Career Change.

Written by Michael Harrison


Coping with change is now an everyday occurance. What's morerepparttar pace of change is accelerating andrepparttar 106931 need for us all to adjust is greater than ever. Yet, this is a time of opportunity.

Career change - Ignore it at your peril or seizerepparttar 106932 opportunity

All around we constantly seerepparttar 106933 changes which are affecting us. Economically power is shifting andrepparttar 106934 consequences are massive.

China and India are emerging nations using modern technology to massive effect as their economies grow at rates previously unheard of. It is predicted that China will berepparttar 106935 4th largest world economy by 2006, overtakingrepparttar 106936 UK and by 2020 it will be challengingrepparttar 106937 world's largest economy,repparttar 106938 US.

Although these changes will be seen by most as threatening they are really opportunity in disguise. Traditional and new processes are being executed with increasing effect world wide butrepparttar 106939 net result is that as this happens new situations arise which we as individuals can tap into.

The shifts inrepparttar 106940 world economy are affectingrepparttar 106941 large corporations and people employed byrepparttar 106942 corporates. This does not mean that within any communityrepparttar 106943 need for goods and services diminishes. In fact as more people benefit financially from global changes demand grows and that demand has to be satisfied.

The key to succeeding inrepparttar 106944 new world order is to be prepared to change. Jobs for life no longer exist, particularly inrepparttar 106945 corporate world and people who suffer are those that cannot adjust.

What's more, world wide pensions are under pressure so that means we all have to look out for ourselves in later life. This is not a threat it is a challenge if you are prepared.

Facingrepparttar 106946 challenges can mean there is a need for career change. Each time I changed direction when employed inrepparttar 106947 corporate world I faced new challenges. Perhaps I should have been more wary but I got to enjoyrepparttar 106948 challenge and changes.

Working from shop floor apprentice to CEO/Chairman in a variety of businesses and learning new skills in executive positions onrepparttar 106949 way bred ambition rather than fear of career change.

As I was always ready forrepparttar 106950 next challenge/ change I probably became un-employable so it was natural for me found my consultancy business in 1990.

Successful Job Search: Knocking Out The Competition

Written by Virginia Bola, PsyD


Most ofrepparttar time, competition stimulates us, gets our juices flowing, generates creativity, a sense of excitement, and motivates us to perform at our best. Looking for work is another matter! When it comes to financial survival, to regaining independence and self-worth, competition can be crippling.

We apply for a job inrepparttar 106930 fervent hope that hundreds of others are not also applying. Finding work is too serious an issue to be considered a game or a sport. We need to find that position that will make everything all right, make us believe in ourselves again, and help rebuildrepparttar 106931 self-esteem and self-confidence shattered by unemployment.

Unless we are very lucky, there will be competition for every position we identify. Our remaining option is to set ourselves apart from other hungry applicants.

How?

Take a global view and emerge fromrepparttar 106932 dank and slimy job search swamp by utilizing a number of techniques I call knock-out P-U-N-C-H-E-S, guaranteed to leave your competitors crying "Uncle" and throwing inrepparttar 106933 towel.

1. P is for Persistence.

We all hate failure. We don't like being rejected, judged, or found inadequate in any way. Trudging on, day after disappointing day, requires all of our reserves of energy, reserves that are rapidly becoming depleted. From having to constantly present ourselves as enthusiastic and creative, we become blue, bummed, and bone-deep exhausted. We wonder how much longer we can keep uprepparttar 106934 façade of self-confidence that we secretly admit has long ago evaporated. How can we present ourselves as competent, successful, and eager when in our heart-of-hearts we have accepted that we are a despised failure in a success-oriented culture?

The secret is to keep plugging away. No matterrepparttar 106935 number of disappointments we have experienced; no matterrepparttar 106936 number of rejections we have encountered; no matterrepparttar 106937 times when our age, our experience, our skills have been found wanting - we have to KEEP GOING. We never know if "this time" is "the one." We have to continue to act, no matter how difficult or painful it may be, as if this wererepparttar 106938 one position we have been seeking.

Ask any newly hired worker and they will tell you that just as they were about to give up, along camerepparttar 106939 gold atrepparttar 106940 end ofrepparttar 106941 rainbow. Not giving up, no matter how discouraged you internally feel, isrepparttar 106942 secret weapon in finding a position, no matter how long it takes forrepparttar 106943 right opportunity to appear.

2. U means Unswerving Focus.

There is so much going on in your life: family stresses, financial pressures, multiple demands on your time and your energy. The search for work, although prioritized for a long time, has moved downrepparttar 106944 "to do" list somewhere below Timmy's first tee-ball game andrepparttar 106945 in-laws' anniversary party.

If you have masteredrepparttar 106946 art of multi-tasking (juggling activities around as changing deadlines demand), you will have realized that finding work is your overwhelming priority and that nothing can, or will, interrupt your focus on that, no matter what else may be happening in your life. Ignoring peripherals and always keeping your eye onrepparttar 106947 immediate objective, obtaining a job, ensures that opportunities are not missed and that every possible avenue is explored. While there may be time for other things to maintain your balance,repparttar 106948 time allotted for job search must remain intact and sacred, no interruptions allowed.

3. N stands for Networking.

The often-touted "hidden job market" is merely a term to coverrepparttar 106949 multiple job openings that always exist but are never publicized. Literally, millions of positions are filled without classified advertising, internet postings, or agency listings. Such positions are identified, and obtained, through personal referral: a job seeker knows someone who knows someone else who has a need forrepparttar 106950 job seeker's skills and abilities. Networking is merely a fancy term for using friends and acquaintances to help locate employment. The process requires that when you are in need of work, you make sure that everyone you know is aware of your situation and that you ask them for information and assistance. Beyond exploring job leads with your contacts, it requiresrepparttar 106951 harvesting of names and additional contacts through personal referrals from your first line friends. Likerepparttar 106952 ripples of a pebble cast into a lake, your access to unadvertised positions multiples exponentially as your network of contacts, and their contacts, expand your chances of being inrepparttar 106953 right place atrepparttar 106954 right time when that long-sought employer connection occurs.

Many workers draw back fromrepparttar 106955 process after a few attempts, fearful of exploiting family and friends. At its best, this is a mutually beneficial relationship as their self-esteem is increased by havingrepparttar 106956 opportunity to help you. At some future juncture, you may be able to returnrepparttar 106957 favor.

4. C for Communication.

A job seeker doesn't necessarily have to possessrepparttar 106958 spiel of a professional salesman norrepparttar 106959 creative presentation of a marketing specialist but clear, unambiguous communication is critical throughoutrepparttar 106960 hunt for work.

Your resume, cover letter, and completed application need to be clear in at least three areas.

a) What position are you applying for? Even if you have become so desperate that you'll take just about anything, an employer is looking for an applicant who specifically wantsrepparttar 106961 job he has available. If your resume is purposefully hazy (because you are looking for several different types of work), make sure that your cover letter is focused onrepparttar 106962 specific position for which you are applying. b) What have you done inrepparttar 106963 past that is relevant torepparttar 106964 position you are currently seeking? Again, if your resume shows a smattering of skills in seemingly unrelated areas, tie it all together in your cover letter so that it makes sense inrepparttar 106965 employer's mind. c) What can you do, better than anyone else, to makerepparttar 106966 employer believe that he has to hire YOU? If you have operational skills thatrepparttar 106967 company needs, highlight them and what they could do to helprepparttar 106968 employer's business. If your skills are limited or you're applying for unskilled or semi-skilled work, stress personal qualities that stand out: reliability, courtesy, an ability to work with a variety of coworkers and supervisors, flexibility,repparttar 106969 desire to work hard to prove yourself, and a willingness to learn as much as possible to show your value.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use