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    <title>CollegeRecruiter.com Insights by Career Counselors Blog</title>
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   <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6</id>
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    <updated>2009-11-05T20:14:00Z</updated>
    
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<entry>
    <title>Are You Too Hard on Yourself?</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/are_you_too_hard_on_yourself.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18923" title="Are You Too Hard on Yourself?" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18923</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T20:12:14Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T20:14:00Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Once, back when I was a reporter in rural South Carolina, I covered a quality initiative at a local textile plant. They had a rally, gave some speeches and hung banners all over the place proclaiming, &quot;Zero defects is...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Once, back when I was a reporter in rural South Carolina, I covered a quality initiative at a local textile plant.  They had a rally, gave some speeches and hung banners all over the place proclaiming, "Zero defects is our goal."</p>

<p>I found the whole thing sort of frightening, but fortunately the workers didn't seem to pay too much attention to it one way or the other.</p>

<p>However, over the years I've wondered why I thought the "zero defects" campaign was so outlandish.</p>

<p>I kind of do the same thing to myself.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>What about you?  When you knock over a coffee cup, misplace your keys or forget that key item at the grocery store, do you call yourself names, question your intelligence and otherwise verbally slap yourself around?</p>

<p>These are only human errors.  People make them all the time.  But we - by which I mean myself and other self-flagellating types - seem to think we shouldn't behave like regular humans.</p>

<p>And if we act like this about trivial, everyday things, we're even worse at work, which can delay projects, increase costs, decrease employee satisfaction and even, in a curious way, prevent identification of real, systemic problems.</p>

<p>Some might fear that accepting a few slip-ups, like a formatting snafu in an internal document or a stain on a tie, could lead to complete sloppiness and the downfall of Western civilization.</p>

<p>But I don't think it was typos that did in Ancient Rome.  Of course, little mistakes could sink an advertising campaign or scientific formula, so it's essential to identify when perfectionism is necessary and when it's not.</p>

<p>While I don't have an answer for why we beat ourselves up over the inconsequential, I have a metaphor.</p>

<p>It involves the term "margin of error," a statistical phrase meaning the amount of error expected in a survey result.</p>

<p>I would like a bigger "margin of error" with life's pesky details, and I might know how to get one.</p>

<p>You see, statistically speaking, the "margin of error" is equal to half the width of the "confidence interval."</p>

<p>Could this mean that the bigger my "confidence interval" the greater the "margin of error" I could allow myself?</p>

<p>Is upping one's self-assurance the ticket to calling off the zero defects chase?</p>

<p>I'll look into it.</p>

<p>Of course, I know that in statistics "confidence" doesn't have much to do with personal certainty and you don't actually want a large margin of error, but cut me some slack, won't you?  I'm working on a concept here.</p>

<p>"Cut me some slack?"  Now that's an interesting turn of phrase...</p>

<p></p>

<p><em>Danielle Dresden is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to WorkBloom. Please go to <a href="http://www.danielledresden.com">http://www.danielledresden.com </a>for more information.  </em></p>

<p><br />
 <em>Article courtesy of <a href="http://workbloom.com/default.aspx">WorkBloom</a>, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career  resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Good Advice</title>
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    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18960" title="Good Advice" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18960</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T19:44:04Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-06T19:47:34Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Today&apos;s guest blogger is Allan McKisson, Vice President of Human Resources for Manpower U.S. To learn more about Allan, see his biography. Here&apos;s what he has to say... About a month ago, my daughter Maggie was a guest blogger...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
<em>Today's guest blogger is Allan McKisson, Vice President of Human Resources for Manpower U.S.  To learn more about Allan, see his <a href="http://us.manpower.com/about_manpower/who_we_are.jsp">biography</a>.  Here's what he has to say...</em></p>

<p>About a month ago, my daughter Maggie was a guest blogger on Contemporary Working.  Check out what she wrote in Find a Job.  It was about her year long job search.</p>

<p>I was supposed to follow up the next week with parenting words of wisdom... about patience, support and encouragement.  I waited for a few weeks and then things began to heat up.  Maggie had a few interviews and was invited back for second looks.  The stars were aligning  -- I felt something good was about to happen so I waited a bit longer. </p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>Well, it happened.  Last Friday she received the call and was offered the "perfect job."  (I thought I had that!)  She's working for a recognized organization in downtown Chicago.  Besides exposure to some really nice, smart people who work hard (my model for top talent), she'll be part of delivering a customer experience that reinforces the organization's brand.  She's with a group that thrives on learning and innovation.  What could be better for a recent college grad?  I'm elated and proud of Maggie. </p>

<p><strong>She's learned a lot this last year and it's all applicable to her new career. </strong></p>

<ul>	<li>Persistence -- she kept on looking, knowing that opening one door would lead to other doors. </li>
	<li>Never give up -- ever. </li>
	<li>Patience -- sometimes you can't force things or make things happen on your timetable. </li>
	<li>Learning as a way of life -- she volunteered, researched, interviewed and wrote about her areas of interest... progressive not-for-profits and social entrepreneurship. </li>
	<li>Networking -- meeting new people, asking questions and following up.</li></ul> 

<p>Interestingly, these behaviors and characteristics will serve anyone well and probably will separate the successful candidate from the rest of the pack.  They seem similar to my parents' advice.  I must've listened and passed on these behaviors to Maggie.</p>

<p>Good advice is timeless!</p>

<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Melanie Holmes" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/employersblog/melanie-holmes.jpg" width="67" height="67" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" </span><em>Article by <a href="http://manpowerblogs.com/holmes/about-me-2/">Melanie Holmes</a>, Vice President of World of Work Solutions for Manpower, and courtesy of Manpower's <a href="http://manpowerblogs.com/holmes/2009/11/06/good-advice/">Contemporary Working</a> blog.  Melanie shares Manpower's extensive knowledge while building strategic partnerships with government, universities and other leadership organizations across the country. She is also responsible for social responsibility at Manpower, which includes diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, community relations, philanthropy and workforce development.</em></p>]]>
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<entry>
    <title>The 30-Day Job Search </title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/the_30day_job_search.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18927" title="The 30-Day Job Search " />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18927</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T17:56:34Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T21:04:03Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Following seven months of struggle, one Minnesota man made a simple change in his job search in August, and was hired for a new position only 30 days later. What did he do? Read on ... Scott Bornstein, from...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Following seven months of struggle, one Minnesota man made a simple change in his job search in August, and was hired for a new position only 30 days later.</p>

<p><strong>What did he do?</strong></p>

<p>Read on ...</p>

<p>Scott Bornstein, from suburban Minneapolis, was using what he thought was a well written resume, but without results. "Every time I sent it out, people would suggest changes to make. When I handed it out at a job fair, they'd say, 'Thank you' and file it away immediately." He wasn't getting called by employers.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>Sound familiar?</p>

<p>But Bornstein found a way to improve his resume, which boosted his self-confidence, which, in turn, led to more interviews, in a virtuous circle that led to a job offer within 30 days.</p>

<p><strong>It all started with a new, improved resume.</strong></p>

<p>"I went to using a Guerrilla Resume. It was easy to write and it gave me confidence, with a resume that I felt positive to hand out to anybody," says Bornstein.</p>

<p>The Guerrilla Resume is a format I co-developed with David E. Perry, author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 (full disclosure: I'm a contributing author to that book).</p>

<p><strong>This new style of resume is usually one page long and has two essential components:</strong></p>

<ol>	<li>Logos or graphics from past employers, colleges, or organizations; </li>
	<li>Quotes from people familiar with your work, such as managers or clients. </li></ol>

<p><strong>Why are these elements so powerful?</strong></p>

<p>Logos and graphics can improve your resume because the human brain would rather look at pictures than read. (What's worth a thousand words?) So the right logo or graphic on your resume can make a favorable impact before an employer reads one word of your resume.</p>

<p>Can you get in trouble for using a logo? If you print it on a T-shirt and sell it on Ebay, sure. But is it verboten to use a logo in your resume to convey a relationship with an employer, client, school, or organization? Not in my experience since 1996. Of course, I'm not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. When in doubt, ask permission before using a corporate graphic or logo.</p>

<p><strong>Quotes from past managers or clients are the second element of every Guerrilla Resume.</strong></p>

<p>Bornstein used three quotes on his resume. Quotes get attention because they are third-party endorsements of you, just like testimonials in an infomercial.</p>

<p>Where can you get them? Start with the recommendations on your Linkedin profile. They're already in the public domain -- why not use those quotes in your resume?</p>

<p><strong>Now, here's what happened after Bornstein revamped his resume.</strong></p>

<p>"The next day I went to a job fair in Minneapolis. I walked up to a recruiter and handed my resume to her. She actually grabbed my hand, leaned in, and said, 'This is an amazing resume.' And I knew at that moment that I had something," says Bornstein.</p>

<p>What he had was confidence, which improved every part of his job search. Think about how easy it is to do something when you know you can, versus when you're unsure. It's the difference that can make all the difference.</p>

<p>"With the new resume, I had complete confidence in what I was doing. As soon as I started handing it to other people -hiring managers, recruiters, whoever - nobody wanted to change it. I felt they all wanted to give me a chance, and that was different," says Bornstein.</p>

<p>The job Bornstein eventually took came from a contact he made at the Wooddale Transition Group. (If you're not a member of a high-quality job club, consider joining one. In addition to producing employment leads, it gets you out of the house to meet and help other people.)</p>

<p>"An email went to the group members on a Wednesday and I applied, along with 32 other people. The new resume immediately popped up for the hiring manager," says Bornstein, who was called on Friday and interviewed on Monday. A second interview followed on Thursday and he was offered a job the next day -- nine days after applying.</p>

<p><strong>What did Bornstein do to seal the deal in his second job interview?</strong></p>

<p>He brought a portfolio of achievements, work samples, and comments from others, organized in a three-ring binder. The portfolio, which took Bornstein two hours to assemble, supported his resume and helped him edge out two other candidates for the position.</p>

<p>Bornstein described the difference his new resume made this way: "The confidence was huge for me."</p>

<p>An eye-grabbing resume can provide the same kind of ego boost you might enjoy after getting a nice haircut or a $1,000 suit. If clothes can make the man, can a resume make the <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/"><strong>job search</strong></a>?</p>

<p>Apparently, yes.</p>

<p><br />
<em><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php">Kevin Donlin</a>  is co-author of <a href="http://yournickname.gjobnow.hop.clickbank.net/">Guerrilla Resumes</a>. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Author of 3 books, Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, USA Today, Fox News, CBS Radio and others. </em></p>

<p>Courtesy of the <a href="http://www.RecruitingBlogswap.com">Recruiting Blogswap</a>, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for  <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/internship-job-postings.php">college students looking for internships</a> and <a href="http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/jobs">recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs</a> and other career opportunities, and posted on <a href="http://www.gradversity.com/the-30-day-job-search/">Gradversity</a>.</em>  </p>]]>
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<entry>
    <title>Six Great Tips to Survive Holiday Party Schmooze Season</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/six_great_tips_to_survive_holiday_party_schmooze_season.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18924" title="Six Great Tips to Survive Holiday Party Schmooze Season" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18924</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T17:14:48Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T20:19:03Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Especially in this economy, a big part of getting ahead is first &apos;getting out there&apos; and networking. Ever wondered how some people make it look so easy--and seem to effortlessly work a room? Well, many times, those folks aren&apos;t...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Especially in this economy, a big part of getting ahead is first 'getting out there' and networking. Ever wondered how some people make it look so easy--and seem to effortlessly work a room?  Well, many times, those folks aren't the most confident or outgoing in the world; they just know a few tricks for how to schmooze.  The ability to charm everyone in the room can be learned.  With the holiday party season right around the corner, here are the top Six tips ways to mingle like a pro.</p>

<p><strong>1. Don't drink too much:</strong> A couple drinks to "lubricate" the situation is okay.  But whether it's a professional or social event, you don't want to completely let your guard down. <br />
</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p><strong>2. Listen more than you talk:</strong> Studies show that when you ask people questions about themselves--rather than talk about yourself--they come away from the conversation with a more favorable impression of you! <br />
<strong>3. Gather your "social currency" beforehand:</strong> Nobody just magically has interesting things to talk about.  You need to read up on current events/pop culture, watch popular movies and tv shows,  go new places and "bookmark" things that are compelling conversation starters. <br />
<strong>4. Break the ice. Yes, you can do it:</strong> Paying someone a compliment ("I love those shoes!"), commenting on the food or scenery, or asking the other person how he/she knows the host are easy ways to jump start the conversation. <br />
<strong>5. Stay on message--even if that means being silent:</strong> Don't feel the need to fill up awkward silences with complaints or negative gobbledygook about your personal life or mean-spirited work gossip. <br />
<strong>6. Don't be desperate:</strong>  Be natural, and don't hound someone for a job /contact/ favor.  Establish rapport, get their contact info, and follow up later. </p>

<p><br />
<em>Debra Shigley is a journalist and author of the book The Go-Getter Girl's Guide (St. Martin's Griffin). She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard and her JD at Georgia State, the latter while working full-time as an editor for Atlanta magazine. She has been featured as a lifestyle expert on national outlets such as The View, CNN, ABC News, and been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, AJC, Redbook, and many more. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Fast Company, Allure, Daily Candy, and Heart & Soul. Please visit her website, www.debrashigley.com, her blog, <a href="http://www.thegogettergirls.com">www.thegogettergirls.com</a>, and you can buy her new book at http://bit.ly/1Sm0ST. </em> </p>

<p> <em>Article courtesy of <a href="http://workbloom.com/default.aspx">WorkBloom</a>, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career  resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.</em><br />
</p>]]>
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<entry>
    <title>Entry Level Jobs With Brightcove</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/entry_level_jobs_with_brightcove.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18946" title="Entry Level Jobs With Brightcove" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18946</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T13:55:32Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-06T00:04:31Z</updated>
    
    <summary> It took long enough, but Internet video is everywhere. Yes, we had online video 10 years ago, but now it actually looks good--and works. The main reason for this is that end users (you and me) finally have technology...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
It took long enough, but Internet video is everywhere. Yes, we had online video 10 years ago, but now it actually looks good--and works. The main reason for this is that end users (you and me) finally have technology in their homes that can handle playing online video. This means high speed Internet connections and computers with enough processing power to not crash when a website uses a Flash video player. The issue for content creators is that delivering video still poses some challenges. Sure, I was able to produce an <a href="http://www.foundyourcareer.com/">online job search training course</a> that relied heavily on video with little trouble, but I wasn't delivering video to thousands or even millions of people (I wish I had the problem). As your use base increases, the challenge of delivering video increase exponentially. Moreover, managing video content in an organized fashion is a completely different challenge than organizing text and images. <strong>Brightcove</strong> is a Cambridge, MA based company that provides an online video platform for many of the worlds biggest brands. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/brightcove/#more-9039">Read the full article</a> </p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67.jpg"><img alt="Thumbnail image for Willy Franzen.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/assets_c/2008/10/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67-thumb-48x48.jpg" width="48" height="48" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span><em>Article by Willy Franzen of <a href="http://www.onedayoneinternship.com/">One Day, One Internship</a> and <a href= "http://www.onedayonejob.com/">One Day, One Job</a></em><br />
</p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>Entry Level Jobs With The Boston Globe</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/entry_level_jobs_with_the_boston_globe.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18945" title="Entry Level Jobs With The Boston Globe" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18945</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T13:53:02Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T23:55:01Z</updated>
    
    <summary> It feels pretty good to be talking about a Boston based newspaper today knowing that they have to report on another trip to the World Series for the Yankees; although, I&apos;m sure they&apos;d much rather be publishing stories on...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
It feels pretty good to be talking about a Boston based newspaper today knowing that they have to report on another trip to the World Series for the Yankees; although, I'm sure they'd much rather be publishing stories on what Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon are doing during their offseason (possibly watching the World Series from their couches). Now that I've gotten in my dig at Red Sox fans, we can take a look at <strong>The Boston Globe</strong>, Boston's most widely read newspaper. The paper is owned by the New York Times and has an excellent web presence at Boston.com. Much like other newspapers the Globe has had significant financial struggles, and The New York Times even threatened to shut the paper down if the paper's union didn't accept major concessions. Apparently those problems have been worked out, and The Boston Globe is now on more stable ground. At least that's what the fact that they're hiring would indicate. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-boston-globe/#more-9018">Read the full article </a></p>

<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67.jpg"><img alt="Thumbnail image for Willy Franzen.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/assets_c/2008/10/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67-thumb-48x48.jpg" width="48" height="48" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span><em>Article by Willy Franzen of <a href="http://www.onedayoneinternship.com/">One Day, One Internship</a> and <a href= "http://www.onedayonejob.com/">One Day, One Job</a></em></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>Entry Level Jobs With Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/entry_level_jobs_with_z_smith_reynolds_foundation.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18944" title="Entry Level Jobs With Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18944</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T13:49:00Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T23:52:21Z</updated>
    
    <summary> When I saw the name and location of Winston Salem, North Carolina&apos;s Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, I was instantly reminded of one of my favorite recent reads--Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley. A North Carolina based non-profit with...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
When I saw the name and location of Winston Salem, North Carolina's Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, I was instantly reminded of one of my favorite recent reads--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812976525?ie=UTF8&tag=ondaonjo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812976525">Thank You for Smoking</a> by Christopher Buckley. A North Carolina based non-profit with Reynolds in it name has to be tied to the tobacco industry, and it is. "The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest son of the founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company," and it seems to be one of the few good things that has come out of the tobacco industry--"a trust for charitable works in the State of North Carolina." The Foundation is focused on making grants to non-profit organizations in the areas of <a href="http://www.zsr.org/community.htm">Community Economic Development</a>, <a href="http://www.zsr.org/democracy.htm">Democracy and Civic Engagement</a>, the <a href="http://www.zsr.org/environment.htm">Environment</a>, <a href="http://www.zsr.org/precollegiate_edu.htm">Pre-Collegiate Education</a>, and <a href="http://www.zsr.org/social_justice.htm">Social Justice and Equity</a>, which, in my opinion, is a huge improvement on the other things associated with the Reynolds name. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/z-smith-reynolds-foundation/#more-8989">Read the full article</a> </p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67.jpg"><img alt="Thumbnail image for Willy Franzen.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/resumes/assets_c/2008/10/Willy Franzen-thumb-67x67-thumb-48x48.jpg" width="48" height="48" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span><em>Article by Willy Franzen of <a href="http://www.onedayoneinternship.com/">One Day, One Internship</a> and <a href= "http://www.onedayonejob.com/">One Day, One Job</a></em></p>]]>
        
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>How Understanding Your Brain Can Help You Feel Less Overwhelmed at Work</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/how_understanding_your_brain_can_help_you_feel_less_overwhelmed_at_work.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18953" title="How Understanding Your Brain Can Help You Feel Less Overwhelmed at Work" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18953</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-06T12:58:36Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-06T14:15:55Z</updated>
    
    <summary> A lot of people go into work and the first thing they do is check their email. Sometimes this task is quick and easy, but at other times - after being out sick for a few days or away...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
A lot of people go into work and the first thing they do is check their <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/custom/?q=Email+etiquette&submit=Search">email</a>. Sometimes this task is quick and easy, but at other times - after being out sick for a few days or away on vacation - it can be quite daunting. Well, there's an app for that ... just kidding. There may or may not be an app for that, but there's definitely a reason why checking email before doing anything else could cause someone to have a very unproductive day.</p>

<p>Consultant and leadership coach, <a href="http://www.davidrock.net/">David Rock</a>, has come up with several methods to help people do their <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/"><strong>jobs</strong></a> more efficiently by helping them to first understand how their brains process their different day-to-day tasks. In his book, <a href="http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/">Your Brain at Work</a>, Rock uses the experiences of two characters, Emily and Paul, to illustrate his points.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>He starts with Emily, newly promoted and already overwhelmed on a Monday morning. She has to respond to 100 email messages and several voice messages, as well as  prepare for an important conference.  According to Rock, Emily's plight is pretty common. </p>

<p>"Workers everywhere are experiencing an epidemic of overwhelm. For some people, it's the pressure of a promotion; for others, a downsizing or reorganization; but for many, every day involves a constant, massive, and overwhelming volume of work," writes Rock. "As the world digitizes, globalizes, unplugs, and reorganizes, having too much to do has become our biggest complaint."</p>

<p>This sense of drowning in a sea of work can be alleviated by understanding how much mental energy is required for each task, then prioritizing in such a way that the mind remains sharp and focused enough to perform each one effectively. It all sounds very scientific and difficult to understand, but it's really kind of like the riddle that starts with one person saying to another, "You're the bus driver ...," then the first person proceeds to tell the other how many people got on and off the bus at each stop. At the end of the riddle, the first person says, "What's the bus driver's name?" Because the listener had focused all his attention - and mental energy - on calculating the number of passengers, he completely forgot the first bit of information he received, "You're the bus driver." Rock has an answer for situations like that, too.  </p>

<p>So, to help people like Emily, feeling overwhelmed, Rock offers these tips:</p>

<p><strong>Consider This</strong></p>

<ul>	<li>Conscious thinking involves deeply complex biological interactions in the brain among billions of neurons.</li>
	<li>Every time the brain works on an idea consciously, it uses up a measurable and limited resource.</li>
	<li>Some mental processes take up a lot more energy than others.</li>
	<li>The most important mental processes, such as prioritizing, often take the most effort.</li></ul>

<p>Then ...</p>

<p><strong>Try This</strong></p>

<ul>	<li>Think of conscious thinking as a precious resource to conserve.</li>
	<li>Prioritize prioritizing, as it's an energy-intensive activity.</li>
	<li>Save mental energy for prioritizing by avoiding other high-energy-consuming conscious activities, such as responding to emails.</li>
	<li>Schedule the most attention-rich tasks - like creative writing - when you have a fresh and alert mind. Rock actually recommends doing such tasks first thing Monday morning.</li>
	<li>Use the brain to interact with information rather than trying to store information, by creating visuals for complex ideas and by listing projects. 
                      (Remember the riddle? If the listener had imagined himself driving the bus, he might have been able to answer that all important question:  "What's the bus driver's name?")</li>
	<li>Schedule blocks of time for different modes of thinking. "Give your brain a rest by mixing things up," he says. </li></ul>

<p>There's a lot more going on inside the human brain than anyone may have realized. David Rock not only offers an explanation of how the brain processes day-to-day tasks, he also provides helpful tips for how to use that information so people can do their  <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/"><strong>jobs</strong></a> better and more efficiently and, maybe, to feel a little less overwhelmed. </p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Working Around Your Fears at Work</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/working_around_your_fears_at_work.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18922" title="Working Around Your Fears at Work" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18922</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T20:07:35Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T20:09:52Z</updated>
    
    <summary> One of the most admirable answers to the question, &apos;But weren&apos;t you scared?&apos; from daredevils, astronauts, fighter-pilots and the like, is often, &apos;Yes, but I knew what I needed to do.&quot; They might have been afraid in the midst...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
One of the most admirable answers to the question, 'But weren't you scared?' from daredevils, astronauts, fighter-pilots and the like, is often, 'Yes, but I knew what I needed to do." They might have been afraid in the midst of the task they knew they needed to perform, but they did it anyway. Similarly at work, we also must do those things that scare us, because quite simply, it's our job and we're expected to do it well. Whether it means taking that overseas business trip to a place you've never been and wondering if you'll like the people or the food, or embarking on a new working relationship with someone who intimidates you, the workplace is filled with all sorts of potentially scary situations. Here are some examples of ways to mitigate those workplace fears.</p>

<p><strong>I - Fear of a new boss</strong></p>

<p>Some people love to find ways to intimidate their co-workers. They think it gives them power in the workplace, and they think it makes them less vulnerable to the threats of demotion or job loss. Others live in constant fear of those intimidators, attempting to avoid them in meetings, in empty hallways, and anyplace where direct, uncomfortable interaction might be required. But what do you do if you happen to be one of the intimidated and suddenly must report to an intimidator? As hard as it might be, face them head on. Just as you would if they were a scary-looking dog and you had to walk right up to them and pat 'em on the head. Don't stutter or shake or sweat, or they'll sense your fear and bite the hand that pats them. But, approach them, afraid or unafraid, and be your best, calm, centered professional self.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p><strong>II - Fear of being fired</strong></p>

<p>Unfortunately, in many cases there may not be much one can do to prevent the loss of a job. But, there is much one can do to be sure the fear of being laid off doesn't consume you to the point of making you less effective at work. Just like managing many other fears, a good way of managing fear of job loss is to work through it. And don't just work hard, work smartly. Think of at least one way each day that you can do something extra at work to show your value and make your bosses see what a great asset you are. Instead of simply keeping your head down, and hoping the long arm of the lay-off law doesn't reach in your direction, step up, stand out, and give it all you've got. You might find that your focus on being more productive at work might even serve as an excellent distraction from your fears. And even if the worst happens and you lose your job anyway, then at least you know you did everything you could to prevent it.</p>

<p><strong>III - Fear of conflict</strong></p>

<p>The fear of conflict has got to be one of the most common fears exhibited by people at work, and probably in other areas of their lives. Fear of conflict is natural - most people feel uncomfortable in situations that may cause them to have to confront someone about something and in the process create a little conflict. It's unpleasant, and most of us would rather avoid it than deal with it head on.</p>

<p>Fear of conflict is particularly difficult for managers. For example, many managers would rather ignore an employee's performance problem or delay addressing it, rather than giving the necessary feedback and fixing the problem right away. It's not that the manager is a bad one, per se, or lazy, but rather that they don't want to create conflict, and in most cases are simply afraid of it. They think that by not addressing it, the performance problem might go away, or become someone else's problem to solve. However, just as with all things that scare us, they sometimes just become scarier if we don't confront our fear. So, managers would do well to just acknowledge performance problems for what they are, get some advice from a mentor or HR on how to confront the problem, and do their very best deal with it immediately and not let it fester. Almost all fears, if not dealt with in some way or another, only grow with time, and then consume us to the point of being immobilized by them. And what good would that do? Why be fearful at work, when the fearless alternative is so much more productive.</p>

<p><br />
<em>Melanie Haniph is an HR professional who has worked in several organizations throughout the US and Europe during her career, and continues to practice HR. She writes articles that provide no-nonsense, common sense advice about achieving job success and managing top-flight career growth. </em> </p>

<p> <em>Article courtesy of <a href="http://workbloom.com/default.aspx">WorkBloom</a>, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career  resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Job Outlook for Careers Matching Holland&apos;s Social Personality Type </title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/job_outlook_for_careers_matching_hollands_social_personality_type.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18919" title="Job Outlook for Careers Matching Holland's Social Personality Type " />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18919</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T17:48:09Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T16:55:22Z</updated>
    
    <summary> It&apos;s no surprise that careers matching the Social personality type are growing quickly with our aging population needing health care and our expanding community, education, and family needs. Although school districts nationwide recently suffered cuts in both teachers and...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
It's no surprise that careers matching the <a href="http://www.careerkey.org/asp/your_personality/hollands_theory_of_career_choice.html">Social personality type</a> are growing quickly with our aging population needing health care and our expanding community, education, and family needs.</p>

<p>Although school districts nationwide recently suffered cuts in both teachers and counselors, prospects vary sharply by geographic area. While tenured professor positions are as difficult as ever to get, college and universities are increasingly relying on adjunct and other non-tenured positions to serve increasing numbers of students.</p>

<p>These are just a couple of reasons to do your information interviews and research about careers close to home. For more tips about researching and choosing an education career, see <a href="http://careerkey.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-internet-resources-for-choosing.html">my blog post about it</a>.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>To get started with the right personality type and matching careers, get your <a href="http://www.careerkey.org/asp/your_personality/take_test.html">scientifically valid Career Key scores</a> for the <a href="http://www.careerkey.org/asp/your_personality/hollands_theory_of_career_choice.html">6 personality types</a>. Then look at your <a href="http://careerkey.org/index.asp">Career Key</a> <a href="http://www.careerkey.org/asp/career_options/match_personality.html">job matches</a> and check the job outlook for each career that interests you.</p>

<p>From the <a href="http://careerkey.org/index.asp">Career Key test and website</a>, you'll find direct links to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) from each career you choose to explore. Each OOH description of a career includes a job outlook section, that in turn links to state specific labor market information. <a href="http://www.careerkey-ca.org/">Career Key Canada</a> provides the similar links to Job Futures with employment prospect information.</p>

<p>If what you see in the OOH or Job Futures is not promising or you want to consider other options, read on...</p>

<p><strong>Top Social Career Key work group* picks for promising job prospects:</strong></p>

<ul>	<li>4.01 Social Services</li>
	<li>4.02 Nursing, Therapy, & Health Promotion</li>
	<li>4.04 Education & Library Services</li></ul>

<p>* <em>The Career Key organizes matching careers in unique, easy to use work groups by interests, skills, and abilities.</em></p>

<p><strong>The Social occupations predicted to have the most new U.S. jobs through 2016 </strong>(listed with Career Key work group number, grouped by required education level - most to least) are:</p>

<p>Postsecondary Teachers (4.04)<br />
Clinical Psychologist (4.01)<br />
Counseling Psychologist (4.01)<br />
School Counselor (4.01)<br />
Clergy (4.01)<br />
Physical Therapist (4.02)<br />
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (4.01)<br />
Mental Health Counselor (4.01)<br />
Educational, Vocational, or School Counselor (4.01)<br />
Rehabilitation Counselor (4.01)<br />
Elementary School Teacher (4.04)<br />
Registered Nurse (4.02)<br />
Dental Hygienist (4.02)<br />
Nurse Aide (4.03)<br />
Preschool Teacher (4.04)<br />
Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse (4.03)</p>

<p><strong>The fastest growing of all occupations are:</strong></p>

<p>Postsecondary Teacher (4.04)<br />
Clinical Psychologist (4.01)<br />
Counseling Psychologist (4.01)<br />
School Counselor (4.01)<br />
Mental Health Counselor (4.01)<br />
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker (4.01)<br />
Marriage and Family Therapist (4.01)<br />
Physical Therapist (4.02)<br />
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors (4.01)<br />
Physical Therapy Assistant (4.02)<br />
Fitness Trainer or Aerobics Instructor (4.05)<br />
Preschool Teacher (4.04)<br />
Self-enrichment Education Teacher (4.04)<br />
Athletes (4.05)</p>

<p>Use the Career Guide to Industries to learn more about Social occupations in:<br />
<a href="http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cg1008.htm">Education, Health Care, and Social Services</a></p>

<p><em> Article by, Juliet Wehr Jones, J.D. and courtesy of <a href="http://careerkey.blogspot.com/">Career Key</a>, striving to help all people make the best career choices, worldwide.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Step Out of Your Comfort Zone - Why are Job Seekers Afraid to Change? </title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/step_out_of_your_comfort_zone_why_are_job_seekers_afraid_to_change.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18918" title="Step Out of Your Comfort Zone - Why are Job Seekers Afraid to Change? " />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18918</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T17:38:21Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T16:47:50Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Job seekers are notoriously afraid to embrace change...even though their entire goal is based on change (sure - sometimes the change is thrust upon us). Some candidates are afraid to approach new career paths, others afraid to change industry...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="Finding the Right Job" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Job seekers are notoriously afraid to embrace change...even though their entire goal is based on change (sure - sometimes the change is thrust upon us). Some candidates are afraid to approach new career paths, others afraid to change industry or function, almost all are afraid to change their approach.</p>

<p>I spoke to a candidate today, whose job search strategy was "the same thing I did 7 years ago". When I asked why he felt what worked 7 years ago would work well today, he listed these reasons:</p>

<ul>	<li>It's what has always worked for him</li>
	<li>A CEO complimented him on his good resume</li>
	<li>Of his friends, he was considered the expert in how to search for a job</li></ul>

<p>This illustrates an interesting phenomena...while many job seekers realize the job market has dramatically changed, most still won't change their strategies. This unfortunate fellow fought change, tooth and nail, even after discussing how much the job market has changed and how much more competitive it is, especially in his field, Pharmaceuticals.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>A rational person would react to a changed environment with changed strategies and tactics to match the new market realities. This individual was well educated, intelligent, and had a couple dozen patents...in scientific knowledge, he was in the stratosphere. Yet, his resume was terrible (unclear goals, didn't differentiate, didn't give reason he should be hired, poorly structured, didn't demonstrate subject matter expertise, didn't demonstrate value he provided to past employers...and I could keep going on).</p>

<p>So why was this very educated and intelligent individual fighting change?</p>

<p>People fight change when it brings them outside their comfort zone. In everything...new policies/procedures at work, in our personal lives, we are creatures of habit. But why?</p>

<p>A. J. Schuler, Psy. D of <a href="http://schulersolutions.com/">SchulerSolutions.com</a> lists <strong>"Top 10 Reasons for Change Resistance":</strong></p>

<ol>	<li>The risk of change is seen as greater than the risk of standing still</li>
	<li>People feel connected to others who are identified with the old way</li>
	<li>People fear they lack the confidence to change</li>
	<li>People feel they lack the competence to change</li>
	<li>People feel overloaded and overwhelmed</li>
	<li>People have a healthy skepticism and want to make sure new ideas are sound</li>
	<li>People fear hidden agenda among would-be reformers</li>
	<li>People fear that proposed change threatens their notions of themselves</li>
	<li>People anticipate a loss of status or quality of life</li>
	<li>People genuinely perceive that the proposed change is a bad idea</li></ol>

<p>Interestingly, #10 didn't enter into the equation, as this candidate generally agreed with my comments on his resume. Yet he still fought the idea of changing his strategies. So why would a candidate feel "you're right, but I'm still not going to change"?</p>

<p>In this candidate's case, he didn't lack the competence (#4), and certainly not the confidence (#3) to change. Admittedly, I implement resume and career strategy change, so I'm not without bias - so he may have perceived an agenda (#6 & #7 ...yet this was a free analysis, where I usually don't discuss services I offer...it's not a sales pitch).</p>

<p>Notice that we've ruled out Schuler's "rational" reasons to resist change. That's because this gentleman's reasons were emotional.</p>

<p>If you look at this candidate's rationale above, his third point rings out. His friends look to him for help, and he acts as an amateur career coach. He must get a certain amount of satisfaction, and even pride from this status...or he wouldn't have mentioned it.</p>

<p>Changing his strategy would be in conflict with a number of Schuler's reasons: #2 His friends connect to him (and are grateful to him) and identify in the old way; # 8 Changing would threaten his notion that he's an expert at finding a new position; #9 Changing would risk him loosing status among his friends.</p>

<p>The candidate's second point that a CEO complimented his resume adds validation to the candidate's emotional needs as an amateur career coach. While the CEO offered compliments, it's important to note that the CEO didn't offer him a job. Hiring managers often will compliment someone's resume out of empathy to the job seeker and to soften the uncomfortable feeling of telling a candidate "no" (remember, this was a brilliant guy with an awful resume). Having 100 CEO's compliment your resume doesn't get you a job....you get a job because you solve a specific business problem or because you fit in with the company's culture better than your competitors. Skills & fit get you a job, not resume compliments.</p>

<p>Yet this compliment was a source of pride to the candidate (#8 and #9), because it validated the candidates' self-view as being an expert at job search, and adviser to his friends (#2).</p>

<p>So how can candidates break free from the vicious cycle of fear of change? Doug Howardell of Inventory Performance offers some great suggestions in his article "Overcoming People's Fear of Change", as he describes The Third Position. Doug suggests that the Third Position involves three steps.</p>

<p><br />
<strong>"Step 1: Come face to face with the threat</strong>, understand the reaction and the fear.</p>

<p><strong>Step 2: Seek to find the opportunity in the change</strong>, focus on the opportunities and not the threat.</p>

<p><strong>Step 3: Do what must be done to take advantage of the opportunity.</strong> Step three is deceptively simple. Do what must be done. "BUT I'M SCARED!" So, do it anyway. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Acknowledge that you're afraid and act in spite of your fear. The fear won't go way but you can move on in the face of it."</p>

<p><strong>I'll add steps 4 & 5:</strong></p>

<p><strong>Step 4: Take baby steps</strong>...Don't try to radically change overnight. It's much tougher to muster the courage to make drastic changes all at once. The fear of failure is too great, so try smaller changes at first to build confidence that your changes are on track.</p>

<p><strong>Step 5: Learn from failure, rather than fearing it</strong>. Failure is a great teacher, and the basis of most scientific theory. As humans, we learn from trying something new, and gaining knowledge from what we've tried...whether they work or not.</p>

<p>Step out of your comfort zone today, and try something new in your job search. Maybe it's using a new strategy, maybe it's a new industry, maybe it's an entirely new career path. Regardless of whether your efforts result in success or failure, I guarantee you'll learn from it. Change is good...embrace it.</p>

<p><br />
<em>Article by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03469089939068726528">Phil Rosenberg</a>, President, <a href="http://www.recareered.com/">reCareered</a> & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of <a href="http://recareered.blogspot.com/">reCareered blog</a>.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Building Relationships Organically - Part 4</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/building_relationships_organically_part_4.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18917" title="Building Relationships Organically - Part 4" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18917</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T16:31:30Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T16:37:42Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Step 3: Convert All things being equal, we prefer to do business with those we know, like and trust. And all things not being equal, many of us would still prefer to do business with those we know, like...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
        <category term="Networking" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
<strong>Step 3: Convert</strong></p>

<p>All things being equal, we prefer to do business with those we know, like and trust. And all things not being equal, many of us would still prefer to do business with those we know, like and trust. I heard this said at a panel discussion recently and I couldn't agree more.</p>

<p>The question is: How can we allow that know, like and trust to happen effortlessly and automatically so that networking doesn't seem forced, fake, or time-consuming?</p>

<p>Over the past few weeks, we've explored how we can tap into the natural ability we each have to <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/building-relationships-organically---part-3/">build relationships organically</a>, letting nature take its course without injecting anything artificial into the process to force them to blossom more quickly.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>And we've seen in this series that the more we get it right up front--with who we connect with and how we connect with them--the easier it is to converse, and ultimately convert that connection to a true relationship. Those who realize this, for example, understand why you wouldn't send a Facebook friend request or a LinkedIn invitation without crafting a personalized note, any more than you would phone someone you've never met and start chatting away without introducing yourself or mentioning a reason for calling.</p>

<p>This week we'll wrap up the series with a focus on the third step of the organic relationship building process: conversion.</p>

<p><strong>Conversion is about evolving from simply being known to someone, to ultimately being trusted by them.</strong> Trusted enough to buy from you, trusted enough to tell their friends and colleagues about you, trusted enough to offer their help to you when you ask for it.</p>

<p><strong>Conversion</strong></p>

<p>But there are different categories of conversion:</p>

<p><strong>Supporter:</strong> Where there's a natural chemistry and mutual respect. Anyone who likes you will usually be willing to help you out with a favor or spend time with you to give advice and feedback.</p>

<p><strong>Partner:</strong> Where there's a natural synergy between your respective goals. These are folks who can help you expand your business by collaborating with you to develop new markets, products and services. They help not just to feel good, but also because there are direct and tangible benefits to them for doing so.</p>

<p><strong>Customer:</strong> Where there's a natural need someone has that your product or service can fill. For example, corporate training managers, event planners and others who hire speakers for their organizations would be potential customers for me.</p>

<p><strong>Endorser:</strong> Where there's been an actual experience of working with you. These folks can give a whole-hearted recommendation based on their hands-on knowledge. They can help answer questions the prospect may have, thereby serving as your mini-sales force.</p>

<p>The reason some people struggle with networking is that they focus on meeting only those who fit into the Customer category. Or worse, trying to push everyone they meet into the Customer category even when it doesn't make sense.</p>

<p>Realistically, only a small percentage of folks you'll come across will ever buy from you. But that doesn't mean they can't play a crucial role in your business success as a supporter or partner.</p>

<p>In fact, when you have supporters, partners and endorsers, winning over customers becomes a lot easier because other people are doing the selling for you.</p>

<p>So the key to successfully converting initial connections into productive relationships is to focus your conversations on winning people over as supporters first. Build your know, like and trust factor by finding out what's important to them, what they're pursuing, and how you can help.</p>

<p>When you work on gaining someone's support rather than to trying to leapfrog over into the sale, not only will you put less pressure on yourself with networking, but you'll also put less pressure on them. And in that natural, relaxed state will the most robust, productive and profitable relationships take root and flourish.</p>

<p></p>

<p><em><a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/author/llynch/">Liz Lynch</a> is founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008). Connect with Liz on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/liz_lynch">@liz_lynch</a> and get your free Smart Networking Toolkit at <a href="http://www.smartnetworking.com/">http://www.SmartNetworking.com</a>.</em></p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Dan%20Schawbel.jpg"><img alt="Dan Schawbel.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Dan Schawbel-thumb-67x82.jpg" width="67" height="82" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span> <em>Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y.  He authors the <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/">Personal Branding Blog</a> and publishes <a href="http://www.personalbrandingmag.com/">Personal Branding Magazine</a> and authored the upcoming book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Me-2-0-Powerful-Achieve-Success/dp/1427798206/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223920474&sr=8-1">Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success</a> (Kaplan, Spring 2009).  Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>Reverse Mentoring Is Revolutionizing The Workplace</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/reverse_mentoring_is_revolutionizing_the_workplace.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18909" title="Reverse Mentoring Is Revolutionizing The Workplace" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18909</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T16:23:59Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-04T22:33:02Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Mentors have strong and respected place in the world of work. In fact, that role is growing in importance. Usually, older and more experience, mentors provide coaching and serve as role models for neophytes who turn to them for...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Mentors have strong and respected place in the world of work. In fact, that role is growing in importance.</p>

<p>Usually, older and more experience, mentors provide coaching and serve as role models for neophytes who turn to them for advice on how to build and manage careers. This role is important to the success of individuals and organizations.</p>

<p>Mentoring is taking on a new dimension as increasingly younger careerists are performing that vital service for their older bosses and associates.</p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p>It's been called "reverse mentoring."</p>

<p>This new mode of mentoring has been brought about by the technology spawned<br />
by computers and the Internet.</p>

<p>Older workers are usually lost balls in tall weeds when it comes to understanding the potential benefits of cyber technology and how to realize them. On the other hand, younger people, the so-called twentysomethings, who have grown up with computers and the Internet are comfortable and adept at the tools of technology. They have also developed new attitudes that are changing the environment of work.</p>

<p>This emerging of reverse mentoring is not without some sobering and painful adjustments on both sides. Who hasn't had the un-nerving experience of a youngster school age solving in a flash a cyber challenge, which has been baffling an elder for days?</p>

<p>In the past, reverse mentoring relationships have evolved informally. A survey by Work-life Policy shows that four out of ten senior executives have asked younger associates for assistance with text messaging, social networking and using iTunes.</p>

<p><strong>Reverse Mentoring A Growing Trend</strong></p>

<p>More and more companies are formalizing reverse mentoring programs by assigning younger people to act as technology guides.</p>

<p>The Edelman public relations firm is a good example of this trend. The agency has named its program Rotnem ( mentor spelled backwards) and gone worldwide with it. About 95 percent of the senior executives in its Chicago office are working with assigned Rotnems.</p>

<p>Usually those who have experienced tech mentoring find that learning how-to-do-it, though often difficult, is only half the game. The rest of the equation--understanding the protocol and learning the appropriate way to employ it so that it benefits the organization--is equally challenging.</p>

<p>It takes some doing--and a healthy ego-- for senior executives to get comfortable being taught by a younger person.</p>

<p>"You feel stupid," says Janet Cabot, president of Edelman's central region. "...you get to a certain age and you don't want to feel stupid."</p>

<p>Those organizations that have instituted reverse mentoring program often find that the benefits go beyond improved use of technology. Chief among these is the breaking down of the rigid lines of corporate hierarchies. Inevitably, younger mentors and their pupils are exposed to each other's knowledge and experience.</p>

<p>While benefiting from informed guidance on how to use technology, seniors are gaining insight in to what makes their younger associates tick and how to manage them.</p>

<p>"Even though I learned about the networking, what I really learned...it is important to understand what Rotnems think and how they spend their time," says Kathy Krenger, 42, an executive at Edelmen.</p>

<p>"The mentoring, the sharing diverse perspectives of an older generation versus a younger generation that produces a lot of magic. It breeds innovative thought," declares Raphael Viton, president of an innovation agency in suburban Chicago.</p>

<p>Seniors get a chance to spot and evaluate new talent.</p>

<p>At the same time, young people gain exposure to senior executives which carries with it opportunities to learn from them, not only what to do, but also how to get things done.</p>

<p>This exposure includes two other opportunities for young mentors. One, they have a chance to show their capabilities and their work ethic. Two, they can introduce new technologies and strategy that can benefit their employer and by extension themselves.</p>

<p>Reverse mentoring can come from the top down in organizations that want to take full advantage of the sweeping changes that are occuring in workplace technology. Or it can occur when younger staffers step forward to volunteer their expertise.</p>

<p>It's clear. Either way, all parties--employer, senior executives and younger associates--benefit when reverse mentoring takes place.</p>

<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Ramon%20Greenwood.png"><img alt="Ramon Greenwood.png" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Ramon Greenwood-thumb-67x98.png" width="67" height="98" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span><em>Article by, <a href="http://www.commonsenseatwork.com/">Ramon Greenwood</a>, a career counselor with common sense advice on how to achieve your career goals. To subscribe to Ramon Greenwood's free semi-monthly newsletter and blog, go to <a href="http://www.commonsenseatwork.com/"> Common Sense at Work</a> Ramon's take-it-to-the bank advice comes from a world of experience, including serving as Senior Vice President of American Express, an entrepreneur, professional director, career coach and author. </em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>9 Questions to Take Your Brand to the Next Level</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/9_questions_to_take_your_brand_to_the_next_level.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18916" title="9 Questions to Take Your Brand to the Next Level" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18916</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T16:23:20Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-05T16:29:44Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Personal branding is an iterative process. As you change career paths, relocate, find new lines of work or climb upward at your current job, it&apos;s helpful to step back and reflect on what makes you, you. Answer the questions...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Personal branding is an iterative process. As you change career paths, relocate, find new lines of work or climb upward at your current job, it's helpful to step back and reflect on what makes you, you. Answer the questions below to make sure you're in tune with You, Inc., and can articulate your value effectively to those in a position to advance your career. (For a deeper analysis of your brand, complete ReachCC's Brand Quiz, developed by William Arruda of Reach Personal Branding -the source of a number of questions below).</p>

<p><strong>9 questions that will take your brand to the next level:</strong></p>

<p><em>1. Can you state your three most relevant and compelling brand attributes (adjectives that describe you)?</em></p>

<p>My top three brand attributes are:</p>

<p><em>2. Do you know what those around you think is your greatest strength?</em></p>

<p>Those around me consider my greatest strength: </p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p><em>3. Can you clearly describe what differentiates you from your competitors?</em></p>

<p>What differentiates me from my competitors is:</p>

<p><em>4. Do you have a positioning statement that describes what you offer, for whom and how you're different?</em></p>

<p>My positioning statement goes like this:</p>

<p><em>5. Can you clearly describe your target audience - those people who need to know about you so that you can achieve your goals?</em></p>

<p>My target audience is:</p>

<p><em>6. Do you regularly Google yourself and proactively manage your brand online?</em></p>

<p>Yes / No (see my <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-brand-audit-whats-your-online-visibility-score/">Online Visibility Audit</a>, <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-brand-audit-what%E2%80%99s-your-linkedin-score/">LinkedIn Audit</a>, <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-brand-audit-what%E2%80%99s-your-facebook-score/">Facebook Audit</a> and <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-brand-audit-what%E2%80%99s-your-google-score/">Google Audit</a> for tips)</p>

<p><em>7. Do you have a coach, mentor, or someone helping you improve yourself?</em></p>

<p>Yes / No</p>

<p><em>8. Do you have an area of thought-leadership or specific point of view that you are known for?</em></p>

<p>Yes / No</p>

<p><em>9. Do you know the next step in the evolution of your brand (i.e. What you need to do next to increase your visibility among your target audience members)?</em></p>

<p>The next step in the evolution of my brand is:</p>

<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>

<p>Remember that your brand is how other people feel about you. You need to understand what other people consider your strengths, weaknesses and differentiators. Ask friends, family and coworkers for their objective opinion on what makes you uniquely you. If their thoughts are consistent with your self perceptions, congratulations! Now it's time to proactively and compellingly articulate Brand You to your target audience. Be consistent and 100% authentic. Good luck, and let me know how it goes! </p>

<p><br />
<em><a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/author/pkistler/">Pete Kistler</a> is a leading <a href="http://petekistler.com/">Online Reputation Management expert</a> for Generation Y, a top 5 finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine's College Entrepreneur of 2009, one of the Top 30 Definitive Personal Branding Experts on Twitter, a widely read <a href="http://blog.brand-yourself.com/">career development blogger</a>, and a Judge for the 2009 Personal Brand Awards. Pete manages strategic vision for <a href="http://brand-yourself.com/">Brand‐Yourself.com</a>, the first online reputation management platform for job applicants, named one of the Top 100 Most Innovative College Startups in the U.S.</em></p>

<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Dan%20Schawbel.jpg"><img alt="Dan Schawbel.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/Dan Schawbel-thumb-67x82.jpg" width="67" height="82" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span> <em>Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y.  He authors the <a href="http://www.personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/">Personal Branding Blog</a> and publishes <a href="http://www.personalbrandingmag.com/">Personal Branding Magazine</a> and authored the upcoming book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Me-2-0-Powerful-Achieve-Success/dp/1427798206/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223920474&sr=8-1">Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success</a> (Kaplan, Spring 2009).  Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.</em></p>]]>
    </content>
</entry>

<entry>
    <title>What to Do When You&apos;re Stuck in a Rut at Work</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/11/what_to_do_when_youre_stuck_in_a_rut_at_work.php" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/cgi-bin/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=6/entry_id=18908" title="What to Do When You're Stuck in a Rut at Work" />
    <id>tag:www.collegerecruiter.com,2009:/career-counselors//6.18908</id>
    
    <published>2009-11-05T16:13:50Z</published>
    <updated>2009-11-04T22:21:29Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Many of us stay in our careers (and jobs) longer than we want because we are unsure what we would do next. We tell ourselves that the answer will come to us someday. Then, we will make our move....</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Candice Arnold</name>
        <uri>http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/candicearnoldbio.php</uri>
    </author>
    
        <category term="General" />
    
        <category term="Workplace Problems" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/">
        <![CDATA[<p><br />
Many of us stay in our careers (and <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/"><strong>jobs</strong></a>) longer than we want because we are unsure what we would do next.  We tell ourselves that the answer will come to us someday.  Then, we will make our move.  Or, when the economy improves, we'll go. But in the meantime, we stay where we are, stuck and unhappy.</p>

<p>Your career does not get better until you make it better.  This involves work.  Yes, you may tell yourself that the work is hard to do. But isn't staying in a career (or job) that is draining your energy and taking away from your quality of life harder?   </p>

<p>Getting out of a rut is all about taking action to move yourself forward. You decide what you want and then you put a plan in place to get it. You see it, you believe it, and then you achieve it. </p>]]>
        <![CDATA[<p><strong>So, How Do You Get Out Of Your Rut? Follow These 6 Steps Below:</strong> </p>

<p><strong>1. You Write Down What You Like To Do </strong></p>

<p>List 10 things that you like or have liked about the careers (or jobs) you have been in. This exercise can give you insight and objectivity into what you want in your career. Past likes lead to future likes, which lead to career satisfaction. </p>

<p><strong>2. You Write Down What You Dislike To Do</strong> </p>

<p>List 10 things that you dislike or have disliked about the careers (or jobs) you have been in.  This exercise will tell you what you do not want in your next position. Many people can't tell me what they do want as easily as what they don't want. The good news is that the flip side of what you don't want is what you really want to be doing next. </p>

<p><strong>3. You Create Your Ideal Job </strong></p>

<p>Spend some time with a piece of papers and your inner thoughts. Ask yourself if you knew the next move in your career would absolutely, positively work, what would you do next?  Be as specific as possible. Are you running your own company or your own department? Where are you based?  Are your hours 9 to 5 or more flexible?  Are you telecommuting?  Are you working with numbers or people? Let whatever is supposed to come out, out. No screening; just what's important to you. </p>

<p><strong>4. You Research The Market</strong> </p>

<p>Who can you talk to in the field you want to get into?  What reports have been written about that field? What companies are doing what you know in your heart you should be doing next?  Research works effectively when you are using the Internet, books, and people (all three) to help you understand where is the best place for you to go to next. </p>

<p><strong>5. You Create Your Plan </strong></p>

<p>When will your change take place?  How will you get there? What steps will you take specifically and when will you take them? Write everything down. This way you will make sure you do not forget anything.  And, you will have a place to add new steps along the way. Action leads to results. Inaction (or the lack of a plan) will only fuel and prolong your rut. </p>

<p><strong>6. You Reward Yourself For Moving Forward </strong></p>

<p>It is never easy looking at your career (or yourself) and deciding that something needs to change.  Some changes come quickly, and some changes come slowly.  Regardless of the pace you go, reward yourself for moving forward. It really is a big deal.  </p>

<p>Getting out of a rut takes time, effort and patience, but it can be done. Suffering in a dead-end or dissatisfying <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/"><strong>job</strong></a> isn't the only option, even in a troubled economy. </p>

<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/debbrown.jpg"><img alt="debbrown.jpg" src="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/debbrown-thumb-68x68.jpg" width="68" height="68" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></a></span><em>Article by Deborah Brown-Volkman, a top professional Certified Coach (PCC), sought-out career coach & expert,    best-selling author, and the President of , <a href="http://www.surpassyourdreams.com">Surpass Your Dreams</a>, a successful career coaching, life coaching, and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. </em><br />
</p>]]>
    </content>
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