Leveraging Hidden Employee Talents

Leveraging Hidden Employee Talents In my last blog, I wrote about hidden employee talents, and how these talents, while seemingly unrelated to the employee’s job, may benefit him or her in unexpected ways. Hobbies or former careers such as music, dance, sports or photography will all teach discipline, persistence and determination in their own unique way, and the more dedicated and accomplished the participant, the more useful skills may transfer over to the workplace…as well as the more interest and attention they may receive around the office water cooler. So now that you’ve done a mental inventory of your coworkers and pinpointed the artists and athletes, you may be able to recognize some of these familiar qualities in them. The next question is, how do you harness these qualities for the good of the office? Here are some ideas to make them benefit everyone. Skills Assessments Skills-based assessments can be an effective way of measuring employees’ knowledge, skills and abilities. Just because an employee was hired for one role doesn’t mean he or she may not be better suited for another. Cross-training and promoting from within are common in companies, but what may be less common is discovering that someone’s previous artistic or athletic endeavors make them a perfect match for a role they may not have even considered. Skills assessments can not only help employers measure employees’ competencies, but they can provide insight into employees’ strengths, weaknesses, and in what roles they may excel. Successful bands have leaders who book shows and plan set lists. Successful dance crews have leaders who choreograph shows. Winning sports teams have leaders who call plays. Can these leadership skills carry over to an office setting? An effective skills assessment test will be able to tell. Training and Presentations Employees who have spent time pursuing their passion often learn a number of business skills, even if they’re not aware of it. Sports teams, bands and dance troupes all function as small businesses, and participants act as salesmen, account managers, accountants, business developers, promoters, or a number of other duties necessary to go from “weekend hobbyist” to “semi-professional” or “full-timer.” These skills often overlap with those that may be valuable in an office setting. If one employee happens to stand out above the rest in a particular area at work, ask them to share their knowledge with the team in a training or presentation. In a process-driven environment, if an employee can share his or her knowledge with a group of coworkers and half the attendees can walk away with one new piece of information, the process will improve. Ask for Advice Even if an employee isn’t given the opportunity to share knowledge in a group setting, he or she can still serve as a resource to others â€" just ask! With the exception of the occasional introvert, most artists and athletes who have gained skills worth sharing at the office are used to working with others and have developed strong people skills. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and encourage others to do the same. Some say the reason performers step on stage and athletes step onto the field is they crave attention. While this may not apply to all performers and athletes, for those who do enjoy the attention, they will welcome the recognition of their achievements at the office and the opportunity to share their knowledge with coworkers. Knowledge is a fascinating subject in that the intelligent can gain it from nearly any setting or activity. Any successful employer will always be looking to hire intelligent employees. Therefore, if A equals B and B equals C, and you work for a successful employer, we can determine that you probably have several intelligent coworkers who gained their knowledge not just from the office, but from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Don’t allow their talents to go to waste. It’s the employers who figure out how to bring hidden employee talents out into the open that will ultimately be the most successful.

Did You Really Think THAT LinkedIn Picture Was a Good Idea

Did You Really Think THAT LinkedIn Picture Was a Good Idea We all know that first impressions count. In the recruitment business it is so important and in the world of social media platforms that first impression can cost you dearly if you get it wrong. There are many horror stories of people posting mad things to Facebook etc, but historically most have been more conservative with LinkedIn. Sadly, that trend seems to be changing, and there are more and more posts appearing with things  like motivational quotes, cartoons, religious posts, general funnies, and other things not quite right for the platform. If we don’t like what we see on our feed from that person we can easily hide their posts. They then lose the traction they were hoping for, and us as an audience. Shame for them, and silly really. Be found at the right time One of the keys to using LinkedIn successfully, is to be easily found. Be found for the things we want to be found for, and when someone does find us, let them see the very best impression of us possible. After all, we want them to contact us, don’t we? Of course there is a lot that goes into being found on LinkedIn, but once you are found, what impression do you give off? One of the most obvious and simple things to get right is your profile photo. I’ve been doing some work for a client recently, helping them to improve their employees LinkedIn profiles and along the way, have been updating my resources. This includes finding example profile pictures to help them understand the right kind of photos to use, and the kind  you should steer clear from. OMG really? Along the way I have seen some great stuff, and I’ve also seen some shockers. I mean seriously, do you really think a photo of you in a very revealing ball dress, taken in a hotel bathroom was a good idea? You pole-dancing? Walking your dog? A wedding shot? Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa? And amazingly, there have been far worse, too. And before you ask, yes these are real examples and were all from professional people; not escorts, pole dancers, dog walkers, wedding planners and travel reps â€" Im talking about professional (or not so professional) recruiters! Studies on the subject show that your profile is 40% more likely to be viewed if you have a photo, and that the right photo helps to humanise you, warm the reader to you personally, and start the know, like and trust process off in the right way. Getting it right The right photo does wonders for you and your reputation. The goal is to help the reader want to find out more and show you how you want to be seen. How you want to be seen is very much about the right business impression, not a photo where you think you look nice! So, here are a few simple dos and don’ts for showing a great profile photo: Do have a close up (a headshot) Don’t show your partner or kids No Facebook-type photos It needs to be you (recently) No cartoons or avatars No company logos No selfies Worst of all â€" DONT LEAVE IT BLANK! Please check out your photo again and decide if it shows you in the way you want to be seen. And if you are in any doubt, show a trusted Colleague, your mother, father, sister, brother or your boss â€" they will be very honest with you! And, if you are still in any doubt, a headshot photographer will do a great job for you, if your budget stretches to using one (they are not as pricey as you might think). But if not, then a nice close up of you, dressed appropriately against a neutral background can be taken with any smart phone these days and will work very well indeed. About the author: James Nathan runs the James Nathan experience; the Business Development, Sales and Service Excellence Expert for Professional Recruiters.

An Interview From Hell with the Famous TuckerMax - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

An Interview From Hell with the Famous TuckerMax - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Recently, I interviewed TuckerMax and it was hell! I actually learned a lot from Mr. Tucker and you will too if you read this interview. Hes not about products or services, but about being his transparent self. The result is that he is a bestselling author, movie producer, blogger, and business owner. Not too many people can get away with what hes done, so kudos to him. Throughout the interview, I was trying to figure out what role branding played a role in his life and it doesnt look at it that way (we know its all about branding). Enjoy the interview! Why brand yourself as an asshole? How does this positioning support your attempts at seducing women, but at the same time, create a barrier between you and people who look down on that behavior? Its funny you call it branding. I call it just being me. I never set out to brand anything or create an image. Everything started with my stories, which started as emails to my friends. You cant bullshit your friends, so I was just completely, absolutely honest. What resulted is just who I am, both the good and the bad. Thats makes branding easy for me, I just have to be honest. As to women, I dont really try to seduce women. The word seduce implies something nefarious or dishonest, which is not what Im about at all. I just go out and do things that I enjoy. What other people think doesnt really even register on my radar. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk_p3-4jM-Q] Many other people have similar encounters with women, yet you decide to share them. What makes you write about your stories on the internet and even have a book dedicated to them? From your readers perspective, how are they drawn to them? Like I said, the stories started as emails to my friends. The first set of stories were literally ripped verbatim from emails. I would never have thought to post them or do anything with them, except that my friends urged me to. I was just trying to make my friends laugh, it was really them that first saw it could be something more. What makes me write them? Why does any artist create anything? Im not differentbecause I enjoy doing it. To be honest, I have no idea why my fans like my writing; there are probably as many different reasons as there are people. Some people just like the poop jokes; some people like the second layer of more intellectual jokes. Some people like my brash, arrogant attitude. Some people like my philosophy towards life. I dont know man, even though I love my fans, I didnt start writing for the fans and I dont write for them now. If I have something to say, I say it, and people respond. If I deconstruct it too much then it becomes about something other than just being me. Who is your target audience? Do you find some adults reading your material? Again, your assumptions are wrong. I dont have a target audience because I am not building a product to sell to a niche nor do I go after any audience. People either respond or they dont. And I dont know why you would ask if adults read my book. If your assumption is that only young people like my stuff, that is far off the mark. Do you think more people are going to follow in your footsteps after reading your book? Why will some succeed, while others fail? Succeed at what? Writing? I hope so, the world can always use more great writers. If someone who wants to be a writer takes any lesson from my book, it should be that true key to success in writing comes from authenticity and hard work. If you have something to say, say it in a simple and emotionally authentic way that you can, and show up every day and put in the work to make it as good as possible. The recipe is simple, its the application that’s hard. On your webpage you list all the girls you hooked up with. What is the purpose of this and has there been any retaliation? Uh, noI dont list all the girls I have hooked up with. I think I have like eight girls listed, and they are some of the girls I have had serious relationships with. If Id only hooked up with 8 girls, I shouldnt be writing stories about partying. I think you have a large following based on your transparency, story telling ability and because you are passionate and proud. What type of feedback do you get from your fans and enemies? I get all kinds of feed back. Here are some examples: http://www.tuckermax.com/archives/entries/date/tucker_helps_people_no_really.phtml#1333 I get all kinds of feedbackjust go look at my MySpace comments, you can see everything there: http://comment.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewCommentsfriendID=15374081 What do females want? What makes them attracted to certain men over others? How have you capitalized? There are a few things that most women want like intelligence, money, power, social status or sense of humor, but ultimately, it depends on the woman. I can write 10,000 words about this, but thats pretty much what it all boils down to. What is the Tucker Max grand vision? How do you want to be remembered. I am way to early in my career to think about this. Ill worry about my legacy when I am retired. For now, I am just going to keep doing what I enjoy and being who I am. - Tucker Max received his BA from the University of Chicago, where he graduated in 1998. He attended Duke Law School on an academic scholarship, where he graduated with a JD in 2001 (despite the fact that he neglected to buy any of his textbooks for his final two years and spent part of one semesterwhile still enrolled in classesliving in Cancun). Tucker is purportedly the reason Duke dropped from 7 to 11 in the USNWR rankings during his tenure. He currently lives in New York City, and when he isnt drinking or fornicating, he writes for his website, TuckerMax.com. He is the author of the NY Times Bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell and is filming a movie based on his stories with the same name.

How To Re-Enter The Workforce After A Long Absence - VocationVillage

How To Re-Enter The Workforce After A Long Absence - VocationVillage Dear Dr. Civitelli, I am a 37-year-old housewife with a BSBA in Management. I haven’t worked in the past 10 years, and my work experience before that is in a different country, as a cashier. Even though I have a degree, my lack of experience, and having no references keeps me unemployed. I am competing with the unemployed, the underemployed, other housewives coming back to the workforce, kids out of college, kids in college, kids in high-school, the immigrant workforce, etc.What should I do? Nobody calls me back, and I have applied mainly to entry-level jobs. What are my chances of getting a job with any possibility of advancement?Signed, Frustrated in SeattleDear Frustrated in Seattle, First, I recommend that you stop thinking about the competition because it sounds like doing so is making you anxious! If you have been sending a resume to employers who dont know you, I can see why it feels like all those other people are seeking the same thing as you and it is tough to differentiate yourself, so here is what I would do to stand out from the crowd:1. First, choose a focus. Job hunting without a focus is ten times more difficult and 1/10 as effective. Think about your natural strengths, interests, values, and personality. In your life, what skills have people noticed and given you compliments about? These tend to be things that feel so effortless to you, you take them for granted and think everyone can do them, but in reality, we are all good at different things.What work-related activities most appeal to you? Organization? Customer service? Writing? Research? Persuading people? Analysis? Working with numbers? Something else? A career counselor can help you to figure this out if you dont already know, plus career counselors can also teach you how to network and they provide emotional support when you are discouraged about your job search in general. In the Seattle area, face-to-face career counseling is available at the Center for Career Connections at Bellevue Community College and the Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal. Many career consultants and coaches (like me) who are located outside of Seattle also work with Seattle clients via telephone or email.2. Second, get involved with professionally oriented activities that allow you to become acquainted with people who can serve as references for you and who will say that you are brilliant at whatever focus you identified above. This can be volunteer work with non-profits or temporary jobs, both of which are easier to land than full-time jobs with advancement potential. Think of these activities as an investment in your future as they arent the final destination. In addition to bu ilding your network, these are also resume-building activities that can dramatically change how your resume looks in just a few months. To find volunteer positions, you can use a site like VolunteerMatch.org or just contact Seattle nonprofit organizations directly.3. While you are involved in resume building activities, you may need a survivor job to pay the bills. This can be anything and doesnt even have to go on your resume, but one strategy that has worked for a lot of people is to find something that involves a lot of interaction with the public. The reason this can be good is that you never know which random conversation can lead to a job offer, in which case all the other resume-building activities can be quickly wrapped up so that you are free to take the new job.4. In my experience, fun social activities are just as likely to result in making connections that lead to job offers as are professionally focused activities. This means if youd rather spend a lot of time learning a new sport or hobby or going to book clubs or anything else that appeals to you, you wouldnt be wasting your time. Just be your most pleasant self and keep the emphasis on developing relationships naturally. After you have made some friends, you can tell them that you are job hunting and ask them to please keep you in mind for job openings that fit with the focus you identified as your career target.5. Try to find a professional association that represents the people in your chosen career field. I am constantly impressed by how much easier it is for job hunters to network their way into a new job when their efforts are concentrated within a specific profession. Youll find many of the networking events and groups in Seattle are listed at ILoveSeattle.org. If networking and small talk are not your strong suit, dont stress too much about how to do this. Just go and be an observer and learn about the field. If you regularly go to the same groups activities, you will eventually be regar ded as an insider, especially if you offer to help with something by volunteering for a leadership position.6. If the career focus you choose is something that lends itself more easily to finding customers/clients than an employer, consider launching a service-oriented business. The advantages of doing this are that you can begin to bring in revenue fairly quickly and many service-businesses have very low start-up costs. Customers/clients dont care about your resume or job history. They are only concerned with whether you can help them with specific problems or concerns. If you choose to start a service-oriented business, you can offer your services at a deeply discounted or pro bono fee for the first three clients with the understanding that if you do a good job, they will serve as references for future prospective customers/clients. For home-based business ideas, Paul and Sarah Edwards are authors who offer a lot of expertise. Here is my review of their book about home-based busin esses.7.Read success stories of people who returned to the workplace after an absence. Try to find examples of people in your career field so you can copy the strategies that worked well for otherswho were in similar situations as you.8.If nothing seems to be working, get professional assistance through a private career coach, a nonprofit or government-sponsored career counseling agency, library job search classes, or church-based career counseling.

Is a Career in Law the Right Choice for You

Is a Career in Law the Right Choice for You Photo Credit â€" Flickr.comThere are many perks to choosing a career in law, and the earning potentials are particularly high if you choose a specialty that is in demand. However, all the success, prestige and money, which we generally associate with lawyers can only be a reality if you are good at what you do.Being a successful legal professional requires more than just education and effort, so it only makes sense for a student to consider all aspects of choosing a career in law before making that all important decision. Read on to find out what some of those aspects are, and if you are indeed suited for a legal career.The FinancialsevalThere are three financial aspects to consider before you decide to join a law school and they are as follows:Law School Expenses â€" The fees and other expenses of law school are quite heavy, and student loans often put a very significant dent in the economy of most families.Lost Earnings â€" The three years which you will be spending in law school w ill also be three years which you could have used to join a job and earn instead.Job Prospect â€" The good news is that the two points above won’t matter if you manage to get a good job once you pass out. The bad news is that a degree in law isn’t a guarantee for success like it used to be a decade ago.Do You have a Strong Nerve?evalA good lawyer must have strong nerves so that he/she can function when the pressure gets high in the courtroom. In fact, even before you reach the courtroom as a lawyer, the pressure is constantly on you as a law student because continuous and multiple tests are an inevitable part of any law school program.While they are, more or less, designed to prepare students for the big one at the end of term, they still hold value and will keep you under different levels of pressure all the time throughout the three years.How are You with Public Dealings?Be warned that if you are even remotely introverted by nature, you will either need to come out of your she ll completely or give up any hopes of making it as a lawyer. Whether you are a corporate or a criminal lawyer, you will need to deal with different kinds of people from different fields of life on a regular basis.From important and powerful personalities like judges and high-profile clients to witnesses and lawyers from the opposing party; you will need to communicate with them all constantly. Any shred of introversion or shyness you have within you will be shred to pieces and unless you are comfortable with that, being a lawyer can become very taxing on your mind.Analytical SkillsLogical reasoning and the power to criticize are essential skills for a lawyer. Ask yourself if you have been inherently good at them or if you have always had an affinity for solving puzzles and problems in your everyday life. If the answer is yes, then you will enjoy the everyday challenges of being a lawyer.These are only some of the facets which one needs to consider before choosing law as a career, bu t they are important considerations nonetheless. One final important point that needs to be considered is the fact that if you choose to become a lawyer, you will likely have to sacrifice a big portion of your personal life. A successful lawyer is always busy and available 24/7.

6 Ways to Increase Your Energy at Work - CareerAlley

6 Ways to Increase Your Energy at Work - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Lets face it, weve all faced that post-lunch drowsiness where we struggle to stay awake at work. Or maybe your overall energy level is less than your coworkers and you think it may hold you back. While you may be familiar with some of the more common ways to increase your energy levels throughout the day, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time, getting at least 8 hours of sleep, eating more iron, and exercising more, there are other things you can do to give yourself more fuel for the workday and get that competitive edge. Try a combination of common and not-so-common methods of boosting your energy and you will see the positive impact it will have on your career. 1. Become Friends With Your Co-workers Maybe you are the type of employee who prefers to keep your work life separate from your personal life, but sharing some of the more minor details of your life and becoming friends with your co-workers can help turn a day that drags into a day that rocks. Share what youve done on the weekend and be sure to ask your coworkers what theyve done. Breaking up the day with some conversations will help you refocus when you get back to your desk 2. Create Achievable Goals and Objectives Nothing is worse than not completing items on your to do list. Create a list of achievable goals that will energize you as you check them off and will impress your manager at the same time. Variety is the spice of life, too many repetitive tasks can quickly sap your energy and make you feel fatigued. Create a schedule of tasks that will allow you to leverage different skills. Spend time deciding on the things in your workday that truly matter and make sure you achieve them. Break up projects into smaller tasks so that you can get some short term achievements (which is motivating) on your way to completing the overall project. 3. Eat More Protein Start your day with a protein rich breakfast (not cereal or other carbohydrates). Protein at the start of the day will give you what you need to focus and achieve. Proteins like peanut butter, eggs, beans and quinoa give you long lasting energy to help you get those reports in before the end of the day. But that is not all, you should also have a protein rich lunch. Dont eat a big lunch that does not provide energy. Lastly, save some calories for a late afternoon protein bar to give you that extra push to finish the day. 4. Get Moving Dont sit at your desk all day long. You should stand up at least once every hour (set a timer if you need to). Walking around as you talk with your manager or coworkers helps you squeeze in some exercise and keeps you from suffering from desk job syndrome. Skip the interoffice phone calls and take that walk down the hall to speak with your coworkers. 5. Stop Straining Your Eyes If your eyes feel dry, watery, sore or sensitive to the light, then chances are that youre straining them. You can combat this by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. You can also switch to an ergonomic desk and chair to help your entire body feel more comfortable as youre working. 6. Get Some Fresh Air Take a Walk Outside Depending on where you work, there may be a quiet area where you can take a power nap (20 minutes should do the trick). Another good way to feel refreshed is to walk around outside of the office for a little while. Take a quick walk outside your building, run a quick errand or go grab those office supplies that youve been thinking about. Dont eat at your desk everyday. Take a walk for lunch and find a new spot to eat every few weeks. Stretching your legs, getting some fresh air and feeling the sun on your face can work magic on your energy levels. Dont just rely on coffee and energy drinks alone to keep your productivity levels up throughout the day. Switch things up to keep from feeling as though youre stuck in a rut and to get as much energy out of your body and mind as possible while at work. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+

Writing a Resume When Youre Still in College

Writing a Resume When You're Still in CollegeWriting a resume when you're still in college can be a little tricky because you're still trying to keep up with the speed and difficulty of your education. It can also be tough for those of us who are just getting started with our careers. At least with your college degrees, you have some idea of what you're doing. However, if you are applying for jobs as a computer programmer, it can still be a bit confusing.Your resume should tell an employer a little bit about yourself, so don't leave yourself out of your resume altogether. Many people feel they need to take their own career into their own hands, which makes it difficult to know exactly what to put on a resume. Because of this, I will provide you with some tips on how to write a resume when you're still in college.If you do not have an existing resume, you can use a sample resume to help you with writing a resume when you're still in college. The best resumes are easy to read and under stand. The resume that you end up looking at is the one that you find easy to read. This is why having a sample resume handy is so important. Remember, when a company is reviewing your resume, they are not going to remember all of the information on the sample resume, but they will remember that it is easy to read.Keep your resume to under two hundred words, but write short paragraphs. Try to keep your resume succinct and simple. Remember, people can only read so much. Even though your resume is short, it is still important to keep it short.Finally, make sure you follow the directions given on the sample resume. There are plenty of examples of resumes out there. You want to use these examples to get the most from your resume, but when it comes to creating your own resume, follow the directions provided by the resume samples.Once you have a resume that you are comfortable using, all you have to do is put it on the computer and print it out. For those of you who are really interested in the Internet and would like to put your resume online, this is the way to go. It is a quick and easy way to showcase your resume and demonstrate that you are an experienced person.Using a resume is not a waste of time. Rather, it is an essential tool that helps to draw a more qualified applicant. If you use it correctly, it will benefit you in the long run, so please don't hesitate to use it!Don't forget to keep your resume handy when you're still in college. The resume you use will help you land a job much faster than if you didn't have one. Also, the resumes you create will show potential employers that you are an experienced individual with many qualifications.