Career Success for Generation Y
July 19, 2010
Members of Generation Y, from ages 15 to 31, are entering the workforce in large numbers, similar to their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers. Gen Y makes up nearly one-third of all Americans living today. Born after 1980, they’re now pouring into the work world with values, aspirations, and approaches that differ markedly from their parents and coworkers.
Tamara Erickson, author of Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, explains the forces affecting attitudes and behaviors in earlier generations — Traditionalists (born 1928-1945), Boomers (born 1946-1964), and Generation X (born 1965-1980) — so Gen Y can start relating more productively with bosses, peers, and employees.
In her book, Erickson reveals a framework Gen Y’s can use to develop their own criteria for making career choices, how X’ers and Boomers view Generation Y, and the top 10 rules that can help Generation Y’s succeed in the corporate world.
On a recent episode of Total Career Success, Erickson shared how Gen Y’s can use their unique strengths to understand and influence their professional relationships, to figure out how they define “success,” and to help them find their way in the changing workplace.
Co-host Sheryl Dawson said,
“Tammy Erickson is an expert in workforce trends and talent management solutions. Tammy helps you decide what you want and shows you how to go about getting it. The great thing that helps Gen Y integrate at work is the fact that they love their parent’s generation – the Boomers! This helps Gen Y’s establish trust among older colleagues and bosses quickly and provides a foundation for developing positive working relationships.”
Erickson’s interview is available for download or listening online at http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=47353. Her book, Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Baby-boomer Suicides spur Author to Offer Free E-Book, “How to Make Money While You Look for a Job”
July 6, 2010
Donna D. Buskirk was laid off from Microsoft in November, 2009. This is the third time she has been laid off, but the first time she has used unemployment benefits. Buskirk was a technical writer and recently started writing freelance articles for a small-town weekly newspaper.
The author is offering her full 123-page e-book free, after reading headlines about increasing baby-boomer suicides. She hopes that teachers and facilitators around the country will use the seven-step workbook to teach people in their communities the basics of starting a small service-based business.
She says, “I actually wrote and published How to Make Money While You Look for a Job, Start a Very Small Business on a Shoestring, A Step-by-Step Workbook the first time I was laid off after ten years at MCI, but I didn’t know how to promote it. Now, I’m taking a course in online marketing while I look for a job, but I still couldn’t get up the nerve to go public.”
We don’t know how to work for ourselves. We have to learn.
Buskirk lives with her two youngest children and husband on a small farm in North Carolina. Her husband was laid off and, after unsuccessfully looking for a job in the nearby Research Triangle Park for a year, he recently accepted a position in Northern Virginia. He makes the five-hour commute every weekend. She says, “I was busy and still shy about getting the book out there, but then I read an article about baby boomers not having enough retirement savings. When you add job loss to that, it inspired me to do a search on ‘increase suicide boomers.’
Book Review: Warriors, Workers, Whiners, And Weasels
June 30, 2010
We all know a Weasel. You know, that person that threatens to take down your organization by using every sleazy tactic in the book to advance their careers regardless of how it effects others. Warriors, Workers, Whiners, and Weasels: The 4 Personality Types in Business and How to Manage Them to Your Advantage by entrepreneur Tim O’Leary takes a refreshing look at the different personalities we encounter and how to handle them.
The premise of the book is that essentially everyone fits into one of four personality groups: Warrior, Worker, Whiner, or Weasel. O’Leary defines each as the following:
Warriors, who confront change, see possibilities, innovate and manage to win!
Workers, who deal with the ups, downs and challenges of everyday corporate life dependably, and who can reliably implement the change and direction established by the Warriors.
Whiners, who get through life by complaining about everything they do, who profess negativism and dissatisfaction wherever they go, and blaming others for their own shortcomings.
Weasels, who lurk everywhere and threaten your career and life-goals through their own deception and insecurity and who spread these feelings quickly throughout the organization.
What to Do When You’re Having One of “Those” Days
June 21, 2010
by Carrie Greene, CarrieThru, LLC, Coach & Professional Organizer
Last week was the week of job interview horror stories. One client was on his way to an interview when he got distracted and ran into a guard rail. Nobody was hurt, but his car was damaged and could no longer be driven. Another client got into her car for her interview with plenty of time and everything she needed, except her wallet and cell phone. This would have been bad enough but then her car broke down. She finally got the car started again, but was late to her interview and had no way to call.
I’m sure you can picture it, your mind is preoccupied with an upcoming meeting, event or project and suddenly, you’re thrown a major curve ball. Whether you threw the curve ball yourself or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is what you do next.
So how did these stories turn out? I am happy to report that both interviews went well. They allowed themselves to put their adventures behind them, let go of the self recrimination and focus on the task at hand – answering the questions the interviewer was asking. They decided that their interview would either go well or not, but not because of their morning.
So what does this mean for you?
When a situation suddenly takes an unexpected turn, take a deep breath and consciously decide to focus your attention on what needs to be done to move you forward. Later, after things have calmed down, take the time to figure out how or why you ended up in that situation and come up with a plan to avoid it next time.
Oh yeah, there were a couple of other lessons learned:
Don’t EVER clean the smudges off the car window while driving.
Double or triple check to make sure you have your wallet and cell phone with you whenever you leave one place to go to another, especially when changing purses.
About the Author
Carrie Greene is a Coach and Professional Organizer.
Work with Carrie to get places and get things done on time, figure out your priorities and get the projects that you start done. Cross things off your to-do list, get organized and keep the motivation and momentum going for the long run.
Break the hopelessness cycle! Work with Carrie to carry through on the steps it takes to reach your goals.
For free resources, including Carrie’s 4-part ecourse to help you get organized, please visit http://www.CarrieThru.com
Making Time for Your New Job and Your Family
June 14, 2010
One of the biggest challenges of going back to work is balancing your time. Before you accept that new job, think about the ideal number of hours you would like to work, in order to generate the income you need but still have time for your family.
If you can only work 20 hours a week, be honest when applying so the employer knows that up front. Some places of business prefer not to hire 40 hour a week employees so they don’t have to provide full benefit packages, so sometimes this is a plus. If you can manage up to 40 hours a week, put that down also. Be sure to mark down whether you can work morning shift, afternoon shift or evening shift. The employer may need people for certain shifts and not for others. If you can work any shift, mark that down too.
It will probably take you a few weeks to establish a routine that gets you to work on time and lets you stay on top of things at home. This is when the whole family needs to work together to share the load. Even younger children can handle minor chores such as picking up toys, dusting, and putting their clothes in the laundry hamper.
You have to remember that the kids still need your attention, even on the days you are tired from your day at work. Make sure that you allot some quality time for the kids each evening, whether it is helping them with their homework or playing a game with them. This still needs to be an important part of your day to make things work.
Try doing a load of laundry every day or so to keep you from being buried on the weekend. You can also do housework a little bit at a time throughout the week. By the weekend, you will have most of your housework done so you can spend more time relaxing.
Sit down as a family and talk about what meals everyone wants for the week as you make your grocery list. Giving kids a voice in meal planning when they are old enough is a good way to teach them about healthy eating habits as well.
These are just a few ideas to help you make the transition from stay-at-home mom to working mother. You’ll find lots more information in our e-book, Returning to Work for Moms.
10 Ways to Add Value to Your Company
June 3, 2010
by Olga T. Cordeiro MBA, CMA
1. Match your boss’s priorities to yours, so that you are in alignment with your company’s goals and vision.
2. Focus on the skills, projects, and assignments which will be used in your performance evaluation.
3. Exude trustworthiness. Under-promise and over-deliver on your assignments. Delivering on-time (or even early) shows that you are organized and dependable.
4. Keep knowledgeable about your industry. Attend company-sponsored training, professional association events, and read trade journals.
5. Show flexibility and team player spirit. Offer to help out colleagues when it appears that they need it. Never state, “that’s not in my job description”.
6. Take responsibility. Own up to your mistakes and focus on what you’ve learned rather than on what went wrong.
7. Make your boss look impressive. Produce superlative work and suggest ideas that will your help your boss out. Volunteer to implement these ideas.
8. Keep positive. Motivate your co-workers in their jobs instead of whining, criticizing, or complaining. Be courteous to everyone.
9. Live a balanced life. Take breaks as needed to gain energy and perspective. Leave your personal life at home; do not bring it to the office.
10. Take care of yourself. Productivity and ambition take a nosedive when you’re run down. Attend a coaching session to lift your spirits and bring you back up to speed.
About the Author
Olga T. Cordeiro, MBA, CMA, is an award-winning researcher, management accountant, life-work empowerment coach, trusted mentor, and dynamic speaker. Her mission is to enhance confidence levels, improve attitudes, and increase competencies in business development, financial management, and accompanying personal issues. Through customized training services and products, her clients’ efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of life are dramatically improved. For enhancements in both your personal and professional lives, you can reach her at admin@empowermentcoachingacademy.com. Feel free to peruse her website www.empowermentcoachingacademy.com and find the information needed to ramp up your life one notch.
Career Transition Expert Harnesses the Power of Twitter to Deliver 800+ Tweets in One-of-a-Kind Career Book
May 24, 2010
Career transition expert, prolific writer, and author Billie Sucher, helps job seekers from any walk of life with her latest book, Happy About the Career Alphabet: An A-Z Primer for job seekers of all ages – 800+ fast and easy Tweet-Style Tips.
Sucher’s newest book delivers career wisdom, encouragement, insight, and direction to those searching for their next job or professional opportunity, offering 800+ easily-consumable A–Z tweet-style tips for recent college grads, career changers and seasoned senior-level executives to military personnel transitioning to civilian employment. Job seekers will delight in its 100+ pages of simplicity, inspiration, and breadth of career knowledge delivered in less time than it takes to fly from Dallas to Denver.
Happy About the Career Alphabet provides a quick read in Twitter format, giving job seekers over eight hundred tips on such topics as career transition, resume writing, interviewing, job search, networking and personal branding, inspired by Sucher’s 25 years of career coaching, consulting and counseling. With wisdom, humor, and reflection, the book helps today’s job seeker gain a competitive advantage in an ever-changing global market. Sucher’s colleagues have described Happy About the Career Alphabet as “Simply brilliant” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Billie Sucher is a nationally-known career transition expert, outplacement consultant, professional résumé writer, speaker, author, poet, and prolific blogger for Career Hub. For over two decades, she has provided professional career management services to organizations and individuals (entry-level to executive-level) throughout the country. Sucher holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Drake University and numerous industry certifications including International Job and Career Transition Coach, Career Management Alliance Credentialed Career Manager Distinction, and William Bridge’s Transition Management Certification. Her résumé/cover letter work is featured in twenty-eight national best-selling books. Earlier this year, Billie was named one of the 150+ Experts on Twitter ALL Job Seekers MUST Follow and one of the 50 Personal Branding Consultants Worth Working With.
Job seekers of all ages will benefit from these tips to find a job. No need to spend hours learning or hundreds on a career coach; this book delivers quick advice that can be applied immediately.
Happy About the Career Alphabet is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
The 5 Most Important Things To Do If The Company You Work For Is Taken Over
May 17, 2010
Richard Wanderer, author of the critically acclaimed The Holiday Party (A Tale of a Corporate Takeover), a fictional, suspense novel, has spent many decades working in New York City and LA in the advertising departments of major national magazines and newspaper chains. He is also a lawyer and a member of the California Bar.
One of the characters in Wanderer’s novel enacts important steps to take if one’s company is a takeover target, which can apply to just about any industry.
- The takeover company should be checked out. Find sites like Glassdoor.com that list, according to employees, reviews of thousands of companies. Ask friends and acquaintances in the industry involved what they’ve heard. Get feedback.
- Visit your Human Resources Department, with this caveat – remember they work for your employer as well as for you. Nevertheless, find out about all of your benefits – savings program, if the company has one, as well as your 401K, health benefits, etc. and receive all the paperwork you are entitled to.
- See an actuary with this paperwork. If you are an older employee, you may find that certain magic words like “late retiree accrual” can open up employee earnings you may never have known you were entitled to.
- Locate a good employer/employee lawyer – seek advice from your state’s bar association to help you find one – it may be worth one’s investment or it could even be given at no cost. Remember the employer has a legal department and therefore, the employee should not be standing there alone.
- While the new management is settling in, you should be very careful about confiding anything of a negative nature to the new management you find you are now dealing with. They may have their own agendas.
Whether one is confronted with a takeover, layoff or downsizing, the author advises people to pause and think of all of their options. Realize, too, this could be a good time to go back to school to expand one’s opportunities or even contemplate the possibility of becoming their own boss in an enterprise of their own.
The Holiday Party (A Tale of a Corporate Takeover) is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Changing Careers Requires a Fresh Perspective
May 13, 2010
One topic that hits home for North Americans dealing with economic uncertainty is how to make a meaningful career change. Many are seeking practical advice on how to adapt to the changing economy in order to advance in their present career or get a job in a new one.
Communications expert David Cunningham of Landmark Education was recently interviewed by Random House author and Wall Street Journal columnist Alexandra Levit. They talked about how a change in perspective can provide the keys for people to get unstuck and launch a new career.
Levit, author of New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career, says: “A lot of people are feeling very stuck in this current climate. Either they’re in a job that they feel is not personally meaningful or they’re just not sure what the next step is to take.”
Cunningham outlined some tips for career changers to give them power and explore their opportunities. To avoid confusing the facts of their situation with their interpretations of those facts, he suggested making two separate lists. The first should list the facts of their situation, such as salary and opportunities for promotion. The second list is for added thoughts such as “I’m not successful enough,” “We’re going to have trouble paying our bills,” or “I’m not going to be able to retire.”
“When you go to work on just the facts versus what you add to them, you get a lot of power,” Cunningham says.
New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Play to Win – Choosing Growth over Fear in Work and Life
April 12, 2010
Larry Wilson, entrepreneur, training and organizational consultant and author of the award-winning book, Play to Win, was recently featured on Total Career Success, an Internet show on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network.
Play to Win is about figuring out how to go as far as you can with all that you have – at work, at home, in all your relationships, in your community. Wilson shares the tools to leave fear behind and choose to grow and thrive in one’s career and in every part of life.
People today from the shop floor to the boardroom are grappling with tough questions and decisions that give shape and meaning to their lives, such as:
What are work and life about?
Why am I really here?
What difference will I make?
What will I leave behind?
In his interview, Wilson provided insights gained during his thirty-year career in training and development. He suggested that rather than defeating others, one can adapt a childlike approach of playing with intensity, focus, learning, and relating to others to live a full and meaningful life. He believes that everyone can win by living with meaning, passion and purpose, and that one of the keys to success is learning to change, adjust, and adapt to the changing workplace and economy. Wilson shared,
“You can learn how to quit old, unproductive thought and behavioral patterns and discover what you really want and how to get it.”
For more information, you can listen to Wilson’s interview online or download it as an MP3 at http://www.voiceamerica.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=45532. His book, Play to Win – Choosing Growth over Fear in Work and Life, is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
