NEW JOB? 5 HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Starting a new job is an exciting time in anyone’s life – no matter what your age or situation when undertaking it. There will be plenty of things you must prepare, such as what you’ll wear on your first day, how you’ll schedule your day, and how you’ll get there, but what about once you’re in your new work environment?

While you’ll find countless articles and tutorials offering advice on the application and interviewing processes, these tips seem to dry up once you actually get your foot in the door. You’ll obviously want to make a good impression, and this will take up the majority of your focus, but what else should you look for?

Your actions in your new workplace are important, there’s no doubt about that. However, your employer has just as many things to think about. Creating a safe and comfortable work environment is one of them. If things aren’t up to standard, then you’re entitled to bring their attention to this fact – whether it’s your first day or not.

No one should be expected to work somewhere that is not safe or comfortable. Here is a brief guide of five things to look for in a new work environment to make sure you get the most out of your job (and it gets the most out of you!):

1. Health And Safety Protocols

When arriving in your new workplace, you should be informed of the location of certain things. You should also go through the basic procedures and protocols at your place of work. Health and safety should be a major part of this, so it is important that you are sufficiently briefed on what to do in certain situations.

From learning the correct procedures needed to lift heavy items to being shown where health and safety equipment is stored and knowing how to use it correctly, there are plenty of things that should be covered.

If these things aren’t covered, then you’re entitled to ask for more information or training. Any accident or injury you sustain as a result of lack of information or training can be classified as negligence.

2. Equipment And Uniforms

Following on from the above, if you work in a hazardous industry then it is important that your employer provides you with the necessary equipment, tools, or uniform. Where heavy objects and hazards are involved, protective equipment is a vital addition. This equipment should include items such as hard hats and steel toe-capped boots.

Your employer is responsible for providing certain safety equipment supplies and ensuring that these supplies are kept topped up is also within their remit. Some firms may charge you for replacements if you damage or lose your equipment or uniform, but it is important that you’re given everything you need to get on with the task at hand.

3. Fire Wardens And Training

Another important aspect to consider when entering a new workplace is the fire safety protocols that are in place. You should be given training on how to evacuate the building during a fire and be notified of who the designated fire wardens are within the building. This is vital information that can prove invaluable if a fire does break out, so it is important that you ask questions about this if it is missed from your induction.

4. First Aid Book

Accidents do happen (unfortunately) and, when they do, you need to be able to record them formally. All places of work should be equipped with a first aid or accident book. This gives employees a place to record any injuries they sustain. Even if the injury is small it is important that you record the details immediately as this information may need to be used later and employers cannot give you the help or support you need if they’re unaware that an accident took place.

5. Temperature Controls

This may seem like a strange idea to end with, but your working environment is just that – an environment. This means that it needs to be kept at a comfortable temperature that is conducive to work and your health.

Offices or workplaces that are too hot or too cold can lead to a number of health issues including headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, and even faintness.

Always look for signs that your new environment has taken measures to control the environment where you’ll be working. These include air conditioning and heating systems.

THE BENEFITS OF CYCLING TO WORK

Cycling to work and leaving the car at home seems to be becoming a popular mode of transportation, especially when the Tour De France providing something of an inspiration at this time of year. However, do we really know about the benefits of cycling to work? Although there’s no doubting it’s definitely healthier, there are many more reasons to pause before you next climb into the car. 

Although it might be a given that your health will improve, it’s quite dramatic just how much cycling to and from work can help in the long run. If you normally have a 30 minute cycle to work, you could burn over 800 calories. That is a huge amount (it’s actually the equivalent of eating four Kit Kats or a bacon sandwich). When you compare that with the small number of just 136 calories if you travel by car, then you can see a dramatic difference in numbers.

As well as helping weight loss, cycling is also a wonderful way to beat the nightmare traffic jams that often make work commuters seethe with anger when they need to get to and from work. Furthermore, statistics provided by Express Solicitors’ infographic ‘On yer bike‘ reveal that 43% of commuters spend their time stuck in traffic. That is a very high number when you consider just how many people travel to work every day. According to a study on cycling, cyclist are up to 50% faster than drivers. Therefore, when you look at your car and assume it’ll be faster, pause and maybe reconsider… Your bike could be a much wiser option than you first thought.

This is just a small snippet of information from a substantial list about the benefits of cycling to work. Furthermore, even if you’re not sold on the idea of finding your bike, don’t worry because the infographic below also has lots of helpful tips and advice to keep your car journeys to and from work as safe and hassle free as possible. Check it out!

SIMPLE MONEY SAVING TIPS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

The economy is recovering slowly – more and more jobs are being created with each passing month. Be this as it may, there are still millions of qualified individuals who are yet to secure steady jobs. In this particular stage of life, it is important to be cautious about how you spend the little bit of money you have. Otherwise, you could worsen an already dire financial situation. The following are a few money saving tipsto help you along the way:

Cutting Bills

Everybody needs electricity and water – there’s no doubt about that. As anunemployed person, however, you will have to be very careful about how you use these important utilities. This might sound a little extreme, but it really isn’t. Most people actually use way more water and electricity than they need, every single day, for months on end.

First and foremost, avoid wasting tons of water and electricity on hot baths. Instead, go for showers because they are faster and require much smaller quantities of water. Next, fix all dripping water taps and pipes. Here is a fact that will make you understand just how important this particular undertaking is: a dripping tap can lose between five and thirty gallons of water per day. Do the math for one month and you will see why having a dripping tap is not just a minor problem.

When it comes to electricity, ensure that all appliances and lights are turned off when not in use. Be aware of home much energy a dryer consumes and consider hang-drying laundry. Also, minimize air conditioning usage, which can make electric bills skyrocket in the summer. In addition, go for energy efficient LED lighting and energy star labeled electronic goods.

Watch Your Travel Habits

Most people take this for granted, but travelling is one of the most costly undertakings in any household. So, if your career is not bringing you any money, then it might be a good idea to rethink your habits. For starters, you should forget about using your car because gas is not cheap. Instead, opt for public transportation or, better yet, buy a bicycle. You should also put on hold any vacation plans and anything that involves flying and checking into hotels. The bicycle idea is actually a very good one, especially if you live in an area where various amenities are close by.

Watch Your Fitness Spending

Millions of people across the country spend hundreds of dollars every month on fitness programs. If you do not have a stable salary, you should completely shun this kind of lifestyle. You don’t have to go to a gym, aerobics class, and so on in order to stay healthy and fit. There are many cheaper (and even free) alternatives. For example, jogging, and home-based workouts (push up, sit ups, jump squats, etc). You can also download free fitness videos from the Internet and use them to guide you through different workouts.

Spend Cash, Not Credit

If there ever was a time that you needed to stop spending money that is not yours, this is it. Forget about credit cards and loans. Instead, only spend money that you have. This way you will be able to feel the pinch of handing over cash and, as a result, it will be harder to overspend.

Cut Unnecessary Expenditure

Forget about that new laptop, plasma TV, car, pair of shoes, or gaming console you just saw. This is not the time to spend money on things that you can live without. If you can breathe, eat, and operate normally without it, then you definitely don’t need it.

About the author: Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he offers tips for individuals out of work including saving on electric bills, and aims to encourage further study with an OU Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.

4 C’S TO CAREER SUCCESS

Creating the life and career success you want and deserve is simple common sense. It’s not hard, but you need to do it right. First, focus on the four C’s of success: clarity, commitment, confidence, and competence.

1. Clarify The Purpose And Direction For Your Life And Career

• Create clarity by figuring out what success means to you personally.
• Create clarity by creating a vivid mental image of yourself as a success.
• Create clarity by determining your personal values.

2. Commit To Taking Personal Responsibility For Your Life And Career

• Take personal responsibility for your life and career success.
• Take personal responsibility by setting and achieving high goals.
• Take personal responsibility by choosing to react positively to the people and events in
  your life; especially the negative ones.

3. Build Unshakeable Self-Confidence

• Build your confidence by choosing to be optimistic.
• Build your confidence by facing your fears and acting.
• Build your confidence by surrounding yourself with positive people.
• Build your confidence by finding a mentor to help you create your success.
• Build your confidence by sharing your knowledge and wisdom through mentoring others. Get competent: create positive personal impact, become an outstanding performer, become a dynamic communicator, build strong relationships.

4. Positive Personal Impact

• Create positive personal impact by creating and nurturing your unique personal brand.
• Create positive personal impact by being impeccable in your presentation of self; in person and on line.
• Create positive personal impact by knowing the following basic rules of business etiquette.

Outstanding Performance

• Become an outstanding performer by keeping your skills up to date by becoming a
  lifelong learner.
• Become an outstanding performer by learning to manage your time and life.
• Become an outstanding performer by living a healthy life style.

Dynamic Communication

• Become a dynamic communicator by demonstrating strong conversation skills.
• Become a dynamic communicator by writing clearly and succinctly.
• Become a dynamic communicator by mastering public speaking skills.

Relationship Building

• Build relationships through self awareness. Use this knowledge to better understand
  others.
• Build relationships by paying it forward; give with no expectation of return.
• Build relationships by using conflict to strengthen, not weaken, relationships with the important people in your life.

18 EASY CONVERSATION STARTERS FOR NETWORKING EVENTS

I think one of the hardest things about networking events is just getting a conversation going with someone – without being awkward about it.

Approaching someone new can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.

So, what are some natural and easy ways to break the ice? Here are some tips and tricks:

Go Fishing At The Food Table

While waiting in line for the food, start chatting up the person next to you. This is a great opportunity to get a conversation started because you already have something in common: the food. Everyone is thinking the same thing, What am I going to try? What looks good?

So, instead of just standing there in silence, start a conversation. Here are a few conversation starters for this situation:

• “Oh man, everything looks so good… I’m not sure what to get! What are you thinking?”
• “Yummy, they have ___! Have you ever tried it?”
• “Hmm, I’m not quite sure what that dish is… do you know?”

Who knows, you might leave the buffet with a better plate of food AND a new contact! That’s a win-win in my book.

Find A Loner

If you see someone standing alone in the corner, clutching his or her drink, and looking miserable, don’t be afraid to walk up and introduce yourself.  Typically, these people need a little help getting the conversation going.

Here are some ice breakers:

• “Man, these networking events can be so crazy. Mind if I join you over here where it’s a little quieter?”
• “Wow, there are a ton of people here! The food must be good, huh?”

If someone is standing alone, he or she is probably feeling uncomfortable or unconfident. If you initiate the conversation, it could make them feel more relaxed and willing to connect.

Compliment Them

Everyone loves compliments, especially when they are feeling insecure (and many people do feel that way when attending networking events). If you’re struggling to start a conversation with someone, find something to compliment.

Here are some ideas:

• “Yum, that drink looks good. What is it?”
• “Cute shoes! Where did you get them?”

Talk About Sports

People love talking about sports. If you’re a sports person, use it to your advantage!

See someone wearing a Red Sox cap? Say something like, “Red Sox fan, huh? Did you catch the game yesterday?”

Overhear a group of people talking about last night’s game? Express your interest in the conversation by saying something like, “Are you talking about ……?”, then chime in.

Just Say Hello

Sometimes, the easiest way to meet someone is to offer a handshake and say, “Hi, I’m Peter.”  Simply introducing yourself with a smile and a dash of confidence can work wonders.

Keeping The Conversation Going

I know what you’re thinking, Yes, yes, that’s all well and good, but how can I keep the conversation going after the initial question?

It’s easy! Talk about something else you have in common – the event itself! Here are some ideas:

• “I’m Gina, by the way, nice to meet you…”
  • “So, is this your first time at one of these events?”
  • “So, how did you hear about this event?”
  • “What a great place for an event, huh? Have you ever been here before?”

After that, try learning more about them. Questions can include:

•  “Are you from the area?”
• “What line of work are you in or trying to get in?”

Next step: get them talking. Remember, people generally like to talk about themselves. So, once they tell you what they do, ask questions about it. Here are a few:

• “That’s very interesting…”
  • “What drew you to that line of work?”
  • “What do you like about your job?”
  • “Why are you interested in working in that industry specifically?”

BONUS: Your Exit Strategy

It’s that time: your drink is dry and you’re ready to move on. When the conversation starts to wind down, don’t try to force more. Remember, you’re there to mix and mingle – don’t chain yourself to one person all night.

If you’d like to exit a conversation, try one of these lines:

• “Alright, I’m going to get some food now that the line has died down a bit. It was great meeting you!”
• “Have you met Lisa? She works in your industry as well. I’m sure you both will have plenty to talk about. I’ve got to say hello to someone, but I’ll be back.”
• “Well, I think it’s time for me to head out. I would love to talk with you again, though. May I have your card/contact information?”

4 Ways To Edit Your Resume Like A Professional Resume Writer

Professional resume writers take on the mindset of the employer and recruiter when crafting and editing resumes. To edit your resume like a professional resume writer, you have to develop a fresh mindset. If that means taking a break from your resume for a day or two before going back to it, that’s what you will have to do.

Candidates often spend so much time on their resume they can no longer give it an objective review. Many candidates are also challenged with writing their own resume because they are so involved in their own experiences. They are unable to offer a macro view of their experience and achievements – and rather than focusing on information that is important to a potential employer, they are stuck focusing on mundane daily tasks of the job that are less impactful on a resume.

To tackle your resume like a professional resume writer, have an open mind and think like the employer or recruiter you are applying to. Here are some general rules to follow:

1. Show What You Do Well

Identify the top five skill sets that an employer wants in the perfect candidate. Then, focus your resume on how you’ve achieved great things leveraging these skills. For instance, if you are applying for a sales position, your focus should be on quota achievement, account penetration, prospecting, and closing techniques. Don’t sway from focusing on the core skills an employer wants.

2. Remove What’s Irrelevant

In most instances, a hiring manager makes a decision of whether you are an appropriate candidate for a call back after reviewing your resume for only a few seconds. Rarely is every line on your resume read in its entirety. The more information on your resume that is relevant, the quicker the hiring manager will come to the conclusion that you are a candidate for call back.

However, if your resume includes information that offers some relevance and some things that aren’t, you just increase your chance of being dismissed. So, in the end, the less an employer finds irrelevant on your resume, the more impactful it is. You are better off leaving information that doesn’t offer much to an employer than including it.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Market Yourself

For a resume to have impact, you have to market yourself. Every aspect of what you put on your resume should sell. Take all of your experiences, skills, and capabilities, and position it in a manner to sell. The information on a resume should present itself in a manner that says, “This is what I have achieved before, and this is what I can do for you.” Many resumes don’t sell simply because they are poorly focused.

For instance, just because your job was to bag groceries does not mean that is the information you put on your resume. You can make it more marketable by indicating how your customer relation skills helped maintain customer satisfaction, resulting in returning customers. Your statement is not a lie. It is simply repositioning information in a way that shows more relevance for the job.

4. Look Out For Common Mistakes

Minor mistakes such as misspelling, punctuation, grammar, and alignment are avoidable. However, many resumes that are not carefully proofread contain such mistakes that are cause for dismissal by the employer. Of all reasons for a resume to be dismissed, don’t let these easy fixes be one of them.

Ask a friend or family member to give it a review. You need another pair of eyes or at the very least, a fresh pair of eyes. Remove yourself from your resume for some time before giving it a good review. When you stare too long at a resume, you lose sight of important matters.

Reviewing and editing your resume like a professional resume writer can make a significant impact. It is often the difference between actually securing interview opportunities for jobs of the quality and spending valuable time continuously searching and applying for new opportunities to only receive no response in return.

If you are not seeking the help of a professional resume writer, at the very minimum, you should be tackling your resume by following the points above. If you are not sure about your resume, I offer a free resume evaluation.

How To Prove You’re The Perfect Person For The Job

Don’t you love when someone just “gets” that you’re theperfect person for the job? They see your value and what you bring to the table immediately, but then there are others you’ll never convince.

How do you communicate the ROI the employer will receive for hiring you as opposed to another to those who may not readily see it but are open to it? This question came to me as I was working with some prospective clients over the past week.

Prove You’re The Perfect Person For The Job

Some employers are dead set on doing it their way, only hiring someone with X number of years of experience or they think they know exactly the type of person (and personality) they want to hire—and no manner of explaining is going to change their mind. These are the people you just have to let go. I’ve learned you can’t get all worked up over those who will never see it. It’s not worth stressing yourself out over someone who will just never “get it.”

However,  there are those who may not see the perfect fit that you are—but once they’re enlightened to it they very easily see that the positive outcomes outweigh the costs. Whatever those “costs” may be. Maybe it’s the degree you haven’t finished yet, those two years of experience that you haven’t obtained, or something else altogether…

How can you as a potential candidate for the job communicate the value, return on investment, and the many benefits they’ll receive upon choosing you? Here are a few suggestions I’ve discovered along the way that I hope will serve you well:

In The Interview:

Who can argue with experience? Share examples of how you’ve successfully tackled similar problems and situations in the past. Theory goes, if you’ve been successful with something once before, history will repeat itself. These examples will speak volumes because they’re not statements about how you might handle something; they’re statements about how you’ve already successfully overcome something.

On Your Resume:

Make sure that you use C.A.R. statements (challenge, action, results statements) that help to illustrate exactly the challenge you were up against, the action you took to address the challenge, and then the great results you achieved. S.A.R. is very similar; it’s situation, action, and results. Whichever you use, they’re great tools for communicating exactly what you’re capable of bringing to the table by demonstrating what you’ve accomplished in the past.

While Networking

Let your passion show and focus on expertise. Whether you’re networking in person or online, focus on your areas of expertise. Discuss what you’re passionate about. Your excitement and enthusiasm are contagious, and people catch on to that. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and your own professional Web site or blog are great places to share your expertise with others.

Write about what you know, what interests you—and do it in a way that helps others who enjoy the same things or are in need of help. When talking with others in person, that contagious enthusiasm is much easier to pick up; others will easily see why it is that you love what you do, and they’ll see the value you offer as an expert in your field.

It’s important to be yourself, positioning yourself as an expert, and show that you’re passionate about what you do. Like I mentioned before, that excitement and enthusiasm you hold inside you for what you do will shine through—and others will catch on to it a lot quicker than you think.

Transform Temp/Contract Work Into A Permanent Job

Great news! You’ve landed either a contract or temp job, which suddenly has taken so much stress off of you from looking for a job. Now, you can pay the bills, settle in, and concentrate your focus on getting up to speed and making valuable contributions. But what’s the worst thing that can happen at this point?

Becoming complacent in this moment of opportunity.

But first, let’s be clear. Contract or temporary work does NOT guarantee a future at the company. It is exactly that: a stretch of employment that has a finite end to it, and you’re going to have to deal with an end point sooner or later.

But despite not being a permanent employee, you have something vastly more powerful in your career arsenal right now than the unemployed job seekers:

• You have a foot in the door.
• You are a known quantity.
• And you have a chance to prove yourself.

If you are seeking permanent work and accept part-time, contract, or temp employment, you should be focused on doing quality work as job #1, and as job #2, looking for opportunities to secure a longer-term position within the employer.

There are several ways to position yourself and take advantage of this opportunity to potentially extend your employment with this company. Here are five tips on how to transform temp/contract work into the possibility of your being retained as a full-time, regular employee:

1. Think and act like an employee genuinely interested in mission and bottom line of company.

If you just show up, do your job, and complete only the minimum of what is asked of you… well, you’ve just painted yourself into a very small box that doesn’t show much dynamism. While you have to be aware of not stepping on toes, if you truly do find a new way to save the company money or help them in any way, be sure to make sure you let the key supervisor know. They’ll appreciate it.

2. Provide status reports to all key stakeholders in a timely, concise way.

Sometimes, as a temp/contract employee, you won’t be a regular part of the staff team and will get left out of what is the normal information flow. By taking the initiative on communications, you also demonstrate your strong skills in this area, and provide critical updates to projects.

3. Step up.

If possible, and if you can manage the added work, request additional tasks. This will give you a broader knowledge of company operations, strengthen your bench skills, bring you into more contact with a larger number of decision makers and co-workers, and show your initiative.

4. Ask to be hired full-time.

If a staff opening for which you are qualified comes up while you are employed on a temp/contract basis, don’t be afraid to talk to the key decision maker for that position to let them know about your interest in the job. You don’t want to be too aggressive, but at the same time, this isn’t the moment to suddenly be a wallflower and hope that they ‘pick’ you. If you don’t tell them of your interest, they don’t know.

5. Propose a job if the timing is right.

Many employers have cut back staffing  to bare minimum due to the economy, but as things ease up a bit, they might be more receptive to adding back  positions. If the timing seems right, and you can see a clear need that you could fulfill as a full time worker, schedule a time to talk to the decision maker and make your proposal.

If none of these tactics work, and the part-time/contract work truly has an inevitable end date, then you should concentrate on doing the best job possible for the employer. Then, several weeks before the scheduled end-date, set up a time with your supervisor and discuss your interest in their company and field.

If they seem willing, ask them about who they would recommend talking to about possible full-time employment in that same field. Always remember to thank them for the opportunity to work at their company, and make them feel that, if a position were to come open, you would prefer to work at their organization based on the positive experience you’ve while you’ve been there.

You never know where this can lead!

Why Your LinkedIn Headline Is So Important

If you’re looking for a new job, you probably already know the importance of having an updated LinkedIn profile, but you may not realize how important the LinkedIn headlinesection can be to your job search.

Why You Should Update Your LinkedIn Headline

By default, LinkedIn populates your headline with your current job title and employer, but this field is fully customizable. Most career experts agree that this is one of the most powerful fields in your profile and you should take full advantage of the ability to show your awesomeness in 120 characters or less.

When recruiters use LinkedIn to identify candidates for their open positions, the first piece of data that comes up is your name and your headline. There needs to be some call to action for the recruiter to click through to your full profile.

Think Like A Salesperson

Rather than just listing your job title, think like a salesperson. What is your greatest asset for a prospective employer? What’s in it for the employer if they hire you? Why should this employer hire you or even make an initial contact with you? Since you’ll need to edit this down to a quick sound bite, make a list of all of your assets and then rank them in order of importance. Take the top two or three and work them into a headline of appropriate length.

If you’re struggling with this, ask people who know you to help. Sometimes, it’s hard for us to be our own agent, but other people see us favorably. Ask former co-workers, friends and family to tell you what they admire most about you and take those items and work them into a headline.

Be Specific To Your Field

Your headline should also be specific to your career field. Use keywords that may be used in a recruiter’s search for your specialty. Some creativity is good to set you apart from the competition, but it’s unlikely that a recruiter will be searching for a “healthcare ninja,” so don’t go overboard with originality and imagination.

Tell Your Story As Succinctly As Possible

Since a mere 120 characters goes quickly, so you can’t write a novel, but you do have room to make one solid statement about who you are. Think about how you got to this point in your career and what problems you want to solve for an employer going forward.

When you’re ready to make a change to your headline, log in to LinkedIn and select the menu for Profile, Edit Profile. Click Edit by your name. On the next screen, you’ll see a subheading for Headline. It’s easier to craft the headline in Word (or a similar word processing program) so you can see how many characters you’re using and then cut and paste it into the LinkedIn field. Click Save Changes and you’re finished!

What Do You, Bill Gates, And Oprah Winfrey Have In Common?

Question: What do you have in common with billionaires Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey?

Answer: 24 hours in each day.

As rich and powerful as they are, even Bill and Oprah only get the same 24 hours you get. The difference is what do you do with that time? They each employ effective assistants to help them make the most of their waking hours. If the days, weeks, and years are flying by with not enough to show for it, follow these tips:

1. Grab A Notepad

Start writing your goals and dreams and action plan. The act of putting these things down on paper is the first step to making them happen.

Examples:

Short-Term Goals

• (1 month) – Go to the gym, visit my sick friend, make that doctor’s appointment and actually go.

Longer-Term Goals

• (6 months) – Begin house-hunting, plan the birthday party, organize finances.

Really Long-Term Goals

• (1 year) – Lose 20 lbs.
• (5 years) – Update your will.
• (10 years) – Buy a vacation home.

2. Hire An Assistant

An effective assistant can make the difference between having your time being eaten up with administrative tasks and getting to do the things you actually want and need to do. A professional assistant is worth their weight in gold when she becomes invested in your success.

3. Know Your Time Wasters

What if you are the assistant? Assistants need support too in order to make the best use of their 24/7. It works both ways. Get clear about the time-wasters in your day and ask for help from family and friends. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook says, “The most important career decision a woman makes is her choice of a partner.”

4. Buy A Large, Laminated One-Year Calendar

Buy a calendar to hang up on your office wall so you can literally keep the big picture close at hand. It’s not easy to get a handle on your life when you look at a calendar on your smartphone. Plug in the big events of your work life and personal life such as the big annual retreat which automatically tells you that the two weeks before will be insane. It will become obvious when you can take a vacation or plan your root canal.

The Bottom Line: Time is precious no matter who we are. As someone wise said, this is not a rehearsal. You will make more money, enjoy more leisure time, and be free to focus on the things that only you can do when you take on the task of wrangling your 24/7.

Just like Bill and Oprah.

Single And Looking: 5 Reasons Why Job Search Is Like Dating

Think job search is a drag? You’re not alone. Maybe it’s time you looked at it differently.

Dating, despite having its ups and downs, can actually be a fun activity. Funny enough, dating and job searching are pretty similar in their nature.

And, although we can’t promise you writing a cover letter that begins with, “Hi, I’m Joe. I like long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and, most of all, finding different and creative ways to market healthcare products…” will catch the heart of your dream employer, we can give you some advice on how to change your job search perspective. Here are five common factors between job search and dating:

1. You Need Chemistry

When you start dating someone, you generally know right away whether or not they will be apart of your life. Why is this? Chemistry.

“You need to have chemistry with that person,” says Vicky Oliver, author of 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions. “It’s essential.”

You also need to have chemistry with your potential employer.

“You want to find a common bond,” she says.

So, how to you do that? Be observant. If you see photos on the wall, things in their office, and so on, ask about them. You only have a short window of time to impress your potential employer, you need to be able to show them you are worthy of a second date – er, interview.

2. You Need To Be Picky (But Not Too Picky)

Although it’s important to narrow down your preferences, you can’t be too picky. As the old saying goes, “No one is perfect.” This applies to employers, too.

“If you set your sights too broadly, you might find yourself actually overwhelmed by options,” says Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of The Google Resume. “But if you are too picky, you might never get any choices. It’s important to strike a happy middle ground between being selective and being too open, or you’ll waste everyone’s time.”

3. It’s Not All About The Looks

In high school, many girls are attracted to the star of the football team. Stereotypically, he’s good looking, popular, and successful. However, he’s not the right person for every girl.

This same concept applies to job seekers – many people are attracted to jobs with the “hot” companies, only to find out they aren’t the best fit for them.

“This leads job seekers to take roles that might not be a great fit for them, simply because the company is well known,” McDowell. “There is, of course, value in having a strong brand name on your resume, but if the role isn’t the right fit, you may wind up miserable. I’ve seen a lot of candidates who really want to be programmers take a testing role at a big name tech company, just to get in the door. The problem is that, three years down the road, they’re still stuck in a role they never even wanted.”

4. You Have To Make Them Want More

After a first date, you need to persuade that person to continue to date you. This same idea can be applied to job search.

As a job seeker, you need to persuade the employer to give you a shot at the job. Even when the interview is over, Oliver stresses the importance of sending a thank you note. Not only is it courteous, but it also gives you another chance to connect with the employer.

Thank you notes are a way to continue the conversation with your potential employer. She suggests bringing up a question didn’t get answered during the interview.

“No matter how well the interview goes,” Oliver says, “you need to thank that person.”

5. You Can’t Rush Into It

“You don’t need to commit to a relationship after your first date, and you don’t need to accept an offer as soon as you get it,” says McDowell. ”Take your time. Think things through. Is this really what you want?”

McDowell says you may even want to “date around” – that is, interview with some other companies to see what else is out there.

10 Tips For Adding Value By Showing Initiative

In these tough times, it is absolutely critical you continue to demonstrate your value to your employer, clients, and colleagues on a daily basis. Adding value is THE buzz-word for “safe-guarding” your career and propelling yourself to the top of your profession.

Showing initiative is a must-do in demonstrating your value at work. Initiative correlates strongly with personal achievement and professional development. It is the act of taking personal responsibility for your growth, and it is a clear sign of your capacity to develop as a leader.

So, what are you waiting for? Take action today; don’t wait to be asked – be proactive. Consider the following ideas for lighting the fire of initiative in your daily work life:

• Always be alert for ways to make something work better. Make the suggestion.Volunteer to take ownership for getting it done.
• Take it upon yourself be the first to adopt and implement the newest company policy.
• Stay alert for ideas to simplify processes, and find new and better ways of doing things. Proactively suggest those improvement ideas. Be the example for implementing those processes.
• Stay alert for ways to save money and reduce costs. “Raise your hand” to communicate those suggestions as quickly as possible.
• Reach out to colleagues and team members who need help.
• Be the first to volunteer for those tough projects and assignments.
• Always think ahead. Preempt likely obstacles with well-thought-out plans that take those obstacles into consideration.
• Provide, in advance, the answers to the questions you know are going to be asked. “Think like your boss/manager” and consider all deliverables from their perspective before you submit them. Always review your work from the elevation of “30,000 feet.”
• Always do your homework; always be prepared. Read the material in advance, research the subject matter in advance, dig in and immerse yourself in the topic at hand
• Deal with problems immediately; take action and be decisive. Get it done, and get it behind you as quickly as possible.

Make it happen! Be a role model for showing initiative; demonstrate your capacity as a leader.  Make the choice to lead with action and initiative; your value will soar.

5 Cover Letter Techniques = Spellbound Hiring Managers

The bottom-line is, the purpose of a cover letter is to lure the reader to, well, read your resume and call you for an interview.

Now, you may be dying to ask me, “Then, why can’t I only submit my resume?” My answer is, you can—but how do you know your competition didn’t submit a persuasive cover letter that just about nudged you off the top spot?

Hmm?

Worst-case scenario, they can set your cover letter aside, but it’s available if they need more convincing.

So, how do you create cover letter that is not tossed? I’m glad you asked…

Cover Letter Techniques That Work

Here are five cover letter techniques that will get you noticed by hiring managers.

1. Break A Leg With Your Opening Act

Don’t begin cover letters with an ordinary and boring statement. You really want to “have them at hello.” (Sorry. Couldn’t help it.) Really, captivate with the very first sentence. Exude sincerity, offer specific value, spin it, and make sure it’s employer-oriented. Here is one of my favorite openings:

Dear Mr. Bradley,

Offering to drive pharmaceutical sales growth by generating qualified leads, penetrating territories, and closing the toughest sales, consistently!

Please allow me to introduce myself…

2. Make A Personal Connection

You can tell a personal story that further positions you as the best candidate. You can provide statistical insight, reinforcing your industry knowledge. You may opt to walk your employer through your process. In other words, you can communicate more personally than you would on your resume and leverage that “ace in your pocket.”

See an example I used in a cover letter:

I am an avid golfer (with a pretty good handicap) and golf at least twice per week—I have closed many sales on the golf course over a weekend. Clients consider me a trusted friend and have even helped me form golf teams for charity events, which is an excellent way to network and gain new business…

Do you think I would have been able to add this golf example in the resume for my client – no.

Now, let’s say candidate #1 is a stellar sales person and candidate #2 (my client) is also an outstanding revenue producer – this example is helping my client promote an added value. This “sign-on benefit” clues the hiring manager my client initiates and develops fruitful relationships through personal networking strategies that will be advantageous to the company.

Besides, it’s memorable. In a pile of hundreds of resumes and cover letters, memorable is a winner!

3. Become A Tease

Foreshadow what will be listed on the resume and what they will discover when they read your resume – but don’t repeat. Piqué interest! Save some fresh content for your cover letter. This is a strategic career marketing plan. Example:

Please refer to my resume, which summarizes more than 15 years of experience increasing revenue for top corporations such as IBM. I have aggressively launched unique sales strategies that have produced up to $8M annually. You will find a full account of my projected sales plans and exceeded goals by percentage per year.

Now, we have asked the hiring manager to review the resume and we have provided a bit of information to spark interest. It is important to add quantifiable information and be specific, as you don’t want to seem vague. However, there is no need to provide all the details in the cover letter, especially if it will be on the resume. While I urge you to tease – the teasing must be done with actual facts and specific references not generalities that mean nothing.

4. Mesmerize Them

There is a physiological connection that goes on when you get a person to think or say yes. So, when you craft your cover letter try to envision the reader nodding their head in agreement with your statements. In order to do this, you must validate their needs. You can cast this spell through reinforcing statements or questions.

Take it easy on the questions, though—you don’t want to come across too sales-driven.

(The art of career marketing is a delicate balance.)

5. Ask For The Interview

In sales, they always direct you to ask for the sale. Well, ask for the interview. Just ask for it!

The point here is that your cover letter is a supporting influencing tool. It must be unique, inviting, compelling – a prelude to a well crafted resume in order to provoke action. Your cover letter is part of a marketing package and so merely writing it as you would any other communication letter is not going to generate the interviews you seek.

True story: I had a client tell me that, when he was interviewed, he was told the cover letter clinched the interview and the resume was used as a guide for an interesting interview. Here is a beginning part of that cover letter:

Music and entertainment is my passion. I am lucky to have realized so early what I was born to do! I have known I wanted to work in the entertainment industry since I was 11 years old. At age four, I already had an affinity for music and entertainment… I loved to perform, watch all the award shows on TV, memorize the choreography to music videos, and I always wanted to know how it all worked behind the scenes.

Client landed a job with Universal Music Distribution.

There you have it. Market yourself as the ideal candidate via a purposefully created cover letter.

The cover letter techniques above will help augment the resume, convincing the employer you’ve got what they need… in a very special way.