Subscribe to the free Résumé Action Newsletter.

We never sell or distribute your details to third parties.
View Privacy Policy

Read Newsletters

"Resume Action" Newsletter

A newsletter brought to you by Aussie Résumés http://www.aussieresumes.com 

Aussie Résumés offer résumé writing services, a résumé critiquing service, cover letter and selection criteria editing and writing, and software products.

September 2007: Issue 45

Editor:  Tara West

-------------------------------------------------------

In This Issue

-----------------------------------------------------

> Welcome
> Article: Creating a Personal Career Map by Nathan Newberger
> Positive Quote
> Article: Praise & Recognition by Kent Jacobson
> Positive Quote
> Article: Getting Through to People by David Lesser
> Positive Quote
> Subscribe / Unsubscribe Information
> Contact Information

-----------------------------------------------------

Welcome

----------------------------------------------------

You are receiving this newsletter as you either: 1) purchased products and / or services from Aussie Résumés; or 2) subscribed; or 3) downloaded our demo software; or 4) a friend has forwarded it to you.  If you feel you have received this in error please contact Aussie Résumés.

----- Please forward this issue to others -----

You are welcome to forward Résumé Action Newsletter by Aussie Résumés to interested friends or relatives, provided it is for personal use only and content is not altered in any way.

We are always interested in hearing from our readers, particularly with suggestions on how to improve our newsletter and what you would like to see featured in future issues.  Please email your feedback to: admin@aussieresumes.com

If you are interested in past issues of Résumé Action, you can view these online.  To access the archive visit: www.aussieresumes.com/careercentre-newsletter.htm

================================

Creating a Personal Career Map
by Nathan Newberger

Whether you are unemployed or have an unfulfilling job, you probably suffer from an ailment that plagues many people: career disorientation. You are not where you want to be professionally. Somewhere along the road to professional happiness you veered off course and lost your way. If you are driving and become lost, a map is a handy tool to help get back on course. A career map is just as useful in curing career disorientation.

This article describes how to develop your own personal career map. Once you know the path you want to take, it is much easier to get where you want to go.

These four key elements will be covered:

1. Finding The Big Picture
2. Do Some Research
3. Start Marketing Yourself
4. Plan For The Unexpected

1. FINDING THE BIG PICTURE
To create a career map, you must be able to take a step back and examine your position. More often than not, you may need to take many steps before the big picture becomes visible. The whole purpose of a career map is to create a path to your end goal. Being able to envision the entire path is crucial.

As you step back to examine your situation, ask yourself these questions:

• How far into the future do you want to plan? One year? Five years? Ten years?

• What job characteristics are most important to you? Location? Salary? Room for Promotion?

• Is there flexibility for unexpected detours? You never know when a spouse will find a job in another city or when a new boss will make your current job unbearable.

2. DO SOME RESEARCH
Planning should not be a stationary act. A vital part of effective career mapping is gathering information. After all, you cannot fully prepare for a journey unless you have a detailed understanding of the places you want to go. Determining the path you want to take for the next few years requires a lot of legwork. You must identify the specific actions you need to take on the road to success and fulfilment.

There are numerous methods to obtain all the information necessary for creating a sound career map. Some of the most popular choices include:

• Reading trade magazines and professional industry analysis.

• Interviewing industry experts.

• Finding a mentor that is already successful in the job you hope aspire to be in one day.

3. START MARKETING YOURSELF
As you examine your path to success, you must determine how to get yourself on that path. This means you need to be in contact with the companies and/or industries you see in your future. As you already know, landing the job you want is not an easy task. That is why marketing is an essential part of career mapping.

Above all else, a self-marketing strategy for career mapping should address these three issues:

• Market Identification: Just like a business must decide on the customers to whom it will sell its product, you must decide on the companies and industries to which you will sell yourself. Be specific, having only a general idea will leave you unfocused. Make a list of specifics so you can properly allocate your time and effort.

• Strength/Weakness Identification: When a business sells its product, it does not just to tell you the product's name. Advertisements emphasize the advantages of a product. You need emphasize your strengths and downplay your weaknesses as you market yourself. Have your closest friends and colleagues help you compile a list of your positive and negative characteristics.

• Mission Statement: It may seem trivial to actual develop a mission statement for yourself, but they perform a very valuable function. Creating a mission statement requires you to concisely explain your goals. In doing this, you remove frivolous details and better focus yourself.

4. PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Often times, as a person develops their career map he or she realizes that they are far off course. This perfectly normal, but it also means that getting on the right road will require a change of direction.

What the future holds is always a mystery. Drastically changing your life can only complicate things. A very important concern to have is your financial stability. A career map is only valuable when it is realistic, so it should address any of your financial concerns. As you plan for the future, ensure you have a financial plan to tackle the worst-case scenario. With each step along the way, you career map should answer the question "Can I afford to continue on?" And the answer must be yes.

CONCLUSION
Planning before you act allows you to make focused moves. Once you've plotted your course, you must act without hesitation. Don't forget to check your career map regularly to ensure you have not veered off course. Make forecasts and continue to plan. When the job market is rough; the people that do well are those that have a strong idea of where they are trying to go. Remember, driving is a lot easier when you keep your eyes on the road. Happy planning!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nathan Newberger is the job and career expert at http://www.WorkTree.com Nathan has over 10 years experience in staffing and human resources. He has worked both as a recruiter and career counselor. Mr. Newberger has been the Managing Editor at http://www.WorkTree.com for the past 5 years and his articles have helped thousands of job seekers.

 =================================

QUOTE

"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable."
--- Seneca

==================================

ARTICLE:

Praise and Recognition
Copyright © 2006-2007 Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success

When was the last time you praised your child, told someone good job or even simply said thank you. In the rush to get all of our day-to-day activities and trying to complete tasks, I doubt very much we stop and think about praise and recognition. If you are a coach, teacher, manager, peer, mentor or parent, you must on a regular basis stop and praise the efforts of those around you.

Praising someone in public or private is a tremendous motivator whose worth cannot be measured. Developing praise and recognition into your daily routine is so simple it is often forgotten. We often focus on the negative; don't give in to this temptation.

No matter what your profession is, a few simple tips below will help get you started. After that, develop your own style; it is easier than you think.

1. No matter where you are the next time someone holds open a door, lets you in a parking space, on the highway, say out loud thank you.

2. If your spouse brings you a cold drink or something to eat, tell them how much you appreciate the effort and thought.

3. Give your child or spouse a big hug and kiss, then simply say, "Thanks for being you."

4. Next time you ask someone to help with a task or project, thank him or her in advance for his or her time and help; in this case don't wait until it is completed.

Outside of money, recognizing and praising someone for their efforts goes a long way in building character and self-worth. Try it and you will reap the benefits also because it just feels good.

About The Author

Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr Success" is a trusted authority in the success field and provides valuable success information for free through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com. You can also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog

 =================================

QUOTE

"Life is a teacher; the more you learn, the more you live."
--- Author Unknown

=================================

ARTICLE

Getting Through to People
Copyright © 2007 David Lesser

Clients often ask me for tools and techniques to make them more effective in working with people. In a coaching session, whenever we discuss and practice how to handle a particular person or situation, they usually end up recognizing that the connection is the most important thing. In this article, we will look at rapport first then how to meet opposition.

Three Keys to Establish Rapport

Even in the tensest engagement, if we find a way to establish rapport with the other, the rest of the communication will flow from that. Great tools and technique have their place but without rapport they won't do too much. Here are three keys that I have found help me establish rapport.

Key One: Notice What You Are Afraid Of

Any exchange between two human beings involves risk. We may do harm, lose reputation or miss out on opportunity. Something may happen to take us out of our comfort zone where we won't know what to do. Where there is risk, the natural instinct is to keep distance.

Distance gives us perspective so we can map the safest way through. Yet it makes connection harder. Some people engage with avoidance and some with bravado. Either way rapport ain't going to happen.

Take the time to notice what is at risk, for you and for the other person. Once acknowledged, your risks won't create distance in the same way. You will likely begin to feel appreciation for who they are and for what they are doing in the face of their risks.

Key Two: Resolve The Superior-Inferior Dynamic

We create separation by upholding ourselves as special. No one has a perfectly undented self-esteem so, to feel good about who we are, we're constantly tempted to identify as better than or less than others.

As a coach or consultant, for example, my livelihood depends on having something to offer people or organizations that will help them. And I get great pleasure when good things happen for clients as a result of our work together. If I am not careful, I could easily surround myself with those I see as less whole or proficient.

My wife, Chellsa, and I make it a practice before an important call or session to help each other see how we are holding ourselves as better or worse than the other people involved. The separation resolves, not so much into "I am the same," as an enjoyment of the exquisite distinctiveness of each person's character and skills.

Key Three: Be Hungry To Meet Being-To-Being

It is possible to develop an appetite for the depth in people. On the surface, our engagements with others appear to be primarily transactional. There is information to exchange or feeling to convey; a desired outcome from each engagement. Rapport happens inside of all of that.

Along with whatever needs to be transacted, you are just eager to discover the other and be discovered by them. Is there anything more beautiful than to meet another in this way?

Make sure you give due attention to the desired outcome, the information and feeling that need to be conveyed in any exchange. Save some of your attention, however, for what is inside of all that: the quality of rapport you establish with another. If someone as stiff and reserved as I once was can find the way to create rapport, anyone can do it! Taking deliberate steps, such as those outlined here, can make a big difference.

How to Meet Opposition

My mentor always told me he would rather people were either hot or cold toward him, not lukewarm. You cannot do much with lukewarm response, but you can use challenge and opposition to advantage.

Some weeks the same topic keeps coming up in a number of different coaching sessions. Last week it was leaders learning, sometimes the hard way, how to meet opposition from a colleague.

The Key Word Here Is "Meet"

Most people get into trouble by failing to meet what the person is actually bringing to them. Instead they avoid the person's energy by trying to pacify, correct or fix it. Often that just makes things worse. What works for me is to recognize the emotion the person is experiencing, see where the challenge is coming from, and meet them there.

Most of us are hesitant to meet people with a strong pushback. Understandably so; as leaders or experts, we are careful with the power differential derived from our position and, if the person is coming from pain, low esteem or self-protection, coming on strong clearly doesn't help.

There are different ways to meet each of those three types creatively, which we may touch on in future articles. This section, however, is about meeting people who were bringing their challenge in a feisty, aggressive way.

Recognize The Energy

It is easy enough to recognize when opposition is coming from this kind of feisty, aggressive energy. The language will be clean and direct, not veiled or pained. You will probably feel some feistiness rising in yourself. Under the issue the person is bringing, you will often notice it is really about them finding their place. They want to play, to contribute more in some way, and they're looking for a way in.

Typically such people got told along the way that they don't really matter. They are used to being dismissed or overpowered and are wrestling this demon right now with the current authority figure in their life: you.

What a golden opportunity. You can let them know, finally, how much they do matter. Avoiding their energy, even meeting it with all the gentle kindness of a saint, won't give them that. You have to be willing to fight a little, to engage but in a way that leaves them getting a win, so they end up honored for the truth they are seeking to bring and feel they have a place to give their gift.

The more willing we are to establish rapport and to meet opposition, the more we will find ourselves surrounded by strong people engaging in a genuinely loyal and creative way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Lesser is coach and confidant to CEO's and senior executives. He has been guiding people and organizations through crucial transitions for over 20 years. Go to ExecutiveConfidant.com. Join David's blog or sign up for a free 30 minute consultation.

=================================

QUOTE

"It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people, to focus your energies on answers - not excuses."
--- William Arthur Ward

=================================

 SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE

==================================

Copyright Aussie Résumés.  All Rights Reserved.  Reproduction of information contained in this newsletter is prohibited without the express written consent of Aussie Résumés.

To subscribe, visit:
 http://www.aussieresumes.com/careercentre-newsletter.htm or send an email with subscribe in the subject line to: newsletter@aussieresumes.com

To unsubscribe, visit:
 http://www.aussieresumes.com/careercentre-newsletter.htm or send an email with unsubscribe in the subject line to: newsletter@aussieresumes.com

Our Privacy Policy: Please note that Aussie Résumés respects your privacy and as such your email address will never be supplied to any third parties.

Contact Information