I am always looking for a better job, and I know a lot of people out there are in the same boat — by necessity or desire. Here’s a roundup of articles, tips and tricks to help you on your way.
Things to do
Volunteer work is a good way to add weight to your resume, at least according to Monster.com: “You may have altruistic reasons for volunteering, but giving your time has career-enhancing power, too.” Not bad, you feel good for doing it and add some zest to your resume.
Start a blog. According to The Boston Herald, “Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field.” And they give eight reasons why:
- Blogging creates a network.
- Blogging can get you a job.
- Blogging is great training.
- Blogging helps you move up quickly.
- Blogging makes self-employment easier.
- Blogging provides more opportunities.
- Blogging could be your big break.
- Blogging makes the world a better place.
Need some tips on acing the interview? Membox.com has a quick reference guide to help out:
- Prepare
- Dress well
- Mobile phones off
- Firm handshake
- If you use glasses, wear them in the interview
- Think before you answer
They also have a more detailed list of things to do to prepare. Worth a read, if you’ve already landed that all-important interview.
Brand Yourself
One of the ways to get your career on the fast track and guarantee continued success is to successfully brand yourself.
Tips from Quick Sprout on what to do in your first 7 days:
Thousands of people are trying to brand themselves every day, but the majority seem to be making critical mistakes within the first week of their own personal branding campaign. If you haven’t thought about personal branding much and are looking to start branding yourself, here is what you should do in the next 7 days:
- Day 1: Pick a niche
- Day 2: Help others in your space
- Day 3: Participate within your community
- Day 4: Network
- Day 5: Start a blog
- Day 6: Plan ahead
- Day 7: Don’t expect the world
These provide a good plan for a way to get started. Don’t think that personal branding can work for you? Just look at what it did for Rick Mahn. From Fast Company, “Mahn’s online conversation has not only paid off with reams of Internet pages talking him up. Online personal branding has begun to change Mahn’s life. Recruiters call him about job offers. Microsoft wanted his take on some pre-production and just-shipped products. And reporters at publications like the Wall Street Journal Online want his ear.”
What not to do
Sometimes the place to start is with a list of things to avoid. Monster.com recommends avoiding the top 10 resume mistakes:
- Typos and Grammatical Errors
- Lack of Specifics
- Attempting One Size Fits All
- Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments
- Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short
- A Bad Objective
- No Action Verbs
- Leaving Off Important Information
- Visually Too Busy
- Incorrect Contact Information
Read the article for more info on how to avoid these mistakes. I know that I’ve bookmarked it for myself.
Staying where you are
Thinking about staying in your current job? Being underpaid is one reason that compels many people to quit. How do you resolve that? Do good work, says John Wagner, and your bosses will notice.
If that’s not enough, here are some tips to help you get along with your co-workers and on negotiating workplace conflicts. I know that that’s something we can all use.
Seth Godin would argue that you need to know when it’s time to quit. Have you been branded internally? “The time to look for a new job is when you don’t need one. The time to switch jobs is before it feels comfortable. Go. Switch. Challenge yourself; get yourself a raise and a promotion. You owe it to your career and your skills.”
I’ll probably post on this again, later. This is all for now.
Resources:
- The First 7 Days of Personal Branding, at Quick Sprout
- Careers: Tech Geek Turned Personal Brander, at Fast Company
- Yes, You Can Co-exist With Your Co-workers, by SkillPath
- Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes, by Monster.com
- Time to quit?, by Seth Godin
- Ten tips for negotiating workplace conflicts, by HispanicAd.com
- Here’s an idea — do good work, and management will notice, by Wagner Communications
- Are You Underpaid?, by Monster.com
- Leverage Volunteer Work on Your Resume, by Monster.com
- Blogs “Essential” to a Good Career, by WirelessJobs.com & Blogs ‘essential’ to a good career, by The Boston Globe
- Job interview tips from a recruiter, from Lifehacker & Interview tips from an experienced recruiter, from Membox.com
