when you first started your career.  As you advance in your career, setting goals is also vital to helping you earn more. Your performance and job satisfaction play a major role in your career advancement. Planning your career goals and setting professional goals can help you progress in your career.

2. Develop A New Skill

You will be able to advance more quickly in your career by developing the skills employers value.  Enhance your skills, including communication and writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities, in addition to more general qualities that make an employee pleasing to work with, dependable, and able to rely on. Development in these areas can raise your confidence at work, resulting in a more positive and motivating environment.

3. Make Your Career Enjoyable

Enjoying your work is a great way to keep you motivated. It will be difficult to continue working at your current job if you are always frustrated or bored. If you experience this problem often, you may need to make changes to your usual routine or find new activities to keep yourself occupied. In order to become fulfilled, your career should not drain you. Making things more enjoyable in the workplace can be as simple as challenging yourself at work or redecorating your workspace. Maintaining your positive attitude and motivation will allow you to be engaged in your work, which is the key to turning a job into a career. Actually Taking pleasure in your work.

4. Set Rewards For Yourself

​​Whenever you achieve your goals, reward yourself. Your reward system should be linked to your personal work goals, regardless of personal goals you have. For example, set a timeframe within which you want to improve a professional weakness. Having reached your goal, treat yourself to something tangible — a fine meal or a special item. You can motivate yourself to complete more projects at work by rewarding yourself when you achieve something at work, regardless of how small the accomplishment may be.

5. Use Your Strengths

Making use of your strengths can keep you motivated at work. Suppose, for instance, that you are good at accounting, but excellent at marketing. During your marketing training and employment opportunities, you can use the skills you have. Moreover, you should also think about how you can utilize your knowledge or skills already at your disposal. Your career will move forward this way, and you will always be looking for new opportunities.

Think about using your strengths to advance your career if you find yourself at a crossroads.  It is intuitively clear to many of us what we do well; however, understanding and utilizing our strengths is much more complex. The strengths you possess can contribute to your success in the workplace, regardless of your position or industry. Identify the strengths that are most recommended for your field and begin improving them by reviewing the most sought-after workplace strengths.  

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Business promoting Career coaching Career Development Career Path Job Searching Tips LinkedIn profile Networking Promoting yourself Successful Career

5 Ways on How to Successfully Change Your Career Path

5 Ways on How to Successfully Change Your Career Path

Change of career is a common occurrence for many reasons. Your career goals might change for many reasons; perhaps you find that you are passionate about something else; perhaps you want to make more money or have more flexibility in your working hours.

If you want to successfully change careers, more than merely leadership skills will be required. It takes dedication, focus, and planning to execute a great career change strategy. Throughout this article, you will receive the insight you will need along with helpful tips and tricks to change your career path. 

1. Evaluate Your Current Situation

Most people are aware of the fact they hate or have outgrown their jobs, but they do not know what else they are missing. First, you need to clarify why you’re doing something before you can move forward. Consider the situation you are in currently. Are there aspects of the job that you love? Where are your particular strengths? It’s important to consider what you can take from your current setting and how you can make it the best career move possible. It’s also a good idea to think about how you would like your future career to be slightly different. For instance, what in your current position frustrates you and makes you unhappy? What about it makes you want to leave? Once you’ve completed the exercise, you may realize things aren’t as rosy as you had imagined. As a result, you’ll uncover even more and better reasoning for your career path.

2. Asses Your Strengths

Take a moment to evaluate your strengths as a professional. Use your career change checklist to do this. What qualities do your colleagues say make you great at your job? Understanding these factors can help you take a career path that highlights your talents. Analyze whether your current career demonstrates your values and skills. A number of free online tools are available to help you assess your career options. 

3. Improve your Skills

When exploring a new career path, brushing up on your existing skills would further increase your chances of success. By identifying what skills you lack for your desired career, you can invest the time and effort into developing those skills. If you are currently employed, there are ways you can develop new skills that will help you transition into a career change without having to go back to school and spend years to retain another degree. 

 Staying on track with your career development requires you to set specific goals. Aim for measurable, attainable, and relevant goals that reflect your profession or goals.

4. Consider A New Industry

Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have. The reasons you stand out from your peers are your strongest qualities. Make sure to note what skills you possess that people in the field you want do not typically possess. Teams that aren’t used to those differences may benefit from them.

5. Network to Build New Connections

In order to achieve career goals, find a job, find out more about your field, or another field you are interested in, career networking is a vital part of the job search process. When you are looking for a job or want employment, networking can provide you with information. If you are applying for a job or considering a career change, you should include everyone you know who can assist you. Your online network can include past and present coworkers, bosses, friends who have similar interests, colleagues from business associations, alumni from your university, or acquaintances you have met through online networking sites. Also, you can use family, neighbors, and anyone you know who may have a connection that will help.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Career Development Marketing Networking Promoting yourself Working From Home

Stop Apologizing at Work

Why Saying Sorry Hurts Your Career

Stop apologizing at work. No more “I’m sorry”, no more asking for forgiveness, and straight up, no more being apologetic in the workplace.

There’s a time and a place to apologize – aka, when you’ve actually done something that warrants you saying sorry. Most times, however, people apologize like galore (especially women), for things they really shouldn’t be sorry for. If you’re guilty of over-apologizing in the workplace, keep reading to understand why this can be detrimental, and what you should say instead.

Stop Apologizing at Work: The Detriment

Creating a habit of saying sorry in the workplace can have a negative result on your career. Here’s why:

  1. It looks like you’re doing something wrong when you’re not. Often, your co-workers or boss will overlook the day to day “mistakes” or mishaps that occur. The moment you say sorry, you’re drawing more attention to a situation that others may have perceived as a non-issue. 
  2. When you say sorry all the time (especially when you’ve done nothing wrong), it makes those around you become immune to your apology, lessening the impact of your words when you actually do make a mistake 
  3. Constantly apologizing makes you come off as being more passive or “weak” in the workplace. It shows an element of self doubt / a lack of confidence; which doesn’t play over well in leadership roles, or if you’re looking to land that job promotion.

Stop Apologizing at Work: Here are Some Alternatives Instead

It’s possible to be a polite person, without being over apologetic. Between being accountable, tweaking your language, and being true to yourself, here are 3 alternatives to saying sorry at work. 

Be accountable

  1. There’s a huge difference between being accountable and apologetic. If there’s a mishap in the workplace, and it’s due to a mistake or an oversight on your end, be accountable. Being accountable, however, does not mean apologizing profusely to the point of no return. Acknowledge what you’ve done, take responsibility, and make it clear that you’re going to fix the situation. 

Tweak your language

Changing your language goes a long way at work. You want to be accountable and respectful, without being self-deprecating. A few simple tweaks in language can make the world of a difference. Here are a few ways to be accountable, versus apologetic. Note the differences in language.

  • Thanks for the catch! I’ll update that now! vs. I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I didn’t notice that in the report!
  • I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.  vs. I’m so sorry to waste your time, I know you’re so busy!
  • Good call – looks like an oversight on my end. vs. Oh my goodness, I apologize for my mistake! I completely missed that!

3. Don’t say anything at all

Why are you apologizing? Is it because you’re nervous you’re bothering someone? Do you truly feel like you’ve done something at work that warrants a genuine apology? Truth is, most of the time, nothing needs to be said at all. Perhaps you need to “bother” your busy VP to get feedback on a project in order to move ahead. Your first reaction might be to apologize. But why? Is it because you feel you’re not worthy of taking up their time? Nervous they have other things they need to focus on? 

Stop the inner dialogue. Stop the guilt. 

Avoid the nervous mindset of how you’re being a “disturbance” to your boss or team. You’re there to do your job, and if getting feedback is what you need to move ahead with your project, don’t apologize for it. In fact, the thought shouldn’t even cross your mind. Most times, it’s better not to say anything at all, and get straight to the point of why you needed their time in the first place. 

So, stop apologizing at work and start focusing on the value you add in your job, instead. Whether you’re a new grad making your way into the workplace, or a seasoned vet trying to ditch some bad work habits, say it loud and clear: #sorrynotsorry.  

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Career coaching Career Development Interview preparation LinkedIn profile Networking Promoting yourself

Ways to Answer Interview Questions

Ways to Answer Interview Questions

It’s often a scary thing to sit down in an interview. Despite how much we say it’s good to be prepared, many candidates head into a job interview without a clue on what to answer. Many struggle with a good answer and bobble around a bit as they try to think of something smart to say.

Trust me, your interviewer knows when you’re not prepared for a question and is probably rolling his or her eyes internally as you blunder and wobble through your answer.

Here are some questions and ways to answer them in a job interview. This is a great opportunity to make a positive first impression. 

Tell us something about yourself.

This is a general question you find out in an interview. In this question, you’re not going to tell them about your favorite color or movies. This question is asks you to know how you represent yourself. The best way to answer this question is to tell them about your family background, hobbies and education. You can share your strength and weaknesses a bit to build your path for the next discussion regarding the job.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This is the crucial interview question employee asks to know about your strengths and weaknesses relevant to the job. Start with your muscles and leave liabilities for the rest. Only mention something that you’re confident about, or you know it. A good idea is to share your strengths according to the job profile. You can also say that you’re a quick learner. It adds value to the strengths.

Sharing your weaknesses is the tricky part, especially with your hiring manager. It is also not good to show that you have no weakness as it might look arrogant. Therefore choose a weakness that does not affect your job.

What are your hobbies?

Now you think why the interviewer wants to know about your hobbies. Here they are checking your energy level, personality, and if you’re fit in the environment of the working area. Share something that adds value to your skills like travelling, interacting with new people, and you can also share some generic activities like sports and reading it shows your activeness. Sharing a mixed view of professional and personal experience shows that you can manage your professional and personal life both as well.

Why should we hire you?

This is a tricky interview question where the interviewer wants to check your skills and convincing power. It is the best opportunity where you can tell them why you are suitable for the job role. Here you can share your strengths and skills. You can also tell them about your college project about how you can manage things. It adds value to your strengths.

Why do you want to work with our company?

Companies mostly ask this question to see what job seeker want and how much they know about the company they want to work with. Therefore it is required that you know about the company’s background, values, services, etc. Correlate your carrier goals with the company’s values and state that how working with the company can enhance your skills and knowledge.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

At the first job interview, this must be a difficult question. In this question, they only want to know how well you planned your goals and how much longer you can stay with the company. Never give the impression that you’re there to gain just the experience.

What are your salary expectations?

It’s exciting, as a fresher to talk about your first salary, but it’s a difficult job. Never ask too much nor too few packages. Still, if you don’t have any idea about it, then you accept the package as per industry standards. This leaves scope for negotiation at the time of the final offer letter.

Do you have any Questions for us?

Most job interviews close at this question. Here interviewer leaves scope for you to clear the doubts. This question also takes place to check if you’re concentrated on the whole interview or not, which shows that how much you’re confident and focused. Always prepare the questions in advance that can help you in this situation. If you don’t ask any questions, they may consider that you’re not focused, or you don’t know that much about the company.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Blogging Business promoting Career coaching Career Development Consistency Job Searching Tips LinkedIn profile Marketing Networking Promoting yourself

How to Further your Career

How to Further Your Career

Whether you are trying to climb the corporate ladder or take on more responsibility at your current role, you need to develop a plan to advance your career. Developing career goals is important, but creating resolutions is a good way to keep inspired to strive for your dreams. Resolving to reach your career goals is the easiest way to stay motivated. To help you make a few good decisions, here are few things you could do to advance your career further.

#1: Set Career Goals

In establishing goals, one should not just be focused on success. Instead, one should define what success means to them. The ultimate success for someone may be a step toward achieving bigger goals for someone else. Having a clear idea of what you want to accomplish from your career will assist you in making decisions that will assist you in achieving it and keep you on track

#2: Build Your Network

The benefits of networking include improving your skill set, staying current with the latest trends in your industry, checking in on job openings, meeting prospective mentors, partners, and clients, and getting access to necessary resources to help develop your career. Your career also advances, and more job opportunities are available as a result of networking. A broader network of contacts opens doors to new positions, career advancements, and personal development. 

#3: Get A Career Coach.

IAn experienced career coach can help you find a new job, enhance your leadership skills, and achieve a healthier work-life balance. As you progress in your career, your coach will check in to ensure your goals are met, motivate you, and monitor how you are doing.  Coaches work closely with clients at every level to help them land the jobs they desire, but the relationship often doesn’t stop there. A lot of professionals keep in contact with their coaches to get career advice when they need it. The ability to use this skill for career development and satisfaction has proven valuable in the past.

#4: Maintain A Blog

Having a blog will increase your online presence and provide you with an efficient method of promoting your business You can be found quickly with search engines like Google. Imagine a recruiter discovering your blog while searching online for you, and that demonstrates your knowledge of the industry. Surely this is better than looking for your Instagram account just to see all your vacation photos.  It can make all the difference to include your personal blog. As a result, your application is stronger thanks to additional information about yourself 

#5: Getting Involved

Attending events will give you the opportunity to meet people who can help you advance in your career. Create your own event series to meet key executives and other influential speakers if you want to demonstrate more leadership. The service you provide in the community not only changes who you are as a person. Additionally, you may be introduced to new, perhaps more morally sound, career paths. Volunteering in your community can also serve your professional interests, as well as the communities you serve.

#6:Professional Development

Investing in professional development will boost your credibility and boost your confidence. Various professional development activities such as workshops, conferences, and other networking events offer professionals the chance to expand their networks and meet other professionals around their industry that may be able to assist them with their career development and future opportunities.  

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Blogging Career coaching Career Development LinkedIn profile Productivity and Priority Promoting yourself Resume Working From Home

Why having a Career Coach is Beneficial


With the assistance of a career coach, you can set out an actionable blueprint for finding the job of your dreams and gain confidence during the search.


A Career Coach holds you accountable

A career coach’s objective is to help you achieve your goals. Therefore, a career coach will motivate you, monitor your progress, and follow up with you to ensure that you’re proceeding accordingly. The idea of changing careers or improving your career prospects keeps coming up, but nothing really seems to materialize. Are you putting in the effort and time required to make those changes? After all, change is hard. With the help of a career coach, you can ensure that you are making the right decisions or getting on the right track to reach your career goals.

A Career Coach can help prepare you for interviews 

Considering how important most interviews are to a job offer, getting the guidance of a coach can be extremely helpful. A coach can calm your nerves if you have been out of work. They can provide you with professional insight on how to answer different interview questions.

You can also get feedback from career coaches by having mock interviews. These practice sessions will help you develop general interview skills or prepare for a specific interview. You will likely be given feedback on how you did and where you can improve, along with exercises that can help calm your nerves or improve the way you speak.

Build connections 

Coaches help us improve in a variety of areas of our lives, ranging from career to finances, relationships, and other areas. It’s sort of a life-changing experience. Professional coaching has a much greater impact on interpersonal relationships and workplace productivity.

Help Establish realistic career goals 

Having a career coach who is not personally invested in your success allows you to get results faster. Career coaches cannot help you if their interests do not align with yours. They are purely concerned about your accomplishments.

If you need assistance navigating a particular career field, career coaches can assist with salary negotiation and job search techniques . If you need information about a specific career field, they can help bridge that gap.

Having a career coach can help you overcome challenges, opportunities, and dilemmas along the way, boosting your professional confidence and knowledge enormously. Hiring a career counselor isn’t just for people who are unemployed or encountering problems during a job search, as they can help you in many more scenarios. In addition to helping you gain confidence in new phases of your career, career coaches help make your work experience more fulfilling, focused, and supportive.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Attracting Your Dream Career Business promoting Career Development Networking Promoting yourself Uncategorized

How to Change Careers Smooth And Effortless

How to Change Careers Smooth And Effortless

If you need to find a job more suited to your skills, here are some steps to help you to change careers easier.

1. Know Yourself

Before you change your career, take the time to understand yourself better. Most people never pause to reflect on who they are and what they want from their lives.

Career changes have become more common since the pandemic since people have more time to reflect and reconsider what they’re doing in their lives.

For many people, a career move can be a life-changing opportunity to find their passion and choose a career more suited to their aptitude and personality. 

If you had to sacrifice your passions and dreams to provide for your family or be a better parent you should try to understand your personality, aptitude, and life purpose before making a career change at 45. You can check these Steps to Grow Your Personal and Career Development to identify what you want and need to learn.

This doesn’t mean you need to sit cross-legged and meditate, but that you should figure out how you can apply your skills to live a happy and fulfilling life.

You can also read Mistakes To Avoid In Creating Career Development Plan to make sure you’re on the right track.

2. Adopt a Growth Mindset

Making a career change is all about being open to new possibilities, and when it comes to success in life, having the right mindset is everything.

Learn the difference between a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset and the four most common mindset shifts for developing a success mindset.

So, what mindset are you? Are you trying to prove yourself and win? Or are you trying to improve yourself? Do you have a beginner’s mind or are you a know-it-all?

There’s no shame in going back to school for a career change. Whether that means learning new skills or upgrading the ones you already have, being open to learning new skills with these online courses and training will help you become a more suitable job candidate.

3. Find the Best in Yourself

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do with your life but have hesitated from doing? Ask yourself why and be open and non-judgmental of your answers.

According to Conley, weighing your career decisions with empathy and curiosity through the process of Appreciative Inquiry can help you open up to new possibilities and career opportunities.

4. Connect With Your Network

As a mid-career or older professional it’s likely that you have already built a good professional network. Sometimes connecting with your network and letting them know that you’re looking to change careers is all it takes.

You can put out feelers and send a message to people like me on LinkedIn saying, “I want to change my career to [mention your career preference here]. Can you help?”

I’m always willing to help someone I like and respect, so only connect with those with whom you feel likely to share a friendly and mutually respectful relationship.

5. Create an Impressive Resume

Don’t write your entire career history in your resume. The ideal resume is one that is tailored to the job description that you’re applying for. It’s best to start with a career summary and use one of the many popular resume formats available.

Don’t make your resume more than two pages long and avoid mistakes such as irrelevant details and creative fonts. Write a career objective statement that matches the job description and company to which you’re applying.

6. Create a Social Media Presence

Today, it’s common to use social media to find a job. Most companies check out the social profiles of candidates they plan to interview for a job.

If you don’t have a social media profile, start by creating one on LinkedIn and use these 7 Ways to Improve your LinkedIn Profile Strength to ensure that your social profiles are professional and job-ready.

7. Brush Up on your Soft Skills

Soft skills are essential skills to have in the workplace. These include communication skills, interpersonal skills, effective teamwork, and leadership skills, and time management skills.

It’s expected that mid-career and older professionals will have developed good soft skills from many years of experience in the workplace. However, some professionals may lack social etiquette soft skills.

8. Start your Own Business

If you fail in your efforts to find a full-time job, don’t lose hope. You can start your own home business as a consultant, or trainer.

As a mid-career or older professional, you have a lot of wisdom to share. You can get paid for your wisdom by sharing it with others as a coach, consultant, or trainer.

Whether that means becoming a life coach or a business coach, or making the change from corporate to teaching, it’s a wonderful thing to discover what midlife wisdom you can share while helping others.

So, if you’re considering a career change, these tips for choosing a new career will help you in changing careers change smoothly.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Blogging Career coaching Career Development Networking Promoting yourself

How to Develop A Winning Job Search Strategy That Work

How To Develop A Winning Job Search Strategy That Work

There’s more to a job search than simply applying for online postings, though the majority of job seekers confine their job search to exactly that.

It may sound crazy but job postings are not the number one method employers use to recruit. A good job search strategy includes a number of job search techniques and approaches, including utilizing your network — the number one source of productive job leads.

1. Career Brainstorming

It’s very important that you have a good understanding of what you’re looking for in your career before you launch your job search campaign. This doesn’t
mean you need to lock yourself into a lifelong career decision. On the contrary, you just need to determine your unique profile; for example, the type of work you enjoy, the cultural environment that best suits your work style, your key strengths, the industries that you have interest in and your geographical preferences. This will help you focus your time and energy on exploring the right companies and jobs to match your interests and aspirations.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself that can help you focus on the right job search criteria. I encourage you to take out a blank sheet of paper and
write these questions down. Under each question, write down the answers and rank them in order of best or most important to worst or least important. This information will be very helpful as you begin building out your job search strategy, and will help with formulating your target company list.
̥

What are your key strengths?
̥ What industries are you interested in?
̥ What size company and culture interest you the most?
̥ What are your geographical preferences?

2. Develop You Target Company Lists

There are several ways that can be used for developing companies. You should start by listing 30-50 companies that you feel you would like to work for. You can speak to friends as well as colleagues and see the companies that they recommend. LinkedIn also has a very strong feature of company job search which can help you in your job search.

For this, you need to go to LinkedIn, click on the menu button and then on the search bar. You then need to select the companies and start the search. The Advanced Job Search strategies options can also be used by you by clicking on Advanced, which is located adjacent to the search bar.

In case you come across a company that seems interesting to you, click on the profile of the company and find out if it is the company that is of interest to you. In case you like it, then you need to click on the Follow button so that the updates, as well as the messages of the company, are sent to you.

3. Develop An Effective Marketing Strategy

In today’s job market, your resume and LinkedIn profile are your two most important marketing tools. Cover letters are important too, and often can help separate your application from the pack. Before you kick off any major job search campaign, take the time to optimize these career marketing tools so you can hit the ground running.

The development of a professional resume (identifying your skills to solve employer problems), cover letter and other job search correspondence is essential. Often these “tools” are an employer’s first contact with you. If your “tools” are sloppy, chances are your work performance will be as well.

4. Reach Our To Hiring Managers

Once the companies that are of interest to you have been identified, you need to identify the people who are working in these companies. For this purpose also, LinkedIn is a great tool. You need to begin by identifying the hiring manager along with the staff in the area where you would like to join. You need to look for the people who will be your colleagues as well as their managers. Then you need to find out the LinkedIn groups that they have joined. This is significant as if you also join that group, you will be able to communicate with them free of cost, without having to update your LinkedIn account. 

You need to find out if they have taken part in any of the group discussions. It will be a great way of entering the conversation and begin to showcase your expertise. Remember that your comments need to be professional, positive and upbeat.

5. Dust Off Interview Skills

As job hunting isn’t usually an everyday task, even the most self-assured creative candidate can get a little rusty. Before an interview, consider what questions may be asked and prepare thoughtful responses. Practice the answers with a friend. This will build confidence, alleviate anxiety during the real interview and reveal opportunities to fine-tune your presentation.

After each job interview, jot down any questions that proved particularly difficult to answer, or moments that caused you to stumble. Self-awareness and continued practice are keys to being an adept and poised interviewee.

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!

Categories
Blogging Career coaching Career Development Networking Promoting yourself

4 Easy Steps In Creating A Career Development Plan

4 Easy Steps In Creating A Career Development Plan

To create a career development plan, start by defining your results and motivation. Next, determine the required skills, perform a self-assessment and identify one area that needs attention. Finally, you can develop an action plan using the “SMART” goal-setting method.

A career development are seen as distinct avenues of self-improvement, but the two go hand in hand. If you’re interested in creating a personal and career development plan or working towards personal and career growth, you’re likely to experience a pleasant side effect of learning new skills or strengthening abilities you already have – achieving your personal goals for work.

It is important to focus on you, knowing your potential will accelerate your career growth. Having the initiative to be proactive and rising to a leadership position requires you as an employee to distinguish your blind spots and aspire to do better in order to continue your career rise.  Do not limit yourself and your ability. Knowing what works for you and what you want to achieve will allow a more natural career development prospect.

1. Identify your current position and career options

The first step in creating a career development plan is to assess your current position with regard to your past experiences, your strengths, specific skills, and values. Taking note of your success metrics will help you identify how the current projects and responsibilities map to your ultimate goal. 

Identifying your current job position also helps you to narrow your options so that you are not overwhelmed along the way. Take into consideration factors such as your current position in your field and academic ambitions, as they provide a basis for your potential. 

2. Identify your career destination 

The whole point of a career development plan is to design a strategy to help you reach your ultimate career objectives. Take time to understand where you want to be in, say, the next ten years, and compartmentalise your career within that timeline.

For example, if your dream is to be a senior project manager in a midsize energy company, be sure to incorporate it into your plan. 

Ideally, it is advisable to establish where you want to be in small increments; take into account where you are and what you want to do in the next two years. It is easier to visualise and achieve the ultimate goal if you work on it in smaller portions. 

3. Create your career development plan

Now that you have identified the skills and experiences you need to achieve your career goal, you can proceed to create a concrete plan on how to achieve it. Here is what you need to do:

Set small, task-oriented goals as part of your action plan — Create a set of tasks and identify means of accomplishing them. For instance, if one of the needed skills is to learn how to operate certain software, take a course to polish on it. 

Organise — Organise your goals around a reasonable timeline and start with short-term goals that you can achieve quickly before moving to long-term goals. It’s also important to track your progress as you go along.

Think SMART — The SMART goal template (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) helps you to design your goals, ensuring they are tangible and realistic, and therefore achievable. 

Create task deadlines — Working with deadlines is a sure way to complete your tasks within the set timeline. 

4. Measure your progress and be ready to evaluate

Implementing your career goals and evaluating them along the way ensures you are on the right path from beginning to end. For guaranteed success, you need to keep track of every activity to make sure you are doing everything in the correct order. Equally important, consider milestones and update your goals as circumstances change and more opportunities present themselves. 

If you want to learn more go and Book a Free Call Here!

Hi, I am Ruth McCrackin!

 Your Career & Success Strategist Coach with well over 11 years of experience working hand in hand with Human Resources and Business Partners in achieving company goals and mission. It is my wish for high achievers to getting their high-end position in attracting their dreams and passion. Avoid the loop holes of missing great opportunities by applying job search strategies, LinkedIn Branding, storytelling, and much more to up level your career and lifestyle. Start Your Transformation Now!