Why Completing A Job Application Isn’t A Waste Of Time

Each organization has its own hiring process and, for many, that includes completing a job application in addition to submitting a resume. Many job seekers don’t believe that completing a job application isn’t a waste of time. Filling one out can be frustrating and time consuming since no two applications seem to be alike, but it is definitely worth the extra effort if you really want the job.

Employers use application forms to obtain information that may or may not be included on your resume. Some of the more common components of an application are:

Work History With Specific Dates Of Employment

You may also be asked for the reason that you left your previous employers and contact information for your former managers. If you’re currently working, you should indicate on the application form whether it is acceptable to contact your current manager. If it’s not, hold on to that information and provide it to the recruiter after you receive an offer.

Salary History And/Or Future Salary Expectations

Employers want to know how much you’re currently earning (or you’ve earned in the past) so that they can ensure the position is in line with your salary requirements. For example, if I have a position that can pay up to $50,000 per year, but you’re currently making $75,000, you may not be interested in taking a $25,000 pay cut.

Ability To Work In The United States

Again, this type of information isn’t often included on a resume, but it’s important to the hiring process. If you require a visa to work in this country, that’s something that the human resources staff needs to know up front. For some visas, there is a very small window when employers can apply, so this may make it difficult to hire you without this information.

Other Barriers To Employment

An employer may require information about your ability to work certain hours, non-compete, or other restrictive covenants that may be in effect, criminal convictions and other relevant information to the hiring process.

Although job applications can be cumbersome, most employers wouldn’t ask you to go through this extra step unless they believe the additional information is necessary to making a successful hire. You should take the same care with the application as you did with your resume. Make sure that it is free of errors and complete to the best of your ability. If you find that you’re being asked to complete a lot of applications, keep an electronic file with the answers to the most commonly asked questions. This will allow you to quickly locate the information and possibly cut and paste it to save time and effort.

Should You Go Back To School? 4 Factors To Consider

Before you commit your time, money, and effort, be sure to consider these four things – You won’t regret it!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

If you haven’t figured out the answer to this question yet, going back to school is not a good idea. Higher education costs have risen at a much faster rate than inflation over the last decade. The worst thing you could do is invest tens of thousands of dollars and years of your time into getting a degree, only to discover five years from now you’re no longer interested in the field you sacrificed so much to study.

Is There Job Growth In The Field That Interests You?

Once you’ve really determined what you’d like to do with your career, you should look at the jobs available in your field. Having a local university program in your city may allow you to attend school without making major life changes, but it may also release you into a saturated job market once you’ve finished your degree. It’s important to determine whether people are hiring in your desired field in the area in which you’d like to live—or anywhere for that matter.

How Much Will It Cost?

If you’re considering graduate school, there are many programs out there that include substantial financial aid packages to help you obtain your degree. There are also many loan forgiveness programs designed to attract educated professionals to underserved areas.

For example, a friend of mine just had $75,000 worth of vet school loans forgiven by the USDA, because she works in an area where there aren’t enough large animal vets. The military also offers great educational incentives, particularly for health care professionals. If you’re looking to start or finish an undergraduate degree, taking your required classes at your local community college can lower your total costs substantially. Lastly, modern distance learning programs allow many professionals to continue working full- or part-time while they further their education.

Will You Make Enough Money To Justify More Debt?

If you’re independently wealthy, you have the luxury of obtaining as much education as you’d like without worrying about the return on your investment. But for most of us, it’s crucial to take a hard look at whether more education is worth the expense. My friend is married to a CPA who decided to obtain a law degree in addition to his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. The payment on his student loan debt is now higher than their house payment, and his salary went up only about $5,000/year.

For a lot of people, returning to school does make good, solid sense. If adjusting back to the student lifestyle allows you to obtain a degree that will get you hired into a field that pays well, go for it. Just be sure to give this major decision the consideration that it’s due.

How To Find Success: Use The Copycat Principle

Is there a problem you’re trying to solve, challenge you’re trying to overcome, goal you’re striving to achieve, or an opportunity you’re trying to take advantage of? Sure there is, and for most of us, it’s all of those things.

In order to find success, you need to stop for a minute, bring one of those things to mind – the problem, the challenge, the goal, or the opportunity – and take these four steps:

1. Clearly Define Your Desired Outcome

What exactly is the problem, the challenge, the goal, or the opportunity?

2. Locate A Role Model

Who do know that has successfully dealt with this issue? If no one comes to mind, how can you identify someone who has successfully dealt with the issue? Who can you ask that might know someone? Look around at work colleagues, leadership team members, or members of clubs or organization you’re involved in – ask and observe. Find “that somebody” (or two… or three) who has successfully dealt with this issue.

3. Meet With The Role Model(s)

Dig in, ask questions, and understand what it is that they do or have done to successfully solve a similar problem, overcome a similar challenge, achieve a similar goal, or take advantage of a similar opportunity. Take notes and distill it down to a simple set of actions – ’cause usually that’s all it is.

4. Employ The Copycat Principle

Know do those same things. Refine or fine-tune the actions as necessary, but replicate, duplicate, and copy success.

Why “recreate the wheel?” Focus on the solution. The problem has already been solved, the challenge has already been overcome, the goal has already been achieved, and the opportunity has already been realized. Find out what the successful doers have already done… and DO IT!

5 Ways To Determine Corporate Culture

Many companies today promote building teams over individuals; respecting the entry-level mailroom clerk and the top salesperson equally. They consider failure the beginning not the end of developing talents and careers and “Values” are not fads.

Still, in other companies, you will find a lack of esprit de corps where departments operate as fiefdoms and do not work in partnership with one another; where leadership is assigned not earned; where secretaries still bring their bosses coffee ala the 60’s, and where you are only as good as your last sale. This is “Company Culture.”

How To Determine Corporate Culture

Here’s my list of tell-tail characteristics of company culture. Learn what you are getting into before you accept your next position.

1. Key Job Aspects And Workplace Characteristics

Determine to what degree the following will play a role in the job and the workplace. One way or the other, combined, they all play a role in determining culture.

Tip: Assign a value from one to five… Five being the highest degree you require for your job satisfaction. There are many more aspects of a job and workplace you may want to consider. This is only a short-list to start you thinking.

• Telecommuting
• Workspace design
• Personal items in the workspace
• Competition
• Teamwork
• Professional Development
• Defined career paths
• Employee interaction
• Esprit de corps

2. Company Website

Some companies promote themselves by discussing their corporate culture on their Website or in their annual report (usually on the website if flattering). On its own, the web site may not be “telling” enough as it is the company selling itself. However, combined with other tell-tale characteristics it can be valuable.

3. Other Characteristics To Look For In The Workplace

• How decisions are made
• How decisions are communicated to the employees
• How employees are recognized
• Interaction among departments
• Interaction among managers
• Interaction among top management

4. Researching Behind The Scene

Using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media and networking sites, try to connect with people from the company and get their perspective on culture. I like to ask a few questions in particular. They are:

• What five key words or key phrases best describe your company?
• What would you guess would be the five key words or phrases your (husband/wife) would use to describe your company?
• What is your favorite day of the work week? Why?

 5. Other Questions You Can Ask Employees

• Do you feel your work there, your contribution, is important? (Everyone says “yes”) How do you know?
• Are you encouraged to spend time on training and education outside the office?

Finally, how the company measures up to your Best Company Culture profile is very personal. Teamwork, for example, may be a lot less important to you than the flexibility of telecommuting. Define the motivators and incentives important to you in the job and the workplace; define which inspires you most. It may be a code of ethics or glittery perks that dazzle you. It’s for you to define, and this will start you off in the right direction.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Changing Your Job Goals

Here’s a lesson I’m still learning: Changing your mind isn’t the same as giving up.

You see, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about goals—how to set them properly, how to see them through, how to keep your perspective about achieving them.

As most of you know, I’m kind of a goal junkie. But recently, I’ve had to make some… corrections, and it’s been hard. In many ways, it makes me feel weak. Like I’ve failed. But I realized this morning that I’ve been looking at it the wrong way. I’ve been acting like “changing my mind” is the same as “quitting.”

And it’s not.

You see, changing your mind is YOUR RIGHT. No one can take that from you.

The trick is not to be fickle. Give your decision the thought and attention it deserves. But give yourself the freedom you deserve.

Here are a few questions to consider before changing your mind:

1. What’s Changed?

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Circumstances change, priorities shift. The world as we know it never stands still. At times, your choices have to adjust accordingly.

Think of it this way: If you’re planning to quit your job and go back to school, and then your spouse is suddenly laid off, you almost have no choice but to at least consider changing your mind (in most cases and for most people this would cause some major reconsideration).

It doesn’t mean the goal of going back to school has to disappear completely. It just might need to be adjusted in some way. The timeline would shift, perhaps.

Or maybe YOU are the one that’s changed. Maybe what used to be right no longer resonates. Maybe you’ve grown in an unexpected direction.

Now, it’s also important to recognize when the thing that’s changed is good old-fashioned fear disguising itself. That happens a lot. Fear has a clever way of convincing us that we can’t do things. It tricks us into thinking we never really wanted to in the first place. So be careful and be honest.

If fear is what’s holding you back, pause for a moment. Typically, decisions made out of fear tend to backfire. Don’t change your mind just yet. You might feel stronger tomorrow (this has happened to me many, many times and I’m always grateful when I follow this advice and simply pause).

2. What’s Your Heart Telling You?

The process of changing your mind doesn’t only happen in your head. As a human being, you are filled with infinite wisdom. It’s there inside you. All you have to do is listen.

I wrote about emotions and their impact on decision-making recently. You see, sometimes, your brain is able to connect the dots of the information it receives in a way that’s so subtle, it’s not even understood by the conscious brain. It’s simply translated into a “feeling” instead.

So, stop and listen. What is your heart saying? What is your body saying? Respect what you hear.

3. What Have You Learned?

The act of starting something—whether a project, a goal, a job, a New Year’s resolution or anything else—is a learning process in itself. Shifting course and “ending” something is just as valuable a lesson.

What do you know now about yourself (and about the world around you) you didn’t know before? What, if anything, will you do differently next time? How will this experience and this decision change you?

As I’ve said before, this kind of thing isn’t “giving” up, it’s growing up. So, focus on the growth and don’t beat yourself up. Course correction is a part of life. Few things move in straight, unobstructed lines.

5 Ways To Build Confidence For An Interview

The interview is one component of the job seeking process that most people love to hate.

While it serves as a sign from the employer that you are being strongly considered for a position, it also can be a source of angst for candidates who fear they’ll make mistakes that will cut them out of the running.

A great way to overcome the anxiety interviews produce is to begin feeling good about the process.

Need help getting there? Here are five ways to build confidence for an interview.

1. Conduct Research

One great way to build your interviewing confidence is by conducting plenty of research on the company you’re applying with and the position it’s offering. A common question interviewers ask is, “Do you know anything about our company?” Most times, candidates are forced to answer “No.”

If you’re able to share the company’s background information and showcase knowledge of its future goals for the position in question, you’ll undoubtedly catch the interviewer off-guard, in a great way!

2. Locate Sample Interview Questions

There are many sample interview questions floating around the Internet that can help you gauge the types of questions you could be asked. Take time to review those questions—and come up with great answers—to ensure the actual interview flows fluidly.

3. Practice Often

A great way to build your confidence for the interview is to practice before the big day. You can do this by answering questions in front of the mirror to read your own facial expressions and body language, or have a friend act as the interviewer to help you simulate the actual environment.

4. Make Sure You Have No “Skeletons”

An important step in preparing for your interview is being able to recall your own career history and discuss prospective goals with the company and in your professional life as a whole.

But as you look back over your career, be sure to research yourself online to ensure there are no skeletons on the Internet that could be brought up in your interview.

Remember, companies conduct background checks often via search engines, so it’s up to you to ensure your social networking profiles are professional, or private.

5. Decide What The Job Is Worth

You may assume that this tip refers to the amount you expect to be paid for the position. In fact, you may be asked about salary expectations, so it’s good to prepare an answer.

But aside from salary, it’s important to decide whether the job is worth handing over your password to a social networking site or other personal site, something that has become a trend for some employers.

Do you feel that sharing private information is worth it? Give this some thought before arriving at the interview.

In addition to taking the above steps, it’s great to find a professional outfit you feel comfortable wearing. Feeling good in your clothes and knowing you’ve fully prepared can work wonders in boosting your confidence before the big day.

4 Red Flags Employers Watch For On Cover Letters

The cover letter gives you the chance to express that you’re a professional and that you have the skills the employer is seeking. When you don’t send a cover letter with your resume, it can be interpreted as you’re not that serious about the job – that it’s not even worth your time and effort to include a greeting that will put your information in context to the employer’s need.

The cover letter is particularly important if your resume raises red flags when reviewed on its own. Things like a lengthy period of unemployment or no specialized training for a job that requires it needs some explaining to alleviate concern.

So, here’s what you need to be watchful of in your cover letter so that it works effectively with your resume.

1. You didn’t customize.

Like the resume, your cover letter needs to be customized and speak directly to the employer’s need. It shouldn’t simply say, “I’m interested in the job and here’s my resume for review.” If you’re going to do that, then it’s the same as not sending a cover letter at all. Speak of your knowledge in the business, what you know about that employer, and how your experience and skills can contribute to the employer – provide highlights from your resume.

2. You left important questions unanswered.

Clearly, there are some things on the resume that may raise a red flag and if they go unexplained, the hiring manager will not take a chance on you, but just move on to the next candidate. Consider things like periods of unemployment, lack of degree or certification, frequent job changes, or a change in direction of career that may require more information. The point is not to over-explain, but to touch on the subject in short to offer reason that will alleviate potential concern. For example, you may have taken a year off from work to care for a newborn or sick parent.

3. You didn’t proofread.

Your cover letter is a reflection of your professionalism. If it’s filled with misspellings or poor grammar, the employer will be left to believe you are careless – a direct reflection of how you may perform on the job.

4. You didn’t follow directions.

Many employers will leave specific directions in the job posting for applicants to follow. It can be as simple as including XYZ in the subject line when your email message is serving as the cover letter, to including your salary requirement or providing an answer to a question. Since many employers get more applicants than they need, any one applicant who fails to follow directions is an automatic strike out.

The cover letter is another opportunity to promote and share your qualifications, so take the time to produce one that is polished and speaks directly to the employer’s need as well as addresses specific requests.

3 Things To Do After An Interview

If you’ve been lucky enough to land an interview and survived it, you know what I’m going to talk about: the waiting game. We’ve all had to endure this at some point in our job seeking careers. We stare at our computer screens all day with our e-mail Inboxes open, we check our phones every five minutes (sometimes even less than that), we even check our regular mail boxes – you know, just in case.

Regardless of what we do while we wait for that acceptance or rejection, doing any of the aforementioned will only stress you out.

What To Do After An Interview

It’s important to remember no matter what the outcome of your employer’s response, your skills are valuable and you have plenty to offer. Spending your time doing the things that reaffirm your many talents should be your focus when waiting the hear back from a potential employer. Here are the best things to do after an interview:

1. Keep Looking

Just because you’ve had the interview, you know you’ve done well, and now you’re waiting to hear back from your interviewer, doesn’t mean you should stop looking for work. We are not out of recession just yet.

Looking for work is also a good way to note some additional things employers include in their job descriptions, which could be beneficial when writing your cover letters and preparing for future interviews in your job industry. Do you meet those demands? Do you acquire the skills the company is looking for? Great, now go back and revamp that cover letter!

2. Network

According to recruiting information website, ERE.net, “referrals accounted for 28 percent of the external hires last year.” Knowing people in your industry can only benefit you as a job seeker, and even as an employed individual.

Look for job fairs in your area and try networking with people in your industry there, use social media to build an online presence with potential employers, follow-up with some of the networking contacts you already have to strengthen your relationship with them. Whatever your networking tactics are, keep building and enhancing those contacts to further establish yourself as a professional.

3. Work On Personal Projects

You can’t fortify your skills if you don’t use them, plain and simple. So, while you’re waiting for X employer to get back to you, why not work on something you love? If you’re a writer, start working on that book you’ve always wanted to publish. If you’re an educator, find some schools you can volunteer at and tutor the young minds of our country.

If you’re a painter, whip out those brushes and bring that blank canvas to life. Whatever your passion is take some personal time to develop it and make it your own. It’s better than stressing out about whether you got the job or not, right?

The next time you find yourself agonizing over an employer’s response, try not to think about the outcome and start focusing on how you can be a master of your skills.

5 Ways To Deal With An Incompetent Boss

To make sure we’re on the same page about dealing with an incompetent boss and not just a way to be nasty about your bad boss, let’s get on the same page. An incompetent person is someone who is functionally inadequate or insufficient in knowledge, skills, judgment, or strength.

If this is what you’re talking about then you’re right, they are incompetent. It happens. In other words, the boss doesn’t know squat about being a manager and probably knows little to nothing about the area of work you do.

While it can be frustrating to have an incompetent boss, an incompetent boss can seriously damage or derail your career. If they do have a serious lack of knowledge, we know that they can do nothing to grow you as an employee which means any growth will be yours to make happen. Let’s look at the potential damage they can inflict and what you can do to minimize or avoid.

Career Impact:

Bad decisions – Because they don’t know your work, the decisions they make can have an impact they are clueless about. They lack insight and understanding. This means the impact to you can range from cleaning up a mess to putting you in a position that makes you look like you tanked the business. It can make you lose precious time and focus or even get fired.

Bad direction – We look for our boss to provide direction in the form of “how to” all the way to yearly planning. When the boss is incompetent, their directions can be bad or pointless often leaving important issues untouched.

Bad support – Our boss can be the single biggest supporter of our career trajectory but if they are clueless about the nature of your work, they may be supporting either the wrong things or person. You can’t expect them to really know or understand if you’re delivering well. They may be a roadblock to your career or simply no help.

When you have an incompetent boss, you do have to think through how this person functions in order to use whatever strengths they do have to your advantage or minimally avoid career limiting outcomes. Let’s look at some of the things you can do to prevail with an incompetent boss:

1. ‘Up Level’ yourself.

In other words, leadership can come from you. If you know your area well enough, there is no reason to not go ahead creating and pursuing a direction you know will achieve results good for your company. People that do this are naturally followed by their peers as an informal leader. Management, although maybe not your direct boss, will notice your initiative. Of course, you don’t want to do something that undermines the boss, so keep them in the loop.

2. Figure out the problem spots.

The boss’s incompetence is annoying, but it usually impacts you and others in specific ways. Try to observe what those are and make a plan to counteract the problem. I once had an incompetent boss; the biggest issue was that he would sometimes make decisions for the group I managed that were ill considered and negatively impacted the company.

I sat down with him and asked if I could either be involved in those decision discussions or to direct the person asking to me directly. It mostly worked. There were times when that direction simply wasn’t possible, but people soon learned that they needed to come to me for good decisions. We worked around the problem.

3. Teach th.em.

Every time you speak to your boss you have an opportunity to train and teach them about your area. It seems kind of ludicrous to train your boss, but the ongoing investment will be worth it once they are savvy enough to know what you’re talking about.

4. Look for a mentor.

Just because your boss doesn’t bring much in the way of growth doesn’t mean there isn’t someone in your place of business that can be good for your career. Look around for someone at a higher level who is sharp and going places with some type of a good connection to you. Ask them to be your mentor. It will be flattering to them and helpful to you to have someone helping you and in your corner.

5. Leave.

Sometimes it’s better for your career to leave rather than try to stick it out. If you’ve tried several things and there is no improvement, it may be time for you to pursue something else. This kind of situation can be damaging to both you personally and your career.

While an incompetent boss can be annoying and frustrating, they aren’t the worse kind of boss to have – unless they are nicely packaged with other short comings like being a jerk or tossing you under the train for sport. Many times you can make up for their short comings and also “manage up” as they know innately that they lack many skills and knowledge. Don’t let your frustration get in the way of managing the situation more effectively.