How to handle the transition from college to work – Some advice
These times are A-Changin’
Making these transitions from your college to your career involves a major lifecycle change. You will be given more responsibility and less room for error. The excuses you had in college don’t always fly in the real world.
Has LinkedIn Jumped the Shark?
Don’t get me wrong, I love LinkedIn. I have written glowingly about the social networking tool over the past several years and actually landed my current job via LinkedIn.
With that being said, LinkedIn
It’s a Two Way Street: 3 Questions to Ask Your Potential Employer During an Interview
As most of us know, interviewing can be an extremely stressful endeavor. For most of us, sitting for thirty plus minutes just talking about ourselves is not only challenging, but also rather uncomfortable. There are dozens upon dozens of tips and tricks articles out there aimed towards helping individuals nail
Long Office Hours: How to Thrive
It was not so long ago that the world marveled at the work ethic of the Japanese. It was common for the Japanese to work an excruciating number of hours per week in dedication to advancing their company, their department and their position. Sometime in the past two decades, American companies began
Tooting your own horn – how to master the art of self promotion
They say that talking about yourself is one of the hardest things to do. To get a job or get ahead in your career, learning the art of self promotion is one of the essential skills you will need to master. Here are some basics to help you get started:
4 Tips for Networking In Person
The buzz of the business world is all about “social networking.” And to me, many times, these words conjure situations that are anything but “social.” I often think of corporate jargon, slickly styled online profiles, and general fakeness
3 things you must bring to the interview -hint- not what you think
The job market is still tight and it is difficult for many folks out there who are job searching. With hundreds of applicants competing for each job it is vital for job seekers to find a way to stand apart from the crowd. Here are three things for you to bring with you to the interview that will make you irresistible to the
8 Tips for running a successful business meeting
As a corporate recruiter I find myself in dozens of meetings per week. Some are productive but most are simply a waste of time. I have a feeling that I am not alone in thinking that a little training on running a meeting would go a long way. It amazes me that companies spend millions of dollars on all types of training
Feeling Pressure about Your Career Trajectory? One Hint: Relax
As all of us who have done it before, whether for only a few months or for several decades, we know that entering and succeeding in the working world is a complicated labyrinth of hard work, people skills, intelligence, and pure dumb luck. Even though we may know this intuitively, it’s difficult to completely understand that building your career over time takes, well, a lot of time. Here are a few tips so that you can stop worrying about the future and learn to love the journey.
1. Doing what you love is largely a myth.
As mentioned in a recent BNET article, getting paid to do what you love sounds great in theory, but there are definitely some drawbacks to aiming for making your passion and career coincide. Not only can it be unrealistic, making you feel depressed if you don’t get that dream job, but it can actually serve to turn you off from your genuine interests if you do land a fun gig. Why? Because when you are materially rewarded for your job, you can sometimes forget the intrinsic awards that truly motivate you.
2. Setting up milestones in both career and life is a double-edged sword.
Although career news websites all agree that younger generations of workers are avoiding typical milestones, it may be good to take a leaf out of Gen Me’s book. If you plan to get married by a certain age, buy a house shortly thereafter, achieve partner status at the firm, etc., you may be in for a disappointment. Take things in stride, do what you have to do, but don’t push these supposed milestones just because everyone has achieved them before you have.
3. Doing well in your job and overall career is a lot like golf.
I know, I know. Sports analogies and career advice are way overdone, and if you’ve been exposed to too many of these metaphors, then I apologize. But this one makes sense. In golf, if you take one shot as it comes and don’t think about your game overall, you often end up doing significantly better in the end. Do the same with your career take one day at a time, and treat each project or task as the only thing you have to do and your life depends on it. Doing well in the long-term is always the result of putting effort into the little things.
4. If you’re a go-getter, try to tone down the type-A personality. It might get you further.
Although this advice may sound a bit counterintuitive, a new study on which the Wall Street Journal reported shows that so-called “slackers” actually often end out on top. Why is that? Because they don’t who face problems by withdrawing and relaxing are often less stressed and take the necessary time off to approach solutions in a more clear-headed way.
Although we all can completely understand stressing out about your future job prospects, life is simply too short to make that the focus of your worries, especially when seeking work. You have enough on your plate as it is.
This guest contribution was submitted by Pamelia Brown, who specializes in writing about associates degree. Questions and comments can be sent to: pamelia.brown@gmail.com.
How to break free from the rat race and simplify your life
Are you happy now?
Many people question or even ignore their inner monologue regarding their happiness and fulfillment at their tradition 9-t0-5 job. You need to ask yourself if changing jobs, changing careers or even shortening your commute would make you happier. Making a change in your professional life may come with sacrifices of your seniority, pay or status. Ask yourself some tough questions about what would make you happier and you might be surprised to find out what is really important to you.
No thanks to the grindstone
If you decide to make changes in your career observe how others have reduced their workload. There are a lot of people out there that have been able to sustain a great quality of life without wearing business suits and punching the clock every day. Talk to them about how they traded in their office routines for a more independent lifestyle. Find out how they did it and consider whether it may be right for you.
Testing … one … two … three
Look for outside opportunities to experiment with less structure. These options may help you learn more about lifve on the outside and may include a sabbatical or projects that involve freelancers or independent contractors.
Time of your life
Timing is very important when downshifting your career. This type of change would be easy if you had a healthy amount of cash dtored away, but if you are staring ata pile of bills, it’s certainly far more difficult. Needless to say, the lower your expenses, the easier the transition to a more personalized career and lifestyle will be.
My way or the highway
Explore your company’s policy about alternative working arrangements, such as flextime, part time, or change in hours. You might be surprised to find that your company has these options. Check out the company handbook, talk to your human resources department and connect with people who have taken “the road less traveled.”
Who is the Career CoPilot?
The owner and editor of Career Copilot is Dan Keller. Experienced in many facets of the career industry, Dan is uniquely qualified to lead the efforts of this blog and other related career services and communities. Dan possesses over a decade of recruiting experience, including retained search, contingency search and corporate recruiting. Dan is a certified resume writer and owns ProResumeWriter.com where he provides a variety of career related services with an emphasis on resume writing, personal branding and web 2.0 job search strategies. Dan holds a Master’s degree in Organization Psychology and is fascinated with the application of psychological principles and how they relate to the workplace.
